TNA Turning Point
TNA Turning Point is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced annually by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), featuring championship defenses, stipulation matches, and major storyline developments. The inaugural event occurred on December 5, 2004, at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida, establishing it as TNA's second monthly PPV series following Victory Road.[1][2] Originally scheduled in December, Turning Point shifted to November beginning with the 2008 edition, held on November 9 at the same Orlando venue, to better align with TNA's end-of-year event calendar.[3] The series ran as a full PPV through 2012, showcasing high-profile contests such as the 2004 Six Sides of Steel cage match between America's Most Wanted and Triple X (Christopher Daniels and Elix Skipper), where the losing team disbanded.[4] It was presented as special episodes of TNA's flagship program Impact Wrestling in 2013, 2015, and 2016, with a One Night Only PPV in 2014, before a hiatus until its revival on November 9, 2019, as an Impact Plus monthly special event streamed from Holy Family Academy in Hazleton, Pennsylvania.[5] In recent years, Turning Point has returned to its PPV roots under TNA's rebranding, with the 2024 edition marking the 19th in the chronology and featuring eight matches, including Nic Nemeth retaining the TNA World Championship against Eddie Edwards.[6] The 2025 event, the 20th in the chronology, took place on November 14 at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. It was broadcast live on TNA+ and featured matches highlighting ongoing rivalries, including Mike Santana and Steve Maclin defeating TNA World Champion Frankie Kazarian and Nic Nemeth in the main event tag team match.[7][8][9]Background
Inception and Purpose
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) transitioned from its weekly pay-per-view format to monthly events in late 2004, aiming to establish a sustainable schedule of branded annual shows that could build consistent fan engagement and compete more effectively with established promotions.[10] Turning Point was positioned as TNA's second annual pay-per-view, serving as a December showcase to cap the year with high-profile storylines following Victory Road in November.[11] This expansion allowed TNA to allocate more production resources to fewer, larger events while maintaining momentum through themed monthly cards.[12] The inaugural Turning Point launched on December 5, 2004, at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida, drawing an attendance of approximately 700 fans.[1] As part of TNA's ongoing partnership with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), the event featured defenses of NWA-sanctioned titles and emphasized the promotion's commitment to intense, rivalry-driven programming.[4] The core purpose of Turning Point was to spotlight faction-based rivalries and elevate stakes through stipulation matches that resolved long-simmering feuds, exemplified by the debut event's headline Six Sides of Steel cage match between America's Most Wanted (Chris Harris and James Storm) and Triple X (Christopher Daniels and Elix Skipper), where the losing team faced disbandment.[2] This approach aimed to deliver dramatic conclusions to key angles, fostering emotional investment from viewers at the year's end.[10] Early promotion for Turning Point integrated TNA's NWA affiliation by highlighting championship implications and cross-promotional ties, while building year-end hype through weekly Impact! episodes that teased escalating conflicts to sustain subscriber interest into 2005.[1] These strategies focused on creating a sense of culmination, positioning the event as a pivotal "turning point" in ongoing narratives.[10] The event later evolved to a November slot beginning in 2008 to align with holiday scheduling adjustments.[4]Naming and Thematic Elements
