Christian's Coalition
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Christian Coalition or Team Cage was a villainous
professional wrestling Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to Real life, real- ...
faction led by
Christian Cage William Jason Reso (born November 30, 1973) is a Canadian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Christian Cage and is the leader of The Patriarch ...
. Originally founded in
Total Nonstop Action Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (abbreviated as TNA Wrestling or TNA) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a Canadian media company owned by busines ...
(TNA) as the Christian Coalition, after originally disbanding of the stable, the Team Cage name was used at TNA's
Lockdown A lockdown () is a restriction policy for people, community or a country to stay where they are, usually due to specific risks that could possibly harm the people if they move and interact freely. The term is used for a prison protocol that us ...
for Christian's teams. The Christian Coalition name was recycled from Christian and Tomko in
World Wrestling Entertainment World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
(WWE), where they referred to Christian's fan base as the Christian Coalition.


History


Formation

Reprising that shared role between the two started from 2004 to 2005 in WWE,
Christian Cage William Jason Reso (born November 30, 1973) is a Canadian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Christian Cage and is the leader of The Patriarch ...
originally brought Tomko in to TNA as a personal enforcer in late-2006 to help him regain the
NWA World Heavyweight Championship The NWA World's Heavyweight Championship is a men's professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#World championships, world heavyweight championship owned and promoted by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), an American professiona ...
. It proved a smart move on his part when Tomko helped him defeat reigning champion
Abyss Abyss may refer to: Religion * Abyss (religion), a bottomless pit, or a passage to the underworld * Abyss (Thelema), a spiritual principle within the system of Thelema Film and television * ''The Abyss'' (1910 film), a Danish silent film s ...
and Sting in a triple threat elimination match at the January 2007
Final Resolution Final Resolution is a professional wrestling TNA+ event held by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in December. Initially introduced as a pay-per-view by TNA in 2005, the event originally took place in January until 2008, when TNA moved the event to ...
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event. During the same event,
Kurt Angle Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler and amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler. He first earned recognition for winning a Wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 100 kg, gold me ...
became the number one contender to the NWA World Heavyweight title and moved into a
feud A feud , also known in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, private war, or mob war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially family, families or clans. Feuds begin ...
with Cage. To prepare for his match with Angle, Cage brought
Scott Steiner Scott Rechsteiner (born July 29, 1962), better known by the ring name Scott Steiner, is an American professional wrestler. Steiner is perhaps best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and has also wrestled for Jim Crockett ...
in as a "trainer", citing an intense dislike Steiner had for Angle at the time (which Steiner later explained as all contract negotiations involving himself having been put on indefinite hold by Angle's coming to TNA). This also proved to be good strategy when the "Christian Coalition", as the three men now referred to themselves, helped Cage retain his title at February's Against All Odds. Although all three men were working together on Cage's behalf, from the start there was dissension evident. Tomko frequently commented on his distrust and dislike of Steiner, and after he won a match over new number one contender
Samoa Joe Nuufolau Joel Seanoa (born March 17, 1979), better known by the ring name Samoa Joe, is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Opps, and is one-third of the AEW Worl ...
on an episode of '' Impact!'', Tomko began demanding a shot at Cage's title. Later he took a (kayfabe) sudden trip to Japan (which had actually been set up well in advance, to compete for the
IWGP Tag Team Championship The is a professional wrestling world tag team championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of the NJPW's governing body, the . The title was introduced on December 12, 1985 at an NJPW live event. T ...
along with
Giant Bernard Matthew Jason Bloom (born November 14, 1972) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he is the head trainer at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. Bloom is best known for his in-ring appearances wi ...
) that coincided with the Destination X pay-per-view. During the event Steiner also abandoned Cage prior to his main event match, forcing him to seek out a replacement enforcer for the event. He would be unsuccessful in that venture, yet still manage to defeat
Samoa Joe Nuufolau Joel Seanoa (born March 17, 1979), better known by the ring name Samoa Joe, is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Opps, and is one-third of the AEW Worl ...
to retain his NWA World Heavyweight title.


