A potential new stable on RAW featuring Rusev, Ethan Page, and Big Cass could be a big opportunity for WWE. But Rusev himself has been in a similar situation before, and it should worry WWE.
In November 2015, WWE formed the League of Nations, which brought together Rusev, Sheamus, Alberto Del Rio, and King Barrett. They were four of the top stars in WWE, but despite that potential, the group ended up being one of the biggest creative misses of that era.
The problems go back to the concept of the group itself. The League of Nations was created to protect Sheamus during his feud with Roman Reigns. But just 14 days after the group was officially formed, Sheamus dropped the WWE World Heavyweight Championship to Reigns. That left the group with very little purpose.
Things were even worse for the group in 2016. Between March 12 and April 4, the faction used two different tag combinations in three WWE Tag Team Championship matches against The New Day. They lost all three.
At WrestleMania 32, though the group defeated The New Day in a non-title match, its members ended up being embarrassed by Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, and Mick Foley. Austin, Michaels, and Foley laid out the group after the match.
A few weeks after that, Barrett was kicked out of the group, and the rest of the faction broke up following an argument on the April 28 SmackDown.
What WWE Has To Do Differently
First, WWE has to make sure there are real consequences for everyone involved in the potential alliance.
Ethan Page is already in a program for the Intercontinental Championship, and Big Cass can serve as the muscle to keep him there. But Rusev needs to come back as someone who can compete for the spotlight on his own, not just be there to protect Page.
There is an opportunity here as well, and it’s an interesting one. Rusev recently mocked the idea of the group and called out Page for replacing him with Cass during his absence.
That lack of trust could be a big part of the story. An alliance where everyone has their own interests, with big wins and issues between them, would be a lot more interesting than three heels who simply decided to team up.
The biggest mistake with the League of Nations was that it only existed to benefit other wrestlers.
If Triple H does the same thing, the new group will meet the same fate. But if he gives each of them a chance to shine on their own while they work together, he will finally be able to take advantage of the potential that was wasted 10 years ago.