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Official TNA DVD/Match/Show Discussion Thread

294K views 3K replies 299 participants last post by  Pablo Escobar 
#1 ·
Old thread ran nearly SIX years. So time for a new one.

old thread is here btw if you want to read it - http://www.wrestlingforum.com/total...al-tna-dvd-help-discussion-review-thread.html


Discuss all things great about TNA's DVDs, matches and shows here (aka Joseph Park)

To start off, best matches of 2013 so far?

Off the top of my head:

Sting/Aries - IMPACT
Aries/Roode/Hardy - Genesis
Park/Devon - Genesis

Lockdown didnt have that many great things. I'm probably missing some TV gems since my memory is terrible and I usually have PPVs for my go to. I think there was a good Aces tag on the England shows, actually.
 
#3,048 · (Edited)
Before I post a few matches, I'll give you a quick warning that most of these include Christopher Daniels. Those two had such good chemistry and they rarely (if ever) failed to deliver brilliant matches.

AJ Styles vs Christopher Daniels vs Samoa Joe (2005)




AJ Styles vs Christopher Daniels vs Samoa Joe (2009)



AJ Styles vs Christopher Daniels (Iron Man)



AJ Styles vs Samoa Joe (Turning Point 2005)



AJ Styles vs Abyss (Lockdown 2005)



AJ Styles vs Kurt Angle (Slammiversary 2008)



AJ Styles vs Petey Williams vs Chris Sabin (Ultimate X in 2005)



AJ Styles vs Jeff Hardy (Slammiversary 2004) [Not the best match, but the importance of Jeff Hardy debuting was necessary for TNA's growth]



AJ Styles vs Rhyno (Elevation X) [Not a great wrestling match, but watching this live was nerve wrecking].



AJ Styles vs Christopher Daniels (BFG 2011)

 
#815 ·
05 was a great year for Styles. Ultimate X match with Sabin and Williams which was great. Dropped the belt to Daniels in a great match, had an awesome match with Daniels in England at International showdown. Had that bossy match with Abyss, returned to ROH full time and had some good matches and started that epic Daniels/Joe/AJ feud. I think I'm running into 06 naming stuff but you get the idea, so yeah 05-06 was AJ's pinnacle. Them 06 matches with AMW and LAX were great too and his ROH tags with Sydal against Genki/Dragon Kid and The Briscoes.

Best Ultimate X match ever at ****1/2
Abyss's best match ever at ****3/4
Three great matches with Daniels- International Showdown, Against All Odds and Bound For Glory.
His great ROH matches with Jimmy Rave and Roddy and a ****1/2 match with Danielson at Dissension. (edit The Bryan match was 2006)

The super X cup match against Joe at Sacrifice was great (****1/4+) only to be topped by the best TNA match ever, the ***** classic against Joe at Turning Point.
Not forgetting the Unbreakable match against Joe/Daniels which people regard as TNA's match ever. I have it only at around ****1/4 though, if not **** stars.

Anyway yeah, to me AJ's best year was 2005. 2006 was close though.
 
#2,463 · (Edited)
Top 12 Matches in TNA History

It is easy to be really negative towards TNA right now, isn't it? I mean Holy Moses are they bad or are they bad?

But with their 12th Anniversary coming up in a couple months, I thought "What the hell?". Lets throw some positivity by listing the Top 12 Matches that TNA has ever put on. I'll list my 12 favorites and feel free to make your own lists as well!


12) Samoa Joe Vs. Christian Cage (Bound for Glory 2007)

I know the Angle/Joe series is the more celebrated pairing, but honestly, I was never a huge fan of their matches. I much preferred the chemistry that was displayed by Samoa Joe & Christian Cage, and their BFG07 outing was their best. The action was great and all worked in this great set up with Joe as the freight train looking to kill someone and Christian as the chickenshit heel looking for ways out. It was very well done and I appreciated all of their matches greatly.

11) Christopher Daniels -c- Vs. AJ Styles Vs. Samoa Joe: TNA X Division Championship Triple Threat Match (Unbreakable 2005)

From one Triple Threat match to another, lets talk about the one that got TNA so much attention as they headed into their debut on SpikeTV. Personally, I feel this match is slightly overrated. It is an exciting and action packed match, but best X Title match ever? Personally I think some of the one on one matches between these three guys are better (more on that later). As is though, this is one damn good triple threat match and an excellent showcase for the top three talents in the X Division. It was also nice to see the X Division get a main event spot that was actually warranted.

10) Jeff Jarrett Vs. Kurt Angle: No Disqualifications Match (Genesis 2009)

I don't know what it was about these two, but they seemed to have a very good chemistry, and this was easily their best match. They went out there and just tore it down from start to finish and put on a wild and brutal affair. It was just an outstanding match that often gets overlooked.

