Wrestling history is filled with a lot of “What ifs”. Fans often wonder what could have happened if certain plans hadn’t changed — from match results to faction line-ups. One of the most intriguing examples comes from TNA/Impact Wrestling, involving a planned member of one of its most popular stables who never made it in. That man was Angel Medina.
Who Is Angel Medina?
Angel Medina was a professional wrestler who competed from the late 1990s into the 2000s. Trained by the legendary Johnny Rodz, he wrestled in various promotions across Mexico and Japan before making a name for himself in the United States.
His career peaked in 1999 when he joined Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), competing against notable names such as New Jack, Balls Mahoney, Nova, and Chris Chetti. Medina eventually became a member of Da Baldies, a notorious stable during ECW’s heyday.
Following ECW’s financial troubles and eventual WWE buyout in 2001, Medina moved on to the International Wrestling Association (IWA), where he became a seven-time IWA Hardcore Champion.
He eventually left IWA, but not before receiving an important phone call from former TNA Tag Team and X-Division Champion Homicide — a call that could have changed his career forever.
Who Were LAX?
The Latin American Xchange (LAX) was one of TNA’s most dominant and impactful stables, making waves in the mid-2000s and enjoying a successful revival in the late 2010s.
The group formed after Konnan turned his back on BG James (Road Dogg) following the inclusion of Billy Gunn into the Three Live Kru. Konnan, alongside Homicide, also attacked BG’s father, Bullet Bob Armstrong, cementing their heel turn.
After a few early changes, Shawn Hernandez joined the faction, and from that point forward, LAX became a force in the tag team division — combining in-ring dominance with strong, often controversial, storylines that tackled issues of discrimination. But the original plan almost looked very different. Homicide had reached out to Angel Medina to be his new tag team partner in LAX. So why didn’t it happen?
Things Falling Apart
When Homicide called Medina about joining LAX, the offer was real — but so was the backstage politics that would soon stop it in its tracks.
To understand, we have to introduce another figure: Dutch Mantell. Known to WWE fans as Zeb Colter, Mantell was not only a respected manager and booker for various promotions, including the IWA, but he also sometimes provided wrestlers with a place to stay.
According to both Medina and reports from the time, an incident occurred where another wrestler staying at a Mantell-provided condo brought back a woman. When Mantell confronted Medina about whether this wrestler was present, Medina denied it — a lie. Mantell found out, evicted both men, and told Medina never to lie to him again. Their relationship soured from that moment.
Fast forward to the mid-2000s. Homicide pitched Medina for the LAX spot, but by then, Mantell was a booker in TNA. When he heard Medina was being considered, he allegedly shut down the idea, leading to Shawn Hernandez being brought in instead.
The Aftermath and LAX’s Legacy
When Medina found out Mantell had blocked his LAX opportunity, he was understandably upset — especially given their rocky past. According to reports, Medina even said he would “piss on Mantell’s casket” one day, underlining how bitter the fallout had become.
Medina retired from wrestling soon after but made a brief comeback in the late 2010s, wrestling for a few smaller promotions.
Meanwhile, LAX went on to become multiple-time TNA/Impact Tag Team Champions and one of the most popular factions in company history. Over time, other members like Shelly Martinez (Salinas) and Hector Guerrero joined.
In 2017, Konnan returned to Impact with a revamped “New LAX” — including Homicide, Diamante, Santana, and Ortiz. This new iteration dominated the tag division until their 2019 departure, feuding with teams like oVe, The Rascalz, The Lucha Brothers, and The North. Santana, Ortiz, and Diamante eventually signed with All Elite Wrestling, where their legacy as part of LAX’s lineage continues.
It’s one of wrestling’s great “what could have been” stories — and a reminder that sometimes, backstage politics can change wrestling history just as much as anything that happens inside the ring.
