Match of the Day - The Low Ki/Lynn/Styles triangle ladder match

Low Ki vs. Jerry Lynn vs. AJ Styles - Triangle Ladder match for the X Division title - TNA PPV (2002)

Two up and coming indie sensations and a wily vet still kicking it look to take the world by storm. In the young, Wednesday night PPV from Nashville days of Total Nonstop Action, the name of the game was the X Division. While the main event scene had mostly all established stars, the X Division was in beginning to flourish with great young talent like AJ Styles, Low Ki, Amazing Red, Chris Sabin, Michael Shane, and Sonny Siaki just to name a few. It was new, it was exciting, and it was actually good.

While Low Ki and AJ Styles came into this match already current/former X champs, Jerry Lynn had yet to hold the title. Even though he could go the length with the young guns, he still needed that X Division glory that only Low Ki and Styles had up to this point.

Also, this was the time in TNA where Mike Tenay and Don West would get really excited about everything. I understand the need to sell the product, but come on, this match is good, if not better, without constant marking out by the commentary team. It isn't Matt Striker commentary bad to listen to, but it still gets a little redundant. Especially when every match was called the greatest TNA match of all time and this was only their first year.

Match of the Debut - AJ Styles' debut, TNA's debut show, and TNA's debut match!

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!

Match of the Day - Jerry Lynn's WWF debut

Jerry Lynn vs. Crash Holly - Light Heavyweight title match - WWF Sunday Night Heat (Backlash pre-show) (2001)

In honor of Jerry Lynn, one of the most underrated workers in wrestling, calling it quits for real this time last Saturday night, here's a little gem of him during his short stint in WWF after making a name for himself in ECW...

In Jerry Lynn's first match on WWF television, the New F'N Show challenged Crash Holly for his Light Heavyweight belt. And won.

Crash Holly, an already 11 time Hardcore champion by this time showed that he could also wrestle without weapons (or his cousin Bob) as he held his own pretty well in this precursor to the Cruiserweight Division in WWE type match. Unfortunately for Crash however, Lynn got the better of him and ended his one time reign as Light Heavyweight champ via a quick roll-up and a little help from tights.

Lynn would go on to hold the title from April until June of that year before dropping the belt to Jeff Hardy on Smackdown! Lynn didn't get much air-time on WWF other than that and some dark matches and matches on Heat with Rob Van Dam (who he has had countless solid matches with) and even a young debuting Chris Daniels.

Props to WWF for letting Paul Heyman talk up Jerry Lynn during this match - including amention of Lynn's early feud in GWF with "X-Pac" (who was The Lightning Kid at the time) in the early 90's.

Bonus: In Jerry Lynn's retirement match facing off against Horace the Psychopath, JB Task, and Sean "X-Pac" Waltman, Waltman supposedly tore open his anus performing his signature Bronco Buster. I shit you not! It's even on Wikipedia... check it out.

Spectators had no idea that Waltman was hurt; they thought that he was crying after the match because Jerry Lynn is now retired.

Match of the Day - Jerry Lawler pokes Terry Funker's eye out

Jerry "The King" Lawler vs. Terry Funk - CWA (Memphis Wrestling) (1981)

First of, Jerry Lawler is a lover of chickens.

This has to be up there as one of my favorite gimmick matches of all time. No fans, no refs, no police, no rules, no winner... just Jerry Lawler versus crazy-since-the-dawn-of-time, Terry Funk.

All Funk wanted was a match one-on-one with The King of Memphis to prove once and for all that Funk is a better man than Lawler (or that he's a yellow pig or something along those lines). So, the Funkster decides to invite Lawler to an empty arena match in the Mid-South Coliseum at 1 o'clock sharp, and while Lawler didn't seem too into it at the time, Lawler would eventually show up - crown and all.

The best part of this angle had to have been Terry Funk cussing-out The King as he was seemingly going to no-show on Funk's invitation. Terry even tries to count-out Lawler, but of course, Lawler had to pull through with Funk's challenge and make his appearance. After all, Jerry Lawer was the biggest name in Memphis at the time, he definitely could not have been seen as "yellow" or, even worse, as a coward!

One of my favorite lines from this match comes from Terry Funk when Jerry Lawler finally arrives and Funk, seeing that Lawler has brought his cape and crown, shouts, "Hey Lawler, come on up here. I'm gonna brake your crown. I'm gonna brake his crown, Lance...".

Unfortunately for Terry Funk however, Jerry Lawler ends up getting the best of him as Funk's plan of blinding The King with a spike made of wood backfires and Funk ends up with his eye poked out (Lawler kicked Funk's elbow with sent the spike right into his poor eye). This terrible turn of events - which Funk rightfully deserved - left the Funkster crying in pain as Lawler fled the scene unharmed with his reputation unscratched.

This is no Flair/Funk five star match, but it damn sure is a classic.

Match of the Day - Jerry Lynn gets burned in WCW!

Sabu vs. Mr. JL - WCW Halloween Havoc (1995)

During his short-lived World Championship Wrestling career in 1995, Sabu faced a few cruiserweghts here and there, one of which being Jerry Lynn who was masked for some reason  and only wrestled under his initials. I'm not sure why Jerry Lynn had to keep his identity so secret while in WCW but it was a damn good thing he was wearing a mask for this match!

Reason being that Sabu was accompanied by his Uncle, The (original) Sheik for this match at Halloween Havoc and The Sheik had a little trick up his sleeve. That trick being a fireball shot right in JL's face, an effect that no one except The Sheik himself (if that) knew was going to be performed!

Along with the fireball incident, this match is also known for the fact that The Sheik breaks his leg after being on the receiving end of Sabu's asai moonsault. Sabu also hit Lynn but for some reason The Sheik , Aladdin sword and all, happened to walk right behind Lynn as Sabu was coming off the ropes.That's why you see The Sheik wobbling around the ringside area as he sets for the fireball immediately following Sabu's unbotched win.

This match is surely a gem.