• Home
  • Behind the Crate
  • Exclusives
  • Features
  • Lists & Things
  • Theme Reveal
  • Looter Love
The Daily Crate
  • <<< BACK TO LOOTCRATE.COM
The Daily Crate
  • Home
  • Behind the Crate
  • Exclusives
  • Features
  • Lists & Things
  • Theme Reveal
  • Looter Love
WWE NXT and NXT UK: Where Factions Live and Thrive
(WWE)
Home
WWE Slam Crate

WWE NXT and NXT UK: Where Factions Live and Thrive

June 14th, 2019 Samuel Lam Features, WWE Slam Crate

In 2003, Evolution made its WWE debut. It was the greatest collection of talent we had ever seen assembled into one group. Ric Flair (The Past), Triple H (The Present), Batista and Randy Orton (The Future) would combine for a total of 49 total World Championship reigns throughout their careers.

Undisputed Era. (WWE)

But during that short-lived two-year span together, this group was the most dominant force in WWE. And in December that year, they all held the gold simultaneously: Triple H was World Champion, Orton was Intercontinental Champion with Flair and Batista as Tag Team Champions. It was a tremendous moment in history.

Factions have been a big staple in the fabric of wrestling. We remember the legacy created by The Four Horsemen. You recall the groups that followed such as the Nation of Domination, D-Generation X and the Hart Foundation. They featured established talents and rising stars, which made them dynamic with unique personalities. And of course, a group of four (or more) opened up a lot of possibilities for everyone involved.

It’s hard to see how WWE has failed with factions in recent years. They had some great trios but for the most part, but no four-person groups seemed to have any sustaining power. The Shield was a strong trio but having a fourth member would have made them so much more of a force. The collection of Rusev, Wade Barrett, Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio for the League of Nations in 2015 was a sad six-month run that felt like an afterthought in story telling. We can look at The Wyatt Family and at one point in 2016, they had Bray Wyatt, Erick Rowan, Luke Harper and Braun Strowman all together at once. It should have been a big moment for the group to dominate the scene but instead that group withered away.

There’s a different feel for a group when they have four members compared to three. A three-person group is very common in WWE and it has been used plenty of times. To the Divas Revolution trios to The New Day, WWE likes to push out three-member teams. But when was the last time we saw a dominant four-member group? Social Outcasts? The opportunity to really push a dominating group hasn’t been used in WWE recently.

But in NXT, things are different. The four-member group is an integral part of the brand’s storytelling. Looking back a couple years ago, we saw the rise of SAnitY as a new faction in WWE. They started as a trio but eventually moved to a four-team group with Eric Young, Alexander Wolfe, Killian Dain and Nikki Cross. It was refreshing to see a faction in WWE, especially one that prominently featured a woman. The group won the NXT Tag Team titles and had a good run in NXT before being called up. The group never saw the same kind of opportunities on the main roster.

Right now, the NXT and NXT UK brand boast two of the most exciting factions in all of the company — with both groups holding spots in the main event scene. In NXT, the Undisputed Era (featuring Adam Cole, Roderick Strong, Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish) has a stronghold on the brand and are in pursuit of replicating Evolution’s glory and capturing all the gold. Over at NXT UK, Imperium just added their fourth member with Alexander Wolfe joining Marcel Barthel, Fabian Aichner and WALTER during a tremendous match against British Strong Style this week.

The expansion of these two factions from a trio to a four-man group all came as surprises as their fourth member (Strong for Undisputed Era, Wolfe for Imperium) debuted in shocking fashion. It’s a perfect way to shock the entire fan base. And in addition to that, what makes these two groups so strong right now is that their leaders (Cole and WALTER) are both champions of their respective brands.

NXT and NXT UK both have a style and feel that is completely different from that of WWE. With the product not being forced to come up with live programming content every week, there is a better structure in telling a story and producing great talents over time. More importantly, nothing feels rushed and the in-ring quality enhances the ability to tell the story. It’s a little old school but that’s what makes NXT and NXT UK the perfect place to restore the presence of factions. They understand their history but also have a clear vision of the future.

