The Main Event Mafia

[Shub]

I found a very interesting article at that talks about TNA Wrestling's Main Event Mafia and its purpose at this link http://bleacherreport.com/articles/7...heels-or-faces

Feel free to comment on it.

 

[Marty2Hotty]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX6qGJIPaRc

Steiner joins the MEM... i rewatched it. I'm not used to their weird "Mafia" theme.. but maybe i will. I think they need a new theme, lol..

but I gotta tell you something.. The fans were really into this shit. I think wrestling fans love great heel factions. This is great... we see all the HUGE names TNA has all at once. I hated it when sting, nash, booker, kurt would come out separately

I want to see all the stars at TNA combined

There's still 3d, rhino, christian, which are recognizable names. But it's good that there is this killer faction. I hope they have a plan for this long term.. i really like MEM>. awesome stuff

MEM > Evolution

 

["Cool Guy" Jensen]

I am a big fan of all the members of Main Event Mafia as I loved watching all 5 men on WWE and WCW in some cases. The team that they are feuding with, the TNA Originals doesn't really cut it as the type of caliber that is Angle, Nash, Booker, Sting, and Steiner. I like the way the feud is going and I am very interested to see how it will end.

 

[shalliin]

This is a great idea! It's too bad it was done to death more then 10 years ago and has had re-occurances every 3-4 years in every federation every where since then.
let's look at the people involved in this go around

Nash-one of 2 most useless and overrated individuals in the last 20 years. He has never been anything more then the muscle for other peoples groups. With HBK it was the klique that then became DX, but only AFTER he left WWE. In WCW, it was Outsiders and then NWO, where again he was second class to a bigger name. ie Hogan. He one a few championships but aside from his size was nothing. I personally feel that his most significant role in entertainment history was his role as Super Shredder in TMNT2:Secret of the Ooze.
Angle: i have to give him credit, he has always been an interesting one to watch, but he's so predictable that he's become almost a caricature of himself. An angle match is always the same. A few back and forth blows, some near falls, angle goes for Angle lock, its broken, he cheats or has outside interference, hits Olympic slam, and then ankle lock, yadda yadda yadda. He's stale and uncreative, his most interesting situation was the 'angle' with Karen but that is all gone now. The 'feud' with JJ is another sad attempt for TNA to cash in on previously used story lines (Stone Cold vs McMahon) with a bit of the feel for how the Kane/Taker story started with Taker always refusing to fight Kane until Kane finally did something Taker couldn't ignore. If I recall correctly it had to do with their parents grave? And it's sad because of all of them, he is the most entertaining.
Sting-hasn't been a figure of importance or real interest in any way since the days of the start of his 'crow' inspired character. Which should have died 8-9 years ago. He's old, slow, and doesn't show any passion or interest when he's in the ring. Like Nash right now, it's all about money and trying to feed his own ego and Legend.
Booker-never has been more then a mid-carder who was given a title because no one else wanted to be forced to represent WCW when it was on it's last legs. His only really lasting impact was from his Harlem Heat days and the ridiculous gimmick he's been playing since he was King of ring back in wcw...when he come onto the screen i turn the channel because I can't stand that accent or seeing him in a ring, not even AJ or Joe can save a match with him in it.
As for Steiner, well i have not been interested in anything he's done since the original breakup of the steiner bros team and his becoming the poster boy for why not to take steroids. Big Poppa Dumb his sorry useless ass. Oh, and anyone who didn't know that he would join MEM when he came back must not have seen any wrestling events/shows in the last 15 years. MEM is just the NWO with Angle. He's the only member who was never in NWO in WCW.

Now going over what someone else had put in, I am so sick of hearing and seeing Matt Morgan. He is a an example of what is wrong in the minds of the promoters in tna right now. WWE dropped him because he couldn't match their standards, and so TNA picked him up and suddenly he's supposed to be the future of the business? He's this generations version of Nash in all the bad ways. Overhyped, overrated, and overexposed. Well, he's a bit more talented then Nash has ever been, but no where near what is constantly shoved down our throats by TNA. I think that JJ is trying to use him to prove that they can take a 'big man' that WWE dropped and turn him into a star, in effect stealing Vince's thunder by making a star of a man thrown out of the 'land of the giants' as WWE is often considered.
I do like the duo of Morgan and Abyss, but they need a manager to talk for them and keep them off the mikes themselves. Roxxi would fit in with the monster/hardcore dynamic that they show. And with her recent dialogue change, it would be interesting to watch the interviews.

