NEWYou can now listen to PK Press Club articles!
Total Nonstop Action (TNA) has given professional wrestling fans a multitude of unique and interesting gimmick matches over the years.
Two that come to mind are the Ultimate X and King of the Mountain matches.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PK Press Club
Chris Sabin celebrates his victory during SmackDown at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina on March 20, 2026. (Craig Melvin/WWE)
The Ultimate X match would have metal cables above the ring with pillars on the sides. For a wrestler to win the match, they had to climb the pillar, cross the rope and collect the prize hanging in the middle. The match often featured the high-flyers of the X-Division and provided some jaw-dropping moments.
The King of the Mountain match was essentially a reverse ladder match that included a penalty box for those who were pinned – which is also featured in the Iron Survivor Challenge that takes place at WWE NXT events. Each wrestler starts as ineligible to win and the only way to be eligible is to score a pinfall or submission.
The only way to win the match is to hang the title belt at the top and collect it from the official. Jeff Jarrett won the match three times in TNA. The men’s match has not been seen since 2016. A women’s match was held in 2022 for the World Knockout Championship.
Alex Shelley enters the ring during SmackDown at the Bell Center in Montreal, Canada on August 8, 2025. (Michael Marques/WWE)
WWE STAR DANHAUSEN REFLECTS ON FIRST MONTHS WITH COMPANY AND GIVES UPDATE ON DANHAUSENETS
WWE’s partnership with TNA could provide WWE with the opportunity to incorporate the match types into its own plans. PK Press Club Digital asked former TNA stars – current WWE wrestlers – Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley if they would like to see this ever happen.
“I guess the door is open if WWE and TNA work together,” Sabin said. “So, I guess it’s still possible.”
Shelley said a King of the Mountain match could be a “good idea.”
“Man, I never thought about the Mountain King,” he said. “I think it’s a good idea. I love the Mountain King.”
Sabin added, however, that he would no longer want to be a part of Ultimate X matches.
“I myself would like to have my name in Ultimate “I got tired of these matches.”
WWE has already produced some interesting matches in recent years, including the aforementioned Iron Survivor Challenge and the Underground Match, which is its own version of BloodSport style matches.
Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin enter the arena during SmackDown at the First Horizon Center in Savannah, Georgia on May 23, 2025. (Craig Melvin/WWE)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PK Press Club APP
It’s unclear if WWE will ever use TNA’s gimmick matches, but, as Sabin said, the door is open for the two companies to partner.
