TNA X Division Championship
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TNA X Division Championship
Impact X Division Championship
Impact X Title.jpg
The current IMPACT X Division Championship belt
(2020-present)
Details
PromotionImpact Wrestling
Date establishedJune 19, 2002[1][2]
Current champion(s)TJP
Date wonDecember 12, 2020
Other name(s)
  • NWA X Championship
    (2002)
  • NWA-TNA X Championship
    (2002)
  • NWA-TNA X Division Championship
    (2003)[3]
  • TNA X Division Championship
    (2003-2017)
  • GFW X Division Championship
    (2017)
  • Impact Wrestling X Division Championship
    (2017)
  • Impact X Division Championship
    (2017-present)

The Impact X Division Championship[7] is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by Impact Wrestling. It debuted on June 19, 2002, at the taping of then-TNA's second weekly pay-per-view (PPV) event.[1] The current champion is TJP, who is in his second reign.

Like most professional wrestling championships, the title is won as a result of a predetermined match. There have been 89 reigns among 45 wrestlers.[3]

History

X Division

Inaugural and six-time champion A.J. Styles

The TNA X Division was established on June 19, 2002 at Total Nonstop Action's first weekly PPV event with a Six Man Tag Team match resulting in Jimmy Yang, Jorge Estrada, and Sonny Siaki--collectively known as The Flying Elvises--defeating A.J. Styles, Jerry Lynn, and Low Ki.[1][8] Later that day at the taping of the next weekly PPV event, TNA introduced the X Division Championship--then known as the X Championship--to showcase the division more prominently.[1][8] The division is described as wrestling reinvented, as it takes traditional wrestling and mixes it with the fast paced, high-risk style of wrestling incorporated in cruiserweight divisions and lucha libre.[8] The division was until 2011 promoted under the motto "It is not about weight limits, it is about no limits" by commentator Mike Tenay.[8][9][10][11] On the August 11, 2011, edition of TNA's primary television program, Impact Wrestling, TNA authority figure Eric Bischoff announced that from that point onwards the X Division would have a weight limit of 225 lb (102 kg).[12] Following Hulk Hogan becoming the new on-screen General Manager in March 2012, the weight limit was ignored on June 10, 2012, at Slammiversary when the 280 lb (130 kg) Samoa Joe was allowed to challenge for the belt.[13][14] In October 2012, the weight limit was officially repealed when 237 lb (108 kg) Rob Van Dam challenged for, and eventually won, the title at Bound for Glory. In March 2013, the X Division was given a new set of rules, which meant all matches were wrestled in Triple Threat format, and a new weight limit of 230 lbs. This proved to be extremely unpopular with fans, and the rules and weight limit were repealed once again in August of that year.[15][16]

Speciality matches

Two men, one in yellow trunks while the other in red trunks, battling, while hanging by red steel ropes, to retrieve a championship belt, which is suspended on the ropes
A.J. Styles (yellow trunks) and Christopher Daniels (red trunks) during an Ultimate X match in 2006

The Total Nonstop Action X Division has multiple styles of match types used to showcase the talent within the division and to defend the TNA X Division Championship in more marketable matches. Three of the matches used in TNA are the Ultimate X match, The Steel Asylum, and the Xscape match.

  • The Ultimate X match was introduced in 2003.[17] It involves multiple competitors racing to retrieve the X Division Championship or a giant red letter "X", which is suspended above the ring by two cables.[11][17] The cables are attached to posts that stand behind the turnbuckles of the ring.[11][17] These cables intertwine to form an "X" over the center of the ring.[11][17] This match has become successful in TNA; it was featured in the 2008 DVD "TNA: Ultimate Matches", released by TNA Home Video.[18]
  • The Steel Asylum made its debut in May 2008 at TNA's Sacrifice PPV event, under the name "The TerrorDome".[19] It was used once again in October 2008 at their Bound for Glory IV PPV event, under the new and current moniker "The Steel Asylum".[20][21] As of January 2021, this match has only been used to determine the number one contender to the TNA X Division Championship.[19][21] The layout of the match involves the ring being surrounded by a giant red steel barred cage with a domed ceiling.[20] The only way to achieve victory is to escape the cage through a hole in the center of the ceiling.[22]
  • The Xscape match is the third specialty match primarily used in TNA. It is held annually at TNA's Lockdown PPV event in April--an all-steel cage format PPV event.[23][24][25][26][27] The first two Xscape matches were held to determine the number one contender to the TNA X Division Championship, while, since 2007, it has been contested for the X Division Championship.[23][24][25][26][27] The contest involves four to six participants. To win this match, two or more participants--depending on how many are involved in the encounter--must be eliminated by pinfall or submission leaving only two participants.[24] These two men then race to see who escapes the cage first to claim victory.[28]

