Top #10 Greatest TNA Matches Ever

[JohnnyPresley21]

I thought sense this is TNA's 10th anniversary its a prefect time to list(in your opinion) the top 10 greatest matches in their company's history.Here is my list in order by year.


1.AJ Styles .Vs Jerry Lynn .Vs Low Ki .Vs Psicosis-First Ever X-Division Title Match-TNA Weekly PPV '02

2.America's Most Wanted .Vs Triple X-NWA Tag Team Titles-Cage Match-Turning Point '04

3.Styles .Vs Christopher Daniels .Vs Samoa Joe-X-Division Title-Unbreakable 2005

4.L.A.X .Vs AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels-NWA Tag Team Titles-Ultimate X-No Surrender '06

5.AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels .Vs L.A.X-NWA Tag Team Titles-Six Sides of Steel-Bound For Glory '06

6.Kurt Angle .Vs Samoa Joe-Turning Point '06

7.Christian Cage .Vs Kaz-#1 Contender-Ladder Match-Genesis '07

8.Kurt Angle .Vs Samoa Joe-TNA World Title-Six Sides of Steel-Lockdown '08

9.AJ Styles .Vs Christopher Daniels .Vs Samoa Joe-TNA World Title-Turning Point '09

10.Kurt Angle .Vs Jeff Hardy-#1 Contend to TNA World Title-
No Surrender '10


On a side note I would also like to give nods to the series of matches between Angle/Styles(the two best works ever in TNA) and Angle/Wolfe.

[Raven*]

Besides my favorite match, the rest are in random order.

• AJ Styles versus Christopher Daniels versus Samoa Joe- Unbreakable
• America's Most Wanted versus Triple X -Turning Point '04
• Kurt Angle versus Samoa Joe-Turning Point '06
• Christian Cage versus Kaz-#1 Contender-Ladder Match-Genesis '07
• AJ versus Angle - Impact 1/4/10
• AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels versus LAX -No Surrender 2006
• James Storm versus Chris Harris- Sacrifice 2007
• Kurt Angle versus Desmond Wolfe - Final Resolution
• AJ Styles versus Abyss - Lockdown 2005
• AJ Styles vs. Kurt Angle - Hard Justice 2008

Edit: No idea why I put Slammiversary 2006 for the Angle/Christian match. I'll replace it with another match until I figure it out.

[Lony]

Hard to narrow it down to just ten matches but I'll give it a shot anyway's the majority of them made your guys lists as well though there's a few that didn't. Also posted the matches in spoiler tags minus #2 as I couldn't find the full match so I posted a promo video hyping that match up.

#1 Triple Threat X-Division Championship Match
TNA Unbreakable 2005
Christopher Daniels(c) vs. Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles

Spoiler

#2 Three Degree's of Pain
TNA Final Resolution 2009
Kurt Angle vs. Desmond Wolfe

Spoiler

(Sorry couldn't find the full match on youtube)

#3 Six Sides of Steel tag Team Match
TNA Turning Point 2004
America's Most Wanted vs. Triple X

Spoiler

#4 30 Minute Iron Man Match
X-Division Championship
TNA Bound For Glory 2005
AJ Styles(c) vs. Christopher Daniels

Spoiler

#5 Last Man Standing Match
TNA Hard Justice 2008
AJ Styles vs. Kurt Angle

Spoiler

#6 Ladder Match
TNA Genesis 2007
Christian Cage vs. Frankie Kazarian

Spoiler

#7 Single Match
TNA No Surrender 2010
Kurt Angle vs. Jeff Hardy

Spoiler

#8 Steel Cage Match
TNA Lockdown 2005
AJ Styles vs. Abyss

Spoiler

#9 NWA Heavyweight Championship Match
April 30th, 2003
Jeff Jarrett(c) vs. Raven

Spoiler

#10 Six Man Tag Team Match
December 18th, 2002
Triple X vs. Amazing Red/The SAT's

Spoiler

[The Industry]

Storm vs Harris Death match ten times over any match in TNA's history

[whocares]

Storm vs Harris Death match ten times over any match in TNA's history

Was that the one where they kept exchanging trashcan lid shots to the head? I think that was the point I started to really think Chris Harris was going to be the next big thing in TNA... Boy, was I wrong...

