Hey Yo Stud Muffins & Foxy Ladies,
Pro Wrestling Love vol. 35:
The Best of TNA Wrestling 2002-2009
Objective: Break up the Greatest Match Ever Project
(hosted at http://gweproject.freeforums.net/) into more manageable chunks to help me
build my Top 100 List for the project.
Motivation:
Contribute to the discussion around these matches to enrich my own
understanding of pro wrestling and give a fresh perspective for old matches and
even hopefully discover great pro wrestling matches that have been hidden by
the sands of time.
Subject: This thirty-fifth
volume of Pro Wrestling Love is the Top 6 countdown of the best matches to take
place in TNA Wrestling from 2002 to 2009. TNA Wrestling was founded by Jeff
& Jerry Jarrett in 2002 as a response to closing of WCW and ECW in 2001. It
began with a weekly PPV model on Wednesdays from TNA Asylum (Nashville Fairgrounds).
Being on PPV only, it was supposed to be edgier pro wrestling and Vince Russo
could realize all his perverted fantasies. Even though Jarrett & Russo
dominated the main event scene, the X-Division (aka the workrate division)
carried the show thanks to AJ Styles, Low-Ki and Amazing Red among others. AJ
Styles, who I consider the greatest American wrestler of the 21st
century, was booked as Mr. TNA showing that Jarrett and Russo did have some brains.
He captured the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in 2003. In 2004, they
switched over to the weekly Free TV/Monthly PPV model. They had an amazing 2005
with the arrival of Samoa Joe and the push of Christopher Daniels to accompany
the Phenomenal AJ Styles. My peak TNA fandom was from 2005-2007. In October of
2006, Jeff Jarrett needed to take leave to tend to his dying wife who
ultimately passed away from cancer. I believe in 2008/2009 he lost complete
control of the company to Dixie Carter. The reason this countdown stops in 2009
is because the arrival of Hulk Hogan & Eric Bischoff completely shifted the
TNA landscape in January of 2010 thus 2009 is a reasonable stopping piint. You
can revisit past Pro Wrestling Love Volumes at
ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com. You can check out the full version of these
reviews in ProWrestlingOnly.com by going to the forums and finding the folders
associated with the date of the match.
Contact Info: @superstarsleeze
on Twitter, Instagram & ProWrestlingOnly.com.
 |
| The Three TNA GOATs |
Honorable Mentions
AJ Styles vs Samoa
Joe – Sacrifice 2005
X-Division Champion
Christopher Daniels vs AJ Styles vs Samoa Joe – Unbreakable 2005
Samoa Joe vs
Christopher Daniels – Final Resolution 2006
X-Division Champion Samoa
Joe vs Christopher Daniels vs AJ Styles – Against All Odds 2006, TNA Match of
the Year 2006
X-Division Champion Samoa
Joe vs Christopher Daniels vs AJ Styles – Destination X 2006
TNA World Champion AJ
Styles vs Christopher Daniels vs Samoa Joe – Turning Point 2009
The Unbreakable Triple Threat is probably the most famous match
in TNA history and is the most usual choice for best TNA match ever. I think it
is a great spotfest, but AJ Styles & Co. out did themselves in plenty of
singles matches. I think a lot of people forget that they ran the same triple
threat three more times, twice in early 2006 and once in 2009. The other three
are great too in fact I think you can make the argument that the Against All
Odds triple threat is the best version of this trio because of how smartly it
is worked with Daniels & AJ working together to try to defeat the
unstoppable, undefeated Samoa Joe, but ultimately coming up short. In addition,
this trio had three more classics that make the top 6 list, but AJ vs Joe Sacrifice
2005 (their first TNA encounter) and Joe vs Daniels Final Resolution 2006 (the marquee
Joe vs Daniels encounter) should be watched.
