Slammiversary (2020 Review)
Impact Wrestling held its 16th edition to the Slammiversary series on July 18th, 2020 at the Skyway Studios in Nashville, Tennesse. Slammiversary is one of Impact’s biggest shows and it promised to be a great show with lots of surprises.
Match #1 The Rascalz Open Challenge
The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) defeating The Rascalz (Desmond Xavier and Zachary Wentz) 14:17
The Rascalz issued an open challenge to any tag team and it didn’t take very long for an Impact surprise to happen. Answering the challenge was one of the best Impact tag teams in their history, The Motor City Machine Guns. This was a very fun paced exciting opening match. Lots of great back and forth action with The Motor City Machine Guns getting the victory over the Rascalz. Adding a veteran, exciting tag team like The Motor City Machine Guns to an underrated Impact tag team division is great. I would love to see a rematch between the two teams in the future. I’m giving this match a 7/10.
Match #2 The TNA Heavyweight Championship (Old School Rules)
Moose (C) defeats Tommy Dreamer 11:18
Tommy Dreamer supporting a Moose sucks eggs t-shirt. This match was your typical hardcore match was weapons used. Moose just simply outclassed Dreamer as Moose is on a mission to prove he is the best in Impact. One good spot was when Tommy Dreamer brings out thumbtacks and laying them out in the ring. Moose ended up slamming Dreamer face in the thumbtacks and hitting his finisher move (The Spear) afterward to get the victory. The match was pretty solid and it does add to what Moose is doing with the TNA Heavyweight Championship. Defending it and beating TNA legends trying to make the TNA Heavyweight Championship the #1 title in Impact. I’m giving this match a 6/10
Match #3 The #1 Contender Knockout Gauntlet match
Kalie Rae defeats Tasha Steelz, Taya Valkyrie, Kimber Lee, Kiera Hogan, Susie, Katie Forbes, Madison Rayne, Havoc, Alisha, Nevaeh, Rosemary to become the #1 contender for the Knockouts title. 19:20
The rules two women start, after two minutes a woman will come out until every entrant is out. They will battle in the ring with the only way of elimination was through the wrestler over the top rope until there are two left. Then it becomes a regular match.
The order of entrants
- Tasha Steelz
- Kylie Rae
- Johnny Bravo as Taya Valkyrie
- Kimber Lee
- Kiera Hogan
- Susie
- Katie Forbes
- Madison Rayne
- Havoc
- Alisha Edwards
- Taya Valkyrie
- Nevaeh
- Rosemary
- Johnny Bravo as Rosemary
The order of elimination
- Johnny Bravo as Taya Valkyrie – eliminated by Tasha Steelz and Kylie Rae
- Tasha Steelz – eliminated by Kylie Rae
- Katie Forbes – unknown
- Susie – eliminated by Taya Valkyrie & Rosemary
- Havoc – eliminated by Johnny Bravo as Rosemary
- Johnny Bravo as Rosemary – eliminated by Kylie Rae
- Madison Rayne – eliminated by Kylie Rae
- Alisha Edwards – eliminated by Nevaeh
- Nevaeh – eliminated by Alisha Edwards
- Kiera Hogan – eliminated by Rosemary
- Kimber Lee – eliminated by Kylie Rae
- Rosemary – eliminated by Taya Valkyrie
- Taya Valkyrie pinned by Kylie Rae
I thought this match would be better but I was disappointed. The Knockout division is one of the most exciting things about Impact but this match was all over the place and there wasn’t really anything special of note to come from this match. Kylie Rae was the star of the match eliminating 6 people. I didn’t like Johnny Bravo coming out twice in the Gauntlet first as Taya Valkyrie and then as Rosemary. He wasn’t really needed in a match where there is a ton of talent in the match. The ending came with Kylie Rae and Taya Valkyrie being the final two with Rae getting the pinfall on Valkyrie. I’m giving this match a 3/10
After the match. Heath Slater comes out, says he wants to be the last person in the Impact Heavyweight title match because it’s vacant. Slater also says that he warned everyone to watch the hell out because, on July 18th, he was coming. He is a whole new, different person and he is here to make an impact. Rohit Raju comes out and exchanged words with Slater. Raju then attacks Slater but Slater gets the upper hand. Heath Slater is a nice addition to Impact. We will soon find out what Heath is really made of now and he will get his chance to shine.
