WWE Rumors: Reported Reason Why Retribution Faction Member Was Briefly Revealed
The members of WWE’s Retribution faction are a mystery at the time of this writing, but the company has been scattering clues across social media and on television. During a recent attack by the group on television, the identity of one of the members was partly exposed. The company did this in order to avoid controversy, according to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
As documented by Ringside News, the superstar in question — who appeared to be Vanessa Borne — was teased because she was beating up a female performer at the time. Officials likely didn’t want to give viewers the impression that a male wrestler was attacking a woman.
The angle saw the stable invade last week’s Friday Night SmackDown and wreak havoc on the audience members in attendance. The attendees were actually talents from the company’s developmental system.
Meltzer also stated that the superstar who is rumored to be Borne was the only person in the group who attacked a talent of the same gender. The journalist believes that this would lead to negative publicity for WWE otherwise, especially if the segments continue to be “bad.”
Intergender wrestling hasn’t been commonplace in years, though there have been occasions where the men and women have come to blows in the ring. It’s not uncommon in Royal Rumble matches, for example, which have featured appearances from Beth Phoenix in the men’s version.
However, the gang-like attacks that the Retribution anarchists have been inflicting on the roster might have been too controversial if the stable was composed solely of men.
The segments have pointed toward the product going in an edgier direction, though, and that could involve more physical interactions between genders. Bray Wyatt attacked Alexa Bliss on an episode of Friday Night SmackDown earlier this month, after all.
The report also highlighted that Borne is a likely candidate as she was called up to the main roster earlier this year. However, she’s spent recent months absent from programming, presumably while officials came up with creative plans for her.
The faction is reportedly set to be comprised of former NXT stars who have been waiting to debut on the main roster. As noted by WrestleTalk, Borne isn’t the only female superstar linked with the group either, as Chelsea Green has also been absent from NXT television recently.
More revelations should become apparent on the upcoming shows, especially with SummerSlam around the corner.