Creation

The championship was created and debuted before the main event at the taping of TNA's second weekly PPV event on June 19, 2002; the event aired on June 26, 2002.[1] Later, A.J. Styles defeated Low Ki, Jerry Lynn, and Psicosis in a Four Way Double Elimination match to be crowned the inaugural champion;[29] this match was announced as being for the NWA X Championship on the onscreen graphic while the ring announcer stated it was for the "NWA-TNA X Championship".[1][30] Afterwards, the title was renamed the NWA-TNA X Division Championship and then shortened to just the TNA X Division Championship.[3] This is the oldest title in TNA.

Option C

Option C is a concept in which the current X Division Champion may voluntarily vacate the championship in exchange for a World Heavyweight Championship match at that year's Destination X event. It began in June 2012 when then-champion Austin Aries said that he was not satisfied with being just the X Division Champion, which led to then-General Manager Hulk Hogan offering him a match for the World Heavyweight Championship, but only if he first vacated the X Division Championship. Aries agreed to Hogan's terms, on the condition that the X Division Champion be given the same opportunity in future years. Aries would then relinquish the X Division Championship and defeated Bobby Roode for the World title.

The following year, Hogan asked then-champion Chris Sabin if he wanted to vacate the championship and challenge for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, which Sabin accepted, and later defeated Bully Ray to win the title. On June 24, 2014, a mere five days after regaining the X Division Championship for his fifth reign, Austin Aries invoked Option C once again, but failed to defeat then champion Lashley. On May 10, 2015, one day after regaining the title for his second reign, Rockstar Spud invoked Option C, and was defeated by then champion Kurt Angle. On the July 5, 2016 episode of Impact Wrestling, World Heavyweight Champion Lashley offered a winner take all match to X Division Champion Eddie Edwards in lieu of Edwards invoking Option C. The match ended in a no-contest after an interference from Mike Bennett and Edwards was attacked by the debuting Moose. A subsequent rematch took place, in which Lashley was victorious, becoming a double champion. In 2017, then X Division Champion Sonjay Dutt did not exercise Option C.

On the November 15, 2018 episode of Impact, Brian Cage defeated Sami Callihan to retain the X Division Championship. After the match, he announced that he would use Option C at the Impact Wrestling Homecoming event to challenge Impact World Champion Johnny Impact.[31]

Unifications and outside defenses

Record eight-time champion Chris Sabin

In July 2002, the X Division Champion AJ Styles defended the title against Adam Jacobs and David Young at Ring of Honor's Crowning a Champion, the first defense outside TNA.[32] In May 2003, before the professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling All-Stars' (WWA) foreclosure, then NWA-TNA X Division champion Chris Sabin defeated WWA International Cruiserweight Champion Jerry Lynn, Frankie Kazarian, and Johnny Swinger in a Four Corners championship unification match to unify the X Division Championship with the WWA International Cruiserweight Championship.[3][33] In Winter 2004, Petey Williams defended the title in various IWA-Mid South events.

