Factions: Are they good or bad for business?

[Mac Attack]

So I wanted to pose the question on whether or not factions are good or bad for the wrestling business. Here are my views on factions as well as some facts on why they are good.


A faction in the wrestling is most certainly a good thing. The simple reason is because it allows unpredictability and chaos to be always present on WWE/TNA T.V. Also, it allows multiple personalities to collide together into one group. Factions are also what made up the better part of the Attitude Era. Some of the more notable factions during this time were legendary factions like D-Generation X, Nation of Domination or The Corporation, and the Ministry of Darkness. Also currently there are the two main factions that dominate the current status of the WWE in The Nexus and the Corre.

Over last decade we have seen some notable factions appear on WWE take for example the successes of Evolution. Evolution's power, was exemplified by the fact that the group controlled all of the male-based championships of Raw after Armageddon. This had consisted of Batista teaming with Flair to win the World Tag Team Championship from the Dudley Boyz in a Tag Team Turmoil match. In Addition Orton captured the Intercontinental Championship, and Triple H regained the World Heavyweight Championship from Goldberg with the help of the other members. In January 2004, at the Royal Rumble, Flair and Batista successfully defended the World Tag Team Championship against the Dudley Boyz in a Tables match, and World Triple H fought Shawn Michaels to no contest in a Last Man Standing match, thus retaining the championship. Flair and Batista would win and lose the titles periodically through this time period as well.
Now for a T.V rating analysis of during the time period of some of the most successful factions in the WWE. As there are many factions I am going to limit the list with the following factions as they are all a similar distance from each other.

Ministry of Darkness in 1999

This faction had a huge impact on the ratings. When they first came to T.V around Jan 11 1999, they boosted the ratings of Raw by almost an entire point from the previous month and then when they were around it went up as high as an 8.1 which also helps the WWE.

nWo 2002

When the nWo were installed on raw rating jumped up to a 5.4 rating which before that averaged around a 4.6 and through the following weeks maintained a very hight rating. Now this is not all directly because of nWo but they did help the ratings which is good for the WWE.

Evolution, 2003 Debut Feb. 3

This time in the WWE ratings were on a decline and were constantly around a 3.6 rating. When they debut as a group the rating when to a 4.4 and continue to rise to a 4.8 which once again helps the WWE and is good for the WWE.


Nexus present-Debut June 7 2010

The WWE was in the process of having low ratings around this time and when Nexus appeared the following weeks there was a greater amount of viewers going from a 3.1-3.6. This clearly shows how the faction is good for the WWE.
Factions are clearly very successful and add unpredictability to the programming. This helps captivate the audience and allows for WWE creative to truly have free reign over what happens. Also, it helps establish wrestlers in the WWE for example Randy Orton in both evolution and Legacy, Wade Barrett in Nexus and Corre, even Triple H in evolution was something new for his character. It also helps establish memories that will last in the WWE minds forever. Just like the Nexus invasion of Raw.
All factions must disband at some point. Through the disbanding of factions we get classic matches that are once again memorable to watch which is good for the WWE and also storylines that help enhance WWE T.V.

Here are just some of the matches that have happened throughout the years that have happened because of the break-up of a faction.

Legacy Break-Up Match
Randy Orton VS Cody Rhodes VS Ted DiBiasi at Wrestlemania

Evolution Break-Up Match

Triple H VS Orton at Unforgiven

DX (back when they were larger faction
Road Dogg Vs X-Pac Summerslam.

There are countless more memorable break-up matches and these matches generally are remembered because they had to do with factions. Remembering the past time of the WWE is not a bad thing but a very good thing because it allows a person to recall what it was like during their childhood and compare it to what actually is happening now.

One of the greatest factions ever have paved the way to what is a simple formula in creating factions. Factions, have been based on this group and have had generally the same goals as the Horsemen. They have implanted a positive formula in the way factions work and they generally can be considered all good when reviewing history. They are very memorable and have created a positive view on factions which is all good for the factions.


The Four Horsemen were as most of you know a stable in the National Wrestling Alliance and later World Championship Wrestling that was disbanded in 1999. The original group featured Flair, Arn and Ole Anderson, and Tully Blanchard. Ric Flair and Arn Anderson have been constant members in each incarnation of the group except once following Arn Anderson's neck injury where Curt Hennig was given Arn's "spot" in the Horsemen.

This faction may be the most memorable faction inside the entire wrestling history and I can honestly say it probably laid the groundwork for many factions after it. I think this also proves why factions are good.

