TNATNA's First 5-StarX-Division Golden Age

AJ Styles vs Christopher Daniels vs Samoa Joe

TNA Unbreakable — September 11, 2005 · TNA Impact Zone (Universal Studios), Orlando, FL

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The Story

AJ Styles won the TNA X-Division Championship in a Triple Threat against Christopher Daniels and Samoa Joe that became TNA's first ever five-star match — the bout that put the company and its X-Division on the international map.

The three men were the best in-ring performers TNA had, and each represented a different pole of the style: Styles the impossible high-flyer, Daniels the technical maestro, Joe the unstoppable, hard-hitting monster. Thrown together with the title on the line, they built a breathtaking sprint of innovative counters, believable near-falls, and dives that seemed to defy the small Impact Zone around them.

Nothing about it felt filler — every exchange escalated, and the crowd's rising disbelief carried the match toward its championship-changing finish. It is frequently named the greatest match in TNA history and a landmark moment for American independent-style wrestling reaching a national stage, making genuine stars of all three. The same DNA runs through Joe's ROH classics from the same era.

FAQ

Who won Styles vs Daniels vs Joe at Unbreakable 2005?
AJ Styles won, capturing the TNA X-Division Championship in a Triple Threat against Christopher Daniels and Samoa Joe.
What star rating did the match get?
Dave Meltzer awarded it a full 5 stars — TNA's first ever five-star match — and Cagematch scores sit near 9.2/10. Wrestle Lore rates it a full 5 stars.
Why is this match so important?
It put TNA and its X-Division on the international map, is frequently named the greatest match in TNA history, and made stars of Styles, Daniels, and Joe as a landmark for American independent-style wrestling reaching a national stage.