There’s a mystique and aura that comes from a four-man faction. The very idea of that group running the entire roster not only evokes memories of past factions, but also proposes that idea to a landscape that hasn’t embraced it in some time. What NXT and NXT UK is doing isn’t something new. What they’ve given us is a reminder of what we have missed.

For Imperium, they’ve now placed a challenge on British Strong Style’s plate. With Tyler Bate, Trent Seven and Pete Dunne looking to seek revenge on the faction, do they look to add one more to their group to even the odds? It would open up a tremendous opportunity to tell a story that could elevate all men in the story. And with NXT, the pursuit of all the gold by Undisputed Era provides numerous opportunities for other Superstars to share that spotlight — especially North American Champion Velveteen Dream and Tag Team Champions Street Profits.

(WWE)

It may be a while before we see a four-person group get significant television time in WWE. Maybe it’s just not the way they want to give Superstars exposure through story telling. But in NXT and NXT UK, it’s an integral part of their brand. They are the focal points. And the spotlight will shine on them and whomever decides to step into the ring and challenge them. That’s how these two brands want to tell their story. It’s a real good one.



Be sure to get in on our next WWE Slam Crate, featuring Ember Moon and Kairi Sane—plus an epic Tommaso Ciampa collectible, the first in a new series you can only find in WWE Slam Crate! The deadline is TOMORROW, 6/15 by 9pm Pacific!

  • Tags
  • Imperium
  • loot crate
  • nxt
  • nxt uk
  • samuel lam
  • undisputed era
  • wwe
  • wwe slam crate
  • wwe superstars

SHARE THIS ARTICLE:

Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn
Next article Friday Five: The Hottest E3 Trailers of 2019!
Previous article GIF Crate: In Praise of Natasha Romanoff

Samuel Lam

Samuel is the lead community manager for WWE Slam Crate and Marvel Gear & Goods. In addition to being a big sports and WWE guy, he is also a big fan of The Beatles and The Simpsons. He is a mega foodie and is really puntastic. Fun Fact: He's in a movie with Chris Pratt. Bet you don't know which one!

Related Posts

THEME REVEAL: Loot Gaming and Loot Anime Features
January 28th, 2022

THEME REVEAL: Loot Gaming and Loot Anime

Looter Recipe: Deadpool's Fireballs Deadpool Club Merc
January 27th, 2022

Looter Recipe: Deadpool's Fireballs

5 Episodes of The X Files That Became Supernatural Episodes Features
January 24th, 2022

5 Episodes of The X Files That Became Supernatural Episodes

Related Posts

Jan 28th, 2022

THEME REVEAL: Loot Gaming and Loot Anime

Jan 27th, 2022

Looter Recipe: Deadpool’s Fireballs

Jan 24th, 2022

5 Episodes of The X Files That Became Supernatural Episodes

Jan 21st, 2022

When We Were Young Festival: Our Dream Line-Up

Jan 17th, 2022

THEME REVEAL: Crunchyroll, Loot Fright, and Marvel Gear + Goods

Recent Posts

EDUCRATED QUIZ: More Batman Trivia!

EDUCRATED QUIZ: More Batman Trivia!

Feb 15th, 2022
THEME REVEAL: Loot Gaming and Loot Anime

THEME REVEAL: Loot Gaming and Loot Anime

Jan 28th, 2022
Looter Recipe: Deadpool's Fireballs

Looter Recipe: Deadpool's Fireballs

Jan 27th, 2022
EDUCRATED QUIZ: Fruits Basket Trivia

EDUCRATED QUIZ: Fruits Basket Trivia

Jan 25th, 2022
5 Episodes of The X Files That Became Supernatural Episodes

5 Episodes of The X Files That Became Supernatural Episodes

Jan 24th, 2022
March 2023
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  
« Feb    
  • Home
  • Behind the Crate
  • Exclusives
  • Features
  • Lists & Things
  • Theme Reveal
  • Looter Love
  • Back to top
© Loot Crate. All rights reserved.
Brought to you by the illustrious TDC staff with all the love they can muster.