The Downfall of The Revival in WWE: Harmless Comedy, or Spiteful Booking?

The Revival is currently the most ridiculous tag team in WWE. That’s no easy feat, especially in a company that often features one bit of silliness after another. It’s not that Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder set out to become clowns. In fact, that was never their intention and everyone knows it.

But then again, everyone also knows that when it comes to doing business in WWE, no one is above the company. So the moment Dash and Dawson asked for their release, became the moment when their careers took an instant downturn. Of course, they weren’t exactly headed to the top before they fell. The truth is that WWE has never really given them much. But why is that?

There’s a lot for fans to unpack in this story and it seems to get worse every week. If The Revival had only been underused and that was their plight in WWE, then fans wouldn’t have much to deal with. It would be the same story that everyone’s heard for years. It’s the same story that will probably always be told about one Superstar or another.

But this situation has gone far beyond just that single issue. The Revival has not only been underused, they’ve been unappreciated. Dash and Dawson have always done everything asked of them. They’ve always conducted themselves like professionals and all they’ve ever wanted is to bring tag team wrestling back to the glory days it once enjoyed.

Relive the humiliation of The Revival on Raw, if you dare…

The Usos catch The Revival in a "hairy" situation: Raw, April 29, 2019

Vince McMahon however, is not a big fan of tag team wrestling. McMahon tolerates it because tag teams are part of the show, but that may be the only reason. At the end of the day, it’s his company and his show, which means he can pull the plug any time he wants. But why do that when it’s easier to just put Superstars under his thumb and make them sorry they ever crossed him?

That certainly seems to the case. But how much of that is real and how much is a work? Is it possible that Dash and Dawson were approached long before the past few weeks and given this new storyline? How likely is it that both men found it humorous and decided to go along with it? The Revival reportedly has a year left on their contracts so with that being the case, why not enjoy the time they have left? They’re going to be onboard anyway, why not make it fun?

Indeed, it’s extremely easy to believe Vince McMahon to be the conniving and vengeful heel that he’s portrayed himself to be all these years. Why wouldn’t fans buy into the gimmick when it just seems so easy and so logical to do so? But what if the opposite is true?

The humiliation continues…

At this point, it’s nearly impossible to know what the truth is. Fact and fiction have been blurred once again and even though critics believe the truth is obvious, that may not actually be the case. But when considering whether or not the nonsense surrounding Dash and Dawson is driven out of spite, fans must ask one very important question. If all of this is truly being done for the sake of some bizarre comedic trolling, then what is the endgame?

As strange as it sounds, WWE fans still expect a modicum of realism to the presentation. The WWE faithful is more apt to go along for the ride if the storyline leads to a satisfying conclusion. The Revival can look like complete buffoons if the road takes them back to a certain level of respectability on TV. Of course it could be the window for that possibility has already closed. 

If that is indeed the case, then what’s left? Dash and Dawson are surely not being presented as fools to simply put The Usos over. Jimmy and Jey are already over. WWE did not destroy The Revival by splitting them up, which seems like a smarter move if the goal was to ruin their careers. But by that token, wouldn’t WWE want The Revival to succeed because that makes the duo profitable, which puts more money in Vince McMahon’s pocket?

And yes, it gets even worse…

The hard truth here is that WWE has two reasons to keep The Revival together. One reason is that that the company has a serious lack of viable tandems right now. But the second more ominous reason is that by keeping them together in humiliating situations, WWE is greatly devaluing The Revival. Vince McMahon knows that no matter what Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder do after they leave in 2020, fans will never forget how ridiculous The Revival looked in 2019.

Then there’s the fact that it’s Vince’s company and he can do whatever he wants, anytime he wants. He doesn’t owe the fans an explanation for anything and he proves that every week on TV. If he’s having fun at The Revival’s expense, then that’s what he will do and no one will be able to talk him out of it. 

Logic and reality are two entirely different things when it comes to WWE. It’s easy to vilify Vince McMahon, just as it’s easy to blame Dash and Dawson for not understanding who the boss is and how their contracts work. Somewhere in the middle of all this is the truth. Wether or not the fans will ever get it, is anyone’s guess. In the meantime, The Revival’s decimation will likely continue. 

 

Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Wrestling Rumors. His podcast, Tom Clark’s Main Event, is available on iTunes,YouTube, iHeart Radio, boinkstudios.com and live every Friday at 12pm EST on Wrestling Rumors Facebook Live