 

[Rusty]

Yeah I completely agree with KB. It seems as if TNA have created something good here. The Main Event Mafia is a great stable with 5 veterans. It's clear that they have been dominant thus far, but I hope they are being dominant so that they will eventually make a young superstar look strong by putting him over big time. I can't help but think that Kurt Angle will eventually turn on the Main Event Mafia later down the track to become a babyface. This would clearly be the best way to put Angle over as a face. However, I hope the Mafia isn't booked to get the upper hand every single week on iMPACT. That gets repetitive and boring after a while.

Also, Sting is still struggling to get over as a heel. He is the TNA World Champion and is one of the biggest stars both in TNA and in the Mafia. But he still doesn't act heel enough for my liking. The crowd still doesn't boo him. This is pretty terrible considering he has been a heel for a few months now. Nash has gotten over very quickly, so the booking of Sting can easily be improved. One can't deny that the Main Event Mafia are entertaining. It seems as if TNA's ratings have gone up a little too since the formation of the stable. Thats a big bonus.

I like the fact that all members of the Mafia are veteran heels and I love the fact that most of the "New Skool" stable are fairly young. The young guys have a strong team that will hopefully provide a 'challenge' to the Mafia. I really hope TNA uses this stable to their advantage. It could be one of the most memerable stables in Wrestling history, if booked correctly of course. Well done TNA.

 

[Y-2-Jay]

this new main even mafia storyline looks good i hope tna can keep this story strong i will be into this story as i like war and group battles reminds me of wwf 1998 also i wouldnt of thought that steiner would come out and join the main event mafia and there was a good tna rating being a 1.2 which is good because tna has always been stuck in 1.0 1.1 ratings and i think if this story continues to be good tna will be able to finnaly get that 1.3 rating they want but never have got so i really can not wait to find out who will be next to join the mafia christian? team 3d? the possibilites are endless with storyline keep it up TNA

 

[shalliin]

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.

Yes they lost, but look at what happened after the match. That's what they are talking about when they say they don't put over. Even when they loose, they ruin the match by having a gang run interference and beat down.
NONE of the MEM let a match end without some kind of after match fit. It's pathetic the way they have to try to resort to things like that because they can't let some one else have the spot light for even a few minutes.
Here I thought TNA was the place were they were not going to let the older guys keep the new stars out of the spot light, but in the 2 years since Angle joined TNA that has all changed. It used to be the place for up and coming stars to show what they could do, now it's turning into a weaker version of the fall of WCW. and that is just sad.

 

[SpiralHands]

Im quite liking the main event mafia I mean ok the name isnt that good but who said new world order was the bets faction name in the world? Its been a while since weve have had a big faction storyline in wrestling and I think TNA needs it most. Hopefully they will continue to book them the right way and strongly get them over as heels, as at the moment people still cheer them just because of who they are, if they could get them to boo them and not give a crap who they are it would improve and hopefully Scott Steiner will help with this. One thing I will say though is they need some kind of identity ok they got new music and video but they need perhaps t shirts or something. But all in all looking good!

 

[adampembrey]

Well I'm currently watching the Impact where Steiner joins and I have to say the one thing that slightly lets the MEM down is Booker.

He would belong if he acted like a heel Booker T, like he did with The Alliance in WWF 2001. What is with these silly voices? It totally wrecks his credibility, what is the point of it?

I like the Music, I like the look and I like the story line, for the first time in ages I'm really looking forward to every Impact episode.

 

[RVDgurl]

I love the idea of the Main Event Mafia. I like the players involved and I love the addition of Scott Steiner to the mix. I also love the players on the opposite side of the coin. It's great to see AJ, Joe and MCMG working together. If developed and played out correctly, this storyline will finally put the TNA originals is the spotlight and give them their well overdue credit. Much has been said over the past 2 years that TNA has been pushing their WWE talent too much. TNA's creative team has finally put themselves in a position to put that accusation to rest. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for this one.

