Leon Slater Reveals When Plans Began For His Historic TNA X-Division Championship Win
Leon Slater’s historic TNA X-Division Championship victory at Slammiversary didn’t come out of nowhere – the wheels for the milestone moment were set in motion nearly a year ago, according to Slater himself.
In an exclusive interview with Cultaholic’s Tom Campbell, Slater revealed that conversations about him capturing the title – and becoming the youngest X-Division Champion in company history – began back in September 2024, shortly after his 20th birthday.
“They actually started quite a while back,” Slater told Campbell. “This is probably like a year ago, the conversations maybe started in like September 2024 because my birthday is in September. When I turned 20, I was saying to the team at TNA like, ‘Hey, I’d really like to pursue trying to be the youngest X-Division Champion of all time.’ And this was like for real, because I’m the first person that’s actually had a chance to do it since [Amazing] Red did it 20 years ago.”
Slater explained that his quest to make history quickly became more than just a pitch – his work inside the ring over the following months convinced TNA officials that he was ready for the spotlight.
“So it was a real possibility to make history and I think that was super intriguing to the team,” Slater continued. “And then, obviously, as the months and weeks have gone by and I’ve started to do more stuff with The Hardys and almost proved myself to be reliable, more than just a cool move and athletic manoeuvres. As we started to develop, I think the team realised I was getting more and more ready for an opportunity like this, and when the time came to making the matches for Slammiversary, I think they wanted to make some history. So we went and made the match, and I made it happen on Sunday.”
Slater’s title win adds another chapter to the legacy of the X-Division, a division long known for showcasing groundbreaking talent and unforgettable matches. Now, as the youngest X-Division Champion in TNA history, Slater looks to carve out his own place among the division’s greats – a goal he’s been working toward since that first conversation nearly a year ago.
(h/t Cultaholic for the transcription)
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