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Total Nonstop Action (TNA) brought pro wrestling fans a ton of unique and interesting gimmick matches over the years.
Two that come to mind were the Ultimate X and King of the Mountain matches.
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Chris Sabin celebrates his victory during SmackDown at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, NC on March 20, 2026. (Craig Melvin/WWE)
The Ultimate X match would have high wire ropes over the ring with pillars on the sides. In order for a wrestler to win the match, they had to climb the pillar, get over the rope and grab the prize hanging in the middle. The match would often feature the X-Division’s high-flyers and produced some heart-stoppers.
The King of the Mountain match was essentially an inverted ladder match that included a penalty box for those who were pinned – which also features in the Iron Survivor Challenge that takes place during WWE NXT events. Each wrestler begins as ineligible to win and the only way to be eligible is to score a pinfall or a submission.
The only way to win the match is to hang the title belt on top and collect it from the referee to do so. Jeff Jarrett won the match three times in TNA. The men’s match has not been seen since 2016. A women’s match took place in 2022 for the Knockouts World Championship.
Alex Shelley enters the ring during SmackDown at the Bell Center in Montreal, Canada on August 8, 2025. (Michael Marques/WWE)
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WWE’s partnership with TNA could allow WWE to incorporate the match types into their own plans. Pakinomist Digital asked former TNA stars – current WWE wrestlers – Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley if they’d like to see it happen one day.
“I guess the door is open when WWE and TNA work together,” Sabin said. “So I guess it’s always possible.”
Shelley said a King of the Mountain match could be a “good idea.”
“Man, I never thought about King of the Mountain,” he said. “I think that’s a good idea. I love King of the Mountain.”
However, Sabin added that he would not be a part of any more Ultimate X matches.
“Myself, I’d like to put my name in the hat for Ultimate X matches because I lost count of how many I’ve done — north of 20. So I’ve done a lot of them,” he told Pakinomist Digital. “Had my fill of those fights.”
WWE has already produced some interesting matches of their own in recent years, including the aforementioned Iron Survivor Challenge and the Underground Match, which is its own take on the BloodSport style matches.
Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin enter the arena during SmackDown at the First Horizon Center in Savannah, Ga., on May 23, 2025. (Craig Melvin/WWE)
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It’s unclear if WWE would ever use TNA’s gimmick matches, but as Sabin said, the door is open for the partnership between both companies.