During Christopher Daniels' first reign in mid-2005, he defended the X Division Championship at several Pro Wrestling Guerrilla shows. The first defense happened at All Star Weekend - Night One on April 1 against Alex Shelley, while the second occurred at All Star Weekend - Night Two on April 2 against Chris Hero; Daniels won both encounters retaining the championship.[34][35] At Jason Takes PWG on May 13, Daniels fought A.J. Styles for the X Division Championship and Styles' PWG Championship to a one-hour time-limit draw.[36] Daniels successfully defended the X Division Title two more times in PWG; once at Guitarmageddon on June 11 against El Generico, while once at The 2nd Annual PWG Bicentennial Birthday Extravaganza - Night One on July 9 against fellow TNA wrestler Chris Sabin.[37][38] In September 2005 at TNA's Unbreakable PPV event, the TNA X Division Championship was defended in the main event for the first time at a monthly PPV event; then-champion Christopher Daniels defended the championship against A.J. Styles and Samoa Joe.[39]

The title was once again defended in the main event of a monthly event at TNA's August 2007 Hard Justice PPV event, where Kurt Angle defeated Samoa Joe to win the TNA X Division and the TNA World Tag Team Championship and retain the TNA World Heavyweight and IGF's version of the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.[40] This win made Angle the only in the history of TNA to hold every active championship at the same time; TNA World, X Division, and World Tag Team.[41]

On March 4, 2014, The title was defended in Japan as part of Kaisen: Outbreak - a supershow event promoted by Wrestle-1 in partnership with TNA - where the title was won by Wrestle-1 star Seiya Sanada.[42] On March 22, Sanada defended and retained the title on a Wrestle-1 show.[43]

Belt designs

In May 2007, the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) ended their five-year partnership with TNA, which allowed the NWA to regain control over the NWA World Heavyweight and World Tag Team Championships that TNA had controlled since June 2002.[44] TNA then introduced a new TNA X Division Championship belt on the May 16, 2007 edition of TNA's online podcast TNA Today.[45][46][47] Jeremy Borash and Management Director Jim Cornette, TNA's on-screen authority figure at the time, unveiled the new belt and awarded it to then-champion Chris Sabin.[45]

On July 19, 2013, former TNA President Dixie Carter unveiled a new design for the championship, with blue accents to match the color scheme of the company.[48]

On June 16, 2015, TNA tweaked the title's design by recoloring its accents from blue to green.[49]

On August 18, 2017, the X Division Championship design was given a complete overhaul to reflect TNA's transfer to the Global Force Wrestling moniker.

On October 26, 2017, Trevor Lee was seen in a taped segment on Impact! with a new version of the title belt branded for Impact Wrestling.

In 2020, Impact Wrestling redesigned the belt, putting a big red "X" on the center plate (a nod to the original belt), and made red the dominant color.

Reigns

The inaugural champion was A.J. Styles, who won the championship by defeating Low Ki, Jerry Lynn, and Psicosis in a Four Way Double Elimination match on June 19, 2002 at TNA's second weekly PPV event.[1][3] At 301 days, Austin Aries' first reign holds the record for longest in the title's history.[3] At less than one day, Eric Young's only reign, and Chris Sabin's sixth reign and Rockstar Spud's second reign are the shortest in the title's history.[5]Chris Sabin holds the record for most reigns with eight.

The championship is currently held by TJP, who is in his second reign. He defeated former champion Rohit Raju on December 12, 2020 at Final Resolution in Nashville, Tennessee (TJP was disguised as Manik during the match due to losing a previous title match with the stipulation that if he lost, TJP was not allowed to challenge for the title again while Raju was champion).

