The month of May is upon us, which means one thing if your a TNA Wrestling fan…and that’s means it’s time for Under Siege.

Overall it’s the best of all of the TNA Plus Specials from a consistant standpoint, with every show having at least one, two or even three match of the year contenders.

As we get ready for this year’s Under Siege event, let’s take a look back at some of greatest bouts to happen at TNA’s May Exclusive pay-per-view…These are the 10 Best Under Siege Matches in TNA Wrestling.

Honorable Mentions:

• Eddie Edwards & FinJuice vs. Kenny Omega & The Good Brothers (Under Siege 2021)
• Chris Sabin vs. Steve Maclin (Under Siege 2022)
• The Design vs. Rich Swann, Sami Callihan, Jake Crist (Under Siege 2023)
• Trinity vs. Gisele Shaw (Under Siege 2023)
• Six Way Number One Contender Match (Under Siege 2023)
• The System vs. “Broken” Matt Hardy & Speedball Mountain (Under Siege 2024)

#10. Sami Callihan vs. Chris Bey vs. Moose vs. Trey Miguel vs. Chris Sabin vs. Matt Cardona (Under Siege 2021)

Following Kenny Omega’s victory at the Rebellion pay-per view, the company needed to crown a new number one contender which leds to a series of qualifying matches taking places on the following weeks on IMPACT television.

The six wrestlers that advanced were Chris Sabin, Chris Bey, Sami Callihan, Matt Cardona, Trey Miguel and Moose with this match taking place in the main event of the inaugural Under Siege event.

The phrase “Going from Zero to Hundred” is perhaps the best way to describe this match as the pace goes at lighting speed almost as soon as the bell rings with overall theme of this match seeing one or more wrestlers interact with some offense until the next person comes in and watch the magic unfold.

This match has everything: high flying spots, feats of strength and near falls with as far the eye can see. The match also helps to show off TNA’s young up-and-coming talent like Miguel and Bey while also allowing the season veterans to have their moments to shine.

A great way to cap off the first ever Under Siege pay-per-view.

#9. Mustafa Ali vs. Ace Austin (Under Siege 2024)

Mustafa Ali’s first run in TNA is easily one of the best things to happen to the company as the former 205 Live competitor proved how underutilized he was in the WWE by becoming a champion on his first night with the company and ruling over the X Division for almost 150 days.

At Under Siege 2024, Ali would defend the title against multiple time champion Ace Austin in what easily might be the best match of the whole card. Both men are so evenly matched throughout this first ever meeting with Ace taking all of Ali’s offense just as much as he can dish it.

Speaking of Ali, the former WWE superstar delivers some innovative maneuvers in this match including a crossface on Austin inbetween the ring post and a nasty looking German Suplex from the ring apron to the outside.

With Mustafa Ali officially signed with TNA as of early 2025, let’s hope we get to see these two square off once again.

#8. Ace Austin vs. Trey Miguel (Under Siege 2022)

Sticking with Ace Austin a little while longer, we go to Under Siege 2022 for this X Division Title match between two rivals.

The feud between Trey Miguel and Ace Austin is one of the best underrated rivalries TNA has produced over the years with the both men being seen as the future of the company and this is clear to see in their matches like this one.

As to be expected, Ace and Trey captivated the crowd but also are able to counter each others moves due to knowing each other so well. The action is both emotional as it is quick with Ace continuing to mock Trey which only fires up the Ohio native to hit harder than before.

While Ace escapes with both the win and the title once again, this match shows why the higher ups see Miguel and Austin as future world champions.

#7. Trey Miguel vs. Chris Sabin (Under Siege 2023)

Continuing our theme of X Division Title matches being the best at Under Siege, we go to this clash of generations as Chris Sabin challenges Trey Miguel (who by this point is a heel) for the gold.

Much like the Austin versus Ali match we mentioned earlier, Miguel and Sabin are almost mirror images of each other in terms of in-ring ability with Trey being the aggressor for the majority of this match, but Sabin on more than capable of answering the champs offense with his moves.

The match ends with the one-two point of Trey raking Sabin’s eyes and then using a can of green spray paint moments later before rolling up the Michigan native for the three count to remain the X Division Champion.

#6. Deonna Purrazzo vs. Jordynne Grace (Under Siege 2023)

Deonna Purrazzo and Jordynne Grace are easily the greatest feud not just in the Knockouts Division but one of the greatest in modern day women’s wrestling. In fact 2023 saw them facing each other on pay-per-view three different times.

After closing out that year’s Rebellion event and capturing her third Knockouts World Championship, a match was made for Under Siege between The Juggernaut and The Virtuosa once again with the added stipulation being that if Jordynne fails to win the belt, then she can never fight for the Knockouts Title so long as Deonna is the champion.

This match could’ve easily seen both ladies going through the motions, but like they always do the match delivers and the crowd is even split when cheering both ladies.

Following a series of near falls by both Grace and Purrazzo, the champion hits ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ from the top rope to finish of her rival once again and retain the title.

#5. ABC vs. Subculture (Under Siege 2023)

2023 to early 2024 was a great time for the company’s tag division as a number of teams stood out as some of the best, including the team of Ace Austin and Chris Bey aka The ABC.

