Csonka: WWE Can’t Even Ruin The Revival Correctly

It’s been no secret that the relationship between the WWE & Revival has been extremely strained this year. The former NXT standouts and throwbacks to old school tag team wrestling have been frustrated over lack of TV time, a sustained push, and lack of overall care with the tag team division. At one point, they reportedly asked for their release, and then again, reportedly turned down lucrative offers to re-sign with the company. It’s obvious that the Revival aren’t happy in WWE right now, and since they have approximately 18-months or so left on their deals (depending on who you believe), WWE has no plans in letting them go even though it seems like it would be for the best for both sides. In true WWE fashion, the company has decided to take the humiliation approach with the team; trying to devalue them by making them look like idiots through back shaving and Ucy hot crotch burning segments. Not only does this feel completely childish, but it feels like the absolute worst way to make use of the time left on their deals. There are easier ways to ruin the team if that’s the goal.

Take Them Off TV: Solution number one is a simple one, if you’re WWE and don’t want the Revival to have any equity as a team or as stars, you take away the biggest commodity available to them, and that is TV time. The humiliation stuff is childish, and to me not funny at all, but there is a minority that think that they are funny and have praised the Revival for making the most of a bad situation, while showing that they “can do comedy.” To me, that’s the opposite reaction WWE wants. If they aren’t on TV, they aren’t getting a chance to impress. If you remove them from TV and relegate them to live events, then you are still getting use out of them while stripping them of the chance to maintain & gain fans through appearing on TV. WWE, like with any story they wish to tell, is in complete control of the narrative here. If you want to ruin a team, take away what is most voluble to them, their chance to make themselves a star, because even while being buried, guys can and have become stars against all odds.

Just Have Them Lose to Any & Every Team That’s Staying/Has Potential: But if you’re WWE, maybe you don’t want to waste a commodity you invested in on live events alone. I can understand this, so if you refuse to take them off TV to ruin and punish them, then drop the comedy punishment bullshit and use them to put over other teams. And I’m not talking to allow them to have classics or long matches, if you’re WWE and want to absolutely ruin the team, then you simply job them out, and job them out hard. Book them in sub-three minute matches, shorter if you want, and do it across all brands. Have Ryder &Hawkins beat them in 30-seconds, Bryan & Rowan beat them in the same. Send them to the UK, that bitch ass of a flight, and have the Grizzled Young Veterans beat them in 10-seconds and then make those poor bastards take the flight back right away. If you really want to lay the screws to them and show them who’s the boss, have the IIconics beat them just to rub salt in the wound. At least that way you’re getting something out of them as opposed to poorly done “comedy” segments.

Split Them Up: If you don’t want to take them off TV and don’t want to job them out as a team, then take away the final thing that these guys hold dear, the team itself. I think that the only thing stronger than the Revival’s love for wrestling is their brother-like bond. If you’ve ever read or heard interviews with these guys, they seem to have a real and unbreakable bond, forged in the fires of fighting for their dream of making it in wresting and then living out that dream together while paying tribute to the tag team wrestling that they love. While times have been rough for the team, from their booking, overall frustrations in wanting out of the company, and now humiliation on live TV, they’ve always had each other. I am sure that Vince gets a real kick out of back shaving, burning crotches, and his performers rubbing their asses on the mat like a dog that can’t reach an itch, but through it all they’ve had each other to rely on and confide in. If you want to punish them and don’t want to take them off TV and don’t want to job them out, then simply split them and destroy the bond. Split them up, put them on different shows, hell send one to the UK. It’s not hard, if you want to ruin them, then just do it. These horrible “comedy segments” aren’t hurting them, they’re hurting the fans.

– End Scene.

– Thanks for reading.

The 411 on Wrestling Podcast returns to the 411 Podcasting Network for episode 18. On the show, 411’s Larry Csonka is joined by Steve Cook. Today, the guys will discuss their time as a fan during the Monday Night Wars, the initial reaction to the news that WWE was buying WCW, and then look back on the final WCW Monday Nitro and how it showed how the invasion would go and then talk the missed opportunities of the Invasion angle. Finally, the guys discuss the Dark Side of The Ring specials on Bruiser Brody & The Von Erichs. The show is approximately 102–minutes long.

* Intro
* Being a fan during the Monday Night Wars: 2.30
* Initial Reaction of WWE Buying WCW: 12.20
* Review/Look Back on The Final Nitro: 23.10
* Dark Side of The Ring on Bruiser Brody & The Von Erichs: 110.00

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