 

[14-Year Old Virgin]

You know what I am tired of, is people comparing what the WWE does verse TNA. In respects of not pushing younger talent. I read what one person wrote saying "Admit it, WWE does it and has for a long time" (Or to that degree), You know what I say to that? Who cares? If the WWE jumped off a bridge, should TNA jump behind them? TNA is NOT THE WWE. They need to come up with their OWN CHARACTOR'S, STORYLINES, AND TALENT! Like they did for YEARS before hiring anyone getting released from WWE or coping wrestlers gimmicks. TNA's Storylines and characters are re-writes of the WWE, WCW, & ECW. The MEM is the NWO all over again. I like the idea, don't get me wrong, but who they chose to represent it, got me baffled.

Stiener can't get through a storyline without getting hurt cause he is OLD and works stiff and his moveset is horrible. Booger T? Hell, All his credibility left with that ******ED, dumb as SHIT, ACCENT. Nash, While I think Nash is the guy that can help the young guys get over better, (IE Joe, Lethal) He is like a dinosaur in the ring. Slow, and predictable. I agree with Angle and Sting. Those were good choices. Replace the other 3 with JARRETT, Cage, & Team 3D, and NOW!, You got a storyline! Put the other 3 out to pasture.

BTW, So the MEM lost their first outting, ONE MATCH DOES NOT SAY IT ALL. The NWO and DX lost matches too, doesn't mean they put over the young guys. Like the person angry about WWE fans not giving TNA a shot, he said HIMSELF that they didn't give the young guys oppurtunity. Who says the MEM will be pushing the younger talent. ALSO, Look at it from a neutral position like I can, TNA has a track record of letting the guys that MADE TNA, TNA, waste away off TV for these MEM wrestlers. Until I see a LEGIT push for the Younger Talent, I have to believe that this MEM is just another rendition of the NWO to let the oldtimers have their spotlight they rightfully need to give up.

The TNA "Fanboys" need to wait until the storyline starts running its course before proclaiming that TNA is not following the WWE (Cena, Undertaker, Batista, BLAH BLAH BLAH). One match does not make that a reality. Wake up and smell the CRAP your spewing because I am not willing to say "The MEM is pushing the younger talent" until it IS REALITY. I am a wrestling Fanboy that only hopes that TNA will succeed and move forward but like I have said in many posts, they are walking the WCW Green Mile. They were doing good with the talent they had, the 6 sided ring, and elevation X. They were truly on the right track with making innovations and talent. Then the horrible turn I knew would happen. Hiring the trash from the WWE. Booger T, Shiek, & Billy Gun (Oh, So they could try and remake the NAO. But TNA is not coping the WWE right?) to name a few.

I only hope and pray the MEM doesn't turn into another WCW NWO. I love TNA an hope they don't make the same mistakes as WCW.

 

[golden miz]

I can't stand this stable. Booker is washed out beyond belief, and im saying this indiffrently not as his enemy, kurt is well kurt, a character whos gone stale many years ago, Scott and Kevin, come on both of these guys belong in a nursing home not in the ring, sting is one of my top wrestlers of all time but he should of hung it up no latter then 2006 and that is pushing it. These are some of my many sorted thought about this stable, all of these guys (except booker who has poor mic skills and mamby kurt who is just blah on the mic) are great on the mic and mamby should be a management stable not a wrestling stable. As for the rival group led by AJ and Joe, I think this group has potential, they are all really over and I think these are the guys we all watch the show for, who else is there, oh yeah the queen of awesomeness herself awesome kong (lol).

 

[Marty2Hotty]

Im a huge fan of MEM.. Steiner's promo ROCKED the house. Nash's first heel promo was insane a few weeks ago. STACKED faction: Angle, Steiner, Nash, Booker and STING.

Just seeing them come out together in their suits.. that's just insane..

I agree with Steiner that nobody cares about AJ/Joe (although we do have a soft spot). AJ/Joe are TNA.. but yeah, storyline wise.. i do kinda agree with Steiner that the "stars" sell the show.. I watch to see MEM.. and I think TNA has done a pretty good job (as good as you can with all the top stars) with these guys. They all have to rock the mic because they are the stars that can go in the ring, and can rock the mic..

Nash, Booker, AND Angle can do comedy and do it well. Steiner can be funny as well as the dumb guy. STing hasn't really done much comedy in his career. his feud with AJ is okay and he's bringing in AJ's father into it. Angle is trying to get at Jeff Jarrett and that's okay. Nash and Joe's story is one year long and Nash references hall. Booker is currently involved with Christian and wanting to recruit Christian.. Legends champion

I kinda want this story to be more intense. and TNA originals needs some big guys.. it can't be MEM vs x division shrimps plus joe.. but that's my take....

