The "Phenomenal" AJ Styles. part 3

Styles won the 2005 Mr. TNA award (for the third consecutive time). During the ceremony the plaque was stolen by Shannon Moore. Styles successfully defeated New Japan Pro Wrestling wrestler Hiroshi Tanahashi in an "International X Showcase" match at Final Resolution. Shannon Moore interfered during the match, hitting Tanahashi accidentally with the plaque, allowing Styles to score his Styles Clash finisher for the victory. After the match, Tanahashi returned the plaque to Styles, but Moore stole the plaque back.

At Against All Odds, Styles and Daniels challenged Samoa Joe for the X Division Championship in a rematch of Unbreakable. Styles lost the bout when he was given a Muscle Buster by Joe, who then pinned him to retain. Samoa Joe defended the X Division Championship against Styles and Daniels in an Ultimate X match at Destination X and lost the belt to Daniels.

At Lockdown, Styles, Ron Killings, Rhino and Sting faced Jeff Jarrett, America's Most Wanted and Scott Steiner in a Lethal Lockdown match. In the course of the match, Styles placed James Storm on a table atop the cage and then climbed a ladder to a light fitting near the ceiling of the arena, then delivered a splash to the supine Storm, driving him through the table. Sting's team won the bout after Sting forced Chris Harris to submit.

Styles went on to join forces with Christopher Daniels and challenge America's Most Wanted for the NWA World Tag Team Championship. After losing to America's Most Wanted in title matches on two occasions, Styles and Daniels won the NWA World Tag Team Championship at Slammiversary. The win made Styles both a three-time tag team champion and a three time Triple Crown Champion.

On an episode of TNA iMPACT!, Styles and Daniels introduced contracts for all tag teams on the TNA roster, which sparked a rivalry with the Latin American Exchange, who signed the contracts for a match at Hard Justice which Styles and Daniels won. On the August 24 episode of iMPACT!, Homicide and Hernandez defeated Styles and Daniels in a border brawl to win the NWA World Tag Team Championship. At No Surrender Styles and Daniels defeated LAX in a Tag-Team Ultimate X Match to regain the titles after Styles hit a Styles Clash on Homicide through a table allowing his tag partner Christopher Daniels to capture the hanging belts. They lost the titles back to LAX at Bound for Glory in a Six Sides of Steel match after Homicide hit the Gringo Killer on Styles as Daniels was tied up to the cage by Konnan with a coat hanger.

On the November 2 edition of iMPACT!, he pinned Chris Sabin to begin his sixth reign as the new X Division Champion and breaking his own record as having the most reigns. The match was also the quarter-finals of the Fight For The Right tournament for #1 Contendership to Sting's NWA World Heavyweight Championship. On the November 9 iMPACT!, Styles won the semi-final match, but was pinned in the finals by Abyss after interference by Christian Cage and Sabin.

On the November 16 edition of iMPACT!, the show's debut in primetime, Styles lost the TNA X Division Championship to Daniels in a 3-way match when Daniels scored the rollup pinfall on Chris Sabin while Styles was outside of the ring dealing with Christian Cage.

At Genesis, A.J. Styles lost to Christian Cage via rollup. Christopher Daniels attempted to stop Christian Cage from using a steel chair in the match, which led to Styles rolling up Cage, which Cage reversed for a rollup of his own and the 3 count. After the match, Styles and Daniels shared harsh words, which led to Rhino coming to the ring to settle things. A.J. Styles refused to shake Daniels' hand and walked away. A.J. Styles and Christopher Daniels teamed up for the last time on the Thanksgiving Day edition of iMPACT!, defeating The Naturals. After the match, Rhino came out to the ring to raise both of their hands. A.J. pulled his arm away, and left the ring, saying that he was tired of Rhino getting into his business. He yelled at Rhino again during an interview on iMPACT! thus turning heel for the first time since winning the NWA World Heavyweight Championship for the first time in 2003. At Turning Point Styles beat Rhino after faking a knee injury and rolling him up for the pin.

