The Main Event Mafia

[Rusty]

I know there is a thread similar to this called "TNA's Place in Wrestling" or something similar to that, but this thread is different. However, if Sly or Will want to merge the threads for whatever reason, feel free to do so.

Anyway on iMPACT this last week we witnessed the forming of a brand new stable consisting of Sting, Kurt Angle, Booker T and Kevin Nash. It's clear TNA are serious about this Old School vs New Skool angle, and I quite like it. All 4 members are obviously heels and have already started attacking guys like A.J Styles and Samoa Joe. It's hard to believe they wont be entertaining.

The have even released a new 'Legends Belt' which I think has potential to put over the new talent when they do lose the title. I think this stable is JUST what TNA needs right now. This could be the perfect way to turn Joe, Christian and AJ Styles along with many others into true high caliber main eventers.

I think this stable has great potential to make TNA more interesting and exciting. It's clear that they have been planning this for a long time. The stable isn't your usual group consisting with a leader, up and comer and a tag team. These guys are all main eventers in TNA. This is one of the main reasons why it is refreshing.

What are your thoughts on Main Event Mafia? Do you think they have potential to improve the overall entertainment of the TNA product? Or will it be a complete flop?

 

[matt_indiana25]

I am not really sold on the Main Event Mafia myself. I like the idea of having a dominant stable to maybe boost some of the ratings but I just do not think this is it. How long until Angle or Nash starts wanting there title shot from Sting. All of them will want there title shots eventually and that will turn Sting back to a face again when they turn on him.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

Creative geniuses those TNA writers. Main Event Mafia is an awesome stable name. I'm going to abbreviate it MEM, prounounced memm. Not quite as catchy as n.W.o. or D-X, but certainly easier than Millionaire's Club.

There's only one problem, it doesn't really consist of main eventers. Where is Joe in the stable, as I'd got the opinion he was on the opposite team? He has been TNA's premier main eventer for the past 6 months as champion, and before that he was second to Kurt Angle.

Booker T was a main eventer when the boffins at TNA opted to give him 3, yeah count 'em, three PPV main events in a row. But before and after he's been strictly mid card.

Really this should just be Angle & Joe against two wrestlers who should be main eventers. That would work better.

Or considering this is supposed to be Golden Oldies vs. The New Blood they should just change the name of the group. Especially as one of the Main Event Mafia has just been given a brand new mid card title.

 

[joker76]

Main Event Mafia are not main eventers? What are you talking about these 4 guys have been main eventing for the last 10 to 15 years. The only real question is who will Joe and Aj recruit to face the Main Event Mafia. Matt Morgan or possibly they bring back Christopher Daniels.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

Main Event Mafia are not main eventers? What are you talking about these 4 guys have been main eventing for the last 10 to 15 years. The only real question is who will Joe and Aj recruit to face the Main Event Mafia. Matt Morgan or possibly they bring back Christopher Daniels.

How so, ok so there's 4 of them at the moment, I'll go through each.

Booker T: WCW mid carder until the dying days when they put the title on hjim, probably because he's black. Had 5 title reigns, each as insignificant as the next. Goes to WWE where he's the main guy on the WCW team. I say main guy but Shane McMahon was portrayed better than him, and RVD was more over. Then for 5 years he's a mid card wrestler. Then he get's a gimmick change, King Booker. A 6 month title run, then mid card again. Goes to TNA nad out of the whole year he's been there he's been a main eventer for about 8 weeks.

Kevin Nash: Former WWE main evnter, 10 plus years ago. Former WCW main evnter, 10 years ago. Back to WWE where he was terrible, so terrible that WWE were more than fine with him leaving the company. Goes to TNA where he's a mid carder for a little bit. Then he's in comedy angles, then he's Joe's lackey. Then suddenly he's in the Main Ent Mafia.

Sting: Sting is a main event wrestler. You're right there. But he's a part time main event wrestler. He's like The Undertaker but with more holidays.

Kurt Angle: He's is TNA's only real main eventer wrestler. Joe was given a shot, but it didn't work.

So yeah you're right, there are main event wrestlers in the Main Event mafia. Just not TNA main eventers. You've got Angle as the only legit one, Sting as the part time one, Nash as the one from 3 years ago, and I guess Booker must be the future one. Right?

 

[JulesWagner]

Don't worry, my friend. My thread was half-assed, anyway. Nothing worth saving. It was really late and I just botched it. So let us keep this one, shall we?

Now on topic. The gimmick does have potential but I'm skeptical as to TNA's ability to make something worthwhile out of it. After all, they have blantantly screwed up many angles and storylines over the last few months. I'll close my eyes and hope.