Through all this information I think I clearly describe as to how a Faction is a very good thing for wrestling and can easily be used in order to better help bolster the wrestling companies.

Feel free to give your opinion.

 

[Megatron]

For businesses they can be really beneficial. If it's a major faction that is bringing the ratings and pay per view buys in, such as the nWo was for WCW during it's peak run, or Evolution during its peak in 2003, that company can't complain that it's bad for business. However, if the faction runs past its time and gets stale, such as the nWo, again, was for WCW around 2000, it can be the death sentence for a company. If you continue to give the same stale angles for the faction and don't end it soon enough you can bore your fans and turn it off your product.

If you end it at just about the right time, it's great because it not only gives you the money/viewership, but can also create a superstar or two. However, if you have it drag and drag and not end it, it can cause the crowd to just become uninterested in both your product and the wrestlers involved in it.

So it's a double edged sword. However, when it's life expectancy doesn't drag, it can be an awesome thing to watch, like the nWo was for it's first 18-24 months in the business.

 

[#hamler]

Factions are no doubt great if used right. The sole purpose of a faction should always be to get the younger guys over.

For example, Evolution back in 2003. In my honest opinion, the greatest stable of the decade. Simply for the reason that it succeeded. Evolution was the perfect formula for a faction and should be a measuring stick when it comes to stables. They had two older, more experienced, well known and qualified wrestlers in Triple H and Ric Flair. They took two, very unknown rookies with huge amounts of potential and put them over. Put them over big time. Randy Orton and Batista would go on to become two of the top guys in the WWE all thanks to Triple H and Ric Flair.

As for other stables, like DX or NWO or even Nexus, they all helped get some talented guys tv time who without said faction, would've never gotten the opportunity to showcase their talents. All in all, I believe stables are great. But I hate when stables are pointless or are there to serve one purpose, to get one guy over (CM Punk's Straight Edge Society). Stables need to help multiple people, then and only then are they good for business.

 

[Sora/roxas]

They are great for the buisness. You get a faction together and you can give someone exposure and make them important without giving them much time on the mic or in the ring. Just being at ringside costing faces matches genrates some good heat. They can hide any short comings and slowly get rid of them as they get better. But this doesnt mean be like the SES or Legacy or hell even the new Nexus where all it does is center around one person and push their career. The SES and New Nexus really only help punk. Legacy was all about orton. They need to be more like the Corre and not focus on one person. Sure barret is the leader but Slater and Gabrial are the tag team champs. And Big Zeke is the enforcer type.

What someone should do is figure out ho to make a sucessful face stable where everyone is helped. The Apple is the closest thing ive seen to a face stable in the past few years

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

I think that factions are basically one trick ponies that can work well for a short period of time. Most factions work on the same formula. You have a leader who is generally a main eventer but is a weak heel who generally wins by cheating or outside interference. Then you have two or three who generally help the leader to win but rarely recieve similar help from their leaders. The time comes when these young pups grow tired of being ordered aroundby their domineering and weak boss and they rebel.

The tough part about factions is to decide when they should break up. As factions bring in the ratings the bookers are not that keen to break it up. However the break up must be done at the correct time or else the booking gets repititive and the stable eventually becomes a boring one.

I think that in current times a stable can last maybe upto a maximum of two years before it gets boring.

 

[THEpapachamp]

Factions were at it's peak between 97-99..

Hart Foundation
Nation Of Domination
Degeneration X
NWO
Los Boriquas
D.O.A
J.O.B Squad
LWO
BWO
The Corporation
Ministry Of Darkness

All of these were more entertaining then today's Stable product

Evolution has been the only successful Faction since..

Stables can't last in a current WWE lifeline because what makes a stable last is having other stables to fend off, not 4 or 5 men brought together by John Cena or Santino to "destroy" them once and for all..

Hell, TNA has better stables then the WWE

Immortal.. Fortune..

Only lasts because it's a war between two factions.

 

[neildittmar]

I think Factions effectively work in a couple of scenarios primarily:

1. Mostly comprised of young guys, adding a veteran or two in there for credibility. Most of the younger talent (despite the company) often have a hard time establishing themselves individually. In todays wrestling/sports entertainment scene, you really do have to have the total package to become a superstar... looks, athleticism, vocal talent, and personality to name a few of the tangibles. A lot of guys coming in or just starting out are lacking in one or more of those areas.

