#168: Christopher Daniels vs. AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe, TNA Unbreakable (9/11/2005).
This is a 3 Way Match for Daniels’ X Division Championship.
So, you’ve probably heard of this one before.
By September of 2005, in typical TNA fashion, things were both looking bright and worrisome. On the bright side, TNA’s weekly show “Impact” was gearing up for their debut on Spike TV. They were the new wrestling company on the block for the network, after WWE and Monday Night Raw announced their return to the USA Network. It would be far and away the biggest audience TNA had ever had up to this point in their existence. Through word of mouth, and a truly great year of content, TNA was looking really good going forward.
Of course, at the time of this show, TNA wasn’t on TV at all. Their TV deal with Fox Sports Net was up, and now they were waiting for October 1st, when TNA would debut on Spike. Unbreakable would be the final major event TNA would hold before that monumental debut, and they were looking to make a huge mark on the way to that debut. For this event, TNA decided to make a little history. For the first time ever, the X Division Championship took the main event slot on a 3 hour PPV. And really, you couldn’t ask for three better people to hold that honor.
In August, at the Sacrifice PPV, the Super X Cup Finals took place, where the winner would earn a title shot against reigning X Division Champion Christopher Daniels. The two men in the finals were none other than AJ Styles, a four time former champion, and Samoa Joe, a man who had been undefeated in singles competition since his debut for the company in June. Joe’s presence in particular emphasized the motto of the X Division in TNA – it’s not about weight limits. It’s about no limits.
During the back and forth match, Daniels got involved and attack Styles, which would lead to Joe taking the victory and the tournament. An honorable fighter, Joe was pissed that his victory was tainted by the interference of the Fallen Angel. That said, Joe was now the #1 contender, and would challenge Daniels at Unbreakable. But what about Styles? He was robbed. No fear – Styles was added to the match, making it a 3 Way for the championship.
The level of talent in this match is insane, especially when you consider that these three were in peak form in TNA at the time. Daniels had grown immensely as a singles star since the dissolution of Triple X. Styles is arguably one of the greatest wrestlers of this generation. And Joe is one of the best big men wrestling has ever seen. Put them all together in one match, and you are guaranteed a classic. I wonder if these three, and everyone who watched that night, had a clue that this match was about to be the most groundbreaking Triple Threat match of all time.
The bell sounds, and Daniels immediately talks trash to both men, who respond by double teaming him. Joe with a chop, and Styles with a forearm to Daniels. Snap mare by Joe, and a huge kick to the back. Styles with a kick to the back as well! They argue over who can do it better, and they continue to kick the shit out of Daniels’ back. The champion is up, demanding that the kicks stop, and Styles kicks Daniels’ legs out from under him, while Joe kicks his chest at the same time.
Styles gets a roll up on Joe, and he kicks out. Another gets a 2 count, and another! Joe goes for an Omplata submission now, and Daniels is back in to kick Joe. Huge dropkick by Daniels to Styles, and Joe unleashes several chops to the chest of Daniels, followed by a kick that sends him to the outside. Joe with forearms to Styles in the corner, followed by a hard roundhouse kick to the kidney. Joe goes to run the ropes, but Daniels trips him. He comes into the ring with punches to both men. He grabs Styles in a bulldog position and hits it, while also kicking Joe in the face.
Joe breaks up Daniels’ pin. Joe chops Daniels in the corner, then sends him into the opposite corner. Now he chops Styles, and goes to send him into Daniels, who moves. Daniels with chops now, and Joe sends Daniels into Styles. Daniels kicks Joe in the face, and goes for a bulldog on Styles. He counters and sends Daniels into Joe, who hits a beautiful Urinage. Hurricanrana by Styles drops Joe. He hits several roundhouse kicks to the chest of Joe, then hits a running forearm to Daniels in the corner. He goes to hit Joe with one, but Joe counters with a belly to belly into the turnbuckle.
Joe drops Styles to the mat in the corner, then he does the Face Wash with his boot. Daniels cuts him off, and sends him to the outside with a baseball slide. On the apron, he hits a split leg moonsault to Joe. They fight on the outside, and in the ring, Styles hits a springboard Shooting Star Press to both men on the outside! Styles rolls Joe into the ring, and gets a nearfall off of that. Joe runs the ropes and eats a nice dropkick to the face. Styles gets a nearfall from that. Styles with a forearm shot to Joe in the corner, and Daniels is back in the ring.
He whips Styles into the corner, then goes to send Joe into Styles. Joe counters and throws Daniels into Styles, who monkey flips Styles out of the corner into Joe, and Styles hits a hurricanrana! Wow, what a sequence! Daniels goes for a roll up and Styles kicks out. Daniels tosses Styles to the outside now. Daniels with a running knee to Joe that gets him in the corner. He punches at Joe, who explodes with hard slaps and knees to the body. Joe runs off the ropes and is caught by a roll up from Daniels, and he kicks out and transitions into the Rear Naked Choke. Styles is back on the top rope, and he lands the Spiral Tap onto both men to break the submission!
