2006 saw some major arrivals in TNA Wrestling. Both Sting and Kurt Angle made their foray into the IMPACT Zone. Sting hadn’t competed in a wrestling ring since 2003. The Icon made his in-ring return by teaming with Christian Cage against Jeff Jarrett and Monty Brown.
The tag team division also witnessed an uptick as Konnan joined forces with Apolo and Homicide to form the Latin American Xchange (LAX). The biggest signing, however, came when Kurt Angle made his debut in the IMPACT Zone.
Angle would immediately prove his value by giving TNA some of the best television matches of 2006:
Samoa Joe vs. Puma (TNA Xplosion #128)
A rare piece of underrated clash between Samoa Joe and Puma. For those unaware, Puma was one of TJ Perkins’ earlier gimmicks. This is a 5-minute match but fans get to see a lot of action within said time duration.
Joe tries to end the match as quickly as possible, but Puma is no slouch. They have some good exchanges. Perkins gets to show his athleticism. Joe picks up the win with his Muscle Buster-coquina clutch combo.
Kurt Angle vs. Abyss (Prime Time Special – November 16)
Kurt Angle arrived in the IMPACT Zone on October 16, 2006. The Olympic Gold Medalist immediately ignited a rivalry with Samoa Joe. A match between the two men was set for the Genesis PPV.
Angle would make his TNA in-ring debut just three days before the PPV event. The former multi-time world champion carried Abyss to a solid match at the November 16 edition of iMPACT. The big man did a great job selling Angle’s offense to make for a strong show before Genesis.
AJ Styles & Christopher Daniels vs. America’s Most Wanted (NWA World Tag Team Title Match – January 1)
NWA-TNA was still very much an alliance when this match took place. America’s Most Wanted entered the match as the reigning and defending tag team champions. Their opponents were two of the best wrestlers in the world at the time, AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels.
While the two teams would have many great matches at future PPV events, this bout made for a compelling television match. A distraction by Shannon Moore ultimately sealed the win for Chris Harris and James Storm.
Christian Cage vs. Rhino (Six Sides of Steel Barbed Wire Cage Grudge Match – November 16)
Christian Cage kicked off his feud with Rhino after turning heel on Sting at Hard Justice 2006. Captain Charisma defeated Rhino at No Surrender and Bound for Glory. The would settle their feud inside the six sides of steel cage laced with barbed wires.
Rhino looked absolutely dominant in this match. The War Machine bruised and battered Christian to the point of him wearing a crimson mask. However, Christian would still win the match after a gore from Rhino sent him crashing through the door to the outside.
Christopher Daniels vs. Samoa Joe (TNA X-Division Title Match – April 13)
Christopher Daniels captured the X-Division Championship in an Ultimate X Match also featuring Samoa Joe and AJ Styles at Destination X. The Fallen Angel put his title on the line against the Samoan Submission Machine at the April 10, 2006 TNA iMPACT taping.
The match aired on tape delay three days later. This match had a sense of urgency and intensity, especially from Joe, who was hellbent on recapturing the X-Division Championship. Daniels looked incredible in his fiery comebacks but couldn’t kick out following an avalanche Island Driver from Joe.
Also read: Best TNA Wrestling TV Matches Of 2008
