In many ways, the deaths of WCW and ECW were a boone for the world of independent wrestling, because it wiped the slate clean and gave companies like TNA and Ring of Honor chance to sprout up. Ring of Honor had an outstanding roster in those early days, but two names stood head and shoulders above the rest, Bryan Danielson and Samoa Joe. While in Ring of Honor, Samoa Joe held their World Championship for a record 21 months and had classic matches, including a five star classic with Japanese legend Kenta Kobashi. He debuted for TNA in 2005 and immediately went on an impressive win streak which lasted for eighteen months, before he was dethroned by the debuting Kurt Angle. This is often cited as the tipping point in TNAs history, as they took a hot young talent of their own and immediately had him lose to the wrestler people know from WWE. TNA did make it up to Joe by making him the man to defeat Christian Cage, who was on his own win-streak of twenty-three months. While Joe hasnt always been treated the best by TNA, hes been a loyal soldier for nearly ten years, and always gives 100%. Fans have watched him grow from a cocky upstart to the grizzled veteran that he is today, and hes returned to the X Division to show the kids of today that he hasnt lost a step.
