Leon Slater achieved a significant victory at Total Nonstop Action Wrestling’s (TNA) Lockdown event on Sunday, first defeating Cedric Alexander for the TNA X Division Championship. The high-stakes match saw Slater put his name in the TNA history books on the line.
Competing in a steel cage match, Slater utilized the environment to his advantage, executing a flying elbow drop from the middle of the cage. Ultimately, Slater defeated Alexander by hitting his own finishing move, the Lumbar Check, three times before concluding with a 450 swanton from the top rope to secure the championship.
However, Slater's reign as X Division Champion was brief. Later in the evening, after Nic and Ryan Nemeth defeated The Hardys for the TNA World Tag Team Championship, Slater announced he was cashing in his Option C opportunity. This move forfeits the X Division Championship in exchange for a shot at the TNA World Championship.
Slater will now face Nic Nemeth for the TNA World Championship at Bound for Glory, scheduled for Oct. 11 in Tampa, Florida. Pro wrestling veteran Matt Hardy had recently highlighted Slater as one of the TNA wrestlers fans should watch in an interview with Fox News Digital.