Chris Sabin discusses the influence of IMPACT's X-Division on modern wrestling (Exclusive)
Chris Sabin is arguably the most decorated X-Division Champion in IMPACT Wrestling history.
In addition to World Championships and Tag Team Championships, Chris Sabin has held the X-Division Championship on eight occasions, more than any other wrestler in IMPACT Wrestling history. Therefore, Sabin is seen by many as one of the forefathers of the division with no limits.
During the IMPACT Wrestling Press Pass Zoom call, Sportskeeda's Riju Dasgupta asked one half of the current IMPACT World Tag Team Champions how instrumental the X-Division has been on modern professional wrestling.
The former 8-time X-Division Champion was quick to point out how the X-Division not only had a huge influence on the modern style of wrestling, but also integrated multiple international styles into one division. Something that hadn't been seen before:
"I think it's huge. I mean, I think if you just go back and realise what the X-Division did, was basically just become this melting pot of styles because we were kind of the generation the first started being able to watch wrestling on the internet. So, with more people being able to watch wrestling on the internet, they're exposed to more styles, whether it be Japanese style, Mexican style, British style. All the different styles around the world. So, our generation kind of just became this melting pot of mixing all the styles of wrestling together and that's pretty much what the X-Division was, we watched everything and tried to make this new style that was a combination of all the best. And I think that's just kind of like what this new generation is, you see the influence of every worldwide style and i think the X-Division was just the first to do that"
Chris Sabin a pioneer of IMPACT Wrestling's X Division?
Following up on the discussion about IMPACT Wrestling's X-Division, IMPACT lead commentator Josh Matthews then asked Chris Sabin if he see's himself as a pioneer of the X-Division or a member of the current crop of X-Division athletes.
Sabin noted that due to competing for over twenty years in the industry, he considers himself to be both a pioneer and a part of the current X-Division contingent:
"I don't know, i guess both. I would say both. That's how long i've been around, when you've been around for twenty years i guess you can consider yourself as both"
Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley returned to IMPACT Wrestling during the Slammiversary pay-per-view event back in July. Since then, the legendary tag team has captured the IMPACT World Tag Team Championships for the second time in their career, defeating The North on the post-Slammiversary edition of IMPACT on AXSTV to capture the gold.