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Though they made their debut in the WWE in 2014, Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson have been honing their in-ring craft for fifteen years.
Both men have wrestled extensively on the independent scene in the United States. Their mix of old school grit, modern era technique, and smash mouth brawling have drawn favorable comparisons to many great tag teams of yesteryear: The Minnesota Wrecking Crew (Arn Anderson and Ole Anderon,) the Midnight Express, and the Fantastics.
Fans and critics alike have embraced the hardcore tag team specialists. Their "no flips, just fists" catchphrase has been oft repeated and turned into internet memes. What really separates the Revival from many other in-ring specialists is the fact that they possess excellent mic skills. A Revival promo will be intense and utterly in kayfabe, with total dedication to their characters.
Apparently, WWE is pretty high on the Revival as well. When the duo requested their release shortly before WrestleMania 35, the company begged them to remain and give things a chance to improve.
However, the current rumors are that the Revival have turned down a lucrative half million a year offer from WWE. If these rumors are true, what, if anything, can be done to convince the Top Guys that they should remain with the WWE?
Here are five ways the WWE can keep The Revival happy and under contract.
#1 Offer them even more money
In a world rife with NFL and MLB contracts worth millions of dollars, professional wrestlers remain lowly paid in comparison. Many wrestlers make less than one hundred thousand in yearly salary, and unless they have strong merchandise sales - difficult for the heel wrestlers - that's their only source of income because of the rigorous road schedule WWE requires their talent to maintain.
So, the five hundred thousand a year allegedly offered by WWE to the Revival isn't chump change. However, this doesn't mean that the WWE shouldn't offer them even more. The company can afford it, and it would secure the services of two wily veterans who appeal to all facets of the WWE Universe.
Given the chance to secure the future for themselves and their families, it would be hard for the Revival to turn down a big money offer to return to the independent scene.
#2 Longer tag team matches
In the months leading up to their January request for a release, The Revival had done nothing inspired. They had been bundled into a go-nowhere feud with Lucha House Party, with neither team inching closer to the title picture.
But the final straw seemed to be when the Revival lost in less than five minutes to Lucha House Party on Raw. The Revival had no objection to losing - as a heel tag team, they exist to be eventually defeated by a babyface team. Their big problem was that five minutes is insufficient time to tell a story with their match.
Every pro wrestling match is a short story or at least a chapter in an overall narrative for very long feuds. By extending the time allotted to tag team wrestling matches, WWE can give the Revival the platform they need to create their in-ring magic. Longer tag matches might encourage the Revival to stay with the company.
#3 Give them more creative control
Creative control is a concept born out of the Hollywood movie industry, but it has expanded to include other forms of entertainment as well.
When wrestlers talk about wanting creative control, it's not for the reasons which fans might think. For example, most wrestlers don't mind losing as long as the match is significant and has been built up with an adequate storyline.
Rather, what wrestlers want out of creative control has to do with their in-ring performance. The Revival, in particular, are very much concerned with how their matches turn out, in particular, their own performances. Scott Dawson had this to say on the subject:
We are very proud men who want to work hard, who want to be the best. It is very easy to get frustrated.
So in order to keep the Revival, they need to feel like they are getting the opportunity to prove their worth in the ring. Giving them a measure of creative control could achieve this.
#4 Put more emphasis on Tag Team Wrestling
If there's one thing that separates pro wrestling from other forms of sporting entertainment, it's tag team wrestling.
When Noah Snydergaard is pitching, he can't tag in Corey Kluber for a few minutes while he catches wind. Likewise, imagine if Jon Jones tried to tag out during one of his cage fights in the UFC?
But in the world of pro wrestling, tag team wrestling is a great storytelling device. During the 1980s, tag team wrestling was just as hot as singles wrestling, and sometimes more so. Shows headlined by the Rock and Roll Express sold more tickets than those headlined by Dusty Rhodes, even when Rhodes was the NWA champion.
Putting a greater emphasis on tag team wrestling is just good business sense for the WWE anyway, but it would make great strides toward keeping the Revival happy and under contract for a long time to come.
#5 End the brand split for the tag team championships
One of the best decisions in recent memory made by WWE was when they began their women's tag team division. It feels like a move that was long overdue.
But another great decision was when the company decided the women's tag team titles would be defended on all brands, including NXT. This opened up the potential for more matchups, with a greater variety of superstars and styles than could ever be achieved on just one brand.
The WWE might want to do the same thing for the men's tag team championships. Having one world tag team championship would increase the prestige of the titles. Also, with so many talented tag teams just collecting dust, such as the Authors of Pain and Heavy Machinery, WWE could utilize their roster more effectively.
There you have it; five things WWE can do to keep the Revival happy and under contract. What would you do to entice The Revival if you were in charge of WWE? Or are they just being stubborn? Please comment below the article and let us know your opinion and as always thanks for reading!
