As Impact Wrestling celebrates the 20th anniversary of its first show, I think back to my own memories.

Mourning the loss of WCW and ECW I was excited at the idea of something that felt familiar and new. Built on the foundation of the NWA complete with stars that I missed seeing on weekly television. Needless to say, I was intrigued. I remember those Wednesday night shows and going over to my friend’s house to watch them. As a broke college student, I’d shell out a few dollars to help cover the $9.99 cost. 

Not long into Impact’s (or should I say NWA-TNA) run, I decided to rent a car with a friend during spring break. We drove from South Florida to Nashville for a taping. The company couldn’t have been more accommodating, even taking us on a tour of the Nashville Fairgrounds. We were even treated to a visit to the White Trash Cafe where the crew would eat before the show.

That night Chris Harris was within an eyelash of becoming the NWA champion over Jeff Jarrett. Seeing Sting again was another highlight. Earlier in the day, I’d banked interviews with not only Jarrett but America’s Most Wanted, Konnan, Johnny Fairplay, and Vince Russo. 

A little less than a year later I was happy to make the drive in 2004 for the promotion’s first three-hour pay-per-view Victory Road. The energy in the Impact Zone was palpable right from that top-quality produced opening video package. The last time I’d get to see Macho Man Randy Savage live. I’ll never forget those trips to Universal Studios Orlando. Even the time the soundstage had to be evacuated in the middle of a pay-per-view due to fire. Eric Young, Traci Brooks, and other talent did an amazing job keeping the fans entertained before the crew let us back in for the rest of the show. 

One of the things Impact did well over the years is create some unique fan experiences. In 2010, for Slammiversary I remember a particularly fun night at the NASCAR Sports Grille. Stars interacted with attendees in an intimate and festive setting. I mean where else could you share a shot with members of the Beautiful People or play a game with Abyss? A few years ago I also recall covering a mini-golf tournament between Impact wrestlers and fans. I kind of wish I also attended the bowling tournament.

Then there was 2014’s Lockdown when Impact hosted its first Miami pay-per-view. That fan weekend was a big highlight for me as I got some time with the legendary Great Muta. Ahead of the show, I also spotlighted hometown boy MVP for a local publication. 

Early on in dating my now wife, I recall taking her to Impact’s first live event (house show) in Miami. She was ecstatic to see “her champion” Taylor Wilde. She was invested in the Knockouts at the time no doubt. We actually spent one of our anniversaries in Daytona Beach during Bound for Glory weekend. When we got two dogs, the names bestowed upon them were Shelley and Sabin after the Motor City Machine Guns. My first big feature for Pro Wrestling Illustrated was actually on Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin’s return to Impact. 

Even recently I reached out to Ross Forman, head of PR  about having some stars come out in support of a “Day of Giving” event at my local YMCA of Central Florida. Since they were in town for TV tapings, he made it so Deonna Purrazzo and Moose stopped by to help support the cause and raise a few dollars. For that, I’m extremely grateful. 

You see, in many ways, this company has run parallel with my own life moments. I feel I’ve essentially grown up beside them. And for that reason, the company will always hold a special place for me. So I say thank you to Impact Wrestling for the last 20 years. Here’s to looking forward to its next chapter. 

Order Impact Slammiversary 2022 now from FITE ($39.99)

Impact Wrestling is bringing back one of his infamous match types at this Sunday’s Slammiversary event.

On Twitter, the company announced that the Reverse Battle Royal will be back and part of the Countdown to Slammiversary streaming event this Sunday at 7:30 pm ET.

The match will stream on Impact Plus and YouTube, and will also feature a Digital Media Championship match between Rich Swann and Brian Myers.

The Reverse Battle Royal

While a traditional Battle Royal sees wrestlers toss one another out of the ring to eliminate their opponents, the Reverse Battle Royal isn’t quite so simple.

Instead, the match starts with all competitors outside of the ring, fighting to enter the ring to qualify for the second half of the match.

Once half the participants are in the ring, the second part of the match starts, which plays out like a standard Battle Royal until there’s one person left in the ring.

The match debuted in Impact when Abyss outlasted everyone, in a match poorly received by fans and critics.

In the 2006 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards, that year’s Reverse Battle Royal earned the dubious honor of ‘Worst Match of the Year.’

A year later, Eric Young won the match as seen below.

Slammiversary 2022

The return of the Reverse Battle Royal is just one part of a stacked card for this Sunday’s Pay Per View.

In the main event, Impact World Champion Josh Alexander will defend against two-time former champion Eric Young.

In his first match for Impact since suffering a broken ankle in September 2021, Sami Callihan will face Moose in a Monsters Ball match.

Knockouts World Champion Tasha Steelz will put her title on the line against Chelsea Green, Mia Yim, Jordynne Grace, and Deonna Purrazzo in the first Queen of the Mountain match.

• Impact Wrestling Slammiversary 2022 Match-Card

Chelsea Green’s doctor has put her back in a cast.

July 17, Green made her return to Impact Wrestling at their annual pay-per-view event Slammiversary, teaming up with her fiancé Matt Cardona in a winning effort against Brian Myers and Tenille Dashwood. During the match, Green landed a one-arm Canadian Destroyer on Myers.