The name "Turning Point" was introduced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) for its inaugural pay-per-view event held on December 5, 2004, at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida, emphasizing matches designed to represent transformative junctures in wrestlers' careers, faction dynamics, or ongoing narratives.[4] This branding aligned with TNA's strategy to position the event as a climactic December offering in its annual PPV schedule, often resolving built-up tensions from preceding months.[10] Thematic elements in Turning Point events consistently revolved around high-stakes stipulations that forced decisive changes, such as steel cage matches culminating in faction dissolutions; a prime example is the 2004 main event Six Sides of Steel encounter between America's Most Wanted and Triple X, governed by a "losers must disband" rule that ended the latter team's alliance upon defeat.[13] Multi-person defenses of championships also became recurring motifs, underscoring collective challenges that could shift power balances within the roster. These elements underscored the event's core concept of irreversible outcomes, like career-altering betrayals or alliances forged in the aftermath of pivotal bouts. Over time, the themes evolved from a primary focus on personal and factional rivalry resolutions in the early years—such as the intense interpersonal clashes that defined the 2004 and 2006 cards—to more championship-centric narratives by 2008, where title defenses took precedence in headline spots to drive broader storyline progression.[14] Symbolic "turning points" exemplified this shift, including Kurt Angle's high-profile clash with Samoa Joe at the 2006 edition, which evened their budding rivalry at 1-1 and marked a critical escalation in Angle's TNA tenure by restoring competitive parity after his prior victory.[15]Event Evolution
Annual PPV Era (2004–2012)
Turning Point was established as Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's (TNA) annual pay-per-view event in 2004, initially scheduled in December to align with the company's year-end programming. The inaugural event took place on December 5, 2004, at the Impact Zone in Universal Studios Orlando, Florida, featuring a main event of America's Most Wanted (Chris Harris and James Storm) (c) vs. Team Canada (Bobby Roode and Eric Young) for the NWA World Tag Team Championship in a Six Sides of Steel match. This format continued annually through 2007, with events held exclusively at the Impact Zone, emphasizing hardcore and championship bouts to build on TNA's Xtreme Wrestling reputation. By 2008, the event shifted to November to better position it in TNA's PPV calendar, a change that persisted through 2012, while remaining at the Orlando venue.[2] The era marked a transitional period for TNA's world championships, beginning under the NWA World Heavyweight Championship banner until 2007 and evolving to focus on the newly branded TNA World Heavyweight Championship from 2008 onward. Seven of the nine events during this span headlined world heavyweight title matches, highlighting the promotion's emphasis on elevating its top singles division amid roster expansions with stars like Kurt Angle and Sting. For instance, the 2005 edition on December 11 featured Jeff Jarrett defending the NWA World Heavyweight Championship against Rhino in a main event, while 2006 on December 10 showcased Kurt Angle versus Samoa Joe for the same title. The 2007 event deviated slightly with a six-man tag team main event involving Kurt Angle, Christian Cage, and Abyss against Sting, Scott Steiner, and Samoa Joe, but subsequent years reinforced the title-centric approach, such as the 2008 November 9 clash between Sting and A.J. Styles for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. Attendance and buyrates for Turning Point grew steadily from 2004 to 2012, reflecting TNA's expansion phase with increased television exposure via Spike TV and international deals. Early events drew around 900 fans at the Impact Zone, but by 2010–2012, figures approached 1,400, correlating with peak buyrates of approximately 0.15–0.20 during TNA's mid-2000s to early 2010s prime. This growth underscored the event's role in sustaining TNA's PPV revenue model before broader industry shifts in 2013 reduced such frequencies.| Year | Date | Venue | Main Event | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | December 5 | Impact Zone, Orlando, FL | America's Most Wanted (c) vs. Team Canada for NWA World Tag Team Championship (Six Sides of Steel) | 900 |
| 2005 | December 11 | Impact Zone, Orlando, FL | Jeff Jarrett (c) vs. Rhino for NWA World Heavyweight Championship | 950 |
| 2006 | December 10 | Impact Zone, Orlando, FL | Kurt Angle vs. Samoa Joe for NWA World Heavyweight Championship | 950 |
| 2007 | December 2 | Impact Zone, Orlando, FL | Kurt Angle, Christian Cage & Abyss vs. Sting, Scott Steiner & Samoa Joe | 1,000 |
| 2008 | November 9 | Impact Zone, Orlando, FL | Sting vs. A.J. Styles for TNA World Heavyweight Championship | 1,200 |