As for the MEM not consisting of Main Eventers, I think, is beside the point. We're talking about egos, about individuals believing they are above everybody else, perennial Main Eventers. It doesn't have to be absolutely true but it has some good old-fashioned heel arrogance to it which fits the gimmick well. And oooooooooh, Sting in a suit... what does that portend?

I'm curious to see how long this kind of alliance can last. Based on self-esteem, not very long I think. Each of these guys thinks too much of himself to be able to cooperate over an extended period of time. However, if they pull it off, it will only emphasize the Old School scenario, showing how important the situation is by sticking together against logic and instinct.

All in all, this could, and I say COULD, be fun to watch in the long run. I do hope Daniels gets to join the New School club just because AJ has been mentioning him a lot lately, but hey, this is TNA... Nothing is ever as it seems or as it should, as a matter of fact.

 

[adampembrey]

I really like this. I would like to see the MEM grow a little by perhaps including Steiner, Team 3D and Jarrett after turning on Foley. Then you have two guys with power on opposing sides. Behind Jarrett you have the MEM behind Foley you have guys like Joe, AJ, Petey Williams (Fued with Steiner) the MCMG (fued with 3D) Lethal and perhaps Matt Morgan, a guy who is worthy of a push in my opinion.

If given the right build it could last until next years BFG when we have the pay-off. Similar to Survivor Series 2001, its set up so only one side survives, that being the young blood as it were.

With regards to Christian, I'd have him as the maverick, never choosing a side, much like Crow Sting never choose nWo or WCW in 96-97. That is until BFG when he helps the young guys defeat the MEM.

Anyway like I say, exciting times.

 

[bigshot316]

I am unsure as to who is going to be the figurehead of the MEM.
Theoretically, you would thing Sting, being the champ and all would be the leader.
However, it did appear on Impact! that Angle was running things.
Add on top of this Booker T, who has awarded himself the new Legends belt, and of course Nash whos character for the last 6 months has been all about the money and nothing else and I cannot decide who is the leader.
I'm wondering if they are going to try and add any more members (maybe Christian Cage will end up joining after his match with Booker) and if they keep with this storyline, I expect to see many twists and backstabbings.
Quite looking forward to it actually.

 

[Miko]

I think the name of the stable works for the people who are in it, as said before its these guy's ego's we are talking about. They all beleive that they are the main-eventers, now its down to TNA's crew to prove them wrong.

I find myself supporting the main-event mafia (except for Nash as I couldnt give a shit about him) because a lot of what they say seems right to me. Hopefully they'll start doing things that I find despicable so as I could hate them. .

The legends belt I thought was a nice touch, I thought it strange when Christian actually challenged for it but I suppose they gotta get it over somehow. The stipulation that Christian has to join if he loses is interesting because I actually have no clue as to what way the match is going to go. All that remains is to find a way to actually care about the outcome of that one.

I am also interested to see who will join the new-bloods, obviously Joe & Styles are a given (I may not like Joe but he is a main-eventer) I suppose Abyss and Matt Morgan could join but to be honest I have no idea, which is good I suppose because it means I could be surprised.

 

[adampembrey]

I really like this. I would like to see the MEM grow a little by perhaps including Steiner, Team 3D and Jarrett after turning on Foley.

Well thats phase one complete

I think about 7-8 members would be the perfect no. It gives them great strength in numbers to dominate but it stops them growing too large i.e nWo in 98-99.

I think Steiner will help get them over as heels as he is just quite unlikeable to be honest.

 

[Dead Kennedy]

Hmm, so old guys who are way past their prime have formed a stable, effectively taking time away from the talented up-and-coming young guys they have. No change from the usual TNA politics there, I guess. Isn't it bad enough that they do it? Must they seriously make it into a storyline? Eh, guess I'll never "get" TNA.

I can't see that being that entertaining, since few to none of those currently in the stable have much entertainment value anymore. It'd be cool to see the young guys form a stable of their own to battle the Main Event Mafia though, stable wars usually kick ass. I'm not saying that it will inevitably become a bust, but I don't see them being able to book it properly, getting it hugely over like other stables in the past.

 

[Marquis]

I would like this idea if the Main Event Mafia would actually put people over. It really would be a great way to put young talent over like passing the torch. Sadly this obviously wont happen since this is TNA we are talking about. Ontop of this TNA's roster isn't exactly deep so this feud/faction takes up a number of stars not leaving much for other feuds or atleast interesting ones.

