The Kurt Angle Show - Birth of the Main Event Mafia [Show Notes] (Patreon)

Today we’re looking back 15 years at your time in TNA, and how one of the biggest groups in TNA history came together - the Main Event Mafia!

The seeds are slowly planted for the group's formation, and it starts on an episode of Impact on May 22nd when you help Booker T defeat AJ Styles in a King of the Mountain qualifier. Did you know at this point what the group was going to be?

Where does the idea of the Main Event Mafia come from?

At Victory Road 2008, Sting returns to TNA and attacks Samoa Joe after his TNA Title match with Booker T in Houston. Joe was pounding Booker until finally Sting comes out and tells him that’s enough…and eventually Joe flips him off and Sting hits him with the bat. What did you think of Sting in a heel role?

At Hard Justice you take on AJ Styles in a Last Man Standing match, and Sting appears at the end of the match to save you after AJ wins and gives AJ a scorpion death drop to and there’s arguing between Kevin Nash & Sting for attacking AJ. All these top stars - and mind you all of you are from the WWF/WWE or WCW - to go against TNA established stars like Samoa Joe & AJ Styles - why do you think that was a compelling storyline?

It seems like the original plan was to have Travis Tomko involved as the young man of the group - but it never happens as he leaves TNA. Were you surprised to see Tomko leave the company?

Was that the intent of having these top names against the TNA stars?

There’s some talk between Sting & Nash about what Sting’s intentions were…this was some of the best stuff TNA ever did wasn’t it?

Did you like the straightforward way of putting this group together?

Do you think the goal was to make AJ or Samoa Joe bigger stars by working against you guys?

A lot of this storyline, and in truth a lot of the promos Sting cut, were about how the young guys claim the veterans owe them nothing and they need to move out of the way and let them (Joe & AJ), claim their rightful spot. Was some of this tongue in cheek about the guys in TNA feeling like these top stars were coming in and taking their spots they had spent years trying to build to?

You would wrestle Kevin Nash on Impact in late August in a match that’s a qualifier for the TNA title match at No Surrender that you would get the win. Here’s the report from the Torch:

“Angle came out first. Samoa Joe was sitting ringside with Tenay and West. Joe said anyone who wants a piece of him can come get some. He predicted he'll remain champion at No Surrender. Tenay asked Joe if he's rooting for his mentor, Nash, and added it'd be great to have Nash to watch his back at No Surrender. Joe said when you're champion, you can't really count on anyone to watch your back. He said he's no. 1 right now and Nash has never been good at being no. 2. Angle bailed out as Nash entered the ring.

Angle worked over Nash's legs after the break including a figure-four. Nash rolled over to reverse it and then grasped the ropes to force a break at 7:00. Then he hit a big sideslam to neutralize Angle. Both men were slow to get up.

Nash shoulder tackled Angle for a two count at 8:00 for a two count, then clotheslined him to the floor. Angle crawled over to the announce table. He slapped Joe in the face and told him to keep his eyes on him. That was out of nowhere. Nash gave Angle a big boot to the face. Joe stood up and walked to ringside. Nash set up a Jackknife. Angle gave Nash a low-blow from behind. Angle hit the Olympic Slam for the win.

WINNER: Angle in 10:00.”

This is one of the few singles matches you had with Kevin Nash in your career, what did you think of working with Big Kev?

What was your relationship like backstage with the two of you?

Did you two share similar viewpoints on the business?

Had Nash changed a lot from when he joined the WWE and you met him in 2002?

You’ve earned a spot now in the 4-way match at No Surrender where you’ll take on Joe, Booker & Christian Cage in a TNA Title match. The next week you’d come out for a promo…

From the Torch

-Kurt Angle walked out to his full entrance, wearing a suit. A clip aired of Angle giving Kevin Nash a low-blow and suplexing him to win a spot in the Four Ways to Glory match. Booker T's ring intro then took place, with Sharmell accompanying him. Angle said he and Booker are what a real World Champion is supposed to look like. "We carry ourselves with dignity, honor, and respect - traits you will never have, Samoa Joe," said Angle. He added that everything Sting said last week was directed at Joe, a disgrace to the TNA World Title. Booker said Angle is right on the money. He said Sting spoke the truth about "today's wrestlers, a bunch of spoiled brats who have earned nothing." He said he and Angle are two champions and two distinguished gentlemen. He said at No Surrender the title will end up on either his waist or Angle's after an old-fashioned man-to-man face-to-face battle. Angle agreed.

This was some great stuff from you & Booker. Did you enjoy Booker’s gimmick with Sharmell here?

Christian would eventually come out and you guys would go back and forth and you’d attack him before AJ would come out for the save and two weeks later you’d tag with Booker to defeat Abyss & Matt Morgan. You think you two could’ve been a successful tag team if given the chance?

Booker never makes it to the pay-per-view due to Hurricane Ike. When did you hear about Booker not being able to make it - and how much did this change the story of the match?

Was it ever considered for someone else to be in the match?

Kevin Nash wasn’t flown in for the show. Were you surprised about that?

Sting announces that he’ll be challenging for the TNA Title at Bound for Glory against the winner of the main event and it is Joe after Jeff Jarrett makes his return to TNA for the first time since May of 2007 and hits you over the head with a guitar, busts you open and Joe hits you with the muscle buster and retains. Were you pissed about the guitar shot busting you open?

Were you happy with the match when all is considered?