9) AJ Styles Vs. Jerry Lynn Vs. Low Ki Vs. Psichosis: Double Elimination Four Man Series to Crown the 1st X Division Champion (TNA's 2nd Weekly PPV in 2002)

The X Division was born with this match and right off the bat, it looked like it was going to be something special. The level of athleticism and energy that was on display in this match was unreal and that closing series between AJ Styles & Jerry Lynn was a display that brought back memories of Steamboat and Savage. AJ Styles became TNA's darling that night by becoming the first X Champion. Boy, those were the good old days, weren't they?

8) America's Most Wanted -c- Vs. AJ Styles & Christopher Daniels: NWA Tag Team Championship (Slammiversary 2006)

I have to be honest. It was the tag team division, not the X Division, that initially got me interested in TNA. When I saw AMW for the first time, I knew they were a special pairing and WWE at the time was offering next to nothing as far as teams go, so that was the big feather in TNA's cap for me. By the time they got onto SpikeTV, the Tag division was still hot and the insane matches that AMW had with the X Division Stars Styles & Daniels were exactly what I was looking for. Tag Team meets X Division; you couldn't ask for anything better. I loved this match too as it was the pay off to the feud with Styles & Daniels finally toppling the champions and winning the titles.

7) Kurt Angle -c- Vs. Sting: TNA World Heavyweight Championship (Bound for Glory 2007)

A dream match that actually delivered. There isn't much else to say besides that. This was a match that, a year earlier, I would have never expected to see, and then to finally get it and for it to be that good is something that makes me feel good. It was probably the last great match of Sting's career as the guy looked damn good in there as he hung with Angle every step of the way and Angle brought his A-Game plus 10 to make the match special. They would milk this pairing to death in the years that would follow, but their first PPV outing was a pure gem and a worthwhile main event.

6) Petey Williams -c- Vs. AJ Styles Vs. Chris Sabin: X Division Championship Ultimate X Match (Final Resolution 2005)

TNA's signature gimmick match, The Ultimate X, is one that has been way overplayed and has had the same magic or special nature that it used to. When I think of the potential of Ultimate X and what that type of match should be, I have to say that this is the very best example of executing it. More than any other UX match they've ever done, this is the match that captured all the thrills & scares that a high wire spectacle should capture. The falls and spots that these guys performed ranged from exciting and innovative to downright dangerous & frightening, all of it combining into easily the best Ultimate X ever.

5) AJ Styles -c- Vs. Christopher Daniels: TNA X Division Championship 30 Minute Iron Man Match (Against All Odds 2005)

This is just an outstanding match between the two greatest X Division rivals. Granted, they would grind this pairing out like nobody's business years later, so much so that I would be begging for them to stop, but back in 2005, it was fresh, exciting, and about as awesome as you could want. This match is a great display for over half an hour, with a great image to close out the regular period. Daniels established himself as a singles star for the division here while AJ kept being Phenomenal.

4) Chris Harris Vs. James Storm: Texas Deathmatch (Sacrifice 2007)

Former partners turned enemies. It is a story that is so simple and easy to tell, but so often botched in wrestling. And it looked like Harris & Storm were going to go that route after their disastrous blindfold match at Lockdown. They got sweet redemption with this one though and delivered a violent and dramatic spectacle that felt like it was worthy of a Starrcade or Wrestlemania type of setting. Both guys came out of this looking like stars on the rise and for those of you that make fun of Braden Walker, trust me when I say there was a time when Chris Harris looked like a legit main eventer in the making.

3) The Motor City Machine Guns -c- Vs. Beer Money Inc: TNA Tag Team Championship Two Out of Three Falls Match in Best of Five Series Finals (The Whole F'n Show 2010)

Anyone who knows me knows that I love tag team wrestling, and when done well, there is nothing more exciting in wrestling. Probably the greatest achievement in Tag Team excellence for TNA is the Best of 5 Series between Beer Money & The Motor City Machine Guns which was just a delight to watch every week. It culminated with this match that not only unofficially turned the Best of Five series into a Best of Seven, but gave us one of the most exciting and outstanding tag team matches I have ever seen. Beer Money is one of my favorite teams of the last decade, and to see The Machine Guns finally get their just due with a series like this was satisfying as well. It felt like these matches and especially the finale were so good, anything bad about TNA was almost completely forgiven during this period.

2) AJ Styles -c- Vs. Samoa Joe: TNA X Division Championship (Turning Point 2005)

Now this is my pick for the best X Division Title match in company history. They had firmly established Joe as the heel of the division that tore through everybody and Styles was the honorable title holder looking to end the unbeaten streak. It was a classic set up that resulted in one of the most amazing and exciting matches I have ever seen. I was seriously getting classic Sting Vs. Vader vibes while watching this one. This wasn't only a showcase for the high impact style of the X Division or what unique talents both men were at this time, but also how exciting TNA could be when they really made their matches & situations matter.

