TNA Wrestling kicked off 2008 with a solid episode on January 3. The main event saw Christian Cage survive a 15-man battle gauntlet match to emerge as the new contender to the world title. Captain Charisma, however, would fail to beat Kurt Angle for the title at Final Resolution on January 6.
While the promotion stick to the same formula for television production, with Jeff Jarrett and Vince Russo leading the creative front, it did introduce a new title called the TNA Legends Championship. The title, formally introduce by Booker T, who declared himself the inaugural champion in the process, would be deactivated and renamed.
The most profound change, perhaps, came with the arrival of the Main Event Mafia. The Kurt Angle-led super group would assert its dominance by going to war with TNA Originals. The storyline would see several great matches between members of the faction on weekly television.
AJ Styles & Samoa Joe vs. Beer Money Inc. (November 13)
AJ Styles and Samoa Joe got a rare opportunity to go after the TNA World Tag Team Championship in this match. Their opponents were the IT Factor Bobby Roode and the Cowboy James Storm.
This was an entertaining clash of styles. Beer Money worked flawlessly as the heel tag team trying to play their mind games. Styles and Joe worked as a solid pair. The match went to no DQ due to interference, allowing Roode and Storm to retain the TNA tag team titles.
Kurt Angle & Team 3D vs. AJ Styles, Christian Cage & Rhino (6-man Tables Elimination Match)
At Victory Road, Kurt Angle and Team 3D defeated AJ Styles, Christian Cage and Rhino in a Full Metal Mayhem Match. The six men would meet in a Tables Elimination Match at the July 24 taping of TNA iMPACT.
This match had plenty of high-risk bumps. The crowd was heavily invested in the battle between the six competitors. The continuous distractions and involvement were the downsides to this otherwise solid bout.
Awesome Kong vs. Gail Kim (Knockouts Title Match – January 10)
Gail Kim went to war with Awesome Kong in a No DQ match at TNA Final Resolution. Both women met at the iMPACT taping the following night. This bout main evented the January 10 episode.
The two fierce rivals brawled outside the ring to kick off the action. The exchange saw Kong attempt to crush Kim only for her to move out of the way, causing the powerhouse to crash through the stage wall.
The match also saw the debut of Raisha Saeed as Kong’s new manager. The night ended with Kong defeating Gail Kim to become the second TNA Knockouts Champion.
Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle (World Title Match – April 24)
Samoa Joe defeated Kurt Angle for the TNA World Championship at Lockdown 2008. The two men ran it back at the April 16 iMPACT taping. The match aired a week later. While the Lockdown encounter was contested under MMA rules, the rematch was contested under traditional rules.
Joe would retain his title following an interference from Scott Steiner. The controversial outcome forced Management Director Jim Cornette to set up a triple threat between Joe, Angle and Steiner at TNA Sacrifice.
Kurt Angle vs. Christian Cage (Six Sides of Steel Match – TNA iMPACT #193)
Kurt Angle beat Christian Cage on back-to-back occasions in the lead-up to their Six Sides of Steel Cage Match. The Olympic Gold Medalist defeated Captain Charisma at Final Resolution. He retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship at Against All Odds 2008.
The final match in their trilogy would come at the March 6 iMPACT taping inside the notorious steel structure. Angle dominated the early goings of the match with his grappling precision. A frog splash from the rope gave Cage some momentum.
One of the more interesting spots came when Angle caught Cage in an ankle lock on the third rope. Cage would use the rope for leverage to turn the lock into a hurricanrana. Both men tried to escape by climbing down.
They landed at the same time, but referee Earl Hebner made the judgment call and declared Cage the winner. The post-match angle saw the Angle Alliance destroy Captain Charisma as Samoa Joe and Kevin Nash tried to break through the cage door.
Also read: 5 Best Heel Turns In TNA History
