# Ultimate X match

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

| No. | Match | Stipulation | Event | Date | Location |
| 1 | Michael Shane defeated Chris Sabin (c) and Frankie Kazarian | For the TNA X Division Championship | Weekly PPV 59 | August 20, 2003 | Nashville, Tennessee |
| 2 | Chris Sabin defeated Michael Shane (c), Christopher Daniels, and Low Ki | For the TNA X Division Championship | Weekly PPV 76 | January 7, 2004 | Nashville, Tennessee |
| 3 | Chris Sabin (Team TNA) defeated Hector Garza (Team Mexico) and Petey Williams (Team Canada) | For the 2004 TNA World X Cup | Weekly PPV 99 | May 26, 2004 | Nashville, Tennessee |
| 4 | Frankie Kazarian and Michael Shane defeated A.J. Styles (c) | For the TNA X Division Championship | Weekly PPV 108 | July 28, 2004 | Nashville, Tennessee |
| 5 | Chris Sabin defeated Elix Skipper and Sonjay Dutt | Number one contender to the TNA X Division Championship | The Best Damn Wrestling Event Period | November 10, 2004 | Orlando, Florida |
| 6 | A.J. Styles defeated Petey Williams (c) and Chris Sabin | For the TNA X Division Championship | Final Resolution | January 16, 2005 | Orlando, Florida |
| 7 | Christopher Daniels defeated A.J. Styles (c), Elix Skipper, and Ron Killings | For the TNA X Division Championship | Destination X | March 13, 2005 | Orlando, Florida |
| 8 | Petey Williams defeated Chris Sabin and Matt Bentley | Number one contender to the TNA X Division Championship | Bound for Glory | October 23, 2005 | Orlando, Florida |
| 9 | Petey Williams defeated Chris Sabin and Matt Bentley | Number one contender to the TNA X Division Championship | TNA Impact! | November 3, 2005 | Orlando, Florida |
| 10 | Christopher Daniels defeated Samoa Joe (c) and A.J. Styles | For the TNA X Division Championship | Destination X | March 12, 2006 | Orlando, Florida |
| 11 | A.J. Styles and Christopher Daniels defeated The Latin American Exchange (Hernandez and Homicide) | For the NWA World Tag Team Championship | No Surrender | September 24, 2006 | Orlando, Florida |
| 12 | Christopher Daniels defeated Elix Skipper, Homicide, Jay Lethal, Kaz, Petey Williams, Puma, Senshi, Shark Boy, and Sonjay Dutt | Number one contender to the TNA X Division Championship | Victory Road | July 15, 2007 | Orlando, Florida |
| 13 | The Latin American Exchange (Hernandez and Homicide) defeated Triple X (Elix Skipper) and Senshi) | Number one contenders to the TNA World Tag Team Championship | Bound for Glory | October 14, 2007 | Atlanta, Georgia |
| 14 | Johnny Devine and Team 3D (Brother Ray and Brother Devon) defeated Jay Lethal and The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin) | | Final Resolution | January 6, 2008 | Orlando, Florida |
| 15 | Volador Jr. (Team Mexico) defeated Daivari (Team International), Kaz (Team TNA), and Naruki Doi (Team Japan) | For the 2008 TNA World X Cup Tournament | Victory Road | July 13, 2008 | Houston, Texas |
| 16 | Suicide (Christopher Daniels) defeated Alex Shelley (c), Chris Sabin, Consequences Creed, and Jay Lethal | For the TNA X Division Championship | Destination X | March 15, 2009 | Orlando, Florida |
| 17 | Amazing Red (c) defeated Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin, Daniels, Homicide, and Suicide (Frankie Kazarian) | For the TNA X Division Championship | Bound for Glory | October 18, 2009 | Irvine, California |
| 18 | The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin) defeated Lethal Consequences Consequences Creed and (Jay Lethal) | Number one contenders to the TNA World Tag Team Championship | TNA Impact! | October 22, 2009 | Orlando, Florida |
| 19 | Douglas Williams (c) defeated Amazing Red, Chris Sabin, Daniels, and Suicide (Frankie Kazarian) | For the TNA X Division Championship | Live event | January 30, 2010 | London, England |
| 20 | The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin) defeated Generation Me (Jeremy Buck and Max Buck) | Number one contenders to the TNA World Tag Team Championship | Destination X | March 21, 2010 | Orlando, Florida |
| 21 | Douglas Williams (c) defeated Brian Kendrick by submission | For the TNA X Division Championship | Victory Road | July 11, 2010 | Orlando, Florida |
| 22 | The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin) defeated Beer Money, Inc. (James Storm and Robert Roode) | | TNA Impact! | August 5, 2010 | Orlando, Florida |
| 23 | Kazarian defeated Mr. Anderson | | TNA Impact! | October 21, 2010 | Orlando, Florida |
| 24 | Kazarian (c) defeated Jeremy Buck, Max Buck, and Robbie E | For the TNA X Division Championship | Victory Road | March 13, 2011 | Orlando, Florida |
| 25 | Alex Shelley defeated Amazing Red, Robbie E, and Shannon Moore | Number one contender to the TNA X Division Championship | Destination X | July 10, 2011 | Orlando, Florida |
| 26 | Brian Kendrick (c) defeated Abyss | For the TNA X Division Championship | Impact Wrestling | July 28, 2011 | Orlando, Florida |
