It has been 15 years since the incredible main event of Lockdown 2008 wowed TNA fans.
Inside the six-sides of steel, Kurt Angle defended his TNA World Heavyweight Championship in the biggest match of TNA’s long history.
To this day, they helped sell more pay per views than any other before them, and it is a record that has still yet to be matches.
Kurt Angle vs Samoa Joe
Lockdown 2008 was main evented by Samoa Joe vs Kurt Angle, which is widely regarded as one of the best matches in TNA history.
This match was for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, and it pitted two of the best wrestlers of their respective eras against each other.
The match built on the growing popularity of the UFC, by employing an MMA-style to the match, in a first for TNA.
Inside the steel cage at TNA Lockdown 2008, Angle came out in fight shorts and wrapped feet, ready to grapple Samoa Joe in what would be one of the best matches of both men’s career.
One thing that made this one of Samoa Joe’s best matches is the uniqueness of the bout, and how they baulked expectations with a grapple-heavy match.
Angle and Joe had a history of bad blood, and they didn’t hold anything back in this match. The match featured plenty of technical wrestling and hard-hitting strikes, with both men coming close to winning on several occasions.
In the end, Joe emerged victorious, winning his championship and earning the respect of the Olympic Gold Medallist.
Lockdown 2008
On the back of the Samoa Joe vs Kurt Angle match, Lockdown 2008 was the largest pay per view TNA had ever put on.
To this day, no other TNA (or Impact) pay per view has had as many buys as Lockdown 2008. Between 55,000 and 60,000 fans purchased the show, in anticipation of watching Samoa Joe finally beat Kurt Angle for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.
Lockdown 2008 was booked around the use of the six-sides steel cage, and they did so by utilising it in every single match.
Jeff Jarrett revealed in the Lockdown 2008 episode of the “My World” podcast that they wanted to make every single match a stipulation match, in order to make the use of the PPV theme.
These matches included a Six-man Xscape match for the TNA X Division Championship, four Six Sides of Steel Cage matches (which included Kurt Angle vs Samoa Joe) and a ten-man Lethal Lockdown match.
What did you think about Kurt Angle vs Samoa Joe at TNA Lockdown 2008? Let us know what you think down in the comments section below.