At Under Siege, Ace and Bey defended their Tag Team Titles against Subculture’s Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews and to say this match was highlight would be under selling it.

Both Webster and Andrews fly around both in and outside of the ring for most of this bout and this leads to Ace and Bey having to use a lot of tag moves while also cutting the ring in half to slow down Subculture’s momentum and even then it’s easier said than done.

Honest to god if you made it a drinking game for the number of moonsaults and planchas that occur in this match, you’d probably end up with a massive hangover as the action is simply all over the place in all the right ways and the spot by Morgan Webster from the ring post onto the outside and the double poison-rana spot by Chris Bey…are the standout moments of this match.

With a performance like this, it’s no wonder TNA put the tag straps on Subculture a few months later.

#4. Bullet Club vs. Honor No More (Under Siege 2022)

The announcement of New Japan Pro Wrestling reviving their partnership with TNA (then known as IMPACT Wrestling) sent shockwaves to the Wrestling World considered how things ended a little over a decade ago.

Of the many NJPW stars who crossed the line into TNA was Jay White, the leader of the Bullet Club who turned on the Guerilla of Destiny during their tag title match with the Good Brothers at No Surrender. Also around this time, White would bring Chris Bey into the Bullet Club and engaged in a feud with Honor No More (a few Ring of Honor cast offs who invaded the company).

Following many sneak attacks from both sides, a match was made to have White, Bey, El Phantasmo and the Good Brothers take on Eddie Edwards, Matt Taven, Mike Bennett, Vincent and Kenny King in ten man tag team action.

Chaos ensues even before the bell rings with the fighting spilling to the outside, but when the match officially gets underway the animosity continues as well as the fighting.

It’s thanks to the interference of Maria Kanellis-Bennett that allows Honor No More the victory but the feud would be far from over.

#3. Josh Alexander vs. El Phantasmo (Under Siege 2021)

Josh Alexander’s rise from tag team wrestler to main eventer is one of the best examples of a homegrown star in recent TNA history, and that can best be seen with Josh’s time as X Division Champion.

For 151 days, ‘The Walking Weapon’ defended the best against some of the greatest wrestlers of this and the previous generation with his match with New Japan Pro Wrestling’s El Phantasmo being a particular highlight.

The first few minutes of the match sees Alexander grounding his high flying opponent with some collegiate style wrestling and power moves. This continues on until Phantasmo able to use his aerial offense to take down Josh and even finds time to showboat between his comeback spots…Which proves to be his undoing on more than one occasion.

Spots like Alexander deadlifting Phantasmo from the second rope whilst in the Tree of Woe to the sound of knife edge chops echoing throughout to that sequence of Josh and Phantasmo battling to get the pin are simply fantastic.

Another example of Josh Alexander’s worth as a champion was on display here, but his best at Under Siege would come the following year with yet another NJPW superstar.

#2. Josh Alexander vs. Tomohiro Ishii (Under Siege 2022)

Josh Alexander’s recapturing of the IMPACT World Title has to go down as one of the best moments in modern wrestling history which is only amplified by his record breaking title reign from April of 2022 to March of 2023.

Putting his feud with Moose to the side following their rematch on IMPACT, NJPW star Tomohiro Ishii was selected to be ‘The Walking Weapons’ next challenger and to say this bout was a battle of two equally tough wrestlers might just be understatement.

Take Josh’s intensity and explosive offense, combine it with Ishii’s stoic aggression and give them over twenty minutes to batter the heck out of each other and you probably imagine how this match went.

German Suplexes, forearm attacks, headbutts and the champion heading to the top rope more than usual makes up the bulk of this contest, but it’s by no means repetive to the point of being boring as the crowd invested from the opening bell.

Ishii’s constant attempts to avoid getting hit with the C4 Spike is a nicely told story in this match, so when Josh eventually does hit the move to score the win, it’s all the more satisfying of a victory for the Walking Weapon.

#1. Steve Maclin vs. PCO: No Disqualification (Under Siege 2023)

Steve Maclin reached some of the highest points of his career by winning the IMPACT World Championship at Rebellion in a solid match against KUSHIDA and by the time Under Siege came around, he would be defending the title against PCO in a No DQ match in the main event.

The match is…Without being hyperbole, one the most brutal and bloodiest matches you will ever see as Maclin and PCO inflict the type of carnage that would make an old-school ECW fan proud.

The shot PCO hitting Maclin with a cookie sheet seemed like nothing special until you see what it did to the top of Steve’s head as Maclin processes to spend the majority of the match haemorrhaging blood out of his skull.

It’s almost genuinely hard to watch and that’s without mentioning the spot where Maclin staples PCO’s mouth shut before pulling them all out in graphic detail. A blood soaked Macling retains the title leading to him calling out company President Scott D’Amore to put the belt around his waist…Which he does and leads to one of the best cliffhanger endings in modern day pro wrestling.

Completely understandably if you prefer Ishii and Alexander’s battle of attrition from 2022…But in terms of career defining matches and moments, this match from Under Siege 2023 is the epitome of that.

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