Welcome to our coverage of IMPACT’s Slammiversary event from the Nashville Fairgrounds in Tennessee.
John Pollock will be hosting a Slammiversary POST Show late tonight exclusively available for members of the POST Wrestling Café.
Due to an injury sustained this weekend, Jack Evans is out of the Ultimate X match and will be replaced by Andrew Everett.
IMPACT Slammiversary
*IMPACT Championship: Josh Alexander (champion) def. Eric Young in 18:44
*Queen of the Mountain for the Knockouts Championship: Jordynne Grace def. Tasha Steelz (champion), Deonna Purrazzo, Chelsea Green, Mia Yim & Jordynne Grace in 18:18
*Frankie Kazarian, Chris Sabin, Alex Shelley, Nick Aldis & Davey Richards def. Eddie Edwards, Matt Taven, Mike Bennett, PCO & Vincent in 18:46
*IMPACT Tag Team Championships: The Good Brothers def. The Briscoes (champions) in 10:04
*Monster’s Ball Match: Sami Callihan def. Moose in 14:54
*Knockouts Tag Team Championships: Rosemary & Taya Valkyrie def. Tenille Dashwood & Madison Rayne (champions) in 7:18
*Ultimate X for the X Division Championship: Speedball Mike Bailey def. Ace Austin (champion), Kenny King, Trey Miguel, Alex Zayne & Andrew Everett in 9:52
*Reverse Battle Royal: Shark Boy won in 9:24 (pre-show)
*Digital Media Championship: Rich Swann (champion) def. Brian Myers in 7:10 (pre-show)
The pay-per-view kicked off with a historical look at TNA/IMPACT Wrestling including past comments from Jeff Jarrett, Bob Ryder, AJ Styles, Jerry Jarrett, and a shot of Dixie Carter. Then, it went into a montage of memorable clips and performers from the promotion’s past twenty years before cutting to the present-day talent and matches for tonight’s show.
Ace Austin vs. Trey Miguel vs. Kenny King vs. Alex Zayne vs. Andrew Everett vs. Speedball Mike Bailey in an Ultimate X Match for the X Division Championship
This was a fantastic opener and was noted it was the 47th Ultimate X match in the promotion’s history since introducing it in 2003.
There was a segment dedicated to Bob Ryder about his contributions to the company and dedicated the broadcast to him.
There were dives off the top including a springboard Asai moonsault by Zayne, a tope con giro from Miguel, and Fosbury Flop by Austin.
Bailey did a pull-up on the ‘X’ and came off with a version of Ultimate Weapon dropping his knees onto the opponents beneath him. His core strength and agility were something to behold in a match like this.
Miguel hit Zayne with a Canadian Destroyer off the top turnbuckle, but not through a table, so Blue Demon Jr. had the Destroyer of the weekend.
It ended with Bailey and Austin hanging above the ring battling for the title when Austin was knocked down and Bailey lifted himself above the title and unstrapped it for the win and is the new X Division Champion.
WINNER: Speedball Mike Bailey in 9:52
There was a segment dedicated to Bob Ryder about his contributions to the company and dedicated the broadcast to him.
Scott Hudson was a special backstage interview for the night and spoke with Motor City Machine Guns, Nick Aldis & Frankie Kazarian. The Machine Guns were named the ‘Most Impactful Team’ in IMPACT history. Shelley listed many of the other teams from the promotion’s history including The Hardys, Bad Influence, and The British Invasion. Each of the four cut a great promo and Aldis sounded like a main event star. They didn’t reveal who the fifth man would be but Aldis called it a ‘no brainer’ when they offered.
Sting sent in a taped message discussing how he came to TNA in 2003 as a one-off and kept coming back. He isolated his run as the ‘Joker’ version of Sting as a good time in his career and people still bringing it up today.
Tenille Dashwood & Madison Rayne vs. Rosemary & Taya Valkyrie for the Knockouts Tag Team Championships
This was short and simple with nothing that stood out in a major way.
Taya and Rosemary landed double spears, but the champions survived, and Rosemary was run into her partner.
Rayne & Dashwood hit The Collab on Rosemary, but Taya saved. Rosemary rose from the dead as Taya landed a pop-up knee strike on Rayne and Rosemary hit her finisher for the pin.
WINNERS: Rosemary & Taya Valkyrie in 7:18 to win the Knockouts Tag Team Championships
Kurt Angle sent a message thanking IMPACT for being there when he needed them and mentioned his programs with Samoa Joe and AJ Styles.