I want the story to be as intense as Millionaires vs New Blood.. That stuff was absolutely insane and Russo-esque.. I miss that shit. I also miss some comedy on the show but tha'ts my take

 

[14-Year Old Virgin]

Alright, Since that one loss, its been ALL MEM. Come on guys, wake up. Now with Scott Hall at ringside last night? OMG, If he joins them, I turn off TNA FOREVER. They will lose every ounce of respect I can muster for them anymore. Then the WCW Green mile will come to form. This is TERRIBLE. How can a company walk a path like that willingly? This is becoming too stupid for me anymore. WHY TNA? WHY? TNA was always about bringing the best talent to us. Bring that excitment we had lost from wrestling for years. Now, they are going to kill themselves after all they have accomplished?

 

[golden miz]

Alright, Since that one loss, its been ALL MEM. Come on guys, wake up. Now with Scott Hall at ringside last night? OMG, If he joins them, I turn off TNA FOREVER. They will lose every ounce of respect I can muster for them anymore. Then the WCW Green mile will come to form. This is TERRIBLE. How can a company walk a path like that willingly? This is becoming too stupid for me anymore. WHY TNA? WHY? TNA was always about bringing the best talent to us. Bring that excitment we had lost from wrestling for years. Now, they are going to kill themselves after all they have accomplished?

hall wont join since he was told not even to come, then he came and they asked him to leave after a couple of matches, he came with the icp who were suspose to come

 

[Edgeheadfan]

There great I mean it show how better the old wrestler are then the New ones it also a wake up to fans that just because a wrestler is old does not mean their wash up it mean the young wrestler just suck

 

[anonymous]

I personally like the Main Event Mafia. I like that this angle is bringing a solid direction to TNA, and I like the POTENTIAL that this angle has. HOWEVER, I do not like WHO is booking this angle. As seen with the most recent Turning Point PPV, TNA creative is doing "even Steven" booking where everyone is booked equally with no one looking weaker or stronger. The idea of ANY angle is to make the face and the heel stronger than when they first came in. The idea of this feud should be to ultimately make the TNA Originals as strong and equal as the "outside talent." While I know that I am being unfair in judging the TNA creative team before the angle plays out, their past actions have not given many fans or me any faith that they could book this successfully. I honestly hope that this angle is successful, and the ratings go up because I am a fan of TNA and want nothing more to see them do better than they already are. I truly believe though that if any creative team CANNOT raise the ratings with a unit consisting of Booker T, Kurt Angle, Sting, Kevin Nash, and Scott Steiner versus young stars like Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, Jay Lethal, etc, then that creative team is inefficient at their job and should be changed.

 

[Showtime_89]

I love this angle, but that could be because i'm a sucker for nostalgia. However, I do think this could turn out well for TNA, and if they go down the route where the young TNA originals eventually get one over on the M.E.M then it could be huge for them and show that TNA has got a view for the future.

I wonder if Jarret's going to play into this somehow?

 

[Marty2Hotty]

I like MEM.. They did a great promo this week talking about brothers (and sister), christian swimming with the fish.. it's also interseting dynamic with Sting.. Sting doesn't take part in the beat downs. He beat up AJ because AJ spat in his face

But i hate that there isn't intensity with the TNA originals.. and it's too tame.. there is no characters except MMG and originals are *****es. they should just start kicking ass like the new blood did.. two groups of badasses going against each other

Oz - the show: there were no "good guys" or "bad guys".. they were all out to get each other and do shit to do it... the same should apply here in my opinion... Jarrett is kinda a dork...

i dont know. I do think the characters need a Russo defined character.. the purists on other boards are praising the most recent show but I think it's too "Tame" for 2008. i like how the main eventers are used... but i dont know. STing's a legend. Kurt is a huge star. Steiner needs to mic, same with Nash - all big stars. Same with Booker T..

