The Great Eight: The Top 8 TNA X Division Champions

Unlike the Tag Team and World Championship, we can pretty much rank the entire history of the X Division Championship. While it did carry the NWA branding for a couple of years, it wasn’t booked by the NWA. It was also the first to drop the NWA branding, becoming the TNA X Division Championship in 2003.

The X Division was what really made TNA stand out in the beginning. An evolution of WCW’s Cruiserweight division. The X Division showcased the best high-flying and technical wrestlers around. As the tagline said, “It isn’t about weight limits, it’s about no limits!”

Fun Facts:

Since its debut in 2002, there have been 110 reigns across 55 wrestlers.

Eric Young, Rockstar Spud, and Chris Sabin are all tied for the shortest reigns.

Chris Sabin holds the record for both the most reigns (10) and most days as champion (635)

When you break it down to the minute, Leon Slater holds the record for the longest single reign. And that works for me, because Austin Aries won’t be ranked here.

Ranking Explanation:

As always, I rate champions by the number of reigns and time spent as champion. The more that you’re champion, the more the company has faith in you to carry your division. I also look at in-ring quality and memorable moments.

Austin Aries will not be on this list. His history of being an ass backstage, being an anti-vaxxer, and some allegations against him all add up to a disqualification in my rankings.

Similarly, Jay Lethal will also not be on this list because of the multiple accusations of sexual harassment against him.

Low Ki is not on this list not because he is an egomaniac, but because of being reckless in the ring and showing no regard for the safety of other wrestlers.

Plugs

I don’t use social media, but you can follow me on Spotify, where you’ll find playlists covering every decade from the 1950s to the 2000s. As well as several genre-specific playlists.

Disclaimer:

This is my list; if you don’t like it or have a different list, awesome! Please share your own list and opinions in the comments section. I welcome open discourse about this wacky art we all love. It is an art form, so it is subjective; we all have our opinions on it, and all of them are valid. So, if you want to share your thoughts and opinions, don’t insult others for their opinion. There is already enough negativity in the world; let’s not add to it. And with that, on to the list!

The List

Honorable Mentions:

Amazing Red, Trevor Lee, Mike Bailey, Ace Austin

8: Petey Williams

Petey Williams is underrated in my opinion. Canadian Destroyer aside, he wasn’t as flashy as those around him. But that lack of flash also helped to stand out. His technical game helped to showcase the “No Limits” element of the division. Showing it wasn’t just crazy spots, but also about being the best wrestlers.

Little Petey Pump also helped to showcase Williams in a different light. It gave him more time on the mic and let him showcase his comedy skills and charisma. Williams was the champion of a stacked X Division. And his ability to shine through all that talent more than earns him a spot on this list.

7: Jerry Lynn

The prototype of an X Division wrestler. Lynn was already a 14-year veteran by the time he started in TNA. He was the last challenger for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship. And he honed his skills in ULL, USWA, GWF, and Smoky Mountain. He would spend time in CMLL, Japan, and WCW before making a name for himself in ECW.

His matches with Rob Van Dam in ECW act almost as a blueprint for what the X Division would become. And his work in TNA helped lay the foundation for everyone who came after. His matches with AJ Styles would be what really put TNA on the map.

The two would wage war for much of the early years of TNA, and it made the X Division Championship seem like a highly prestigious prize to be won. Lynn’s blending of high-flying, strikes, and technical skill would be the style that defined the division for years to come.

6: Frankie Kazarian

Frankie Kazarian, Kaz, Suicide, Kaz. Whatever name he was going by, Kazarian has always been one of the best wrestlers to come out of TNA. Kaz stood out, not just with his in-ring abilities, but also with his charisma and his size.

While only 6’1 and around 210 pounds, he still felt bigger than a lot of other guys in the division. Much like Lynn, he was able to blend a lot of styles and use that blend to carry him to five X Division Championship reigns.

The Spanish Fly was still a new move at the time, so whenever Kazarian hit the Flux Capacitor, it got a huge pop. And like Williams, I think Kazarian is highly underrated. I think he provided a solid base for the other guys to bounce off of, while also matching them with the high-flying spots.

A surefire TNA Hall of Famer, he deserves all the recognition we can give him.

5: Christopher Daniels

Like Lynn, Christopher Daniels was already a seasoned vet by the time he showed up in TNA. Having started in 1993, he honed his skills in Chicago, WWC, Michinoku Pro, APW, and UPW. He would show up as an enhancement talent in the WWF and have a short run in WCW at the end as well.

But it was his time in both ROH and TNA that made him a big name for fans. Other wrestlers were already trying to be him. And his time in TNA transitioned him from your favorite wrestler’s favorite wrestler. To the fans’ favorite wrestler.

