12 Wrestlers Who Did Their BEST Work In TNA & IMPACT
9. Austin Aries
It is easy to forget that Austin Aries was in WWE.
'The Greatest Man That Ever Lived' was actually with the company for a few years, but his run was overshadowed by bigger names and forgettable matches. An undeniably talented performer, Aries is best remembered for feuding with Neville, arguably the only decent Cruiserweight Championship feud of that time. Well, that and an absolute barnstormer with Shinsuke Nakamura.
Aries has done a lot of excellent work outside of WWE, but his best run was undoubtedly his ascension to the TNA World Heavyweight Championship in 2013. Aries went from midcard heel to beloved main event babyface in a matter of months, doing so through a succession of great matches and a work ethic that will always inspire adoration.
Modern wrestling is plagued with performers winning titles and claiming that they will be the one to restore credibility to said title, before doing approximately bugger all with the belt. Aries is the exception, as he single-handedly dragged the X-Division from irrelevance to importance over the course of 301 days.
Aries eventually vacated the title in exchange for a chance at Bobby Roode’s World Heavyweight Championship, a chance he grabbed with both hands. Austin Aries has been a pro wrestling standout for well over a decade, but this was his finest run.