Styles covers Joe, and he kicks out. Now he covers Daniels, and he kicks out. Daniels grabs Styles and tosses him to the outside again. Daniels with knees to the gut of Joe, followed by an STO. He sets up for the Best Moonsault Ever, and Styles cuts him off. He places Daniels hanging upside down on the turnbuckle. Styles kicks at his midsection, and Joe rushes with a flying knee to Styles! Joe with the Face Wash to Daniels, followed by a running single leg kick to the face!
Joe unloads with punches to Styles against the ropes, and Joe hits the inverted atomic drop, followed by a running kick to the face, and a running senton for a close 2 count! Knee to the head of Daniels, but the champion lifts him up and hits the Death Valley Driver on Joe! He makes the cover, and Styles breaks it up. Huge chop to the chest of Daniels from Styles, and he goes for a suplex, but Daniels sends him to the apron and then to the floor. He misses a dive to the outside, and now he and Styles exchange in a round of fisticuffs. Out of nowhere, Joe explodes over the top with a corkscrew dive onto both men! Unbelievable!
Joe grabs Daniels and tosses him into the ring. He places him on the top rope and looks for the Muscle Buster, and Daniels rakes the eyes to prevent it. Styles is on the apron, and he follows Daniels up to the top. Joe goes to the top now, and he grabs both men, and tosses them both over head to the mat! Joe grabs Styles first, and punches him in the head. Both exchange forearm shots, and Styles gets the upper hand, and Joe explodes back with strikes of his own. He goes for a spinning back fist and Styles ducks. He goes for a jumping kick to the head, and Joe avoids it. He grabs Styles and hits a brutal German Suplex!
He picks Styles up and places him on the top rope. He goes for the Muscle Buster, and he nails it! Joe tries for the Coquina Clutch, but he spots Daniels with the title belt. He ducks a blow with it and hits a nice Scoop Slam to Daniels! Joe grabs the title and argues with Daniels, who hops up and kicks it right into his face! Daniels and Styles square off in the middle of the ring, and Styles gets the upper hand with forearms. Daniels with a Blue Thunder Bomb out of nowhere, and Styles kicks out!
Daniels with a Urinage to Styles, and he hits the Best Moonsault Ever flush, and Joe stops the count at 1! Huge kicks to the chest of Daniels, and the champion catches Joe in a jaw breaker. Daniels with the Cross Rhodes next! Daniels with huge forearms to the face of Styles, who kicks him in the face. Springboard moonsault off the ropes into an inverted DDT for a 2 count. Styles goes to the top, and Daniels meets him with a palm thrust to the throat. Daniels goes for a suplex, and hits it. Joe crawls back in, and gets nearfalls on both Daniels and Styles.
Powerbomb to Daniels, and he kicks out and Joe transitions into an STF submission hold. Daniels is able to get to the bottom rope to break the hold. Headbutts and chops drill Daniels, and now Joe turns to Styles with uppercuts. Styles with the Pele Kick! He lifts Joe up and hits an awesome Torture Rack Bomb for a close 2 count! Headbutt from Daniels, and he powerslams Styles onto Joe. He looks for a suplex, and Styles counters and he hits the Styles Clash! Joe is in to break up the pin! He tosses Styles out of the ring and rushes towards Daniels, who avoids and Joe crashes to the outside.
Styles is back in, and Daniels unloads with strikes to the head. Big exchange in the middle, and Daniels pokes the eye to slow Styles’ momentum down. Another forearm and he goes for the Angel’s Wings, but Styles is able to flip out of it and pin Daniels’ shoulders to the mat for the 3! Styles is a 5 time X Division Champion! Samoa Joe is still undefeated, as he wasn’t pinned or made to submit. Daniels is hysterical in defeat, Joe is pissed, and Styles celebrates as the fans roar in appreciation.
Hands down, the best multi man match in pro wrestling history. Every single match that focuses on spots, and “movez” that’s happened since this one has tried so desperately to copy it. And they’ve all failed. It’s the best spot fest match for a reason. Kenny Omega recently discussed what a five star match should be. He said that it shouldn’t be rated so high because the moves look good, but it should be because the moves look like they hurt. Here, these three somehow accomplished both.
Every single sequence in this match, from the opening kicks to Christopher Daniels from AJ Style and Samoa Joe, to the final pin from Styles to end the match, flowed perfectly. There were no botches as far as I could tell, and the execution was as close to flawless as it gets. On top of that, every single strike these three threw at each other looked like it hurt. It looked stiff, and it sounded stiff. It’s not an understatement to say that matches like this, along with the KENTA/Naomichi Marufuji match from Pro Wrestling NOAH a year later, inspired an entire generation of independent wrestlers in the United States.
I can’t say enough positive things about this match. It’s so much fun. It’s easy to watch. It’s literally nonstop action bell to bell. And the fact that it’s all pulled off so flawless, with little to no mess ups, is incredible. TNA made the right choice to put these three in the main event of a PPV, because matches like this are why TNA Wrestling had such a hot streak going for it in the early 2000s. I also discovered that this PPV was not only the last major show TNA had before their Spike TV debut, but it was also the last show they had overall before that. So, the last selling point TNA had for newer fans to check out their weekly show was this match? No wonder more people started watching! Just a fantastic 3 Way Match with incredible sequences, awesome strike exchanges, and a molten crowd that loved everything they saw. All three of these guys were made men after this, and their legacy in the business cannot be overstated.