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IMPACT Wrestling Slammiversary 2021 will mark the return of the most iconic stipulation in the history of the company, the Ultimate X Match. The marquee match type of the X-Division has been a consistent showstealer throughout the years and seems like a great contest to have on a night that celebrates the company's history.
The Ultimate X Match has been a stage for many star-making performances for the best of the X-Division. Whether it be Chris Sabin, Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian or AJ Styles, the highlight reel has been filled with these legends putting their bodies on the line in the high wire, acrobatic warzone.
With the X-Division Championship hanging above the ring, the men involved must be willing to risk it all in a bid to walk out with the gold. The six wrestlers that will do battle at the pay-per-view all have their own abilities that make them favorites in many eyes. In this article, let's rank the six participants in the Ultimate X Match at Impact Wrestling Slammiversary.
#6 Rohit Raju - Ultimate X Match
Heading into the Ultimate X Match at Slammiversary, Rohit Raju has reunited with his former partner Shera and formed an alliance with Ace Austin and Madman Fulton. The four men have caused havoc for their opponents in the matchup and look to gain any advantage they can before the pay-per-view.
Rohit Raju has to be one of the biggest opportunists on the IMPACT Wrestling roster. In the past, he has used Chris Bey to get a shot at the X-Division Championship and capitalized on that opportunity to become champion. His run with the title featured him using anything he could to retain his gold.
The Defeat Rohit Challenge became a staple of his reign and highlighted his evasiveness on multiple occasions. After losing the X-Division Championship to TJP as Manik, Raju tried many times to regain the title, but he has fallen short ahead of his latest chance in the Ultimate X Match. He will need to use his previous experience as a champion in this high risk encounter.
With the alliance with Ace Austin, his odds of winning do increase. If the two men can stay on the same page, they can take out their opposition and leave it down to them to fight to retrieve the championship in the middle of Ultimate X. However, history tells fans that these two rule breakers will not be able to co-exist long. That is the reason Rohit Raju is viewed as least likely to win at Slammiversary.
#5 Petey Williams - Ultimate X Match
Of all the Ultimate X Match participants at Slammiversary, Petey Williams is the man with the most experience in this stipulation. Williams is one of the longest tenured performers on the IMPACT Wrestling roster and a former two-time X-Division Champion. He will have a distinct advantage over the other competitors at the pay-per-view.
This will mark his sixth appearance in an Ultimate X Match with Williams holding two previous wins in the match type. He knows all of his opponents very well in different ways. Petey Williams has faced or partnered with each and every man in the contest, so that gives a level of knowledge over his opposition that not everyone has.
The X-Division Champion Josh Alexander and challenger Trey Miguel view Petey as a mentor, while Ace Austin got his foot in the door with the company by clashing with the former Team Canada member.
He has also been in the ring with Rohit Raju and Chris Bey on many occasions. With this experience against the other men and in Ultimate X, it has to be considered a positive for Petey Williams.
On the other hand, the miles on his body have to be a negative for the master of the Canadian Destroyer. He has been around the block many times and his body has been beaten down in previous Ultimate X matches. This should keep him in the middle of the pack as far as favorites heading into Slammiversary.
#4 Ace Austin - Ultimate X Match
If there is one competitor that's style will work extremely well in the Ultimate X Match, it would have to be Ace Austin. "The Inevitable One" has been a versatile performer with a distinct high flying arsenal and is willing to take any shortcut to gain the advantage over his opponents. He is also another star who has a great deal of history with the other participants at Slammiversary.
Ace Austin lost the X-Division Championship to Josh Alexander back at Rebellion in a three-way match that also featured TJP. Alexander was able to successfully defend his title against Austin in a rematch, but there is plenty of unfinished business between the two heading into the Ultimate X Match. The aforementioned feud with Petey Williams helped Ace gain momentum early in his IMPACT career.
Austin has suffered a loss to Chris Bey in the past, while he has had a lengthy rivalry with Trey Miguel dating back to 2019. His alliance with Rohit Raju gives them the numbers advantage ahead of Ultimate X, but there is no telling that will last once the bell rings at the pay-per-view.
Ace Austin's biggest asset has to be Madman Fulton. His partnership with the big man has helped him time and time again. With the no disqualification nature of the Ultimate X Match, he could used that to allow himself time to retrieve the X-Division Championship before his opponents can catch him.