| 2009 | November 15 | Impact Zone, Orlando, FL | A.J. Styles (c) vs. Christopher Daniels vs. Samoa Joe for TNA World Heavyweight Championship | 1,400 |
| 2010 | November 7 | Impact Zone, Orlando, FL | Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Matt Morgan for TNA World Heavyweight Championship | 1,400 |
| 2011 | November 13 | Impact Zone, Orlando, FL | Bobby Roode (c) vs. A.J. Styles for TNA World Heavyweight Championship | 1,400 |
| 2012 | November 11 | Impact Zone, Orlando, FL | Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Austin Aries in a Ladder Match for TNA World Heavyweight Championship | 1,400 |
Transitional Specials (2013–2018)
In response to mounting financial pressures, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) significantly scaled back its pay-per-view output in 2013, reducing from a monthly schedule to just four major live events annually—Slammiversary, Bound for Glory, Lockdown, and Genesis—to prioritize cost efficiency and focus resources on television programming.[16][17] This shift marked the end of Turning Point's status as a consistent December pay-per-view, transforming it into a series of irregularly timed "One Night Only" specials and taped episodes integrated into Impact Wrestling broadcasts, often repurposed for the Impact Plus streaming service launched in 2017. These adaptations allowed TNA to maintain thematic continuity with Turning Point's emphasis on pivotal storyline resolutions while minimizing production expenses through pre-taped formats at the Impact Zone or select arenas.[18] The 2013 iteration of Turning Point aired as a special live episode of Impact Wrestling on November 21 at the Impact Zone in Orlando, Florida, featuring a no-disqualification main event between Bully Ray and Mr. Anderson, where Anderson emerged victorious, effectively disbanding the Aces & Eights stable and concluding a major angle.[19][20] This event highlighted TNA's pivot toward integrating high-stakes matches into weekly television to sustain viewer engagement amid the reduced PPV calendar. Shifting further from live pay-per-views, the 2014 Turning Point was taped on September 5 at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Virginia, and broadcast as a One Night Only special on January 9, 2015, with Jeff Hardy defeating MVP in the main event to cap a card focused on midcard rivalries and title defenses.[21][22] The following year, on July 28, 2015, another taped edition at the Impact Zone aired live-to-tape as an Impact Wrestling special on August 19, centering on TNA World Heavyweight Champion EC3 defending against PJ Black in the main event, where EC3 retained via pinfall after a competitive back-and-forth bout.[23][24] The 2016 event continued this taped format, recorded on August 12 at the Impact Zone and airing on August 25 as an Impact Wrestling episode branded as Turning Point, with EC3 facing Drew Galloway in the main event; Galloway's aggressive offense nearly secured the upset, but EC3 prevailed with a low blow-assisted TK3 cutter for the win.[25][26] By 2017, amid ongoing financial constraints that saw further reliance on Impact Plus for distribution, Turning Point returned as a One Night Only special taped on April 22 at the Impact Zone and aired on May 11, featuring Impact World Champion Lashley defending against Moose in the main event; Lashley retained after a spear counter to Moose's spear attempt.[27][28] These specials underscored TNA's strategy of using Turning Point as a mid-year platform for championship clashes and character arcs, diverging from its pre-2013 annual December consistency.| Event Date (Taping) | Venue/Location | Main Event | Broadcast Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 21, 2013 | Impact Zone, Orlando, FL | Bully Ray vs. Mr. Anderson (No DQ) – Anderson wins | Live episode of Impact Wrestling on Spike TV |
| September 5, 2014 | John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville, VA | Jeff Hardy vs. MVP – Hardy wins | One Night Only PPV special, aired January 9, 2015 |
| July 28, 2015 | Impact Zone, Orlando, FL | EC3 (c) vs. PJ Black (TNA World Heavyweight Championship) – EC3 retains | Special episode of Impact Wrestling on Destination America, aired August 19, 2015 |
| August 12, 2016 | Impact Zone, Orlando, FL | EC3 vs. Drew Galloway – EC3 wins | Episode of Impact Wrestling on Pop TV, aired August 25, 2016 |
