20 Greatest TNA Matches Ever
17. Abyss Vs. AJ Styles (LockDown 2005)
Those who only started watching AJ Styles once he debuted at the WWE Royal Rumble in January missed out on years of superb performances. As far back as 2002, AJ was regarded as a future main event player, quickly becoming one of TNA's first true homegrown stars. At LockDown 2005, he worked a stunning Steel Cage Match against Abyss.
Abyss was a lot lighter in '05, able to move around freely and even bump for the smaller AJ. In a cool twist, their match began outside the cage, enabling the pair to build anticipation for their bloody antics inside it. The brawling was exciting, and there was that familiar 'David vs. Goliath' element.
In the headline slot, Styles and Abyss killed it. The match was made to create a new top contender for the NWA Heavyweight Title at the next pay-per-view, Hard Justice. Nobody was thinking about Jeff Jarrett or the title during this one though, it was simply too compelling.
Much like many others on this list, Styles vs. Abyss from LockDown 2005 is a bout that doesn't get as much attention as it merits.