Slammiversary absolutely delivered

Rarely does an IMPACT pay-per-view live up to its hype and over-deliver on its promises, but that’s exactly what happened at this weekend at Slammiversary. The company teased three surprises going in to the show and we got that and then some. The return of Ultimate X wowed the crowd with many spectacular moments that made the viewers jump out of their seats. Kenny Omega and Sami Callihan excelled in a classic, bloody brawl that will hopefully increase Callihan’s stock.  Plus, this show marked the end of the empty arena era, and the crowd was on fire the whole night.

Jay White debuts

NJPW’s Jay White made his debut after the main event between Callihan and Omega was over. He came to the ring and had a stare down with Omega and the Good Brothers as the feed to the show cut. White is the current IWGP Never Openweight champion. He is in IMPACT as part of a promotional deal for the upcoming NJoA: Resurgence show. Should Jay White stick around for awhile, I certainly hope we get the Omega rematch, despite Omega stating otherwise.

.@JayWhiteNZ HAS ARRIVED AT #Slammiversary!

Order HERE: https://t.co/B4rKbNpqAD pic.twitter.com/B1A6FaUhz6

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) July 18, 2021

HITS

Ultimate X: Josh Alexander, Trey Miguel, Chris Bey, Ace Austin, Petey Williams, and Rohit Raju came to Slammiversary to steal the show and have a memorable match, and they did just that. There were so many spectacular spots that it would be difficult to mention all of them here. Two moments worth mentioning, though: Petey’s Canadian Destroyer off Alexanders shoulders to Chris Bey and Ace Austin’s cutter to Bey off the cables. Those made me jump out of my seat. Alexander won and eventually he has to get in the ring with Omega.

CANADIAN DESTROYER OFF OF ULTIMATE X! #Slammiversary @iPeteyWilliams

Order HERE: https://t.co/B4rKbNpqAD pic.twitter.com/SDXvQMRZEa

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) July 18, 2021

Kenny Omega vs. Sami Callihan: A bloody brawl that will go down as an instant classic for the company. If you are squeamish or are not a fan of hardcore matches, this may not have been for you. Callihan sliced up Omega’s forehead with a pizza cutter right away. Both men were a bloody mess and during all the chaos, they turned in an ultra-dramatic contest with many near falls and a great finish.

Deonna Purazzo vs. Thunder Rosa: This was a really good wrestling match that honestly should have been advertised ahead of time. I understand that part of the hook of Slammiversary is the unexpected, but advertising Rosa could have increased the shows pay-per-view buys.  Purazzo won clean with the Queen’s Gambit and now the forbidden door has been extended to the NWA.

Matt Cardona and Chelsea Green vs. Brian Myers and Tenille Dashwood: While Green was not much of a surprise, it was really fun to see her back, cast and all. The match was fun and the crowd was hot for this.

Moose vs. Chris Sabin: The match was very good. Lots of drama ad big moves. Moose is an absolute star. Unfortunately, it was spoiled by the finish.

Other surprises: Besides Thunder Rosa, No Way Jose, and Chelsea Green, we got FinJuice, Mickie James and the biggest of all, Jay White. Under-promise and over-deliver.

MISSES

Moose losing: Chris Sabin and Moose had an excellent match, but the finish made me scratch my head. Sabin might get a match with Omega now, and it will be great, but beating Moose again is a mistake in my book. He is the star that can lead this company into the future but here he is dropping his third big match of the year.

Four-way Tag Team Title match: This started off really slow but picked up a little in the last few minutes, but it wasn’t enough to get off the “MISS” section. No Way Jose as the surprise was lame, and the finish with the Good Brothers winning came off flat.

Quick hits:

• I reported a couple weeks ago that Bound For Glory was heavily rumored to be headeding to Las Vegas, and the company confirmed the news during Slammiversary. The show will take place on October 23. The teaser advertised stars from AEW, New Japan, and AAA. Now that the forbidden door is open to NWA, it’s possible they will have a presence too.
• I’ve gotten some more intel on Buddy Murphy and it seems like IMPACT is very likely his next landing spot. AEW does not appear to be interested. He is available starting August 31.
• The next IMPACT Plus special is called “Homecoming” and will air on July 31. They taped matches for the show last night.

Slammiversary recap show

Jason Hagholm and myself recapped Slammiversary free for the Fight Game Media YouTube channel.

Listen to the latest episode of the Brace for Impact Podcast on the Fight Game Media Network. It’s available in the first tier for  $2.99 a month.