THeir theme is okay.. but they need to get that "weird chant" in the theme out.. it sounds weird. it isn't as catchy as the nWo theme.. and it leaves the fans with no reaction because the theme is so weird

when DX's theme used to play during the attitude era, it got people cheering when the "Are you ready?" quotes hit.. MEM needs a better theme.. and the original logo they had was prety cool

i know they wear suits, which is realy cool and all.. but what if they all came in wearing an MEM shirt.. that'd sell if MEM stays cool

 

[Muffin Top Merkley]

Here's how I think the MEM angle should play out

- Starts with Angle, Nash, Sting, Booker.
- They start the war agaisnt AJ and Joe. For a couple of weeks no one comes to AJ and Joe's aid
- MEM aquire Team 3D.
-Others (Eric Young, Petey Williams, MCMG) begin to join AJ and Joe
-MEM get Foley to sign
-Young Guns get Matt Morgan and Abyss (which sets up matches like Foley and Abyss and Morgan and Nash.
-Jeff Jerrett cuts promo's about how when he started TNA it was to show that TNA was the better wrestling product. And now its MEM trying to take over with barely stepping foot in the ring.
-Dixie Carter interupts Jerrett and says that she paid top dollar to get MEM here so they could give TNA exposer etc etc.

The same points would be getting across but it would be a huge build up taking a good amount of time.

 

[Jewlz]

Isn't this basically what WW-ECW did last year with the New Breed vs The Old School & both sides were trying to get CM Punk to join them. same basic scenario

 

[Spiral Tap]

I know that MEM have been around for a couple of weeks now but I have to say that they have potential to make TNA a lot better than it is.

This new storyline is making me prefer TNA to WWE.

Seeing Sting play a heel is something I wasn't expecting to see, and I feel that it works quite well.

I think that the younger guys will come out better at the end of this storyline because there is no point in making your older athletes, most of them set to leave TNA next year anyway look good.

It'll be interesting to see how this develops in the future.

 

[Monkey_Mania]

Shit, I love the Main Event Mafia. I love how Nash is the calm suave character who can dominate you. Steiner being the angry beast of a man. Booker being the weird guy he always portrays. Angle being the technical and focal point of the group. Then Sting who is the silent yet says a lot type.

They really can help the younger guys out and to me they will add to TNA. Sting is the wildcard. He obviously isn't the kind of guy to be associated with these guys, yet he is. He's the champion, yet isnt the focal point. I like that. It gives his character this air of "what the fuck is he going to do" I expect and am almost certain Sting will be the first to go and turn in the group and eventually side with the Originals...Maybe. Not quite sure yet.

 

[THE Madcap]

I think the key thing with this storyline here is that the fans are paying attention to it. when was the last time you heard a "Fire Russo" chant on iMPACT or any TNA PPV?

I also think, that what separates this storyline from the NBvMC / NBvECWO storylines is that the young blood of the organisation are pushed as faces as they should be. Because of this, you can sympathise with them and they in turn are pushed more as young guys ready to carry the torch into a new generation of wrestling (which should symbolise what TNA is about), instead of the old dinosaurs refusing to let go of the limelight.

Coupled with this are the members of the MEM. Really diverse and a STRONG stable group. Sting commands interest because he's a heel, and at the beginning, many were expecting a swerve. He's changed his gimmick and it works for him as a veteran commanding respect. Nash always works best in a stable for me, especially now as these days he lacks creditability as a singles wrestler. The additions of Angle, Steiner and Booker T, really solidify this group as a who's who of non-WWE, still active, former world champions. Really though, Booker needs to drop his Forest Whittaker King of Scotland gimmick, because this really doesn't portray the LEGEND of Booker T.

I also hope this faction doesnt grow to nWo like proportions, because that got boring. Maybe add Team 3D to this group, because they're doing nothing right now, and are the only tag team with the legacy who can carry this angle (I can just see them in the background of a Sting promo, in a suit and black tie, nodding along to his words).

This angle is hotter than anything WWE have put on TV for the last few months (until they decide what they're going to do with the Priceless/Orton angle at least), and has me continually watching TNA to see how this progresses, whilst they gain new fans.

 

[RVDgurl]

I also hope this faction doesnt grow to nWo like proportions, because that got boring. Maybe add Team 3D to this group, because they're doing nothing right now, and are the only tag team with the legacy who can carry this angle (I can just see them in the background of a Sting promo, in a suit and black tie, nodding along to his words).

This is the first time in a while that I have agreed whole-heartedly with an entire post in a wrestling section. These are my exact thoughts. Especially your suggestion to add Team 3D to the mix. TNA are definately leaning towards that. I believe they will indeed add the Dudley's. I think it just makes sense. THey are one of the most decorated teams in the history of the business and they would be very appropriate for the role of enforcers. Along with Steiner, they would serve as the henchman.