X Division Champion AJ
Styles vs Amazing Red – NWA-TNA 10/30/02
AJ Styles vs Amazing
Red – NWA-TNA 12/11/02, TNA Match of the Year, 2002
AJ Styles is obviously the TNA GOAT and was pretty much the
best wrestler on the roster from the very first show to his very last show. I
love his matches with Low-KI, but his matches with Amazing Red in 2002 were his
best output from that year. We don’t get to see AJ against a smaller opponent
often so this a great change of pace and AJ is at his cocky heel best against
Red.
AJ Styles vs Low-Ki –
NWA-TNA 9/25/02 2 Out of 3 Falls
NWA World Champion AJ
Styles vs Low-Ki – NWA-TNA 8/13/03 TNA Match of the Year, 2003
AJ & Low-Ki were two of the best wrestlers in the world
in 2002 & 2003 and it is no shock they had some great matches. The only
thing holding them back from that classic status is how TNA was run they just didn’t
have the time and storyline that really allowed to put on a stone cold classic.
Alex Shelley vs Chris
Sabin – Genesis 2009 Vacant X-Division Championship
I thought this was a terrific, avant-garde pro wrestling
match. I love babyface vs heel dynamics, but I thought they wrestled this fantastically
without babyface vs heel dynamics. It was not face vs face with a subtle heel.
It was just two wrestlers who were friends and tag team partners that respected
each other that were fully invested in winning the match and it never degraded
into a spotfest. I definitely recommend this one.
TNA World Champion
Kurt Angle vs Samoa Joe – Lockdown 2008, TNA Match of the Year 2008
Oh what could have been! The idea of this match is for the
bout to resemble a shoot fight. What makes it different from RINGS or other
Japanese shoot-style is this incorporates a lot more Jiu-Jistu. At the time of
RINGS & other Shoot Style, Catch Wrestling & Judo were the kings of
Martial Arts. However, due the success of the Gracies in the UFC, Jiu-Jitsu caught
as the premiere Martial Art. This match is wrestled shoot-style but very different
from in Japan as there is a lot more guard positioning, full mounts and ground
& pound. They do work pro-style moves, but there are no Irish Whips and no
rope running. So it feels really distinct and I think this would be a great way
for a pro wrestling match to stand out in today’s landscape. I would love to
get more people’s take on it because I think it is a really unique match in
American pro wrestling.
TNA Knockouts
Champion Gail Kim vs Awesome Kong – Turning Point 2007
TNA Knockouts
Champion Gail Kim vs Awesome Kong – Final Resolution 2008
It pains me to leave these two matches off. If you believe
the WWE, women’s wrestling didn’t get good until 2014, but Gail Kim and Awesome
Kong prove them wrong having two amazing back to back matches on PPV. Really
great David vs Goliath stuff. Kong is the female Vader, hard-hitting, athletic and
fearsome. Kim to her credit never dies. He is always scrappy and always
fighting back. These matches are the last cuts and I implore everyone to watch
them it is really great stuff!
Top Six Matches of TNA Wrestling, 2002-2009
#6. America’s Most Wanted vs XXX (Christopher Daniels & Elix Skipper)
Turning Point 2004 Six Sides
of Steel
TNA Match of the Year, 2004
There have been a lot of crazy spots in the history of pro wrestling, but I still think this one is the craziest. Skipper really could have died in the spot that made this match iconic and I think everyone knows the spot I am talking about: the tight rope walk across a top of the cage into a hurricanarana. I mean that was a narrow pipe we was walking across. I dont blame TNA one bit for constantly replaying that for the next five years. That was truly incredible and insanely dangerous. If he lost his balance, it was over man. They were chanting "Please Dont Die" and you know what it was earned. Probably the single most iconic spot from TNA. It is funny the match is so known for that spot that you forget there is a great match going on before and after the spot. I thought this was a great combination of spotfest and bloodbath. Daniels gets busted open early during the shine. AMW take him to task. Skipper ends up saving him and they work over Harris. Nice little mini-comeback for AMW where they go for the Death Sentence (badass name for the move)n but settle for the high crossbody. The match goes to the next level when they use AMW's handcuffs to cuff Harris to the turnbuckle. I have seen this match before and my recollection was that this kinda drags, but it was shorter than I remember. I really love Daniels jabbing the key into Storm's head. AMW are both bleeding at this point. Good heel miscommunication and then spear by Storm to get the key. Then it is a lot of great double team moves and cage spots. XXX hits both the crossbody/suplex spot and the Death Sentence. When that does not work, Daniels wants Skipper to go all the way up and this leads to the iconic spot. After that, Daniels hits a top of the cage elbow drop which would be insane if it was not for what just happened. Nice barrage of highspots and nearfalls ensue. They cuff Daniels in retribution and then XXX's finish to pin Skipper, win the match and XXX can never team again. One of the best non-AJ Styles TNA Matches of all times and a great confluence of blood & guts with highspots and of course it will never be forgotten due to that insane Skipper spot.
