What if "They" Aren't the MEM? *DO NOT POST SPOILERS*

[Clem]

With all the latest happenings (Nash and Booker both ditching TNA for WWE) and a MEM reunion looking less and less genuine, wouldn't this be a perfect time for Dixie to pull her first big genuine swerve that no one saw coming and have "they" be something completely new?

So far, all we've seen is Kurt Angle call in a suit wearing Scott Steiner for help. Sure it leads everyone to think the MEM are coming back, but what if that was the whole point? Get everyone to look over at those guys, while "they" move freely behind the scenes.

I'm not even crediting TNA for thinking this far ahead, but wouldn't it be awesome if Impact started with Hogan and Bischoff in the ring, saying exactly what we're all thinking. Point out the obvious MEM clues, have a joke that they're already two men down before they've even shown up and that they feel totally safe behind the might of Immortal.

Follow that up with more MEM hints throughout the show to freak Immortal out. Then, in the final segment, every member of Immortal marches down to the ring. Bischoff is damn near screaming at the backstage area, saying he's had it and for them to get the hell out here and face them. The MEM music hits, the lights go dark, and when they come back up...FORTUNE HAVE JUMPED IMMORTAL! It was all mindgames on Flair's part! He's sick of Hogan and Bischoff calling the shots and has teamed up with Dixie Carter to make their lives a living hell!

Anyway, that's how I'd book it. You don't have to sign any new guys, you get a shocking angle that turns the power struggle on it's head and you elevate the existing stable of Fortune in the process.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Nope, doesn't work.

In months, maybe, but right off the bat like this, and pinning it on Flair's being upset with Hogan and Bischoff? Won't work.

Obviously the seeds of dissension are planted with AJ/Flair/Bischoff, but he's the only one experiencing this type of tension of everyone in Immortal/Fortune.

It's just too early. It'd smell too much like an obvious cover-up seeing as Nash/Booker T seemingly bailed on the idea of the return of the MEM.

Best bet IMO is to go with MEM v2.0. Give them the leadership of Angle and Steiner and fill out the rest of the stable accordingly with seldom-seen guys like Wolfe, Hernandez and Sting who've all come back to "rid the company" of the "cancer" that is Flischogan (Flair, Bischoff, Hogan).

 

[CamaroIroc]

I have to agree with IDR. That wouldve been an amazing storyline to set in motion to pop in April or May, but doing it now? They might as well come out on Impact and say "Well, we had this storyline that I thought was good, but we blew it, so we literally threw darts at a wall and came up with Ken Anderson losing the World Heavyweight Championship to Dixie Carter!

 

[Vampiro]

I would never see TNA making Fortune face... they all work amazing as heels and well... there is hardly any other major heels in the company... I think personally, They will stick to the Mafia idea only change the roles, i mean they've got Matt Morgan & Samoa Joe (Ex-Members) ... And i see a possible AJ styles face turn soon enough.

 

[Tiger Chaos Theory]

Yeah, your idea would just scream "We made this up because they took Booker and Nash". It has zero build and makes about as much sense. Why would Immortal, who have all the belts because of Bischoff booking them in favorable matches just turn on them because they are sick of taking orders? Flair is doing most of the ordering around anyway.

It's just as IDR said, the best way to go is to create MEM 2.0 with returning Hernandez and Sting plus maybe Morgan or Joe. It can't have Anderson or RVD because the huge babyfaces have to be able to stand on their own after Immortal beats MEM 2.0.

 

[SpecialFNK]

does it always have to be one group of face and one group of heel to go against each other?
if I remember correctly back when nWo was first going on in WCW you had nWo which was heel and then faces like Savage/Sting/Luger/Page/Steiners/ect and then you also had Four Horsemen which were heels of Flair/Anderson/Benoit/McMichael.

I'd like to see this new MEM group come in and create problems for Immortal/Fortune which leads Immortal and Fortune to argue with each other and eventually split. then you could have Immortal VS Fortune VS MEM. that way you don't have to have a large amount of wrestlers in MEM.

I think TNA is fully moving this towards Main Event Mafia. I never watched TNA before, but from what people told me a lot of the time they would wear suits. Crimson had the suit when he attacked Abyss. Steiner returned to the ring in the suit.
IMO the best thing TNA can do is have some of the younger talent like Crimson/Morgan in MEM, but I hope if it is MEM that it is just MEM and that they don't try to add some 2.0. they did that with EV2.0 and I think it sucked.