Team Cage (2007)

Immediately following Destination X, Cage and
Kurt Angle Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler and amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler. He first earned recognition for winning a Wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 100 kg, gold me ...
were informed by TNA management director Jim Cornette that they would each be captaining five-man teams to compete in a
Lethal Lockdown A Lethal Lockdown match is a professional wrestling match used in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). This match has become a staple of TNA's Lockdown pay-per-view event, but has also made appearances at other TNA pay-per-views, and during ''Im ...
cage match at the upcoming PPV
Lockdown A lockdown () is a restriction policy for people, community or a country to stay where they are, usually due to specific risks that could possibly harm the people if they move and interact freely. The term is used for a prison protocol that us ...
. In the upcoming weeks, the Coalition got back together as part of a bigger unit under the name "Team Cage" (also including Abyss and A.J. Styles), while Team Angle went on to comprise Angle, Joe, Sting (to counter Abyss), Rhino (to counter Styles), and
Jeff Jarrett Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett (born July 14, 1967) is an American professional wrestler and professional wrestling promoter. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he both wrestles and serves as Director of Business Development. He is also ...
. At the match itself, Team Angle won when Jarrett hit Abyss with a thumbtack-loaded guitar and let Sting make the pin to become number one contender to Cage's title. The following ''Impact!'', after Cage and Abyss failed to take the
NWA World Tag Team Championship The NWA World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling World Tag Team Championship, world tag team championship created by the National Wrestling Alliance. From 1948 to 1982, the NWA allowed List of National Wrestling Alliance territories ...
from Team 3D, Abyss was kicked off the team with a beating involving steel chairs and a barbed wire baseball bat. Soon after Tomko and Steiner began chasing the
NWA World Tag Team Championship The NWA World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling World Tag Team Championship, world tag team championship created by the National Wrestling Alliance. From 1948 to 1982, the NWA allowed List of National Wrestling Alliance territories ...
culminating in a 3 Way tag team match at TNA Sacrifice with The Latin American Exchange (LAX) which they lost. Shortly afterwards, Tomko and Steiner had communication problems which caused
Rick Steiner Robert Rechsteiner (born March 9, 1961) is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Rick Steiner. Steiner is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW), where he wa ...
to help his brother attack Tomko. Claiming trust issues prior to the event, Scott Steiner turned to
family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
and left Team Cage, following which they began to be referred to once again as "Christian's Coalition". On May 31, 2007 A.J. Styles defeated Tomko in a King of the Mountain qualifying match thanks to a distraction from Christian Cage.


