On this past week’s episode of iMPACT Wrestling, the initial member of the TNA Hall of Fame and former TNA World Heavyweight Champion Sting announced that he was forming a new Main Event Mafia to watch his back as he fights the Aces and 8s. This begs the question: who will be in the new Main Event Mafia? As always, I have a few ideas on which wrestlers should be recruited to join “The Icon” in his fight.
Matt Morgan
Without question, the number one guy on my list for the new Main Event Mafia is “The Blueprint” Matt Morgan. Not only has Morgan made it clear that he is uninterested in playing along with the Hulk Hogan regime, but he’s been vocal about calling out the Hulkster as his decisions backfired. Morgan would bring that edgy feeling to the new Main Event Mafia while also playing the role of the monster in the group (much like Kevin Nash did when he was in the group several years ago).
Crimson
If you’re going to create a super group on iMPACT Wrestling, then you need to get the guys that can legitimately beat the hell out of the TNA roster. Morgan is the ideal first choice just because of his size alone. However, in my book an ideal second choice would be Crimson. Not only does Crimson compliment the power of a guy like Morgan, but he brings an intensity and rage to the ring that electrified the crowd during his first run in iMPACT Wrestling.
I understand that both Morgan and Crimson are not former World Heavyweight Champions and thus they are not cut from exactly the same preexisting mold that the first incarnation of this group was back in 2008. Yet, I think that an association with Sting can help elevate these two men while giving them a top-tier platform to really display their athleticism and in-ring talent. Now, on to the former World Heavyweight Champions that should join Sting’s new Main Event Mafia.
Kurt Angle
This one is obvious. Not only has Kurt Angle been at or near the top of the TNA roster since he debuted for the company some 7 years ago. If you’re building a stable of former World Heavyweight Champions (as well as some new blood like Morgan and Crimson), then you have to put one of the biggest names in the promotion and the soon-to-be second member of the TNA Hall of Fame in the group.
Rob Van Dam
Yes, there are a lot of rumors that Rob Van Dam is heading back to WWE. However, none of them have been confirmed and on the night when he was supposed to make his big return to the promotion, Curtis Axel showed up in his place. Not only is RVD a former TNA World Heavyweight Champion, but he brings a high-flying aspect to the group with moves that bigger guys can’t perform and guys like Sting and Angle would be smart to avoid.
Austin Aries
That’s right. I’m all for breaking up the Dirty Heels and getting Austin Aries involved with the new Main Event Mafia. Frankly, while both Aries and Bobby Roode are a great tag team and fun to watch together, Roode was building a strong character as the “It Factor” of professional wrestling. And if you remember correctly, it was only the skyrocketing popularity of Aries that was able to knock Roode off of the mountain last summer. Where RVD brings the high-flying moves, Angle brings the all-around mat technician approach, Crimson brings the intensity, and Morgan brings the power – Aries brings the speed and wit that make him a major success on the TNA roster.
And my far out choice is…
AJ Styles
Clearly, this isn’t going to happen because AJ Styles has already made it clear that he walks alone. And that’s fine. I get it. I watched the storyline. Still, though, it would be nice to have Styles at least form some type of allegiance with the new Main Event Mafia. He doesn’t need to be a full-fledged member of the group, but he can be friendly with them in the same way that Kane was friendly with D-Generation X back in the late 1990s. There is a lot of potential in having a group like the new Main Event Mafia protect a guy like Styles as he battles Bully Ray in a main event match on a pay-per-view.
Those are my picks for the new Main Event Mafia. I didn’t choose a female to join the group, though if I had to choose one it would be either Tara or Awesome Kong. Either one of those former TNA Knockouts Champions would be a great addition to the group and bring some really good, powerful opposition to Brooke Hogan (because I fully expect Brooke to go to the Aces and 8s one of these days).
What about you? Who do you think should be a part of this new group? Use the comments below and let me know!
– Joe Vincent
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I love all of these ideas. I definitely foresee the Main Event Mafia protecting whoever comes out if the BFG series victorious, and you havet to believe that will be AJ Styles. Sort of a “whether he likes it or not” situation.
I think you’re being a big more inventive and outside the box though than TNA will be.
Im kinda thinking the Mafia will consist of Stng, Angle, Rampage Jackson, and Samoa Joe. Which I would be okay with, but I love, love, love the idea of Matt Morgan. The guy needs to be in the main events big time, and I feel like he’s been lost of late. It’s hard to be a heel singles wrestler who isn’t in the Aces and 8s and expect to be in the limelight.
Crimson is an inspired choice. His mic work last week was great, and I dig the new look. Im not entirely sure he fits the criteria though.
Though AJ Styles is also my pick to win the BFG Series, I’m no longer confident in whether or not the BFG Series is relevant in determining who will win the championship and be the standard bearer for the coming year. The double cross of Bobby Roode has sort of marred the long-term impact of the series in my mind.