Friday, Green posted x-ray photos on Twitter before visiting her surgeon for a follow-up on her injured arm, stating she had plans to show her doctor a video of the Destroyer.

Later Friday, Green updated her followers on Twitter by revealing her doctor had watched the video and put her arm back in a cast.

Green had appeared at Slammiversary with a cast on her arm; commentary claiming she had been cleared medically to compete. On her podcast “Green with Envy with Chelsea Green”, Green confirmed she had wrestled with a broken arm, noting Tennessee doesn’t have a health commission. A health commission can prevent a wrestler from competing when injured.

“So, obviously I’ve been talking about the familiarity—look at that fancy f*cking word. Ah, the familiarity of IMPACT. But one thing that wasn’t familiar, clearly, was wrestling with a broken arm,” started Green. “Slammiversary was in Tennessee, so they don’t have a health commission, so a health commission cannot ban me from wrestling with a broken arm. See what I mean? So I f*cking did it. YOLO, right?”

Green continued by stating that though her arm didn’t feel the best, it was worth it to wrestle, in her opinion.

“Last week, obviously I was upset that I couldn’t wrestle for Ring of Honor in the Women’s Championship tournament, but I understood why,” shared Green. “The Maryland Commission was not having any of it. But in Nashville, however, it is balls to the wall. Woo! We were good to go, so I took the opportunity and I ran with it, cast and all. I will say it doesn’t feel great, okay. Doesn’t feel 10 out of 10, but it was 10 out of 10 worth it, 100 percent worth it. A little pain, a lot of pleasure; that sounds dirty.”

The Canadian native first suffered a broken wrist during her first TV match on the March 13, 2019 NXT TV tapings, undergoing surgery the next day. Green re-injured her wrist on her SmackDown debut in November 2020, placing her on the sidelines again. After months on inactivity, WWE released Green in April, despite having signed a three-year contract.

On the same episode of “Green with Envy with Chelsea Green”, Green shared how the injury affected her mentally while preparing for Slammiversary.

“I just had this weird mental blockage,” shared Green. “I didn’t realize how much this injury would affect me mentally this time around. I think the first and second time that I broke my arm, I truly believed in my head that it was a freak accident. So, when it happened for the third time, because this is the third time I’ve broken my arm, if you don’t know, I really was in my head about it.”

Green worked recent Impact Wrestling tapings, and appeared on Thursday’s episode of Impact Wrestling in a six-man tag team match with Jake Something and Cardona. She’ll also be featured in a tournament for the upcoming Impact Homecoming special, which was also taped during the same time.

Quotes used from “Green with Envy with Chelsea Green” were h/t POST Wrestling.

AEW champion Kenny Omega had a confrontation with the NJPW’s Never Openweight Champion Jay White during tonight’s Slammiversary PPV event.

The Cleaner defended his title against Sami Callihan in a NO DQ main event during tonight’s PPV. Omega managed to pick up the victory in the bout after delivering a one winged angel to Callihan over thumbtacks.

The world champion was celebrating with his partners in Impact tag champs The Good Brothers and Don Callis when the lights went out. The Bullet Club leader Jay White then made his entrance.

As White got in the ring, the other wrestlers offered up the ‘Too Sweet’ hand gesture. The NJPW champion was still considering his next move when the cameras stopped rolling and the show came to a close.

People in attendance noted that after the cameras went out, the team of David Finlay and Juice Robinson collectively known as FinJuice came out and tried to attack Jay White.

However, the Bullet Club member managed to hit his finisher on Robinson before heading back. FinJuice had made their surprise return to Impact Wrestling earlier in the night.

There is no word yet on whether White will feud with Omega or join forces with him. We will have to wait and see what the officials have planned for the two.

• Kenny Omega & Jim Cornette Take Shots At One Another On Twitter

SEScoops correspondent Ella Jay recently spoke with Impact Wrestling star Willie Mack to promote this weekend’s Slammiversary PPV. Mack and Rich Swann are competing in the Tag Title Fatal 4-Way match at the event.

You can order Impact Wrestling Slammiversary at FITE.TV now for $39.99.

Willie Mack SEScoops Interview

Topics discussed during this 17+ minute discussion include:

• His strategy for the to win the tag titles at Slammiversary: “Just look around and start swinging! Whatever hits, hits.”

• His partnership with Rich Swann, how they linked up and how their styles mesh

• How they plan to celebrate if they win the Impact tag titles this weekend

• The wildest match he’s ever participated in

• His pick to win the Ultimate X match at Slammiversary (“As long as I’m not in it, I’m happy.”)

• Summer movie picks & more

Check out Ella Jay’s full interview with Willie Mack:

Impact Wrestling continues to build up the idea that anyone could show up at Slammiversary. This week on Impact Wrestling, Gail Kim informed Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo that she will not know who her opponent on the PPV will be ahead of time. She’ll be defending her title against a mystery opponent.

This has led many people to speculate as to who could be brought in to face the champion on the PPV. There is no shortage of possible options.

