Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston & Big E: Nation Of Domination 2.0?

[Jack-Hammer]

Out of the blue last night, after Kofi Kingston & Big E were defeated in a tag team match against Ryback and Curtis Axel, Xavier Woods walked into the ring dressed in a white suit. Woods started speaking to Kofi & Big E, telling them that you can't get ahead with shaking hands and kissing babies, saying that it was "our time" and from now on, "we don't ask, we take."

Earlier this year, there were reports of turning Kofi Kingston heel and overhauling his character and it looks as though we may have seen the first inkling of that last night. Instinctively, when I see a handful of African American wrestlers who join forces out of a sense of frustration at the system in WWE, I think of the Nation of Domination. There were also some reports hinting at a return of the NOD, though I'm not sure WWE will go that far.

The group was essentially loosely based on the Nation of Islam and Black Panther organizations in the sense that that they were a militant, pro-back extremist group. I see NO WAY WHATSOEVER that WWE will be able to get away with a Nation of Domination type group in 2014 without offending somebody. Even during the Attitude Era, they were careful not to do anything with overt racial overtones. You didn't hear them using the N-world when referring to each other, you didn't hear them using any sort of racial slurs against whites, but they obviously made use of the "the white power structure is keeping us down" kind of motif. Today, it's all about political correctness and racial tensions have definitely risen in the past couple of years. The African American community was outraged at the shooting of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman under the "Stand Your Ground" law and the case of those four black teenagers shot up by a middle age white guy at a gas station in Florida and was only convicted of 3 counts of attempted murder and found not guilty of actually murdering the kid he did kill. While something as relatively low key as a pro wrestling storyline featuring a militant pro-black group doesn't seem like much to us, it's something that would be blown FAR out of proportion in the media.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

I like my tag teams and stables to match, so I'm all for an all black dude one. And races largely stick together, so if you think it's racist then you're probably somebody who doesn't understand racism.

All underutalized talents. I like it.

 

[wrestler36]

I don't mind this formation as it's three underutilized talents that are actually going to do something interesting. What's kind of upsetting is how they didn't form earlier. There could have been amazing feuds between them, the Wyatts, The Shield, 3MB, etc. I really thought 3 men team were going to be something, but since The Shield disbanded, it doesn't seem like that anymore. I don't think the racial angle will be that big of a deal as long as they keep it general. I would have swapped out Kofi with Titus O'Neil and maybe even add Darren Young to the mix. I would rather have Kofi be the face battling them, kind of like how Ahmed Johnson was fighting the NOD in the 90s. Regardless, I'm happy these guys are actually doing something interesting.

 

[closet_fan]

If they play it right, they can get away with it. It won't be anywhere near a Nation of Domination. As soon as I saw Woods, I immediately thought of Malcolm X.

The WWE has to be careful with this one. They can make it work, but they have to tread lightly and not go over the line or it will be disbanded fairly quickly.

I say "DO MORE, SAY LESS" and they can make it work.

 

[laodaron]

I like my tag teams and stables to match, so I'm all for an all black dude one. And races largely stick together, so if you think it's racist then you're probably somebody who doesn't understand racism.

All underutalized talents. I like it.

Everything you just said in that is inherently racist. You merely saying racist things and then saying if someone doesn't get it then they don't understand racism doesn't actually remove the racist overtones.

That being said, I think that these three can really work well together. I don't care if they do an NoD thing, that's fine. But instead of calling it that, I'm sure it will have a good name.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I like where this could be headed. An all-black millitant group would be great to see again in WWE, and while they would have to tread carefully and ensure that they didn't cross the line to becoming offensive, this could work.

I'd like to have seen Titus O'Neil involved in this somehow, but if they indeed do go down the route of a new "Nation of Domination" style faction, then there would be plenty of time for them to recruit Titus. Kofi Kingston has been a face for so long now, he REALLY needs a character overhaul, I've been wanting to see one for years. This is a positive step for all involved- it could give Kofi something new and refreshing, and give Big E and especially Xavier Woods SOMETHING to do, they aren't exactly doing much at the moment.

BRING BACK THE NATION THEME MUSIC, and use Ron Simmons somehow!

 

[J.J.]

These factions are unnecessary. NOD didn't help elevate any of the stars. Godfather found success as a singles star, as did D'Lo Brown but their success never went beyond mid card. Mark Henry's token run came nearly 13 years later.

