RIP TNA: A Memorial - Part 3

In a continuations of my tearful send off of TNA, the match I want to share with you today is America's Most Wanted versus Triple X in six sides (count them) of steel. The rivalry between Triple X and AMW came a head after a two year build-up in this match match, which can be fairly described as one of the craziest cage matches in TNA history.

RIP TNA: A memorial - Part 2

The next match I want to share with you is from Final Resolution in 2005. The match in question is one of TNA's greatest innovations: the Ultimate X. In this match we see Petey Williams versus AJ Styles versus Chris Sabin for the X Division title.

TNA have done some shite gimmicks in their time, but the Ultimate X isn't one of them. This was the first Ultimate X match where the combination of wrestlers and spots made it a staple of the (what seems to be) long forgotten X Division.

Sit back and enjoy, this is an awesome match.

RIP TNA: A memorial.

Let's not dwell on the bad times, TNA has put on some amazing matches in its time. In a tribute to TNA here is the first part of my top ten matches in TNA history.

My tenth favourite match in TNA history is from August 2002: Jerry Lynn versus Lo-Ki versus AJ Styles. There was a lot of crap that was put out during the first few years of TNA, and matches during this time haven't aged well. This is still a great match and has some pretty nasty spots once the ladders get involved. Enjoy!

Greatest matches ever!: WWE Kurt Angle and Chris Benoi versus Edge and Rey Mysterio

No Mercy, 2002, had some pretty impressive matches. There was Brock Lesnar versus Undertaker in Hell in a Cell, and the match I want to share with you today for the, then new, WWE Tag Team Championship.

If this match proves anything, it is not only that all of these guys are tremendous talents, but also that Benoit's wrestling career is something that should be celebrated rather than brushed under the carpet because of the unfortunate circumstances surrounding his death.

Anyways, enjoy!





It's weird to hear Taz not talking about "yam bags" at every opportunity.

Greatest Matches: Davey Richard versus Eddie Edwards (ROH 26th April, 2010)

Though ROH's TV show can be pretty inconsistant, when they put on a good match, you know it's a classic. One such match was for the ROH TV title from back in April between Davey Richards (who has had an excellent year) and Eddie Edwards.

Enjoy!

Greatest Matches Ever! WWF The Rock versus Mankind, Royal Rumble 1999

I was discussing the recent 'I Quit' match at WWE's Over the Limit with Ric Flair's Bleeding Forehead earlier today and we both came to conclusion that it was not a great 'I Quit' match and made both Batista and Cena look like pussies.

If anyone has ever seen Beyond the Mat, you will be familiar with how far Foley pushed his body in this match, and what a match it was.

Damn, this is what an 'I Quit; match should be like, this is what a good crowd sounds like and this is what Jerry Lawler should sound like.

WWE has waned in popularity in reent years as they have toned down the violence and adult themes of the show, meanwhile, older fans have turned to MMA (UFC 111 had more buys than Wrestlemania 26 which were shown on the same weekend). The fact is that there aren't that many people over the age of 25 who are convinced by Cena, and damn it, they want to see violence. Anyway, lets take a look at this great match between the Rock and Mankind, and then compare with Cena versus Batista....

Greatest Matches Ever! WWF: Shawn Michaels versus Razor Ramone, Summerslam 1995

After watching this week's Raw and the Fatal 4 Way PPV, I have been left wandering why the hell I even what WWE anymore. Maybe I'm turning into one of those people who tell you that music in the 60s was better than it is now, because WWF/E used to put on some awesome matches. Then I think about some of the matches that TNA/ROH/PWG are putting out at the moment, and then I realise I'm not being nostalgic, some of the best matches I've ever seen have happened over the past 5 years, it's just WWE that has gone shit. I think it was the screwjob of Danielson on NXT, and then firing him for working an angle which has pushed WWE over the line for me. Of course, when the kids are chanting 'we love Cena' at any house show they can, when they're the ones buying the merchandise and pestering their mums and dads for them to buy the next PPV, you can see why dumbing down is seen as a good business decision. Shame.

Anyway, I'm coming across as one of those bitter people who rant about stuff they haven't a clue about on the internet, and I'm really not. Just to prove it I'm going to share one of my favourite matches. Now if you're a new WWE fan, you might not like it, but this will be because you're not used to watching decent wrestling. Any fan over the age of 25 will have fond memories of wrestling in the 890s, and most of the time it is just nostalgia talking, but Shawn Michaels versus Razor Ramone at Summerslam 95 is awesome, and set the groundwork for pro-wrestling since.

It's weird watching this match again and realizing that Scott Hall didn't always waddle to ring or get out of breath when climbing into the ring. Anyway, enjoy!