Former Knockouts Champion, Chelsea Green, is heavily rumored to return to her former promotion. Green returning to Impact was addressed recently in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

“Chelsea Green has been heavily talked of as coming back here of late and even hinted herself about the idea of bringing back Laurel Van Ness, which was her Impact name,” wrote Dave Meltzer.

Slammiversary Card

7 matches have now been confirmed for the PPV.

1. Impact World Championship
   Kenny Omega (c) vs Sami Callihan
2. Knockouts Championship
   Deonna Purrazzo (c) vs A Mystery Opponent
3. Impact Tag Team Championships
   Violent By Design (c) vs The Good Brothers vs Willie Mack & Rich Swann vs TJP & Fallah Bah
4. Knockouts Tag Team Championships
   Fire N Flava (c) vs Rosemary & Havok
5. X-Division Championship
   Ultimate-X
   Josh Alexander (c) vs Rohit Raju vs Chris Bey vs Trey Miguel vs Ace Austin vs Petey Williams
6. Moose vs Chris Sabin
7. Eddie Edwards vs W. Morrissey

Impact Wrestling has officially confirmed the main event for their upcoming Slammiversary PPV, announcing that Sami Callihan will challenge Kenny Omega for the title at the show.

Last week’s episode of their weekly show saw Scott D’Amore announcing that the winner of the match between Omega and Moose at the Against All Odds event will face Callihan at their next PPV.

However, Callihan didn’t wait until Slammiversary. He showed up at Daily’s Place this past Saturday after the world title match to confront his future opponent.

Unhappy with his move and concerned about Omega and The Young Bucks, Impact EVP Don Callis had rushed to the ring before Callihan could do anything and he fired the Impact Wrestling star from the company.

This week’s episode of Impact then saw Tommy Dreamer who was representing Anthem Sports & Entertainment; reinstate the former world champion’s job.

Dreamer also informed Callis that his job as the Executive Vice President of the company was being terminated. Don Callis has already finished his stint as an Impact executive and he has only been working as an on-screen personality for the company.

Updated Slammiversary Match Card

After the latest announcements, here is the updated match card for Impact Wrestling’s Slammiversary PPV, taking place on Saturday, July 17:

• Impact World Championship Match: Kenny Omega vs. Sami Callihan
• X Division Championship Ultimate X Match: Josh Alexander vs. Trey Miguel vs. Ace Austin vs. Chris Bey vs. Rohit Raju vs. Petey Williams
• Singles Match: Moose vs. Chris Sabin

Slammiversary is the biggest show in the IMPACT Wrestling calendar. Schedule for July 17^th, it has recently been announced that there will be a limited number of fans allowed in attendance.

This will be the first IMPACT Wrestling show in over 16-months to have an audience. The Slammiversary card was already shaping up to be a big one, but this announcement means it is that much more special.

Due to the limited number of tickets, IMPACT has said that every Slammiversary seat will be ringside. They also come with a whole host of extras and goodies.

IMPACT Executive Vice-President Scott D’Amore broke the news “We have waited over a year to say these three words: Welcome Back, Fans. We know Slammiversary will be an amazing event, with title defenses, jaw-dropping excitement, breath-taking moves … AND NOW, FANS.”

“I speak for everyone at IMPACT Wrestling when I say that we are thrilled to welcome back our fans. IMPACT is going to deliver an amazing night of action in front of the thunderous roar of fans for the first time since early-March 2020 at the two-night A-Town Beatdown in Atlanta.”

Slammiversary tickets go on sale today, June 4^th at 10 am.  There have been no matches announced for the event just yet. However, there has been lots of speculation about the names people could expect to see appear. Especially after the video package released by Impact in May, teasing several recently released WWE superstars.

Slammiversary is the biggest event on the IMPACT Wrestling calendar. Scheduled to take place on July 17^th, it is an event that has a lot of people talking following a recent promo video.

The video, which gives nothing away in terms of scheduled matches, was full of excitement generating teases for potentially huge names.

As seen below, the teaser is full of hidden cryptic references to various former WWE Superstars who would be free agents by 7/17.

Some of the hints include the Iconics and the Forgotten Sons. Both teams were recently released by WWE. The July date of Slammiversary would coincide nicely with the end of the obligatory 90-day release clause.

The video also teases the return of two previously successful IMPACT stars in Samoa Joe and NJPW’s Tetsuya Naito. With the recent exchange of talent including now ex-tag team champions FinJuice and the legendary Satoshi Kojima, this feels like a very likely possibility.

However, the name that has set the IMPACT fan base abuzz is that of Daniel Bryan. The man behind the yes movement let his WWE contract run out last month. No work has been given on where Bryan will head, or if it is all a work by WWE creative. However, eagle-eyed fans spotted the YES! sign in the Slammiversary video package.

Daniel Bryan is a huge name and would be an incredible draw for the Slammiversary event. Especially as IMPACT look to continue their brand after being a huge part of the Forbidden Door movement.

Even if just one or two of the teased names actually make an appearance, Impact could make some significant additions to their roster.

Impact Wrestling has announced that this year’s Slammiversary will take place Saturday, July 17th from Skyway Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. The event will air live on pay-per-view.

