Wow! TNA booked a surprising result in the X-Division Championship main event on the live episode of Impact (May 14, 2026), and they followed up with a former WWE wrestler calling his shot at the new champ.
TNA spent a lot of time hyping Leon Slater on the cusp of breaking the record for longest reign with the X-Division Championship. He just needed to get by Cedric Alexander, and the record would be his. Slater defeated Alexander twice before, so he was confident that he could do it again. Thus,
the motivation for the 2-out-of-3 falls stipulation. With the way TNA pushed Slater as the next big thing, victory felt like a certainty.
Slater scored a quick roll-up within the opening minute of action to take the first fall.
Alexander went to work with focus on weakening Slater’s lower back. Not only was this a cause for Slater to pause on high-flying spots, it also softened up Slater for the Lumbar Check backbreaker finisher. That’s what happened for Alexander to take the second fall. Lumbar Check to even the tally.
The intensity picked up for the deciding fall. Alexander continued with his strategy. Slater rallied for a big dive outside.
Alexander seemed doomed when Slater blocked an avalanche rana to counter for a super Styles Clash. Alexander kicked out on the pinfall.
Down the stretch, Alexander hit another Lumbar Check. That wasn’t enough to keep Slater down for three. Alexander charged forward, and Slater snatched him for a Blue Thunder Bomb. Slater dramatically climbed the corner fighting through pain. He leaped for the Swanton 450, Alexander rolled away, and Slater crashed down to the mat. Alexander showed urgency to execute two more consecutive Lumbar Checks to win the gold. With Alexander as the new champion, Slater comes up short of breaking the record held by Austin Aries. They are tied at 298 days apiece.
The excitement didn’t stop there. The show closed with the surprise arrival of Fabian Aichner (aka Giovanni Vinci) to stake his desire for the X-Division title. Aichner was in the Imperium stable with Gunther and Ludwig Kaiser during his run in WWE.
TNA posted the full match video for your viewing pleasure.
Share your thoughts on Cedric Alexander winning the X-Division Championship from Leon Slater. Are you excited to see Fabian Aichner in the Impact Zone?