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Martin, Adam (2002-06-26). "Full NWA-TNA Pay Per View Results - 6/26". WrestleView.com. Retrieved .
  2. ^ a b "TNA X Division Championship History". Total Nonstop Action. Archive.org. Archived from the original on 2006-11-21. Retrieved .
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Eric Roelfsema, Sam Falcitelli; Earl Oliver. "TNA X Division Championship history". Jump City Promotions. Solie.org. Retrieved .CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  4. ^ "History Of The TNA World Championships (as of August 2008)". TNA Wrestling.com. Archived from the original on 2008-06-21. Retrieved .
  5. ^ a b Sokol, Chris; Sokol, Bryan (2008-12-11). "Final Resolution: The Mafia makes strides". SLAM! Sports: Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved .
  6. ^ http://impactwrestling.com/talent-roster/abyss-4/
  7. ^ http://impactwrestling.com/trevor-lee-x-division-champion-2/
  8. ^ a b c d Total Nonstop Action. TNA Wrestling: Year One. Total Nonstop Action Home Video. Stated during the Don West interview.
  9. ^ Total Nonstop Action. TNA Wrestling: The Best of the X Division Vol. 1. TNA Home Video. Event occurs at Throughout entire DVD.
  10. ^ Total Nonstop Action. Total Nonstop Action Wrestling: The Best of the X Division Vol. 2. TNA Home Video. Event occurs at Throughout entire DVD.
  11. ^ a b c d Schomburg, Eric (2005-10-23). "TNA's Best of the X Division Volume 1: DVD Review". American Chronicle.com. Retrieved .
  12. ^ TNA Wrestling (2011-08-11). Eric Bishoff Imposes New Rules on the X Division. Total Nonstop Action. YouTube. Retrieved .
  13. ^ "Samoa Joe". Total Nonstop Action. Archived from the original on 2012-10-15. Retrieved .
  14. ^ "Slammiversary Results: New Champions, 1st TNA Hall Of Famer, Christian and more!". Total Nonstop Action. 2012-06-10. Archived from the original on 2012-06-16. Retrieved .
  15. ^ "Rob Van Dam". Total Nonstop Action. Archived from the original on 2012-10-15. Retrieved .
  16. ^ Caldwell, James (2012-10-11). "Caldwell's TNA Impact results 10/11/12: Complete "virtual-time" coverage of live Impact - final PPV hype, triple main event". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved .
  17. ^ a b c d Martin, Adam (2003-08-21). "Full NWA TNA PPV results - 8/20/03 (New X Division Champion and more)". WrestleView.com. Retrieved . Michael Shane defeated Chris Sabin & Frankie Kazarian in a first ever Ultimate X Match to become the NEW X Division Champion. The rules of this match is that there is poles on all four corners of the TNA ring and 4 cables connected to each pole to form a giant X above the ring. The X Division Championship will be hanging in the middle of that X. No ladders are allowed in the match to the competitors must climb the cables to get belt hanging above the ring.
  18. ^ Total Nonstop Action. TNA Wrestling: Ultimate Matches. TNA Home Video.
  19. ^ a b Sokol, Chris (2008-05-13). "TNA Sacrifice: Joe retains; LAX regains". SLAM! Sports: Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved .
  20. ^ a b Total Nonstop Action (2008-09-18). TNA: The Steel Asylum Returns At Bound For Glory. Total Nonstop Action. YouTube. Event occurs at 0:00 -0:52. Retrieved .
  21. ^ a b Sokol, Chris; Sokol, Bryan (2008-10-15). "Sting takes title at Bound for Glory". SLAM! Sports: Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved .
  22. ^ Martin, Adam (2008-05-11). "Sacrifice PPV results - 5/11 - Orlando, FL (New main event and more)". WrestleView.com. Retrieved . The way to win this match is to be the first to exit the top of the TerrorDome.
  23. ^ a b Keller, Wade (2005-04-24). "Keller's TNA Lockdown PPV report 4/24: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of live event". PWTorch.com. Retrieved .
  24. ^ a b c Martin, Adam (2006-04-23). "Lockdown PPV Results - 4/23/06 - Orlando, Florida (Lethal Lockdown)". WrestleView.com. Retrieved . Pinfall and submission rules will apply until only two men remain. The winner must then climb out of the cage to win the match.
  25. ^ a b Sokol, Chris (2007-04-16). "Lockdown pulled down by gimmick matches". SLAM! Sports: Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved .
  26. ^ a b Caldwell, James (2008-04-13). "Caldwell's TNA Lockdown PPV report 4/13: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of Joe vs. Angle PPV". PWTorch.com. Retrieved .
  27. ^ a b Sokol, Chris; Sokol, Bryan (2009-04-20). "TNA's lackluster Lockdown". SLAM! Sports: Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved .
  28. ^ TNA Wrestling (2008-09-18). Lockdown 2007: The Xscape Match. Total Nonstop Action. YouTube. Event occurs at 0:00 -0:52. Retrieved . eliminations occur through pinfall or submission, until two men are left, with the winner, the first man to escape the cage.
  29. ^ Milner, John (2005-02-18). "A.J. Styles bio". SLAM! Sports: Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved . Styles then began wrestling for the newly formed NWA-TNA organization. After teaming with Low-Ki and Jerry Lynn to lose to the Flying Elvises, Styles defeated both of his former partners and Psicosis to win the X Division Championship.
  30. ^ TNA Wrestling (2009-07-01). June 2002: The First TNA X Title Match. Total Nonstop Action. YouTube. Retrieved .
  31. ^ "Johnny Impact To Face Brian Cage At IMPACT Wrestling Homecoming - Fightful Wrestling". www.fightful.com. Retrieved 2018.
  32. ^ "X Division Title defended at ROH show". Cagematch.net. Retrieved .
  33. ^ Sokol (2006-05-01). "Chris Sabin (bio)". SLAM! Sports: Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved . On May 14th, Sabin defeated Red and Lynn to win the X Division Championship, a title he later unified with the WWA Cruiserweight Championship, when he defeated Lynn (WWA Cruiserweight Champ), Kazarian and Johnny Swinger in a fatal fourway match on World Wrestling All Star's pay-per-view on May 25, 2003.
  34. ^ "All Star Weekend - Night One". Pro Wrestling Guerrilla.com. Retrieved .
  35. ^ "All Star Weekend - Night two". Pro Wrestling Guerrilla.com. Retrieved .
  36. ^ "Jason Takes PWG". Pro Wrestling Guerrilla.com. Retrieved .
  37. ^ "Guitarmageddon". Pro Wrestling Guerrilla.com. Retrieved .
  38. ^ "The 2nd Annual PWG Bicentennial Birthday Extravaganza - Night One". Pro Wrestling Guerrilla.com. Retrieved .
  39. ^ Lacroix, Corey David (2008-01-15). "Unbreakable an astounding PPV". SLAM! Sports: Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved .
  40. ^ Sokol, Chris (2007-08-13). "Bad booking mars Hard Justice". SLAM! Sports: Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved .
  41. ^ TNA Wrestling (2009-04-29). TNA: A Look At Kurt Angle. Total Nonstop Action. YouTube. Event occurs at 2:07 - 2:23. Retrieved . at one time, he not only became the second Triple Crown Champion in TNA history, but the first to hold all three titles at the same time.
  42. ^ "Sanada bio". TNA Wrestling. Archived from the original on 2014-03-22. Retrieved .
  43. ^ "Sanada's W-1 X Title Defense". Wrestle-1. Retrieved .[permanent dead link]
  44. ^ "NWA/Trobich strips TNA/Cage/Team 3D of NWA branded Championships". National Wrestling Alliance. Retrieved .
  45. ^ a b Total Nonstop Action (2007-05-16). The 5/16 "TNA Today" - New X Title Revealed!. Total Nonstop Action. YouTube. Event occurs at 0:25 -1:40. Retrieved . Borash: All week long we are debuting the brand new TNA titles for the very first time.... Cornette: X Division Champion Chris Sabin for the official presentation of the brand new X Division Championship belt
  46. ^ Martin, Adam (2007-05-14). "Antonio Inoki backstage at tapings in Orlando + TNA to unveil new titles". WrestleView.com. Retrieved . Borash will also unveil the new TNA Tag Team Titles and TNA X Division Title on Wednesday and Thursday as well.
  47. ^ Martin, Adam (2007-05-16). "TNA reveals new X Division Title belt, weekend ratings + Sacrifice photos". WrestleView.com. Retrieved . The latest edition of "TNA Today" for Wednesday features a presentation of the new TNA X Division Title belt to champion Chris Sabin.
  48. ^ Carter, Dixie (2013-07-19). "Nex X-Division Championship belt unveiled". impactwrestling.com. Archived from the original on 2013-07-22. Retrieved .
  49. ^ "TNA news". PW Insider. Retrieved .

References

External links


  This article uses material from the Wikipedia page available here. It is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.

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