5 Best Wrestling Matches of 2005

#3. A.J. Styles vs. Samoa Joe vs. Christopher Daniels - TNA Unbreakable 2005

This the first and only TNA match to ever be rated 5-stars by the Wrestling Observer. The action was fast-paced, crisp and well-executed. Every move meant something and made sense, unlike many other triple threat matches, which tend to feel cluttered and repetitive. Furthermore, this was a very fast-paced match, with big moves and reversal sequences happening in seconds. These three wrestlers packed thirty minutes’ worth of action into just over twenty (including some comedy, which, surprisingly, didn’t hurt the match in any way).

All three of these wrestlers kept reversing each other’s big moves Kurt Angle/Chris Benoit style, which was amazing. At one point, Daniels tried to hit a monkey flip onto Styles, and Samoa Joe ran in hoping to catch Styles mid-air and Powerbomb him. Instead, Styles reversed Joe’s Powerbomb attempt and hit a Frankenstein while in mid-air. The man’s technique and sense of timing were second to none here.

Of course, this was a TNA match, so of course high-flying athleticism would be on display. All three of these guys hit amazing aerial moves. Daniels hit a split-legged moonsault that was absolutely perfect; Styles hit a springboard shooting star press to the outside that was also perfect in its execution; and Samoa Joe (who weighed around 280 pounds in this match) hit a pescado (corkscrew dive over the ropes) without using the ropes for leverage.

All three of these wrestlers did absolutely amazing things in the ring in this match. Anyone of them could’ve been a credible main-eventer by this point. WWE should’ve signed all three of them after this match happened. Had they done so, WWE would’ve had three of the best wrestlers in the world at the time on their roster, which would’ve led to some potential dream matches in WWE.