This will be the 17th installment of Impact’s annual anniversary event. The event trailer, seen below, features flashes of former Impact stars such as Samoa Joe, Mickie James, Chelsea Green, Kazuchika Okada, Tetsuya Naito, and The Great Muta.

The show’s tagline reads, “Our world changes again.”

Impact will begin promoting Slammiversary next week, after this weekend’s Under Siege special event on Impact Plus.

Here is the lineup for Impact Under Siege:

• Kenny Omega & The Good Brothers vs. Eddie Edwards & FinJuice
• #1 Contender’s Match: Chris Bey vs. Matt Cardona vs. Chris Sabin vs. Sami Callihan vs. Moose vs. Trey Miguel. The winner of this match earns the right to challenge Kenny Omega for the Impact World Championship.
• Knockouts Tag Team Champions Jordynne Grace & Rachael Ellering vs. Fire N’ Flava.
• W. Morrisey vs. Willie Mack
• Brian Myers vs. Black Taurus

Impact Wrestling presented Slammiversary this weekend. The show was promoted on the idea that several of the wrestlers recently released by WWE could appear. The Good Brothers, EC3, Eric Young, Heath (Slater), and the Motor City Machine Guns would all either debut or return to the promotion.

According to a report from PW Insider, early indicators are the show did well on PPV. FITE doesn’t publish streaming numbers and traditional PPV numbers won’t be available for awhile, however. Reports are that the Slammiversary buy rate was the best the company has done in “a long time.”

Slammiversary Social Media Numbers Break Records

Impact sent out a press release to note how well their social media numbers did during the show as well.

“IMPACT Wrestling captured the world’s attention on Saturday night,” said IMPACT Wrestling Executive Vice President Scott D’Amore. “Slammiversary 2020 was the result of two-and-a-half years of hard work by our incredible team and talented roster, along with new additions who have decided to bet on IMPACT.”

In terms of Twitter impressions, Impact nearly doubled their previous record. The top post for the company was the one in which it was revealed the Good Brothers had officially signed. Instagram impressions increased by 172% from their previous record.

“During the month leading up to Slammiversary 2020, IMPACT’s YouTube Channel saw its total views rise by 26.5 percent and total watch time grow by 32 percent,” a press release reads. “The channel, which already ranks as the No. 2 most-subscribed wrestling account on the platform, added over 100 thousand new subscribers, marking a 20% rise in monthly subscriber rate.”

Fans can check out Impact Wrestling every Tuesday night on AXS TV as well as Twitch.TV. Impact has its own streaming service, Impact Plus, featuring events from the promotion’s history dating back to 2004.

• Impact Results (7/21): A New Era Begins

IMPACT Wrestling Champion Eddie Edwards recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. Edwards won the Championship at this past weekend’s Slammiversary event; winning a Five Way Elimination Match against Ace Austin, Trey, Rich Swann and a returning Eric Young.

During the Busted Open broadcast, Eddie Edwards was asked how he felt about the company ‘resetting’ with the Slammiversary event. Former IMPACT star Bully Ray in particular alluded to the fact that the company had been through a number of backstage changes over the years; however this time the ‘reset’ feels like it could just work for the AXS brand.

Eddie Edwards on Slammiversary

“I have no doubt [it is a reset] you know?” Eddie Edwards began on the show. “Like you (Bully) said? The things I know, just going up and down the card? And then the info that I know, and just the attitude of the boys and girls in the back?”

“I know everybody right now is…everybody’s on the same page, you know?” Eddie Edwards continued. “Well, it’s a mindset of work. We’re ready to reset, we were ready to kill at Slammiversary, regardless of what situation as well as we were going in there.”

Slammiversary of course took place with the COVID-19 pandemic causing live gates to either be extremely low or non-existent. The show was generally well received, with talents such as EC3, Eric Young, Gallows & Anderson and the Motor City Machine Guns either appearing or (in the case of EC3) being teased.

It looks as though this could really end up being a ‘reset’ for the AXS program that takes IMPACT to the next level.

Also Check Out:

• EC3, Anderson & Gallows, Heath & EY Appear At Slammiversary
• Motor City Machine Guns Return At Slammiversary
• Kylie Rae Talks Signing With Impact After Leaving AEW
• Gallows & Anderson Officially Sign With Impact, Will Be At Slammiversary
• Bully Ray Talks Backstage Meeting Following Infamous Jeff Hardy TNA Incident

The Motor City Machine Guns made their Impact Wrestling return at Slammiversary.

The Rascalz, Wentz and Dez, issued an Open Challenge during Saturday’s Slammiversary pay-per-view event. This is when the music of Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin hit. The Guns won the match after Sabin pinned Dez.

Sabin had previously been teasing an appearance at Slammiversary while Shelley had recently tweeted, “The past year of my career has been one of my absolute favorite, and it’s been because of my autonomy, my freedom, and the respect I get and give to and from my peers and fans.”

Sabin and Shelly began teaming together back in 2006 where they found success in every promotion they worked for by winning titles. 

