IMPACT Wrestling Slammiversary Preview: Several surprise returns hinted; a new World Champion set to be crowned
Slammiversary is almost here, and IMPACT Wrestling has managed to put together one of the most exciting PPVs in all of wrestling this year. How did they do this, I hear you ask? Well, part of that has to do with their phenomenal Knockouts Division, an IMPACT World Title picture that is virtually impossible to predict, one of the most consistent mid-cards in the sport, among other things.
What definitely didn't hurt was IMPACT Wrestling teasing a massive surprise for Slammiversary. Several, in fact.
EC3, Eric Young, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, James Storm, Rusev, Drake Maverick, Mike Bennett, Sting, and even more have been teased over the past month. Many of those performers have even gone on to state that they would be returning to professional wrestling on July 18th. Specifically July 18th.
In a time where most wrestling shows and PPVs have been predictable, IMPACT Wrestling has thrived in a year that has thrown everything in the world completely off kilter. Now, they're going into the weekend with one of the most talked about events this year. Will Slammiversary deliver? What will we see? Who will show up? We'll go over that right now!
The Rascalz Slammiversary Open Challenge
As reported by our very own Gary Cassidy, IMPACT Wrestling managed to pick up the Good Brothers. And it has been officially announced by IMPACT that the former WWE Tag team Champions have joined the company. We'll more than likely see them appear at some point at Slammiversary.
The question is...when will they appear? Well, it looks like Zachary Wentz and Dezmond Xavier have opened up the door for any and all challengers. With over a dozen stars teased to be on their way to the company, this seems like the perfect way to bring in Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. At Slammiversary, we'll more than likely get an epic contest between The Rascalz and The Good Brothers.
Moose defends the TNA World Championship against Tommy Dreamer at Slammiversary
When Moose joined IMPACT Wrestling years ago, nobody would've predicted that his best work would come by way of parading around the company with a defunct championship. Yet, here we are. Moose's arrogance as the self-proclaimed TNA World Heavyweight Champion continues to grow each and every week.
Surprisingly enough, Moose has been a fighting champion. A dirty, underhanded cheat of a champion, but a fighting one nonetheless. Still, his tactics have gotten under the skin of the legendary Tommy Dreamer, leading to this kind of title match but not really? Again, Moose is not a REAL champion, but he's holding that title. What do they say? Possession is 9/10th's of the law?
Hopefully for Moose he'll still be holding it after Slammiversary.
Chris Bey challenges for Willie Mack's X-Division Championship at Slammiversary
Chris Bey has finessed his way to the top of the X-Division, putting him in line for a shot at Willie Mack's title. Thanks to taking advantage of Johnny Swinger, Bey recently picked up a pinfall victory over the champion.
Willie Mack has come fresh off a rivalry with the sleaziest man in IMPACT Wrestling and former X-Division Champion Ace Austin. It sucks that his next challenger was brought to him by his "former tag team partner." Hey, IMPACT Wrestling, where are those Mack'n'Pack Connection shirts?
Though Bey used Swinger to get to Mack, the Swing Man finally figured out the Ultimate Finesser's schemes earlier this week. Will he interfere on behalf of Willie Mack?
Slammiversary Gauntlet for the Gold: Who will be the new #1 contender to the Knockouts Title?
One of the highlights of IMPACT Wrestling week in and week out is its stellar Knockouts Division. From top to bottom, champion to lowest contender, IMPACT Wrestling has managed to make every single member of the roster a viable contender to the throne.
Jordynne Grace is defending the Knockouts Championship against Deonna Purrazzo at Slammiversary (We'll get to that soon) but nearly every single woman in this match could be the next champion on any given night.
The Gauntlet Match features Havok, Nevaeh, Alisha Edwards, Kimber Lee, Rosemary, Taya Valkyrie, Susie, Madison Rayne, Kylie Rae, Kiera Hogan, and Tasha Steelz. Nearly half of the women in this match have already held Knockouts Gold, while the rest have picked up some incredibly impressive wins over top talent since joining IMPACT Wrestling.
When the dust settles in the Knockouts Championship match, odds are we're going to get a fresh matchup for whoever walks out with the gold, and that's exciting.
Jordynne Grace defends the Knockouts Championship against Deonna Purrazzo at Slammiversary
Speaking of the Knockouts Championship, Jordynne Grace may have her hands full at Slammiversary when she takes on The Virtuosa. Grace was responsible for ending the dominant record-breaking reign of Taya Valkyrie earlier this year.
One win over Valkyrie was already enough to consider a career-making moment, but Grace also managed to beat her in a rematch later down the line. As vicious of a competitor as she is, though, Taya Valkyrie didn't give half the trouble to Jordynne Grace that Deonna Purrazzo has.
Since joining IMPACT Wrestling a few months back, Purrazzo has immediately set her sights on the Knockouts Championship. She's locked Grace in the Fujiwara Armbar multiple times now, getting the best of Grace.
Will Deonna Purrazzo be able to snap Grace's arm and walk away the new Queen of the Knockouts Division, or will the Knockouts Champion leave another contender planted in the middle of the ring with a Grace Driver?
The World's Most Dangerous Tag Team vs The North
Ethan Page and Josh Alexander turned out to be the most dominant tag team in IMPACT/TNA history. Who would've thought? The North were the ones responsible for sending LAX out of the company, and have defeated virtually every single tag team on the roster.
It only makes sense that now they have to defend the IMPACT Wrestling Tag Team Titles against the super-team of Ken Shamrock and Sami Callihan.
Okay it's strange, but it's definitely going to be a hard hitting contest. Still, can Ken Shamrock trust Sami Callihan? On IMPACT, Sami Callihan told the story of the scorpion and the frog, and that he may turn on Shamrock for no reason at Slammiversary.
It would be right up Callihan's ally, that's for sure.
The IMPACT World Championship and the Mystery fourth competitor
At Slammiversary, we'll see a four-way match between Trey Miguel, Ace Austin, Eddie Edwards, and a mystery fourth competitor. Looking at the teasers for Slammiversary again, it's hard not to believe that the "Former World Champion" that has been teased will be the fourth man.
Ace Austin and Trey Miguel faced each other before when Trey tried capturing the X-Division Championship. There was a point where Ace hit on Trey's mom and...look, it's not important. Ace is a sleazeball. He's also looking to become the youngest World Champion in IMPACT history.
Trey? He wants the gold, but he's more focused on making Ace pay for everything he's done to him. After all, Ace's hired hand, Madman Fulton, was the one responsible for taking Trey out of the original tournament to crown a #1 contender.
Then there's Eddie Edwards. Already a former IMPACT World Champion, Edwards has had a long hard road back to the top. Getting his face crushed by Sami Callihan, having his friends turn on him, nearly losing his wife to Ace Austin (See? Sleazeball), among other things.
Then, there's the wild card. Who will be the fourth man? Is it a new face? Someone who's been in IMPACT before? Will it be someone that's already on the roster? You'll have to tune into Slammiversary to find out.
Catch IMPACT Wrestling Slammiversary on the Fite Network at 8 PM EST on July 18th! Who will show up at Slammiversary? Let us know in the comments below!