The Coalition with A.J. Styles and Tomko

On June 14, Cage's qualifying opponent was Abyss, who had laid out Tomko and stopped him from coming out for an earlier match on which Styles would be on the opposite side. With Styles and Tomko's help, Cage won by disqualification after Abyss hit him with a steel chair and managed to escape the monster. At Slammiversary, Tomko lost to Abyss in a no DQ match after taking a Black Hole Slam through broken glass, and both Styles and Christian lost the King of the Mountain match. Christian would then enter into a feud with "the Wildcat" Chris Harris, while the Coalition continued feuding with Sting and Abyss. At Victory Road, Cage defeated Harris, but Styles and Tomko lost to Sting and Abyss.
Robert Roode Robert Francis Roode Jr. (born May 11, 1976) is a Canadian retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he is a Producer (professional wrestling), producer and was formerly an in-ring performer. Roode is known ...
had a match with Christian's Coalition on the last Impact! before Victory Road, and was seen trying to help them on the first Impact after. On July 26, Mike Tenay cited Roode as a member of Christian's Coalition. Acting as such in helping them lay out Sting and Abyss, Roode seemed to be competing with A.J. Styles for Christian's right hand status. However, he appeared apart from the group in all the immediate weeks after, with no mention of Roode and manager Ms. Brooks being in the Coalition. This suggests they were more of allies than members of the Coalition. In addition, Sting and Abyss secured a contract for an Abyss vs. Christian match at Hard Justice 2007 with the help of the TNA debut of "The Punisher" Andrew Martin to counteract Tomko's role in the Coalition as an enforcer. At the ''Impact!'' prior to Hard Justice, Jim Cornette announced that Christian's Coalition would take on Abyss, Sting and Andrew Martin in a Doomsday Chamber of Blood match at Hard Justice in which the wrestler who scores the pinfall for his team in the match would receive the next title shot at the
TNA World Heavyweight Championship The TNA World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). It is the promotion's principal championship. Like most professional wrestling championships, the title is won ...
. This was a barbed wire six sides of steel cage match that could only be won by pinning an opponent after they've been busted open. At Hard Justice, Christian's Coalition was defeated, as Abyss pinned A.J. Styles for the win. After this, Christian and his Coalition would move into a feud with
Samoa Joe Nuufolau Joel Seanoa (born March 17, 1979), better known by the ring name Samoa Joe, is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Opps, and is one-third of the AEW Worl ...
over who the "real World Heavyweight Champion" is, having both been screwed out of the title to Angle's benefit in recent weeks. On the September 6 episode of ''Impact!'', the forgotten alliance with Robert Roode was decisively ended, as he and Tomko got into a momentary heated confrontation over his treatment of Ms. Brooks. At No Surrender, Styles and Tomko would win the a 10 Team
Gauntlet Match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick m ...
to become the number one contenders for the
TNA World Tag Team Championship The TNA World Tag Team Championship is a men's professional wrestling #World Tag Team Championship, world tag team championship (professional wrestling), championship which is owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) professional wrestlin ...
at Bound for Glory against the team of Adam "Pacman" Jones and Ron "the Truth" Killings. Cage would defeat Joe by disqualification at the same event. Bound For Glory was bittersweet for the Coalition, as A.J. Styles and Tomko defeated Killings and Rasheed Lucius "Consequences" Creed (substituting for Jones, who would instead manage his team that night) for the TNA Tag Team Titles, but Samoa Joe (with
Matt Morgan Matthew Thomas Morgan (born September 10, 1976) is an American politician and retired professional wrestler. He is the former mayor and current deputy mayor of the city of Longwood, Florida and is a former gladiator on ''American Gladiators''. ...
as the special enforcer) would defeat Cage via submission with the Coquina Clutch, ending Christian's TNA-record 23 month streak of not being pinned or forced to submit since arriving in TNA.


