Six-Way Match Set For Vacant TNA X-Division Title At Bound For Glory

TNA has finalized the six-man field that will battle for the now-vacant X-Division Championship at Bound For Glory on Sunday, October 11, in Tampa. The title became available after Leon Slater relinquished it to pursue the TNA World Championship through the company’s “Option C” stipulation, clearing the way for a fresh crop of contenders to stake their claim to the division’s signature prize.

The six qualifiers each punched their ticket through victories on recent episodes of TNA Impact. Ryan Nemeth, brother of double champion Nic Nemeth, qualified with a win over KJ Orso on the September 24 show. Cedric Alexander, who dropped the title to Slater at Lockdown earlier this year, invoked his rematch clause to get back into title contention. Rich Swann, a former X-Division Champion himself, qualified by beating LJ Cleary on September 17, giving him a shot at becoming a two-time holder of the belt.

Fabian Aichner, formerly known as Giovanni Vinci during his WWE run, has made the X-Division title his target since arriving in TNA and punched his ticket by defeating fellow former champion Rohit Raju on August 27. KC Navarro, who has come close to breaking through for a title opportunity for months, earned his spot with a win over Joe Alonzo on September 3. Rounding out the field is BDE, who became the final qualifier on the October 1 edition of Impact — notably picking up his first singles victory since signing with the company in the process.

This is shaping up to be one of the more wide-open title pictures heading into Bound For Glory. With Slater stepping away from the division to chase World Championship gold, TNA has a genuine opportunity to anoint a new face at the top of the X-Division without the shadow of the outgoing champion hanging over the match. The division has long prided itself on being TNA’s showcase for high-flying, hard-hitting action, and stacking six distinct styles and stories into one match gives the promotion plenty of directions to take the title once the dust settles.

There’s a credible case for several of these names. Swann and Alexander both bring the credibility of having held the title before, while Aichner’s momentum since his TNA arrival makes him a logical pick to be elevated. But BDE’s inclusion as the last man in, fresh off his first singles win since signing, stands out as the kind of underdog story that pro wrestling booking loves to tell — a new signee capitalizing on an open door before anyone saw it coming.

How TNA chooses to crown its next X-Division Champion will say a lot about where the company wants to take the title next, whether that’s rewarding a returning veteran presence or using the moment to springboard a newer talent into the spotlight. Either way, Bound For Glory’s six-way will be worth keeping an eye on as one of the night’s pivotal matches.