TNA celebrates the year 2016 by celebrating some of the best moments
The end of the year is upon us and TNA is looking back at some of the biggest moments of the year. From debuts to Broken Brilliance, there has been a lot going on this year. Not to mention, all the talks of TNA going out of business in late October. Overall, TNA has been putting on some of the best weekly shows and it is always nice to look back.
Lashley had one heck of a year dominating all his competition. He started the year without championship gold and will end it in the same manner but still as one of the most dominant champions in TNA’s history. It started with the World Championship and then he continued to collect titles. Is Lashley the most dominant World Champion of all time?
One of the more forgotten moments was Kurt Angle’s Farewell Tour. He decided to walk away from TNA in early 2016 and picked his last few opponents. This tour made for some of the best matches of the year and showed the ability of some of TNA’s marquee talent.
Drew Galloway’s second year in TNA proved to be a big one for him. Not only would he compete for the Grand Championship but he also held his first World Title. He was also a part of Angle’s Farewell Tour earlier in the year. He started the year as the Leonidas of TNA and has completely changed his demeanor at the end of the year. How was Drew Galloway’s year in TNA?
The X-Division saw one of its brightest stars become World Champion this year. Eddie Edwards shocked Lashley and the rest of the world when he did the impossible. DJ Z also wore championship gold as he has lead the X-Division for the better part of the last half of the year. Who had more success in 2016, Drew Galloway or DJ Z?
What was your favorite TNA moment of 2016?
Lashley vs Drew Galloway
Result: Lashley def. Galloway via knockout.
Tonight’s TNA Impact Wrestling episode was a best of 2016 recap. It started with the domination of Lashley as TNA World Champion. We are taken back to the match between Drew Galloway and Lashley at Slammiversary where the winner had to be determined by knock out or tap out. Drew Galloway taking a suicide dive through the table was one of the most amazing moments of the year. That was certainly a bump I wouldn’t want to take. Also, seeing Galloway reverse a powerslam into the tombstone piledriver showed the versatility of the Leonidas.
Lashley vs Eddie Edwards
Result: Lashley def. Edwards via pinfall.
The second moment of the night was Eddie Edwards climbing his ladder to go after the World Championship in the six sides of steel. It was the title vs title match where the winner takes all the gold. This was certainly a huge moment where Lashley looked to take every title in sight and become the most dominating man in professional wrestling. It is certainly simple to say that Lashley was one of the most believable champions in quite some time. Seeing what these two men would put their bodies through emphasized the importance TNA World Championship.
Lashley vs James Storm
Result: Lashley def. Storm via pinfall.
For a match between two men who are getting up there in age, this was another classic. Both men put on a pay-per-view worthy match on one of the weekly Impact shows. It somewhat shows that TNA would benefit from more pay-per-views considering they are able to showcase incredible matches weekly. The story line was already there as one man would hold every singles championship in the company. There were many moments where it could go either way and considering that Storm hadn’t been World Champion in a while, there was always a chance. Obviously, Lashley won and struggled to physically hold every championship and this would be the beginning of a new era.
I loved seeing Lashley hold all the gold considering it is a thing that barely happens in wrestling currently. It was one of the best moments in TNA from this year as Lashley showed that he was the best wrestler in the world or at least TNA. He even had a hilarious moment with Knockout’s Champion at the time, Sienna. It was a time where no one looked like they’d ever beat Lashley.
Angle’s Farewell Tour
It was tough to see Kurt Angle saying goodbye to the business he’s loved so much. In hindsight, he is still wrestling to this day but to leave the company where he became a serious competitor was bittersweet. He went on a Farewell Tour with handpicked wrestlers and it all started with Drew Galloway.
It was enjoyable watching these two battle for nothing but respect. Everyone is thinking that Angle will put everyone in the world over before he leaves but he actually defeated Drew Galloway which would lead to a rematch in the near future.
Kurt Angle vs Bobby Roode
Result: Angle def. Roode via pinfall.
The first TNA World Champion versus TNA’s longest reigning champion of all time. Simply another amazing match that gave the fans their money’s worth. Not necessarily a dream match because it has happened before but still emotional to see Roode as someone that Kurt respected. It is somewhat interesting to think about that Roode isn’t with TNA anymore but this match certainly continued to open up WWE’s eyes.
Matt Hardy vs Drew Galloway
Result: Galloway def. Hardy via pinfall.
It was weird going back and watching the Iconic Matt Hardy again with all the broken brilliance. A man hungry with power after turning against the fans and EC3 is upset by Drew Galloway. This was back when Galloway still had his feast or fired briefcase. TNA has changed so much in a year but it has continued to progress and show consistency. The overzealous Matt Hardy was quickly defeated by Drew Galloway as Galloway wins his first World Championship in TNA.
Drew Galloway vs Jeff Hardy
Result: Galloway def. Hardy via pinfall.
Two completely different styles going at it for the World Championship. Drew Galloway reversing the Swanton Bomb with his knees on the steps still makes me cringe. It wasn’t as bad as Hardy going directly into the steps. This was a back and forth match but Galloway once again finds a way to come out on top. It’s still amazing how Jeff Hardy continues to throw his body around like he does. Galloway had a productive first run that was well deserved.
Drew Galloway vs Matt Hardy
Result: Galloway def. Hardy via pinfall.