Split and feud with Angle Alliance

After retaining the tag titles against
The Steiner Brothers The Steiner Brothers are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of brothers Rick Steiner (real name Robert Rechsteiner) and Scott Steiner (real name Scott Rechsteiner). The brothers wrestled as amateurs at the University of Mich ...
at
Genesis Genesis may refer to: Religion * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of humankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Bo ...
, Styles and Tomko came out during Christian's number one contendership ladder match with Kaz right as Cage was about to win, despite his specific instructions not to. This distracted Cage, costing him the match. Immediately after, they would assist Kurt Angle in retaining his
TNA World Heavyweight Championship The TNA World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). It is the promotion's principal championship. Like most professional wrestling championships, the title is won ...
, officially joining Kurt and his wife Karen in the Angle Alliance. From there, Styles and a very skeptical Tomko would attempt, despite the clashing egos and animosity between Christian and the Angles, to be part of both the Angle Alliance and the Christian Coalition. Meanwhile, Cage momentarily found an ally in Robert Roode, goading Roode into a feud with
Booker T Booker T or Booker T. may refer to * Booker T. Washington (1856–1915), African American political leader at the turn of the 20th century ** List of things named after Booker T. Washington, some nicknamed "Booker T." * Booker T. Jones (born 194 ...
, before that quickly broke down at the Turning Point PPV. The next ''Impact!'' Roode and Cage joined Angle's group, though Christian's membership came on the condition that he became leader of all five of them. Surprisingly, Angle accepted with only momentary hesitation. The newly united stable first worked together for the main event later that evening, but after miscommunication cost them the match, Christian argued with and was attacked by Roode and Angle as Styles tried to hold them back and Tomko just walked away. Christian was clearly out of the Angle Alliance, but status was unknown for Styles and Tomko as far as either the Alliance or the Coalition. On Impact the week after Cage was again attacked by Angle and Roode but this time an upset looking Styles just watched from the ring apron. In the weeks since, Tomko made it clear to Styles that they needed to choose sides, and while Styles had been indecisive to no end, Tomko firmly established his own foothold in the situation by leaving both the Coalition and the Alliance on the January 3, 2008 edition of Impact. At
Final Resolution Final Resolution is a professional wrestling TNA+ event held by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in December. Initially introduced as a pay-per-view by TNA in 2005, the event originally took place in January until 2008, when TNA moved the event to ...
, after being seduced in a bathroom stall by Kurt's wife
Karen Angle Karen Jarrett (' Smedley and formerly Angle, born October 12, 1972) is an American professional wrestling Valet (wrestling), valet and personality appearing for All Elite Wrestling (AEW). She is the former wife of professional wrestler and Olym ...
, Styles helped
Kurt Angle Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler and amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler. He first earned recognition for winning a Wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 100 kg, gold me ...
defeat Cage, making his decision to leave the Coalition. Tomko put the final nail in the Coalition's coffin when he helped Angle defeat Cage at Against All Odds 2008 and announced on the following edition of ''Impact!'' that he was officially joining the Angle Alliance. Christian would attempt to enact revenge by banding together with new number one contender Samoa Joe and Joe's new adviser
Kevin Nash Kevin Scott Nash (born July 9, 1959) is an American actor, podcaster and retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE under a legends contract. He is also known for his tenures in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Total Nonstop Ac ...
in a group he called the "Unlikely Alliance".


Team Cage (2008)

Following the Unlikely Alliance's win over the Angle Alliance in a six-man tag team match at Destination X 2008, Christian Cage and Tomko would be assigned to captain opposing teams for the next
Lethal Lockdown match A Lethal Lockdown match is a professional wrestling match used in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). This match has become a staple of TNA's Lockdown pay-per-view event, but has also made appearances at other TNA pay-per-views, and during ''Im ...
at the next pay-per-view, ''
Lockdown A lockdown () is a restriction policy for people, community or a country to stay where they are, usually due to specific risks that could possibly harm the people if they move and interact freely. The term is used for a prison protocol that us ...
''. In response to Tomko acquiring Team 3D to join him and A.J., Christian and
Kevin Nash Kevin Scott Nash (born July 9, 1959) is an American actor, podcaster and retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE under a legends contract. He is also known for his tenures in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Total Nonstop Ac ...
's new Team Cage was assembled by reconciling Cage's issues with
Rhino A rhinoceros ( ; ; ; : rhinoceros or rhinoceroses), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant taxon, extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls) in the family (biology), famil ...
(stemming from Christian's pre-Coalition villainous turn in 2006), bringing back the icon Sting from his latest hiatus, and enlisting
Matt Morgan Matthew Thomas Morgan (born September 10, 1976) is an American politician and retired professional wrestler. He is the former mayor and current deputy mayor of the city of Longwood, Florida and is a former gladiator on ''American Gladiators''. ...
to trick Team Tomko by allowing
James Storm James Allen Cox (born June 1, 1977) is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name James Storm. He currently competes on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). He sta ...
to join their ranks a week after attacking Sting, only so Morgan could turn around and join Team Cage himself at the end of that same ''Impact!''. At ''Lockdown'' Team Cage won after Rhino hit Storm with the Gore. The group instantly dissolved into separate units soon thereafter, seemingly ending the story of the Christian Coalition/Team Cage once and for all with longtime friends Christian Cage and Rhino, whose initial falling out in 2006 led to Christian turning against the fans and forming the Coalition, now forming a regular tag team. Later on, due to having common enemies in Kurt Angle, Team 3D, Booker T and Tomko, Christian and Rhino would also reconcile with A.J. Styles, as the three of them became loose allies. Tomko, meanwhile, later left TNA for Japan, but ended up coming back for one last appearance against Samoa Joe when many of his
Inoki Genome Federation The (IGF), also known in China as International Glory Fighting, was a Japanese professional wrestling and mixed martial arts promotion founded by Antonio Inoki in 2007. History Antonio Inoki founded the Inoki Genome Federation (IGF) after se ...
(IGF) bookings were canceled. Christian left afterward to sign back with WWE.


