TNA Front Line
 |
| The TNA Front Line | |
|---|---|
| Stable | |
| Members | A.J. Styles Brother Devon Brother Ray Daniels James Storm Robert Roode Steve Borden[citation needed] |
| Name(s) | The Young Lions The Young Guns The TNA Originals The Frontline The TNA Front Line |
| Former member(s) | ODB Petey Williams Rhino Samoa Joe Eric Young Alex Shelley Chris Sabin Consequences Creed Jay Lethal Mick Foley[citation needed] Jeff Jarrett[citation needed] |
| Debut | November 27, 2008 |
The TNA Front Line (also spelled Frontline) is a heroic alliance in the professional wrestling promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). They recently regrouped as the TNA Originals.
History
Background
On the October 23 episode of Impact Kurt Angle, Sting, Booker T and Kevin Nash formed a villainous alliance called The Main Event Mafia, whose aim was to teach the younger stars of TNA about respect. The next week, Scott Steiner joined the Mafia.
Formation
The following week Samoa Joe and A.J. Styles asked the younger talent in TNA to join them against the Main Event Mafia, they were soon joined by many of the younger stars. At this point, they were called the TNA Originals. Later in the event, after his match with Abyss, Kurt Angle attacked Abyss, but Matt Morgan came to his aid. Booker T and Kevin Nash then came to help Angle, and A.J. Styles, Samoa Joe and the other members of the Front Line came out to help Morgan and Abyss. Initially gaining the upper hand, they were attacked by Scott Steiner who was revealed to be the fifth member of the Main Event Mafia.
At Turning Point, Styles was defeated by Sting in the main event, and Samoa Joe was defeated by Kevin Nash. Another match at the event was Christian Cage (who had refused to join sides with either the Main Event Mafia or the Frontline) against Booker T. The stipulation was that if Cage lost than he would have to join the Main Event Mafia. Cage lost, but he was attacked by the Main Event Mafia who said it was because he was planning to leave TNA. Because of the attack, Cage’s real life friend Rhino joined the younger talent, becoming leader and changing the name to The TNA Front Line. Rhino had not been with the Front Line for when he began training Jesse Neal to become a pro wrestler.
Angle and the Main Event Mafia then attempted to recruit Team 3D. Team 3D appeared to join the Main Event Mafia but turned face by double crossing the Mafia and jumping them along with TNA Front Line leaders Samoa Joe, A.J. Styles, and Rhino. They also attempted to put former ally Kurt Angle through a table.
The Front Line then formed alliances with other wrestlers, primarily Mick Foley, Jeff Jarrett and Abyss. Petey Williams, however, was released from TNA, thus removing him from the alliance. ODB was with the Front Line when it first formed. She joined to feud with Sharmell of the Main Event Mafia. She has not been a Front Line member since she paired up with Cody Deaner.
While the group remained active in TNA, their status was in question. Only Mick Foley, Jeff Jarrett, and A.J. Styles were still involved in feuds with the Main Event Mafia. All the other members had since become involved in different storylines. Eventually, Samoa Joe turned on his friends by helping Kurt Angle reclaim the TNA World Heavyweight Championship at Slammiversary, joining the Main Event Mafia in the process.
Re-emergence as the TNA Originals
On the July 23, 2009, edition of TNA Impact!, A.J. Styles, Daniels, Robert Roode, James Storm, and Eric Young regrouped as the TNA Originals. During their 10-man tag team match against The British Invasion, Kiyoshi, and Sheik Abdul Bashir, Young turned against his teammates by attacking Styles and aligned himself with their opponents. After the match, Young announced that joined an alliance with their opponents, dubbing themselves "The World Elite". The World Elite have since joined forces with the Main Event Mafia to form a super team.
Championships and accomplishments
- Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
- TNA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) – Mick Foley[citation needed] (1)
- TNA Legends Championship (2 times) – A.J. Styles (1) and Mick Foley[citation needed] (1)
- TNA X Division Championship (2 times) – Eric Young (1) and Alex Shelley (1)
- TNA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – Jay Lethal and Consequences Creed (1)
- New Japan Pro Wrestling