His speed will be a big positive in his back pocket and should allow him the ability to get across the Ultimate X to win the match. The reason that he ranks so low is because Austin just lost the championship.
It might be too soon to get back to him holding the gold. Due to how Ace Austin and Rohit Raju have made their opponents' lives a living hell, he will also have a lot of individuals gunning for him.
#3 Trey Miguel - Ultimate X Match
Five out of the six participants in the Ultimate X Match at Slammiversary are former X-Division Champions. The only competitor who has not held the gold is Trey Miguel. The former member of The Rascalz has been revitalized since returning to IMPACT Wrestling. He came back with a goal of finally holding gold in the company.
Following his personal rivalry with Sami Callihan, Miguel has cleared a path to finally go after his first title in IMPACT Wrestling. Along with Petey Williams and Ace Austin, Trey is another competitor who has experience in the Ultimate X Match. Although he lost his first time in the stipulation, he could use that past history to propel himself to victory on this occasion.
Trey Miguel is another star who possesses a versatile repertoire that fits the Ultimate X Match. He is athletic, quick and can get physically intense when he needs to. Trey can also take a great amount of punishment and keep moving forward.
Slammiversary marks one year since his first opportunity at the IMPACT World Championship. With his fellow Rascalz no longer by his side, his complete focus is on gaining gold in the company. Miguel has chased the X-Division Championship for quite some time. This Ultimate X Match could finally be the time for Trey Miguel to reach the mountaintop.
#2 Josh Alexander - Ultimate X Match
X-Division Champion Josh Alexander comes into Slammiversary with no previous history in the Ultimate X Match. This puts him at a disadvantage, but he has done an impressive job as a standout in IMPACT Wrestling. His Iron Man Match against TJP stands among the year's best TV matches and elevated the prestige of the title tremendously.
The Ultimate X Match should be his toughest challenge to date. With five other competitors and the rules of the stipulation, he could lose his gold without being involved in the finish. However, Alexander seems prepared for any and all challengers.
Since his victory over TJP in the Iron Man Match, Josh Alexander has made it clear to IMPACT EVP Scott D'Amore that he wants the X-Division Championship to be the top title in the company. With Kenny Omega as IMPACT World Champion, Alexander is positioning himself to be considered a top star and one of the faces of IMPACT Wrestling.
Josh Alexander is a submission specialist, can match power with just about anyone in the promotion and is a hard-hitting competitor. These skills may not work to his advantage in the Ultimate X Match though.
As one half of the longest reigning IMPACT Tag Team Champions with The North and current X-Division Champion, this new obstacle is something that Alexander is fully prepared for.
#1 Chris Bey - Ultimate X Match
The build for the Ultimate X Match at Slammiversary has centered around Chris Bey. The alliance with Ace Austin and Rohit Raju has seen them target Josh Alexander, Petey Williams and Trey Miguel to weaken them ahead of the pay-per-view. With Shera and Madman Fulton helping Austin and Raju, these men were being taken down at every turn.
Chris Bey was left to choose a side heading into Slammiversary. Ace Austin and Rohit Raju disregarded Bey and told him that it was wise not to get involved, while Petey Williams and Trey Miguel tried talking sense to "The Ultimate Finnesser". On the July 1st episode of IMPACT Wrestling, Bey helped the babyfaces fight this alliance and showed respect to his Ultimate X opponents.
Last year's Slammiversary saw Chris Bey come in as a challenger and defeat Willie Mack to win the X-Division Championship for the first time. His title reign was short lived as Rohit Raju manipulated Bey and won the title from him in a three-way just two months later.
With Bey now aware of everyone involved in this contest and choosing the side that works best for him, this seems like an ideal time for the former X-Division Champion to reclaim the gold. Chris Bey comes into the Ultimate X Match as another participant with no previous experience, but his style should work well under this stipulation.
Chris Bey possesses speed, high flying expertise and plenty of athleticism to make him the perfect Ultimate X competitor. His length and crispness in the ring could also be great attributes to utilize in this encounter, helping him to make smooth strides across the structure and retrieve the title. He is almost tailor made for this match type.
"The Ultimate Finnesser" holds wins over Raju, Williams, Austin and Miguel. He has also pushed the X-Division Champion to the limit in the past. With this experience against his opposition, his skillset, his past success at this pay-per-view and his position at the center of the buildup to this contest, this makes Chris Bey the Ultimate X participant most likely to win at Slammiversary.
