| World Elite | |
|---|---|
| Stable | |
| Members | Eric Young (Canada; leader) Doug Williams (United Kingdom) Brutus Magnus (United Kingdom) Kiyoshi (Japan) Homicide (Puerto Rico) Sheik Abdul Bashir (Iran) Rob Terry (United Kingdom) Kevin Nash (United States) |
| Name | World Elite |
| Debut | July 23, 2009 |
| Disbanded | February 2010 |
TheWorld Elite was avillainousprofessional wrestlingalliance in the AmericanpromotionTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). The group consisted of multicultural wrestlers, representing various countries around the world. Created by Canadian wrestlerEric Young, the group had a mainlyanti-American stance.
The first seeds for World Elite were planted in March 2009, when Japanese wrestlersKiyoshi andNo Limit (Naito andYujiro) aligned themselves withSheik Abdul Bashir, forming an (unnamed) Anti-American faction. No Limit later left the company. In May,The British Invasion attackedTeam 3D during an interview, much to the pleasure of Bashir and Kiyoshi, who were looking on.
On the July 23, 2009, edition ofImpact!, Eric Young joined the team ofA.J. Styles,Daniels andBeer Money, Inc. to face the British Invasion, Kiyoshi and Bashir in a ten-man tag team match. However, in the conclusion of the match, Young turned on the TNA originals by hitting Styles with aspike piledriver and allowing him to be pinned.[1] Eric Young then became leader of a new faction named World Elite, consisting of himself (representing Canada), Bashir (representing Iran), Kiyoshi (representing Japan), and The British Invasion (representing the United Kingdom). The following week, Young debuted a new look that included a shaved head and wearing new attire, as went on to defeat Daniels[2] before helping Doug Williams and Brutus Magnus win theIWGP Tag Team Championship from Team 3D.[2]
On the August 6 episode ofImpact! it was revealed that Kurt Angle and Eric Young had made a deal to turn theMain Event Mafia and the World Elite factions into one super faction.[3] On the September 10 edition ofImpact!, World Elite recruitedHomicide (representingPuerto Rico) into their group, turning him heel in the process. On the October 1 edition ofImpact! the alliance between World Elite and Main Event Mafia came to an end in an all out brawl between the two factions.[4] AtBound for Glory Young pinned Kevin Nash in a three-way dance, which also includedHernandez, to win theTNA Legends Championship. In afour wayFull Metal Mayhem Tag Team match, the British Invasion lost the IWGP tag titles but won theTNA World Tag Team Championship.[5]
On the October 29 edition ofImpact! Young renamed the Legends Championship to the "TNA Global Championship" and claimed he wouldn't defend it on U.S. soil or against any American wrestler.[6] On the same night, after Angle announced the death of the Main Event Mafia and turnedface,Kevin Nash also became a face as he began feuding with Eric Young and the World Elite.[7] However, the following month atTurning Point Nash helped World Elite membersDoug Williams andBrutus Magnus retain their TNA World Tag Team Championship, thus once again becoming a heel.[8] On the following edition ofImpact!, Nash congratulated Young on outsmarting him at Bound for Glory and aligned himself with the World Elite, ironically becoming the faction's American representative in the process despite the faction's anti-American leanings. AtFinal Resolution Young, Bashir, Homicide, Kiyoshi, Terry and Nash took part in the"Feast or Fired" match, with Nash, Terry and Bashir coming out of the match with briefcases despite Young ordering them not to get the briefcases. After the match it was revealed that Nash had earned himself a shot at fellow World Elite members Brutus Magnus & Doug Williams TNA World Tag Team Championship and Terry a shot at theX Division Championship, while Bashir had gotten a pink slip and was as a result fired from TNA.[9] On January 17, 2010, atGenesis, Williams and Magnus lost the World Tag Team Title toMatt Morgan and Hernandez.[10] On January 27, 2010, Eric Young lost the Global Championship to World Elite team mate Rob Terry at a house show in Cardiff, Wales.[11] On the following day'sImpact!, Williams used Terry's "Feast or Fired" briefcase to get a shot atAmazing Red's X Division Championship and quickly defeated him for the title.[12]
Soon after, the members of The World Elite began to focus on separate goals. On the January 4, 2010, edition ofImpact! Homicide turned on Kiyoshi, after which both of them left World Elite.[13] After months of abuse, Terry finally turned on Magnus and left World Elite on the February 18 edition ofImpact.[14] After being defeated by Terry atDestination X, Magnus left World Elite, while Williams moved on to wrestling in the X Division.[15] Eric Young and Kevin Nash ended World Elite to joinScott Hall to re-formThe Band.