The Motor City Machine Guns broke up in 2018 months after Shelley suffered an injury and Sabin went off to retire from the pro wrestling business.

Their tenure in Impact goes back to when the promotion was named TNA from 2007 until 2012. Sabin returned to the promotion to work as a producer for last year.

On the flip side, Shelley last wrestled this past February for ROH. This came after he had worked a tag team match where he teamed Kushida in a losing effort to the Grizzled Young Veterans as part of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic in January under the WWE NXT banner. 

Joey Ryan Releases Video Refuting Allegations Made Against Him

Impact Wrestling is back with another show, so let’s take a look at the card for the Slammiversary pay-per-view event. 

Slammiversary takes place on Saturday, July 18, 2020 from Skyway Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. Eddie Edwards vs. Trey vs. Ace Austin vs. mystery opponent to crown a new Impact World Heavyweight Champion is expected to serve as the headliner. 

The show kicks off at 8:00 p.m. ET and will be distributed on cable, satellite and digital pay-per-view, including DISH, DirecTV, iN Demand, Vubiquity, Rogers, Bell, Shaw and Sasktel across North America, and streaming live globally exclusively on the FITE.tv app

This will be the second PPV event of the year for Impact. The card that features several big matches appears to be finalized. Impact has teased that a former World Heavyweight Champion would be among the surprises in store for this show. 

Slammiversary Final Card

It’s possible the promotion announces more matches but here’s how the card looks like for now: 

• Eddie Edwards vs. Ace Austin vs. Trey Miguel vs. TBA – Fatal 4-Way Match to Crown New World Champion
• Impact Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace vs. Deonna Purrazzo
• Impact X-Division Champion Willie Mack vs. Chris Bey – Johnny Swinger banned from ringside
• Impact Tag Team Champion The North vs. Sami Callihan & Ken Shamrock 
• TNA World Champion Moose vs. Tommy Dreamer – Old School Rules Match
• Rosemary, Nevaeh, Susie, Kiera Hogan, Taya Valkyrie, Tasha Steelz, Alisha Edwards, Kylie Rae, Kimber Lee, Jessicka Havok Madison Rayne – No. 1 Contender Knockouts Gauntlet Match
• The Rascalz to host an open challenge

EC3 Says He’ll Fight On The Same Date As Slammiversary

What are your thoughts on match card? Do you plan on purchasing the event? Sound off in the comment section.

IMPACT Wrestling will be presenting their Slammiversary PPV event on Saturday July 18th. The company have had to make changes to the event due to the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

Moose will be defending his ‘TNA’ Championship at the event; that was hinted at on a recent episode of the weekly AXS show. The self-proclaimed World Champion will be defending his belt against ECW legend Tommy Dreamer at the PPV.

Slammiversary Updates

The TNA Championship is now regarded as the top belt in the promotion. Former IMPACT Champion Tessa Blanchard was recently released by the company. IMPACT confirmed the news via a statement recently to media outlets; announcing that they are stripping Blanchard of the Impact title and ending their relationship with her.

“Impact Wrestling confirmed that it has terminated its relationship with Tessa Blanchard. We have stripped her of the Impact Wrestling World Championship.”

The situation between the two parties became increasingly icy after the female star did not record and send content for the June 1 episode of Impact; this forced the company to make major edits to the script and thus end their business with the second generation star.

Fightful also recently confirmed that Madison Rayne will be taking part in the Knockouts Top Contender Gauntlet match on the show. Additionally, Johnny Swinger will be banned from ringside for the Chris Bey vs Willie Mack match.

Also Check Out:

• Gallows & Anderson To Impact Wrestling: Latest Tease Lacks Subtlety
• IMPACT Are Being Extremely Active in Free Agency Market
• Heath Slater Teases Going To Impact Wrestling
• Impact Adds Gauntlet Match To Slammiversary Lineup
• A Fight Reportedly Took Place At Recent Impact Tapings

Impact Wrestling has an important PPV coming up next month on July 18th. The tagline for Slammiversary this year is “Our World Will Change.” The company is heavily-teasing that several wrestlers recently released from WWE in April could debut for Impact on the PPV. Impact has recently added a gauntlet match to July 18th’s lineup, which could potentially provide an opportunity for new talent to appear.

The gauntlet match will be to determine a new #1 contender for Jordynne Grace’s Knockouts Championship. Grace will defend the title against Deonna Purrazzo at Slammiversary as well.

Rosemary, Neveah, Su Yung (aka Susie), Kiera Hogan, Taya Valkyrie, Tasha Steelz, Alisha Edwards, Kylie Rae, Kimber Lee, and Havok are all scheduled for the match.

Additionally, an X-Division Championship match featuring Willie Mack defending against Chris Bey will be on the show. Another match was also to see Tessa Blanchard defending against Michael Elgin, Trey Miguel, Ace Austin, and Eddie Edwards. Blanchard and Elgin are both now gone from the promotion, however.

• Impact Results (6/23): Return Of Aces & Eights Teased

The company is also said to be making a hard push to get Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. Impact offered the team a deal that would allow them to also work for NJPW.

