Mace says Fox nixed original Retribution angle

[Chris]

Mason Madden, FKA Mace in WWE, says Fox squashed plans for Retribution to be a group similar to ANTIFA.

In the summer of 2020, WWE began airing segments featuring a group of masked wrestlers causing destruction, such as tearing down the ring or setting fire to a generator outside the building. The storyline was that they were a group of wrestlers who felt the WWE developmental system was unfair to them.

During a recent interview with Steve Fall, Mace said that the group was originally to be similar to the organization, ANTIFA. However, he says Fox nixed that part of the angle.

Mace said:

As I understand it, we were meant to be ANTIFA. When Fox, because it was on SmackDown, found out that there was an ANTIFA angle on SmackDown, on their Fox program, they said, 'Hey, stop.' *laughs*
So, confusion happened. They were like, 'How do we pivot this?' Because they had already dedicated a decent amount of time to this angle. And then they gave us supervillian masks and I'm like, 'Cool.' I really wanted to be like Power Rangers villians.

Mustafa Ali was later revealed to be the leader of the group, which officially disbanded in March 2021.

He continued:

It never really got back on track. Some people didn't want to do it and then it just kind of lost steam and they lost interest in it and when they lose interest in it, you don't win. The only way things work is if you have momentum and we never had momentum at any point.

Mace became a member of Maximum Male Models on the April 15, 2022 edition of SmackDown. He was released from WWE last September.

https://www.f4wonline.com/news/wwe/mace-fox-nixed-plans-for-wwe-retribution-angle

 

[Rosie]

Retribution was a Right-Wing Billionaire's shit take on Anti-Fascist movements?! WHO'D OF GUESSED!?

 

[King Kota]

Mace is def one of those guys i think could def be a big star. Hes good on the mic, good in the ring. I really think that he has so much potential.

 

[Y2Jayne]

I heard he and Mansoor are still using the MMM gimmick in the indies

 

[Rosie]

I heard he and Mansoor are still using the MMM gimmick in the indies

They're more leaning into their nerdiness as MxM. Mason D. Madden and Mansoor.

 

[Cwalker]

He’s got a good look. No reason why he shouldn’t succeed on the indies.

Either one of them tbh.

 

[Deadd2009]

That group died once they got fed to the Fiend.

 

[Dale]

That group died when it debuted

 

[Canadian Dragon]

They're more leaning into their nerdiness as MxM. Mason D. Madden and Mansoor.

lmao is Mansoor doing a One Piece ' D' gimmick?

 

[Y2Jayne]

Retribution's presentation sucked but they had Dijak, Ali and Thorne, three great talents that deserved better.

Also one of the best entrance musics in the last 5 years

 

[Sabretooth]

That group led me to finally believe WWE was doomed lol. Just another reason why I’m happy as shit we’re under the current regime