| April 22, 2017 | Impact Zone, Orlando, FL | Lashley (c) vs. Moose (Impact World Championship) – Lashley retains | One Night Only PPV special, aired May 11, 2017 on Impact Plus/PPV |
Modern Revivals (2019–Present)
Turning Point was revived in 2019 as a live pay-per-view event, marking the series' return to prominence following a period of sporadic specials. The event took place on November 9 at the Holy Family Academy in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, in partnership with Pennsylvania Premiere Wrestling. In the main event, Sami Callihan defended the Impact World Championship against Brian Cage, retaining the title in a hard-fought match that highlighted the promotion's shift back to live crowds and streaming via Impact Plus.[29][5] The 2020 edition adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic, held without an audience on November 14 at Skyway Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. Rich Swann defeated Sami Callihan to win the Impact World Championship in the main event, solidifying Swann's reign amid taped production constraints. This iteration maintained the event's streaming exclusivity on Impact Plus, emphasizing in-ring storytelling despite the lack of live attendance.[30][31] In 2021, Turning Point returned to a live format on November 20 at Sam's Town Live in Sunrise Manor, Nevada. The main event featured Moose defending the Impact World Championship against Eddie Edwards in a Full Metal Mayhem match, with Moose retaining via pinfall after a chaotic ladder-and-weapons contest. The event underscored Impact's post-pandemic recovery, drawing a crowd to showcase high-stakes title defenses.[32][33] The 2023 event marked a milestone as the first international Turning Point, taped on October 27 and aired on November 3 at the Walker Activity Dome in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, in collaboration with Revolution Pro Wrestling. Will Ospreay, making a one-off return appearance, defeated Eddie Edwards in the main event, delivering an athletic showcase that bridged Impact's roster with UK talent. This edition expanded the event's global reach, airing live on Impact Plus and YouTube.[34][35] Turning Point continued its momentum in 2024 on November 29 at the Benton Convention Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, as part of the WrestleCade weekend. Nic Nemeth (c) defended the TNA World Championship against Eddie Edwards in the main event, retaining the title. The event aligned with TNA's full rebranding from Impact Wrestling, featuring a mix of title matches and cross-promotional elements.[36][37][38] The 2025 edition took place on November 14 at Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida, serving as the 20th iteration of Turning Point. This event coincided with TNA's ongoing rebranding efforts and furthered global outreach through its streaming platform and potential international talent crossovers. It followed a triple-header weekend including a live iMPACT! episode, reinforcing the promotion's commitment to consistent live events. In the main event, Mike Santana and Steve Maclin defeated Nic Nemeth and Frankie Kazarian.[39][40][41] Since 2019, Turning Point has trended toward diverse venues across the United States and internationally, contrasting earlier Orlando-centric productions, while consistently centering world title matches to drive narrative arcs. This revival period has emphasized live audiences post-2020, hybrid taping for global accessibility, and partnerships to broaden appeal under the TNA banner.[42]| Year | Date | Venue | Main Event | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | November 9 | Holy Family Academy, Hazleton, PA | Sami Callihan (c) vs. Brian Cage (Impact World Championship) | Not reported |
| 2020 | November 14 | Skyway Studios, Nashville, TN | Rich Swann vs. Sami Callihan (Impact World Championship) | 0 (closed doors) |
| 2021 | November 20 | Sam's Town Live, Sunrise Manor, NV | Moose (c) vs. Eddie Edwards (Full Metal Mayhem for Impact World Championship) | Not reported |
| 2023 | November 3 (aired; taped October 27) | Walker Activity Dome, Newcastle, UK | Will Ospreay vs. Eddie Edwards | Not reported |
| 2024 | November 29 | Benton Convention Center, Winston-Salem, NC | Nic Nemeth (c) vs. Eddie Edwards (TNA World Championship) | Not reported (part of WrestleCade total ~20,000) |
| 2025 | November 14 | Full Sail University, Orlando, FL | Mike Santana & Steve Maclin vs. Nic Nemeth & Frankie Kazarian | Not reported |