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Over the past month or so, a brand new faction known as RETRIBUTION has hit both WWE RAW and SmackDown. The group has caused some disruption to the company’s production equipment, creating power failures at first. They also stepped up their game by entering the arena and the ring to beat down other Superstars and vandalize the entire set.
After targeting both WWE RAW and SmackDown for a few weeks, RETRIBUTION focused its sights RAW. The masked assailants have been making an impact every single week and for several WWE fans, they have been the most interesting part of weekly television.
However, many fans can’t wait to see who is behind the masks and they have taken to social media to speculate about who they believe is part of RETRIBUTION. While there are many fan theories out there, we will just have to wait a little longer to see who the members of RETRIBUTION are.
In this article, let's look at the five reasons why WWE has possibly decided not to reveal the members of RETRIBUTION yet.
#5. RETRIBUTION is generating a lot of hype for WWE without revealing their faces
With the arrival of RETRIBUTION, one thing WWE has managed to achieve is hype. When The Nexus arrived on WWE programming, the company managed to increase viewership and deliver some great content thanks to the buzz the faction created.
WWE is aiming for the same at the moment with RETRIBUTION. They are looking to build as much interest without rushing to the final reveal as possible to ensure they don’t disappoint the fans.
A good portion of the WWE Universe has high hopes for RETRIBUTION, and WWE would not want to disappoint the fans with this storyline that could stretch for months.With that in mind, WWE could look to extend the storyline for as long as possible without revealing the members to maintain the mystery. For now, the the unnamed attackers are creating an impact with their masks on.
While RETRIBUTION is exclusively targeting WWE RAW now, it would be interesting if WWE reveals the masked Superstars are from SmackDown. Even more, they could be previously released Superstars as that would turn the entire company on its head.
WWE may have decided to exhaust the storyline with RETRIBUTION without revealing the members for as long as possible, saving the final reveal until the saturation point is reached to elongate the overall impact of the faction.
#4. WWE might want to be certain about the choices they make for RETRIBUTION before the final reveal
RETRIBUTION has been around for over a month now, and we've seen the faction appear on both WWE RAW and SmackDown. They've not only attacked the men and women in the ring and vandalized WWE's equipment, but they've also tried to take down the talent in attendance and the commentators on duty.
We've seen the members of RETRIBUTION change several times since they first appeared on WWE programming, and while it could be due to the fact that WWE used whoever they could find to place under the mask, it could also be because WWE is fine-tuning the faction.
It is never easy to put together the right combination of WWE Superstars to create a group, and WWE may be aiming for the level of success they reached with Evolution, Shield, and The Undisputed ERA.
With that in mind, one of the major reasons why WWE has kept the identities of the Superstars in RETRIBUTION a secret could be that they want to be certain about the choices they make before revealing them.
This could allow them to ensure that they pick the best possible mix that would click with the WWE Universe with fewer chances of failing altogether.
#3. WWE could be waiting for RETRIBUTION members to end their current rivalries
Currently, there is no real indication from WWE as to who might be behind RETRIBUTION. This has left fans to continue speculating as guessing who’s part of the rebellious faction.
Names such as Shane Thorne, Mercedes Martinez, and Mia Yim have continued to pop up on social media as fans have managed to follow the clues and come up with these names. However, Martinez was in a rivalry with Rhea Ripley until very recently, and the two women competed in a Steel Cage match on the most recent episode of WWE NXT.
Now that Martinez has lost her match, she may be free to move from NXT if she is part of RETRIBUTION, along with several other Superstars.
With that in mind, WWE may be waiting for all the members of RETRIBUTION to finish their rivalries so that they can then have a proper reveal without distorting any of the rivalries that the Superstars may already be a part of.
With all members of RETRIBUTION free from any ongoing rivalry, they will be able to keep their complete focus on RETRIBUTION’s main aim.
#2. WWE could wait to make RETRIBUTION much bigger before the final reveal
We’ve often seen WWE rush into storylines and matches without having a proper buildup. The WWE Universe has compared invasion angles and mystery attacker storylines to that of The Nexus, and RETRIBUTION was also being compared to the former faction earlier on.
To ensure that they do not rush into things without having a proper buildup, setting the foundation for what RETRIBUTION truly stands for and who they’re targeting, WWE will need to be careful about the timing of the reveal.
Up until this past Monday, RETRIBUTION did not have a voice, and no one knew what their intentions really were. However, their first message to the WWE Universe has helped the fans understand what they truly stand for.
Since the WWE Universe has a lot of hopes attached to RETRIBUTION, WWE should take their time to build upon the storylines further before they go on to reveal who all are behind the masks.
RETRIBUTION could turn out to be WWE’s secret weapon for the rest of the year, especially with WWE Survivor Series coming up in a couple of months and making the faction a bigger affair before revealing its members will ensure that the fans do not lose interest in them no matter who is part of the group.
#1. RETRIBUTION could have their big moment in front of a live WWE crowd
WWE has been trying to come up with some innovative methods to keep the fans at home entertained during the current pandemic. With no audience in attendance during shows, the company has tried everything from hosting shows in empty arenas, to bringing in the Performance Center talent to fill up some space and make some noise, to going for the ThunderDome.
Many top Superstars are waiting for their turn to perform in front of live crowds again. Similarly, WWE could be waiting for the seats to fill up with the fans once again before they make the final reveal as to who the members of RETRIBUTION really are.
While the pandemic seems to be far from over, we could see live crowds make a return in a month or two under strict guidelines, to give the shows a grander feel once again.
During such a time, revealing the members of RETRIBUTION could make the entire affair much bigger and give the fans something more to look forward to following a massive pop.
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