My Take On 6.04.12: Csonka’s Top 10 TNA Moments

WELCOME!
Welcome back to the latest edition of My Take On! This year TNA celebrates their 10th “SLAMMIVERSARY,” and I figured that as someone that watched the promotion since day one, that I would take a look back and look at the top 10 BEST and WORST things that the company has done. And I did that, but today I am back for one more, one that has a personal touch to it, and when it is over, I would love to hear yours.

Today will be my FAVORITE TNA moments.

I am sure I will include things that people disagree with, and have things not on the list that many feel should be on the list. This will be my list as someone who, again, has watched since day one and someone who actually spends money on the product. That does NOT make me more qualified to make the lists, it is just background for those that may be uninformed about my background with the promotion. At one time I was not only a huge TNA fan, but I waved the flag for them before it became the cool thing to do. If you agree, fantastic, if you disagree, thanks for reading and I will respect your opinion. All I ask is that you are respectful of what I have presented, and I ask that you share YOUR personal top 5 or 10 if you have the time. I will not claim that this is a perfect list; just what I came up with and what I feel are ten of the worst things from the company’s history.

Again, I thank you for reading, and I hope that you enjoy the list…

AND NOW… LARRY’s TOP 10 FAVORITE TNA MOMENTS

#10. May 26th, 2004: The World X Cup

Since this is a favorite list, I will not shy away from the fact that this one in particular has some sentimental value to it. The reason it does is because this is the very first TNA event I recapped for 411. But on top of that, I have always been a fan of the TNA X Division, and I always look back to this event to remember why. During the days of the weekly TNA PPVs they did a lot of fun stuff, and the World X Cup events were always fun, but I truly loved this show, and it was well worth the $10. The show started with a fun gauntlet match featuring all of the competitors, followed with tag matches featuring Christopher Daniels, Elix Skipper, Johnny Devine, Bobby Roode, Heavy Metal and others. From there, a really fun ladder match between Jerry Lynn, Mr. Agulia, Taichi Ishikari and Eric Young. This was the first time I really started to like Eric Young, back in his “Showtime” days. There is a sick spot where Young is catapulted off of a ladder, to the floor where he lands in a Flair flop that is just insane. The show closed with a great Ultimate X match between Petey Williams, Chris Sabin and Hector Garza, which was the best Ultimate X to that point and totally stole the show. This was one of the first VHS tapes I converted to DVD, and again, holds some sentimental value since it was my first event I recapped, RIGHT HERE on 411.

#9. Raven’s TNA Debut

Coming in ay #9 on my list is the TNA debut of Raven. I was a huge fan of the guy in ECW, and felt that he never got the run he could have had in WWE. When word came in that he left, I was hoping that he would come to TNA, which was in its growing stages. With TNA being a small upstart, I felt a guy like Raven would fit in perfectly. The debut comes after a very fun match between Jeff Jarrett and Christopher Daniels, where Jarrett had overcome Sports Entertainment Extreme. As the locker room empties, a bloody Jarrett celebrates with the babyface crew, and as Borash goes to interview him, Raven appears out of nowhere to beat him down and deliver the evenflow DDT. He escapes with the title and joins with Russo and Sports Entertainment Extreme. Not only was this a fun debut that I had anticipated, but it also kicked off a great feud with Jarrett and Raven, which at the time did big business for the weekly PPVs. At a time when people felt Raven was finished and washed up, he showed that he till had a lot left in the tank. In the early years of TNA, Raven’s debut led to one of the better feuds that they produced.

#8. Ultimate X is Born

While TNA has had their misfires in terms of running and creating gimmick matches, (reverse battle royal says hello) the one match that they have created and done really well with is Ultimate X. At the time, Don Callis was involved with TNA as a “management consultant,” and was given the authority to deal with the problems within the X-Division. As you can see in the video above, Callis introduced the concept of their newest match, Ultimate X. The concept was simple; the belt is suspended above the ring on the wired X, where the competitors could not use a ladder or anything of that sort, they would have to negotiate the wires to retrieve the title belt. The very first match featured Michael Shane, Chris Sabin and Frankie Kazarian. At the time, these three men were considered the future of the division, and had the daunting task of being in the first ever bout. The match was a great effort for the first time out, and also featured a pretty gruesome blade job by Shane. At the end, just when you thought Shane was out of it, Shane was able to come back and shimmy across the cables to snatch the title and become the champion. Ultimate X was born, and is still a part of TNA to this day.

