WWE Stable Expansion, Part 2: The Real Americans
As I mentioned in Part 1, I think stables and factions are an incredibly important part of good storytelling in professional wrestling.
Examples can be seen at every important part of wrestling history: You can go way back to groups like the original Four Horsemen or the Heenan Family. In the Attitude Era, you had the Degeneration-X/Nation of Domination feud and the development of the Corporate Ministry. In WCW, you hard arguably the most successful stable war of all time with the nWo invasion.
Right now, the WWE is ripe for a multistable onslaught to determine who really rules the roost of the WWE. You may disagree with me, but I think the best stable wars involve massive teams, and my favorite stables of all time have been deep with talent.
The WWE has five potential powerhouse stables on the main roster right now, and I think all of them could benefit from a growth spurt before their eventual decay.
This is Part 2 of a five-part series in which I take a look at a current (or potential) stable, and who I think the best contenders are for new additions. Each of these five stables—The Wyatt Family, The Real Americans, The Heyman Guys, The Authority/Evolution and The Shield—will get five recommendations from me for potential inductions.
For Part 2, we take a look at the men behind what is probably the weakest of the five current or potential stables listed above: The Real Americans.
The Current Lineup
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The Real Americans' current lineup: Zeb Colter and Jack Swagger.
With only a manager and one Superstar at present, The Real Americans definitely fall into the category of "potential stable." But I think the dynamic could definitely work with a few more cohorts, and I think there are some guys who could benefit from a change of scenery.
Anyone who is to become a member of The Real Americans will only require minor tweaking to their character. Even Cesaro, an international Superstar, made the transition without much effort. This leaves the door wide open for almost any Superstar who needs to try things from a new angle.
Converts would have to contain at least one of the following traits or circumstances: 1) a reason to upgrade their patriotism; 2) a problem with an international Superstar; or 3) someone who is in need of a new gimmick.
I list my top five picks for future Real Americans.
5. Tamina Snuka
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Although her WWE.com profile claims she is from the Pacific Islands, Tamina Snuka was born in Vancouver, Washington. She’s arguably the toughest woman currently in the Divas division, and she’s a gifted grappler.
She’s weak on the mic, which is why having Zeb is a big bonus for her. With AJ Lee temporarily out of the picture, she’s got no real angle going at this point. She’s already laid down for Paige (which could be part of her motivation for joining the Real Americans), and she could easily turn her focus to Emma (assuming the Fandango/Layla angle is headed away from Santino/Emma).
I’m not sure how much I’d like the dynamic of just Zeb, Jack and Tamina, but I think she’d make a great addition along with one or two new men.
4. Rybaxel
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If Rybaxel fails to capture the WWE Tag Team Championship while The Usos still hold the titles, Zeb could whisper in their ears about whether or not The Usos are “Real” Americans. Sure, they were born in San Francisco, but they are descendants of American Samoans (Can’t you hear Zeb saying, “We like real Americans, not so-called ‘American Samoans’”?) and have a vaguely tribal entrance theme that pays homage to the "homeland" of their ancestors.
Much like Tamina, Ryback and Curtis Axel have their own unique set of skills in the ring, but neither of them are fantastic on the stick. That’s why they were formerly “Heyman Guys.” And if Heyman has a former Real American, adding two former Heyman Guys to The Real Americans could help build a feud between Colter and the brainchild of ECW.
3. Alexander Rusev and Lana
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I know what you’re thinking: Alexander Rusev is a Bulgarian, billed as claiming “Mother Russia” as his new homeland. Lana continually spews anti-American rhetoric on a weekly basis. But Antonio Cesaro was a Real American, and he began his WWE career by always emphasizing the superiority of his European heritage.
Colter could claim that Rusev and Lana are “legally documented” as he did with Cesaro and could begin to claim (as Lana does) that Vladimir Putin has a thing or two that American leaders could learn from. If he really wants to get heat (instead of a chant-alongs) when they do the “We The People” salute, he can go off on a pro-Putin rant and claim that chanting along means you agree with that sentiment.
Granted, Rusev doesn’t need the bump of The Real Americans, and he already has Lana to do the talking for him. If they did join up, it wouldn’t be permanent. It could eventually lead to a brief feud with Swagger, before Rusev and Lana move on to bigger and better things. And that could lead to Colter being even more anti-immigrant.
2. Titus O'Neil
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On a newly aggressive heel turn, Titus O'Neil needs something to do. He had a few good matches with Sheamus but hasn’t done a whole lot since.
He’s an American, he’s tough and he needs a story to be a part of. Whether as a tag team or just as cohorts, Swagger and O’Neil could make an impressive duo.
Having recently dropped multiple matches to both Kofi Kingston and Sheamus, it may be the perfect time to team O'Neil up with some guys who don't like foreign wrestlers.
1. Mark Henry
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Mark Henry is one of a number of current WWE Superstars who are former world champions who currently have nothing important going on. His character is versatile, in that Henry is believable as a heel or a face, and I think most people would agree that he's better as a heel.
As far as his patriotism is concerned, he's represented the United States at the Olympics, and he holds numerous U.S. championships and records in the world of powerlifting, weightlifting and strength competitions. He's a perpetual force to be reckoned with, considered a legitimate threat to almost anyone he ends up in the ring with.
He's not especially great on the mic and played his role well when he was a part of the Nation of Domination in his early years. Anytime Henry is in the midst of a new push, it's a real possibility that he's going to do something big. Becoming a member of The Real Americans could be just such a push for the "World's Strongest Man."
I get the feeling he'd have great in-ring chemistry with Swagger, as well. A feud involving Henry, Cesaro, Colter and Heyman could be interesting, and it could possibly lead to something with Brock Lesnar, a follow-up to their recent confrontation.
What do you think? If The Real Americans are going to expand, do you like the idea of any of these potential members?
Do you have a better idea for new additions to Colter's gang? A potential cohort or two for Swagger?
Or do you think they should keep it a two-man project and avoid the stable route and the potential wars that could ensue?
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