An early injury to Moose during his TNA X-Division Championship defense at Slammiversary forced significant, on-the-fly changes to his match against Leon Slater. The unexpected development had a direct impact on the bout, which concluded with Moose losing his title.
The injury occurred when Moose executed a flip dive from the apron to the floor, causing an apparent back injury. According to Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the situation required a substantial portion of the planned contest to be removed.
“Moose was injured very early in the match with Slater to the degree that apparently they had to cut a lot of planned moves out. It was said that as good as the match was, it would have been even better had he not been injured.”
Despite the setback, both competitors managed to finish the match. The contest ended with Leon Slater securing the victory, a win that not only ended Moose’s nearly 300-day championship reign but also made Slater the youngest TNA X-Division Champion in history.
Following the title loss, Moose announced he would take a step back from the ring to recover. This hiatus proved short-lived, as he appeared on the following episode of TNA iMPACT! to declare new intentions. He is now targeting the TNA World Championship held by Trick Williams.
This rapid pivot keeps Moose and his faction, The System, in a prominent storyline while elevating Leon Slater as a new focal point for the X-Division. The challenge to Williams, who is also contracted with WWE NXT, further highlights the ongoing crossover between the two promotions.