#7. He All The Rage, He’s Christian Cage

In 2004, Christian was on fire in WWE, working good matches and getting over on the mic. But at that time, WWE didn’t see big things in him, so when his contract expired, he left WWE. While I am not always in favor of TNA picking up every WWE cast off, I truly wanted Christian in TNA, because I thought that this would be his chance to be a top guy, and show WWE that he had what it took to be a top guy. At the 2005 Genesis PPV, Cage made his TNA debut, and I was completely thrilled. I have always been a fan of the guy, so when he actually appeared, it was cool. He debuted and he didn’t bash WWE when he cut his promo. He was billed as a big acquisition; he said that he gave up big money and that he came to TNA because he loved wrestling. He had a great run with the company, winning the NWA Title on two separate occasions, and providing good matches while there. While he obviously did not stick round, the debut and run was great and his time in the company was one I truly enjoyed. And when he came back to WWE, he was still great. He had the chance to show how good he was, he got a run on top, and proved many people wrong. Without his run in TNA, I highly doubt that he would have had that chance.

#6. “It’s Real…It’s Damn Real”

In 2006 Kurt Angle parted ways with WWE, under some questionable circumstances. There were issues with abuse of painkillers, and Angle wanting time off to properly recover. Angle was beaten down and in questionable health at the time, and while he says he quit, WWE will say that they fired and released him. Angle would then sign with TNA, bringing up criticism that the promotion didn’t have any regard for his health and issues. But with that being said, Angle’s debut is one of the cooler moments in the company’s 10-year history. TNA, as only they can, hyped a big signing, and at the end of the No Surrender 2006 PPV, they aired a video, which can be watched above. It features Angle training in the six-sided ring, with he voice over putting over all of his accomplishments, and Angle fully revealing himself, stating that, “It’s Real…It’s Damn Real” as he cackles like an evil genius. Angle’s debut was exactly what it should have been, a teaser, an announcement of things to come. And from that point on, Angle has been one of the top names in the promotion, wining titles and having great matches, even while coming off as a bit crazy (MMA, Olympics, Arrests). It’s almost hard to believe that Angle has been with the company for six years, and he is easily one of the biggest acquisitions that they have made that has also delivered.

#5. Turning Point 2004: Elix Skipper Cheats Death, Walks the Cage

If there ever were a true HOLY SHIT moment in TNA, it would be during the 2004 Turning Point Cage match between Triple X and America’s Most Wanted. The feud between Triple X and America’s Most Wanted went back to the first year of TNA, where the company built to their first ever cage match featuring the two teams. At that time, back in 2003, it was their fifth meeting, and Triple X had gone 4-0 leading into the cage match against AMW. But the feud would come back, and there was only one way to end the feud, six sides of steel, where the stipulation was that the losing team had to disband forever. While their first cage match was very good and built up well, but this was to be the final chapter in the feud, and for one team to walk away with the right to be called “the best tag team in TNA history,” to that point anyway. That match itself is excellent, and worthy of inclusion as a whole and one of the best cage matches in TNA history, but in trying to narrow down a moment that TNA has been able to replay over and over again, you have to look to Elix Skipper. In the later part of the match, Chris Harris is set atop the cage, with bad intentions. It is then that Skipper climbs to the top, and walks along the top of the cage like a tightrope and hits the “new school” RANA on Harris. This happened back in 2004, and if you saw it then or even a replay afterwards, it is very hard to forget. Holy Shit indeed…

#4. AJ Styles Wins the NWA Title

Early on, even before TNA, I had heard the name “AJ Styles” being discussed as a new up and comer in the world of wrestling. Sure he had a cup of coffee on WCW TV with Air Pairs, but it was after WCW closed down that the talk really started. When he was signed to be a part of the new TNA project, he was one of the names that I wanted to keep tabs on and watch, and as time went on, I became a fan. In June of 2003, Styles was in a triple threat match with Champion Jarrett and another challenger, Raven. While the booking can be called into question, and the whole association with Russo rubbed people the wrong way, I loved the fact that Styles won the title. He was a new and fresh face on the mainstream-wrestling scene, and at the time, TNA was filling wrestling fans with hope of a new and fresh company. Again, we can question certain things, but the fact that Styles won the title and held it for four months was a great thing for fans looking for something new, it gave them hope, and proved that they saw a lot in Styles. And since then he has obviously been a main player for the company, holding several titles, main eventing many PPVs, and having some of the best matches in the history of the company.

