The title was introduced at the August 13, 2016, tapings of TNA's television program
Impact Wrestling, after then-TNA President
Billy Corgan announced that the
TNA King of the Mountain Championship would be deactivated and retired in favor of the new championship. Corgan also announced an eight-man single elimination tournament that would feature new rules that would apply to the title. The new rules would be similar to how bouts were contested in professional wrestling in Europe in which each match would consist of three timed rounds, with a team of judges to determine the outcome based on points, if there is no winner via pin or submission within the time limit. The final match of the tournament took place at
Bound for Glory on October 2, with Aron Rex becoming the inaugural champion by defeating
Eddie Edwards (replacement for the legitimately injured
Drew Galloway). On the January 25, 2018
Genesis episode of
Impact!,
Matt Sydal defeated champion
Ethan Carter III in a "No Rounds, No Judges" match. Subsequent title defenses would also be contested under standard rules, no longer using rounds, points systems or judges. On June 4, 2018, during the
Slammiversary XVI press conference, Austin Aries announced that the Grand and
Impact World Championship would be merged/unified.
Original rules • Three 3 minute rounds, with special event matches going 5 minutes per round. • 10 point must system. • Judging categories: Physicality, aggressiveness, controlling the action. • Wins can happen anytime via pin or submission. • If there is no winner after three rounds, a winner is decided by judge's decision. ==Championship Tournament(s)==