On September 11, 2005, TNA Wrestling took a massive gamble. Instead of closing their pay-per-view with a traditional world title match, they handed the headline spot to three cruiserweights. Christopher Daniels walked into the Impact Zone in Orlando, Florida, defending his X-Division Championship at TNA Unbreakable 2005 against AJ Styles and Samoa Joe in a 3-way match. What followed became an instant classic. Looking back at AJ Styles vs Christopher Daniels vs Samoa Joe, the bout didn’t just blow the roof off the building. It showed that fast-paced, athletic wrestling could carry a major pay-per-view main event without leaning on heavyweight tropes or silly gimmicks. It gave TNA its identity, put the company on the map, and set the bar for modern multi-man matches.
Three Styles That Clashed Perfectly
The real magic of this match was that all three men brought completely different strengths to the ring.
- Christopher Daniels (The Cunning Champion): Daniels had held the title for months and was the longest-reigning champion in division history at the time. As “The Fallen Angel,” his job was to play the arrogant veteran who looked for shortcuts to sneak out with the belt.
- AJ Styles (The High-Flying Heart): Styles was the face of the company. His clean aerial spots, speed, and underdog energy made him the guy the Orlando crowd desperately wanted to see win.
- Samoa Joe (The Unstoppable Force): Joe was fresh into TNA on an undefeated run. He wrestled with a stiff, hard-hitting style inspired by strong style and MMA, making every kick and submission hold look painful.
The story was straightforward: Daniels wanted to survive, Styles wanted to bring the title home, and Joe wanted to run right through both of them.
Breaking the Lazy Three-Way Match Pattern
Most triple-threat matches get lazy. One guy gets thrown out of the ring to rest while the other two wrestle inside, and they take turns swapping spots every few minutes.
This match didn’t do that. From the opening bell, all three men stayed tangled together:
- Non-Stop Involvement: If Joe put Styles in a painful submission hold, Daniels jumped in immediately—not to save AJ, but to try for a cheap pinfall of his own.
- Stiff Strikes: Joe hit hard from start to finish, landing heavy kicks, running corner boots, and his trademark flying forearm through the ropes to the outside.
- Creative Spots: Styles met that power with pure agility. In one of the most famous spots in TNA history, Styles jumped off Daniels’ back like a launchpad to dropkick Joe right out of the air.
The crowd in the Impact Zone was on its feet for almost the entire final ten minutes.
Also Read-:TNA X-Division History: How TNA Redefined High-Flying Wrestling
The Turning Points in the AJ Styles vs Christopher Daniels vs Samoa Joe Clash
As the match went past the 15-minute mark, Daniels realized he couldn’t beat both challengers in a straight fight. He started playing mind games, trying to team up with Styles against the heavier Joe, only to turn on AJ seconds later with a roll-up attempt.
| Match Phase | Ring Time | Key In-Ring Focus |
| Opening | 00:00 – 07:00 | Fast chain wrestling, three-way counters, and Joe’s stiff strikes |
| Escalation | 07:00 – 15:00 | Outside dives, guardrail bumps, and broken submission holds |
| Near-Falls | 15:00 – 21:00 | Big signature moves traded (Muscle Buster, Angel’s Wings setups) |
| The Finish | 21:00 – 22:50 | Daniels tries the Angel’s Wings; Styles counters into a bridge pin |
A Smart Finish That Protected Everyone
The ending sequence was wrestling storytelling at its finest.
Daniels had managed to knock Samoa Joe out to the floor and tried to finish AJ Styles with his signature move, the Angel’s Wings. As Daniels lifted him up, Styles shifted his weight, flipped over Daniels’ back, and hooked the legs into a bridge pin.
Referee Rudy Charles hit the canvas: 1… 2… 3.
Styles won the match and regained the X-Division Championship at exactly 22 minutes and 50 seconds.
The finish worked on every level:
- Styles got a clean, crowd-pleasing victory to end the pay-per-view.
- Daniels didn’t get overpowered; he lost because his own finishing move got countered.
- Joe was never pinned or submitted, keeping his singles-oriented undefeated aura intact.
Also Read-: Kurt Angle’s TNA Run: How He Changed the Promotion Forever
Why This Match Still Matters
The match received a rare 5-star rating from Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter—documented across CAGEMATCH’s match database—marking the first 5-star contest in TNA history.
More importantly, it proved that the X-Division wasn’t just a mid-card warm-up act. It showed promoters that smaller, athletic wrestlers could headline main events and deliver top-tier drama without needing heavy foreign objects or outside interference. Decades later, it remains the gold standard for triple-threat matches.
“Fans can watch the complete, uncut encounter on the official TNA Wrestling YouTube channel.”
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Who won the 3-way match at TNA Unbreakable 2005?
AJ Styles won the match by countering Christopher Daniels’ Angel’s Wings into a bridge pinfall at 22:50, regaining the TNA X-Division Championship.
Did Samoa Joe lose his undefeated streak at Unbreakable 2005?
No. Samoa Joe was neither pinned nor submitted in the match, which allowed his singles-oriented undefeated aura and storyline to continue uninterrupted.
Was this the first 5-star match in TNA history?
Yes. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter awarded this match a full 5-star rating, making it the first bout in company history to earn that honor.
About Gaurav Sharma
I am the founder, lead writer, and editor behind Wrestling Nightmare. I have been analyzing and following professional wrestling for years, with a deep focus on WWE, AEW, and TNA—spanning the Attitude Era, the Ruthless Aggression transition, and modern long-term booking eras like The Bloodline. My work centers on breaking down in-ring storytelling, creative booking decisions, and the business landscape of combat sports entertainment. When I am not breaking down pay-per-view match structures, I am tracking roster movements, injury reports, and backstage creative pivots to deliver grounded, hype-free pro wrestling analysis.
contact@wrestlingnightmare.com
