The Ultimate X match is a type of professional wrestling match created by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), mainly used in their X Division. It is considered the signature match of the X Division.
Match format Ultimate X is contested by three or more wrestlers of the X Division. Two cables, connected to metal structures rising from the four corners of the ring, cross 15 feet above the middle of the ring. Similar to a ladder match, an object (usually a championship belt or a large red "X") is suspended from where the cables cross. The winner is the first person to take possession of the hung object. After TNA made the transition to a hexagonal ring in June 2004, the cables were suspended from the four turnbuckles that were not perpendicular to the entrance ramp.
TNA official Don Callis received on-screen credit for the idea for the Ultimate X match. The tagline "No Limits and No Ladders" was added to the first match to emphasize the change. In this first match, bare steel wires, which were not secured in the center, were used above the ring, allowing them to bounce separately and causing the belt to tear off twice, requiring it to be reattached. In all future matches, standard wrapped ring cables were used, and the ropes were secured at their crossing. The Ultimate X match type is a match type in the TNA Impact! video game, released in September 2008.
Rule nuances After the fourth Ultimate X match, in which Michael Shane and Kazarian pulled the X Division Championship down at the same time, it was ruled that if both combatants land on the mat while still holding the object, they are declared "co-winners". During the sixth Ultimate X, Chris Sabin and Petey Williams detached the X Division Championship at the same time when A.J. Styles jumped from the top rope to snatch the belt from them while they were still hanging from the ropes, taking sole possession and landing on the mat, winning the title.
During the seventh Ultimate X, the belt was initially pulled down by A.J. Styles; however, Christopher Daniels hit Styles with his finisher Angels Wings and took the belt away from Styles, and was declared the winner because the referee had been knocked out, and did not realize that Styles first detached the title. During the eighth Ultimate X, the object (the red "X") was partially detached, but both Chris Sabin and Michael Shane fell, and the X dropped, untouched, to the ground. Referee Mark "Slick" Johnson stopped anyone from taking the X and had officials rehang it. When it fell later, it fell into the waiting arms of Petey Williams, who was declared the winner. The decision was held up, as this was not the planned finish, and a rematch was held soon after.
Although Ultimate X matches are considered no-disqualification, interference and the use of weapons are rare. Wrestlers are not allowed to use a ladder as a way to grab the object, although technically they may use one as a weapon. In the fourteenth Ultimate X, however, Team 3D got away with using a ladder because the referee was knocked out.
Variations
The fourth Ultimate X was the first match of its kind to take place in a hexagonal ring. The seventh Ultimate X used a variation of the rules, called the Ultimate X Challenge. The match began under standard tag team rules, yet once a decision occurred, the wrestler who lost the decision was eliminated from the match. The remaining three competitors then wrestling under three-way dance rules to eliminate another competitor. The remaining two competitors then wrestled the Ultimate X match to determine the ultimate winner.
The eleventh match as the first tag team Ultimate X match. It was contested by two teams (for the NWA World Tag Team Championship) in a way similar to a Texas Tornado match with all four competitors attempting to obtain the object (one of the two title belts). The team of the wrestler that retrieves the belt won the match and the title. The twelfth Ultimate X was the first Ultimate X Gauntlet match. It began as a ten-man Gauntlet for the Gold, with entries at timed intervals and eliminations allowed. Elimination occurred when a competitor went over the top rope and hit the floor. After all 10 participants have entered, the wrestlers still eligible in the match attempted to obtain the object (the red "X") and win the match.
The fourteenth Ultimate X was the first six-man tag team Ultimate X match. It was held at Final Resolution 2008, pitting Team 3D and Johnny Devine against X Division Champion Jay Lethal and The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin). Team 3D broke an "unwritten rule" by using the ladder to retrieve the X Division Championship.