 

[FTWChamp]

This won't happen b/c it's TNA! Are you serious! I know you WWE fanboys aren't bashing TNA for not putting people over and moving them up the ladder. TNA has made a ton of mistakes in the past and they have been late on pushing guys in the past ie Somoa Joe but how can you sit there and honestly badmouth TNA when WWE never wants to change anyone at the top of their card ie Triple H and John Cena and Batista and Undertaker and Shawn Michaels and so on and so on and so on. The champs on both main shows right now would be John Cena and Triple H if Cena hadn't got hurt. Cena = Infinite title reign.

Now don't go and start bashing because you know it's true. I have been a WWE fan since I was 4 years old and always will be but you know it's true. Now I know that Triple H took himself out of the title picture for a long time and I give him credit for that, but do you think he'd had the title off of him as long as he did if he hadn't been injured so many times? When he wasn't injured wasn't he always ALWAYS in a main event program. Cena would still be in the title or the champ right now if it wasn't for being injured. You would have seen Punk lose the title to Jericho (two champs I am proud that the WWE crowned if not for the simple sake of seeing new faces there) and Cena would have been the one feuding with Jericho right away and taking the title from him. Rekindling the feud from the I Quit match Cena had with Jericho. This would have robbed us from an amazing Jericho and Shawn Michaels feud and would have kept the title off of Batista.....well maybe it wouldn't have been all bad. Oh and all you guys that love seeing Cena and Batista champs forever, how long do you think Batista is going to hold this title.......still thinking.......almost got it........that's right Wrestlemania, the GRANDEST STAGE OF ALL! There you will see Cena vs. Batista in the GREATEST WRESTLEMANIA MATCH OF ALL TIME! Hope you can sense the sarcasm. And then we'll probably start another year long title reign for Cena.

So seriously, you're going to bash TNA and the MEM for not pushing the young guys?!? Really! I think you are pointing the finger in the wrong direction. I mean WWE is the company that had the same 3 guys in the Raw title matches at PPVs for how many months in a row......nine I think. Where is the pushes and title reigns for guys like Jeff Hardy. I know I know about his problems but you can't tell me he shouldn't have won the title before his latest suspension in the best push of his life. Why not put the title on him against Orton at the Rumble, if only for a month, he deserved it. Call him spot monkey if you want, this guy is an incredible entertainer, has put his body on the line time and time again for us and deserved a title reign, even if short lived. What about a guy like MVP who was getting a monster push that just seemed to fizzle away. He would have made a great champ on Smackdown before the HHH Era began. What about a title reign for Kennedy, well any of the times he wasn't suspended or in trouble, I'll give you that, but still one of the best talents they had and was being totally wasted before he was injured last time or making a movie or whatever the hell I forget. Haven't been reading the site as much as of late since football season started.

So TNA may have its problems with booking and so on, but how can you talk about them not giving the rub to the right guys. Sting and Nash have done nothing and I mean NOTHING since coming to TNA but help build up the young guys. They have devoted their TNA careers to building up guys like Abyss and MCMG and Jay Lethal and Sonjay Dutt and so on and so on. Scott Steiner has devoted most of the last year to helping build up Petey Williams, even if you don't agree with the way he's done it. Kurt Angle, although having a lengthy title reign, helped build up Joe to a level he had not been to yet. He also helped AJ become, once again, what he should have always been....the most important guy and face of this company. Oh and what has Booker done with his time in TNA? Oh yeah he pushed Robert Roode as one of the best heels in the company and gave him a worthwhile feud when he was about to fizzle after the way too long Eric Young/Ms Brook angles.

So why wouldn't these guys be all about putting over the young talent? Why wouldn't TNA be using this to push their young talent over the top? What is the point of having this entire storyline.....that's right kids push the young talent. This ain't WCW and this ain't the NWO! This is a storyline that has slowly built and been put in place to make these young guys even bigger names that then were before. They are heading for a big payoff from to me has been the best storyline in TNA in a long time and all the smarks and WWE fanboys want to do is shit on it. What a surprise! If TNA booked Jesus Chris vs Satan on free TV for the world to see, some of you guys would still say, man there booking this Jesus guy as too much of a babyface. They should really give him an edge.

It's obsurd how many people don't want to give this company a chance. It may not be the greatest thing we've ever seen. It may not be without its mistakes, but it's been better as of late than anything Vince has been spoon-feeding us. And honestly the last few weeks, I don't know whether it's been because of football season or the booking, it's the only thing I can stomach watching anymore.