I just hope they don't become involved with The Authority but shakes up things for everyone.

 

[LBGetBack]

These factions are unnecessary. NOD didn't help elevate any of the stars. Godfather found success as a singles star, as did D'Lo Brown but their success never went beyond mid card. Mark Henry's token run came nearly 13 years later.

I just hope they don't become involved with The Authority but shakes up things for everyone.

Yeah, you're right. Except for, you know, ARGUABLY THE BIGGEST STAR IN WRESTLING HISTORY THE ROCK, the Nation didn't elevate anyone.

 

[chicagokmc]

I'm African American, not sure how I feel about another nation type faction. Let's see where it goes. I may have liked it better if R-truth was the mouthpiece instead of Woods in a ridiculous suit and glasses...

 

[Pedigree1]

This came out of the blue,totally unexpected especially Xavier Woods.. Dressed in a white suit,he spoke the truth.. We no longer ask,we Take.. Kofi has been rumored to be turning heel,so this might be the first inkling of actually happening. For years now,Kofi has toiled and fumbled in the ring,and its a shame.. His athletic ability,cannot be questioned.. Plus he is a great talker,they turned him into a more serious Kofi,and Randy Orton completely squashed it..

Big E is still a little green in the ring,but he is a force.. That part cannot be questioned,I actually like the idea of a NOD 2.0 But with the Racial Tensions flaring up,over the past couple of years,im not sure if this will even take off.. Hell even in the attitude era,they were careful not to overstep their bounds.

Now some 18 years later,especially with PC police everywhere,they have got to be very careful if this group is to have a chance.. Its a awesome idea,bring back Ron Simmons as an adviser,have the NOD music,bring in Titus as well..

 

[James]

If they're not heel, it will suck but then again you got bitch ass Kofi in it so it will suck automatically. He's like a cancer.

But you all are forgetting that NoD had 3 people to speak so R-Truth can still be part of the microphone. I think he'll stay face but they'll beat him into joining the group.

It's rumoured that Mark Henry will return to join as well.


I honestly see Ron getting involved but in a bad way, they're going to beat him down to show that they're more dominant than his group. JBL will go in for the save only to have his ass handed to him as well. Sets up APA v. Mark and Big E? for SummerSlam.

Keep them dominant like the Shield and eventually have Big E win the title off Roman Reigns next year.

This can get the rock involved at SummerSlam of next year by having him team with Roman vs. Big E and Mark Henry for the title. If Rock and Roman wins then Roman wins the title. You get the picture.

Then again it could be the rock vs Brock at wm31 and the rock wins only to have Seth Cash in on him at Mitb after being attacked by the NoD. Btw the rock defended it against Big E.

Seth has been low key working with NoD as the black heart pt. 2(notice the attire) so this can lead to the title match I mentioned for SummerSlam instead it's rock and roman v. Big e and seth for the title or a fatal 4 way, whoever pins wins. Roman pins big e to lead to a match between them at survivor series where Seth will distract roman so big e can win. But between those months we get the Roman and seth feud since we won't see it this year.


It's okay to dream

 

[blueskyy]

If you want a good team, it should be R-Truth, Mark Henry, and Big E. If you need it to be a 4-man team, then throw in Titus O'Neil. Honestly, I don't know how this team is gonna work. Xavier Woods is too small and often clowns about. Kofi is skinny and always has been the good guy. What exactly is the WWE planning?

 

[LODemolition]

I'm just glad SOMETHING is finally being done with Kofi. Even if this fails miserably, at least they're putting him in a storyline and investing some time into him. He'll probably have a good run with Big E as a tag team, God knows WWE needs some of those. As soon as I read Henry is likely to join, I was sold. If Woods was the leader, this would go nowhere fast. With Henry, it gets interesting and becomes legitimate right away. I'm interested to see where this goes.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

I'm not ready to assume that this is your group. Frankly put I'd hardly argue that Kofi and Big E have been made to wait. They get opportunities and just flat out lose. Maybe it is just a wink wink or a lame excuse to make them seem more like heels.

But who do these guys feud with? I see it more likely that one guy doesn't buy in and feuds with the others. Maybe they add a white guy instead to throw us off our presumptions. Back to the question though, if this is your group, who do they feud with? They are not taking the main event scene. Miz is a heel, Wyatts are busy and heels, Jericho is busy and leaving etc.