[Coco]

Was that the one where they kept exchanging trashcan lid shots to the head? I think that was the point I started to really think Chris Harris was going to be the next big thing in TNA... Boy, was I wrong...

You managed to turn a thread about your ten favourite TNA matches ever into a negative thing? Stunning.

In no particular order:
-Unbreakable Triple Threat
-AMW vs Triple X @ Turning Point 2004
-Guns vs Beer Money @ The Whole F'N Show
-RVD vs Jerry Lynn @ Destination X 2011
-Styles vs Abyss @ LockDown 2005
-Styles/Daniels vs AMW @ Slammiversary 2006
-Styles/Daniels vs LAX @ Bound For Glory 2006
-Sting vs Samoa Joe @ Bound For Glory 2008
-Storm vs Harris @ Sacrifice 2007
-Christian vs Kaz @ Genesis 2007

[Coco]

I'd just like to mention three more matches that seem to fly under the radar.

-Angle vs Anderson @ LockDown 2010
-Angle vs Jarrett @ Genesis 2009
-Styles vs Ray @ Slammiversary 2011

All just tremendous bouts.

[Mr. Salty]

I like Lonewolf's list and I'd add Sting's BFG matches with Angle and Joe.

[JohnnyPresley21]

I'd just like to mention three more matches that seem to fly under the radar.

-Angle vs Anderson @ LockDown 2010
-Angle vs Jarrett @ Genesis 2009
-Styles vs Ray @ Slammiversary 2011

All just tremendous bouts.

Both of those Angle matches were really good,I was really surprised with his one against Anderson,whom I think is a and average in ring wrestlers.Angle pulled the best match off his career out of him.

As far as AJ Styles .Vs Bully Ray goes,even been a big Styles and TNA mark I never saw their match from Slammiversary last year.I was work that night and didn't get a chance to see the PPV.I have look around the net and have yet to find their match in full.

[The Main Event]

10 - AJ Styles vs Kurt Angle (Last Man Standing)
09 - Kurt Angle vs Desmond Wolfe (Three Falls)
08 - AJ Styles vs Petey Williams vs Chris Sabin (Ultimate X 2005)
07 - AJ Styles vs Christopher Daniels vs Samoa Joe II
06 - America's Most Wanted vs Triple X (Turning Point 2004)
05 - Kurt Angle vs Samoa Joe (Turning Point 2006)
04 - James Storm vs Chris Harris (Death Match)
03 - AJ Styles/Christopher Daniels vs LAX (Bound For Glory 2006)
02 - AJ Styles vs Christopher Daniels vs Samoa Joe (Unbreakable 2005)
01 - AJ Styles vs Jerry Lynn vs Low Ki (Triple Ladder Match for X-Division Championship)

[Mantis Toboggan M.D.]

Honorable Mentions:

-AMW/Triple X - Steel Cage Match (TNA Weekly PPVs): Solid match with some spectacular, crazy spots.

-X-Division Battle Royal (Genesis 2004): Absolute X-Division insanity. Vintage stuff from many of the faces from the glory days of the promotion.

-AJ Styles vs. Abyss (Lockdown 2005): Dramatic storytelling with a tremendous finish.

-Samoa Joe vs. Chris Sabin (No Surrender 2005): Excellent match, one of the best in Joe's legendary streak. Sabin's performance was particularly great in this one.

-Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles (Sacrifice 2005): Stellar, but topped by an even-better match later in the year.

-Sean Waltman/Jerry Lynn (Sacrifice 2005): Two veterans put on one of the final great matches of each of their storied careers.

-Monster's Ball (Bound For Glory 2005): One of the most brutal, wild hardcore matches in the promotion's history. Hardy's spot remains, to this day, one of the most jaw-dropping and absurdly dangerous things I've seen in pro wrestling.

-AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels (Bound For Glory 2005): Top-class match that Daniels truly should have won. It's embarrassing how many times Styles has been booked over Daniels cleanly.

-Elimination X (Genesis 2005): Back when the X-Division ruled TNA...

-AJ Styles vs. Petey Williams (Genesis 2005): Forgotten match between two outstanding competitors.

-Samoa Joe vs. Christopher Daniels (Impact 2006): One of the best free-TV matches in recent years.

-AMW vs. Styles and Daniels (Slammiversary 2006): It's a shame that Chris Harris never panned out.