I don't think TNA can just scrap the reforming of MEM because Nash and Booker T went to the WWE. TNA would look bad doing that and WWE will have won. reform the MEM and show WWE and it's fans that it doesn't matter that Nash/Booker went to the WWE.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Yeah, your idea would just scream "We made this up because they took Booker and Nash". It has zero build and makes about as much sense. Why would Immortal, who have all the belts because of Bischoff booking them in favorable matches just turn on them because they are sick of taking orders? Flair is doing most of the ordering around anyway.

It's just as IDR said, the best way to go is to create MEM 2.0 with returning Hernandez and Sting plus maybe Morgan or Joe. It can't have Anderson or RVD because the huge babyfaces have to be able to stand on their own after Immortal beats MEM 2.0.

Bingo.

I threw in Wolfe because he's been rumored to return and has history with Flair as being a cast-off of the original Fortune, so he's certainly got a score to settle and it'd be fantastic to get him back into singles. I like Magnus, but I just don't dig Wolfe as a tag-team competitor as much as I do a singles star.

Hernandez would likely be muscle. He has no beef with anyone in the group that doesn't date back to being marginal, and we all know what the connection with Steiner, Sting and Angle is.

Forget this "they have to be ex-champions" nonsense. MEM 2.0 won't follow the same suit — they'll just come in as a new version with some young blood who side with Carter as a means to level out the company again. Simple as that. Writes itself, frankly.

 

[MisterRob]

Actually, I've been saying for a while now (in other threads, too) that I'd like to see Fourtune turn on Immortal and be the ones behind it. It would actually make a lot more sense then a MEM return would, which people seem to somehow be missing. Fourtune would make complete sense because they came together to dominate TNA and, originals they are, finally getting their shot like they feel they deserve. And there's no reason they can't remain heels, even, in doing so. Fourtune has more members then the true Immortal side of things, and the Hardys are natural faces anyway and neither are really working as heels to me. Jeff Hardy's heel run has been lackluster and completely forgettable.

Since Immortal has arrived Fourtune were basically pushed into the background. It's only recently, this past month, that they've really gained any momentum with Beer Money winning the tag titles and Kazarian winning the X Division title. Before that they were doing nothing of much significance. AJ Styles was the World Heavyweight champion until Immortal came, and then he was swept aside and pushed down to mid-card level, overshadowed by everyone else. And then recently he's been treated even worse by Bischoff. Not to mention the history between Bischoff and Flair.. Flair absolutely despises Bischoff. It made no sense to BEGIN with that Flair would discard all that history and suddenly be pals with Bischoff. So, realistically, it would make FAR more sense for Fourtune to be the ones to not only oppose Immortal but eliminate and take their spots.

It makes NO sense for MEM to return and be that opposition. It also makes no sense for the MEM to return if there's not going to be any true stars or main eventers making them up and it's going to be filled with young, unproven talent. That contradicts the entire essence of what MEM were and stood for. What the stable even was in the first place.

But, seeing as TNA doesn't make sense with their storylines, they contradict themselves continually, and they have no logic in their decisions, I'm pretty sure it WILL be a remake of MEM and it'll be very disappointing.

It would've been cool to see Desmond Wolfe behind it and the group consisting of Crimson, Magnus and Doug Williams.. Rob Terry could've even turned on Immortal and joined them in a British Mafia group. Not going to happen, but I like the idea for the stable nonetheless, especially with Desmond Wolfe as the leader of it. Shame, really.

 

[Clem]

I think it would make perfect sense for Fortune to turn on Immortal now. It wouldn't neccessarily be a face turn, just Ric Flair hedging his bets. He realises Dixie will be back sooner or later and wants to side with the new regime...exactly as he did Immortal.

This half-arsed MEM reunion just won't cut it, so why go there in the first place. The whole point was that these guys were vets at the top of the business, not some newbs fans can barely name filling out the ranks. This is probably the one time in history that having Kevin Nash and Booker T onboard was vital.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

It could still work, only Booker is signed to WWE from what I've heard. Although Nash got a huge pop yesterday it doesn't necessarily mean he'll be back because it was only supposed to be a 1 night deal. If that's the case then replacing Booker wouldn't be that hard to do, or even not replace him.

The MEM will still have Angle, Steiner, possibly Nash and possibly Sting, they could make it work with those 4. If Nash or Sting aren't there then make a new group with a few of those guys in it and throw in others like Anderson, Joe and Morgan.

It can still work with the MEM if Nash and Sting are there because Nash isn't signed to WWE as of now.

