The King of the Mountain match is a professional wrestling match

Professional wrestling match types

Many types of matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, can be found in the form of performing art that is professional wrestling....

 exclusive to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...

 (TNA). It consists of five competitors competing for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship

TNA World Heavyweight Championship

The TNA World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It is currently the highest ranked championship in TNA and is primarily defended in TNA's heavyweight division...

 or the TNA X Division Championship

TNA X Division Championship

The TNA X Division Championship is a professional wrestling championship owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It is primarily defended in TNA's X Division—a style based on a fast-paced, daredevil type of wrestling...

 as of Slammiversary 2009. The match was a staple of the annual Slammiversary pay-per-view event in June, until 2010, when it wasn't put on the card for Slammiversary VIII

Slammiversary VIII

Slammiversary VIII was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , which took place on June 13, 2010 at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida. Despite the Roman numeral eight used in promotional material, it was the sixth event under the Slammiversary...

. In June 2009, the first three King of the Mountain matches were shown on the television show TNA Epics

TNA Epics

Epics was a professional wrestling television program for Impact Wrestling that aired on Spike in the United States and Bravo in the United Kingdom. The show was hosted by Mick Foley and showed matches and events from the history much like WWE Vintage Collection. In December 2009, Dixie Carter...

 in the UK to hype the King of the Mountain matches which would take place at Slammiversary 2009.

Match format

The competitors in the match start out as "ineligible" to win. In order to become "eligible", a wrestler must score a pinfall or submission on an opponent. The opponent who submits or is pinned is forced to spend two minutes in the "penalty box" cage. More than one wrestler can be in the cage. This often results in wrestlers fighting inside the cage or forming some sort of alliance.

Once "eligible", the wrestler may win the match by retrieving the belt and hanging it on the hook suspended above the ring with the aid of the ladders. A TNA official maintains possession of the belt and circles the ring, staying out of the action as much as possible. When a wrestler wishes to hang the belt, he must retrieve it from the official. Once the belt is in play, any other wrestler who is eligible may attempt to steal the belt and hang it. Once the belt has been dropped and no wrestler is attempting to hang it, a referee returns the belt to the official.

The matchup is similar to the more common ladder match

Ladder match

A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling that is most commonly used to describe a match where an item is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item...

, which has the belt suspended above the ring and the winner is the one who retrieves it with the use of a ladder. The King of the Mountain match is considered backwards in nature to the ladder match, as the competitors attempt to hang the belt instead of retrieving it.

