MNM-brash, young, and champions
By: Diana Siciliano
When they first
showed up on Carlito’s Cabana, Johnny Nitro, Joey Mercury, and Melina
established themselves as the team to beat…up. During that segment, the trio
crashed an interview Carlito was conducting with Rey Mysterio Jr. They had a red-carpet entrance and a
smug attitude. Melina, the manager of
the team, took the microphone, proclaiming MNM “the ‘it’ team on the
scene.” According to her, her team had
the chance to win the tag team titles from the champions Rey Mysterio Jr. and
Eddie Guerrero, who were having problems. However, with no sign of Guerrero,
the match wasn’t going to be at that moment.
So, Melina, Nitro, and Mercury settled for beating up on Mysterio.
Eddie Guerrero
sought to fix the rift between him and his tag team partner on Carlito’s Cabana
the next week. Rey Mysterio Jr. did come
out and hear his partner out. However
touching a moment this was, MNM made sure the other half of the tag team champions was
out to get them as well. MNM appeared on the Titantron during Guerrero and Mysterio’s
reconciliation to send a message and a challenge. The message was clear as Melina, Nitro, and
Mercury used spray paint to write their initials on the hood of Guerrero’s
well-designed, green lowrider!
Eddie would be offended by their actions, and grant
the new team the match they wanted. So, it was that the first match of MNM’s Smackdown career would be for the tag
team titles. Johnny Nitro and Joey Mercury proved they were a solid team that
would resort to anything to win those belts.
They double-teamed Rey Mysterio behind the referee’s back, leaving Eddie
Guerrero in a rage in the corner. Guerrero’s
frustration would lead to the momentum shifting to the champions.
However, that same attitude led to the champs’
downfall. Guerrero and Mysterio were so
set on beating Nitro and Mercury that they did not see the role Melina would
play in the match. Rey Mysterio Jr. had
Mercury set up for the “619” sweeping leg strike, but Melina interjected,
getting between the two competitors.
Guerrero pulled her away, only to get hugged fiercely. With Guerrero distracted, Nitro connected
with a right hand. Mercury found his senses and joined Nitro in hitting
Mysterio with the “Snapshot” finisher. A three count later, MNM were the new
tag team champions.
Determined to get their titles back, Guerrero and
Mysterio immediately asked for their rematch. At the start of the contest, MNM
were caught off guard by the former tag team champs. That would change during
the course of the match when Rey hit Eddie with a kick that was meant for
MNM. Eddie started to leave the ring,
which would have provided MNM with an advantage, but thought better of it. He returned to Rey’s corner to watch
Mercury’s and Nitro’s frequent tags slow down Mysterio’s defenses. When there
was a chance for a tag to Guerrero, Rey was ignored and left to win the belts
back on his own. Though Mercury was
surprised at this turn of events, he, along with Nitro, kept on the offensive
to retain their tag titles.
Given their early record, one can’t argue with MNM's success. Though some would say MNM are a
brash team that cheated to win their titles, they are forced to concede MNM is
a solid tag team…A solid tag team whose confidence will prove to be backed up
in future matches.
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| John Morrison(formerly Johnny Nitro) at WWE Live Event 3/20/2011 |
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| John Morrison(Formerly Known as Johnny Nitro) at Ringfest 2009 |
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| Melina at Ringfest 2009 |
