Changes to the X Division (spoilers)

During Thursday night's iMPACT! Wrestling, TNA announced the following changes to the X-Division:

* All matches will now be three-way bouts.

* The division will now have a weight limit of 230 lbs.

Going back to the beginning of TNA in 2002, the X-Division was previously founded with the tagline of, "it's not about weight limits. It's about no limits."

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Shame they didn't bring this in during RVDs reign, would have loved for an official to have to say to him that he was being stripped of the title for being too fat ( he's 235lbs)

Wow.

Every time I think TNA can't be more clueless as to how to book a compelling, money-drawing wrestling match, they prove me wrong.

Presumably the thought process involved was something along the lines of 'those little guys, they don't draw brother. They can't slam giants. But people love it when there's loads of them jumping around all over the place like a bunch of grasshoppers'.

This news is the very definition of the phrase 'rearranging the deckchairs on the titanic'.

Thought they brought the weight limit in a few years after Abyss held the title!

Don't like the idea of all matches being 3 ways if its gonna be like the match at the last PPV when they where just standing round like spot monkeys waiting for next spot!

Well I must admit to being SHOCKED and can only imagine that the rest of the world is SHOCKED too. This move will quite literally CHANGE THE FACE OF PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING FOREVER!


This is a completely dumbass move by TNA, crips has hit the nail on the head. At least now the (un)creative team will have more time to devote to coming up with storylines for Hulk Hogan. Joy!

They should have at least brought in bullet point promos to keep the iwc happy

This announcement has shook the very foundations of professional wrestling to its core!

On a serious note, I'm not overly bothered to be honest, the x division lost that 'something special' some time ago and constantly changing the format and moving the goal posts won't bring it back. I've said previously that about a couple of years ago TNA could have been on the verge of something great but they have managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

TNA's strong points were the x division and their more adult, aggressive product but IMO they seem to have lost those unique elements that set them apart. For me TNA is WWE light now.

Will the strapline to it now be:

'It is about limits!'

well
I really hate the idea of every match being a 3 way, I would perfer them to just have the weight limit and bring in more people to fit the style there once was. The likes of Devitt, Ricochet, Shingo, Omega and Akira Tozawa name wise spring to mind straight away

That's it there's so many great guys about who'd be absolutely made for the X Division but TNA just seem to have forgotten to scour the indys like they used to whilst WWE seem to have wised up to it.

This is who is currently acceptable based on their Wiki pages:

AJ Styles 215lb
Chavo 225lb
Christian York 220lb
Chris Daniels 224lb
Doug Williams 225lb
Eric Young 225lb
James Storm 230lb (yeah right)
Jeff Hardy 215lb
Jessie Godderz 220lb
Joey Ryan 210lb
Kaz 215lb
Kenny King 230lb
Rockstar Spud 130lb (about the same as a 5 year old girl)
Wes Briscoe 225lb
Zema Ion 170lb

And you can pretty much factor Styles, Chavo, Kazaniels, Storm and Hardy out of there at the moment.


Can't wait for all these triple threat matches, they won't get repetitive at all!

theundisputedY2D2 wrote:
And you can pretty much factor Styles, Chavo, Kazaniels, Storm and Hardy out of there at the moment.


Can't wait for all these triple threat matches, they won't get repetitive at all!

They could really mix it up by having a four way now and again.

I predict that Aries will win the x Division belt before Destination X and go on to challenge for the top title and lose this time.

What do you mean that its not a PPV anymore? Listen to me, TNA have long term booking goddamit.

Adam D wrote:

They could really mix it up by having a four way now and again.

No they can't, the rule is all have to be triple threat matches.

I am going to send around Curtis Woodhouse to Heros house for trolling me!

I suppose it depends on whether they're triple threat (one fall) or three way dance (elimination rules) as to whether I like it or not.

Elimination rules means there will still be 1 on 1 matches going on so it wouldn't be a major issue.

it's only championship matches and No.1 contender matches that will be triple threat. Theoretically there will still be ordinary matches as well on impact. Don't particularly like the new rules, agree with kayfabe it doesn't resolve the problem and in fact sounds very much like regression not progression to me.

I don't get this at all, the X-Division didn't need a gimmick, just some logical booking and decent airtime. With the weight limit it sound like they want to turn it into a cruiserweight division.

The only thing the X-Division needed was Scott D'Amore booking it again

Here's the Press Release on it:

The X-Division is evolving! New Rules Announced! 230lb Weight Limit!

All X-Division championship matches will now be held under triple threat rules. The champion will have two challengers at the same time and has a thirty-three percent chance of retaining the title and runs the risk of losing the title without being pinned. The high-stakes title match has consequences for the challengers as well. The wrestler pinned in the X-Division championship match is eliminated from a future title match while the wrestler who isn't involved in the decision gets to compete in the next X-Division title match. So where will the next contender come from?

New contenders will be also decided via a Triple Threat match. Fresh faces, former champions or recently eliminated contenders all will battle with one winner advancing into the next X-Division title match.

Agree about the 3-way matches not really helping. I think all that will lead to in contender and title matches is more screwy finishes.

Watching the montage of old X Division matches, I can't help thinking what they need is more scaffolding, platforms, suspended ropes and the like, to makes the matches REALLY eyecatching.

Oh and it would help if they allowed some rivalries to build up. Let the guys develop their characters so we actually care about who wins, in addition to ooh-ing and aah-ing over the moonsaults and top-rope super-plexes.

Watching the montage of old X Division matches, I can't help thinking what they need is more scaffolding, platforms, suspended ropes and the like

When we get to the stage where we say what Wrestling needs is more scaffolding we should pack up and turn the lights off behind us

Kay Fabe wrote:

Watching the montage of old X Division matches, I can't help thinking what they need is more scaffolding, platforms, suspended ropes and the like

When we get to the stage where we say what Wrestling needs is more scaffolding we should pack up and turn the lights off behind us

Jim Cornette concurs

Although Sonjay Dutt was a botchfest this week, I thought the ending to the triple threat match was fantastic.

Kay Fabe wrote:

Watching the montage of old X Division matches, I can't help thinking what they need is more scaffolding, platforms, suspended ropes and the like

When we get to the stage where we say what Wrestling needs is more scaffolding we should pack up and turn the lights off behind us

I was thinking specifically of the X Division, not wrestling in general. Someone said it used to be TNA's unique selling point and as I said, the montage of previous matches, with lots of equipment in the ring made them look pretty interesting. More props with which to create / pull off new high-risk moves (the whole point of the X Division) surely can't be a bad thing?

I know what you meant mate, I'm just messing, although in my opinion any form of Pro Wrestling that requires scaffolding really needs completely re-thought

Kay Fabe wrote:I know what you meant mate, I'm just messing, although in my opinion any form of Pro Wrestling that requires scaffolding really needs completely re-thought

I dunno - it doesn't sound any worse than jumping off a titantron.

I was thinking back to the 4-way title match a year or two ago, with Zema Ion, Sonjay Dutt and two other guys. They had a tower at each corner of the ring, connected by an X-section. The belt was hung from the middle of the X and the first guy to grab the belt got the title.

That said though, you don't want to be doing that kind of thing too often, or it lessens the impact (pun intended).