Throwback Thursday-"MNM-brash, young, and champions"

It is Throwback Thursday. In honor of this, I want to post an article I wrote on 5/26/2005 about  MNM's early success as a WWE tag team:


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.

John Morrison(formerly Johnny Nitro) at WWE Live Event 3/20/2011

John Morrison(Formerly Known as Johnny Nitro) at Ringfest 2009

Melina at Ringfest 2009