This only leaves Sheamus. I can't see any of these guys unseating She am us which puts them in the same doldrums that they currently sit. If this is our group and they are heels I can't see them getting much more than wins over guys like Ryder and Khaki which to me feels more like a demotion for Kofi and Big E. Might as well go dominate NXT.

I'm not convinced this is your group. I see this to work better if they feud amongst themselves.

 

[brochester8]

I really liked that segment last night. I have enjoy Xavier Woods since his time in TNA and like the fact that he went to college at Furman in Greenville, SC which is where I'm from so it's neat to see him on tv. It's a great way to make these guys relevant again. Not sure if last night makes Xavier the leader or manager but with Xavier, Kofi, & Big E this should be interesting. I like the idea of Mark Henry joining them also, curious to see if they at Titus O'Neill and R-Truth.

I for one am excited for this faction and hope it pushes all of their careers.

 

[Ziirox]

I like that it seems like Xavier Woods will be moving into a more manager type role here. He's honestly not much bigger than Brad Maddox, and Maddox looks like a rag doll. Xavier's new get up shows him in a more modern, fashionable light. If look at some celebrities of color, they're also choosing similar get ups to what Woods was wearing last night. I believe this stable will preach ambition and initiative, but will rely mostly on stereotypical "thug" like actions.

Secondly, I don't believe Mark Henry should be in this group. He's had a moderately successful career, he is older than the guys in this group, and he's just so beyond this. He's done it before. Going back into a Nation like stable would be a huge step backward for him. He should be still competing for titles. We saw him just within the last couple years show that he can captivate an audience, garner massive heat, and steal the show for several weeks. Titus O'Neil would be a better fit. For christ's sake, he lost to Adam Rose twice in less than three minutes. Ever since dropping D-Young, the man has been a jobber. He has size and athletic ability that is intimidating as hell, but then he simply flops when it comes to in ring competition. If anyone has a reason to join, it's Titus, not Mark Henry.

 

[rbv13]

Oh Lordly, black men are gathering. They must be conspiring to overcome their oppressions and rise up against the man. While they are at it why not sign a slightly overweight white chick to escort them to the ring. Maybe in the future Ziggler or Sandow can join and become the new Nugget.

I hope Creative isn’t planning on going the stereotypical rout with this group as just a NOD Militant reboot. The three already, seemingly, involved are all highly talented, educated and driven individuals that could be role models for all but especially black youths. They need to keep this classy.

Why do they need to be like the NOD? Why can’t they resemble the Horsemen?

 

[laodaron]

Why do they need to be like the NOD? Why can’t they resemble the Horsemen?

I would much rather this.

The way that I would book it would be to never have them actually mention race, nation, anything that the reverse racism crowd can cling to. Instead, the 4 members (I'd go with Xavier, Kofi, Big E., and Titus) would be in nice suits. However, in order for their to be a 4 person heel stable, there has to be a 4 person face stable as well.

This is why I can't see this being successful. Who do they fight? Just regular faces in 1v1 matches? No thanks. I want to see them always together, always talking about how they are going to take back what they deserve, etc. But never mentioning race. And then a face stable has to spring up. If you think about it, DX and NoD were never supposed to be Main Event stables necessarily. They became main eventers because they took what they were given and ran with it.

 

[Papa Pillman]

I definitely think this is the evolution of the NoD idea. This group will pass as the new nation that many have called for or has been rumored, but I think it will be something quite different.

Where the original NoD was more Black Panther inspired with Simmons taking on a Huey Lewis type persona, I expect this group to be less militant and more intellectual, with Woods portraying a more Cornel West inspired character.

Considering Woods has two Bachelors and a Masters Degree in Pschology, and is soon to be earning a Doctorate, this character should be perfect for him and is far more suiting than the dated smile and dance "Yass-sirr-bossin'" stereotype that he was previously saddled with. And his experience portraying that character also gives fuel for his rants about how wrestlers like him have been treated. Given his real background he should be ideal as the mouthpiece for this group.

Hopefully he can get Truth on board, as the idea behind Truth's last heel turn played off a lot of the same ideas that are likely to be invoked in this faction, before it was taken way too far off the rails with the goofiness that became embraced. Truth could be the crazy, slightly comedic, and more angry member of the group.

Titus should also be a no-brainer to be included, and its sad that Brodus has been released, because given what he was doing as the funkasaurus he would have also been a logical choice to join forces with this squad.

I'd expect they go a very smart direction with this angle and that keeps it from garnering the type of truly negative reaction a more militant Nation of Domination-esque group could have received in the modern environment.

