10 Precise Moments TNA Was The Best Wrestling Show On Earth

2. The Headbutt Heard Around The World

Kurt Angle TNA Debut
Anthem

TNA's reputation for the infamous "[Ex-WWE guy] Is In The Impact Zone" debut was such that it's become an audience gag that's survived long after the actual company initials. Unfortunately for the organisation, they believed they had evidence of its success.

Kurt Angle's arrival in the building - not least because he didn't require a wacky new name painfully close to his old one - and subsequent scuffle with Samoa Joe was so perfectly performed that it looked like proof of concept.

Unstoppable tweener Joe was holding Jeff Jarret's NWA Championship hostage, but was interrupted by Angle's electrifying arrival. Hostilities kicked off between the two immediately when Kurt stuck his nut on the 'Samoan Submission Machine' drawing blood and utter rage from the company's other biggest star.

It kicked off a three-match series between the two and a spell of Angle almost always having Joe's number. As if they were worried they wouldn't have him as long as they eventually did, TNA started hot with the Olympic Hero. And that same heat hadn't subsided two years later...

 
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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 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. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, 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