Match #4 The X-Divison Championship
Chris Bey defeats Willie Mack (C) 10:01
Chris Bey who has been on roll lately continues that tonight defeating Willie Mack in a pretty good match. In the early part of the match, Chris Bey took a nasty neck breaker from Willie Mack on the outside of the ring. Willie Mack was getting the best of Chris Bey for most of the match but as resilient Chris Bey is he used his smarts to get the upper hand on Mack. Chris Bey wins by hitting a jumping cutter on Mack. Bey and Mack showed the world how good they really are and how they both are big players in Impact. Bey who is one of the better young performers in Impact will be a great X-Division champion. Two talented performers 6.5/10
Match #5 Impact Tag Team Championship
The North (Josh Alexander and Ethan Page) defeats Sami Callihan and Ken Shamrock 15:56
The North who has been one of the best tag teams in wrestling continues their dominant run as they beat the unlikely team of Callihan and Shamrock. This was a great tag match that had a lot of action. Shamrock & Callihan working well together early on against The North before eventually the rival partners started to show some cracks. The Unlikely duo however looking like things are patched up for a moment later on in the match almost won the Impact Tag titles a couple of times using tag team moves. But at the end Shamrock tries to do a plancha missed and The North capitalized to get the victory. Good tag team match between the top tag team and a makeshift rival team. Good spots and a good ending. I’m giving this 7/10.
After the match, The North were telling the world how they are the most dominant tag team in Impact history and how they have beaten any team that came their way. Motor City Machine Guns then make their appearance to everyone’s surprise. The Machine Guns announced to The North that they will have to defend the Impact Tag titles on this coming Tuesday against them. This is going to be a spectacular match.
Match #6 The Impact Knockouts Championship
Deonna Purrazzo defeats Jordynne Grace (C) 15:12
Grace and Purrazzo had themselves a battle. Grace wanting to prove she is the most dominant female wrestler in Impact. Purrazzo trying to show the world why she was quickly deserving of the #1 contender spot. You had Grace using her power and Purrazzo showing her technical skills. Grace getting the upper hand at first before Purrazzo takes control of the match using her skill and technique working on Grace’s arm to set up her devastating submission hold. At the end, Purrazzo makes Grace tapout to her brutal armbar to become Knockout’s champion. Outstanding performance by Grace and Purrazzo. Jordynne Grace isn’t going anywhere and she will be back in the Knockout Championship picture soon. Deonna Purrazzo was the story of the match. She is a star in the making. Purrazzo is someone you can definitely build the Knockout division around. This was the match of the night for me. I’m giving this an 8/10.
The Main Event #7 For the Vacant Impact Heavyweight Championship
Eddie Edwards defeating Ace Austin, Trey Miguel, Rich Swann and Eric Young 24:25
This main event had a lot of changes of which Ace Austin, Trey Miguel, and Eddie Edwards were already in the title match. Joining them supposed to be Michael Elgin and Impact champion, Tessa Blanchard. With both Elgin and Blanchard recently released. The title became vacant. The match became Austin vs Miguel vs Edwards vs a Mystery Opponent. The great thing was that we got two mystery opponents. First was the returning from his injury Rich Swann and after that the returning former Impact Champion Eric Young. This was a great fast-paced main event with a lot of action. Trey Miguel was eliminated first by Eric Young. Eric Young was then eliminated by Rich Swann.
After being eliminated by Rich Swann, Eric Young snapped took out Rich Swann which left him very vulnerable. Rich Swann fought hard but was quickly eliminated by Ace Austin. So the final two were Eddie Edwards and Ace Austin. Edwards and Austin went back and forth with both kicking out of the opponents finishing move. Eddie Edwards at the end got the upper hand on Ace Austin and got the pinfall to become The New Impact Heavyweight Champion. This was a great match between five incredible talents. Great main event match. I’m giving this 7.5/10
After the match Madman Fulton comes out and attacks newly crown Impact champion Eddie Edwards as Ace Austin came along to join the attack on Edwards. As Fulton and Austin were beating down Edwards, The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson) make their much-anticipated debut and made their way into the ring. Looking as if The Good Brothers were going to join Fulton and Austin on the attack on Edwards. The Good Brothers instead attack Fulton and Austin sending them out of the ring. The Good Brothers standing tall with Impact Champ Eddie Edwards celebrate with a cold beer and Edwards winning the vacant Impact championship.
As the show was going off the air, EC3 is shown with his logo in the background. EC3 then throws a glass cup into the wall as Slammiversary goes off the air.
My Final Opinion on the show is that Slammiversary was pretty good. I enjoyed the matches. Every title match was good. New stars were born tonight as Chris Bey and Deonna Purrazzo wins their first titles in Impact. Impact had vets return like The Motor City Machines Guns, Eric Young, and EC3. New wrestlers debut such as The Good Brothers and Heath Slater. I felt Impact once delivered a good show and on Tuesday Impact will be giving us a great Impact Tag Team Title match between The North vs The Motor City Machine Guns. Overall, I’m giving this show a 7/10.
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