Will They Get a Push to Go With It?
Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits have a new name for their faction. Now, fans of "The All Mighty," Montez Ford, and Angelo Dawkins will have to wait and see whether they get a push to go with it.
According to a new report from WrestleVotes:
Will the newly named faction also get a push? There are two questions to answer to determine whether The Pride is getting a push or just a new coat of paint.
Does Triple H have long-term plans and goals for The Pride?
Triple H is a booker with many ideas. Unfortunately, he often seems perplexed by implementing these ideas on RAW and SmackDown. To be fair, Triple H and his creative team do a good job with its top players, such as The Bloodline, Damage-CTRL, Judgment Day, Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, and Jey Uso.
However, the WWE often finds itself baffled at booking its other talent with any consistency or apparent long-term planning. Acts such as DIY, Imperium, Alpha Academy, and yes, Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits are all over the map in terms of booking.
The initial purpose of pairing The Street Profits with "The All Mighty" Bobby Lashley seemed like a good way to jumpstart all three Superstars' careers. Bobby Lashley was on the back burner for most of 2023, a downright disgrace for a two-time WWE Champion. The Street Profits were no better as they have been one of many tag teams stuck on a treadmill.
Is The Pride being created to put over Karrion Kross and The AOP?
Another question is whether The Pride are being created for the sole purpose of putting over Karrion Kross and The AOP (Akam and Rezar). It looks like Kross and company will be using the name, The Testament. Like "The Pride," fans have to wonder whether this is just a case of the WWE slapping a coat of fresh paint on wrestlers it has no intention of giving a long-term push to. However, if the WWE is planning to push "The Testament" (or whatever their name will be, The Pride may just be a stepping stone for The Testament with no other plans.
It's also possible that both factions are going to be pushed, which could lead to some fresh match-ups on SmackDown, not only involving The Pride and The Testament, but the blue brand's other factions. Karrion Kross is a wrestler whose push has been beyond awful since his return to the WWE. Kross went from debuting and throwing down a gauntlet to Roman Reigns to a wrestler with a 50/50 record at winning as well as appearing on TV.
The WWE could easily extend a program between The Pride and The Testament into WrestleMania, perhaps even leading to a tag team Hell in a Cell or some other wild stipulation match. Once the WWE establishes the two factions, they could move into new programs or even move to RAW.
There are many possibilities for The Pride, both in feuding with The Testament and setting their sights on championship gold. Bobby Lashley is long overdue for a championship as are Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins. Lashley could help restore some prestige to the United States Championship while The Street Profits could add some excitement with the tag team titles around their waists.
What do you think of the name, The Pride? Do you think The Pride will get a push to go with their new name?