Trey Miguel is the reigning X-Divison Champion, winning the title at Bound For Glory 2021 when he defeated El Phantasmo and Steve Maclin.
Trey has been a staple of IMPACT since 2018 when he was aligned with Dez (Wes Lee in NXT) & Wentz (Nash Carter in NXT) at part of the Rascalz.
Speaking on Out Of Focus, Trey recalled learning of his X-Division Title victory and the journey to get there.
"I was supposed to get the belt a year ago at Bound For Glory, but we were departing from IMPACT. Dez and Zach already knew they were going to WWE and I was kind of teeter-tottering on things. I didn't know until the day before the pay-per-view that I was going to take some time off either way and not immediately re-sign with IMPACT and just get my mental health straight because it's a lot of pressure dealing with your contract ending and making the next career move, especially with the current climate with how WWE handles their employees. 'We'll sign you, you'll uproot yourself and you think you're about to make all this money for three years and nine months later, we kick you to the curb.' That's fucked up. That's so fucked up. We work our whole careers and you monopolize wrestlers. I didn't want that to happen. I took a break, didn't get the belt at Bound for Glory, re-signed, I get told, 'We'll worry about belts down the line, for now, let's try to re-establish your character here, you left, you had a silly stoner gimmick when you left and we don't want to use that anymore, let's come up with something fresh.' When I returned, I had what felt like an identity crisis. I had no idea who I was and what to do. I just threw shit at the wall until something stuck," said Trey.
As Dez & Wentz left for WWE, Trey remained with IMPACT, returning to the company in January 2021 with a new look. Trey would enter a feud with Sami Callihan shortly after his return.
Trey continued by saying, "I didn't think things started to really click until Slammiversary. That was a match for the X-Division Championship. At this point, that was my ninth attempt at the championship and every time I've ever had a championship match, I put myself through all this pressure of 'I'm going to hit the gym extra hard,' because you don't know, you don't find out until you get your script days before. There is always, 'I don't know if they're going to put it on me.' There were six people in the match and I have no idea what's supposed to happen. That's the ninth time, I do all this shit trying to get in the best shape of my life, get some sweet gear, all the bells and whistles just in case this is my chance. I don't want to not be ready. After we did Slammiversary, I didn't get the championship. We had more stuff to do that weekend and I think it boiled down to a battle royal. Normally, I'm independent in battle royals, 'just go out there and eat up 10 minutes until it comes down to the last two people, and then try to put a little spice on it.' There's so many people, there's not a whole lot you can do. All wrestling and everything on television is heavily produced, this thing had to be strategically produced, everything had to have purpose, every elimination had to be set up a certain way. When it came down to planning my elimination, I said something stupid like, I had a student wrestling there, Sam Beale, and they asked me, 'how are you going to be eliminated?' 'I'm gonna have Sam dump me out.' The agent for the match was like, 'No the fuck you're not, you're the next X-Division Champion and we're protecting you.' I was like, 'that's news to me.' I had heard this shit before."
While plans can always change in wrestling, Trey felt more confident than ever that it was his time to finally win the X-Division Championship.
"I had been told a couple of times, 'these are the plans' and never had it come to fruition. I just took it like, 'I guess we'll see.' The way other storylines were playing out leading up to Bound For Glory, I was just like, 'Oh shit.' It finally came down to, the week before, I had it in my head, more than ever, 'this is the time. It makes no sense not to give it to me, I've had a really good year.' The other two guys in the match with me, one is not signed to the company, he's signed to New Japan, who is El Phantasmo,' and I didn't think they were going to give it to the guy not signed here," he said.
Trey continued, praising Maclin, but noting that putting the belt on him would be similar to Josh Alexander, who just relinquished the X-Division Title as cashing in Option X.
"Maclin, it would have been too similar to Josh Alexander having the X-Division Championship because Josh Alexander, I loved him as X-Division Champion because I love him as a wrestler, but a lot of fans were like, 'why is a heavyweight wrestler who doesn't necessarily do the X-Division style our X-Divsion Champion?' A lot of people were pissed about it and a lot of people loved it at the same. It was mixed and I think it would have been the same reaction had to it gone to Maclin. I like him as a wrestler too. He was in WWE before and they left him on the bench the entire time. They were like, 'He's good, he's going to make someone else money, so let's hold him up and do absolutely nothing with him.' No one can tell me a Steve Cutler match they love, but since he's been in IMPACT, he's gotten mic time and utilizes it and has had nothing but bangers for matches, his promo game is really good, and he's captivating. Everything he didn't get to show off in WWE, he's showing off now. The X-Division means no limits, but people put it in a box still. That's why it was like, 'it can't go to Maclin after Josh Alexander,' because people still don't put the appropriate respect on the championship that it's supposed to have. A woman can be the X-Division Champion. She could be 300 pounds of a buck 50, a woman of both statures could do it, anyone of any profile, but people [view it] as a cruiserweight championship," he said.
Trey concluded the story, revealing his reaction when he found out he would be winning the title.
"I was like, 'it's gotta be mine. It only makes sense.' I forked up all the money for the gear, go all out, diet again, go to the gym as hard as I can, do all the extra steps. Three nights before the pay-per-view, I get an email with my creative and, these creative emails are real confusing sometimes, it's all these numbers and a list of names and people who might not be in your segment but someone in their is in the segment, so it's everyone's name. I'm reading this thing and the first thing on it is 'Bound For Glory,' and it only tells me my script, so I start reading and at the very bottom it says, 'Trey Over.' In my room, I just yell 'LET'S FUCKING GO!' Dad was like, 'You alright?' 'Yeah, I'm good.' 'What happened?' 'I can't tell you yet.' He goes, 'Alright champ,'" he recalled.
Trey has successfully defended the X-Division championship against the likes of Jake Something, Laredo Kid, and Steve Maclin.
He is set to defend the belt in an Ultimate X match at IMPACT Multiverse of Matches. You can learn more by clicking here.
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