 

[Rulk25]

I dont understand you say you would prefer it to be like the horsemen but then say they need a Face faction to fight...They never did this (nor heck did evolution) Yes on occasion on big events you might see 4 faces join together but they wernt a faction as they fought once and then split

I would much rather this.

The way that I would book it would be to never have them actually mention race, nation, anything that the reverse racism crowd can cling to. Instead, the 4 members (I'd go with Xavier, Kofi, Big E., and Titus) would be in nice suits. However, in order for their to be a 4 person heel stable, there has to be a 4 person face stable as well.

This is why I can't see this being successful. Who do they fight? Just regular faces in 1v1 matches? No thanks. I want to see them always together, always talking about how they are going to take back what they deserve, etc. But never mentioning race. And then a face stable has to spring up. If you think about it, DX and NoD were never supposed to be Main Event stables necessarily. They became main eventers because they took what they were given and ran with it.

 

[Slash-LN]

The original Nation of Domination in WWE wasn't even made up of all black wrestlers. You had the tag team of PG-13 who were both white, Crush who was white and Savio Vega who was Hispanic.

Then it moved to an all black stable with the Rock as the leader but so many idiots on this forum don't consider The Rock black. It works for him being in the Nation but not when it comes to him being WWE champion. Because people are hypocrites.

And then Owen Hart joined the Nation.

Anyway as far as the new group goes. I have no problem with it. When I saw them in the ring last night and Xavier was talking to them I enjoyed it. Xavier had a stupid start in the WWE with the whole Brodus thing, Kofi gets a push here and there and then always gets relegated back to mid card purgatory and Big E seemed like he was going to have a good push and then they did pretty much nothing with him. He had the IC title and did nothing with it.

So if they give these three faces an edge that would be okay. Even if they turn them heel that would be fine. The heel turn would be most likely.

Given the success of The Wyatt Family and The Shield you can't really blame the WWE for trying to form a new three man stable.

You need a reason for them to form the stable and as I mentioned above they all three get shitty pushes. Kofi isn't a mic worker, Big E thinks he's Martin Luther King or something all of a sudden and Xavier showed last night that he's well articulated and can get his point across.

 

[Bischoff's Knob Slobberer]

Lol, this new stable is a joke. No one cares about Kingston (his win over Ceserao was a joke), or that out of shape body builder Big E.

Seems to me, WWE is biting off TNA's successful stable of Lashley, MVP, and Kenny King. Mr. Lashley is amazing and intimidating. No one cares about Kingston, Big E or random jobber in this whack stable.

SMH.......

 

[PeterSellersSTL]

I was immediately impressed with Xavier Woods, last night, and I've never cared for him, so we'll see how it goes. It's easy heat to get so I hope they throw in some wrinkles and find a different way to do things. But there's no main eventer in this stable unfortunately and as much as I appreciate Mark Henry's character I'm not interested in seeing him work full-time again.

But there's no way this won't be a successful midcard act. I'd probably send them after Titus O'neil and take some shots at him as a father and what kind of role model do you want to be for your sons. They can pursue his allegiance and he can resist.

But unfortunately there's still an IC ceiling for all of them.

 

[J.J.]

Yeah, you're right. Except for, you know, ARGUABLY THE BIGGEST STAR IN WRESTLING HISTORY THE ROCK, the Nation didn't elevate anyone.

And if you actually were watching WWE back then you'd realize The Rock was already headed to stardom before he came into the NOD. Like CM Punk as leader of Nexus, it had no good or bad impact on his career.

 

[J.D Lethal]

I'm still kinda in shock of this rise of event. In fact the formation of this group even tho i myself have asked for it still seems weird in my eyes. First off Xavier Woods the same Xavier that had that feud with Brodus Clay and was first to get eliminated in the IC battle royal comes out saying that "the brothers need to stick together" yea kind threw me for a loop on that...I love that Big E and Kofi are gonna be heels and could add another layer to the tag team division (Uso's,Wyatt,Goldie and Star,Rybaxel,that NXT team that will be coming up soon). I honestly still hope that David Otunga comes back,As a Black man i understand that a real Smart Brother is worth more than Xavier woods....then again I still hope that A.W comes back...Time will tell if this group will be good or just a failed WWE experiment.

***FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DON'T LET R.TRUTH'S JJ WALKER ASS IN THIS STABLE***