Were you excited to work with Jarrett at this point in time?

Is it different wrestling the head of the company?

At Impact the story is about how yourself, Booker & Sting are taking and not giving back to the younger guys. Do you think wrestling fans care about something like that? Shouldn’t it just be who’s better and who’s going to win in a fight?

You and Jeff have a promo how Jeff picked you to become the face of TNA while he had to step back and he regrets it and your retort is how you carried the company and he never said thank you. Eventually there’s a challenge for Bound for Glory and Jarrett points at the big screen and there’s Mick Foley saying, “I think what Jeff is trying to say is it’s real, it’s damn real bang bang!” So this is Mick’s debut for the company. There’s a lot of stars in this company now Kurt - what did you think of adding Mick to the company?

You’re on a press wave and you’re talking about how when your contract expires next year you’d look at your options - was that part of the storyline or would you had gone back to WWE in 2009 if they had you?

The story continued is that you’d be willing to go back and do business with Vince McMahon and now that we’re going to put this match together Jeff is ready to send you back to the WWE. Is this too much mentioning WWE?

Cornette announces that you’re fined $25,000 for your comments and when you press him on who ordered the fine Cornette doesn’t say Jeff but alludes to it. Does this make it weird that your opponent is fining you? How does that make you the heel exactly?

There’s a promo battle between you & Mick Foley and Mick is putting you over big time. How much fun was it working with Mick at this point in your careers?

Eventually it’s announced that Mick will be the special guest enforcer for your match - how much did Mick add to the product of TNA?

At Bound for Glory, you take on Jeff with Foley at ringside.

From the Observer

“7. Jeff Jarrett pinned Kurt Angle in 20:07 with Mick Foley as the ringside enforcer. Jarrett was over from the start as the babyface with “Thank You Jeff” chants. Jarrett was in tears going to the ring and they showed in vignette form his three daughters. You couldn’t ask for a better performance from Jarrett at 41, and with two years out. Jarrett more than held up his end and it was the usual level Angle PPV match, although not as much with the working in and out of the ankle lock down the stretch. Angle appeared to be moving like he was more injured than usual. He used a series of three German suplexes and also used the ankle lock and Olympic slam. The only negative is that the crowd and everyone at home pretty much knew this match couldn’t end until a spot that involved Foley. Angle missed a moonsault. Angle went for a clothesline but Jarrett moved, so Rudy Charles took it. This set up Foley taking over as ref. Jarrett used the stroke but Angle kicked out. Angle used a low blow and got a chair. He nailed Foley way too hard in the head with a chair. I know it’s Foley’s m.o. and it’s what made him, but you could do it harder to the back and do less damage. Foley didn’t even try to block it. Then he waffled Jarrett with a hard chair shot. Angle went to pin Jarrett but Foley pulled ref Rudy Charles out of the ring. He then came out and pulled out Mr. Socko. WWE may have trademarked that phrase because Mike Tenay was very careful not to call him Mr Socko, and he put the claw on Angle. Jarrett then hit Angle with a guitar shot for the pin. ***¾”

Are you happy with the match? How good was it from what you remember?

Was the chair shot too much?

Later on that night - in the main event - Kevin Nash turns on Samoa Joe and helps Sting defeat him and win the TNA Title. Do you think it was too soon to take the belt off Joe after the build?

It makes sense…having the babyface chase a top heel champion now with a stable around him…but man it feels too soon for him to drop the title does it not?

It was tough to get Sting to get booed wasn’t it though? Why do you think that is?

Did Sting ever fully embrace being a heel in your mind?

Two weeks later - the official formation of the group takes place:

From the Torch:

Jeremy Borash sat backstage with Kurt Angle. Borash said Angle is promising an announcement that would trump Foley’s later. Angle said he’s going to change the face of professional wrestling, not just TNA, forever. He said he made a few phone calls to some “very, very, very important people.” He said as of midnight last night, the deal was done. Borash asked what that had to do with Booker T. Borash turned and asked Booker, sitting next to Sharmell, what he had to do with this. Booker said from this point on they take what they want, and they want respect. His accent has never greatly bothered me before. This week it was almost unlistenable.

The accent of Booker has always been a thing - what did you think of it?

The camera panned over to Kevin Nash who was also in the room. Nash said wrestling has always been about money, power, and respect. As Nash talked about Joe not respecting him, Booker interjected with “respect” in his hideous accent three times. Nash said Joe made it personal, which is why he came back. Borash said all three are icons, but elsewhere backstage there seems to be uprising against them.

He said he thinks the odds may be stacked against them. Angle said this business was built on honor, dignity, and respect. He said they are three of the greatest wrestlers of all time, but there is one more. He then revealed their fourth alliance member - Sting. He walked in wearing a suit sans facepaint. Sting said, “J.B., you look like you’ve seen a ghost. Why look so surprised, J.B.” Sting said they tried it the nice way, but it didn’t work. He said they have 75 years of experience between them. He said they asked nicely, but there will be no more asking - only demanding. He said it’ll be all business from now on. He then walked away. Angle laughed. Angle toasted Booker and Nash and christened themselves The Main Event Mafia.

Kurt - this is a big time stable with some of the biggest stars in wrestling…but this happens backstage instead of in front of a crowd…what did you think of that?

Did you all get along?

We will continue the conversation later this year - and we will be watching some of these matches back later on this year - but did you know you were on to something that was gigantic?

Would you had changed anything on the build or the formation of the group?