 

[MisterRob]

It could still work, only Booker is signed to WWE from what I've heard. Although Nash got a huge pop yesterday it doesn't necessarily mean he'll be back because it was only supposed to be a 1 night deal. If that's the case then replacing Booker wouldn't be that hard to do, or even not replace him.

The MEM will still have Angle, Steiner, possibly Nash and possibly Sting, they could make it work with those 4. If Nash or Sting aren't there then make a new group with a few of those guys in it and throw in others like Anderson, Joe and Morgan.

It can still work with the MEM if Nash and Sting are there because Nash isn't signed to WWE as of now.

It doesn't work though. It doesn't even make sense. What was the whole "concept" behind the Main Event Mafia? What was their entire purpose? How does that make any sense when transferred into now, opposing Immortal in TNA?

More then that, though, how does anyone, even Anderson, Samoa Joe and Morgan make ANY sense in the MEM? Crimson doesn't even make any damn sense in the group! These guys aren't legends. These guys aren't proven main eventers who can draw and have become STARS of the business. They aren't even proven main eventers, yet. They aren't even decorated champions like the old MEM was. They aren't even big stars in the first place.

It makes no sense, period.

 

[The Unforgiven]

Why do they even have to be the Main Event Mafia? All Crimson said was that They Are Coming. He never said the Main Event Mafia is coming. So what Steiner was in a suit. Kaz and AJ always wear suits but that dosent mean they are in the MEM. There is a history with Angle and Steiner. Thats why Kurt called Steiner. "They" can just be a new group that has Steiner and Angle in it with they younger guys.

 

[Clem]

Why do they even have to be the Main Event Mafia? All Crimson said was that They Are Coming. He never said the Main Event Mafia is coming. So what Steiner was in a suit. Kaz and AJ always wear suits but that dosent mean they are in the MEM. There is a history with Angle and Steiner. Thats why Kurt called Steiner. "They" can just be a new group that has Steiner and Angle in it with they younger guys.

Exactly my point.

Wearing a suit and being buddies with Scott Steiner doesn't neccessarily equate to being in the Main Event Mafia.

 

[SpecialFNK]

if it makes no sense to have non MEM members in this new MEM, then TNA should just forget calling them MEM. I'd much rather see new younger talent in a group and have it called something new, than to have the return of all the older MEM members that really aren't "Main Event" anymore.

 

[Chadmw]

I think this was TNA counting there chickens before they were hatched. I think they originally planned for the whole MEM to come back (Including Nash and Booker), even Nash twittered a couple weeks ago that he may begin contract talks with TNA again. And TNA figured we will just throw money at these guys to come back for limited dates during the year and they would come back.

I'm just wondering if Nash and Booker actually contacted TNA first to let them know they were not coming back, or were TNA execs just shocked seeing them on the RR

 

[Poop Master Flex]

It doesn't work though. It doesn't even make sense. What was the whole "concept" behind the Main Event Mafia? What was their entire purpose? How does that make any sense when transferred into now, opposing Immortal in TNA?

More then that, though, how does anyone, even Anderson, Samoa Joe and Morgan make ANY sense in the MEM? Crimson doesn't even make any damn sense in the group! These guys aren't legends. These guys aren't proven main eventers who can draw and have become STARS of the business. They aren't even proven main eventers, yet. They aren't even decorated champions like the old MEM was. They aren't even big stars in the first place.

It makes no sense, period.

Well Kurt Angle is the only person of the MEM that would have a grudge so he's the key ingredient to the whole thing.

BTW, did you read my post, did I say that Morgan, Joe and Anderson should join the MEM? No, I said make a completely new group, as in a completely different "They" and just have Angle and Steiner in that group as well, how would that not work? All you need is a group of guys to go against Immortals, it doesn't have to be the MEM, it just has to be TNA guys who want to defend the company and Dixie, ITS THAT SIMPLE.

Like I said, if the MEM is only missing Booker T it would still work being the MEM (really they could get another decorated guy like RVD to take his spot, you're telling me RVD isn't decorated?), but if more than him is missing make a new group and have them go against the MEM, its not rocket science its sensible booking.

 

[JJYanks121]

This whole thing can be spun any which way you like, but no matter what anyone says or no matter what kind of press releases are done, the bullet is already in the foot as TNA has already shot itself in said area.

For a few weeks, you had another "They" teased as coming. As time went on, clues emerged for who it would be. There was Crimson with a baseball bat (homage to Sting?), then he donned a suit, then in a promo said he was "made an offer he couldn't refuse", and to top it all off, you got the mother of all clues as Scott Steiner returned last Thursday.