Across three reigns, Daniels would show fans that he is one of the blueprints for the entire division. Much like Lynn, he took inspiration from every place he wrestled. He could do anything you asked, high-flying, technical, brawling, striking. He could do it all. He also had the charisma and mic skills to back it all up.

It’s a testament to his abilities that so many wrestlers from the 2000s and 2010s have tried their best to mimic his style. He is a true original and innovator of the North American Indie style, and another guy who deserves way more credit from the business.

4: Leon Slater

Leon Slater has a bright future ahead of him. I really wish they had let him beat Austin Aries’ record for longest reign. But here we are. 298 days as champion, and giving it its biggest exposure, due to the partnership with NXT.

Slater has paved the way for the future of the division. Showcasing what today’s talent can bring to the X Division. And unless the WWE signs him up, he is going to be a World Champion sooner rather than later.

Slater spent the last couple of years blowing fans away with his high-flying talents. He also has good charisma and charm, which will help him get further ahead. He may have more work to do to really solidify his future. But for now, it looks like bigger and brighter things are coming for Slater, and we are just lucky we got him in the X Division while we did.

3: Samoa Joe

“Joe’s gonna kill you” chants filled the Impact Zone every week, as Samoa Joe smashed his way through everyone in his way. Joe was already the longest reigning ROH World Champion when he made his way to TNA.

His undefeated streak really set Joe up to be a monster. He wouldn’t just beat guys; he would destroy them. He was able to use his size to outpower everyone else in the division. His agility let him keep up with everyone else. It’s still crazy to go watch early Joe matches. He was like Bam Bam Bigelow, a huge monster of a guy who could move like a cruiserweight.

His wars with AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels gave TNA its first 5-star match. And his feud with Kurt Angle, despite sadly losing his streak to him, elevated him even further.

Joe was unlike anyone else in the division; hell, he wasn’t like anyone else in TNA at the time. He came in as a force of nature and laid waste to everyone in his path. His time in the X Division will never be forgotten, and Joe’s talent cannot be denied.

2: AJ Styles

Most people would probably put AJ Styles at number one. And I can’t fault them for that. If the number one hadn’t racked up such a long and storied career in the X Division, I would have Styles at number one as well.

Styles was the first; he helped to build the division. Putting on bangers with Lynn, Daniels, Amazing Red, Joe, Chris Sabin, and countless others. Styles is a one-of-a-kind talent; he belongs in the discussion of all-time greats. And he honed so much of that talent in the X Division. Growing not only the division but his own talent.

Styles came in as a high-flyer but quickly learned from working with the best talent in the world. He soaked in lessons from Jerry Lynn and Christopher Daniels, quickly becoming one of the best all-around talents in the world.

He would parley that talent to not just success in the X Division, but throughout the entire company. He would not only be a six-time X Division champion, but also a TNA World, Global, and Tag Team Champion. He would also go on to bigger success, winning the IWGP Heavyweight Championship twice.

Oh, wait, there is more. He was also a two-time WWE Champion, Intercontinental Champion, Tag Team Champion, and United States Champion. And a first ballot WWE Hall of Famer.

And all of that started in the TNA Asylum in Nashville, Tennessee. Styles was the face of TNA and the X Division. In the grand scheme of his entire career, no X Division Champion has achieved what Styles has. And as it stands, his six reigns as X Division Champion were some of the best of all time.

1: Chris Sabin

Ten times and 635 days. Chris Sabin has been to the top of the division more than anyone else. Very few wrestlers ever achieve double digits for reigns with any championship. This is proven by the three-way tie for second most reigns, which is only six reigns.

Sabin has spent a combined 14 years in TNA. His first run was from 2003 to 2014. He would return in 2019 and stay until 2024. And now that he has been cut by the WWE, we could see a return soon.

Sabin was given a shot right away. Winning the X Division Championship only a month into the company. From there, he would slowly become one of the cornerstones of the X Division. His Cradle Shock finisher was unique. His mix of strikes and high-flying ability made him a constant threat in the division.

It’s crazy that even with breaks for his run with Alex Shelley as the Motor City Machine Guns and a five-year absence. He still managed to rack up 10 X Division Championship reigns. I don’t think that record is going to be in danger anytime soon, and I wouldn’t mind seeing him pad that number a bit more.

Sabin has more than earned his spot on this list, and like Alex Shelley, he deserves so much more recognition. While Styles has the biggest career out of any X Division star. Sabin is my number one pick, due to being such a big part of so much of the division over the years.

Preview:

Tune in next week when we look at the top eight King of the Ring winners!