In 2011, the pilot episode for All Wheels Wrestling (a proposed auto racing-themed promotion filmed at TNA's Impact Zone for the Speed television network) featured an Ultimate X match as its main event, retitled as The Big Air Challenge. In this bout, Sonjay Dutt (under the ring name Schwagg D) defeated Jay Lethal (under the ring name RPM), Daivari (under the ring name Dubai), and Aaron Aguilera (under the ring name The Human Cyclone), with 20 points being awarded to the winner as part of All Wheels Wrestling's intended team competition. Of the four competitors, only Aguilera never worked for TNA or competed in an official Ultimate X match. The Big Air Challenge is not recognized as a canon Ultimate X match by Impact Wrestling.
Elevation X Elevation X was a variant of Ultimate X that combined the standard match with a scaffold match. It took place only twice, in 2007 and 2008, both at Destination X. In the shape of giant X, the platforms were raised 15 feet above the ring. The two participants would start at the ground level, climb their way up, and finish the match there. The loser is the wrestler who falls from the scaffold into the ring below. After 2008, the match would no longer be contested due to safety concerns. Rhino has participated in and won both matches as he defeated A.J. Styles the first year and James Storm in the second and final year of the match type. After the match was scrapped, the scaffolds would be occasionally used for Ultimate X matches, especially when there was a high number of wrestlers in the match.
Ultimate X matches
# Winner(s)Opponent(s)PrizeEvent Date LocationRef1Chris Sabin (c) and Frankie KazarianTNA X Division ChampionshipWeekly PPV #59 Nashville, TN2Michael Shane (c), Christopher Daniels, and Lo-KiWeekly PPV #79 3 Hector Garza and Petey Williams 5 points in the 2004 World X CupWeekly PPV #99: World X Cup Special 4A.J. Styles (c)TNA X Division ChampionshipWeekly PPV #108 5Elix Skipper and Sonjay Dutt TNA X Division Championship match at Turning PointThe Best Damn Wrestling Event Period Orlando, FL6Petey Williams (c) and Chris Sabin TNA X Division ChampionshipFinal Resolution 7A.J. Styles (c), Prime Time, and Ron KillingsDestination X 8Chris Sabin and Matt BentleyTNA X Division Championship match at GenesisBound for Glory 9Chris Sabin and Matt BentleyImpact! 10Samoa Joe (c) and A.J. StylesTNA X Division ChampionshipDestination X 11The Latin American Exchange (Hernandez and Homicide) (c)NWA World Tag Team ChampionshipNo Surrender 12Elix Skipper, Homicide, Jay Lethal, Kaz, Petey Williams, Puma, Senshi, Shark Boy, and Sonjay DuttFuture TNA X Division Championship matchVictory Road 13Triple X (Elix Skipper) and Senshi)Future TNA World Tag Team Championship matchBound for Glory Atlanta, GA14Jay Lethal and Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin)Final Resolution Orlando, FL15 Daivari , Kaz , and Naruki Doi 4 points in the 2008 World X CupVictory Road Houston, TX16Alex Shelley (c), Chris Sabin, Consequences Creed, and Jay LethalTNA X Division ChampionshipDestination X Orlando, FL17 (c)Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin, Daniels, Homicide, and SuicideBound for Glory Irvine, CA18Lethal Consequences (Consequences Creed and Jay Lethal)Future TNA World Tag Team Championship matchImpact! Orlando, FL19 (c)Amazing Red, Chris Sabin, Daniels, and SuicideTNA X Division ChampionshipLive event London, England20Generation Me (Jeremy Buck and Max Buck)Future TNA World Tag Team Championship matchDestination X Orlando, FL21 (c)Brian KendrickTNA X Division ChampionshipVictory Road 22 (c)Beer Money, Inc. (James Storm and Robert Roode)TNA World Tag Team ChampionshipImpact! 