For months now, MFT has been feuding with the Wyatt Sicks. MFT’s mission was to take back the WWE Tag Team Titles from Dexter Lumis and Joe Gacy. Solo Sikoa and Talla Tonga did just that, with an extra prize coming with the victory. The lantern that was once in Bray Wyatt’s possession, which Uncle Howdy carried, is now in the hands of MFT. Now, the Wyatts want those things back.
But just feuding over those things is why the feud seems stale. They will get the tag team championships and the lantern back at some point. They need to up the feud so something personal is on the line, so that the loser will be forever changed. Luckily, both factions have things that define them and tell the whole audience who they are as wrestlers and as a faction.
The Backstory of MFT’s Facepaint and the Wyatts’ Costumes
Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa (spelled Tanga back then) were a tag team called Guerrillas of Destiny in New Japan Pro Wrestling. They were super successful in the ring and presentation-wise as well. Painting their faces allowed them to stand out from the crowd, as well as adding dimension to their characters that showed they were competitors in the ring. When Tama returned to WWE in October after injury, all of MFT except for Sikoa painted their faces.
With the Wyatt Sicks, their costumes pay tribute to Bray Wyatt’s Firefly Fun House, with the exception of Uncle Howdy, who was part of his last run in WWE. Each member’s costume corresponds to a puppet that was in those vignettes. For years, there was talk about those puppets coming to life. They were revealed after Wyatt’s death, but their costumes are a great way to remember him.
Why the Facepaint and Costumes Should Be Put on the Line
Losing the face paint would be disastrous for MFT, and the same thing can be said about the costumes for the Wyatt Sicks. Tama and Loa were extremely successful as the Guerrillas of Destiny, winning the IWGP Tag Team Championships seven times.
The facepaint reminds fans of the time their familial endeavors were first successful. The members of the Wyatt Sicks needed something to convey their personal connection to Wyatt. That’s why they brought the Firefly Fun House to life in the form of their costumes.
Without the facepaint, MFT are just Sikoa’s henchmen and random guys that aren’t part of the Anoa’i family tree. Uncle Howdy was Wyatt’s real life brother, but none of the other members are part of their immediate family in any way. They have a connection with the costumes, but like MFT, behind them are wrestlers that aren’t their true family.
Their Presentation is What Makes Them a Family
One thing that’s always being talked about with MFT and the Wyatt Sicks is the importance of family. Of course, family doesn’t even have to be blood relatives. Sikoa’s family tree consists of three guys who are actually related and someone who isn’t in JC Mateo. But they have no familial connection to Sikoa. Bo Dallas/Uncle Howdy was the real-life brother of Bray Wyatt, but the other members are just part of the faction to honor his legacy.
The leaders talking about family have no real family in their factions. What makes them united is their presentation with the face paint and the costumes. Take that away, and their identities get taken away as well. Putting the tag team titles and lantern on the line is a great start. But putting their presentation on the line will definitely expose them as not a real family.
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