#5. X-Division Champion AJ Styles vs Christopher Daniels
Against All
Odds 2005 Ironman Match
There is no doubt in my mind that AJ Styles was Wrestler of the Year in 2005. He had three match of the year contenders including this one and was really good in every role he was called upon in TNA.
First Fall: They did a great job building to the first fall in the opening 15 minutes of this classic. I really liked how Daniels made AJ earn his dropkick. Leapfrog->nope Daniels Rollup. Dropkick -> nope Daniels holds the ropes. Then AJ just nails one when Daniels is unaware. Shows they really know each other. Good chain wrestling early and strong quick covers. AJ Gets a couple big highspots. AJ's balance on the ropes is so good! When Daniels pulls in the ref, AJ is able to pause on the rope and come back down. Daniels uses the momentary hesitation to knock AJ off the apron onto the railing. Daniels works a clinic on AJ's ribs. AJ sells so well sucking for air and bumping in such a way that he lands on his ribs. The Split Leg Moonsault was a good nearfall. AJ gets a mini-comeback where he hits a lot of his low-grade signature spots. However, when AJ goes for 450 splash he eats knees. "Where?" Mike Tenay asks, "RIGHT ON THE RRRRRIBBBBBSSSSS" - Don West exclaims! I loved it. AJ did a full layout on this because he is All Man and he takes the Angels Wings full layout too. Great stuff. Daniels goes up 1-0 in a super tight 15 minutes.
Second Fall: Daniels continue his work on the ribs. I like how he has added taunting and trash talking to each move now that he is up 1-0. Lots of great gutbusters and selling by AJ. I loved the abdominal stretch as a cutoff against one of AJ's comebacks. It was sudden and tight. AJ never died and kept fighting. The Phenomenal Forearm was a good nearfall. I love the Pele Kick. It is just a great transition. It comes from out of nowhere and it is a head kick so it stuns the opponent and really feels like a momentum change. They throw out a little too much stuff here. The takeaway is AJ hits the Angel Wings to get two. AJ wants the Styles Clash, but thats reversed and he reverses into a rollup for three to tie it up.
Third Fall: I love Daniels reaction to Styles' pin. He very forcefully shoves AJ out of the ring. He has snapped and wants the title. He drives AJ's head hard into the ringpost busting him wide open. Daniels works the cut great lots of punches and headbutts. That one headbutt was a great nearfall. AJ shows some fire under a minute, but Daniels plants him into the Koji Klutch. Great visual with clock winding down and the blood pouring from AJ's head like a faucet. The match goes to a draw or does it...Daniels feels like he would have won the match if he just had one more minute. He calls for Sudden Death and Dusty Rhodes agrees! Daniel beats AJ down and crosses himself with AJ's blood. Cool visual but the follow up move was pretty lame. He should have hit Angel Wings or the Best Moonsault Ever. AJ throws him off the top rope and then hits a rana to set up the Styles Clash and win.
