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Family Issues Threaten To Rip Syndicate Apart

Posted: Jan 13th 2008 By: CMBurnham

For month after month, The New Age Syndicate challenged MSWA Mid-South Tag Team Champions The South Side Soul Assassins to matches. And for months and months, they came out on the losing end of those battles. Logic dictates that if you add a factor to an equation, you get a different result. So the Syndicate did that. They were joined by Shawn Matthews III and they thought that, with an ally outside the ring, their odds would get better. Instead, it remained the same, which is to say, not good at all. More matches lost. And after Tyson Jaymes & 3rd Rail won the tag team titles, those matches took on a whole different meaning as they were now losing title shots. And those didn't come along very often. What was the cause? Why was this happening? Soon, it became apparent that the person who was supposed to be helping them might actually be hindering them instead.

On December 16, The Syndicate received one more shot against the South Siders. And they had a plan to make sure that things went their way. No funny business this time. No more distraction with food or hitting Rail with his own chain. Instead, Scott Sanders and Shawn Sanders went in focused and ready to capitalise on this chance so they could walk into 2008 as the Mid-South Tag Team Champions. And things looked like they might be going the way of the Jersey Boys until Matthews accidentally tripped one of his own men, causing one more mark to be added to the "Loss" column for the Syndicate. And for the first time, cracks began to show in the Syndicate's framework. Where before you had a ring general outside who was using his knowledge to help his friends while he healed up from an injury, now you had a man who could once again compete in the ring (as he had done earlier in the card, defeating Brock Landers and Maniacal Mike in a Triple Threat match) and who didn't seem as focused on the tag team gold. An intense staredown from the Syndicate after the match saw Matthews begging off and trying to explain himself. And while the Sanders twins didn't raise a hand to their associate, things were obviously not settled as they left the ring.

Having spent up all their title shots, the Syndicate had to start all over again from the bottom. And on the first card of 2008, they faced the new team of Montego Seeka & Javi Hernandez. On paper, it seemed that the Syndicate's vast tag team knowledge and ring experience would make this an easy contest, but as soon as the Jersey boys hit the ring, the fans could tell that things were off to a bad start. Matthews took the microphone and said he made a mistake at the last show, but they needed to trust him. He said he'd been in their corner and gotten them tag team title shots when they had repeatedly lost to the South Siders. He then capped this promo off by saying they owed him gratitude. Whatever their feelings, the Syndicate said nothing, instead yanking the microphone out of Matthews' hand and returning it to ring announcer Jesse Storm.

Again, a miscalculation by Matthews cost his team the match. And while it's one thing to lose to the tag team champions, it's another to lose to a brand new team like Hernandez & Seeka. The Syndicate was irate and it appeared that they were going to take their ire out on Matthews. At this point, MSWA commissioner Halo stepped in. He said it looked like Matthews needed a match since he wanted to get involved in the action in the ring. And he had an opponent waiting backstage who had been out for 3 months and was making his return at this show. He set up a match between Matthews and this mystery opponent, which certainly seemed to amuse the Syndicate, but which left Matthews near tears as he wondered who he was going to have to face.

He wouldn't have to wait long. After the intermission, Halo, Matthews and Syndicate came out to the ring. Before Halo announced the identity of Matthews' opponent, he ordered that the Syndicate leave the ringside area. And for the first time in recent memory, the Sanders' twin complied with an order from the commissioner without throwing a fit about it. In FACT, they almost couldn't get of there quickly enough. After they were gone, Halo announced that Matthews' opponent was...AWOL!! The returning veteran, who had been out of action due to injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident, made his way down to the ring and the beating commenced. After the match, AWOL stated to this reporter that he felt "about 80%", but he certainly looked 100% in the ring as he demolished Shawn Matthews III. And although they weren't at ringside, it seems obvious that Scott & Shawn Sanders were watching somewhere. Has their message gotten through? Or will there be more "issues" in this family?

Tags: MSWA, New Age Syndicate, Scott Sanders, Shawn Sanders, Shawn Matthews III, South Side Soul Assassins, Tyson James, 3rd Rail, Jesse Storm, Halo, Javi Hernandez, Montego Seeka, AWOL