AJ Styles, Jerry Lynn, & Low Ki vs. The Flying Elvises (Jorge Estrada, Sonny Siaki, & Jimmy Yang) - first TNA match on the very first TNA show - NWA: TNA PPV (2002)
While technically this is everyone involved's debut match in TNA, since it was TNA's first match seen on the very first TNA show via Pay Per View, AJ Styles won the TNA world title last night and therefore gets the recognition above as part of new champ Debut Monday tradition.
Anyways, here's the genesis of the X division showing what they got to the Nashville crowd and the NWA legends in the back... and whomever heard about TNA and bought the PPV in 2002.
Over 10 years later and AJ Styles is still the future of the company. At least he's the top face again, for now.
Also, The Flying Elvises, the team of Sonny Siaki, Jorge Estrada, and Jimmy Yang (Later known as Akio or Jimmy Wayne Yang in WWE) are not to confused with the skydiving Elvis look-a-likes who jumped out of the airplane with Nic Cage in Honeymoon in Vegas. Being that early TNA had a lot of leftover WCW talent that didn't get picked up by Vinnie Mac, it's no surprise that they would have a Nic Cage gimmick on their program!
Cruiserweight Open featuring: Ultimo Dragon, Jamie Noble, Shannon Moore, Rey Mysterio, Funaki, Nunzio, Chavo Guerrero, Billy Kidman, Tajiri, and Akio* - Cruiserweight title match - Wrestlemania XX (2004)
Before introducing the WrestleMania match mentioned above, I would first like to introduce Ultimo Dragon to anyone who may not now of him.
This is Ultimo Dragon:
Yep, that's him, and yes, that's ten titles. Do I need to say more?
So, when WWE picked up Ultimo Dragon in 2003, it seemed like a no-brainer that Dragon would make a huge impact on the Smackdown! brand and have great success in their cruiserweight division, a division that Ultimo Dragon revolutionized in the 90's (those ten titles above are all middleweight/lightweight/cruiserweight championships). It also makes sense that Ultimo Dragon would get his chance to shine at pro-wrestling's version of the Super Bowl, WrestleMania!
So, WWE booked Ultimo Dragon in a match for the Cruiserweight title at Wrestlemania XX, right? Ehh, sort of. Rather than just having Ultimo Dragon take on the Cruiserweight champion of that time - which wasn't Rey Mysterio for some reason - we were given a ten man elimination-type match featuring the who's-who of the undercard.
Unfortunately for Ultimo Dragon, it just gets worse from there.
Take a look:
Yep, that's the same guy from above holding ten titles, eight from winning the prodigious J-Crown tournament, the NWA Middlewight title and the WCW World Cruiserwight title, Sin Cara-botching his WrestleMania debut.
Ultimo Dragon trips on his way out to the ring and then slips on the ropes as he poses to the crowd at Madison Square Garden, all before the match starts.
The Match:
As it seems that Ultimo Dragon's (who has to start the open) luck is turned around after defeating Shannon Moore with the Asai DDT, Ultimo Dragon takes on Jamie Noble (a former dragon himself) only to get choked out and sent to the back, ending Dragon's chances at becoming champion at 'Mania, just like that.
Other "highlights": Rey Mysterio dressed as Flash, Funaki gets pinned in record time if this was a real match, Nunzio gets counted out, Billy Kidman's cringe-worthy springboard shooting star press, *Akio gets Tajiri mist sprayed in his face so he never actually wrestled in this match, Chavo Classic catches Rey Rey before splatting on the floor via senton over the top rope, and, after eleven minutes of plugging all the cruiserweights Smackdown! had for this match, Chavo Guerrero retains his title.
All in all, if it wasn't for Ultimo Dragon's failed WrestleMania debut, this match would be forgotten forever. Thank you based dragon!
