TNA Wrestlers Who Overachieved In 2024

TNA Wrestlers Who Overachieved In 2024
January 6 2025
By Ryan Porzl

In my last article, I brought up TNA's 2024 and specifically wrestlers who had a disappointing year. Obviously, not everyone can have an amazing year. However, in that article, I brought up it was part of a two part article. In this article, we'll look back at the TNA wrestlers who overachieved and did better than many thought they would. Now keep in mind, this is for wrestlers who did better than many thought. As a result, don't expect to see Nic Nemeth or Jordynne Grace or ABC on this list since they did as well as you expect.

Note: I don't own any pictures. Credit to TNA or whomever owns them.

Dani Luna (left) and Jody Threat (right)

Spitfire (Jody Threat and Dani Luna)- Both Jody Threat and Dani Luna signed with TNA at the end of 2023. Both showed great potential but there had to be a worry for them if they would get lost in the shuffle. Ultimately, the two would be thrown together in early 2024 to give the KO Tag Division another team to work with. While the KO Tag Division needs tons of work, Jody and Dani have gelled into a very good team and kept the division afloat for much of the year. The duo had their share of good to great matches with Decay, MK Ultra, and The Malisha to name some all the while winning the TNA Knockouts World Tag Team Championships twice. Ultimately, Spitfire found their spot in TNA and were able to earn credibility in the process. Both can continue to go farther in the years to come but 2024 was a very good start.

Mike Santana- Obviously, Mike Santana is no stranger to TNA as he previously worked there from 2017-2019 as part of an incarnation of LAX alongside Ortiz where they held the TNA Tag Titles four times and Global Force Wrestling Tag Titles once. After five years aways, Santana returned to TNA in 2024 but had different aspirations of making it as a singles wrestler. Now, Santana always had talent and a great look to name some. However, upon his return, Santana has done nothing but shine and prove he's got what it takes to main event. His matches against members of the System and Frankie Kazarian have been very good to great, his promos are strong and gritty, he's got a great back story, and he has a presence about him. All in all, he comes off like a superstar and never felt out of place in the main event. Again, I knew the potential was there but Santana has gone above and beyond to prove himself. The only way it could've been better is if he won a title and while that didn't happen, he has set himself off to win the big prize in 2025.

Frankie Kazarian- Kazarian is a TNA legend and someone who has always been a reliable hand on the roster. He was a perfect X Division Champion and a World Tag Team Champion. Having said that, I personally felt he was missing that special something to take him to that world title level and at best, he be world champion if he got a "thank you" reign. 2024 saw Kazarian take it to the next level. Beginning the year, Kaz would turn heel and began proclaiming himself the "King of TNA". Since then, he's put on perhaps the best character work of his career, certainly the best since his days with Christopher Daniels. Kazarian is also still a very good wrestler and can still hang at 47 so he hasn't missed a step. With all of this, I now feel Kazarian has found that missing piece of the puzzle and could very well become the TNA World Champion in 2025.

Ash By Elegance- Ash is one of three WWE cast offs to make this list. The former Dana Brooke was a long time WWE mainstay before parting ways in late 2023. I always thought the potential was there but she didn't get the opportunities she needed though Ash did make the best with what she was giving. Since coming to TNA, she's definitely put on her best work. As a wrestler, she's had good matches with Xia Brookside and Havok while having good to great matches with Jordynne Grace proving she can hang with the top of the division. Like Kazarian, Ash has also done some great character work and easily has become one of TNA's more entertaining characters. She's also carried herself like a star. Overall, Ash went from a wasted WWE undercard wrestler to shining and showing what she has to offer in TNA. Like Santana, the only thing that could've made the year better would've been a title and while she came up short in 2024, she'll get a chance and should be successful in 2025.

Zachary Wentz- Wentz enjoyed success in TNA in 2023 as a World Tag Team Champion and as one of TNA's top teams, it wasn't surprising if he did it again. However, he went one step further in 2024. Wentz began 2024 the way we expected which is as part of the Rascalz but by the summer, he began to take it further. First was the TNA/NXT relationship saw him make a return to NXT having big matches either teaming with Trey Miguel or feuding with former partner Wes Lee. Wentz also received a small singles run during this time, capturing his first X Division Championship and giving him the biggest singles honor of his career to date. Along with this, Wentz also showed a different side to him showing he can hang in singles and show a mean streak when needed. Wentz was giving opportunities in 2024 and he nailed it each time in the ring and personality.

Mustafa Ali- Ali is the second WWE cast off to appear here. Like Ash, Ali had the talent but wasn't giving a lot of chances and the few he did get like the Retribution stable were disastrous. Ali joined TNA in early 24 and quickly became one of the highlights in the first half of 2024 playing a insincere politician type character very well showing great character work. He put on strong matches this year with Chris Sabin, Jake Something, and Mike Bailey. He also won the TNA X Division Championship which marked the first major championship of his career. Sadly, Ali's 2024 in TNA was short as he took a leave in July so he was absent for the second half of the year. Nevertheless, what he was able to accomplish in a short amount of time is impressive. Especially for someone coming off arguably the worst wrestling stable in modern times.

Alisha Edwards- Alisha is one of TNA's longest wrestlers currently on the roster but has always had an awkward tenure. From her debut in 2017 to 2023, she was mostly a solid hand as the prelim knockout while doing angles with husband Eddie Edwards all the while seemingly being miscast as a babyface. After turning heel in 2023, she began to show promise but 2024 would see her shine in the role. As a wrestler, she achieved her biggest success including teaming with Masha Slamovich to win the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship, marking Alisha's first TNA championship. While she's had solid matches, she's made her biggest mark as a valet/manager of the System drawing great heat from the fans all the while cutting good promos and doing good character work. After years of being lost in the shuffle, it feels like Alisha has found her voice.

AJ Francis- We close with perhaps the biggest overachiever, not just in TNA but perhaps the entire wrestling world of 2024. Francis' story is well documented having two lackluster runs in WWE as Top Dolla where he was treated like the biggest joke in the business since the Shockmaster. After his release, nobody was excited to see him go anywhere including TNA fans such as myself. However, since his debut at Hard To Kill, Francis has stepped it up big time. Though not an incredible wrestler, he's made improvements and shown he can carry his weight in the very least. He's also done great character work and promo work. His feuds with Joe Hendry and PCO are among some of the most memorable TNA had this year. He also became a champion holding the TNA Digital Media Championship and the revived International Heavyweight Wrestling Championship. Francis has come a long away from where he was a year ago from joke to champion.