1) America's Most Wanted Vs. Triple X: Six Sides of Steel Match/Losing Team Disbands (Turning Point 2004)

This is an obvious pick, but really, it is one of the few matches I've seen that truly has everything. Violence, high flying, brawling, tag team action, drama, and one of the most amazing spots I have ever seen in wrestling with Skipper's amazing cage walk were all a part of this classic. It was the payoff to a rivalry that has been going on for the better part of two years and this was the perfect way to end it. Thankfully these guys were given the closing spot and they went out there in TNA's 2nd 3 hour PPV and put on a match that I will never ever forget. It has to rank up there as one of the very best cage matches I have ever seen and for me personally, it is and always will be TNA's greatest match ever.

Runner Ups:
- Angle/Desmond TP09
- Joe/Daniels Impact 06
- AJ/Lynn/Low Ki Ladder Match
- Raven/Jarrett NWA Title
- Joe/Christian Matches
- AJ/Angle Matches
- Roode/Storm BFG12
- Aries/Roode Matches
- Angle/Abyss FCA from TP08
- AJ&Daniels/LAX UX & Cage
- Gail/Kong series
- AJ/Abyss matches
- Christian/Abyss Lockdown 06.
- Lethal/Angle No Surrender 07
- Angle/Rhino/Christian: Impact 07
- AMW/Team CA FR05
- Jarrett/Monty matches
- KOTM 07
 
#3,027 ·
Re: One of the best TNA matches in History

I've watched very little of TNA, but I have enjoyed the original Kong/Kim feud when the women's title was first introduced and also the best of 3 (or was it best of 5? I forget)series between the Hardies, the Dudleys and the Wolves that happened during the fall of 2014 and involved all sort of crazy stuff like tables, ladders, etc.

Seeing Kong in the old days and looking at Nia Jax in NXT is like night and day
 
#3,052 ·
Re: Favorite AJ Styles Matches TNA

Top 25 for me:

1) Vs. Samoa Joe: X Division Title (Turning Point 2005) Love this match so much. It has so much going on from a story perspective and has a wonderful David Vs. Goliath formula to it. It really reminded me of the Sting/Vader matches from back in the day. For me, it is the best X Division Title match in TNA history.

2) Vs. Jerry Lynn Vs. Low Ki Vs. Psichosis: Double Elimination Four Man Series to Crown 1st X Division Champion (2nd Weekly Show, 2002) Talk about getting off to a good start! This match pretty much defined what the X Division was all about. The closing sequence between AJ and Lynn was particularly amazing.

3) Vs. Christopher Daniels: X Division Title 30 Minute Iron Man Match (Against All Odds 2005) Amazing and well wrestled match with one of my favorite closing sequences ever.

4) Vs. Chris Sabin Vs. Petey Williams: X Division Title Ultimate X Match (Final Resolution 2005) Best Ultimate X Match in company history. When you hear them talk about the high wire, death defying, spectacle, this is the match that captured it the best.

6) w/Christopher Daniels Vs. America's Most Wanted: NWA Tag Team Titles (Slammiversary 2006) Tag team excellence and a wonderful payoff to the feud. Daniels and AJ were great together as a team.

7) w/Christopher Daniels Vs. LAX: NWA Tag Team Title Ultimate X Match (No Surrender 2006) The second best Ultimate X Match in company history. This one was just pure carnage and captured the strengths of both teams.

8) Vs. Samoa Joe Vs. Christopher Daniels: X Division Title Triple Threat Match (Unbreakable 2005) Not my number one favorite like it is for a lot of other people, but it is a great and exciting match with the best of the X Division on display.

9) Vs. Kurt Angle: Last Man Standing Match (Hard Justice 2008) AJ and Angle typically worked very well together and I think this was the best match they had together. It was intense and brutal.

10) Vs. Abyss: Six Sides of Steel (Lockdown 2005) Having to follow 7 cage matches and still put on a match as exciting and violent as this was a testament to the effort they put in. I still hate the Lockdown concept, but AJ and Abyss managed to make something out of a very bad situation.

11) Vs. Christian Cage Vs. Kurt Angle Vs. Samoa Joe Vs. Chris Harris: TNA World Title King of the Mountain Match (Slammiversary 2007) The best King of the Mountain match in company history. This made people forget that the rules were a bit too involved.

12) Vs. Kurt Angle: TNA World Title (January 4th, 2010 Impact) Arguably the best match in Impact history. It was a big night for TNA and one thing that people took away from the show was that Angle and AJ tore it down.

13) Vs. Low Ki Vs. Jerry Lynn: X Division Title Ladder Match (Weekly PPV Aug 2002) One of the early gems of TNA's first year. It was a nice closing point to the series of matches these three were having.

14) Vs. Samoa Joe Vs. Christopher Daniels: TNA World Title Triple Threat Match (Turning Point 2009) Revisiting the Unbreakable match proved to be a good idea as this main event was stellar.

15) w/Christopher Daniels Vs. LAX: NWA Tag Team Title Six Sides of Steel Match (Bound for Glory 2006) The final match in the series was a superb and violent feud ender.