If ANYONE was still thinking that "They" part 2 was ANYTHING but the Main Event Mafia, they were kidding themselves. The plan was in place for that group to return for whatever reason to feud with Immortal. Perhaps they were hired by Dixie to do so, but I suppose the explanation was coming. Still, this was the plan, and now it is not.

After last night's Royal Rumble was asked if it could dig it, sucka! and was running on Diesel power, two main cogs of that group are out of the question for tonight's Impact taping. These men chose to go the other way, leaving TNA SOL essentially. Say what you want that it doesn't matter, but it does.

While we all find disdain towards TNA for pushing older talent, this story was catered to that. I would agree that it was a bad idea from the beginning, but now you have a bad idea from the beginning that can't work towards its conclusion! Now you have hype surrounding a situation that can't possibly live up to it! It's like giving a girl the line that your penis is enormous thinking she'd never fuck you, then getting her interested only for her to find out that you were lying about Johnny 4 inch.

You can say what you will that putting guys that may be already there or returning from injury and such in the new "they", but this is a bad move. The first "they" were guys from within and many were VERY VERY VERY disappointed. The angle has played out ok, but the reveal most certainly did not live up to the hype.

Now, you've done it again. There is hype around this day, and most of it is around the new "they". If "they" turn out to be guys already there, how is that a big reveal? I agree that the young guys SHOULD band together, led by Angle and supported by Dixie, to fight Immortal. I've said that from the beginning. That said, you can't promise a big reveal and have it be guys you already employ AGAIN. It won't fly and it will be an enormous letdown.

If anything, you NEED NEED NEED NEED NEED Sting at this point. He at least can serve as a leader of this movement, having patched things up with Dixie by promising her he'll communicate without speaking in tongues moving forward. With Kurt and Sting at the forefront, with Steiner being the bodyguard type, you can surround yourself with a few younger guys to be "Dixie's crew", preferably guys that were around BEFORE Hogan and Bischoff. This way, it's guys that are against said regime. Crimson works because he could have been brought in from the beginning as a messenger (which he has been) and was never a fan of Hogoff. The rest need to be guys that are "Dixie guys" and liked the company better when she was around. It could work that way if done right, but the reveal will still stink.

The lesson to be learned here is to watch out for the hype. Often when you hype something, it's hard to live up to said hype. I remember when Slumdog Millionaire was touted as the best movie ever. I finally saw it and thought it was good, but was disappointed because i wasn't blown away. Things simply can't live up to the hype. Thus, TNA needs to watch themselves when they take this route, because they are quickly becoming branded as cockteases in a sense. They know how to hype, but not deliver on that hype. Still, would the original Mafia have lived up to it? Maybe, but then what? It was a lose/lose situation from the get go.

If it was me, I would have had Kurt Angle build the army for Dixie from the beginning, forgetting the hype machine and just preparing to take on Immortal. No new "they", no hype, just a good story and a man who was given an opportunity by Dixie Carter standing by her and helping her win her company back, and his job back in the process.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

With Nash & Booker T showing up at the Rumble on Sunday, the idea of a return of the original MEM is dead in the water if that's indeed what TNA was ultimately planning to do.

Even still, the lack of a return for the MEM isn't necessarily a bad thing in my view. After all, who is to say that TNA might not just create a new Main Event Mafia with younger talent primarily making up the membership? Angle & Steiner could be the ones ultimately leading the group, being the group's mouthpieces while leaving much of the actual in-ring work to the younger guys.

As for Fortune turning on Immortal, probably not gonna happen. The only one that's been depicted as having any tension with Bischoff has been AJ Styles. Seeing him defect to the opposition at some point isn't out of the question. The writing has been on the wall for a while now that Styles is going to have a falling out with the group, so I see it as just a matter of time before he ultimately turns traitor and joins up with Angle & Steiner.

 

[SpecialFNK]

there is this video on youtube to promote Impact this Thursday.

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

during the video it says.. JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT "THEY" WERE BACK... THINK AGAIN! "THEY" WILL BE REVEALED THIS THURSDAY. towards the end of the video there is a skull. you see a bullet coming and hit the skull which breaks it into small pieces. I assume this would have some meaning. anyone have any ides what the skull means?

 

[MisterRob]

there is this video on youtube to promote Impact this Thursday.