• Impact Said To Be Pushing Hard For Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows

Impact Wrestling is teasing surprise appearances from former WWE talent at the upcoming Slammiversary pay-per-view.

Slammiversary is one of Impact’s signature events. This year’s installment takes place Sunday, July 18th.

A promo aired during this week’s Impact TV letting fans know to expect some familiar faces in attendance.

The promo, embedded below, shows a shadowy figure watching a news report about WWE’s mass wave of releases that occurred in April. Footage is shown of EC3, Rockstar Spud, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson and more.

We already know that former NXT star Deonna Purrazzo is joining Impact. It will be interesting to see which of the stars shown in this promo will be joining her.

• Gallows & Anderson In Talks With Impact Wrestling

Watch Impact Wrestling’s Slammiversary 2020 promo teasing former WWE talent below:

Impact Wrestling had a week off from their weekly TV show this week. Josh Matthews and Don Callis recapped an epic Slammiversary from last weekend and also aired a previously un-broadcasted triple threat between Madison Rayne vs Jordynne Grace vs Kiera Hogan in the Knockouts division.

Callis and Matthews Review Slammiversary

Moose vs RVD

The first match reviewed on Impact last night was Rob Van Dam vs Moose. They aired post-match reactions from both Moose and RVD. Callis and Matthews asked if Moose could possibly be back in the world title picture sooner rather than later.

Killer Kross vs Eddie Edwards

After speaking about Moose vs Rob Van Dam, a highlight package of Killer Kross vs Eddie Edwards in a first blood match was shown.

Monster’s Ball

Jimmy Jacobs was then brought in to talk about the Monster’s Ball match between Taya Valkyrie, Havok, Su Yung, and Rosemary. Jacobs mentioned that Taya will do anything to hold onto the title and she proved that at Monster’s Ball.

Tag Team Championship Match

D-Lo Brown was then brought in to speak about the North vs the Rascalz vs LAX. They spoke about how it was originally supposed to be LAX vs the Rascalz before the North won the titles at Bash at the Brewery. Santana went down with an injury during the match but this was reportedly just a work. The Rascalz said backstage that they need to go back to the clubhouse and figure out what went wrong in the match and they want a shot at the North. The North said they have the ability to never lose the titles.

Don Callis said the North remind him of the Brainbusters, Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson.

Highlights from “A Night You Can’t Mist” was then shown

Tessa Blanchard vs Sami Callihan

Tommy Dreamer stayed to discuss Tessa Blanchard vs Sami Callihan from Slammiversary. Dreamer suggested that the rivalry is not over. Callis suggested that Tessa won by losing and that this is just the tip of the iceberg for her.

Johnny Impact vs Rich Swann

Former X-Division champion Petey Williams came on to discuss Johnny Impact vs Rich Swann from Slammiversary. Williams said that Swann was simply unbeatable at the PPV and that’s why he won. Callis and Williams said that the win over a former world champion means Swann could potentially challenge for the world title somewhere down the line.

Michael Elgin vs Brian Cage

Scott D’Amore joined the panel to discuss the world title match from Slammiversary. They discussed Elgin’s attack on Cage at the Bash at the Brewery event leading up to the event and how the champion came in to the bout injured. In the end, however, it was a traditional wrestling move that beat Elgin.

In a post-match interview, Elgin said it was Cage’s goal to break him but he’s not broken.

Jordynne Grace vs Kiera Hogan vs Madison Rayne

The one match to air last night was a Knockouts triple threat. This match was filmed before Slammiversary in Dallas on Sunday.

Jordynne Grace picked up the win with the Grace Driver on Hogan. She shook hands with Madison Rayne after the match but Rayne then attacked her from behind. Hogan then came back into things and Hogan and Rayne teamed up with Grace to end the segment.

Next Up For Impact Wrestling

Impact Wrestling will be in Mississauga (just outside Toronto) on Sunday for a card taped for television. They will run a Mash-Up tournament featuring odd pairings of teams. Sami Callihan and Tessa Blanchard are scheduled to team on the show.

Next weekend, Impact will be in Windsor for two nights of TV tapings.

Impact Wrestling will present Slammiversary XVII this Sunday from Gilley’s Dallas in Texas.

As noted, a change to the card was made this week on Impact. Ethan Page and Josh Alexander are the new Impact World Tag Team Champions as they defeated Santana and Ortiz (LAX). A triple threat match featuring LAX, The North, and the Rascalz will take place. 

Final Card for Slammiversary XVII

• Impact World Champion Brian Cage vs Michael Elgin
• X-Division Champion Rich Swann vs Johnny Impact
• Moose vs Rob Van Dam
• Monster’s Ball – Knockouts Champion Taya Valkyrie vs Havok vs Su Yung vs Rosemary
• Impact Tag Team Champions The North vs. Santana & Ortiz (LAX) vs Dez & Wentz (the Rascalz)
• Tessa Blanchard vs. Sami Callihan
• First Blood – Killer Kross vs. Eddie Edwards

Impact has released the opening video for the event:

The promotion also sent in the following synopsis for the show:

The 17th anniversary show of the flagship summer event, emanating from Gilley’s in Dallas, Texas. The three-hour extravaganza kicks off at 8:00 p.m. ET and will be distributed on cable, satellite and digital pay-per-view, including DISH, DirecTV, iN Demand, Vubiquity, Rogers, Bell, Shaw and Sasktel across North America, and streaming live globally exclusively on the FITE.tv app.

