Apollo Crews Should Lead New Nation of Domination in WWE

Why Apollo Crews should lead a new version of the Nation of Domination.

The WWE’s “Attitude Era” was marked by an uptick in violence and sexually explicit material that was deemed too hot for many households. Vince McMahon loved every politically incorrect moment of it, and that the surge in ratings helped cement “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Triple H, the Rock and more as wrestling legends only made him love it more. What he enjoyed the most was hitting back at his critics through these controversial characters, and since the WWE was facing charges of racism at the time, he formed the militant African-American stable known as the Nation of Domination.

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At a time when racial tensions were still high after the Rodney King verdict and the L.A. Riots, the group was primed to draw heat from the crowd, and they did. Now it’s time for the WWE to start pushing the envelope once more with a new Nation of Domination, and they may have the perfect leader in newcomer, Apollo Crews.

The Nation of Domination arrived in the WWE in 1996 led by Faarooq, who is better known today by his real name of Ron Simmons. The team consisted of him, Savio Vega, and Crush, but it didn’t really gain traction until the multi-racial membership was shed and Faarooq reassembled a “bigger and blacker” version that resembled the Nation of Islam.

With Mark Henry, Kama Mustafa, D’Lo Brown, and the man who would become The Rock, they fought supposed racial injustices and claimed they were being held back by the white upper management. Fans hated them, critics trashed them, but they had memorable feuds and helped launch Dwayne”The Rock” Johnson to superstardom. He wouldn’t have electrified crowds anywhere if it wasn’t for his brief time as the Nation of Domination’s leader.

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So where does Crews fit into all of this? Crews is set to make his much-hyped debut at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn next week, and it’s clear a lot is expected of him. Crews, formerly known as Uhaa Nation, is only 27-years-old but has been a force all around the world already. Known for his combination of speed, power, and raw athleticism, WWE is counting on him to make the same impact as other recent standouts like Finn Balor, Hideo Itami, and Kevin Owens. If that’s the case, it won’t be long before he’s called up to the main roster.

Let’s be honest; the WWE’s ratings have taken a beating during the PG era and a change to a more aggressive approach is bound to happen.

Last year the WWE toyed with the idea of another militant group similar to the Nation that would consist of Kofi Kingston, Big E, and Xavier Woods. Fans know them now as the New Day, who would rather engage in some cheerful “clap therapy” than raise their fist in solidarity with the black cause.

WWE got cold feet when racism charges surfaced against them once more, but when has Vince McMahon ever been known to back down for long? The group has taken more losses and growing more frustrated; perhaps a youthful leader to rally around is what they need? Crews could easily fit into that role. He’s being pushed already as a bright and shining star, but those kinds of characters are notoriously hard to get over.

“The Rock” went through similar growing pains before finally gaining the edge that he needed. Crews could join the New Day as a member before usurping control and rebranding the group as the New Nation of Domination. He could even cement his position by defeating Mark Henry, the lone member of the old Nation still on the active roster.

When the original Nation was formed in the ’90s the country was a racial powder keg, and Vince used that to his advantage. It’s hard not to recognize similarities now with the #BlackLivesMatter movement going on, and Vince likely recognizes that, too. A new Nation of Domination that taps into some of the resentment sweeping across the country would undoubtedly draw a ton of heat, but the payoff could well be worth it.

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