10 Moments When TNA Was The Hottest Wrestling Company In The World

5. Triple Threat

Kurt Angle Samoa Joe
Impact Wrestling

'It's not about weight limits, it's about no limits', was a canny tagline for TNA to avoid turning their flyers league into another failed Cruiser/Light Heavyweight experiment, and for a while in the company's earliest days, it summed up the varied appeal of their scintillating creation.

The X Division was so more than a collection of highspots from hungriest gymnasts on the independent scene. Whilst Jeff Jarrett frustrated audiences as a credible but dated heel World Champion, the roster of younger innovative performers lit up TNA's midcard with flips and dives that foreshadowed the industry's eventual obsession with gif-worthy action.

Though the performers were often light on character development or significant storylines, that was often a blessing in disguise. Saved from silly angles, the in-ring action ensured support for the talent. Those that did get over through their personas were only further enhanced in the eyes of the TNA faithful.

Arguably the peak of the division came at Unbreakable 2005, when titleholder Christopher Daniels defended his title against AJ Styles and Samoa Joe. The triple threat was a futuristic spotfest held together by the thread of disdain both Joe and Styles held for the champion.

Placed as the main event on the card, it reflected the company's acknowledgment of the three's exceptional gifts, and remains the only match in company history to be given 5* from The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett