My list of must-see TNA matches (2002-2012)

[comahan]

There's been a lot of bad in TNA over the years, but there's also been a hell of a lot of good, and since im a sucker for looking back and appreciating things from the past, I thought I'd put together a list of TNA matches I consider to be very, very good.

2002

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{Spoiler}AJ STYLES vs. JERRY LYNN vs. LOW KI vs. PSYCHOSIS @ Weekly PPV #2 (Double Elimination Match for the X Division Title)
AJ STYLES vs. JERRY LYNN vs. LOW KI @ Weekly PPV #8 (X Division Title Match)
LOW KI vs. AJ STYLES vs. JERRY LYNN @ Weekly PPV #11 (Ladder Match for the X Division Title)

2003

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{Spoiler}JEFF JARRETT vs. RAVEN @ Weekly PPV #42 (World Title Match)
TRIPLE X vs. AMERICAS MOST WANTED @ Weekly PPV #50 (Steel Cage Match for the Tag Team Titles)
CHRIS SABIN vs. JUVENTUD GUERERRA @ Weekly PPV #55 (Super X Cup Tournament Final)
AJ STYLES vs. RAVEN @ Weekly PPV #59 (World Title Match)

2004

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{Spoiler}AMERICAS MOST WANTED vs. TRIPLE X @ Turning Point 2004 (Steel Cage Match)

2005

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{Spoiler}PETEY WILLIAMS vs. CHRIS SABIN vs. AJ STYLES @ Final Resolution 2005 (Ultimate X Match for the X Division Title)
TEAM CANADA vs. AMERICAS MOST WANTED @ Final Resolution 2005 (Tag Team Title Match)
AJ STYLES vs. CHRISTOPHER DANIELS @ Against All Odds 2005 (30 Minute Ironman Match for the X Division Title)
AJ STYLES vs. ABYSS @ Lockdown 2005 (Steel Cage Match)
CHRIS SABIN vs. SAMOA JOE @ No Surrender 2005
AJ STYLES vs. SAMOA JOE @ Sacrifice 2005 (Super X Cup Tournament Final)
CHRISTOPHER DANIELS vs. AJ STYLES vs. SAMOA JOE @ Unbreakable 2005 (X Division Title Match)
JEFF HARDY vs. ABYSS vs. RHINO vs. SABU @ Bound for Glory 2005 (Monsters Ball Match)
AJ STYLES vs. CHRISTOPHER DANIELS @ Bound for Glory 2005 (30 Minute Ironman Match for the X Division Title)
AJ STYLES vs. SAMOA JOE @ Turning Point 2005 (X Division Title Match)

2006

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{Spoiler}CHRISTOPHER DANIELS vs. SAMOA JOE @ Final Resolution 2006 (X Division Title Match)
AMERICAS MOST WANTED vs. AJ STYLES & CHRISTOPHER DANIELS @ Slammiversary 2006 (Tag Team Title Match)
LAX vs. AJ STYLES & CHRISTOPHER DANIELS @ No Surrender 2006 (Ultimate X Match for the Tag Team Titles)
AJ STYLES & CHRISTOPHER DANIELS vs. LAX @ Bound for Glory 2006 (Steel Cage Match for the Tag Team Titles)
KURT ANGLE vs. SAMOA JOE @ Genesis 2006
KURT ANGLE vs. SAMOA JOE @ Turning Point 2006

2007

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}CHRISTIAN CAGE vs. SAMOA JOE @ Destination X 2007 (World Title Match)
CHRIS HARRIS vs. JAMES STORM @ Sacrifice 2007 (Texas Deathmatch)
CHRISTIAN CAGE vs. SAMOA JOE vs. KURT ANGLE vs. AJ STYLES vs. CHRIS HARRIS (King of the Mountain Match for the World Title)
FRANKIE KAZARIAN vs. CHRISTIAN CAGE @ Genesis 2007 (Ladder Match)

2008

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{Spoiler}GAIL KIM vs. AWESOME KONG @ Final Resolution 2008 (No DQ Match For the Knockouts Title)
KURT ANGLE vs. SAMOA JOE @ Lockdown 2008 (Steel Cage Match for the World Title)
AJ STYLES vs. KURT ANGLE @ Slammiversary 2008
AJ STYLES vs. KURT ANGLE @ Hard Justice 2008 (Last Man Standing Match)
JEFF JARRETT vs. KURT ANGLE @ Bound for Glory 2008 (Special Enforcer Mick Foley)
ABYSS vs. KURT ANGLE @ Turning Point 2008 (Falls Count Anywhere Match)

