TNA aka Impact Wrestling tried to follow the monthly PPV schedule of WWE and previously WCW before switching to quarterly events. One criticism of TNA was that they overbooked many of their biggest matches to ruin the appeal. No one involved in a PPV main event wants fans to be confused about what they just watched.
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The monthly PPV model requires the audience to spend a decent amount of money every month to watch the show playing out. Fans were typically upset if a PPV ending had them unsure of what they just watched. Names like Kurt Angle, AJ Styles, and Samoa Joe were tasked with the creative being questionable. Each of the following Impact PPV endings was the most confusing.
10 Victory Road 2011 (Sting Vs Jeff Hardy)
The most infamous PPV ending was one the company wishes they could erase. Jeff Hardy and Sting facing off for the TNA World Championship was a dream match that many fans wanted to see. Victory Road 2011 was the stage where the match would finally come in a PPV main event.
Unfortunately, the addiction issues of Jeff saw him coming to work intoxicated and unfit to perform. TNA still sent Hardy out for the match which lasted about a minute and a half. Sting scoring the pin and looking livid as the audience reacted had fans wondering what happened until the full story emerged.
9 Victory Road 2004 (Jeff Hardy Vs Jeff Jarrett)
The first-ever live three-hour PPV for TNA was Victory Road 2004 with a Jeff Hardy vs Jeff Jarrett ladder match main event. TNA wanted to put their top heel against the most well-known face to sell fans on this being the biggest night in company history.
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Kevin Nash and Scott Hall appeared to help Jarrett win as a predictable finish after weeks of teasing their appearances. The show ended with AJ Styles and 3 Live Kru getting attacked trying to even the odds until Randy Savage showed up. Fans had no idea what to make of Savage’s appearance and what could come of it.
8 No Surrender 2006 (Samoa Joe Vs Jeff Jarrett)
TNA booked so many different angles in the same overall main event spot at No Surrender 2006. Samoa Joe facing Jeff Jarrett in a strap match was the main event. The win for Joe came in a non-title match, despite Jarrett being the NWA Heavyweight Champion at the time.
Joe winning the match had fans confused over his place in the title picture since Sting was already #1 contender.
However, it was the shocking aftermath of Kurt Angle’s debut highlight showing to have an excited audience unsure of where Angle would fit in this picture after the shocking news.
7 Bound For Glory 2018 (John Morrison Vs Austin Aries)
One of the more recent instances of things falling apart for Impact Wrestling came in the Bound For Glory 2018 main event. The personal rivalry between Johnny Impact/John Morrison and Austin Aries had fans unsure of what was scripted when Aries made horrible comments about Johnny’s wife Taya Valkyrie.
Both men were professional during the match with Morrison winning to get his proper revenge. However, Aries standing right back up after getting pinned and flipping off Don Callis was a confusing move. The worked shoot element was already providing confusion, but Aries was never brought back after this.
6 No Surrender 2010 (Mr. Anderson vs D'Angelo Dinero)
TNA booked a huge series of matches to crown two new #1 contenders at No Surrender 2010. The winner of two singles matches would advance to face each other at Bound for Glory 2010 with the vacant TNA World Championship on the line.
Kurt Angle and Jeff Hardy went to a time-limit draw in their match to make the other match between Mr. Anderson and D’Angelo Dinero more confusing. TNA specified it wasn’t for the title, so Anderson winning just led to more confusion until announcing it would be a triple threat between him, Angle, and Hardy.
5 Bound For Glory 2010 (Jeff Hardy Vs Kurt Angle Vs Mr. Anderson)
The confusing road to Bound For Glory 2010 had fans unsure of what would happen when Kurt Angle, Mr. Anderson, and Jeff Hardy faced off in a triple-threat match. TNA vacated the title after Rob Van Dam got injured, but he returned at the same event without getting a shot at the belt he never lost.
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However, this night was all about the 10/10/10 mystery of something big happening at this event. Jeff Hardy turned heel to win the gold when Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff helped him and formed Immortal. It became more confusing when Abyss and Jeff Jarrett joined to have some sloppy booking requiring an explanation.
4 Slammiversary 2009 (Kurt Angle Vs Mick Foley Vs Samoa Joe Vs Jeff Jarrett Vs AJ Styles)
The annual Slammiversary PPV used to always feature a King of the Mountain match for the TNA World Championship. 2009 saw Mick Foley defending the title against Kurt Angle, Samoa Joe, Jeff Jarrett, and AJ Styles with the ladders in play.
The ending of the match and overall PPV was too confusing when Joe turned heel. Joe had a chance to hang the belt above the ring to win the world title, but he instead handed it to Angle. There was no logic behind Joe joining the Main Event Mafia to make it hard to follow.
3 Destination X 2010 (AJ Styles Vs Abyss)
Few shows summarize why the Hulk Hogan era of TNA went so badly more than Destination X 2010. The main event of Ric Flair’s protégé AJ Styles against Hogan’s choice Abyss seemed fine on paper, but the finish ruined any appeal it had.
TNA booked a no-contest finish when Abyss slammed Styles through the ring with a huge hole. Desmond Wolfe and Flair coming to the ring saw them falling in the hole for a comedic moment. However, it was not properly explained how the match ended since they wanted the confusion.
2 Victory Road 2008 (Samoa Joe Vs Booker T)
A forgotten program between Samoa Joe and Booker T for the TNA World Championship saw them main eventing two PPVs. Victory Road 2008 was the first one where the match ended in a strange no-contest meant to have the audience unsure.
Sting hit Joe with a baseball bat to stop him from brutally attacking Booker when the referee was knocked out. Booker pinned Joe with his wife Sharmell making the count and handing him the title. Fans were confused about Booker acting like he won the title, despite it being a no-contest finish.
1 Slammiversary 2006 (Jeff Jarrett Vs Christian Cage Vs Sting Vs R-Truth Vs Abyss)
TNA reached a new low when booking a controversial King of the Mountain match in the Slammiversary 2006 main event. Christian Cage defended the NWA Heavyweight Championship against the field of Jeff Jarrett, Abyss, Sting, and R-Truth.
The finish came when Earl Hebner pushed Sting and Christian off a ladder to help Jarrett steal the match. TNA tried to intentionally book their own version of the Montreal Screwjob and even called it the Orlando Screwjob. It was a horrible idea that upset fans more than made them care for the product.