On an episode of iMPACT!, Styles teamed up with Samoa Joe for the first time to go against Rhino and Kurt Angle. Styles and Joe would win after a roll up pin on Rhino by Styles, but Kurt Angle and Rhino would continue to beat down Styles and Joe. Next week, Styles would team up with James Storm and Chris Sabin to go against Petey Williams, Rhino and his former partner Christopher Daniels. Styles and his team would come out victorious when Styles pinned Daniels.

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"The Phenomenal" A.J. Styles ,part 3

Styles returned to the X Division in 2005, and at Final Resolution on January 16, he won the X Division Championship for a fourth time in an Ultimate X match, defeating Chris Sabin and the reigning champion, Petey Williams. On the January 21 episode of iMPACT!, Christopher Daniels accused Styles of "ducking him" (Styles and Daniels had never fought one another in a singles match in TNA). After Daniels challenged Styles to a match at the next monthly TNA pay-per-view, TNA Director of Authority Dusty Rhodes announced that Styles and Daniels would fight that day, with Daniels receiving a title shot if Styles could not defeat him within ten minutes. Daniels lasted ten minutes, and subsequently faced Styles in a thirty-minute iron man match for the X Division Championship at Against All Odds in which ended in a draw with both men having scored a single pinfall. Dusty Rhodes restarted the match, albeit with "sudden death" rules, and Styles defeated Daniels to retain his title.

The feud between Styles and Daniels continued, and at Destination X on March 13, Styles lost his title in an Ultimate X Challenge against Daniels, Ron Killings and Elix Skipper. Skipper eliminated Killings and Daniels eliminated Skipper, thus reducing the match to a singles contest. With the referee unconscious, Styles was able to retrieve the belt, but Daniels knocked him out with the Angel's Wings and then embraced the title belt. When the referee recovered shortly thereafter, he saw both men prone but Daniels with the title belt, and awarded the match and the X Division Championship to Daniels.

Having lost the X Division Championship, Styles began feuding with Abyss. At Lockdown, he defeated Abyss in a steel cage match to become the number one contender to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Styles went on to defeat the defending champion, Jeff Jarrett, at Hard Justice on May 15. After Jarrett pushed the special guest referee, cage fighter, Tito Ortiz, Ortiz knocked him down with a punch, enabling Styles to hit his Spiral Tap maneuver and pin Jarrett for his third NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Styles lost the title at Slammiversary to Raven in a King of the Mountain match against Sean Waltman, Raven, Monty Brown and Abyss.

On the July 1 episode of iMPACT!, Styles was involved in a confrontation with Sean Waltman. They faced one another at No Surrender in a match which was refereed by Jerry Lynn, who had teamed with and fought against both men in the past. The match was won by Styles after Lynn prevented Waltman from cheating. Styles then returned to his perennial pursuit of the X Division Championship, entering the TNA 2005 Super X Cup Tournament, which granted the winner a shot at the X Division Championship. Styles defeated Matt Bentley in the quarter-finals and Petey Williams in the semi-finals, but lost to Samoa Joe at Sacrifice. However, as Christopher Daniels (the reigning X Division champion) had interfered in the match, TNA Director of Authority Larry Zbyszko added Styles to the resultant title bout. On September 11 at Unbreakable, Styles defeated Samoa Joe and Daniels in a three-way match to become the TNA X Division Champion for a fifth time. This match was the last match of the night and is considered by many one of the greatest matches in TNA history. In addition to being rated a 5 Star Match by Dave Meltzer, this match also finished as the first runner up for Pro Wrestling Illustrated Match Of The Year honors making it the highest finish ever for a TNA match in that category.

On the inaugural episode of iMPACT! on October 1, Styles, in his match against Roderick Strong, would perform his signature no-hands somersault plancha over the top rope onto Strong on the outside of the ring. While executing the move, Styles' feet went over the guard rail surrounding the ring, and the heel of one of his boots struck an audience member, Ryan Jevec, in the face. Jevec received minor medical treatment for a black eye backstage, but was back in the audience within minutes.

On the November 19 episode of iMPACT!, Styles challenged Samoa Joe to a match at Turning Point, claiming that Joe had broken the X Division "code of respect" by assaulting his partner, Christopher Daniels, following their match at Genesis. Joe defeated Styles at Turning Point, thus becoming the new X Division Champion.

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