Awesome match from an awesome year from AJ Styles! Not quite as good as his matches with Abyss and Samoa Joe, but this still ruled. Great ribs work that was sold well and Daniels did a great job working on top. I thought the third fall was awesome in its urgency and a great comeback for AJ
#4. Chris Harris vs James Storm – Sacrifice 2007 Texas Death Match
TNA Match of the Year, 2007
To me, this epitomizes the power of pro wrestling. Take two guys I dont care about. I am not being mean. I dont have positive or negative feelings about the Wildcat or Cowboy. Great pro wrestling transcends that. You invest when the wrestlers are invested. I have generally enjoyed James Storm during my strong TNA fandom from 2005-2009. My memories of Chris Harris are fainter. This is a hellacious bloodbath stands up there with some of the best Southern brawls of the 80s. Two plot points is all you need to know they were a tag team called America's Most Wanted and James Storm turned heel and blinded Chris Harris in one eye. Bang! Im sold. Lets do this. I thought the early brawling through the crowd was great and heated. Chris Harris as the babyface dominated, he was pissed and his emotion was carrying the day. My two favorite parts of the shine were Storm throwing the drink in the face, but Harris responding with a hard Irish Whip. Then Harris guzzling a beer before doing a top rope splash over the railing onto Storm for the first fall. That was totally unexpected! Harris' nonchalant demeanor worked there. Traditional Death Match rules here as it is a pinfall that precedes the 10 count. I actually prefer this to current Last Man Standing rules. We will get into this later in the match. Wildcat gets hung up in a tree of woe and Storm blasts him with a chair. Harris gigs himself. Wildcat is a really cool nickname for a pro wrestler. Harris tries to valiantly fight back. He catapults Storm into the underside of the table in wicked spot and Storm is busted too. Double juice! Storm has a five alarm bladejob. Storm punts him in the balls as his only recourse to stem the metaphorical bleeding and Harris succumbs to the Eye of the Storm through a table! I thought the table bumps were great in this match. Well setup and use for maximum impact. Believe the hype, match has been absolutely tremendous thus far. Hate-filled, blood, punches, big time spots. Storm is looking to add weapons to meter out more punishment. He wants to hurl Harris over the top rope through a table, but that is blocked and instead Harris goes all Big E and spears Storm off the apron through the table! HOLY SHIT! Wow! Jacqueline (in a Confederate Cowboy Hat I might add) stops the Wildcat from getting a pin. Now this is the part of the match where I think traditional Death Match rules shine. They trade nearfalls. Storm hits a wicked desperation Van Daminator (Harris was about to take his head off with a chair) and Harris hits the Catatonic on a trash can. Both cases both men kickout at two out of pride. This is saves the audience for another long 8-9 count. Also, the pinfalls give a clear delineation of when a knockdown count should begin. It also saves us from the silly double knockout finish. I had never given much thought to this before, but I think traditional Death Match rules are superior to today's Last Man Standing. Jacqueline tries to save Storm after that Catatonic and thats when Gail Kim comes down and drags her out. If I remember correctly, Gail Kim was AMW's manager in late 2005/early2006 so good callback there. The finish is short and sweet, both men have a beer bottle. It is back to the OK Corral who has the quicker draw. Storm goes to spin Harris around, but BANG! Harris cracks him with the beer bottle for the pinfall and knockout victory. DAMN! Thats how you do a Southern-Fried, Revenge Bloodbath match! I love the efficiency of this match. Every highspot is so meaningful and so sticky. Hate, efficiency and blood you cant beat that! I think I am kinda underrating this right now, but just doesnt feel Top 100, but its damn close. Definitely a contender for best TNA match ever!
#3. TNA World Heavyweight Champion AJ Styles vs Christopher Daniels –
Final Resolution 2009
TNA Match of the Year, 2009
Daniels puts on a career performance and AJ puts on a performance that is on par with his best. It is very rare I think someone outshines AJ, but I thought Daniels was doing so many of the little things so well and suffocating AJ that I have got to give the nod to Daniels as the better wrestler in this match. This match is worked so much differently than most TNA matches as they let spots breathe, use strikes effectively to set up spots and has psychology that actually follows the angle surrounding the match. I was really floored how friggin good this match was both when I watched it initially in 2013 and now in 2019. The story is how AJ would overcome Daniels' combination of ruthlessness and familiarity with his moves.
