The Destruction Of M.E.M.

[Viola Moonlight]

There have been many reports surfacing on the internet about the likes of Booker T and Scott Steiner leaving for one last run in WWE, Kevin Nash maintaining a good relationship with the company where he has expressed an interest in being with Shawn Michaels for his farewells days as well as the deception between the MEM and WE by accepting Young's proposal and the formation and development of the WE... I have reason to believe that the Main Event Mafia to start to disband.

My question is... is right now the correct time to start the destruction of the MEM or should it keep on rolling along for a few more months as a dominate faction?

 

[UseYourBrain]

If TNA were smart, the MEM would have been building to some huge payoff, like Hollywood Hogan vs. Sting was originally meant to be back in the day. Instead, it just kept rolling along and making half-assed attempts to give nobody's wins over bigger names. Unfortunately, it doesn't mean anything since nobody's watching the damn show to begin with. The MEM should have done something to grab the interest of people outside of just wrestling fans, and then used that momentum to solidify stars for the future. I'm not one of those whiny internet morons who thinks every single veteran should be on TV just so they can job to a bunch of generic younger guys. Guys like HHH, HBK, Angle, etc have far more talent and star power to offer than that. Still, in TNA, they had a decent amount of star power but they were missing that one huge piece. Only somebody like The Rock himself joining the MEM would have made it actually mean something. Is that possible? Probably not. That's what makes it so awesome when it happens, like Hogan going to WCW or Hogan turning heel.

Unfortunately, the MEM didn't mean anything to anybody important and now it's going the way of the dodo, as it should.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

The right time to do this was months back when the MEM booted Sting out of the group. The tension was at an all time high after Sting was declared the leader of the MEM. During that one IMPACT! where Sting confornted all of the other memebers of MEM about a conspiracy against him, and we saw that awesome segement between Nash and Sting, that was around the time the MEM should've been broken up. Now every thing really doesn't seem to be about the Mafia. Angle wants to beat Morgan for himself, Kevin Nash is more driven by money than ever, and Booker T and Scott Steiner have to be in the middle of the one quitest reigns as tag team champs I've ever seen. So I think if even if the Mafia breaks up after BFG, it won't be as intresting as it could've been months ago.

 

[CaptainZaltan]

Well if all of the rumors about wrestlers leaving are true, the MEM is going to be gone sooner than later. And TNA may not have as much time as they would like to build a proper ending for the faction. So if it has to end, I think tonight could be as good a time as any to set the ball rolling, because A. there may be a time limit to build a proper ending to the MEM, and B. big things should happen at the biggest PPV of the year.

So, what's a 'proper' way to end the MEM? Obviously we want to see as many young wrestlers put over as possible, but I think we also have to consider that TNA may want to set up proper farewells for some of the MEM members, like Steiner. That could mean face-runs. Luckily, they've already got the groundwork in place to set that up.

(Pure speculation time):
If the WE are at least partially involved in shutting down the MEM, it's going to add a lot of credibility to the group. EY can come out every night and brag about how WE destroyed the MEM, when noone else could do it (whether it's true or not). Couple this with a face turn by one or more of the remaining MEM members like Steiner, and you could milk both a stronger heel faction and ready-made story out of the MEM's demise. Now I'm not saying that WE are ready to be the main heel faction, or even that they will be. But I do believe they will be around longer than the MEM, and that this is the logical way to go to create some heels and some instant feuds in the post-MEM landscape. If I'm right on this, look for WE to obtain some gold from MEM members in the near future.

 

[King Patrick Star]

I don’t believe the speculation until it becomes fact, but one way I would end the Main Event Maifa’s run would be to have Samoa Joe finally turn on the M. E. Mob. Then from there, I would have the remaining four members battle in a Four Way match to determine the new Number One Contender for the TNA World Title where the three losers leave TNA. Of course, Kurt Angle would win and out goes the New World Order division of the Mob. Nash could always come back and say something along the lines of “I just signed a new contract with Dixie, blah, blah, blah” and come back. He could even join his former WCW Tag Team Championship partner, Sting, again for another Wolfpac run.

Keep in mind, I would rather they stick together, Mafia for life, but I know all good things must come to an end. Horsemen, New World Order, Evolution (Somebody tell DX “all good things must come to an end” please).

