TNA Wrestling had a solid year when it came to PPV action in 2008. The promotion kicked off their pay-per-view calendar with Final Resolution on January 6. Ironically, Final Resolution would also be the final PPV of the year after the promotion replaced it with Genesis.
The idea of two Final Resolution events would be rectified the following year with Genesis airing on January 11, 2009. Back to 2008, the year saw Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe renew their iconic rivalry leading to some critically-acclaimed matches on PPV events and free television.
Let’s take a look at some of the best TNA Wrestling PPV matches of 2008:
Four-way Tag Team Elimination Match (Victory Road)
Team TNA, Team Mexico, Team International, and Team Japan collided in his highly-explosive opening contest at Victory Road 2008. The fast-paced offense from all participants kept the crowd invested from bell to bell.
MCMG, Milano Collection AT, and Masato Yoshino were arguably the best performers of the night. Their were some hilarious exchanges that made for the right dose of entertaining on the IMPACT Zone.
AJ Styles vs. Kurt Angle (Hard Justice 2008)
A show filled with gimmick matches, Hard Justice saw one of the greatest Last Man Standing matches in TNA history between Kurt Angle and AJ Styles. The pupil-teacher relationship was ruined over Styles involvement with Angle’s then-wife Karren.
This match felt more like a Texas Deathmatch even though TNA tried to sell it under the Last Man Standing stipulation. There were some creative counters including Styles reversing the Angle Slam into a Styles Clash.
Gail Kim vs. Awesome Kong (Final Resolution)
Gail Kim and Awesome deserve every bit of credit for putting TNA Knockouts Division on the map. Their rivalry even turned heads at a certain Stamford-based organization. After making history as the first Knockouts Champion in 2007, Kim found herself at odds with Awesome Kong.
The two women met in a No Disqualification Match for the title at Final Resolution. This was a true David vs. Goliath match-up. Kim was the underdog champion against the formidable Awesome Kong.
The powerhouse displayed her brutality by dishing some serious punishment on the champion. Kim did a terrific job selling her opponent’s offense. The highly-creative ending saw Kim pin Kong with a small package while she had the second referee in the powerbomb position.
Kurt Angle vs. Samoa Joe (TNA Lockdown)
This is probably the closest Kurt Angle got to competing under MMA rules. TNA Wrestling did a wonderful job adding the stipulation, which was proposed by both men. They even put the match together themselves.
“I was working with the writers very closely,” Angle told on his podcast. “We came up with concepts and ideas together, and the same was true with Samoa Joe. He was really articulate, too. He was bringing some stuff to the table. This was all of us working together as one.” (H/T Pro Wrestling Stories)
Angle ditched his iconic gear to go for a more MMA-based presentation for the match-up. The bout featured the right mix of mat work, submission, grappling, and all types of offense both men threw at each other.
TNA would name the Six Sides of Steel Cage outing their Match of the Year for 2008.
Kurt Angle vs. Abyss (Falls Count Anywhere Match – Turning Point)
You may have stumbled upon a clip featuring Kurt Angle pulling off an insane summesault dive off the stage onto Abyss. Well, now you have the origins of the spot. To be clear, the dive wasn’t the only insane spot of the night.
Angle and Abyss delivered one of the greatest matches in Turning Point, if not TNA Wrestling, history. On paper, the stipulation seems to favor Abyss. In reality, Kurt Angle was the to pull majority of the crazy spots.
Both men kept the match going at a fast-pace. The Orlando crowd was heavily invested in the brawl. The Wrestling Machine would pick up the win after putting Abyss through the Spanish announce table.
Honorable Mentions
- Beer Money Inc. vs. Motor City Machine Guns (TNA Turning Point)
- Monster’s Ball Four Way Tag Team (Bound for Glory)
- Kurt Angle vs. Christian Cage (TNA Final Resolution)
Also read: Best TNA Wrestling PPV Matches Of 2011