-Styles and Daniels vs. LAX - Ultimate X (No Surrender 2006): Such a great match and a great feud. Just like the steel cage match, a tough omission from this list, especially because there are no LAX matches on it.

-Styles and Daniels vs. LAX - Steel Cage Match (Bound For Glory 2006): Absolutely awesome. Gritty, but some great spots as well.

-Rhino vs. Christian Cage (Impact): One of the most memorable finishes to a match in TNA history.

-Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle (Genesis 2006, Turning Point 2006, Lockdown 2008): A series of excellent matches, but the timing of their execution was never quite right. Joe's title win should have happened much earlier, and he had lost much of his momentum by 2008. The original one was easily the most intensely anticipated match in TNA history, and it was incredibly intense, but also incredibly short. Somehow it sticks out as being the best of the three, but they were all very good.

-James Storm vs. Chris Harris - Texas Deathmatch (Sacrifice 2007): The most brutal hardcore match in TNA history, in my opinion. The perfect way to throw together a grudge match. Great performances from both guys.

-Jay Lethal vs. Kurt Angle (No Surrender 2007): Probably the best upset in TNA history.

-Samoa Joe vs. Christian Cage (Bound For Glory 2007): Stiff, stiff match. One of the final times that Samoa Joe truly appeared to be an unstoppable force.

-Christian Cage vs. Kazarian - Ladder Match (Genesis 2007): As far as one-on-one ladder matches are concerned, this is probably the best one in TNA's history. Kaz was on a roll at the end of 2007 and also had an excellent match with Kurt Angle for the title on Impact.

-Kurt Angle vs. Desmond Wolfe (Turning Point 2009): Wolfe with arguably the best debut match in TNA history...

-AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe vs. Christopher Daniels (Turning Point 2009): Spectacular match, easily better than at least four of the matches on the top 10 list...but I don't like including two matches involving the exact same participants on a list like this. Watch it. Enjoy it.

-Kurt Angle vs. Desmond Wolfe - 2/3 falls (Final Resolution 2009): What a shame about Wolfe's career.

-AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels (Final Resolution 2009): Great match, but TNA falters here and doesn't put the belt on Daniels. If there's one match where Daniels should have gone over Styles (and there are at least two instances), this is the one.

-AJ Styles vs. Abyss (Destination X 2010): Easily 15 of the funniest minutes in pro wrestling history. Probably the 15 best minutes in TNA history. Absolutely incomparable idiocy...from the hole in the ring to Flair in a wheelchair to "This is awsome"...just fucking watch it, I can't do it justice

-Kurt Angle vs. Mr. Anderson (Lockdown 2010): Just Angle being typically insane Angle.




#10: AJ Styles vs. Jerry Lynn vs. Low-Ki - Triple Ladder Match (TNA Weekly PPVs): Significant because it was TNA's first truly great match, and it signaled so many other great things to come for cruiserweight wrestling in the United States. There were several matches of higher in-ring quality than this one, but the importance and the ingenuity of several of the big spots (Styles' flip on the ladder, Low Ki keeping his balance on the ropes, etc.) were too awesome not to make this list. The best of the weekly PPV matches.

#9: Senshi vs. Chris Sabin (Bound For Glory 2006): Extremely underrated, and some of the best drama that we've seen in a title match in TNA. The near falls were excellent, the kicks were vicious, the pacing was good, and the finish was outstanding. Both guys really step up in this one, although one of the best moments probably goes to Senshi (Sabin's hurricanrana from the top where Senshi proceeds to roll through and double foot-stomp Sabin).

#8: America's Most Wanted vs. Team Canada (Final Resolution 2005): The second-best standard tag match in the history of the company, and yet another great match involving Storm and Roode. It's a match where the atmosphere really amplified what was going on in the ring...can't name many other matches in TNA history where the crowd was more invested. As solidly wrestled as you will see.

#7: AJ Styles vs. Kurt Angle - Last Man Standing (Hard Justice 2008): What else would you expect from these two in a match stipulation like this? Brutal, but excellently paced. One of Angle's best showings in TNA.

#6: AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels - 30 Minute Iron Man Match (Against All Odds 2005): This is the Iron Man format being executed about as well as it can be. Daniels grabbed the early lead, looked as though he would hang onto it, only for Styles to score a pin with a few minutes remaining...leading to a frantic final few minutes. The finish in regulation was pretty wacky (it goes against the rules used in all other singles matches, but when has pro wrestling ever made logical sense?), but it was very dramatic. The best of the Daniels/Styles matches.