A faction allows several younger guys to play a "fill in the blanks" role within the company. This person may have a good physique, but lacks critical in-ring skills. He can be the "enforcer." This guy is a good talker, but has little in the way of wrestling skills... he can be the "mouthpiece." This other guy has incredible athleticism to wow the audience, but is small and currently not so hot on the stick... he's the "heart and soul" of the group. Add a veteran in there to give some credibility and you have one version of a successful faction. This is why I believed Fortune in TNA worked so well initially. Though I'd still consider it a strong group, Flair splitting from Fortune hurt it in more ways than the obvious.

2. Mostly comprised of veterans that have accomplished much in their careers already, but still have drawing power, talent, and an eagerness to "go." Think of this like a supergroup of established musicians in the recording industry. Everybody knows who these guys are individually, but the group gives them a new, yet familiar identity. The original incarnation of the nWo is the obvious example here: Hulk Hogan (biggest name in the business turns heel), Kevin Nash (successful run in WWF including a world title reign), and Scott Hall (solid mid-card guy just waiting to burst into the main event). Everyone who followed wrestling knew who these guys were, but the presentation and packaging was fairly different from what anyone had seen in the past. Oversaturating the group (like 30 members at one point) and various incarnations with guys not on the same level is what made the group fizzle out.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

As with many ideas in wrestling, factions can be of a huge benefit if they're used the right way. Hamler cited some great examples of how past factions and how those involved with them were able to benefit from being part of them.

In my opinion, if you want an example of how factions can be bad for business, look at TNA. TNA has done practically the same big storyline over and over again in recent years and it's just become a detriment. It's always the big faction that initiates a power struggle/takeover of the company with another faction assembling together in order to save the company from them. TNA has devoted so much time and energy into this particular storyline that virtually everything else that goes in comes across as meaningless filler. These factions the past few years have also produced no stars because virtually all of those involved in the factions have already been established names in TNA or in other places. The guys that make up Immortal at this point, as far as the in-ring stuff goes, are Bully Ray, Matt Hardy, Abyss, Gunner, Murphy & Rob Terry. Ray & Matt Hardy are two of the most successful tag team wrestlers in history, Abyss has been a monster in TNA for a while and actually managed to capture a World Championship along the way and that leaves three talentless scrubs that aren't going to get any sort of real rub by being part of Immortal.

 

[ERorMACro]

The only time I can remember seeing factions hurting a business was when Ring of Honor tried to bring in Japanese style Faction Warfare over to the states and that wasn't really their fault...TNA suddenly decided Austin Aries could no longer work ROH shows which left Matt Cross and Erik Stevens facing already established guys like Roderick Strong and Davey Richards...Jack Evans had to work a Dragongate schedule before he could participate...The Hangm3n were almost identical to the much superior Age of the Fall...basically a lot of things just came together to hurt things.

TNA also doesn't do a great job with it..I remember back in 2005 every hell Monty Brown, Abyss & James Mitchell, America's Most Wanted, Team Canada and on down to lower-card guys like The Diamonds in the Rough worked with Jeff Jarrett...why would three natural rivals in the tag division band together with Jarrett? Never explained...they do things like that a lot in TNA though.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

Factions are always good a long as the group isn't so big you can't keep track anymore.

Think of it like this, do you give a shit about Martin Prado of the Atlanta Braves? What if he's on your fantasy team? What if he gets traded to your team? What if he gets traded to your teams rival?

See, even though Prado is a very solid everyday guy, he's not Albert Pujols or even Hanley Ramirez, but when he becomes part of something that effects you, you care about him.

Same concept. Nobody gives a shit about Mcguillicutty unless he's on Nexus. There's that association thing going on. How many nWo guys wouldn't have been over without the nWo? How big of a rub did Orton and Batista get by being in Evolution? Or all the guys that were rotated through the horsemen?

When stables are kept at 3-5 guys, and they wear their colors around and look like a team you can associate guys and they not only get booed/cheered for what they do, but for what their stable does.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Factions are always good for the business. One needs only to look at a couple of factions to see how great they can be the business. The Four Horsemen, the nWo, DX, Evolution, and even Nexus. All of these factions generated interest in the business and helped elevate talent. Less important factions still benefit the business by giving the guys something to do. It could be something as trivial as "Team of midcard jobbers 1" who dislike "Team of midcard jobbers 2" for (insert random reason here). That still benefits all involved because it gets them into more important matches, and then when the faction gets split up someone can use an attack on an ally as a way to get pushed further up the card. I cannot think of a single time that a faction didn't benefit the federation it was used in.