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Retro Rewind #2 — The Night the X-Division Closed the Show

  • Writer: Carlos Astorga
    Carlos Astorga
  • 2 minutes ago
  • 4 min read
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Retro Rewind #2 — The Night the X-Division Closed the Show


AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe vs. Christopher Daniels — TNA Unbreakable (September 11, 2005)

Welcome back to our weekly Friday series, Retro Rewind, where we pull one classic from TNA, ROH, MLW, NWA, GCW & more and unpack why it still hits today. For our second installment we’re spotlighting the match that defined an era: AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe vs. Christopher Daniels for the X-Division Championship at TNA Unbreakable 2005—a three-way that didn’t just steal the show; it was the show’s headliner.


Why this match mattered (then and now)


  • The X-Division main-evented the PPV, closing over the NWA World Heavyweight Title—a statement about what the division represented in 2005.


  • It earned a rare 5-star rating from Dave Meltzer, long held up as the TNA/IMPACT benchmark.


  • It embodied the X-Division ethos—“not about weight limits, about no limits.” 


Quick stats

  • Event: Unbreakable (PPV)

  • Date / Venue: Sept. 11, 2005 — Impact Zone, Orlando, FL

  • Attendance: ~775

  • Match length: 22:50

  • Result: AJ Styles def. Christopher Daniels (c) & Samoa Joe — Styles pinned Daniels to win the X-Division Championship


Backstory: How we got here


  • Summer 2005’s Super X Cup crowned Samoa Joe the No. 1 contender after he beat AJ at Sacrifice—thanks in part to Daniels’ meddling. That interference brought AJ back into the title picture, and Larry Zbyszko made it official: a three-way “X-Division Dream Bout” at Unbreakable.


  • Context matters: Joe had just landed in TNA (June ’05) and began what would become a 19-month undefeated streak, instantly raising stakes around any match he touched.


Deep-dive match recap (the greatest hits)


Bell rings and we immediately get the famous AJ vs. Joe “kick-off” experiment on Daniels’ back—who can kick harder?—a playful nod that sets a frenetic, competitive tone.

From there the pace never lets up:


  • Shooting Styles Press: With Daniels and Joe on the floor, AJ springs to the ropes and backflips onto both—a slingshot moonsault AJ nicknamed the Shooting Styles Press.


  • Daniels’ leverage wizardry: Daniels yanks AJ backward in the ring, flipping Styles onto Joe’s shoulders—a slick chain that shows why the Fallen Angel was the division’s chessmaster.


  • Joe’s submission storm: Joe latches the Coquina Clutch on Daniels until AJ climbs high and breaks it with a perfectly-placed Spiral Tap—nuclear pop.


  • Tower of power: All three fight up top; Joe suplex-bombs the stack to reset the board.


  • Muscle Buster mayhem & belt chaos: Joe Muscle Busters AJ; Daniels swings the belt, Joe answers with a powerslam; Daniels soccer-kicks the title into Joe’s head—a sequence that somehow never unravels.


  • Finish: Daniels goes for Angel’s Wings on AJ; Styles counters into a bridging pin and steals it—new champion.


It’s 22 minutes of seamless escalation—every signature gets paid off, every cut-off matters, and the crowd lives with them on each near fall. Critics at the time called it “pro wrestling at its finest in 2005,” and TNA later ranked it among the company’s greatest moments.


Legacy & impact


  • Critical acclaim: The bout was TNA’s first 5-star match, a status that stood alone for the promotion until many years later; it’s still the shorthand definition of “peak X-Division.”


  • Division identity: This was the clearest proof of concept for an idea Mike Tenay had pitched for years: a division defined by style and pace—not scale.


  • Influence: From indie supercards to modern TV main events, the template—high pace, layered triple-threat structure, precise escalation—echoes everywhere.


What happened next (the 2005–2006 arc)


The Unbreakable classic kicked off an extended, PPV-to-PPV rivalry among all three:


  • Bound for Glory 2005: AJ beats Daniels in a 30-Minute Iron Man to retain.


  • Genesis 2005: Post-match, Joe injures Daniels (storyline) with back-to-back Muscle Busters, the second on a chair.


  • Turning Point 2005: Joe beats AJ for the X-Division title, intensifying the triangle.


  • Final Resolution & Against All Odds 2006: Joe turns back Daniels; then Joe retains in another three-way with AJ & Daniels.


  • Destination X 2006 (Ultimate X): Daniels finally reclaims the crown.


  • Turning Point 2009 (World Title scene): The trio reprises the formula—Styles retains the World Championship this time—proof the chemistry scaled beyond the X-Division.


Where their careers went from here


  • AJ Styles cemented himself as Mr. TNA, stacking X-Division and World Title reigns before conquering NJPW and later becoming a multi-time WWE Champion—yet he’s still widely associated with this match as a career pillar. (Series timeline above.)


  • Samoa Joe parlayed his aura into a 19-month unbeaten run, multiple TNA championships, and a top-tier career across NXT/WWE and AEW. The Unbreakable run was the fuse-light.


  • Christopher Daniels proved the consummate ring general; after Unbreakable he won Ultimate X 2006 to reclaim the title and, years later, remained a foundational figure and executive/coach who helped transmit the style to a new generation.


Fun facts & trivia


  • Ring announcer Jeremy Borash grandly billed it as the “TNA X-Division Championship of the World.” 


  • Match time clocks at 22:50—no filler, all payoff.


  • Where to watch: The full event has been officially uploaded at times; we’ll embed a YouTube link right here for you when available.


Watch the match

(We’ll insert the YouTube embed here for easy viewing.)

Join the conversation


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