Recent reports have indicated that WWE plans on reintroducing the Nation of Domination faction to television. However, there are reportedly some concerns among people backstage about resurrecting the group.
As documented by WrestlingNews.co , some employees think it’s a tone-deaf idea considering what’s going on in America in the wake of George Floyd’s death. The original stable had a Black militant gimmick, and they were portrayed as heels.
The belief is that such a racially-charged angle would be a bad idea, especially if the team is depicted as bad guys. All the signs point toward this being the case, as the proposed members are all heels on the red brand.
The new version of the stable — if it happens — will reportedly include MVP, Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin. The superstars are currently members of the Hurt Business collective on Monday Night Raw . However, the report also revealed that MVP proposed the reboot of the Attitude Era stable, and top officials have been receptive to the idea.
Vince McMahon has reportedly been impressed with the veteran superstar since he returned earlier this year. In addition to his performances on television as a wrestler and mouthpiece, he’s also been an effective hand backstage. As of this writing, the former United States Champion is negotiating a new long-term contract with the company as well.
If the reboot goes ahead, Mark Henry and Ron Simmons are expected to feature in the angle. Both of the Hall of Famers were founding members of the original group, and Simmons’ appearance on the latest episode of Monday Night Raw was supposed to kick-start the storyline.
Simmons showed up to advise MVP and Lashley on how to win the United States Championship. The original plan was to usher in the next iteration of the Nation of Domination, but those plans were nixed for the time being.
It’s possible that the Hall of Famers will still collaborate with the team, albeit not as part of a militant angle. Of course, it all depends on how McMahon wants to proceed, and it’s possible that the reboot will go ahead as planned.
WWE has been apolitical in recent years, and a storyline of this nature risks polarizing the fan base. At the same time, the product is often described as stale and averse to risks. With Bruce Prichard — who served under McMahon during the Attitude Era — now an influential part of the creative team, there might be a return to edgier programming in the coming weeks.
