TNA Epics TV Show report
May 22, 2009 - Week 2
Aired on Bravo in the U.K.
Report by Cody Endres, Torch TV contributor

-Following the opening montage, host Mick Foley introduced us to the show. He said this show would be a death-defying look back at the best X-Division championship matches. "Put on your seatbelts, because these guys are going to take you on the ride of your life. Yea!"

1 – A.J. STYLES vs. PSICOSIS vs. LOW-KI vs. JERRY LYNN – Double Elimination Match

This match is the first ever X-Division title match and took place on June 26, 2002 from the old TNA Asylum at the Nashville Fairgrounds. Mike Tenay, Don West, and Ed Ferrara call the action. This match is basically a gauntlet of singles matches; lose twice and you're eliminated. The last man left will be named the first ever NWA TNA X-Division champion.

Styles and Psicosis start off. Tenay reminds us that there is no downtime between falls. Psicosis executes a monkey-flip, but Styles lands on his feet and hits a superkick. Psicosis comes back with a spinning heel kick and then hits his guillotine leg drop off the top rope for a nearfall. Styles catches Psicosis on a huracanrana attempt and nails the Styles Clash for the pinfall. Psicosis now has one defeat against him.

Low-Ki quickly enters the ring and hits Styles with his signature martial arts kicks. Styles counters with a huracanrana from his back on the canvas. Low-Ki with a jumping enziguiri. West compares him to Bruce Lee. Low-Ki sinks in the Dragon sleeper, but Styles is too close to the ropes. Low-Ki attempts a phoenix splash off the top, but Styles rolls out of the way. Styles quickly follows up with a German suplex and a facebuster for the pinfall. Low-Ki now has one defeat against him.

Jerry Lynn runs in and clotheslines Styles. Lynn picks up the exhausted Styles and hits the cradle piledriver for the pinfall. Styles now has one defeat against him.

Psicosis perches on the top rope and missile dropkicks the back of Lynn's head. Lynn connects with a flying head scissors as some generic music sounds and we head to break.

[Commercial Break]

Back from the break, Low-Ki is battling with Lynn. We missed out on seeing Psicosis's elimination. Lynn went crazy with a back body drop and multiple clotheslines. Lynn hits his signature back of the head leg drop on the second rope. Low-Ki reverses a cradle piledriver attempt into a triangle choke. A short while later, Lynn connects with the cradle piledriver to eliminate Low-Ki. Next month, Low-Ki would go on to defeat Christopher Daniels, Doug Williams, and Spanky (Brian Kendrick) in a one-hour Iron Man match to become the first Ring of Honor Champion.

Styles enters and attacks Lynn. Styles hits a springboard twisting splash for a nearfall. Later, Lynn adjusts himself in midair and nails Styles with a DDT. Styles with a hangman's neck breaker for another nearfall. Lynn rallies back with a running sit down powerbomb. Styles reverses a cradle piledriver attempt and hits the Styles Clash for a pinfall. Both men now have one defeat.

[Commercial Break]

Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat is the special referee for the last fall. Back from the commercial, we've jumped ahead a bit in the match. Styles hoists Lynn up in a fireman's carry and drops the back of Lynn's head across his knee for a nearfall. Tenay mentions Ken Shamrock becoming the NWA Champion the previous week. That seems like ages ago. Too bad Shamrock couldn't have stuck with wrestling instead of getting destroyed by Tito Ortiz on multiple occasions. Lynn with a brainbuster suplex for another nearfall. Lynn sinks in a sleeper hold, but Styles counters with a jawbreaker. Lynn connects with a superplex off the top rope. Lynn attempts another maneuver from the top, but Styles shoves him off. Styles follows up with the spiral tap to become the first-ever NWA-TNA X-Division Champion. Fireworks went off and streamers fell. Steamboat presented Styles with the belt.

WINNER: A.J. Styles in 17:40 of what aired. Great match. This is what the X-Division used to be like. For the remainder of the year the title would be traded between Styles, Lynn, Low-Ki, and even Syxx-Pac (Sean Waltman). The division was buried in December when Sonny Siaki captured the title. It took a while to recover.