 

[The Roid Rage]

I personally like the idea of the Main Event Mafia. I think it's pretty cool to have a stable consisting of Kevin Nash, Sting, Booker T, and Kurt Angle. What a powerhouse! As FTW said these guys are main eventers and this angle will help push the younger guys no matter what. I don't like the idea of building either Main Event Mafia or the New Bloods really big because that could just cause confusion. I am not a Samoa Joe fan and the only thing that erks me about this is that I know in the end they are going to make him out to be the next best thing since sliced bread which I don't think he is on his best day. Is he a worker? yes. Do people seem to like him for some reason? yes. Is he ok on the stick, ehhh kinda. But what does he bring to the table that is so valuable? I don't see it. All I see is another big samoan wrestler with an attitude problem. A.J. Styles is another story completely, I think he is a very talented wrestler and I like to watch him in the ring but I think too much damage was done to his character in the kurt/Karen angle thing, especially when they had him jumping fro team Angle to team Cage back and fourth and basically made him look ******ed. Matt Morgan is obviously their "Next Big Thing to rip off Batista, Goldberg, and Lesnar" so I don't think he's out of the question for New Bloods membership. As for a 4th member I think it's a toss up. Who would be a person to put in there. You don't really have a lot to work with so it's a tough decision. I'd think that Petey Williams would be a good candidate if he wasn't a heel but that being so I think that eliminates him from the faction. You could use the Motor City Machine Guns to round it out but you need Matt Morgan to offset Kevin Nash as the Big guy of the group and that makes 5 not 4 so what do we do? I guess you'd have to throw in Abyss since he and Matt Morgan have been tagging but I don't think he really fits in the group because of his gimmick so who else? Maybe, just maybe you could put Consequences Creed in there, he might be the guy, only problem with him though is that he hasn't been around a long time so you can't say he's one of the original guys who helped build the company like Joe and A.J. but he is a new generation star so maybe. That really leaves it up to tag guys like Rock and Rave Infection's Lance Rock and Jimmy Rave, or maybe Homicide or Hernandez but who would really think of them? I think maybe the most logical guy would be Christian. Even though he is a little older than Joe and A.J. and Matt Morgan for that matter he is still young enough and been with the company long enough to stake a claim in the new generations stable. Christian has been there for a while and was one of the first WWE guys to make the big jump so you can call him a TNA guy without too much trouble otherwise. SO then you'd have Sting, Nash, Booker T, and Kurt Angle, V.S. Samoa Joe, Matt Morgan, A.J. Styles, and Christian Cage. That sounds reasonable enough for me.

 

[mvk112]

If Sting, Angle, Nash, Booker T, and Scott Steiner (and eventually the Dudleys) are willing to put over Samoa Joe, Rhino, AJ Styles, Christian, and Beer Money Inc, it could be a good thing.

If the angle just leads to the Main Event Mafia dominating TNA and the title scene, it will be pretty bland.

Samoa Joe and Rhino, in particular, have to come off as strong faces willing to go toe to toe with the main eventers, not back down, and have supreme confidence that they can actually win.

 

[My$terio_Fan]

I actually sort of like this whole angle. One thing I really hate about TNA is their tendecy to drop feuds very quickly or make really weird feuds out of nowhere just for one PPV. I think this storyline has the ability to not only be somewhat entertaining but also it may help put over guys like Creed & Petey to be more in the league of the others. I think if the angle was pulled off right it could suceed but only if TNA's creative team is 100% behind the idea.

As for the stable itself I like having guys like Nash, Sting, Booker, Steiner, Team 3D ect in one team as long as in the end they put over guys like Joe, Styles, Christian, Petey, since these guys are the future whereas guys like Nash, Sting, Steiner what be along much longer in terms of wrestling.

 

[Marty2Hotty]

I also agree that this story has a lot of potential.

I still can't believe that TNA has a faction that consists of STING, KEVIN NASH, KURT ANGLE, BOOKER T

Talk about a stacked faction. A few years ago, I would never have thought in my wildest dreams that TNA could sign an Angle, Sting or Booker T/Nash long term.

This is a crazy faction. The story just needs to be written in a way that we haven't seen. I really wish the stuff that happens is much more crazy than it is now. It's kinda too tame and "i have seen that before". They also need to use these names and not make eveyone on the card "just another wrestler"

I also want more entertainment, more character development for the young guys who didn't get a chance to shine on the mic or do wild antics.

I hope this plays out well. It's difficult to come up with new stuff every single week but they need to do this well. It's still pretty damn crazy that they have all these four as a faction. i guess they just need to make wrestling cool again. nWo was pretty cool when it started that is why it got over

 

[doubles]

Im gonna say that they could do what your saying Matty2Hotty, Add the Dudleyz cause they are some of the "older" guys in wrestling and then turn Beer Money face since they have been around since the beginning of TNA or near the beginning at least. Im pretty sure Beer Money can become likeable, Roode especially. I think Roode is easily a future TNA Champ hands down. Although Roode is an awsome heel, for now he should play Face and then when his day comes as champ, become a heel.

