11 Ups & 2 Downs From IMPACT Wrestling (14 Oct)

1. A Hot Opener

This mini-X Division Title tournament has been a hoot, but its latest offering of Rohit Raju vs. Willie Mack vs. El Phantasmo was its greatest yet.

Every minute of the match was used to its full potential. When Raju wasn't performing stiff knee strikes, he had both Mack and Phantasmo flying on top of him. Mack's Tope con Hilo, for example, was executed to precision, as was Phantasmo's top-rope splash. It was effectively the X Division at its finest, perfectly putting over the 'It's not about weight limits, it's about no limits' tagline that's been associated with the division for years.

To the surprise of this writer, it was El Phantasmo who advanced to Bound For Glory, pinning Rohit after a CRII. Their closing sequence was excellent overall, with Rohit at one point pouncing into Phantasmo with a knee to the jaw to avoid a Superkick. It helped, then, that Chris Bey and Hikuleo had already been downed by Mack.

This felt like it could have been the tournament finals because each guy wrestled like as if the title was on the line. This further puts over the importance of Bound For Glory's championship contest, as well as the legitimacy of the X Division Title. Overall, a highly enjoyable, mid-2000s-style X Division match.