[Commercial Break]

-Mick Foley welcomed us back from the break. He said guys like Samoa Joe, A.J. Styles, Christopher Daniels, and Shark Boy have taken high flying professional wrestling to another level. "Okay, maybe not so much Shark Boy. Sorry about that Sharkey!" The TNA Epics main even this week is simply put, one of the best matches in TNA history.

2 – CHRISTOPHER DANIELS vs. A.J. STYLES vs. SAMOA JOE

This match is from the September 11, 2005 Unbreakable PPV. This is also the first (and last) time an X-Division Championship match headlined a three-hour TNA PPV. Daniels is the current champ. Samoa Joe was probably at his strongest in TNA at this time during his undefeated streak before years of bad booking. Styles & Joe take turns kicking Daniels in a spot right out of the first ROH main event. Styles attempts a variety of roll-ups on Joe to no avail. Joe locks Styles in a rings of Saturn type submission, but Daniels breaks it up. Daniels bulldogs Styles while hitting Joe with an enziguiri.

[Commercial Break]

We've skipped ahead in the action. Joe grabs Styles and hits an overhead belly to belly suplex. Joe goes for the face wash on Styles, but Daniels blindsides him and sends Joe out of the ring. Daniels hits Joe with his split-legged moonsault on the outside. Styles executes a springboard shooting star press to take out both men. Styles brought Joe back into the ring and hit his signature leapfrog dropkick spot. Daniels re-entered the ring as the crowd began a dueling "Fallen Angel/Let's Go A.J." chant. Daniels monkey flips Styles who then hits Joe with a huracanrana. Awesome. Daniels backdrops Styles to the floor. Joe goes to town with slaps and knees on Daniels. Joe locks in the kokina clutch, but Styles breaks it up with a dangerous looking spiral tap. Daniels grabs A.J. by the trunks and tosses him to the floor. Daniels follows up with an STO on Joe. Styles hangs Daniels in the tree of woe and Joe hits Daniels with a running dropkick. Joe dominates Styles with an inverted atomic drop, running boot, and a running senton for a nearfall.

[Commercial Break]

We fast-forward the action once again. Joe hits a twisting suicide dive to take out Styles & Daniels at ringside. Back in the ring, Styles & Daniels battle on the top rope and Joe climbs up and throws them both off. Joe & Styles exchange blows until Joe manages to pull off a release German suplex. Joe takes this opportunity to give Styles the muscle buster. Daniels runs in with his title belt in hand, but Joe counters with a powerslam. Joe grabs the belt and admires it. While Joe and the ref struggle over the title, Daniels hits Joe with a running enziguiri slamming the belt into the side of Joe's head. Daniels hits a blue thunder driver on Styles for a nearfall. Daniels with a picture perfect BME (Best Moonsault Ever) but Joe breaks up the pin. Daniels gives Joe the Last Rites (roll of the dice) and Joe rolls out onto the floor.

With Joe seemingly out of the match, Daniels tries to capitalize on this opportunity but Styles moonsaults off the second rope and hits an inverted DDT for a nearfall. Styles climbs to the top rope, but Daniels nails him with a palm thrust and superplexes him off. Joe crawls into the ring and gets nearfalls on both men. Joe locks in the STF on Daniels following a powerbomb. Joe lets go of it to work on Styles, but Styles Pele kicks him and lifts him up into a torture rack(!). Daniels slams Styles onto a prone Joe. Styles rolls up Daniels, but Joe makes the last second save. Joe tosses Styles to the floor. Joe runs at Daniels, but Daniels ducks out of the way and the momentum takes Joe crashing to the floor. Daniels attempts the Angel's Wings on Styles, but Styles counters by flipping him over with a bridging suplex for the win. Styles is now a five-time TNA X-Division Champion. Daniels screamed in frustration.

WINNER: A.J. Styles in 20:25 of what aired. Amazing match from the peak of the X-Division before all three were transitioned into heavyweight programs. Since Joe wasn't actually pinned, allowing his undefeated streak to continue as well. This is the type of match that should still be headlining TNA PPVs.

-The show ended without a wrap up from Mick Foley.

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