They showed Moose and Sami Callihan locked in separate parts of the area as Tom Hannifan tells us they have had “no food, no water, NO LIGHT” for the better part of 24 hours. And you thought weight cutting was bad before a fight?
Moose vs. Sami Callihan in a Monster’s Ball Match
This was a great hardcore war that never felt too gratuitous or weapon shots for the sake of it.
Callihan jumped Moose while he entered the arena and Moose was still dizzy from being in captivity for 24 hours, which was a silly addition that made no difference during the match.
After noting 47 prior Ultimate X matches, Hannifan said there have been 54 Monster’s Ball matches. TNA, folks!
Moose put Callihan through a table with a Uranage after doing the same on the edge of the apron. He blasted Callihan with a trash can lid and Callihan bled.
There was a spot where Moose scaled to the top and lost his balance, climbed again and was shoved off, and nearly came up short landing on the timekeeper’s table.
Callihan introduced thumbtacks but Moose used a Sky High, dropping Callihan onto the tack while he sat down on them, not a wise plan.
Callihan used multiple Cactus Drivers that included Moose kicking out at one and a great kick out as the audience chanted for Moose and got them very hot as the finish came. Callihan used a barbed-wire bat and one more Cactus Driver for the win.
This was strong, and the final moments peaked well.
WINNER: Sami Callihan in 14:54
The Briscoes vs. The Good Brothers for the IMPACT Tag Team Championships
They brawled around the ring at the beginning with The Good Brothers using a chair behind the referee’s back on Mark.
Hannifan listed off past tag teams including Team 3-D, The Naturals, America’s Most Wanted, Motor City Machine Guns, and The Hardys.
Jay Briscoe saved his brother from the Magic Killer by hitting a spear to Anderson.
Mark was taken out after Gallows launched him off the turnbuckle into a Gun Stun in mid-air. Jay was alone to fight Anderson and Gallows, his Jay Driller was stopped when Gallows kicked him in the head and they hit the Magic Killer for a totally clean victory.
WINNER: The Good Brothers in 10:04 to win the IMPACT Tag Team Championships
It was a good match with a relatively surprising ending, not that Anderson & Gallows won but winning so decisively and it felt like an end to the program.
After, Chris Harris & James Storm made a surprise appearance and handed both teams beers. Storm told the doubters and haters that didn’t think IMPACT would last “sorry, about your damn luck”.
There was a tremendous video package dedicated to Mike Tenay and Don West. Tom Hannifan and Matthew Rehwoldt thanked them for paving the way and promoted Don West’s GoFundMe campaign. This was so incredibly classy and touching and has been the theme of this show.
Christy Hemme was introduced in the ring, she brought Scott D’Amore out, who came out in his Team Canada persona and joined commentary for the next match.
Traci Brooks was seated in the front row next to Earl Hebner and they acknowledged the passing of Dave Hebner.
Dixie Carter came out to introduce the fifth member of the babyface team. Carter thanked everyone that ever stepped inside the ring and the production crew and all the people involved, as well as the fans. She announced the fifth member is Davey Richards.
Eddie Edwards, Matt Taven, Mike Bennett, PCO & Vincent vs. Frankie Kazarian, Motor City Machine Guns, Nick Aldis & Davey Richards
This was a lot of fun and the ending was just tremendous for many reasons.
Shelley sold for most of the first half of the match until fighting his way to tag Kazarian. It led to everyone taking turns with big moves and Taven hitting a tope to everyone on the floor. Edwards and Richards had their 1-on-1 showdown and exchanged chops and kicks as Richards lit him up.
Richards put Edwards and Taven in simultaneous submissions, Shelley put Bennett in the Border City Stretch, and Aldis applied the King’s Leaf Cloverleaf to Vincent.
Maria Kanellis distracted Sabin from the apron prompting Traci Brooks to attack her. PCO dragged Traci into the ring leading to Kazarian fighting off PCO and saving his wife. Then, Kazarian broke out the Flux Capacitor that he hit on PCO, which was nuts. PCO kicked out.
Kenny King ran in, followed by D-Lo Brown in his Aces & Eights gear from this past week’s episode, and hit King with the Sky High. Brown got a big pop, climbed to the top, and lost his footing on the first try before landing a Frog Splash.
Referee Brian Hebner was down on the floor. Earl Hebner climbed over the guardrail and that led to the closing sequence culminating with a Cradle Shock on PCO and Earl revealing the referee’s shirt and counting three after D’Amore explained on commentary he was reactivated this afternoon.
WINNERS: Chris Sabin, Alex Shelley, Frankie Kazarian, Nick Aldis & Davey Richards in 18:46
This was such a fun match and the ending was so well put together and executed. Earl and Brian Hebner looked very emotional as they embraced just days after Dave Hebner’s passing. This was the feel-good match of the night to celebrate TNA and it was great.
AJ Styles sent a taped message and spoke about the first show in Huntsville, Alabama teaming with Low Ki and Jerry Lynn against The Flying Elvis’ and listed off various matches, ones with Kurt Angle, and the three-way match with Samoa Joe and Christopher Daniels at Unbreakable 2005 and they changed things. Thanked WWE for letting him do this and it’s a special moment for him.
Tasha Steelz vs. Chelsea Green vs. Deonna Purrazzo vs. Jordynne Grace vs. Mia Yim in a Queen of the Mountain Match for the Knockouts Championship
This is one of the most confusing matches to describe but in practice, it usually works and the women came out to have a memorable match.
The rules include each participant needing a pinfall to be eligible to climb the ladder the hook the title to win the match. Once you drop a fall, you must spend 2-minutes in the penalty box.
Mickie James was the special enforcer and got involved a lot, including banning Savannah Evans from ringside. Later, Mickie yanked Green off the ladder and attacked her.
Mia Yim did the Shelton Benjamin spot where the ladder was leaning on the rope, she scaled up and hit a somersault flip to the floor.
Green scored the first pinfall and was working with Purrazzo throughout the match until the two met their demise climbing the ladder together. Mia Yim tipped the ladder and two crashed through two tables on the floor – the Bubba Ray Dudley spot from SummerSlam 2000 and the one Luchasaurus did on Dynamite this past week. It was insane.
There were plenty of pins including Yim scoring a second cover despite being eligible but is done as a tactic to get the opponent into the penalty box.
With Purrazzo and Green taken out from the tables, Jordynne Grace had Yim pinned when Steelz jumped on top and also got credit for the pin, making her eligible too.
Grace then pinned Steelz to put her in the box and was all alone to climb the ladder and won the match.
WINNER: Jordynne Grace in 18:18 to win the Knockouts Championship
No one has retained their championship tonight.
The five women worked really hard and all credit to Green and Purrazzo for taking a monster-level bump to the floor through the table and coming dangerously close to the guardrail but hitting the target.
Steelz had a very good run as champion and Grace has been on the backburner for a while, so this freshens things up and you can do multiple matches coming out of this one.
Gia Miller introduced Goldilocks, who replaced Miller for the segment to interview Gail Kim. Kim thanked IMPACT for giving women a chance and putting over the Queen of the Mountain match.
Bound for Glory was announced for Saturday, October 8th. The graphic said October 2022, but Tom Hannifan did say the specific date. No location was revealed.
Josh Alexander vs. Eric Young for the IMPACT Championship
This was designed as the ultimate TNA tribute match complete with each replicating moves of many past stars along with ref bumps, run-ins, and guitar shots to make it truly authentic.
It was a very strong match with Alexander wearing Kurt Angle-inspired gear to honor his TNA days. Alexander’s wife and child were in the front row while Young had Deaner and Joe Doering with him.
Alexander did an Angle-style moonsault, the face wash for Samoa Joe, a BME, a Styles Clash, and other Joe spots including his version of the Boston Crab and Uranage out of the corner.
Later, Young hit The Stroke and followed with a Black Hole Slam. It worked for Alexander but Young’s promo on Thursday was all about establishing that he doesn’t respect the history of TNA or want to honor its past. The Stroke is so recognizable and did lead to a near-fall.
As Alexander had the ankle lock applied, Deaner threw powder into referee Brian Hebner’s face right as Young was tapping. Alexander fought off Deaner and put Doering through a table with an Angle Slam from the ring to the floor.
Alexander brought out a Canadian flag from underneath the ring to combat Deaner with his Violent by Design flag. With his back turned, Young hit Alexander with a guitar shot for a near-fall.
Young exposed the ring to reveal the wood, which was part of the contract signing angle on Thursday, and hit a piledriver and Alexander kicked out. Young went for a piledriver off the turnbuckle, but it was countered and applied an ankle lock, then a Joe-style Uranage onto the wood, and finally, after multiple tries, hit the C4 Spike and pinned Young.
WINNER: Josh Alexander in 18:44 to retain the IMPACT Championship
They proclaimed Alexander as the “future of IMPACT Wrestling” and that wrapped up the show.
This was a very enjoyable show if you’re a long-time follower of the product and didn’t have the historical figures overshadow the modern talent, who were still front-and-center on the show.
In terms of producing a show for the intended purpose of celebrating a company’s history, they did a fantastic job.