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

during the video it says.. JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT "THEY" WERE BACK... THINK AGAIN! "THEY" WILL BE REVEALED THIS THURSDAY. towards the end of the video there is a skull. you see a bullet coming and hit the skull which breaks it into small pieces. I assume this would have some meaning. anyone have any ides what the skull means?

Yes, the skull means Death.
Death is one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.


I bet that video was suppose to be different before Nash and Booker T went back to the WWE. They probably made a quick fix to the footage they already had and then came out with this finished version to pretend like they're throwing everyone off course and playing the IWC.

 

[Tiger Chaos Theory]

Yes, the skull means Death.
Death is one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Thought I was the only one who got that, nice observation MisterRob.

As for the MEM idea crumbling, it is definitely better for TNA in the long term if done in the right way (ie. that thing TNA doesn't do):

1. Accept that they absolutely let themselves fall into a hole. Through what can only be described as the worst forethought that wrestling has seen in the last 10 years TNA allowed one of their biggest storylines of this year get drained away by the WWE. Despite the fact that it's something that should have already been learned, TNA needs to learn from this and plan angles much better.

2. Have the guys that are coming into take on Immortal be people that are on the verge of breaking out and can use this huge opportunity to push themselves to the absolute forefront.

No matter who TNA chooses now, the hype will not deliver and will have huge plot holes that TNA will just have to realize they forced on themselves. But there is still a salvageable silver-lining in this whole thing that maybe, just maybe, TNA can right the wrong of the past and use the TNA Frontline2.0 to make someone hit the proverbial moon.

 

[DeadAssState]

This whole angle felt a bit tired and awkward from the start with the return of the old MEM, but now it just feels embarrassing. That TNA could have written this angle without even knowing if the stars are going to be with the company is quite frankly a stupid move and looks like bad planning and booking. Their main story line has been thrown together in a few weeks and with no long term planning or thought for ensuring its success.

I wouldn't have been thrilled if the MEM had returned as it would have been veterans vs veterans and few new and exciting talents would have been showcased in the angle. As it is the angle now leaves veterans vs nobody and TNA with egg on its face. The only silver lining here is that it might force younger talent to be injected into the angle.

As for the OP's idea of having Fourtune turn on immortal to fill the gap, yes this allows the younger talent to rightly take centre stage, but it makes no sense whatsoever. I can understand AJ turning on immortal after Bischoff constantly berating him, but why the rest of Fourtune? In kayfabe terms Flair is their leader and directly influencing the way TNA is run and the matches Fourtune are having, consistently stacking the deck in their favour. And wasn't it only last week that all of immortal and Fourtune beat the hell out of Angle, Morgan and Crimson for Steiner to make the save, it doesn't make any sense for them to beat the crap out of the faces one week and come their rescue the next as the team that Angle's been ringing and assembling.

 

[SpecialFNK]

Flair and Bischoff haven't exactly been getting along either.
I think what is going to happen is going to be good for TNA.

I'm also still puzzled about the skull in the video. even if it is death and has to do with the for horsemen, would that be also connected with Fortune? and why did a bullet go threw the skull? what does that mean?
I think the skull has to have some meaning in what will happen, other wise why throw it in there? and I don't think it had to do with the old stable of MEM.

 

[Kitten Cutter]

Actually, I could understand if TNA had made a long-term plan for Nash and Sting even though their contracts are up. Part of writing, screenwriting, theatre, wrestling or whatever, is having different scenarios. I'm sure both the WWE and TNA have had times where wrestlers got injured, wives got pregnant, families got devastated, or moments that will ruin a good storyline and they had to have a plan B. It's one of the reasons why the WWE dumped Mr. Anderson in the first place; multiple injuries that kept ruining planned out storylines. Even though it wasn't his fault, it still ruins plans and takes money out of peoples' pockets.

If TNA did plan on bringing back Booker T and Nash (and Sting), then they need to have a plan B. They need to look at it like they got injured or something similar and have plan B ready to go. There's no hiatus in wrestling and there's no offseason. Impact comes on every Thursday, so we as fans want to see a show, not hear excuses like, "Well, Booker T and Kevin Nash went to the WWE, so our show is taking a break to write some new storylines." or "Pardon us, but since we lost major players of a storyline, this is the idea we threw up at the last minute." Time for TNA Creative to earn those paychecks!

And as the marks who are against Crimson being a part of the Main Event Mafia, remember even the Mafia can have lackeys. Does anyone really think Rob Terry is Immortal material? He's dumb muscle, and Crimson fills the same role, only he has a brain and can cut a promo.