#5: AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe (Turning Point 2005): Hands down, the stiffest match in TNA history. This was Samoa Joe at his absolute zenith (as a wrestler and a persona). He had just put together one of the most memorable years in recent pro wrestling history (how many five star matches did he total between this and ROH??), and he capped it with this one. The lariat on Styles still makes me cringe every time I see it. I never thought the phrase "does Samoa Joe have to choke a bitch?" would make me so nostalgic for the past. Hindsight's 20/20.

#4: AJ Styles vs. Petey Williams vs. Chris Sabin - Ultimate X (Final Resolution 2005): The perfection of a gimmick match, and maybe the best individual performance of Styles' career. Williams and Sabin both shine in this match, but its Styles' athletic charisma that carries this to spectacular levels. Some of the bumps he takes are out of this world, but unlike so many other "big-spot" matches, the storytelling was almost flawless in this one. Perfect timing for the finish, and that's what takes a great match and makes it an all-time classic.

#3: Triple X vs. America's Most Wanted - Six Sides of Steel (Turning Point 2005): The culmination of a several-year long feud, and a sublimely memorable spectacle. It kept escalating and escalating. The first time you watched it, you were thinking, "Holy shit, that's a huge spot...there's no way they'll top that" until they pulled off one spot that topped just about everything conceivable in a professional wrestling match. Elix Skipper might be a name that has faded into professional wrestling obscurity over the years, but what he pulled off in this match belongs in a professional wrestling hall of fame years and years from now. Onions. Seriously massive onions.

#2: Motor City Machine Guns vs. Beer Money - Best of Five Finals (Impact 2010): Fire. From the entrances to the stare-down during the introductions to the opening exchange to the final bell. Watching this on free-TV, I was absolutely stunned by the quality of the match simply because I didn't think TNA would actually have the nuts to give away such a spectacular contest free of charge. Professional wrestling is, in its essence, theater - an arena for the dramatic and the evocative. Professional wrestling in the 21st century, however, is also an athletic spectacle. No other matches blended the two as well as the top-two on this list. A textual description won't do justice to the match - you'll just have to go back and rewatch it.

#1: AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels vs. Samoa Joe (Unbreakable 2005): It's alright.

[HilaryFan]

The Unbreakable triple threat is probably the greatest match of all time, that much I do know. I could watch it over and over again forever.

[Butters' Pitt]

Underrated bout: the heel vs heel match between Desmond Wolfe and Chris Daniels on Impact in late 09

[Baker223]

Threads like this one are invaluable for somebody like me who hasn't watched/followed wrestling over the past few years, but is looking to get back into it. I watched the awesome Bully Ray vs. AJ match last night that was mentioned here. I'll check out some of the hyped Angle matches in recent years over the next few days. Want to watch all the Roode vs. Storm matches and the Beer Money vs. MCMG matches as well.

Here is my top ten. Numbers 1 & 2 are pretty much interchangeable.

1. AMW vs. XXX (Turning Point 2004)- One of my favorite matches ever. Great blowoff with awesome moves, finisher stealing, handcuffs, blood and violence. Can't ask for much more than that.

2. Chris Harris vs. James Storm (Sacrifice 2007)- Another probable Top 50 match of all time for me. This is really my favorite type of wrestling match- a violent, bloody brawl with tons of storyline behind it. Storm is one of the most underrated of the century and I thought Harris was going to be the next big thing. The finish was downright poetic.

3. AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe vs. Christopher Daniels (Unbreakable 2005)- Top 3 Triple Threat Match of all time imo, but I don't love it quite as much as most people. Kinda thought it was a Daniels/Ki/Danielson from ROH redux. Tons of fun, mind you, just not a "greatest of all time" contender imo

4. Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles (Turning Point 2005)- This was an absolute war. AJ used to get criticized some back in the day for being soft/too fancy. I never got that. Matches like this, the Bully Ray match I mentioned earlier, and his matches w/ Abyss (one of which appears later on this list) are a big reason why.

5. AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels (Against All Odds 2005- Daniels vs. AJ is one of those matches like Angle vs. Benoit or Flair vs. Steamboat that never got old for me. This is my favorite of them all. A bloody Styles struggling to hold out for the 30 minute draw while trapped in Daniels' Koji Clutch is one of the defining moments in TNA/AJ's career for me. Would be even higher if not for the lame restart, which had already been done to death by this point.

6. AJ Styles vs. Abyss (Lockdown 2005)- These two always matched up well. This is their classic. It was every bit the war Joe vs. AJ was (if not moreso), just done in a different style. Abyss was on fire in 2005 and AJ was pretty much always great. This match had like 5 "Holy Shit" moments, all kinds of sick bumps and a spectacular finish

7. AMW vs. Team Canada (Final Resolution 2005) - AMW is my favorite TNA act ever. They were like the best 1980s Southern babyface tag team since...well...the 1980s. This was a throwback to all those great MX, RnR Express, Arn & Tully, Fantastics matches of yore. The faces were virutous, noble, and "better wrestlers," while the heels were cowardly, vile, dastardly cheaters. The crowd was hot and I had a smile on my face the entire time I watched this match.

8. Jeff Hardy vs. Abyss vs. Rhino vs. Sabu (Bound For Glory 2005) I probably overrate the hell out of this, but if the previous match was the ultimate ode to NWA tag matches, this match is its ECW equivalent. It's out of control hardcore chaos from bell to bell and I loved every second of it. Some highlights include Rhino killing Jeff with a sick 2nd Rope Piledriver, Abyss chucking Sabu through a table and Jeff hitting one of the highest, craziest Swantons of his career.

9. XXX vs. Amazing Red/Jerry Lynn (Weekly PPV 4/03?)- I always went back and forth between this and the first AMW vs. XXX cage match when asked what my favorite bout from the weekly PPVs was. This features a great babyface performance from Red, a superhot crowd, and Don West being awesome as Red's #1 fan. Plus, Lynn & Red became the first team I ever saw to actually hit the Doomsday Frankensteiner. That's what really got this match over for me.

10. AMW vs. XXX (Weekly PPV 6/03)- Definitely topped by their Turning Point match, but I was blown away by this at the time.

These are just some other matches I enjoyed that nobody else had mentioned. They're worth checking out imo

-Chris Harris vs. Jeff Jarrett (Weekly PPV- 3/04)- The crowd, and myself, really got behind "Wildcat" in this one
-Chris Sabin vs. Petey Williams (Turning Point 2004)- Liked the story surrounding the Canadian Destroyer. Possibly my favorite match of both guys.
-Jeff Jarrett vs. Sting (Bound For Glory 2006)- A fitting end to Jarrett's long TNA domination. Sting was the world's best possible Hulk Hogan in this match.
-Abyss vs. Sabu (Genesis 2005/Turning Point 2005)- These guys were on fire in 05. I thought Abyss was the next great big man and it was a huge rebound year for Sabu. If you like hardcore matches, you'll like these

[ShinobiMusashi]

Man I'm in such a major Youtube mood after reading through this thread. I can't wait to see some of these.

[X-zero]

This won't be ten just some I can think of up the top of my head.
Desmond Wolfe vs. Angle Turning Point 09
Pope vs. Suicide 9/24/09 (If you look back on this match it is hard to tell but Pope was the heel and Suicide was suppose to be the face)
MCMGs vs. Gen Empty Arena 11/18/10

[whocares]

Gen Empty Arena sounds like the greatest tag team name ever.

Anyways, didn't Christian have a pretty good match with Monty Brown? Or was that Rhino and Monty? Which one had the table spot at the entrance ramp?

[**Star**]

Really hard to argue with any of these lists....especially when alot of you listed the two matches that I'm pretty damn sure that you know I loved....AMW vs XXX (that spot Skipper did off the top of the cage was wicked) and Storm/Harris Death match. Talk about being completely torn on a match and cringing each time they collided.

I would have to add the first Six Sides of Steel cage match for the tag titles....AMW vs Naturals Hard Justice 2005. Naturals had beat AMW on April 29th, 2005 on Impact for the titles (the actual show was taped April 25th...the day after Lockdown 05 where Candido fractured his ankle, and he passed away April 28th and he was the Naturals manager). It was a bittersweet match for the Naturals because they retained. I still remember watching it and they got a standing ovation even from AMW.