16) Vs. Bully Ray: Last Man Standing Match (Slammiversary 2011) This match really helped put Bully Ray on the map as a singles competitor and the two tore the house down.

17) Vs. Jeff Jarrett: NWA World Title (Feb 2002) To my knowledge, this was AJ's first World Title shot in TNA. He didn't win, but he showed that he could hang with the main eventers if called upon.

18) w/Christopher Daniels Vs. America's Most Wanted: NWA Tag Titles (Hard Justice 2006) An excellent tag team match that would lead into the much bigger match at Slammiversary.

19) Vs. Bully Ray: TNA World Title (Bound for Glory 2013) In many ways, this was really AJ's final accomplishment in TNA, even though he walked out as champion. The match itself had bells and whistles galore, but was an exciting and crazy main event.

20) w/Kurt Angle Vs. Christopher Daniels and Kazarian: TNA Tag Titles (Slammiversary 2012) Just an amazing tag match that made people forget how lame some of the build up was.

21-22) Vs. Sting: TNA World Title (Turning Point 2009 and Bound for Glory 2009) Putting AJ and Sting together seemed like a perfect mix and both matches turned out well, some of Sting's better matches in TNA.

23) Vs. Christian Cage (Genesis 2006) To my knowledge, this is the only one on one match these two had together and it was a very good match. It makes you wonder what could have been if they had been given a major program.

24) Vs. Michael Shane Vs. Kazarian: X Division Title Ultimate X Match (Weekly PPV Summer 2004) This was the first Ultimate X Match I ever saw and I loved how it turned out. It also gave me a very good impression of AJ.

25) Vs. Christopher Daniels: Last Man Standing Match (Destination X 2012) I was sick to death of seeing them face each other by this point, but this match was very good and I wish it had been their final match together because they couldn't do much better.
 
#3,067 ·
Re: Favorite AJ Styles Matches TNA

Top 25 for me:

1) Vs. Samoa Joe: X Division Title (Turning Point 2005) Love this match so much. It has so much going on from a story perspective and has a wonderful David Vs. Goliath formula to it. It really reminded me of the Sting/Vader matches from back in the day. For me, it is the best X Division Title match in TNA history.

2) Vs. Jerry Lynn Vs. Low Ki Vs. Psichosis: Double Elimination Four Man Series to Crown 1st X Division Champion (2nd Weekly Show, 2002) Talk about getting off to a good start! This match pretty much defined what the X Division was all about. The closing sequence between AJ and Lynn was particularly amazing.

3) Vs. Christopher Daniels: X Division Title 30 Minute Iron Man Match (Against All Odds 2005) Amazing and well wrestled match with one of my favorite closing sequences ever.

4) Vs. Chris Sabin Vs. Petey Williams: X Division Title Ultimate X Match (Final Resolution 2005) Best Ultimate X Match in company history. When you hear them talk about the high wire, death defying, spectacle, this is the match that captured it the best.

6) w/Christopher Daniels Vs. America's Most Wanted: NWA Tag Team Titles (Slammiversary 2006) Tag team excellence and a wonderful payoff to the feud. Daniels and AJ were great together as a team.

7) w/Christopher Daniels Vs. LAX: NWA Tag Team Title Ultimate X Match (No Surrender 2006) The second best Ultimate X Match in company history. This one was just pure carnage and captured the strengths of both teams.

8) Vs. Samoa Joe Vs. Christopher Daniels: X Division Title Triple Threat Match (Unbreakable 2005) Not my number one favorite like it is for a lot of other people, but it is a great and exciting match with the best of the X Division on display.

9) Vs. Kurt Angle: Last Man Standing Match (Hard Justice 2008) AJ and Angle typically worked very well together and I think this was the best match they had together. It was intense and brutal.

10) Vs. Abyss: Six Sides of Steel (Lockdown 2005) Having to follow 7 cage matches and still put on a match as exciting and violent as this was a testament to the effort they put in. I still hate the Lockdown concept, but AJ and Abyss managed to make something out of a very bad situation.

11) Vs. Christian Cage Vs. Kurt Angle Vs. Samoa Joe Vs. Chris Harris: TNA World Title King of the Mountain Match (Slammiversary 2007) The best King of the Mountain match in company history. This made people forget that the rules were a bit too involved.

12) Vs. Kurt Angle: TNA World Title (January 4th, 2010 Impact) Arguably the best match in Impact history. It was a big night for TNA and one thing that people took away from the show was that Angle and AJ tore it down.

13) Vs. Low Ki Vs. Jerry Lynn: X Division Title Ladder Match (Weekly PPV Aug 2002) One of the early gems of TNA's first year. It was a nice closing point to the series of matches these three were having.

14) Vs. Samoa Joe Vs. Christopher Daniels: TNA World Title Triple Threat Match (Turning Point 2009) Revisiting the Unbreakable match proved to be a good idea as this main event was stellar.

