Glass Hand Dissolving: MNM

 

vs Eddie Guerrero & Rey Mysterio (WWE 4/21/2005)

This is MNM's main roster debut, and it's for the tag titles. We start with Eddie taking it to Nitro before he tags in Rey. Quick tags from Eddy and Rey early, butting off the ring and working over Nitro. Mercury eventually tags in; he can't quite keep up with Eddie, but he is able to get Eddie into the MNM corner, and the numbers game takes its toll. MNM takes over, and much the same way the earlier parts of the match played out, it is quick tags and cutting off the ring. Mercury slows things down with an abdominal stretch. Eddie fights out, hits a backbreaker, and tags in Rey. We've seen it before, but the Rey hot tag is always great; his offense is purpose-built for this kind of thing. Rey goes for the cover and Nitro has to come in and break up the fall, which allows for MNM to get some double-team offense in on Rey before Eddie can intervene. Eddie gets back in there, and Eddie and Rey work together to get the advantage back, lining Mercury up for the 619, but MElina throws herself in the way, which draws Eddie's and Rey's attention. Nitro cheapshots Rey, and Mercury gets the pin. A very solid debut, a very solid six-minute TV match, but I can't help but think a lot of that relies on Eddie and Rey. 

vs Kane & The Big Show (11/14/2005)

This is the opening match of the Eddie Guerrero tribute Raw, so it is certainly an interesting environment to have a match. Kane and Big Show are tag team champions on the RAW side, so this is a champions vs champions match. Big Show starts off with Nitro, and you get all the Big Show stuff before he tags in Kane. Kane goes to the top rope for a flying clothesline, but Mercury pulls him off the top and onto the floor. Nitro nails him with a belt for good measure, but when they roll Kane back into the ring, they can only get a 2 count. MNM work a pretty solid heel underdog heel section here against two giant opponents, until Kane suplexes both of them and switches the momentum, and in comes Big Show. Melina gets up on the apron to distract the Big Show, but it's 2005, so Show kisses Melina after she tries to slap him. Kane comes off the top and hits his flying clothesline, he and Show double chokeslam Nitro, and Kane and Show get the win. Given the circumstances, it is hard to find any fault here. I will say that the brief segment where Nitro and Mercury get heat was particularly strong, but brief. 

vs Batista & Rey Mysterio (WWE 12/16/2005)

This is for the Tag Titles. Melina tried to get Batista to throw this match, but despite her best efforts, Big Dave is not going to lose this on purpose. There's more; it's very 2005 stuff, but that's all you need to know. Rey and Batista have a match against the Raw champions, Kane and Big Show, at the upcoming PPV, so you can see the writing on the wall here. Mercury and Rey start things off; things are pretty even, Rey probably has a slight edge, but this is pretty standard fare. Batista tags in, as does Nitro. Nitro starts off spamming kicks, but Batista avoids all of them, then throws Nitro in the corner and goes to work. Nitro finds an opening to rake the eyes of Batista and tags out. Mercury goes to work, but only has a slight window before Batista takes over. Big Dave has him lined up for the Batista bomb, but because he just had a thumb in his eye, he doesn't see Nitro's superkick. Mercury pounces, but Batista fights back up to his feet. MNM attempts some double-team offense, but Batista counters and clotheslines both out of the ring. Rey hits a springboard moonsault, and we go to commercial break. Mercury got busted open on the moonsault, but he's on the outside as we come back from break. Nitro and MYsterio are pretty even, but eventually Nitro works things over into his corner, and he and Mercury are able to cut off the ring and work over Rey for a bit. That doesn't last that long, as Rey fights back, reverses a few moves, but MNM manage to hit a rope-assisted powerbomb on Rey and take total control. Rey offers a few comebacks, but Nitro does a good job of cutting him off. We are over a hundred plus matches into this project, and credit to MNM and Rey, this match probably has the best heat segment, and I don't know if it is particularly close. All of that builds to Rey hitting a poisonrana on Nitro, which leads to a Batista hot tag. Big Dave absolute destroys MNMBatistabomb on Mercury for the win and this is over, we have new champions. I've already praised this match, and outside of that it is a perfectly fine match, but the entire build to the hot tag and then the finish is sort of tag team wrestling idealized. 

vs London & Kendrick (WWE 3/11/2006)

Nitro and London start things off. London actually trips up Nitro with a drop-down, which I'm not sure if it was intended or not, but without stuff like that working, you have a lot of signifier stuff that is never signified, and I think that's for the worse. London and Kendrick get to do some double-team moves, but Menlina grabs Kendrick, Mercury cheapshots him, and MNM take control. Kendrick is finally able to get close enough to London to get a tag, but the ref doesn't see it, so MNM really clubber Kendrick, but Kendrick isn't beaten that easily, he fights back to his corner and gets a tag that the ref does see. London comes in and is a house of fire, culminating in a drop-sault, but he only gets two. London goes for an O'Connor roll, but gets cheapshotted in the process, and MNM take the opportunity to line up their finish, the Snapshot, but Kendrick intervenes. London gets a small package for a long while, but the referee is distracted by Kendrick not being in his corner.  He gets another pinning combination, but MElina is up on the apron this time. London gets Mercury down and goes up to the top for the 450 splash. Melina pushes London off the top, but he lands on his feet. However, Nitro is there waiting and nails a superkick. MNM hit their finish and get the win. A solid C Show tag match. 

vs London & Kendrick (WWE 5/21/2006)

This is for the tag titles, and is, amongst other things, part of a feud that included the previous match. London and Nitro start things off, and the opening of this match is almost identical to the previous match, including the trip on the drop-down. London and Kendrick take turns tagging in and working Nitro's arm. Nitro tags out, and we get a pretty solid Kendrick and Mercury section. London tags in, and he and Kendrick work some double-team moves. Mercury bails to the outside to pout with Nitro. London helps throw Kenrick over the rope for an assisted tope, and then tosses Mercury back into the ring. London entirely misses a top rope splash, and Mercury uses the opportunity to tag out. MNM works a short heat segment on London, but we get a double hot tag after Mercury and London collide in the ring. Kendrick gets some time to shine, but with London out of the ring, the numbers game catches up to him. MNM grab a quick advantage and hit their finish, but Paul London comes out of nowhere to break up the pin. MNM start to grind Kendrick. It is a pretty prolonged heat segment, and Kendrick's flashes are short and cut off quickly. Kendrick is finally about to tag out, and London comes in and cleans house. London hits the dropsault, and Melina has to break up the pin. Things turn when London tries to suplex Mercury back into the ring, Nitro grabs London's legs, and Mercury gets a two count on the pin attempt. MNM start clubbering London, but Kendrick comes in for the save. That starts a real fracas. Kendrick dives to the outside, but Mercury moves out of the way. Nitro holds London for Mercury to go after him, but London ducks, and Nitro bumps into Melina. With all of that going on, London grabs a pinning combination on Mercury, and London & Kendrick get the win. These guys got time, and they deliver a pretty good match, but having just watched the shorter version of this match, I don't know if they needed the time. The heat segment was long, but Kendrick isn't Rey Mysterio, and so it drags a bit. MNM get into it after this match, so seemingly we covered a good chunk of the MNM run in these five matches.  

Verdict

I think MNM are a pretty solid team. The best stuff that gets covered here all happens to involve Rey Mysterio, and those matches are very good. The other stuff isn't quite on that level, but it is still good. Certainly, this is one of the better teams we've watched thus far, but I'm not blown away.