Exposing The Myth: TNA Was A WWE Rival

For the very first weekly PPV, NWA-TNA introduced the concept of the X Division.

Pulling inspiration from WCW's success with the cruiserweight division and WWE's subsequent adaptation of that division, the X Division took what was being seen by WWE's lighter grapplers of the time and amped it up to 11.

Rather than simply being focused on the supposed smaller wrestlers, the X Division changed things up by being more about a person's in-ring style rather their size - or, as the tagline read, "it is not about weight limits, it is about no limits".

It was AJ Styles who would be crowned the first ever NWA-TNA X Division Champion, with the Phenomenal One defeating Jerry Lynn, Low Ki, and Psicosis on the second of the company's weekly PPV events.

At this time in 2002, the cruiserweights of WWE were putting on good matches - with Shane Helms, Jamie Noble, and Billy Kidman all taking centre-stage - but the X Division was a different beast altogether, which in turn gave NWA-TNA a one-up on WWE in that regard.

Going from strength-to-strength, the Ultimate X concept was introduced the following year and only served to further up the ante for the X Division talent. And when there are performers such as Styles, Lynn, Low Ki, Christopher Daniels, Amazing Red, Chris Sabin, Petey Williams, and the badass presence of Samoa Joe competing within the ranks of the X Division, it instantly made for must-see TV.