The Rise & Fall Of TNA | Wrestling Timelines

25. November 13, 2005 | At Last

TNA at last signs a hot free agent who does not arrive with the WWE reject stench: Christian Cage.

This is a major coup. Christian is a great, rave-reviewed all-rounder who makes the switch of his own volition because his face doesn’t fit in WWE…literally; promoter Vince McMahon wanted to superimpose a blue dot over it. Cage wants to prove that he can lead a promotion as a main event star. He will be joined in January 2006 by pro wrestling legend Sting, who has wrestled sporadically for TNA, but will soon make his proper debut as a potential game-changer working something close to a full-time schedule.

The youthful TNA core remains strong, acclaimed, and motivated. The promotion is in a decent position to benefit from the exposure afforded by Spike TV.

Authored by Michael Sidgwick

Contributor

Michael Sidgwick (Creative Writing BA Hons) is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over a decade of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential UK institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!

Posted On: 11th May 2026

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