Match history

No.	Match	Event, Date and Location
I	Jeff Jarrett Jeff Jarrett Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett is an American professional wrestler and wrestling promoter. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , an organization he co-founded along with his father and in which he holds some stock but not total control...  defeated Ron Killings Ron Killings Ronald Aaron "Ron" Killings is an American professional wrestler and rapper. He is currently signed to WWE working on its Raw brand. Since working for the company, he has been a one time United States Champion under the ring name R-Truth and a two time Hardcore Champion under the ring name K-Kwik...  (c), A.J. Styles A.J. Styles Allen Neal Jones , better known by his ring name A.J. Styles is an American professional wrestler currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling... , Raven Scott Levy Scott Anthony Levy , better known by his ring name Raven, is an American professional wrestler, wrestling producer, wrestling writer, and occasional author and actor currently working for Juggalo Championship Wrestling , where he is co-holder of the JCW Tag Team Championship, as well as other...  and Chris Harris Chris Harris (wrestler) Christopher Eric "Chris" Harris is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he was formerly one-half of the tag team America's Most Wanted along with partner & Former TNA World Heavyweight Champion James Storm.-World Championship...  to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship NWA World Heavyweight Championship The National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and...	TNA pay-per-view June 2, 2004, Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
II	Raven defeated A.J. Styles (c), Monty Brown Monty Brown Monty Brown is an American professional wrestler and former National Football League linebacker, also known as Marcus Cor Von. He is best known for his time with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment, where he wrestled on its ECW brand under the ring name Marcus Cor Von... , Abyss Chris Parks Christopher J. "Chris" Parks , better known by his ring name "The Monster" Abyss, is an American professional wrestler currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...  and Sean Waltman Sean Waltman Sean Michael Waltman is an American professional wrestler currently signed with WWE in their developmental program. He wrestled there under the ring names 1–2–3 Kid and X-Pac off and on from 1993–2002, World Championship Wrestling under the ring name Syxx, and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ...  to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship	Slammiversary 2005 June 19, 2005, Orlando, Florida Orlando, Florida Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
III	Jeff Jarrett defeated Christian Cage Jason Reso William Jason Reso is a Canadian professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring names Christian and Christian Cage...  (c), Abyss, Ron Killings and Sting to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship	Slammiversary 2006 June 18, 2006, Orlando, Florida
IV	Kurt Angle Kurt Angle Kurt Steven Angle is an American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and 1996 Olympic gold medalist. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is recognized as a 15-time World Heavyweight Champion...  defeated Samoa Joe Samoa Joe Nuufolau Joel "Joe" Seanoa is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Samoa Joe. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.... , A.J. Styles, Christian Cage and Chris Harris to become the first TNA World Heavyweight Champion TNA World Heavyweight Championship The TNA World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It is currently the highest ranked championship in TNA and is primarily defended in TNA's heavyweight division...	Slammiversary 2007 Slammiversary (2007) Slammiversary was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, which took place on June 17, 2007 at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. It was the third event under the Slammiversary chronology and marked the fifth anniversary of... June 17, 2007, Nashville, Tennessee
V	Kaz Frankie Kazarian Frank B. Gerdelman is an Armenian-American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Frankie Kazarian or simply Kazarian. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...  defeated Chris Sabin Chris Sabin Joshua Harter is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Chris Sabin. He is currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he currently teams with Alex Shelley as The Motor City Machine Guns.After being trained by Scott D'Amore, Sabin debuted in 2000 for... , Curry Man Christopher Daniels Daniel Christopher Covell is an American professional wrestler, best known in the United States by his ring name "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels. He is also known for performing under the ring name Curry Man. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , while also... , Jimmy Rave Jimmy Rave James Guffey is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Jimmy Rave. He is best known for working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...  and Johnny Devine Johnny Devine John Peter "J.P." Parsonage is a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name "Hot Shot" Johnny Devine...  to earn a future TNA World Heavyweight Championship match	Impact! Zone TNA iMPACT! Zone The Impact Wrestling Zone is the professional wrestling nickname for Soundstage 21, a sound stage in Universal Studios Florida in Orlando, Florida... June 5, 2008, Orlando, Florida
VI	Samoa Joe (c) defeated Robert Roode, Booker T Booker Huffman Robert Booker Tio Huffman , better known by his ring name Booker T, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler and currently signed to WWE, on its SmackDown brand, as part of the announcing team. Booker is best known for his time in both the World Wrestling Entertainment and World... , Rhino Terry Gerin Terrance "Terry" Gerin is an American professional wrestler and actor, better known by the ring name Rhino . He is best known for his career in Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...  and Christian Cage to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship	Slammiversary 2008 Slammiversary (2008) Slammiversary was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , which took place on June 8, 2008 from the DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven, Mississippi. It was the fourth event under the Slammiversary chronology and marked the sixth anniversary of the... June 8, 2008, Southaven, Mississippi Southaven, Mississippi -Households And Families:As of the census of 2000, there were 28,977 people, 11,007 households, and 8,134 families residing in the city. The population density was 857.9 people per square mile...
VII	Suicide Suicide (character) Suicide is a fictional character from TNA Impact! the video game. In December 2008, the Suicide character was introduced on television as a real-life wrestler in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...  (c) defeated Jay Lethal Jay Lethal Jamar "Jay" Shipman better known by his ring name Jay Lethal, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Ring of Honor , where he is the ROH World Television Champion... , Consequences Creed, Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley Alex Shelley Patrick Martin , is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Alex Shelley. He wrestles for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he currently teams with Chris Sabin as The Motor City Machine Guns. He previously gained fame on the independent circuit, working most notably for...  to retain the TNA X Division Championship TNA X Division Championship The TNA X Division Championship is a professional wrestling championship owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It is primarily defended in TNA's X Division—a style based on a fast-paced, daredevil type of wrestling...	Slammiversary 2009 Slammiversary (2009) Slammiversary was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , which took place on June 21, 2009 at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It was the fifth event under the Slammiversary chronology and used to commemorate the seventh... June 21, 2009, Auburn Hills, Michigan Auburn Hills, Michigan Auburn Hills is a city in Metro Detroit, Oakland County, in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 21,412 at the 2010 census. The city was formed in 1983 when Pontiac Township became the City of Auburn Hills.-Economy:...
VIII	Kurt Angle defeated Mick Foley Mick Foley Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he... (c), Jeff Jarrett, A.J. Styles, Samoa Joe to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship	Slammiversary 2009 June 21, 2009, Auburn Hills, Michigan