2007 brought some major changes for TNA Wrestling. In March, TNA and NWA mutually agreed to terminate their partnership. This was due to NWA wanting control over the championships, whereas TNA wanted to create their own titles.
The dissolution led to some interesting changes for the promotion on television and behind the scenes. The NWA World and Tag Team Championships were replaced with the TNA World Heavyweight and Tag Team Titles.
Also, the Knockouts Division fully kicked off with Gail Kim’s becoming the inaugural champion at Bound for Glory 2007. Her feud with Awesome Kong would put the division on the map while delivering some incredible matches on the IMPACT Zone.
XXX vs. LAX (Tag Team Titles No. One Contendership Ultimate X Match – Bound for Glory)
A high-risk Ultimate X Tag Team Match with some creative sequences and highly-underrated storytelling. Hernandez loses himself as soon as he goes for the giant X for the first time.
The burden falls on Homicide to win the match on his own, but he is overwhelmed by Elix Skipper and Senshi (Low Ki)’s collective might.
Hernandez recollects his momentum and comes up with a creative solution. He tosses Skipper with a Razor’s Edge onto Senshi and Homicide outside, goes all the way up to the X and uses his legs as leverage to unhook it.
AJ Styles vs. Rhino (Elevation X Match – TNA Destination X)
TNA never shied away from trying something new during their early years. The company debuted the first-ever Elevation X Match at Destination X. This modern take on the scaffold match featured AJ Styles and Rhino.
Rhino was, surprisingly, agile for this match, even though he had bulked up a lot between his ECW and TNA days from the 2000s. Styles was fantastic, as always, with his insane bumps. The gore on the top got a huge pop from the crowd.
Kurt Angle vs. Sting (Bound for Glory)
This clash of two generational superstars headlined Bound for Glory 2007. Both men had already met in multi-man setting prior to this meeting. Sting had already achieved legendary status by the time he squared off against Angle.
The Olympic Hero would solidify his status as one of the very best in this business with a performance only he could pull off. The spot where Angle accidentally cut Sting open with the baseball bat only for Stinger to not sell it is simply epic.
King of the Mountain Ladder Match (Slammiversary)
TNA Slammiversary 2007 featured one of the greatest King of the Mountain Matches in company’s history. The all-star assemblage of AJ Styles, Chris Harris, Christian Cage, Kurt Angle, and Samoa Joe truly give this match a big fight feel.
On paper, the stipulation may seem complex and difficult to pull off. But then again, what could go wrong when you have such an incredible talent in the ring. Every single participant in this match worked hard to put on nearly 20 minutes of high-octane action.
James Storm vs. Chris Harris (Texas Death Match – TNA Sacrifice)
The implosion of America’s Most Wanted kicked off one of, if not, the best feuds in TNA Wrestling’s history. After James Storm (kayfabe) blinded Chris Harris with a beer bottle to the face, both men met in a Blindfold Match at Lockdown.
The match was widely panned by fans and peers alike. Feeling they had something to prove, the former tag team partners delivered one of the best TNA PPV matches of 2007 at the Sacrifice pay-per-view event.
While the pinfall-last man standing combo stipulation was weird, the in-ring action was top notch. Both men bled buckets in their attempt to keep the other down and out for good. The spear spot through the ropes all the way onto the table was simply incredible.
Honorable Mentions
- Samoa Joe vs. Christian Cage – Bound for Glory
- Kurt Angle vs. Samoa Joe – TNA Hard Justice
- Lethal Lockdown Match – Lockdown
- Christian Cage vs. Kazarian – TNA Genesis
Also read: Best TNA Wrestling PPV Matches Of 2012
