TNA (known as Impact today) is one of the most well-known wrestling companies in the world. It was founded by Jerry and Jeff Jarrett in 2002 and was one of the most watched wrestling programs of the 2000s. Many wrestlers have launched to superstardom thanks to their time at TNA.

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Although stars like Sting and Kurt Angle wrote great new chapters in TNA, many wrestlers became household names thanks to their time at the company. This list will examine the big and small names that debut at TNA to very little fanfare despite the path they went on to pave for themselves.

10 AJ Styles

AJ Styles is arguably the greatest success story in the history of TNA. After a short career in WCW and an even shorter stint as a jobber in the WWE, Styles arrived at TNA. AJ Styles appeared on the second TNA pay-per-view and was listed as having four years of pro wrestling experience.

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He appeared on the first episode to little fanfare as he, Jerry Lynn, and Lo-Ki lost to The Flying Elvises (Jimmy Yang, Jorge Estrada & Sonny Siaki). Almost one year exactly from his debut match, Styles would win his first NWA World Heavyweight Championship.

9 Abyss

Abyss became a mainstay on TNA television in the mid-2000s. In his prime, he was presented as a mix between Kane and Mankind. He dominated his opponents, had a ton of insanely hardcore matches, and even won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.

He arrived at the first TNA pay-per-view to very little fanfare. He hadn't begun to adopt the Abyss gimmick and seemed like another new name in the Gauntlet For The Gold match Ken Shamrock ended up winning.

8 Jay Lethal

Jay Lethal is one of the best homegrown talents in the history of TNA. He dominated the X-Division and arrived in AEW in 2021 as "a former TNA guy" in the eyes of many fans.

In Jay Lethal's debut match, he was a jobber for Samoa Joe, who would eventually become one of his great rivals at the company. Not only did the future X-Division Champion arrive to little fanfare on his debut episode of Impact, but he also didn't even get an entrance.

7 Bobby Roode

As Robert Roode in the WWE, he has had an up and down career. Roode's time in TNA was glorious, but his move to the main WWE roster has been very hit or miss. Before arriving in the WWE, Bobby Roode was a huge name in TNA.

Most fans don't know that Roode debuted as a jobber at TNA. He was quickly defeated by Konnan at TNA Xplosion #29. This was years before he became a frequent TNA performer in 2004. He was unrecognizable and unknown in his debut match against Konnan.

6 Tyler Black (Seth Rollins)

Seth Rollins is one of the biggest wrestling stars in the world. Many fans don't know he competed in TNA for one match under the ring name "Tyler Black."

The match was nothing special and featured him and a random partner, Jeff Luxon, getting destroyed by Latin American Exchange (Hernandez & Homicide). He was a jobber, so no fan in attendance thought twice about Tyler Black and his insane potential.

5 Eric Young

There are few wrestlers whose entire career is as associated with TNA as Eric Young. Although he has had small stints outside the company, his great legacy will always be written by how great of a star he was at TNA.

After a short stint as a jobber in the WWE, Eric Young arrived in TNA in 2003. In his first match, he was the unknown tag team member of a unit consisting of him, Frankie Kazarian, and Juventud Guerrera. He showed great potential in the match but was a nobody to the fans.

4 Consequences Creed (Xavier Woods)

Before he was Xavier Woods from the New Day, wrestling fans knew Woods as Consequences Creed in TNA. With a gimmick that was a bad rip-off of Apollo Creed, Rasheed Lucius Consequences Creed did not have a great TNA career. Along with an awful gimmick, Creed was hidden in the background of most of the storylines he was associated with.

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His debut was also nothing of note. He tagged with fellow WWE roster mate R-Truth (Ron Killings), in a tag team match that featured Creed with a goofy American hat over his afro. He was the "unknown person" in this losing effort to AJ Styles and Tomko.

3 Alexis Laree (Mickie James)

Although many fans think Mickie James's TNA career started in 2010, when she debuted to a huge ovation from Impact fans, Mickie James actually appeared at the first TNA pay-per-view. She did not wrestle but was featured in a promo under the name Alexis Laree.

Laree was introduced as one of the participants in the following week's Lingerie Battle Royale. Just four short years after the poorly aged bout, Mickie James would be a WWE Women's Champion in the WWE.

2 Kazuchika Okada

Kazuchika Okada was one of the biggest fumbles in the history of TNA. Despite having some great matches in Japan before his time at TNA, Kazuchika Okada was presented as a "nobody" wrestler and the fans reacted as expected. There was little fanfare for Okada who will go down in history as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time.

Even more insane, his debut match was against future tag team superstars, The Young Bucks. He, Homicide, and the Bucks competed in a quick forgettable match where no fan reacted strongly to the generational superstar, Okada, who was handily defeated.

1 James Storm

James Storm was one half of arguably the greatest TNA tag team of all time, Beer Money. James Storm is a TNA legend who at one point was a main event star at the company. He's had a few short stints outside TNA, but will always be remembered as one of the greatest TNA stars of all time.

James Storm debuted as "The Tennessee Cowboy" at the very first TNA pay-per-view. He was introduced as the partner to Psicosis. No one seemed sure who he was and no one seemed to see the huge future Storm had ahead of him at the company.