15) w/Christopher Daniels Vs. LAX: NWA Tag Team Title Six Sides of Steel Match (Bound for Glory 2006) The final match in the series was a superb and violent feud ender.

16) Vs. Bully Ray: Last Man Standing Match (Slammiversary 2011) This match really helped put Bully Ray on the map as a singles competitor and the two tore the house down.

17) Vs. Jeff Jarrett: NWA World Title (Feb 2002) To my knowledge, this was AJ's first World Title shot in TNA. He didn't win, but he showed that he could hang with the main eventers if called upon.

18) w/Christopher Daniels Vs. America's Most Wanted: NWA Tag Titles (Hard Justice 2006) An excellent tag team match that would lead into the much bigger match at Slammiversary.

19) Vs. Bully Ray: TNA World Title (Bound for Glory 2013) In many ways, this was really AJ's final accomplishment in TNA, even though he walked out as champion. The match itself had bells and whistles galore, but was an exciting and crazy main event.

20) w/Kurt Angle Vs. Christopher Daniels and Kazarian: TNA Tag Titles (Slammiversary 2012) Just an amazing tag match that made people forget how lame some of the build up was.

21-22) Vs. Sting: TNA World Title (Turning Point 2009 and Bound for Glory 2009) Putting AJ and Sting together seemed like a perfect mix and both matches turned out well, some of Sting's better matches in TNA.

23) Vs. Christian Cage (Genesis 2006) To my knowledge, this is the only one on one match these two had together and it was a very good match. It makes you wonder what could have been if they had been given a major program.

24) Vs. Michael Shane Vs. Kazarian: X Division Title Ultimate X Match (Weekly PPV Summer 2004) This was the first Ultimate X Match I ever saw and I loved how it turned out. It also gave me a very good impression of AJ.

25) Vs. Christopher Daniels: Last Man Standing Match (Destination X 2012) I was sick to death of seeing them face each other by this point, but this match was very good and I wish it had been their final match together because they couldn't do much better.
We need a new TNA AJ Styles DVD.
 
#3,140 · (Edited)
As I did with Aries a few pages back, I thought I would mention a good portion of my favorite matches with Bobby Roode and Eric Young over the years.

Bobby Roode
w/Eric Young, Petey Williams, & Johnny Devine vs. Chris Sabin, Christopher Daniels, Elix Skipper, and Jerry Lynn) (May 2004 Weekly PPV)
w/Eric Young vs. America's Most Wanted (Final Resolution 2005)
vs. Kazarian (No Surrender 2007)
with James Storm vs. Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin (Turning Point 2008, 2010 Series from Victory Road - Whole F'n Show, Genesis 2011)
w/James Storm vs. Team 3D (Lockdown 2009)
w/James Storm vs. British Invasion (Sacrifice 2009)
vs. Rob Van Dam (Sacrifice 2012)
vs. AJ Styles (May 2012 Impact)
vs. Austin Aries (Destination X 2012)
vs. Austin Aries (Hardcore Justice 2012)
vs. James Storm (Bound For Glory 2012)
vs. James Storm vs. AJ Styles (Turning Point 2012)
vs. Austin Aries vs. Jeff Hardy (Genesis 2013)
vs. Austin Aries (Destination X 2013)
vs. Lashley (No Surrender 2014 TV)
vs. Lashley (October 2014 Impact)
vs. Austin Aries vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Eric Young (October 2014 Impact)
vs. Lashley (Hardcore Justice 2015 ONO PPV)
w/Austin Aries vs. The Wolves Series (Match #2 and the Ironman Match particularly)

Eric Young
w/Bobby Roode, Petey Williams, & Johnny Devine vs. Chris Sabin, Christopher Daniels, Elix Skipper, and Jerry Lynn) (May 2004 Weekly PPV)
Four Way Ladder Match vs. Jerry Lynn, Mr. Aguila, and Taichi (May World X Cup 2004)
w/Bobby Roode vs. America's Most Wanted (Final Resolution 2005)
vs. Alex Shelley (Against All Odds 2009)
w/Petey Williams vs. Beer Money (February 2009 Impact)
w/Jay Lethal & Consequences Creed vs. Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley & Sheik Abdul Bashir (Sacrifice 2009)
vs. Magnus (Sacrifice 2014)
vs. Austin Aries vs. Lashley (Slammiversary 2014)
vs. Austin Aries vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Bobby Roode (October 2014 Impact)

In Eric's case, for someone who has been there so long and is really not bad of a wrestler, he really did not get to have a lot to shine after being booked like a goof for so long.
 
#29 ·
Re: Official TNA DVD/Match/Show Discussion Thread.

Whay are there DOTZ in your thread titles, Shep? :kobe Also, where's the link for the old thread? :Bischoff
 
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#311 ·
RE: Anthony Nese (from his Interview on TNAsylum the other day)

Q : Can you confirm the news that you signed a contract with Gabe Sapolsky? If so, is it an exclusive deal? Can you appear and wrestle on Impact?