 

[finoj05]

I would just state my points, but I wrote in an earlier thread my reasons for why the M.E.M. can and should continue till next year.

I personally think the Mafia storyline has legs to last another 8 months or so. Now your reaction to that would probably be "WHAT??? Your dumb" but while I think they will probably end it soon, I think it should continue and I'll tell you why.

Kurt Angle needs the mafia now. Without it, he is just Kurt Angle heel again. The Mafia disbanding for good leaves him back to where he was in summer of 2008, without the title and without a real purpose other than feuding with AJ. Kurt Angle the character wouldn't let the Mafia go down that easy.

Booker T and Steiner, for all intents and purposes, are probably, or should, be written out of the picture. Whether it be disappearing, a beatdown or whatever. They need to go.

That leaves, Kurt Angle, Kevin Nash and Samoa Joe left. Like Angle, Nash is lost without the Mafia. Useless. Joe can go back and be the nation of violence again, but I think there needs to be more to it than that. All 3 guys aren't going anywhere, unless Angle is REALLY leaving TNA. If Angle leaves, then the Mafia should die, but with Angle, the Mafia should live.

Now, the Mafia would need members and former world champions to be those members. Mick Foley, Rhino, Abyss, Bobby Lashley and Jeff Jarrett are the only world champs left in TNA besides the Mafia and AJ Styles (who should NEVER join).

Rhino makes sense because he is a heel and is feuding with the same people. Mick Foley would make sense because he just turned heel. Abyss could turn heel, but that's rather anti-climatic now with recent developments. Bobby and Jeff are ruled out for obvious reasons, though Lashley could work, there is just too much money to be made with him as a face.

So... what would the new Mafia do? Well... they would be a typical stable. I personally, would rather TV time dedicate to a group like the Mafia then the individuals themselves spread throughout the show. It is a good idea to conglomerate your talent like this in order to save TV time.

This... all leading to Lethal Lockdown in April where the TNA Frontline battle the Main Event Mafia. The frontline wins, the Mafia disbands itself just by Angle and Nash blaming everyone else for the loss. From there, the story follows each member as Angle throws the blame around at Nash and Joe. The feuds from that run till BFG2010.

That way, the front line get the big Lockdown win, the Mafia gimmick is played out to its full potential, making use of guys like Rhino and Foley. The storyline wouldn't always be the center of attention as it has been for 12 months now, but it would work on its own terms to give Angle an entourage.

Face it, Angle has had a team since he turned heel. First Team Angle, Angle Alliance then the Main Event Mafia. He will again, and you might as well call it the MEM. Even as an excuse to sell more T-shirts and to use the trademark that they have been advertising for a year straight. The trademark MAIN EVENT MAFIA is still worth another 6 months or so.

This is how the nWo should have ended. The nWo should have ended with them imploding with egos after a big War Games loss to WCW. The feuds from that would lead to Starrcade (ala Bound For Glory). It buys time for the company to figure out what they are doing next.

Like the nWo was for WCW, the Main Event Mafia is an establishment within TNA that has been marketed and sold to the public for 12 months. T-shirts, posters, hats, collectors items and other things were branded with the logo and the name in order to get the name out. It's a brand in its own. Just like Suicide is a brand for TNA or DX is a brand for WWE. Those brands make money for the promotion. Kurt Angle, Bobby Lashley, Christian, John Cena, Randy Orton, CM Punk can jump ship, but brands such as DX, Suicide, Undertaker, Main Event Mafia, nWo can never leave the company that created them, which is why they are worth more.

 

[T2KFreeker]

As we might be heading into the retirement tour for Sting, he should be the one to pound the last nail in the coffin. One final go around with Kurt Angle where he beats him clean and for the win without any help or interference. That right there would be a huge moment if built right and booked properly at the right time. Something else has to be going on with the rest of the MEM to make it all work out, but that's what I am saying. It's like Sting's last thing to do before he retires. All of the factions over the years he has tried to end, The Horsemen, the nWo, but this time he won't fail, he will end the MEM. Just what I am saying should happen is all. If everything was in the right spot with the right people it would be awesome and it would meet the hype that they were trying to do all this time.

