Destination X 2011: Styles-Daniels and an X Division Showcase Produce One of TNA's Best 2011 Cards

Kazarian survived Samoa Joe in an eleven-minute opener that spent much of its time showcasing Joe's physical dominance. Joe bullied Kazarian at ringside, landed his signature power moves and later trapped him in a rear-naked choke after a powerful suplex and strike sequence. Kazarian escaped the earlier powerbomb-to-STF predicament and eventually reached the rope to break the choke. The deciding opening was not a decisive counterattack: Joe argued with referee Earl Hebner, allowing Kazarian to steal the pin with a sudden roll-up. The match had no Bound for Glory Series points at stake because Kazarian wasn't entered in that competition, a distinction the broadcast emphasized. Its strength lies in crisp offense and a dramatic escape from near defeat; its weakness is an abrupt outcome that arguably protects Joe more than it elevates the winner. It sets the X Division-focused evening in motion without exhausting its biggest attractions.

Douglas Williams answered his own open challenge with British wrestler Mark Haskins, an unfamiliar face to much of the Orlando crowd. Although Williams entered alongside Magnus and Rob Terry, he sent them away to take the challenge alone. Haskins found nearfalls and showed enough agility to frustrate the more experienced Williams, who countered with apron offense and grounded submission holds. The bout turned when Haskins attempted to follow a promising comeback with a shooting star press, lost his footing and missed. Williams capitalized with a quick pin, then returned to offer his opponent a handshake. That sportsmanlike gesture is more memorable than the finish itself. At less than eight minutes, the match introduces an X Division prospect rather than establishing him as a serious challenger, and the audience had little time to develop an investment in Haskins.

Eric Young and Shark Boy teamed unexpectedly against Generation Me's Max and Jeremy Buck. The show established the partnership in a backstage exchange between Young and several masked characters before Shark Boy joined him. In the ring, the temporary pairing leaned into comedy: the teammates debated who should begin, and Young later reappeared in different gear as Shark Boy was isolated by the Bucks. Young took the comeback tag and eventually caught Max in a wheelbarrow-style jawbreaker combination to secure the pin. The result provides the live crowd with an accessible, light moment, but it is an odd use of a themed X Division show to have the Bucks lose to a team formed that day. Its seven-minute runtime and clear comedic purpose make it easy to follow and easy to skip for viewers prioritizing the more important matches.

Alex Shelley won the four-way Ultimate X match against Amazing Red, Robbie E and Shannon Moore, earning a future challenge for the X Division championship. The four men exchanged aerial maneuvers and interrupted early climbs beneath the suspended red X, with Cookie interfering at ringside to slow Shelley. Red and Moore then raced across the cables; Moore reached the middle first and kicked Red down. Shelley finally broke free, climbed to the intersection, knocked Moore off the structure and unhooked the prize. The closing sequence makes excellent use of Ultimate X's suspended-prize rules, even though some earlier spots are busier than the story needs. Chris Sabin, Shelley's injured Motor City Machine Guns partner, came out afterward to congratulate him. That reunion gives the contender result an additional human payoff instead of ending on a routine prize grab.

Rob Van Dam defeated Jerry Lynn in a reunion of their long-running ECW rivalry, with the match deliberately echoing the familiar counter-wrestling sequences that built both men's reputations. Early displays of mutual respect turned testy when Lynn accepted Van Dam's offered handshake and then threw him into the ringside barricade. The bout became progressively rougher: Lynn landed a sunset-flip powerbomb into a steel chair, and Van Dam was visibly cut near the eyebrow. When Lynn tried another chair-assisted attack, Van Dam kicked the chair back into his face, followed immediately with the Five-Star Frog Splash for the pin. The result does not rewrite their larger rivalry, but it offers a well-structured 2011 chapter with recognizable exchanges, escalating aggression and a decisive finish. It is also a reminder that the event's X Division identity extends to a wrestling style, not just its championship and roster labels.

Austin Aries won the four-way X Division Showcase final against Jack Evans, Low Ki and Zema Ion to earn a TNA contract. The contract, rather than a championship, made this a meaningful audition on pay-per-view. Each competitor had a distinct sequence: Evans supplied acrobatics and looked for a 630 splash, Ion landed a 450 splash on Low Ki, and Ki matched Aries in hard striking exchanges and submission attempts. Ion's attempt to finish Ki was broken up, and Evans missed the 630 when his opponent brought up his knees. Aries quickly took control and planted Low Ki with a brainbuster for the decisive pin. The audience chanted for TNA to sign all four rather than only the winner, an unusually pointed response for a multi-man tournament final. Aries's contract victory made the bout consequential beyond its exceptional pace and athletic creativity.

Brian Kendrick defeated Abyss to reclaim the X Division Championship for the division's smaller high-flying wrestlers. Abyss initially dismissed the challenger and even paused to consult a book during the match, but Kendrick fought back and briefly bloodied the champion. Kendrick hit Sliced Bread while the referee was incapacitated, leaving no official count; Eric Bischoff then confronted him as Immortal and X Division wrestlers flooded ringside. Once the interference cleared enough to resume, Abyss attempted to overpower Kendrick again, only for Kendrick to slip into a surprise roll-up and receive the three count. This is more a storyline resolution than a sustained competitive title bout. The underdog victory and symbolic return of the belt are valuable, though the referee bump and faction swarm dilute the sporting payoff. A clear result survives an unnecessarily crowded presentation.

A.J. Styles defeated Christopher Daniels in the long, non-title main event, revisiting the two wrestlers' central role in TNA's early X Division history. They began with handshakes and technical counters, giving the contest a rivalry-through-respect tone rather than a conventional grudge. Daniels later threatened with the Koji Clutch and hit Angel's Wings, while Styles fought back with the Styles Clash; each survived the other's major weapon. In the final stretch Daniels tried to set up a super Angel's Wings from the ropes, but Styles escaped, positioned himself and landed the Spiral Tap for the pin. Using the Spiral Tap connected the finish to Styles's first X Division championship victory years earlier. Daniels initially turned away when Styles offered another handshake, then reconsidered, leaving a trace of friction within the otherwise respectful conclusion. The match earns its epic placement through the accumulated history and late reversals, even if its near-half-hour pacing has slower stretches.