#3. Dude, You Never Head Butt a Samoan, I Don’t Care How Many Gold Medals You Got!
In my top 10 things that TNA did right column, I discussed the Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle feud, and with my inclusion of the announcement that Kurt Angle signed with TNA here, it shouldn’t be a surprise that I include the first interaction that Joe and Angle had together in TNA. At this time, Samoa Joe was a complete badass and had taken control of Jeff Jarrett’s NWA Title. Jarrett was going to defend against Sting, and TNA wanted possession of the title back for the match, and had announced Angle as the special enforcer for the PPV title bout. Angle would make his debut as Joe was refusing to give the title back, and while the title fight was going to be with Jarrett and Sting, TNA was setting the table, and they wanted you to know that Joe and Angle were the new big dogs in the yard. I loved how they shot the angle here, Kurt debuts, head butts Joe and gets to stand tall. And as he celebrates, a pissed off and bloody Joe arises and kicks ass. The brawl was short, which was good as these things can go too long and then loose their impact so to speak. This was not only a good way to debut Angle, but it set the stage for a feud that was one of the best in TNA’s history, and as I mentioned in the best column, culminated at Lockdown in a great match, and an angle that actually made TNA money. While that came later, it is fun to look back at the night where it all began.

#2. October 2005: TNA Debuts on Spike TV

It’s no secret that TNA really struggled in their early years. Wrestling writers said that they wouldn’t make it three months, and they were almost right due t the Health South disaster. But Panda Energy and Dixie Carter saved them, and the call was made to break from the weekly PPV model and head to traditional TV. They signed a deal with Fox Sports, which when I mentioned in the best column, got some heat because I sort of downplayed the deal. A reader correctly stated that Jerry Jarred mentions that he knew about WWE leaving Spike and that Spike would be looking for a new wrestling show. And that this is why they made the investment to go onto Fox Sports. This is true and it did make sense, but the financial drain on TNA hurt them at the time, due to them having to pay for the TV time. It was both a good and bad thing. But they eventually left FSN, and went “dark” for a few months, airing the shows online. The funny thing is that this time was some of the best booking in the company’s history, as they kept it simple, which tends to work more than not. But through that entire struggle, they finally got what they wanted, a TV show on a network that would actually get behind them. While the TNA debut on Spike TV isn’t a revolutionary show by any means, as a fan of the promotion and wrestling as a whole it was a spectacular moment. It meant that the company would survive, that they would have a chance to grow, and that the talent I had started to really get behind would keep their jobs and keep entertaining me. While I will freely admit that the product angers me at times (due to the fact that they have so much potential) make no mistake, I am still a fan.

AND NUMBER ONE IS…

#1. Unbreakable…

Coming in at #1 on the list is a match that many call the best match in the history of TNA, the Unbreakable triple threat match between AJ Styles, Samoa Joe and Christopher Daniels. Now, I am not sure that this is my “bets TNA match ever,” as there have been some great matches, but at the same time I will not argue with those that feel that it is, it is simply that good. But this match doesn’t just come in at #1 because it is that damn good, it comes in at the top also because of what it represented. This was another example, similar to the Turning Point tag team match between AMW and Triple X, where TNA decided to give the man event of a three hour PPV to their younger guns, their fresh faces, the guys that didn’t have that WWE pedigree. They handed the ball to these guys and let them do their thing, and that was to have a compelling wrestling match for a title that was hotly contested after. For this PPV they put the NWA Title match (Raven defending against Rhino) on the backburner in semi-main event status, and they presented the X-Division title as important, and on top of that, they presented Daniels, Joe and AJ as stars. Again, the match is simply fantastic, and delivers on every level as a wrestling match and as a PPV main event. When people think back on great TNA matches, this match always comes up in the conversation as one of the very best, put on by three of the very best. I think if you’re looking for a perfect example of why people loved TNA and thought that they had so much potential, I think that this match is the example of why they believed.

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Again, I am sure I missed some of your selections, and if I did, again I ask that you are respectful of what I have presented, and I ask that you share YOUR personal top 5 or 10 if you have the time. This is not the end all be all list or any where near perfect, just my opinion and I would love to hear yours.

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