Seeing Rockstar Spud try to take out Drew Galloway are the incredible moments that you forget. Hardy’s alliance with Spud and Tyrus after turning on EC3 were nothing near what the Broken Era was soon to become. I was amazed as I watched Galloway defy the odds and Hardy not somehow find a way to obtain victory. The run of Galloway continues and I genuinely enjoyed it because I had always been a fan of his.
Gail Kim is Announced as the 2016 Hall of Fame Inductee
Kim became the first ever Knockout to become a member of the Hall of Fame. A well-deserving one at that considering she was the first ever Knockout’s Champion. She became a pioneer of the Women’s Division in TNA and started a revolution before WWE even came up with the idea. It was nice to see her be appreciated as she may be coming to the end of her time in TNA.
Her speech was passionate and brought back some of her foes from the past. TNA repairing the bridges between them and Awesome Kong was truly amazing. It put Gail Kim’s Induction over the top.
Gail Kim vs Maria for the Knockout’s Championship
Result: Kim def. Maria via pinfall.
Kim having a chance to become a TNA Hall of Famer and Knockout’s Champion on the same night. Bound for Glory had already been an awesome night and finally Gail Kim got her hands on Maria. Once the running was over for Maria, she stood no chance against Maria. Unfortunately, her reign would come to an abrupt end when she was injured and there have been talks of retirement.
The Broken Era Begins
EC3 and Matt Hardy battled inside six sides of steel in one of the biggest rivalries of the past year. A rivalry that literally made me upset when Matt turned. EC3 also had to battle his two former adversaries Tyrus and Rockstar Spud. He took out Tyrus but Rockstar Spud was another issue. Spud slammed the door on EC3 and created one of the greatest heels in the X-Division.
The Final Deletion
This was the most talked about match of 2016 between Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy. Either you loved it or you hated it but it was definitely unique. There was fireworks, reincarnation, and falling off of high structures. Willow made an appearance but Senor Benjamin was the equalizer or the goat. Watching Jeff Hardy fall unto his broken demise left the fans wondering what his fate was.
The Great War
The Hardys vs the Decay was another unique feud that pinned similar character against each other. This is still my match of the year considering I am an editing nerd. I loved seeing a match that was both live and pre-recorded at the same time. I still don’t understand how TNA pulled this off at their biggest pay-per-view of the year. There was still a story told and fighting outside of the ring. Reby with the cherry on top by putting Rosemary through a table and Jeff Hardy jumping off the highest ladder he could find to end the match, retaining the Tag Team Championship.
TNA Debuts
The year started out with Mike Bennett who made his intentions clear. Mike Bennett found ways to escape with victories over EC3 and made Moose’s debut a huge surprise. He ruined Destination X’s main event and Moose made an immediate impact. He took out Lashley and created the buzz for one of the most anticipated matches for 2017. Aron Rex cut a realistic promo about WWE and the opportunities that he saw in TNA. Former Rhodes Scholar teammate, Cody Rhodes debuted at Bound for Glory with his wife Brandi. Brandi’s first match was in TNA and it was awesome watching the Bennetts tap out at the same time. All of the debuts had their special moments sprinkled within.
The Decay Become TNA Tag Team Champions
The Decay faced Beer Money for the Tag Team Championships as they faced one of TNA’s most decorated Tag Teams. The Death Dealers had carved a path of destruction since their inception in early 2016. Even miscommunication couldn’t stop the Decay as they were in their element with weapons all around. Decay had become an unstoppable team with only a certain level of brilliance that could stop them.
Jade vs Rosemary in Six Sides of Steel
Result: Rosemary def. Jade via pinfall
After Gail Kim had to vacate her championship, Jade and Rosemary were set to battle. Rosemary was the complete opposite of what Kim was looking for as a Knockout’s Champion. This was Rosemary’s first singles match in TNA but couldn’t be more in her element. The leader of the Decay seemed to be just as unstoppable on her on as her win gave the trio new life. It proved to be a fantastic match with a clash of styles and only made since that Rosemary would be victorious.
Ultimate X for the Vacant X-Division Championship
Result: DJ Z wins Ultimate X.
The X-Division features some of the most talented wrestlers in the world. Ultimate X is such an awesome match to watch and has fans always craving for more. There was no better way to settle who the true Champion was. I love a match of this magnitude because it shows off the entire division. Many of the guys who are overlooked like Mandrews and Andrew Everett force viewers to watch them. I was excited to see DJ Z win the championship again but still am looking for more story lines involving the X-Division.
Eddie Edwards Becomes TNA World Champion
The night when Lashley was given a choice in his opponent, he decided to go with the “easy” choice. This turned out to be a night that fans will never forget as Eddie Edwards was dominated but pulled out the huge upset. This was at the point where Lashley looked like he’d never be beaten but Edwards was a Boston Knee Party away. Edwards continued to be a fighting champion and has improved as he has been put in the spotlight. Although the win was a shock, it has been a huge help for Edwards to be thrust into uncomfortable positions. He has battled Lashley, EC3, and Cody as World Champion and continues to come out victorious. It looks like Edwards is in for a nice start to 2017.
My favorite TNA moment of 2016 was the Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy contract signing. It was the first moment in Cameron of the Broken Era and I saw the brilliance before anyone else did. Yes, TNA has been the most consistent wrestling show of 2016 but that moment started some of the most talked about moments in TNA from the year.
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