EXCLUSIVE: Shane Helms Hopes Impact Can Re-Invent X-Division

Shane Helms wants to re-invent Impact Wrestling's X-Division, and bring it back to prominence.

The division has existed for almost fifteen years, and has had wrestlers like AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, and Austin Aries hold the championship. At its inception, the division had no explicit weight limit, but was later given one. The weight limit did not last long and was eventually removed. On a weekly appearance on Fightful Wrestling's podcast, Helms discussed the division which he has been involved with backstage and on screen. He said the division is suffering from an identity crisis but he knows the talent for the division is around. 

"For that division to stand out, it kind of needs to be left alone. It's lost its identity, for the best of reasons because that style got over. So what is it now? It's something I've been fighting for since I've been there, to re-establish the identity of what the X-Division means. I like bringing in new guys, that doesn't mean we got to sign them to thirty year contracts, let's just bring in new talent here and there," said Helms. "But at the same time, some of the guys we got, we got to use them and establish them and find out who they are. We know they're great wrestlers, any body in that division that we've seen is good in the ring. But, who are they on the microphone?, who are they backstage? That's where your character and personality comes out," added Helms. 

Ultimately, Helms says the division has had its style spread to the rest of professional wrestling, something he feels forces Impact Wrestling to find the meaning of the division. 

"You see the X-Division style in tag-team wrestling now, you see it in the heavyweight division. It has nothing to do with that division anymore, that's my biggest problem with that," said Helms. "'Not about weight limits, it's about no limits', that's just a fucking bumper sticker, that doesn't mean anything. If you take any kind of writing classes, and I have, you get an 'F' for this assignment to explain what this division means," added Helms. 

He would reiterate that he has ideas for the division, and he hopes to see these changes implemented in the future if Impact Wrestling will get on-board. In the rest of the podcast, Helms and host Sean Ross Sapp would discuss the events around the Impact Wrestling tapings, including him having to retrieve the tag-team championship belts from The Hardys. 

Helms' weekly podcast is available immediately to Fightful Wrestling members, registration is absolutely free.