Here's How Retribution's Booking Has Reportedly Been Received Backstage
After weeks of attacks, the Retribution faction was on center stage during this week's Monday [...]
After weeks of attacks, the Retribution faction was on center stage during this week's Monday Night Raw. The five main members of the group debuted new masks, three of them were given new names, they competed in the main event of the episode and they closed out the night by brawling with the entire Raw locker room. Unfortunately, the group was met with mockery online, as fans poked fun at their names — SlapJack, T-Bar and Mace — and made numerous jokes about how Dominik Dijakovic now looks like a copy of Bane from The Dark Knight Rises.
Reports have since come out regarding how faction was received backstage by WWE officials and fellow wrestlers, and it's not flattering. @WrestleVotes reported on Tuesday morning that the group was met with laughter backstage
Just talked to a source who was in the building last night... said the presentation of Retribution was a major topic of discussion, met w/ LAUGHTER at times backstage. Direct quote: “The masks & names are already making the road for these guys impossible to climb”
— WrestleVotes (@WrestleVotes) September 22, 2020
Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp followed with a report where he spoke with a number of wrestlers who felt bad for the Superstars who are involved. Sapp wrote that they "echoed the critical and immediate sentiments that were uncorked on the group and, more specifically, WWE's creative process." The report went on to say "absolutely everyone" disliked the new names, with one wrestler stating they "sound like something out of a bad movie or game."
Despite this bad reaction, PWInsider' Mike Johnson reported on Monday night that, as of now, WWE has the group penciled in for the main event of Survivor Series where they'll take on a group of WWE stars. That show isn't until late November.
WWE's next pay-per-view, Clash of Champions, takes place this Sunday. Check out the full card below:
- WWE Championship: Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton (Ambulance Match)
- WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso
- Intercontinental Championship: Jeff Hardy vs. AJ Styles vs. Sami Zayn (Ladder Match)
- United States Championship: Bobby Lashley vs. Apollo Crews
- Raw Women's Championship: Asuka vs. Zelina Vega
- SmackDown Women's Championship: Bayley vs. Nikki Cross
- SmackDown Tag Team Championships: Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Lucha House Party
- Raw Tag Team Championships: Street Profits vs. Angel Garza & Andrade