Impact Wrestling has revealed another match that will be added to their pay-per-view event Slammiversary XVII. On Friday, it was revealed that Killer Kross and Eddie Edwards would face each other in a First Blood match.

The company issued the following: “Eddie Edwards and Killer Kross will cross the line on Sunday, July 7th in Dallas, TX at Slammiversary. Their match will not be an ordinary wrestling match, their match will be a violent affair and there is only one way to win this match… Make your opponent bleed. A First Blood Match is not one you see very often, because the violence is so extreme. Both men have found a dark place inside of themselves and they will have to unleash that fury on Sunday, July 7th in Dallas, TX on Pay Per View.”

The PPV will begin at 8 PM ET and will be available via all major distributors including DISH, DirecTV, iN Demand, Vubiquity, Rogers, Bell, Shaw, Sasktel.. It will be streamed globally live on IMPACT Plus and FITE.tv app.

Slammiversary XVII will be emanating from Gilley’s Dallas in Texas on Sunday, July 7.

Slammiversary XVII Card

Here is the current card of the event:

• Impact World Championship: Brian Cage (c) vs Michael Elgin
• X-Division Championship: Rich Swann (c) vs Johnny Impact
• Moose vs Rob Van Dam
• Monster’s Ball – Knockouts Championship: Taya Valkyrie (c) vs Havok vs Su Yung vs Rosemary
• Impact Tag Team Championships: Santana & Ortiz (LAX) vs Dez & Wentz (the Rascalz)
• Tessa Blanchard vs. Sami Callihan
• Eddie Edwards vs. Killer Kross

One new match was made official last night on Impact Wrestling and another official challenge was made.

Last night’s Knockouts championship match between Su Yung and Taya Valkyrie ended after interference from James Mitchell’s newest monster, Havok, leading to a 4-way match (also involving Rosemary) being booked for Slammivesary.

Earlier in the show, Taya had enlisted Rosemary as her insurance policy against Mitchell’s group and she came out to prevent Yung and Havok from attacking the champion post-match. This led Mitchell to announce Havok vs Su Yung vs Rosemary vs Taya Valkyrie (c) in a Monster’s Ball match at Slammiversary.

• 7 Takeaways From Impact Wrestling 6/21

Also last night on Impact, Sami Callihan issued a challenge to Tessa Blanchard for an inter-gender match on the PPV. Blanchard has yet to respond, however.

Slammiversary – July 7th – Lineup

• Impact World Championship: Brian Cage (c) vs Michael Elgin
• X-Division Championship: Rich Swann (c) vs Johnny Impact
• Moose vs Rob Van Dam
• Monster’s Ball – Knockouts Championship: Taya Valkyrie (c) vs Havok vs Su Yung vs Rosemary
• Impact Tag Team Championships: Santana & Ortiz (LAX) vs Dez & Wentz (the Rascalz)

Assuming Blanchard accepts Callihan’s challenge, their match would make six confirmed bouts for the card. Eddie Edwards and Killer Kross appear to be building to a potential match as well.

Impact Wrestling shared some additional details for their next pay-per-view event, Slammiversary XVII.

On Tuesday, the promotion officially announced that this show would be held on Sunday, July 7, at Gilley’s Dallas, and will air live exclusively on pay-per-view.

Also, it was revealed in a press release that was issued that they will “debut a new, expanded top-tiered ticket and fan experience program at Slammiversary XVII called Titanium which will replace the VIP Program. Titanium tickets will be priced at $200 and will include front-row seats, autographs, special photo opportunities and more.”

Tickets for Titanium Package at Slammiversary XVII go on sale May 17, starting at 10 a.m. ET, and will be available at impactwrestling.com. All other tickets will go on sale on Monday, May 20, starting at 10 a.m. ET at impactwrestling.com

Front-row tickets for the show will be $100; premium floor seating will be $60 and general admission tickets will be on sale for $25.

The three-hour event begins July 7 at 8 p.m. ET and will be available on all major PPV distributors, including DISH, DirecTV, iN Demand, Vubiquity, Rogers, Bell, Shaw, Sasktel. Also, it will be streamed live globally on IMPACT Plus and the FITE.tv app.

World Champion Brian Cage, Rob Van Dam, Johnny Impact, Eddie Edwards, Moose, Sami Callihan, Pentagon Jr., Fenix, Michael Elgin, Rich Swann, the high-flying X-Division, plus the Knockouts, including Taya Valkyrie, Tessa Blanchard, Rosemary, Jordynne Grace, Madison Rayne and Su Yung are all advertised to appear.

– Moose suffered a concussion during Sunday’s Impact World Championship Match at Slammiversary against Austin Aries, IMPACT Wrestling announced Friday.

As a result, Moose will not wrestle at Sunday’s Confrontation LIVE event in Greensboro, North Carolina. He was advertised to face Jaxon Stone at the show, which IMPACT Wrestling is co-promoting with AML Wrestling.

