Been watching TNA through 2004/2007 (2005-2006) being a bloody great period of TV for TNA, and Christ it's depressing what became of TNA. So I thought since the TNA thread is such a depressing car crash I thought about a three column idea for listing what you would consider genuine TNA moments (did they have any?) As well as your personal hits and misses and maybe why so.

 

MOMENTS

*Skipper walks the cage. TNA's version of the Superfly on the cage for several reasons. TNA were canny about always showing this and letting the visual sell itself rather than the modern day manufactured moments in wrestling.

*Angle headbutts Joe. Brilliant angle, superb stuff. The shot of Angle screaming at the camera while a bloody Joe creeps into shot behind him in superb.

*Hogan is coming. It went to shit, but at the time I felt that it could lead to something positive. It didn't, but hell when the announcement was made it spiked my curiosity.

 

HITS

*2005-2006. A cracking run of TV/PPV. It was a mix between national promotion/territory and I just love this period, the tag division was great fun at this time and the X Division was probably at it's peak roster wise. The rise of Joe was also great stuff.

*Paparazzi Productions. Pisses on the New Day personally. Shelley was absolutely brilliant as the rogue camera man for hire. A wrestler/TMZ sleeze hybrid. Once paired with Nash (in one of his best roles as delusional semi retired wrestler) it was solid gold stuff. Some of the funniest stuff in wrestling ever for my opinion.

*James Mitchell. A hit and a miss personally. A cracking promo/manager for Abyss. I love the bloke.

*Additionally, Beer Money, Bully Ray, the Angle/Jarrett 2009 Match, Scott Steiner rejuvenated, Black Machismo, Flair in TNA were personal highlights.

 

MISSES

*Dixie. Fucking mark, nasty woman when you peel the layers away. A moron, a PR spouting moron with her hands too involved... Bloody Serg.

*Monty Brown, how the fucked it up is beyond me. He was always good fun and they let it slip. An idiots mistake.

*Monday Nights. No, it was never going to happen and damaged the brand more than aided.

 

That's just a few, I'll let some others explain more.

05-06 I was all in on TNA. They had spent the year building Joe. Great x-divion matches, etc... then the month before their biggest show of the year (and they were building sting-jarrett) joe beats jarrett for no reason and doesn't get the belt. Angle debuts and russo comes in and everything falls apart.

Austin Aries wins the TNA Worlds Heavyweight Championship. Felt like a true star making moment at the time. His rise from his 2011 return, absolutely ruling the X Division, then transitioning to winning the World Title with a consistent string of great matches with everyone. I loved Roode's heel reign as well with many fun clever retaining of the title endings. The build to Roode/Aries, the match, and the rematch all just came together perfectly.

yea i remember a good amount of internet buzz around TNA during the period alucard described. a lot of "better than WWE!" talk. people were even giving aces & eights the benefit of the doubt at first...