A : Yes, I am now signed with DGUSA/Evolve. I can no longer appear on Impact during my contract years.

RE: Suicide

His role was played by Kaz, Daniels and Kiyoshi. I'd guess we won't see him more than a half dozen time between now and year's end if he wins the vote. Likely Kaz or Daniels to play the role.


RE: Rob Terry

Rob Terry is a perfect example of where TNA Talent Relations fails. There are bigger guys who possess a good look and who can actually work available yet TNA continues to not only employ Terry but push him as well. I'll give Terry credit for a slight improvement during his time spent in OVW but he still looks unnatural and awkward in the ring. He has nearly 6 years in the business now and there hasn't been a great deal of overall improvement whereas a guy like Uhaa Nation has spent 4 years in the business and is far far ahead of Terry with his in ring abilities.

TNA tends to sign a lot of lesser known indy talents and tries to develop them...but for whatever reason they tend to shy away from the bigger more popular (and over) indy names who more often than not possess in ring ability and a work rate that is light years ahead of whoever TNA is bringing in. (Anarquia, Crimson, Gunner, Murphy etc). They had Sami Callihan attend a Gut Check Seminar...imagine what Sami could have achieved with Crimson's undefeated streak push. It just boggles my mind that they could continue to improve the talent on the roster and potentially build new stars by signing the more talented and more ready names available and give them the pushes that they gave to the 4 aforementioned wrestlers.

Not saying they need to sign the Kevin Steen's, Sami Callihan's or Adam Cole's when it comes to indy talent (though it wouldn't hurt) but there are guys out there who can offer TNA a lot more than the guys they seem to bring in. More often than not the bigger names work a dark match or two at some point but nothing ever materializes. (El Generico worked 2 dark matches in 2011, one with Red the other with TJP and yet they brought in guys like Sorensen & Darsow to "earn a contract" and be a part of the XD at DX 2011 just a few months later).
 
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#446 ·
Well on the DVD thread, since Slammiversary 2013 is coming up, I am going to go ahead and rank all of the Slammiversary events to date.

Not only will I be talking about the 3 Hour PPV event which started in 2005, but I will also throw in the first two anniversary shows during the weekly PPV era, which TNA themselves sometimes count as part of Slammiversary retrospectives (though the name wasn't used until 2005).

So from worst to best, here we go!


10) Slammiversary VIII (2010) = The Hogan/Bischoff Era was in full force here and this show was just painfully forgettable. They had built up Sting Vs. Rob Van Dam for the World Title for months and the end result was a rather dull main event. Other insane goings on were the seemingly never ending Matt Morgan/Hernandez feud, Abyss and Desmond Wolfe having a match over Hogan's magic HOF ring, Bully Ray facing Jessie Neal for some reason (this was when Team 3D was REALLY getting stale), Jeff Hardy & Mr. Anderson teaming up and defeating Beer Money for some reason, and dull matches all around. Even a match like AJ Styles Vs. Jay Lethal, which you'd think would be good, was kind of ordinary. The only match on the show that stood out was the opening bout between Kurt Angle & Kazarian which was part of that awesome Kurt Angle goes up the rankings storyline that ultimately got dropped. Also, I should note that this PPV was held in the Impact Zone after three years of Slammy being on the road, so this show really had none of the electricity of an amped up crowd.

9) The Two Year Anniversary Show (2004) = What a weird show this was. It felt like they tried to make it bigger than their usual weekly show and the first month of FSN episodes of Impact built up to it. Comparing it to the 1st year show, it looked better produced and more professional. Some of it worked, some of it didn't. We got Jeff Hardy making his TNA debut in an X Title match against AJ Styles which got a HUGE reaction and made that match feel special. We got AMW having a pretty good match against Japanese duo Nosawa and Miyamoto. Trinity & Desire (remember them?) actually had a pretty decent womens stretcher match. Christopher Daniels also made his return to TNA which felt like a big deal just watching it. But then it got mixed in with all this other strange shit like a Mini-Luchador match, and a Jerry Lynn Vs. Scott D'Amore match that went on FOREVER! I don't have a problem with wrestler vs. manager matches, but they should be relatively short and done for laughs (ala Bobby Heenan). I swear to God this thing went on for at least 15 minutes. And then we got a mediocre World Title match between Jeff Jarrett and my all time fucking favorite Ron Killings which ended in bullshit controversy. It is a shame the 1st ever King of the Mountain Match they did before they went to FSN wasn't saved for this show. That would have certainly helped to make it feel bigger.