IMPACT adds, “We will provide updates as they become available.”

In the main event, Moose came up short to Aries as the former 205 Live star connected with a second Brain Buster to win the match and retain the Impact World Championship.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQf5F-wHdV8&w=560&h=315]

– IMPACT Wrestling has released Scarlett Bordeaux’s theme song and entrance video on YouTube.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjymedC-8XQ&w=560&h=315]

After weeks of mysterious vignettes, Bordeaux made her IMPACT Wrestling debut last Thursday. Calling herself “The Smoke Show” during an interview with Alicia Atout, she vows to make wrestling “sexy again.”

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZBVjbbb9Vg&w=560&h=315]

“I will not be hot shamed,” Bordeaux added.

• Why is Baron Corbin teasing Finn Balor for being “small”?

Moose unsuccessfully challenged Austin Aries for the Impact World Championship Sunday night at Slammiversary. The Champion had said he was going to force Moose into his 3rd career during the match, football and pro-wrestling having been his first two.

According to recent comments made by Moose, Aries may actually have knocked Moose out of wrestling.

https://twitter.com/TheMooseNation/status/1021489029391503360

“Gave it my All and came up Short,” Moose Tweeted. “Probably time to reconsider if I still want to do this for a living. Time to make some career and Life Decisions. Thank you All”

Moose Injured At Slammiversary

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Moose is suffering from vertigo today. He previously sent out a now-deleted Tweet which simply read “CTE”, leading many to believe he had suffered a concussion in the match.

Most of the build-up towards Moose vs Austin Aries was done through sit-down interviews. Aries would claim Moose is a failed football player whereas Moose would say he gave up football to chase his wrestling dream.

Moose on Austin Aries

“Aries is known for his trash talk and I’m not gonna go there with him,” Moose said in the weeks leading up to the match. “I mean he can believe whatever he believes, I know what’s true and there’s that.”

“He’s been a good champion,” Moose admitted. “I mean guess so, he’s been a decent champion. I have a lot of respect for Aries. He is the Belt Collector, he does carry all the titles from a lot of independent promotions around. I mean, he’s a veteran of the game.”

“I could sit here and list a bunch of things, accomplishments Aries has had. Or you could Wikipedia it. I know what my game plan is for Sunday and what I need to do to fulfill my game plan to come home with the Impact World Championship.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BlOzzfQHSAg/?taken-by=moosenation69

Last night at Slammiversary, Austin Aries defeated Moose to retain his Impact World Championship. Aries is the 5th most decorated champion in the title’s lineage, behind only Sting, Bobby Roode, Lashley, and Kurt Angle.

Aries is a 3x Impact World Champion and has held the title for 290+ plus days combined. He’s defended the title 6x since winning the belt back from Pentagon back in May.

Aries sent the following out on Twitter early this morning:

Nobody’s at my level. Period.

If you disagree, you’re invited to come prove me wrong…if your boss will let you, of course. #TheTruth #AndStill #ADoubleLevel#TheBeltCollector #TheOralAssassin #TheCompletePackage #TGMTEL#ProWrestler #ProWrestling

— Daniel Healy (@AustinAries) July 23, 2018

“Nobody’s at my level. Period,” Aries Tweeted. “If you disagree, you’re invited to come prove me wrong…if your boss will let you, of course.”

Wrestlers React To Slammiversary XVI

Aries wasn’t the only one impressed with what was displayed last night. Several other wrestlers have chimed in to say they enjoyed the show.

Chris Jericho was watching the show live and Tweeted out the following:

Watchin #Slammiversary & its a GREAT show so far! #LAXvsOGz, #TommyDreamerVsEddieEdwards & @Tess_Blanchard are highlights! @IMPACTWRESTLING

— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) July 23, 2018

Wow @TheSamiCallihan & @PENTAELZEROM just tore the house down at #Slammiversary! Can’t wait for Sami vs @MartyScurll on @jericho_cruise!

— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) July 23, 2018

Former 2x Impact World Champion, Bully Ray, also commented on the show.

BRAVO @IMPACTWRESTLING

That was one hell of an entertaining PPV.

Talk tomorrow on @BustedOpenRadio

— Bully Ray (@bullyray5150) July 23, 2018

Austin Aries on Why He Returned To Impact Wrestling

Aries took part in a media call last week to help promote Slammiversary. During the call, he mentioned what is different in the promotion under the new management group.

“This time to me feels completely different,” Aries said. “There’s just a different energy and a different thought process.”

“I’ve been at odds with the company over the course of my career, I don’t think that’s a big secret,” Aries continued. “But I think the difference now why I’m back is because the people or the ideals that I had issues with are no longer there and attached to this.”

Austin Aries: Belt Collector

Aries currently holds the following championship belts:

• Impact World Championship
• WSW Heavyweight Title
• DEFY 8xGP Title

He recently lost the IPW: UK World Title and the All England title for IPW: UK. Aries also lost the Defiant World Title back in April. He was the Impact Grand Champion earlier this year but opted to merge that belt with Impact World Title.