 

[Eric]

TNA should just let Booker and Steiner go, they do nothing for TNA.
If TNA was smart they would hire Scott Hall and Sid Vicious to replace Booker and Steiner in the main event mafia.
Hall and Nash can contribute to the tag team picture.
Sid Vicious could contribute to the big guy picture such as Matt Morgan and Abyss.

Booker and Steiner never truly fit in the mafia.

 

[Slowdude]

With Booker supposedly gone, Kurt, Nash, Steiner and Joe all starting different storylines on this weeks impact. It wasn't really a destruction, the MEM ran its course and ended. No better time to either.

Spoiler: TNA

Joe (and Daniels) to face AJ for the World Title at Turning Point. A sick spot in a Ultimate X and losing a submission match = World Title Shot. lol
Nash who I presume has turned face will be going for EY and the legends title
Kurt seemingly has also turned face, was attacked by Nigel McGuiness debuting
Steiner going into a feud with Lashley after annoying Krystal

 

[ITrippedTheShockmaster]

I don't mind TNA ending the MEM, but the way they're doing it is kind of confusing to me.

I know all the of the talk about Booker and Steiner leaving, with Booker already done with the company. But it seems like the Mafia angle just ended, without any pop or a big match or implosion to end it. It just fizzled. Most of you big factions pretty much ended with some kind of match or internal blow-up. That didn't happen with MEM, which was supposedly the greatest collection of champions ever in pro wrestling. To me, as an wrestling fan for nearly 30 years, that was kind of a let down.

Ok, the signs were there. I mean, everyone knew Sting was eventually going to be ousted. When they put Samoa Joe into the Mafia, that was a big sign that it wasn't going to be around much longer. Everyone thought it was going to be a swerve and that Joe was going to turn on the Mafia. But he didnt. Then, Taz just... kinda... left and went back to broadcasting and basically acted like he was never in the Mafia. Confusing.

Now, with Booker gone and Steiner soon to follow, the group is dissolving with little fanfare. You have Angle suddenly turning face with the Desmond Wolf program and Nash is slowly turning face too in his program with WE. Joe drops the X Division Title a few weeks back to freshen up that title picture, only to have him tap out to Bobby Lashley.

Again, I'm not saying the end of the MEM was bad, but I was expecting something a little more official. I'm actually glad that MEM is ending, basically leaving World Elite as the new super heel stable in TNA. Having two super stables was making things pretty crowded, IMO. I'm curious to see how they push Eric Young as the mega heel leader of the faction.

 

[King Patrick Star]

Let me get this straight. Kurt Angle finally got “Respect” which was what the Mafia was all about this time last year. Kevin Nash is now gunning for Eric Young and the Legends Title, which is what Angle told him to do to begin with. Samoa Joe loses a match at TNA’s WM, but is now in line for a World Title shot (same with Daniels, but let’s keep this about the M. E. Mob). Kev and Joe have a Tag match, but neither is billed as representing the Mob. Booker T. just flat out leaves the Orlando Championship Wrestling and Scott Steiner proclaims himself the new leader of the Main Event Mafia…of one, which will probably be forgotten about by next Thursday.

Why didn’t they, at the very least, make a BIG DEAL out of it??

 

[TellMeWhy]

Let me get this straight. Kurt Angle finally got “Respect” which was what the Mafia was all about this time last year. Kevin Nash is now gunning for Eric Young and the Legends Title, which is what Angle told him to do to begin with. Samoa Joe loses a match at TNA’s WM, but is now in line for a World Title shot (same with Daniels, but let’s keep this about the M. E. Mob). Kev and Joe have a Tag match, but neither is billed as representing the Mob. Booker T. just flat out leaves the Orlando Championship Wrestling and Scott Steiner proclaims himself the new leader of the Main Event Mafia…of one, which will probably be forgotten about by next Thursday.

Why didn’t they, at the very least, make a BIG DEAL out of it??

Because if Scott Steiner is still wearing MEM gear, claiming to be the leader, and saying it's not over, then it's obviously not over. I think MEM will have another run in some time coming up. It looks like they've disbanded for now because let's be honest, you can't just have your stable mate Booker T no longer show up and continue to go with the program as if the viewer won't notice that another member who was a big piece of the pie is no longer around. The split up is a good transition for Booker's leaving to not be so noticeable. They've temporarily split up and I'm sure some of the remaining members will soon regroup when they see they can't handle the youth movement by themselves. They might even be faces this time around.