Daniels takes advantage of two early rope breaks to take cheap shots at Styles. He also rushes in after each cheap shot and cinches in a hold on AJ. He is not gloating. He is here to win. I love his attitude. He takes advantage of AJ's good nature, who still has a soft spot for his friend. There are two really good spots that I just loved from Daniels they showed he was not going to give AJ anything in this match and AJ was going to have to earn every bit of offense. The first one is Daniels is able to counter an AJ kip up by sitting down on an armbar and the second is he is able to pick an ankle on a criss-cross spot because he knows AJ just that well. When the hell do ever see those two spots absolutely quashed. Nothing should ever be taken for granted and I like that Daniels turns the tables. They really work the mat effectively I wish they would work this way more often. I liked the dueling dropkicks. Daniels tries to hit AJ's signature dropkick combination, but AJ is too wise for that and sets up his own and nails it. When AJ does take control because Daniels gets cocky he really lets the fists fly and talks some trash to Daniels. Hate in a TNA match??? Whaaaaaattttttt? They do a great job climaxing AJ's shine. Daniels powders because he is a coward. So AJ baits Daniels by coming out to the apron causing Daniels to charge, but AJ evades and Daniels runs into the post and then as Daniels is selling AJ catapults himself over the top rope crashing down on Daniels.
There is a great two spot combination that gets Daniels back in control. The first is a wicked monkey flip that sends AJ crashing into the corner causing a bad landing. The second is a rudimentary clothesline while AJ is on the apron. What makes this so special? Watch how AJ takes this bump. It is so gnarly. Yes, I said Daniels was the better wrestler on this night but if Daniels was wrestling at a A+ level then AJ was wrestling at an A level that's how high quality this match was. When Daniels regains control, he sets up AJ to get smacked with a chair and as the ref discards that chair he Rock Bottoms AJ through an chair (obviously silly as the mangled chair is left behind, but I am going to let it slide). This sets up the back psychology and a really damn good heat segment. AJ gets a hope spot and goes up top to capitalize, but Daniels wails on his back. Then Daniels manages to hoist AJ up and basically do a backbreaker but use the top turnbuckle as his knee. If you are going to do innovative spots, then at least make them violent and that fit in perfectly. Daniels continuing working the back with strikes and holds.
I like how AJ re-establishes control first it is by big time punches to the head but when Daniels throws him out of the ring AJ hits a nasty powerbomb on Daniels onto the floor when Daniels tries to hit a huricanrana. Up until that point, Daniels had almost no highspots. Everything was fundamental and ruthless and AJ made him pay. AJ follows up with more strikes and trash talk. This does not feel like a TNA match at all and the TNA crowd does not how to react. I hate to admit, but it was pretty heatless even though this was an insanely great match. There is a great moment when Daniels not only hooks the top rope, but has his foot hooked on the bottom rope too to ensure AJ will not be able to take him over. Daniels uses AJ's own momentum against him crotches him on the ropes (AJ's bumpis great here). I really liked the suplex from this position. Now Daniels is using some wicked open hand palm strikes. They fuck up a super Franeknsteiner. They fight over a suplex and AJ hits a wicked brainbuster on Daniels' injured head. At some point, Daniels has this massive lump on his forehead that just looks gnarly. Phenomenal Forearm gets two when Daniels gets his leg on the ropes. I like that Daniels used this foot there. It showed that the Brainbuster/Forearm would have done him in.
