Mike Bailey has captured his first X Division Championship at Slammiversary, usurping Ace Austin in the latest thrilling Ultimate X encounter!
IMPACT Wrestling’s 2022 Slammiversary pay-per-view kicked off with a bang as the Ultimate X match returned, pitting defending X Division Champion Ace Austin against ‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey, Trey Miguel, Kenny King, Alex Zayne, and Andrew Everett.
Mike Bailey would leave the Asylum as the new X Division Champion, unstrapping the legendary championship from the red-roped structure after knocking Austin and Everett from the ropes. The win marked Bailey’s first title win since joining the Anthem-helmed promotion last winter.
#ANDNEW@IMPACTWRESTLING X Division Champion!@SpeedballBailey#Slammiversarypic.twitter.com/wt2IUqKT0L
— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) June 20, 2022
Bailey was announced as having signed with IMPACT Wrestling on 1 November. IMPACT EVP Scott D’Amore offered the Canadian striker a contract in-ring during a Destiny World Wrestling event in Toronto, where Bailey had faced – and lost to – now-IMPACT World Champion, Josh Alexander.
The 31-year-old had been serving a five-year ban from the United States prior to signing with IMPACT. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that he’d been busted without a work VISA while attempting to enter the country to wrestle for EVOLVE in March 2016. His first match on American soil came during the pre-show to IMPACT’s Hard To Kill pay-per-view.
Ace Austin, meanwhile, had served as the X Division Champion since April’s Rebellion card. ‘The One True Ace’ usurped Bailey and defending champion Trey Miguel to lift the championship for a third time. During his latest run as champion, Austin would also join Bullet Club, following in fellow IMPACT star Chris Bey’s footsteps.