8) The 1st Anniversary Show (2003) = Fortunately, the last two matches were good. AMW Vs. XXX for the Tag Titles was a pretty solid match that only served as a prelude to their Cage Match a week later and AJ Styles & Syxx-Pac Vs. Jeff Jarrett & Sting had a nice big main event feel to it. Fortunately, they were the last two matches so at least it ended with a nice 1-2 punch. The rest of the show was a mess. Anyone remember the Hard 10 Tournament? If you don't, good, because it was stupid. Jerry Lynn & Justin Credible had a disappointingly short match, far beneath their usual work. There was a random ass six man tag at the start of the show too and there were bad segments and promos all around, including one VERY bad 3 Live Kru promo (God they sucked). TNA was definitely still having growing pains during this phase of the company. CM Punk was actually on this show briefly as part of the Gathering, so if you're a Punk mark, there is something to check out.

7) Slammiversary III (2005) = The strange thing about this show is that after seeing it, I remember feeling like the Preshow to the event was better than the event. That bit in the preshow where Jarrett attacked a fan, got arrested, and then Raven got put in his spot in the King of the Mountain match was actually pretty awesome. The show didn't quite live up though. It was just forgettable with a bunch of meaningless X Division matches, a dull tag title match (one of their many attempts to push The Naturals), Lance Hoyt Vs. Bobby Roode before anybody cared about Roode, an AWFUL match between Ron Killings & Billy Gunn (going by The Outlaw here). The 3 Way X Title match felt like it really dragged too (It was Daniels Vs. Michael Shane Vs. Chris Sabin). The only things on this show that really stood out were 1) The King of the Mountain Main Event with Raven winning the NWA Title which was fine and 2) Samoa Joe's debut which was impressive. TNA had been off FSN for a month prior to this event and with a summer of no television ahead of them, it really seemed like it was dark times for TNA. Fortunately SpikeTV was on the horizon.

6) Slammiversary IX (2011) = It felt like TNA was trolling the internet a bit with this one. Matt Morgan Vs. Scott Steiner? Samoa Joe jobbing to the undefeated Crimson? Yeah, that was a thing. Abyss as X Division Champion? Yeah, that was also a thing. Jeff Jarrett Vs. Kurt Angle for the 20th time as the main event? Mr. Anderson on what felt like his 10th heel turn in six months defending the title against Sting. There was so much to hate about this show, but AJ Styles Vs. Bully Ray in the LMS match was amazing, one of the best in the event's history. That raises the event at least slightly, and to be fair, Angle Vs. Jarrett was a pretty good match though far beneath their best (BFG08 & Gen09). Also, we got James Storm & Alex Shelley teaming up to form Gun Money to defend the tag titles & they had a good match with The British Invasion. The Hogan Era was still going and they were smack dab in the middle of Immortal, but the end was coming soon thank heavens.


It is at this point that I thought to myself, "Man, some of these shows really sucked!", but it does get better.

5) Slammiversary VI (2008) = There is certainly some dead weight on this event like the Lethal/SoCal Val wedding and Awesome Kong's open challenge which amounted to nothing but a bad joke. However, good stuff was to be found at this event like a really good X Title match between Kaz & champion Petey Williams, a solid KO six women tag, a solid tag title match between LAX & Team 3D, and a pretty solid King of the Mountain main event where Samoa Joe successfully retained the title. We also got a pretty damn good AJ Styles Vs. Kurt Angle match, the first time these two had faced on PPV. They had much better matches down the road, but this match was really good too. Nothing spectacular about this show, but overall, it did feel like a bigger than usual event from TNA, even with the deadweight.

4) Slammiversary V (2007) = Alot of people seem to be down on this show, but I really liked it. Yes there were 10 matches, which is way too much, but overall, I thought the show was fun and entertaining to watch. Not only did we get BY FAR the best King of the Mountain Match of all time this year, but I thought there was alot of fun stuff on the undercard. Roode Vs. Eric Young was actually really well executed and a sign of Roode's emerging greatness. Frank Wycheck and Jerry Lynn Vs. James Storm & Ron Killings was surprisingly fun. Rhino & Sensi Vs. The LAX in the opening match, though random as hell, was action packed and exciting. Jay Lethal won his first X Title in a really good match with Sabin. We were supposed to get Team 3D Vs. The Steiners, but this was when Scott had that bad injury in Puerto Rico, so to take his place, they got Road Warrior Animal which actually provided a nice little nod to have a Steiner & a Road Warrior team up. Daniels & Sting had a disappointingly short, but still really good match and Abyss & Tomko's hardcore match was about 10 times better than it had any right to be. I wasn't a fan of Alex Shelley jobbing to Bob Backlund or The New Age Outlaws (Known as Voodoo Kin Mafia or VKM by this point, ugh) being on this show...at all. But I thought the show was just fun and exciting all around and it was the first Slammiversary on the road, so it felt like a big deal. And like I said, the King of the Mountain Match (Angle Vs. Joe Vs. AJ Vs. Christian Vs. Chris Harris) was friggin awesome.