TNA can really take themselves far with this new storyline, IF they do it right. So far its not too bad. I wish we could see Hall again but tahts not gonna happen, Hall is in no wrestling shape now, its sad but we fans gotta move on from that.

Seeing Stiener was a nice one, imagine if Jeff turned, now that would be huge, we could maybe once again say .... "the band is back together" haha. Well hopefully this goes well.

 

[Marty2Hotty]

Yeah, i rewatched the opening 15 min segment - i love great main event openoing segments. theme is weird but i may get used to it.... i loved all them talking. i liked the sting segment. i like that sting is in a suit and the ending where he showed some "good" and then aj disrespected him. it's a good story.

I also loved the steiner classic faction beatdown

fans were REALLY into the MEM stuff... wrestling fans love great factions.. and MEM is a STACKED faction

 

[8five]

The Steiner segment at the end was very good, but tenay and west screwed it up big time by not once mentioning how he couldnt hit Petey, I like that storyline within the storyline and i think it could lead Petey away from the originals or take Steiner completely out out of it, but like it just won't lead to anything. The intro music fits well and just overall the storyline should work. I think that the Legends title and world title need to move back and forth between the groups a bunch so that it doesn't lead to jealousy within the factions. Also, Beer Money needs to be a part of this more so then someone like Creed who has been in the company for less time then any one member of the MEM. If your gonna do this right people like Daniels, Abyss, Hoyt/Rock, Storm, Lo-Ki need to play a part, Lo-Ki maybe not but the other four were there from day one and are still under contract, i hope this goes well for TNA cause if not I'm not sure if they can recover

 

[Kliq]

I don't understand where the 'not putting people over' comments come from. In one of their first matches as the MEM, Nash and Booker LOST. There ya go.

 

[Junox50]

I don't understand where the 'not putting people over' comments come from. In one of their first matches as the MEM, Nash and Booker LOST. There ya go.

But to the smarks, it's not enough. You could go on and on about how many times the veterans put over the young guys, but it's never enough.

 

[doubles]

I dunno if its just me but the MEM seems like its a clash of a bunch of those guys Intro music, I myself can kinda hear Angle and Stings in their. Maybe some Booker.

 

[The Roid Rage]

Damn I am good. I called the alliance of the New bloods. I said it should be Petey Williams, Consequences Creed, Motor City Machine Gunz. And what do ya know, There they are, and looks like Matt Morgan is going to be getting involved as well as Abyss, I called them too. The only one I missed was Jay Lethal because I overlooked him thinking he was already tied up in the feud with Sonjay Dutt. But I called it. I just had to point it out. The thing I didn't see coming was Scott Steiner and that was swweeeeet. I like Steiner a lot, enough that my submission is the Steiner Recliner, and I never saw him coming. When he came down to the ring with that pipe I knew what was going on right then. And I did find it funny that he never hit Petey Williams. This thing is going to be great. Two good size, not too big, but good size factions at each others throats. And It's not really like an N.W.O./WCW thing either which is nice. It's not someone trying to take over the company, it's supposed to be about credit and respect being given where it's due, and that is both sides take on it. They both feel disrespected, and unaccredited, it's like there is real emotion involved. The thing I hate about this all though is that I know there can only be one outcome. Samoa Joe as the kind of the fucking world. And I hate Samoa Joe, I just do. I have a big problem with him for a lot of reasons, and I know there are a bunch of Joe fanboys on here and a bunch of people who think he is the best thing in the world, and they're all going to want to kill me or at least flame me until I am burnt but I just can't stand this guy. The thing about all of this is that there is only one way for this thing to end without burying the younger guys and that is for Joe to be the man. It makes my stomach turn. That is the only thing I dislike about this whole Main Event Mafia thing. I see the end of it's road.

 

[klunderbunker]

Well, I'm watching the rebroadcast of Impact where Steiner joins, and I must say, I like it. For the first time in a long, long time, TNA looks to have some direction. There is a definitive path that TNA has chosen which to me has always been what they were missing. For so long the main event was just random title defenses by Joe, which for a little while is fine but over time it just doesn't work anymore. A heel champion was needed, and the Mafia gives them that. Old vs. New is a tried and true storyline that rarely fails, and so far this looks like it'll be no exception. The ratings were up last week, and considering that the Las Vegas show was against the World Series and the show got its nromal rating, TNA has a lot to be proud of, and the Mafia may be to thank for that.