Cedric Alexander captured the TNA X Division Championship on the May 14th TNA iMPACT! — but the bigger shock may have come seconds later when a former WWE NXT star suddenly showed up.
The main event featured Alexander challenging Leon Slater in a Best 2 out of 3 Falls match for the X Division Championship. Slater jumped ahead early after catching Cedric with a quick roll-up pin, but Alexander slowly took control as the match became more physical. Slater was eventually busted open after being thrown into the ring steps before Alexander finally finished him off with back-to-back Lumbar Checks to win the championship. But the title change wasn’t the end of the segment. Right as Cedric prepared to celebrate with the championship, Fabian Aichner made his surprise debut appearance in TNA.
Many wrestling fans know Aichner from his WWE run under the name Giovanni Vinci as part of Imperium alongside Gunther and Ludwig Kaiser. During his WWE run, Aichner became a former NXT Tag Team Champion and was viewed as one of the stronger in-ring performers tied to the Imperium faction. He originally signed with WWE in 2017 after building a reputation across Europe and eventually became part of the NXT UK and NXT brands before moving to the main roster.
However, his WWE run quietly lost momentum after Imperium split apart. Vinci was eventually separated from Gunther and Kaiser and rarely used consistently on television afterward before leaving the company earlier this year as part of WWE roster cuts.
TNA did not waste time throwing him directly into the spotlight either, as his arrival happened immediately after one of the biggest title changes on the show.
The episode also featured commentary confirming that an Ultimate X match for the X Division Championship will take place at Slammiversary later this summer, making Aichner’s arrival even more interesting heading into the company’s biggest event of the year.
At this point, Cedric Alexander may have just won the X Division Championship — but it already looks like a new threat has entered the picture immediately afterward.
What do you think about Fabian Aichner showing up in TNA? Should he be pushed straight into the X Division title scene? Leave your thoughts and feedback in the comments below.