They struggle over Styles Clash; AJ hits him with the Pele which is usually the setup for the Styles Clash, but Daniels scrambles for the ropes where AJ hits him with a stiff kick to the back. Daniels throws a desperate open hand strikes. AJ is trying for the German suplex, but Daniels uses the ref and he rakes the eyes to hit an Urnage then hit the BME. Daniels takes his frustration out on AJ's head by punching his head repeatedly and then clawing the eyes. I love the hate and violence. AJ gets a catapult and then follows up with a Styles Clash kickout. AJ gets set up on top rope (maybe Spiral Tap); Daniels hits a big palm strike; goes for another super Frankensteiner this time he eats a super Styles Clash for the 1-2-3!
This match unlike most TNA matches actually followed the story of the angle. It was two wrestlers pissed off at each other trying to prove they were better than the other. Daniels was great at heeling it up and he left most of the goofy moves at the door. He was out to use his guile and experience to best AJ. He started off really working the arm well before zeroing in on the back with ferocity rarely seen in TNA. AJ is such a great babyface at both selling and those fiery comebacks. His punches were really on point and he too did not work all his usual offensive spots and instead focusing on executing moves that fit the match and would finish his opponent. I liked the finish a lot because it combined smart escalation (Top Rope Styles Clash) with Daniels going to the well once too often (2nd attempt at Super Frankensteiner). I think this is one of the grossly underrated matches in the history of pro wrestling and easily the Match of the Year for 2009
#2. X-Division Champion AJ Styles vs Samoa Joe – Turning Point 2005
I wrote in 2013: Greatest AJ Styles Performance Ever? I will say his performance against Bobby Roode in an ironman match at Final Resolution 2012 is his greatest performance of all time, but this is probably a Top Ten AJ Performance and thats saying a lot because he has had so many great ones.
My favorite moment when I watched in 2013 is the same as when I just watched it again: When Styles does a float-over off a Joe suplex attempt onto the apron instead of doing it fluidly he lands on the ropes to sell the exhaustion. I was in awe. He takes that extra couple seconds to really sell. Consequently instead of immediately following his forearm on the apron he sold more exhaustion before finally to trying to hit a springboard and ate a Joe powerbomb. Sublime. What I think stands out the most about this match compared to so many X-Division matches is the physicality. This match was a fuckin war and AJ got a nice busted up lip for it. Each wrestler earned everything they got.
AJ set the tone charging at Joe and manhandling him. You dont see Joe manhandled too often, but AJ was all piss & vinegar. AJ hits fucking hard and he was blasting Joe. I love how pumped AJ was after his snap suplex and his trademark dropkick. This does not get brought up enough, but AJ is so good at his dropdown. The whole point of the dropdown is trip your opponent while he running the ropes OR mess up his timing. Watch that Joe really has to step over AJ because AJ does his dropdown so tight. Since Joe is thinking about that, he does not think about the dropkick. Once Joe gets a hold of AJ the match really gets brutal. These are some of the sickest, stiffest kicks you will ever see. AJ did that sick bump off the apron onto the floor again and took Joe's offense like a champ. Joe kicked is leg out from under him and took a header on the apron. Then the real exclamation point is how Joe just slung him into the railing. This was a total shitkicking. Credit to AJ that he sold like a champ and bumped like a madman, but he never died. He always let us know he life left in his body. Thats huge. There is a great moment when AJ was looking to start a comeback but Joe just shoves him down and then hits a flying kick right to the face. I love how simple & brutal the match is. I loved the transition to AJ's comeback as it was Joe being overzealous and AJ having the presence of mind to back body drop outside the ring. Then he capitalized with a beautiful Fosbury Flop. I love how after each move AJ was going after pins because he knew he was weak and this was his shot. It really sold the urgency, you could feel that his time was fleeting and if he didnt capitalize now everything was lost. I loved the cat and mouse game they did late in the match with AJ duckin' and divin' not allowing Joe to get that full 100% impact. The busted lip happens here and it really had a big fight feel and that moment