2009

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}KURT ANGLE vs. JEFF JARRETT @ Genesis 2009 (No DQ Match)
AJ STYLES vs. KURT ANGLE @ Impact Wrestling 10/15/09
KURT ANGLE vs. DESMOND WOLFE @ Turning Point 2009
AJ STYLES vs. SAMOA JOE vs. CHRISTOPHER DANIELS @ Turning Point 2009 (World Title Match)
KURT ANGLE vs. DESMOND WOLFE @ Final Resolution 2009 (Three Degrees of Pain Match)
AJ STYLES vs. CHRISTOPHER DANIELS @ Final Resolution 2009 (World Title Match)

2010

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}AJ STYLES vs. KURT ANGLE @ Imapct Wrestling 1/4/10 (World Title Match)
KURT ANGLE vs. MR ANDERSON @ Lockdown 2010 (Steel Cage Match)
MOTOR CITY MACHINE GUNS vs. BEER MONEY @ Impact Wrestling 8/12/10 (Two out of Three Falls Match for the Tag Team Titles)
KURT ANGLE vs. JEFF HARDY @ No Surrender 2010

2011

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}AUSTIN ARIES vs. LOW KI vs. JACK EVANS vs. ZEMA ION @ Destination X 2011 (Winner Gets a Contract)
KURT ANGLE vs. JEFF JARRETT @ Lockdown 2011 (Two out of Three Falls Steel Cage Match)
AJ STYLES vs. BULLY RAY @ Slammiversary 2011 (Last Man Standing Match)

2012

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}BOBBY ROODE vs. JAMES STORM @ Lockdown 2012 (Steel Cage Match for the World Title)
KURT ANGLE vs. JEFF HARDY @ Victory Road 2012
BOBBY ROODE vs. AJ STYLES @ Impact Wrestling 5/24/12 (World Title Match)
AUSTIN ARIES vs. SAMOA JOE @ Slammiversary 2012 (X Division Title Match)
AJ STYLES & KURT ANGLE vs. BAD INFLUENCE @ Slammiversary 2012 (Tag Team Title Match)
AJ STYLES vs. CHRISTOPHER DANIELS @ Destination X 2012 (Last Man Standing Match)
BOBBY ROODE vs. AUSTIN ARIES @ Destination X 2012 (World Title Match)
JAMES STORM vs. BOBBY ROODE @ Bound for Glory 2012 (Street Fight)
JEFF HARDY vs. AUSTIN ARIES @ Turning Point 2012 (Ladder Match for the World Title)

I probably forgot a few, but for the most part, I think I covered most of it. That's a lot of matches. I recommend all of them if there are some you haven't seen!

[Deleted]

The only glaring omissions IMO, are,Barbed Wire Massacre between Abyss and Sabu, and that elimination X match. Otherwise, I pretty much agree

[CeilingFan]

The Lethal Lockdown matches are usually good.

[berlynwright]

guys i think this AJ Styles guy might be good?

[comahan]

Sept 12, 2014 10:25:14 GMT -5 berlynwright said:

guys i think this AJ Styles guy might be good?

This comment actually got me to go back and count how many times each guy appeared on the list.

Styles 25
Angle 18
Daniels 13
Joe 12
Storm 8
Roode/Harris 6
Sabin/Ki/Jarrett/Hardy/Aries 4
Lynn/Christian/Abyss 3
Wolfe/Raven/Skipper/Homicide/Hernandez/Kaz 2
Everyone else 1

[bluemeii]

So one guy was in 25/54 matches you listed.

Yeah TNA....sign those studs like Gunner and Magnus, and get rid of him.

My opinion, everyone is trying to figure out "why has TNA fallen so far so fast"...it's not the mismanagement, nepotism, Russo, Dixie, whatever. It's not utilizing the talent they already had.

[Deleted]

Sept 12, 2014 10:25:14 GMT -5 berlynwright said:

guys i think this AJ Styles guy might be good?

He can't be that great. WWE doesn't want him, and even TNA doesn't want him enough to pay him well.

[Magic knows Black Lives Matter]

Awesome list. Did you compile it mainly from memory? Because, that's amazing to me if so. There have been quite a few great matches in TNA but most of this stuff just comes and go for me and I forget about the match almost entirely within like a week of seeing it because of all the dumb stuff I see on TNA shows, haha.