| 27 | Austin Aries (c) defeated Chris Sabin and Zema Ion | For the TNA X Division Championship | Impact Wrestling | June 14, 2012 | Orlando, Florida |
| 28 | Zema Ion defeated Kenny King, Mason Andrews, and Sonjay Dutt | For the vacant TNA X Division Championship | Destination X | July 8, 2012 | Orlando, Florida |
| 29 | Kenny King defeated Mason Andrews, Rubix, and Zema Ion, | | X-Travaganza | January 12, 2013 | Orlando, Florida |
| 30 | Chris Sabin defeated Kenny King (c) and Suicide (T. J. Perkins) | For the TNA X Division Championship | Slammiversary XI | June 2, 2013 | Boston, Massachusetts |
| 31 | Manik defeated Greg Marasciulo and Sonjay Dutt | For the vacant TNA X Division Championship | Impact Wrestling | July 18, 2013 | Louisville, Kentucky |
| 32 | Chris Sabin defeated Manik (c), Austin Aries, Jeff Hardy, and Samoa Joe | For the TNA X Division Championship | Bound for Glory | October 20, 2013 | San Diego, California |
| 33 | Low Ki defeated Ace Vedder, Kenny King, Rashad Cameron, Sonjay Dutt, and Tigre Uno | | X-Travaganza 2 | April 12, 2014 | Orlando, Florida |
| 34 | The Wolves (Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards) defeated The Revolution (The Great Sanada and Manik) and The BroMans (DJZ and Jessie Godderz) | For the TNA World Tag Team Championship | Impact Wrestling | January 30, 2015 | London, England |
| 35 | Rockstar Spud defeated Crazzy Steve, DJ Z, Kenny King, Manik, and Tigre Uno | | X-Travaganza 3 | February 15, 2015 | Orlando, Florida |
| 36 | The Hardys (Jeff Hardy and Matt Hardy) defeated The Dirty Heels (Austin Aries and Bobby Roode), Bram and Ethan Carter III, and The Beat Down Clan (Kenny King and Low Ki) | For the vacant TNA World Tag Team Championship | Impact Wrestling | March 16, 2015 | Orlando, Florida |
| 37 | Tigre Uno (c) defeated Andrew Everett, DJZ, and Manik | For the TNA X Division Championship | Bound for Glory | October 4, 2015 | Concord, North Carolina |
| 38 | Eddie Edwards defeated Mike Bennett (c), Andrew Everett, Braxton Sutter, DJZ, Mandrews, Rockstar Spud, and Trevor Lee | For the TNA X Division Championship | Impact Wrestling | June 15, 2016 | Orlando, Florida |
| 39 | DJZ defeated Andrew Everett, Braxton Sutter, Mandrews, Rockstar Spud, and Trevor Lee | For the vacant TNA X Division Championship | Impact Wrestling | September 1, 2016 | Orlando, Florida |
| 40 | The Helms Dynasty (Andrew Everett and Trevor Lee) defeated The BroMans (Jessie Godderz and Robbie E) | | X-Travaganza 4 | July 14, 2016 | Orlando, Florida |
| 41 | Low Ki defeated Andrew Everett and Trevor Lee | | Impact Wrestling | May 18, 2017 | Orlando, Florida |
| 42 | Rich Swann defeated Ethan Page, Jake Crist, and Trey Miguel | For the vacant Impact X Division Championship | Homecoming | January 6, 2019 | Nashville, Tennessee |
| 43 | Johnny Impact defeated Ace Austin, A. R. Fox, Jake Crist, and Pat Buck | Number one contender for the Impact X Division Championship | United We Stand | April 4, 2019 | Rahway, New Jersey |
| 44 | Josh Alexander (c) defeated Ace Austin, Chris Bey, Petey Williams, Rohit Raju, and Trey Miguel | For the Impact X Division Championship | Slammiversary | July 17, 2021 | Nashville, Tennessee |
| 45 | Tasha Steelz defeated Alisha Edwards, Chelsea Green, Jordynne Grace, Lady Frost, and Rosemary | Number one contender for the Impact Knockouts Championship | Hard To Kill | January 8, 2022 | Dallas, Texas |
| 46 | Trey Miguel (c) defeated Blake Christian, Chris Bey, Jordynne Grace, Rich Swann, and Vincent | For the Impact X Division Championship | Multiverse of Matches | April 1, 2022 | Dallas, Texas |
| 47 | Mike Bailey defeated Ace Austin (c), Alex Zayne, Andrew Everett, Kenny King and Trey Miguel | For the Impact X Division Championship | Slammiversary | June 19, 2022 | Nashville, Tennessee |
| 48 | Bullet Club (Ace Austin & Chris Bey) (c) defeated The Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley) | For the Impact World Tag Team Championship | Rebellion | April 16, 2023 | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| 49 | Kushida defeated Alan Angels, Jake Something, Jonathan Gresham, Kevin Knight and Mike Bailey | Number one contender for the Impact X Division Championship | Slammiversary | July 16, 2023 | Windsor, Ontario, Canada |
| 50 | Alan Angels defeated Zachary Wentz, Mike Bailey, Rich Swann, Ace Austin, and Samuray Del Sol | Number one contender for the Impact X Division Championship | Impact 1000 | September 9, 2023 (aired September 21) | White Plains, New York |
| 51 | Gisele Shaw defeated Xia Brookside, Jody Threat, Tasha Steelz, Alisha Edwards, and Dani Luna | Number one contender for the TNA Knockouts World Championship | Hard To Kill | January 13, 2024 | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| 52 | Zachary Wentz defeated Mike Bailey (c), Hammerstone, Jason Hotch, Laredo Kid and Riley Osborne | For the TNA X Division Championship | Emergence | August 30, 2024 | Louisville, Kentucky |