epitomized it. AJ continues back with flying kicks especially that wicked spinkick that rocks Joe. AJ needed those big bombs and head shots. Tenay & I think he going Styles Clash, but he hits a massive powerbomb for two. AJ tries to charge Joe, but it is a WICKED LARIAT (this lariat is insane; JBL would have creamed his pants for sure) and then a wicked Tiger Driver, but each time AJ kicks out at one. FIGHTING SPIRIT~! There is a great vicious sequence, Joe hits a wicked slap and then AJ hits his Pele Kick. That's the head rocking, stun kick, AJ usually uses to set up the Styles Clash, but here AJ sets the big man up on the top rope. which I dont love. The one flaw is the fact that AJ tried twice to setup Joe for moves on the top turnbuckle, which seemed odd. The second time it led to an awkward sequence and a lame AJ powerbomb (more like a double leg takedown), which only existed to give AJ a way to hit the Styles Clash. It was a minor flaw. AJ goes for a victory roll, but Joe traps him in the clutch and it is Goodnight Irene for AJ. After the match, Joe beats up AJ and tries to give him a musclebuster on a chair, but Daniels saves. I liked this match a whole lot, but I think I liked AJ/Abyss a hair more (I wrote that in 2013 and still feel that way now), but both are neck and neck for Best TNA match ever at this point. I have no idea why the Unbreakable match is the more famous match. This match blows that match outta the water. Again, it is the finish that holds this match back from being *****. To me this combines BattlArts brutality with really awesome bumping from AJ and start of the art offense with a strong story of urgency from both men really wanting to win.
#1. AJ Styles vs Abyss – Lockdown 2005 Six Sides of Steel
TNA Match of the Year, 2005
I thought the arena brawling was good. I liked Abyss' response to AJ's defiance, goozling him and then hurling him back first into some steel fencing. The match really kicks into the next gear when AJ decides he will die for our sins. AJ takes like 8 million ridiculously awesome bumps in this match. First it is the crazy snap back bumps after Abyss whips the steel cage door into his face, which causes AJ to bleed. Then in the ring, AJ just get ridiculous elevation on all sort of bumps as Abyss hurls him. The best part of this match is AJ never dies. He keeps fighting back and he keeps letting us know he is there. I loved how AJ spun out of cover instead of kicking out. Great way to sell within a cover. Once in the cage, Abyss did some great power offense and a classic Southern-style, bloodbath cage match developed with AJ timing each hope spot for maximum effect. I loved how the hope spots were all about driving Abyss' head into hard metal objects and they were also a taste of his own medicine because Abyss was setting these spots up but AJ was countering them. Really good shit here. AJ was averting disaster but it looked like his nine lives ran out when Abyss finally wrangled him in the Black Hole Slam, which was a great nearfall from Abyss, the first really strong nearfall of the match. Abyss understands he needs to up the ante so he pours out the thumbtacks. Loved the struggle and drama of who would go into the thumbtacks. It is AJ hitting a Styles Clash into the thumbtacks! I love how both men sell. My only nitpick is that really should have been the finish. I thought the finish was a little overwrought. AJ realizes he needs to up the ante so he ascends to the top of the cage. Abyss throws the ref into the cage and this causes AJ to lose his balance, which by the way is insane. Like AJ could have killed himself there, he is a nut. What I didnt like was the whole hanging with the chain it didnt feel like much and didnt like how AJ was able to survive, climb back in and hit a sunset flip powerbomb on the tacks for the win. It was a literally perfect match up until the chain hanging spot.
If someone wanted to argue this is the greatest David vs. Goliath match, I would listen. AJ shined throughout this match. He came in with an excellent gameplan, he bumped like a madman, wrestled a smart counterwrestling match, hit two massive moves late. Really awesome performance. Credit to Abyss for not just being an imposing monster, BUT not wrestling small. He resisted the Irish Whips early and he did not let himself look vulnerable at all until he started having head bashed into steel. Abyss made himself a mountain to scale. That made AJ's victory all the sweeter. My pick for the best match of 2005 anywhere in the world (have watched Low-Ki vs KENTA since and now it is very close)! *****
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