Leon Slater Involved In Terrifying Spot At TNA Rebellion (TNA News)
Something could have gone badly wrong.
TNA presented its annual Rebellion pay-per-view last night (April 27).
It was a notable show, at the climax of which rumoured WWE main roster call-up Trick Williams attacked TNA World Champion Joe Hendry, but the major talking point emerged during a crazed Ultimate X match held for Moose's X Division title (which the champion retained).
Deep into the expected stunt show, Leon Slater ascended the structure. In what was a jaw-dropping spot, he sought to execute a 450 senton from atop the structure which, for those familiar, if roughly the same height as a WWE steel cage. His opponents in the match - Moose, El Hijo del Vikingo, K.C. Navarro, Matt Cardona and Sidney Akeem - all congregated below him on the outside of the ring. The idea was for all five men to take the resulting bump. The problem is that not a one of them caught Slater, who landed stomach-first on the mats after slipping through a sea of outstretched fingers. This was almost a disaster - negligent work from his peers.
Mericfully, all indications are that Slater, who finished the match, emerged from Rebellion unscathed. This again highlights the strange trend in pro wrestling, in which gruesome, high-risk spots don't tend to yield as many injuries as innocuous-looking moments of pure bad luck.
This obviously isn't the way Slater planned to generate some buzz, but in a strange way, it's not undeserved. The NORTH champion is a true standout of what is a depleted international independent scene. The Bradford-born UK starlet excelled in this years wXw 16 Carat Gold tournament which, historically, is a proving ground for global talents looking to make the next step in their career. Previous winners of the tournament include Big Van Walter (GUNTHER), El Generico (Sami Zayn), Tommy End (Aleister Black), the currently injured Ilja Dragunov, and Zack Sabre, Jr.