### Participant list
#### Men's

| Superstar | Victories | Appearances |
| Chris Sabin | 8 | 18 |
| Christopher Daniels / 1st Suicide / Daniels | 5 | 8 |
| Alex Shelley | 4 | 8 |
| Frankie Kazarian / Kaz / 2nd & 3rd Suicide / Kazarian | 3 | 8 |
| Douglas Williams | 2 | 2 |
| Eddie Edwards | 2 | 2 |
| A.J. Styles | 2 | 5 |
| Michael Shane / Matt Bentley | 2 | 5 |
| Petey Williams | 2 | 6 |
| Brother Devon | 1 | 1 |
| Brother Ray | 1 | 1 |
| Davey Richards | 1 | 1 |
| Johnny Impact | 1 | 1 |
| Josh Alexander | 1 | 1 |
| Kushida | 1 | 1 |
| Matt Hardy | 1 | 1 |
| Volador Jr. | 1 | 1 |
| Alan Angels | 1 | 2 |
| Austin Aries | 1 | 2 |
| Brian Kendrick | 1 | 2 |
| Hernandez | 1 | 2 |
| Jeff Hardy | 1 | 2 |
| Zachary Wentz | 1 | 2 |
| Amazing Red | 1 | 3 |
| Chris Bey | 1 | 3 |
| Rich Swann | 1 | 3 |
| Rockstar Spud | 1 | 3 |
| Trevor Lee | 1 | 3 |
| Homicide | 1 | 4 |
| Low Ki / Senshi | 1 | 4 |
| Mike Bailey | 1 | 4 |
| Puma / 4th Suicide / Manik | 1 | 4 |
| Trey Miguel | 1 | 4 |
| Ace Austin | 1 | 5 |
| Andrew Everett | 1 | 6 |
| Kenny King | 1 | 7 |
| Zema Ion / DJZ | 1 | 7 |
| Abyss | 0 | 1 |
| Alex Zayne | 0 | 1 |
| Blake Christian | 0 | 1 |
| Crazzy Steve | 0 | 1 |
| Ethan Page | 0 | 1 |
| Hammerstone | 0 | 1 |
| Hector Garza | 0 | 1 |
| Jake Crist | 0 | 1 |
| Jake Something | 0 | 1 |
| James Storm | 0 | 1 |
| Jason Hotch | 0 | 1 |
| Jonathan Gresham | 0 | 1 |
| Kevin Knight | 0 | 1 |
| Laredo Kid | 0 | 1 |
| Mike Bennett | 0 | 1 |
| Mr. Anderson | 0 | 1 |
| Naruki Doi | 0 | 1 |
| Rashad Cameron | 0 | 1 |
| Riley Osborne | 0 | 1 |
| Robert Roode | 0 | 1 |
| Rohit Raju | 0 | 1 |
| Ron Killings | 0 | 1 |
| Rubix | 0 | 1 |
| Samuray Del Sol | 0 | 1 |
| Shannon Moore | 0 | 1 |
| Shark Boy | 0 | 1 |
| The Great Sanada | 0 | 1 |
| Vincent | 0 | 1 |
| Braxton Sutter | 0 | 2 |
| Consequences Creed | 0 | 2 |
| Greg Marasciulo / Ace Vedder | 0 | 2 |
| Jeremy Buck | 0 | 2 |
| Jessie Godderz | 0 | 2 |
| Mandrews | 0 | 2 |
| Max Buck | 0 | 2 |
| Samoa Joe | 0 | 2 |
| Tigre Uno | 0 | 2 |
| Robbie E | 0 | 3 |
| Elix Skipper | 0 | 4 |
| Jay Lethal | 0 | 4 |
| Sonjay Dutt | 0 | 5 |

#### Women's

| Superstar | Victories | Appearances |
| Tasha Steelz | 1 | 2 |
| Gisele Shaw | 1 | 1 |
| Alisha Edwards | 0 | 2 |
| Jordynne Grace | 0 | 2 |
| Chelsea Green | 0 | 1 |
| Lady Frost | 0 | 1 |
| Rosemary | 0 | 1 |
| Xia Brookside | 0 | 1 |
| Jody Threat | 0 | 1 |
| Dani Luna | 0 | 1 |