3) Slammiversary VII (2009) = The swerve at the end of the show ended up amounting to nothing worth noting, but it didn't take away from the fact that this show was very good. They did two King of the Mountains here, one for the X Division Title and one for the World Title. I normally had overdoing a gimmick, but they had them bookend the show so it didn't feel too much like over-saturation and both matches were different and provided great action in different ways, so it worked. I also really liked Beer Money Vs. Team 3D for the Tag Titles, another really strong match between the two teams. And then there was the intergender Monster's Ball with Abyss & Taylor Wilde taking on Raven & Daffney which quite honestly almost stole the show due to its violence and just wild nature. Another match I really liked was Sting Vs. Matt Morgan just because Sting was the first guy to try and make Morgan look like a giant which led to a much cooler match than the norm for him. Overall, this Slammy was just action packed and exciting from start to finish and it made for a fun PPV viewing experience.

2) Slammiversary X (2012) = This show really caught me off guard. I really didn't expect it to be as good as it was. I stated last year that this was my 2nd favorite Wrestling PPV last year, placing it only behind WWE's Extreme Rules. I just really liked this show. It wasn't loaded with MOTY contenders or anything like that. It was just a well booked show infront of a hot crowd and everything just came off amazingly well. Well, almost everything (Garrett Bischoff was on this card). What can I say about Joseph Park Vs. Bully Ray? That match, by all rights, should have been a disaster, but they told a story and put on a match that entertained and captivated everybody. Kudos on that one. You want to know why Bully Ray got a main event push? I am willing to bet it was because of this match. Other really good matches included a killer opening between Aries & Joe for the X Title, a wild 3 way contenders match between RVD, Jeff Hardy, & Mr. Anderson, and I thought Sting Vs. Roode for the title was solid and had the right finish (thank heavens Roode retained here). And then of course there was that awesome tag title match with Bad Influence taking on AJ Styles & Kurt Angle in a wild display. They also provided a handful of great little moments like Sting being announced to go into TNA's Hall of Fame (as ludicrous as that sounds, the segment came off well) and James Storm returning to end Crimson's unbeaten streak. They really hit a home run with this show. I can't say enough good things about it.

1) Slammiversary IV (2006) = Yes they were still in the Impact Zone by this point, but I wasn't quite sick of the place or its fans yet. What I loved about this show was how they built it up and executed. The blueprint for booking this show felt like it was taken from huge shows like Wrestlemania or Starrcade. Just great feuds with great build ups and satisfying match ups at the PPV to follow up on them. I loved the Kevin Nash Vs. The X Division storyline with his partnership with Shelley and their various skits together. That shit was gold, and it led to a pretty good match with Sabin at the PPV. We also got a really good X Division Rankings match that actually displayed individual personalities & talents like Low Ki & Alex Shelley to great effect. Team 3D & The New Age Outlaws (called the James Gang here) had a shockingly good hardcore match to kick things off and that was a payoff to a two month tag team rivalry. Speaking of tag team rivalries, AJ Styles & Christopher Daniels Vs. AMW with AJ/Daniels finally winning the tag titles was an amazing match & moment and a bit of a personal favorite of mine. Another great rivalry was Samoa Joe & Scott Steiner. They did an unbelievable job of making it look like these two wanted to beat the shit out of each other and it made the match exciting. Also, it was Joe's biggest win up to this point and felt like a big deal. And then of course we got the ending with the King of the Mountain Match. The match was good as usual with Jarrett, Sting, Abyss, Christian, & Ron Killings mixing it up to make an entertaining closer. What grabbed me was the ending where Jarrett cheated his way to the title yet again and the fans almost caused a riot. Personally, I loved it! That was some great heel heat and made for an awesome visual to close the show with. Overall, Slammy 06 was a great show with a build up and execution I wish TNA & WWE would adhere to more often when booking big PPVs.
 
#565 ·
Yeah that point of TNA in 2005 is trash. Its why I have years like 2006 & just about 2003 over it for the majority. But once TNA hits Slammiversary - on its off to the races with quality & entertainment. Well, Unbreakable isn't THAT good of a PPV. Suppose "fine" is the best word, but compared to the majority seen in the first five months of the year - its a touch better. You get matches like Aries vs Strong, Sabin vs Petey, Roode vs Hardy (which wasn't special but Hardy's best PPV match in company history at the time; decent. Showed Roode's eventual worth.) & a solid tag team championship four way to cushion things. If curious why I didn't list it, I don't like the Three Way main event.

Impact was having better matches than the PPVs were iirc. I remember the match where The Naturals defeated AMW right after Lockdown and it legit was good. MUCH stronger than most matches from Final Resolution, Against All Odds, Destination X, & Lockdown combined. That says a lot; although after viewing those PPVs you should know that means the tag match was at least a success and not a steaming pile of poo known as TNA's PPV scene early on.
 
#568 ·
i thought 2011 was bischoff bischoff for a second there :lmao


i know i havent missed much, it sounds really uninspiring. which is a shame. the PPV has potential though plus JOSEPH PARK TELEVISION CHAMPION. I should ask WOOLCOCK if he got round to watching Park vs Devon. if he hasnt yell at him for me plz
 
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