I specifically didn’t put Samoa Joe in this group because I’m so sick and tired of the angry Samoan gimmick. How many times can Joe lower his head so that he’s staring at you from the top of his eyes and breathe heavy through a spit-filled mouth while yelling? It’s just tiresome and boring at this point. The shame of it, though, is that he has a decent in-ring skill set and can be extremely entertaining and fun to watch. But if there was ever a guy who needed to stand there like a lump and hire a mouthpiece to do his promos for him, then it’s Joe. I don’t want that transformation to take place in the Main Event Mafia – it would be too distracting.
And as I’ve noted a few times on here – I’m not an MMA fan so I guess I don’t get the significance of Rampage Jackson being on the roster. For that reason alone, I’m not interested in having him in the new Main Event Mafia.
If my choices above don’t pan out, then I’d love for there to be some surprises from outside of the current TNA roster. It would be great if a guy like DDP joined the new mafia. Of course, he’s off helping the world lose weight, but an outside choice like that could be a lot of fun.
Apparently WWE showed a promo for Rob Van Dam’s return to their company during tonight’s pay-per-view. So, you know… there goes that!
Wwe is better than tna nd rvd coming home home but crimson nd Morgan I think should join wit sting angle rampage nd Jeff which should come back to wwe to nd Kurt but those guys together aint gonna get touched by acesN8s
Thanks for the brilliantly written comment that “Wwe is better than tna nd rvd coming home home.” It is almost as brilliant as “crimson nd Morgan I think should join wit sting angle rampage nd Jeff which should come back to wwe to nd Kurt” or whatever the hell that means. Good grief…
It’s possible that WWE is better than TNA … It’s hard to say when “better” is so subjective and it’s all a matter of opinion. I enjoy TNA much more.
Having said that, if one were to judge based on the eloquence, logic, and spelling ability of each company’s fans, I’d say WWE goes down in flames.
I am guessing it will be new tna stars… Sting made it clear that no one came out to help him, why would he have them join his new “family”. I think some old wcw returns
I really like your arguements for Austin Aries and Crimson. Crimson has really impressed me in OVW and on Impact and I hope they manage to find a role for him.
It seems like TNA has missed so many opportunities to give Morgan up to the world title, I really hope TNA doesn’t miss this one too.
Since this is about the new Main Event Mafia, here are a few long shots that would make the group intriguing in my opinion:
Bad Influence – Since TNA has the Dirty Heels and Aces and Eights as heel teams, I’d really like to see Daniels and Kazarian play as faces, or at least tweeners. The way they act really do remind me of the New Age Outlaws. With their comedic personality, they are getting cheered despite being the clear cut heels, so why not turn them to see how it turns out. Chavo and Hernandez clearly didn’t work out, and Gunner and Storm look to only be a short-term team. I could see them being booked as reluctant members, like the Motor City Machine Guns were for the Frontline. I think it would add a great dimension to the new Main Event Mafia, although it is a long shot.
Magnus – Someone that Sting and Kurt Angle have talked about positively in the past, Magnus would be a great addition as a young guy since he could get a great deal of credibility just by being associated with Sting and the Main Event Mafia.
Chris Sabin – Like Magnus, another young guy in TNA that could really use the association to Sting and the Main Event Mafia to build some credibility. The five-time X Division Champion who has the chance to cash in his belt for a World Title shot at Destination X could really use the Main Event Mafia in the same way that Bully Ray used Immortal to establish himself as a singles guy.
Mr. Anderson – Sting is known for his mind games, and Anderson is an asshole. I could see him turning on the Aces and Eights to be a part of the new Main Event Mafia if he isn’t given the spot as Vice President of the club. And if this doesn’t make sense, consider this: Anderson has been Bully Ray’s confidant lately and would be able to help destroy the group from the inside. TNA has messed up several opportunities to make the former World Champion into a huge star, especially in 2010 when members of the audience were chanting that they were assholes in support of Anderson. The new Main Event Mafia may be the ticket for TNA to finally get a face that can rival Jeff Hardy in reaction.
James Storm – Here’s the only one I could actually see happening out of my long shots. As a former World Champion, it’s a fair assessment that TNA passed up the opportunity to strike while the iron was hot in 2012 and he has been without a sense of direction for the past year. Since Sting can’t challenge for the World Title anymore, Storm could be the World Title contender of the group.
I fully agree about Matt Morgan because he’s an amazing power house that they aren’t really doing anything with at the moment, but being that he hasn’t had the World Heavyweight Championship, it’s not likely he would be a member. I think both Aries and Roode could and would be a great addition to the MEM. My guess is, “Big Poppa Pump” Scott Steiner will return to TNA and rejoin the group.
I agree Morgan and crimson great choices and some what young blood in the group. I would also add Gunner and Abyss if your looking at current roster all were not at slamiversary
Sorry guys but RVD has been confirmed to the WWE. He makes his return at the money in the bank ppv
The RVD prediction and speculation was made before this news had occured.
Yes, please note that this column was written on June 15th and the RVD news came out on June 16th.