10 TNA Matches You Totally Forgot (That WWE Should Now Book)

5. Kurt Angle Vs Samoa Joe

Jeff Hardy AJ Styles
ImpactWrestling.com

Main eventing one of TNA's most critically and commercially successful shows ever, Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe proved their worth in an absorbing MMA-inspired main event inside a 'Six Sides Of Steel' structure designed around their heated war.

The pair had fought incredible battles against one another since Angle's surprise arrival in TNA in the summer of 2006, but the Olympic Gold Medallist's dominance over the 'Samoan Submission Machine' had done much to undo the company's impressive investment in Joe as an indestructible (and undefeated) destroyer prior to the series.

His clinical Lockdown victory over Heavyweight Champion Angle briefly undid much of the stigma, and anointed Joe as TNA's top man for at least a short spell until his defeat to Sting later that year.

The pair rarely faced after the raft of contests around that time, and their spells on screen together in Monday Night Raw's chaotic current climate have for many fans harkened back to an age where their rivalry was the most thrilling and dynamic story in wrestling.

The last decade aesthetically looks to have been kinder to Joe, with his current role as Raw's 'destroyer' as well observed as Angle's kindly General Manager disposition, but a WWE exhibition of the two submission specialists would almost certainly elevate their story beyond even TNA's lofty presentation and likely help return Angle to his unsentimental best.

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