Rose-tinted specs or not, this match is awesome

I think you'll like this...

I was looking for some Tajiri stuff for the 'Greatest Moves of All Time' series we've got going on here, and I came across this gem...it's a match from way back when RVD was actually pretty good. This is a throwaway WWF match from round about the time of the ECW invasion angle, albeit for the Hardcore title which RVD held, but RVD puts on a much better performance than anything he's done in TNA.

The whole match is worth watching, but the bit you'll like starts at 1:55...

Greatest Matches Ever! America's Most Wanted versus Triple X, TNA Turning Point, Dec, 2004

Before Beer Money, James Storm, alongside Chris Harris, was one half of one of the greatest tag teams in TNA history: America's Most Wanted. These guys had great chemistry and they looked like bad asses. Today I want to share one of their best matches, a cage match against Triple X (Elix Skipper and Christopher Daniels). The stipulation for the match was that the losers of this match would have to disband. Enjoy!


TNA Turning Point 2004 Destiny Awaits!

Greatest Matches Ever!: AJ Styles vs. Abyss, TNA Lockdown, April 2005

I've made no secret of the fact that I think that Abyss is a waddling fat fuck who doesn't deserve to be given the push that he is at the moment. But, there was a time when Abyss was in shape and put on a decent match. The match I want to share with you today is a great cage match with one of the most brutal ref bumps I think I've ever seen. It just goes to show how bad Abyss is today. Maybe its because he's a face, or maybe because he's now 'in excess' of 350 pounds, who knows?
Anyway, enjoy:




I miss 6 sides of steel :(

Greatest Matches Ever! TNA: Samoa Joe vs Kurt Angle (Genesis, 2006)

To my reckoning, there have been five notable matches between Samoa Joe and Kurt Angle; this one was the first, and in my opinion the best. The match had it all: great drama, great build-up, great moves. Coming into the match the result wasn't obvious. On Impact a few weeks before, Angle had just made his TNA debut and went straight for Joe. At that point Joe had been undefeated for 18 months; he was the top guy and Angle went for him. The energy going into this match is insane and Joe and Angle put on one of the greatest matches of their careers.

New wrestlers could learn a lot from this. How to structure a match, how to sell, how to be a face - it's all here. This is fucking awesome:



It's about time Joe and Angle get back into the ring together and TNA stop pissing about.

Greatest Matches Ever! NWA: Ric Flair vs Terry Funk (November 16th, 1989)

It is difficult not to underestimate the importance of the "I Quit" match between Terry Funk and Ric Flair at NWA's Clash of the Champions in November 1989. With Funk coming into NWA in 1988, a feud between him and Flair soon kicked off and culminated in this match. I you want two competitors who seem like they would happily kill each other, this is the match.
For its day this was an incredibly physical match and was one of the first matches to bring Funk's hardcore style to the mainstream. I think this match still holds up today as a great match. With Ric Flair being so old and incoherent on TNA, it is difficult to forget that he was one of the greatest wrestlers, in the ring as well as on the mic.
Prediction: with 21 years of this match approaching in November, I would not be suprised to see TNA organise a rematch.

Greatest Matches Ever! TNA: Alex Shelley vs Chris Sabin

Genesis was probably one of my favourite PPVs of 2009 and this match was one of my favourites. Alex Shelley takes on his tag team partner Chris Sabin for the X Division title. This match shows the difference that in-ring chemistry can make to a match. It might not be the greatest pure wrestling match of all time, but as a piece of choreography it is awesome.

Greatest Matches Ever! ROH: Samoa Joe vs CM Punk (October 2004)

Before CM Punk was everyone's leasr favourite savior and before Samoa Joe was in dire need of some sit-ups, they were some of the best up-and-comers on the ROH roster. For those not familiar with Ring of Honor (ROH), think of an indie promotion run by Jim Cornette, which as had top names on its roster including CM Punk, Brian Danielson, AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, and Nigel McGuinees (AKA Desmond Wolfe), to name a few.

I watched a shoot interview recently from around 2005 with Joe and Punk talking about this match. They did three one hour matches together for the ROH championship, the second being my favourite. According to the interview, both Joe and Punk had gone into this match injured, and what's more, the match was booked at short notice and the match came as a suprise to the fans at the event as the match wasn't advertised on the card. With only a few minutes contact between Joe and Punk to plan any ideas for the match, it is suprising that they put on a decent match at all. On paper we have the potential for a train wreck match, but in reality it is one of the best matches I've ever seen. Watch it and enjoy the drama.  









See?
ROH Ring of Honor Straight Shootin' with Samoa Joe & CM Punk Dvd! March 10, 2005