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Not a lot of eventful things took place on this week's edition of RAW. The most significant development by far was Randy Orton teaming up with The Revival to form a brand new faction.
Now, while the idea may appeal to some and not appeal to some others, the question arises with regard to why the decision was made to pair these individuals with one another on WWE Television. I will attempt to answer this question in this page and the ones that follow, with five points.
I would also love to hear your own take on why this alliance was formed too. Mind you, this article is not based on insider knowledge but an analysis of WWE's past booking patterns and the way they like to portray their stars.
That said, here are the points...
#5. No flips, just fists
Firstly, Randy Orton and The Revival are a match made in heaven (or in the deepest pits of hell) if you're just thinking stylistically. Nobody can doubt the fact that they are exemplary workers, but unlike Ricochet and AJ Styles who take an aerial approach when it comes to professional wrestling, Orton, Dash and Dawson prefer to let their fists do the talking. Their approach is more methodical, more devious and far more mean than almost anyone else.
In a lot of ways, this is the perfect pairing as a result. I've had the pleasure of chatting with Alexa Bliss, who has always maintained that her arsenal does not have a lot of high-flying moves because she does not want the crowd to cheer for her. This is why Orton and The Revival make the perfect heel faction.
They go hard, all day all night. And they hear voices in their heads as well!
#4. Eliminating the numbers advantage that the New Day has
Through my job, I've had a chance to interact with some of the greatest minds in the business and discuss wrestling psychology with these noted pro wrestling stalwarts. As popular as the New Day is, there's something inherently wrong about them from a conceptual point of view because even as babyfaces they hold the advantage in numbers. It becomes very difficult for the audience to egg on a team unless they're fighting against all odds, in my opinion.
Which is why this alliance of Orton and The Revival becomes the perfect counterpoint to eliminate the numbers in this case. This is a heel alliance that is gunning for the WWE Championship and the SmackDown Tag Team Championships and coincidentally, The New Day holds all three titles. With this faction, Orton and The Revival are working towards a common goal, to dethrone Kofi Kingston and his band of merry men.
All I can say is that we must strap on our seat belts and get ready for the ultimate ride of our lives.
#3. Randy Orton always thrives in groups
When you think about Randy Orton, you don't necessarily think of factions that he's been part of because of the long and illustrious career that he's enjoyed. But then again, he's been a part of some of the best heel units that WWE has ever put together, in my opinion.
I mean the first name that comes to mind is Evolution, with Ric Flair, Triple H and indeed Batista, a faction that is guaranteed to go into the WWE Hall of Fame someday very soon. But then there was also The Legacy, a team that some of you may remember with much fondness and derision based on what you thought of it.
And then there was also The Wyatt Family, a group that Orton was a part of for a brief period, leading to his eventual match with the eater of worlds, Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania. Who can forget his alliance with The Authority, something that dominated WWE programming in the company's modern era?
Is it any surprise that Randy Orton has been cast in a new group, this time as the leader of the faction at long last?
#2. The Revival gets the rub from Orton
We all loved watching The Revival put on those amazing matches when they were in NXT, but once they got called up to the main roster, they did get lost in the shuffle. I've put them over to my friends who aren't necessarily the most hardcore fans of wrestling, and they've said that they had trouble connecting with the 'Top Guys' because they have no gimmick per se. Even their old-school wrestling gimmick does not necessarily connect with casual wrestling fans.
But it's very easy to understand the gang mentality of a heel faction. You have the devious leader in Randy Orton and you have his cohorts in Dash and Dawson as well. In a sense, this also solves the problem of The Revival not connecting with casual fans through their gimmick.
The proximity to Randy Orton now makes them instant superstars, just like the proximity to Flair and Triple H made Orton a Superstar all those years ago. This union only spells gold and glory for The Revival in the coming months.
#1. The potential of feuding with other groups as well
Ultimately, the New Day could only be the beginning of this faction's WWE conquests. Because if you actually look at it, there are a multitude of teams waiting in the wings who could potentially take them on.
Even though The OC are technically heels, Styles, Gallows, and Anderson can turn babyface in an instant considering the fact that they are so incredibly over and popular with the WWE Universe. This is proved by the fact that even though they are heels, fans still order and sport their shirts proudly which have the coolest designs.
I'm also guessing that The Undisputed ERA will be called up to the main roster sooner rather than later and now they have a readymade faction to feud with if they come up as babyfaces. I mean they're so popular with the NXT Universe that I personally believe that when they do get called up to the main roster, they will get a huge babyface pop.
There are so many feuds that Orton, Dash, and Dawson can have down the line, and this should be a treat for fans!
