TNA Wrestling played a noteworthy role in giving opportunities to wrestlers WWE thought little of in the 2000s. Names like Samoa Joe and AJ Styles worked hard to showcase their skills despite not having the ideal old school look WWE wanted. TNA would have wrestlers of different heights hold the title if the company felt the performer could draw them money.
We will look at the overall tallest and shortest wrestlers to hold the title. TNA banked on the wrestlers with the right timing with mixed results. Taller wrestlers no longer had easier paths with title reigns since the business was changing, but the shortest wrestlers on the roster still had an uphill battle. Find out which names are on each side.
10 Tallest: Bobby Lashley (6'3'')
TNA rarely had giant wrestlers holding the world championship throughout their history. Wrestling was evolving beyond the 7-foot monsters. Most of TNA’s biggest signings saw wrestlers of relatively normal height like Sting, Kurt Angle, and Christian Cage join the promotion.
Bobby Lashley was one of taller wrestlers to win the TNA Championship at 6’3’’. His massive physique made him seem taller to a lot of fans that witnessed his career. Lashley won the TNA Championship on four occasions with the second most title reigns and days as champ behind only Kurt Angle.
9 Shortest: AJ Styles (5'11'')
One of the reasons WWE was always hesitant to sign AJ Styles away from TNA was his height. It wasn’t until Daniel Bryan’s main event success that WWE started to sign shorter talents that had reputations for being the best in the world.
Styles was even held back in TNA at times due to his height falling a little under 6 feet tall. The great matches and connection with the crowd still made AJ a two-time TNA Champion, but that should have been way higher since he was their true top star.
8 Tallest: Bully Ray (6'4'')
The deceptively tall Bully Ray never showed his height in WWE back when 6’4’’ was viewed as average in the Attitude Era. TNA eventually pushed him on his own after going with a bold idea of splitting up the Dudley Boyz.
Bully had the one main event singles run of his career winning the TNA Championship. The height made him look bigger than the other wrestlers on the roster that he picked on. It added to the overall gimmick and helped him find success in a role he never did before.
7 Shortest: Pentagon Jr. (5'11')
Pentagon Jr. proved that masked wrestlers could become main event stars with the right booking. Impact Wrestling pushed Pentagon into the role of Impact World Champion when badly needing to revamp and rebrand their image.
The title reign only lasted a few days before losing it back to Austin Aries. Most fans didn’t notice Pentagon was one of the shortest champions in TNA history. It didn’t prevent AEW from making him and his brother Rey Fenix some of their first major signings.
6 Tallest: Magnus (6'4'')
Magnus stood out in TNA by having the look that was associated with WWE signings. Even though it wasn’t ideal to stand out in WWE, Magnus was a different performer for the TNA landscape. The run was successful enough to become a main event heel.
Magnus was one of the tallest TNA Champions at 6’4’’. TNA didn’t give him strong booking to have a memorable reign, but it clearly meant a lot to him. Now working under his real name of Nick Aldis in NWA, he is having a career-best run on his own time.
5 Shortest: Sami Callihan (5'10'')
Sami Callihan was given a chance to turn his career around in Impact Wrestling shortly after getting his requested release from NXT. The edgy character of Callihan was placed into the main event picture for feuds with Eddie Edwards, Brian Cage, and Pentagon Jr.
Impact eventually trusted Callihan enough to become the World Champion for almost three months. The title win made Callihan one of the shortest champs in company history at 5’10’’. Callihan has become one of the building blocks for Impact’s future.
4 Tallest: Alberto El Patron (6'5'')
Alberto El Patron never seemed that tall compared to his peers in WWE as Alberto Del Rio, but he’s always been 6’5’’. The taller frame made him tie for the tallest Impact World Champion in the company’s nearly two-decade-long history.
Impact eventually regretted pushing him in a top role since personal issues and no-showing events doomed his run. Alberto may have let his final shot in wrestling slip past him. At least he’ll have the unique accomplishment as an all-time tall Impact World Champion.
3 Shortest: Austin Aries (5'9'')
Austin Aries’ height at 5’9’’ has always been the biggest question about mainstream success. The Ring of Honor work of Aries put him in the main event spotlight with names like CM Punk, Samoa Joe and Daniel Bryan. TNA eventually signed Aries to provide his biggest success on a national television show.
Aries had three TNA Championship reigns, with the third most total days holding the title. TNA gave Aries an opportunity in the X-Division, but he found a way to make it into the main event picture. This was around the time promotions started realizing height wasn’t as important as fan connection.
2 Tallest: Drew Galloway (6'5")
Drew Galloway, better known as Drew McIntyre, often feels quite taller than 6’5’’ due to his opponents in WWE and Impact Wrestling. The Impact stint of Drew’s career saw him getting a chance to rebuild his career after the WWE release.
Galloway’s Impact Championship reign was pivotal in building the momentum for a WWE return. The fans loved him as a face, and it gave Impact someone to connect with the viewers. Drew becoming a main eventer in WWE today may not have happened without his Impact World Championship reign.
1 Shortest: Tessa Blanchard (5'5")
The only woman to win the Impact World Championship is also the shortest champ in company history. Tessa Blanchard pulled off the huge accomplishment when defeating Sami Callihan to win the title. Impact realized Tessa was their biggest star and couldn’t risk not using her in such an important role.
Blanchard has had ups and downs since the title win with social media controversy and the show now on hold due to the coronavirus spread. Regardless, the accomplishment of winning a major world title in wrestling in historic fashion makes her a huge success story.