23Mr. Anderson24 (c)Jeremy Buck, Max Buck, and Robbie ETNA X Division ChampionshipVictory Road 25Amazing Red, Robbie E, and Shannon MooreFuture TNA X Division Championship matchDestination X 26 (c)AbyssTNA X Division ChampionshipImpact Wrestling 27 (c)Chris Sabin and Zema Ion28Kenny King, Mason Andrews, and Sonjay DuttVacant TNA X Division ChampionshipDestination X 29Mason Andrews, Rubix, and Zema IonX-Travaganza 30Kenny King (c) and SuicideTNA X Division ChampionshipSlammiversary XI Boston, MA31Greg Marasciulo and Sonjay DuttVacant TNA X Division ChampionshipImpact Wrestling Louisville, KY32Manik (c), Austin Aries, Jeff Hardy, and Samoa JoeTNA X Division ChampionshipBound for Glory San Diego, CA33Ace Vedder, Kenny King, Rashad Cameron, Sonjay Dutt, and Tigre UnoFuture TNA X Division Championship matchX-Travaganza Orlando, FL34The Revolution (The Great Sanada and Manik) and The BroMans (DJZ and Jessie Godderz) TNA World Tag Team ChampionshipImpact Wrestling London, England35Crazzy Steve, DJ Z, Kenny King, Manik, and Tigre UnoX-Travaganza Orlando, FL36The Dirty Heels (Austin Aries and Bobby Roode), Bram and Ethan Carter III, and The Beat Down Clan (Kenny King and Low Ki)Vacant TNA World Tag Team ChampionshipImpact Wrestling 37 (c)Andrew Everett, DJZ, and ManikTNA X Division ChampionshipBound for Glory Concord, NC38 (c)Andrew Everett, DJZ, and Eddie EdwardsImpact Wrestling: May Mayhem Orlando, FL39Mike Bennett (c), Andrew Everett, Braxton Sutter, DJZ, Mandrews, Rockstar Spud, and Trevor LeeImpact Wrestling 40BroMans (Jessie Godderz and Robbie E)X-Travaganza 41Andrew Everett, Braxton Sutter, Mandrews, Rockstar Spud, and Trevor LeeVacant TNA X Division ChampionshipImpact Wrestling 42Andrew Everett and Trevor Lee Impact X Division Championship43Ethan Page, Jake Crist, and Trey MiguelVacant Impact X Division ChampionshipHomecoming Nashville, TN44Ace Austin, A. R. Fox, Jake Crist, and Pat BuckFuture Impact X Division Championship matchUnited We Stand Rahway, NJ45 (c)Ace Austin, Chris Bey, Petey Williams, Rohit Raju, and Trey MiguelImpact X Division ChampionshipSlammiversary Nashville, TN46Alisha Edwards, Chelsea Green, Jordynne Grace, Lady Frost, and RosemaryFuture Impact Knockouts Championship matchHard To Kill Dallas, TX47 (c)Blake Christian, Chris Bey, Jordynne Grace, Rich Swann, and VincentImpact X Division ChampionshipMultiverse of Matches 48Ace Austin (c), Alex Zayne, Andrew Everett, Kenny King and Trey MiguelSlammiversary Nashville, TN49 (c)Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley)Impact World Tag Team ChampionshipRebellion Toronto, Ontario, Canada50Alan Angels, Jake Something, Jonathan Gresham, Kevin Knight and Mike BaileyFuture Impact X Division Championship matchSlammiversary Windsor, Ontario, Canada51Ace Austin, Mike Bailey, Rich Swann, Samuray Del Sol, and Zachary WentzFuture Impact X Division Championship matchImpact 1000 White Plains, NY52Alisha Edwards, Dani Luna, Jody Threat, Tasha Steelz, and Xia BrooksideFuture TNA Knockouts World Championship matchHard To Kill Las Vegas, NV53Mike Bailey (c), Hammerstone, Jason Hotch, Laredo Kid, and Riley Osborne TNA X Division ChampionshipEmergence Louisville, KY54 (c)KC Navarro, Leon Slater, Matt Cardona, El Hijo del Vikingo, and Sidney AkeemRebellion Los Angeles, CA55 (c)Amazing Red, Fabian Aichner, Frankie Kazarian, KC Navarro, Leon Slater, and Mr. EleganceSlammiversary Boston, MA
Notes
References
External links Ultimate X Match at TNAWrestling.com