IMPACT Wrestling Executive VP Scott D’Amore recently spoke with WrestleZone about the promotion’s signature X-Division, including how it has evolved over the years and what legacy it will leave on the industry. Hear his full thoughts on the subjects below.
How the X-Division has evolved over the years:
One of the concepts for the X-Division was, really go out there and feature that style that wasn’t getting top-level featured in a lot of places. Quite frankly, when I came to TNA Wrestling in 2003, the heavyweight division, the world title division was still very much a conventional, traditional heavyweight style, and the X Division was that style at the forefront and as the often quoted, ‘it’s not about weight limits, it’s about no limits.’
How world champion Rich Swann is a good example of someone exceeding the X-Divisions limitations:
A great example of that is Rich Swann, who if we go back, 15 or even 10 years, probably would be one of the pinnacles of the X Division—but maybe not crossing into that world title [division]. But in the world that we live in now, where people now respect athletes of all different sizes and varieties, you’ve seen the ‘traditional’ X Division Style basically move from just being in that division to basically being part of the world title picture.
How the legacy of the X-Division will be defined by their intense multi-man matchups:
I think there’s always going to be an ongoing discussion about what the X Division is. It’s such an integral and important part of our history, it’s something that we value greatly. I think you’re going to see—one of the staples of the X Division over the course of many of those formative years was the multi-man matches and not just 3-ways, but 4-ways, 5-ways, 8-ways, and some of these spectacles; that’s one of the things that the X Division was built on. If it can be done in a manner that shows proper respect and safety toward the competitors, I think that’s something we could look to start getting back to is some of that fast-paced multi-man style stuff.