Members


Christian's Coalition (former)

*
Christian Cage William Jason Reso (born November 30, 1973) is a Canadian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Christian Cage and is the leader of The Patriarch ...
(leader) * A.J. Styles * Tomko *
Robert Roode Robert Francis Roode Jr. (born May 11, 1976) is a Canadian retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he is a Producer (professional wrestling), producer and was formerly an in-ring performer. Roode is known ...


Team Cage (former)

*
Christian Cage William Jason Reso (born November 30, 1973) is a Canadian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Christian Cage and is the leader of The Patriarch ...
(leader) *
Abyss Abyss may refer to: Religion * Abyss (religion), a bottomless pit, or a passage to the underworld * Abyss (Thelema), a spiritual principle within the system of Thelema Film and television * ''The Abyss'' (1910 film), a Danish silent film s ...
*
Kevin Nash Kevin Scott Nash (born July 9, 1959) is an American actor, podcaster and retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE under a legends contract. He is also known for his tenures in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Total Nonstop Ac ...
*
Rhino A rhinoceros ( ; ; ; : rhinoceros or rhinoceroses), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant taxon, extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls) in the family (biology), famil ...
*
Scott Steiner Scott Rechsteiner (born July 29, 1962), better known by the ring name Scott Steiner, is an American professional wrestler. Steiner is perhaps best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and has also wrestled for Jim Crockett ...
* Sting *
Matt Morgan Matthew Thomas Morgan (born September 10, 1976) is an American politician and retired professional wrestler. He is the former mayor and current deputy mayor of the city of Longwood, Florida and is a former gladiator on ''American Gladiators''. ...


Championships and accomplishments

*
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) is a Puroresu, Japanese professional-wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, and based in Nakano, Tokyo. It is currently majority owned by card-game company Bushiroad, with TV As ...
**
IWGP Tag Team Championship The is a professional wrestling world tag team championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of the NJPW's governing body, the . The title was introduced on December 12, 1985 at an NJPW live event. T ...
( 1 time) – Tomko with
Giant Bernard Matthew Jason Bloom (born November 14, 1972) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he is the head trainer at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. Bloom is best known for his in-ring appearances wi ...
*
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (abbreviated as TNA Wrestling or TNA) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a Canadian media company owned by busines ...
**
NWA World Heavyweight Championship The NWA World's Heavyweight Championship is a men's professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#World championships, world heavyweight championship owned and promoted by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), an American professiona ...
( 1 time) –
Christian Cage William Jason Reso (born November 30, 1973) is a Canadian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Christian Cage and is the leader of The Patriarch ...
**
TNA World Tag Team Championship The TNA World Tag Team Championship is a men's professional wrestling #World Tag Team Championship, world tag team championship (professional wrestling), championship which is owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) professional wrestlin ...
( 1 time) – A.J. Styles and Tomko **
Gauntlet for the Gold A Gauntlet for the Gold match is a professional wrestling match used in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA - though from 2017-2024 it was known as Impact Wrestling). Match format Different from the other gauntlet matches, in which one competito ...
(
2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
– Tag Team) – A.J. Styles and Tomko **
Gauntlet for the Gold A Gauntlet for the Gold match is a professional wrestling match used in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA - though from 2017-2024 it was known as Impact Wrestling). Match format Different from the other gauntlet matches, in which one competito ...
(
2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
– Heavyweight) – Christian Cage


See also

* A.J. Styles and Tomko * Angle Alliance


References


External links


Christian Cage TNA profile
{{TNA World Tag Team Championship Total Nonstop Action Wrestling teams and stables New Japan Pro-Wrestling teams and stables