[comahan]

Sept 13, 2014 22:27:05 GMT -5 Magic knows Black Lives Matter said:

Awesome list. Did you compile it mainly from memory? Because, that's amazing to me if so. There have been quite a few great matches in TNA but most of this stuff just comes and go for me and I forget about the match almost entirely within like a week of seeing it, haha.

Na I used a few different sites to try and make it as thorough as possible. Made sure to double check to see if the PPVs/dates were right, then added things as I went thru other lists.

[Woo]

AJ STYLES vs. SAMOA JOE @ Sacrifice 2005 (Super X Cup Tournament Final)

One of my favourite matches of all time. So good.

I agree that the barbed wire match was very good. I'd also say that all of the matches in the Beer Money/MCMG series were great. Also while Daniels vs Styles from Destination X wasn't their best match it was still great. I also recall a MCMG vs British Invasion match that had me on the edge of my seat thinking that the Guns were going to win the belt at last.

Lastly I am still in shock that Joe had to wait till 2008 to win the world title. Stupid.

[CeilingFan]

Sept 14, 2014 14:19:09 GMT -5 Woo said:

AJ STYLES vs. SAMOA JOE @ Sacrifice 2005 (Super X Cup Tournament Final)

One of my favourite matches of all time. So good.

I agree that the barbed wire match was very good. I'd also say that all of the matches in the Beer Money/MCMG series were great. Also while Daniels vs Styles from Destination X wasn't their best match it was still great. I also recall a MCMG vs British Invasion match that had me on the edge of my seat thinking that the Guns were going to win the belt at last.

Lastly I am still in shock that Joe had to wait till 2008 to win the world title. Stupid.

I agree. 2007 should've been the Year of Joe.

[ededdneddy]

No World X Cup 2008 Matches?

[Woo]

Sept 16, 2014 9:10:28 GMT -5 CeilingFan said:

Sept 14, 2014 14:19:09 GMT -5 Woo said:

One of my favourite matches of all time. So good.

I agree that the barbed wire match was very good. I'd also say that all of the matches in the Beer Money/MCMG series were great. Also while Daniels vs Styles from Destination X wasn't their best match it was still great. I also recall a MCMG vs British Invasion match that had me on the edge of my seat thinking that the Guns were going to win the belt at last.

Lastly I am still in shock that Joe had to wait till 2008 to win the world title. Stupid.

I agree. 2007 should've been the Year of Joe.

Maybe even 2006.

[comahan]

Sept 16, 2014 12:21:30 GMT -5 Woo said:

Sept 16, 2014 9:10:28 GMT -5 CeilingFan said:

I agree. 2007 should've been the Year of Joe.

Maybe even 2006.

The fantasy booker in me thinks that Joe/Jarrett as the BFG 06 main event would have been best for the company long term, rather than Sting/Jarrett (even though I really liked that match, especially the finish). Joe wins the belt there, then has a long run as Angle parallels him in dominance, with Christians Coalition playing the main foil to both throughout the year. They could even ally against Christian and Styles for a while. I dont know that waiting an entire year until BFG 07 to do Angle/Joe would be realistic, but booking them both like untouchable Gods until Slammiversary then having them meet at the TNA 5th Year Anniversary show could have been pretty huge. Then you spread out their series over the next few months and have the rubber match at BFG where it really doesnt matter who wins.

Again, just your typical fantasy booking nonsense, but it's always fun to think 'what if'.

[Woo]

Sept 16, 2014 14:33:10 GMT -5 comahan said:

Sept 16, 2014 12:21:30 GMT -5 Woo said:

Maybe even 2006.

The fantasy booker in me thinks that Joe/Jarrett as the BFG 06 main event would have been best for the company long term, rather than Sting/Jarrett (even though I really liked that match, especially the finish). Joe wins the belt there, then has a long run as Angle parallels him in dominance, with Christians Coalition playing the main foil to both throughout the year. They could even ally against Christian and Styles for a while. I dont know that waiting an entire year until BFG 07 to do Angle/Joe would be realistic, but booking them both like untouchable Gods until Slammiversary then having them meet at the TNA 5th Year Anniversary show could have been pretty huge. Then you spread out their series over the next few months and have the rubber match at BFG where it really doesnt matter who wins.

Again, just your typical fantasy booking nonsense, but it's always fun to think 'what if'.

I recall one moment on Impact where either Joe or Jarrett, who were still both heel at the time, had won a match and was walking up the ramp when the other walked out for their match and they had a brief stare-out hinting at a possible match in the future that had everyone excited. It didn't happen.