Wrestling Six Packs: Updating the Nation of Domination for Today

A great gimmick? Yes? Could it play now? Fuck no. Will that stop me from restocking it? Not a chance.
Photo Credit: WWE.com

The Nation of Domination was both a stable ahead of its time and a concept that would never play in an entertainment medium marketed mostly towards white males. The stable, led by Faarooq (Ron Simmons) for most of its existence, should have been the most babyface of babyface stables, but strong, militant black dudes (well, in the second incarnation at least, lol Crush in a black power stable) trying to fight to take what's theirs doesn't set well with people conditioned to want their minorities either to be as inoffensive or stereotypical as possible. The following wrestlers are the ones I'd use to fill out a modern Nation of Domination, one that would probably always be a pipe dream.

1. Dr. Xavier Woods as Faarooq

Faarooq was more brawn in his approach, sure, and Woods is more of a finesse guy. He is, however, an intellectual, which in this day and age is the best path towards subversion. The opposition answers the new Nation's existence with aggression and sarcasm. Woods fights back with logic, reason, and scholarly studies. The opposition gets mad, irrationally so. His angle is an actual improvement over the original in this case.

2. Kofi Kingston as The Rock

Okay, Kingston doesn't really have the same apparent movie star charisma as Dwayne Johnson, but he's got decent mic skills, flashy offense, and a desperate need to turn heel. He's not going anywhere with his sing-songy, fun time, compete for the titles that don't matter oeuvre. The last time he was remotely interesting was when he was vandalizing Randy Orton's property and putting him through tables at Madison Square Garden. He can run with an edge.

3. Darren Young as D'Lo Brown

4. Titus O'Neil as Mark Henry

The Prime Time Players might be the most fully formed minority characters in WWE right now, which is why they would join the new Nation. They kinda get to be themselves, as I imagine that neither O'Neil nor Young would be too farfetched as party guys (even if they aren't). Why shouldn't every wrestler who isn't white get to do the same? Furthermore, Young's sexuality could end up being something to fight for as well.

5. David Otunga as Clarence Mason

Clarence Mason was created as a character to lampoon Johnny Cochran. Otunga actually has those legal bona fides, something that could fit into his character not only as a manager, but as legal counsel. Of course, his status as an active wrestler wouldn't hurt either.

6. Actual African-American rappers as PG-13

Nothing against JC Ice or Wolfie D at all. From what I understand from folks like Dylan Hales, they're still wrestling today and still pretty good at it. But as the heralds for a group that looked to get equality by any means necessary? Two skinny white boys would be the last artists I'd want singing/rapping me into the ring. No shortage of rap artists out there, signed or unsigned, who love wrestling exist. This task shouldn't be too hard to achieve.