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Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, or popularly known as TNA, has been in existence for over 12 years, a feat that most thought would be impossible. The company has played second fiddle to the giant in the business, WWE right from its inception. However, TNA has a fan base which has been growing over the years, and the company has its stars to thank for, for this to happen.TNA has featured many popular wrestlers from around the world, including some from WWE. In fact, many of the storylines have been based around these stars, and they have also taken part in quite a few PPV’s. It is talent and hard work that matter the most, and these superstars have been successful in TNA because of their determination to succeed. Let us now look at 5 ex-WWE Superstars who have been used well by TNA.
#5 Mr Anderson
Mr Anderson wrestled as Mr Kennedy in WWE, and started working for the promotion in 2005. He had many great matches with legends like the late Eddie Guerrero and the Undertaker. In WWE, he was a one-time United States Champion, and the winner of the Money in the Bank Ladder Match at Wrestlemania 23. He was released from the company in 2009.
Mr Anderson made his debut for TNA in 2010 at the Genesis PPV as a heel, and immediately made an impact with his arrival in the company. He has had many great feuds and rivalries with wrestlers like Jeff Hardy, the Sting and Matt Morgan. He has been a two time TNA World Heavyweight Champion, and headlined many PPV’s for the company. His stay at TNA has undoubtedly been more successful for him than his tenure at WWE, and he still continues to thrill fans with his antics in the ring.
#4 Bobby Lashley
Bobby Lashley is a powerhouse performer, known for his immense strength and intensity in the ring. He has been successful in both WWE and TNA. While at WWE, he won the United States Championship once, and was a two time ECW World Champion. He was also the first African American to hold the ECW World Championship title in the history of the company. He suffered a legitimate injury while working for the promotion, and was released in 2008.
While talking about his release, Lashley said that WWE didn’t have anything for him during his release and named a certain WWE Legend who told him about the same.
“Without speculation as to who that was, the person in charge at the time of writing me back into the show was Michael Hayes. He said he didn’t have anything for me. To make a long story short, or ‘this is what we’re going to say,’ I decided not to come back because and was going to pursue other interests. I can tell you I personally don’t like the guy”.
He made his debut for TNA in 2009, where he shocked and impressed everyone with his power as he cleared the entire Main Event Mafia stable from the ring, and saved Mick Foley in the process. TNA President even said in an interview that she wanted to make him a World Champion in both MMA and WWE. He was released by the company in 2010, but soon returned in 2014 as a heel. He defeated Eric Young on an episode of Impact Wrestling to become the first African American TNA World Heavyweight Champion. He has been a two time TNA World Heavyweight Champion, winner of the 2009 TNA Championship Series, and winner of the 2015 TNA Joker’s Wild.
#3 Ethan Carter III
Ethan Carter III is probably the best used ex-WWE wrestler by TNA. He wrestled as Derrick Bateman for WWE, and competed in the fourth and fifth seasons of NXT. His mentor at NXT was Daniel Bryan, alumnus of Season 1. His most memorable stint for WWE was his feud with Johnny Curtis. After a non-title loss to NXT Champion Big E Langston, Bateman was released from WWE in 2013.
He debuted as Ethan Carter III (EC3) for TNA in 2013 as the spoiled nephew of TNA President Dixie Carter. He had feuds with legends like Sting and Kurt Angle in his initial days, and won a future shot at the TNA World Tag Team Championship. In 2015, he defeated Mr Anderson to become the number one contender for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. He went on to beat the Champion Kurt Angle, to become the World Heavyweight Champion for the first time. This bright talented wrestler has a long way to go, and TNA has been helping him in reaching his true potential.
#2 Jeff Hardy
The Extreme Enigma is one of the most well known and loved wrestlers in the world. He has been a multiple time champion for both WWE and TNA. Jeff Hardy, along with his brother Matt Hardy, completely changed the face of wrestling and brought about a revolution that focussed on putting your body on the line and taking high flying risks. Undoubtedly, Jeff will go down in the history books as one of the greatest wrestlers to ever step foot in the squared circle.
For WWE, Jeff Hardy was a 2 time World Heavyweight Champion, and has won the WWE Championship, WWE European Championship, WWE Intercontinental Championship and Hardcore Championship once. The Hardy Boyz (Jeff and Matt Hardy) have won the WWE World Tag Team Championship 6 times in their stay with the promotion. In TNA, Jeff Hardy has won the World Heavyweight Championship thrice, World Tag Team Championship once (with his brother Matt), and recently won the TNA World Cup of Wrestling along with his team. He has been massively successful and loved in both the promotions.
#1 Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle is probably the greatest wrestler to have wrestled for TNA. He is widely considered by critics to be one of the most talented and technically gifted wrestlers in the history of professional wrestling. The man has won laurels wherever he has gone, be it in the Olympics, where he won the gold medal for freestyle wrestling in 1996, or WWE and TNA, where he has won many championships and accomplished almost everything possible in the business.
This legend is a one-time World Heavyweight Champion and four-time WWE Champion in the WWE. He has also won the WWE Intercontinental Championship and the European Championship once. He is the tenth triple crown champion and the fifth grand slam champion for the company. In his stay at TNA, Angle has been a 6-time World Heavyweight Champion, 2 time Tag Team Champion, and has won the TNA X Division Championship once. He won the King of the Mountain tournament twice in 2007 and 2009, and is the second TNA Triple Crown Champion for the promotion. His amazing performances throughout the years earned him a place in the TNA Hall of Fame, and Angle's recent WWE HOF induction and return are totally deserving.
