Slammiversary XVII Recap

By Steve Ward

The seventeenth installment of Impact Wrestling’s Slammiversary emanated from a sold out Gilley’s Complex in Dallas, TX this evening. The stacked card featured eight matches and was headlined by Tessa Blanchard battling Sami Callihan in an intergender match. Impact Wrestling continues to put forth a solid product as they have shown true perseverance after several years of turmoil within their ownership structure that had them on the brink of disaster and they needed to deliver again this evening with the quickly evolving landscape of professional wrestling. Impact did just that but only time will tell how things shape up with AEW coming on strong as their weekly tv program debuts on TNT in October, Ring of Honor is maintaining their foothold with their partnership with NJPW, and of course WWE -despite their stale writing and booking- is still the standard bearer in sports entertainment.

TJP vs. Trey Miguel (of the Rascalz) vs. Jake Crist (of OVE) vs. Willie Mack

Winner: Willie Mack via pinfall

The opening contest of Slammiversary was an X-Division fatal four way attraction featuring TJP (T.J. Perkins) in his first pay per view appearance since his return from being buried in WWE on 205 Live. The action was fast and furious and certainly set the tempo for the evening. The body flying action culminated with the 285 lb Willie Mack executing a frog splash on Jake Crist to solidify the pinfall victory.

Impact Tag Team Championship

The Rascalz (Dez & Wentz) vs. LAX (Santana & Ortiz) w/ Konnan vs. The North (Josh Alexander & Ethan Page) (c)

Winners: The North via pinfall

After shockingly losing their tag team titles to The North Friday night at Bash at the Brewery - an Impact Plus event that literally looked like it was in front of a crowd of 100 people at a brewery - LAX entered as the challengers. Unfortunately for The North, the retention of their titles was overshadowed in this one by a bad landing Santana took that required him to be helped out of the arena after the contest.

First Blood Match

Killer Kross vs. Eddie Edwards

Winner: Eddie Edwards

After weeks of mind games initiated by Killer Kross including the destruction of Edwards’ best friend Kenny - the kendo stick - Edwards achieved retribution this evening as he made Kross bleed by raking the splintered edge of a kendo stick across his mouth.

RVD vs. Moose

Winner: Moose

For several weeks, Moose proclaimed that the old legends needed to retire and go away. This generated a brief feud between Moose and The North and ECW originals RVD, Tommy Dreamer, and Sabu. This short lived program seemingly reached it’s climax this evening in Dallas as Rob Van Dam stood toe to toe with Moose. First things first, RVD may be 48 but he certainly can still keep up with the best of them and has aged pretty well considering the wars he’s been in as he doesn’t look much different than the last time he had a significant run in WWE - with the exception of appearing to enjoy a few beers here and there. It appeared RVD would walk out victorious as he had Moose laid out on top of a chair as he scaled to the top rope for the Five Star Frogsplash. As Van Dam took flight, Moose rolled out of the way leaving nothing but unforgiving steel for RVD to land on. Moose jumped to his feet and nailed RVD with the spear for the pinfall.

Impact Knockouts Championship Monster’s Ball Match

Taya Valkyrie (c) vs. Rosemary vs. Su Yung w/ Father James Mitchell vs. Havoc

Winner: Taya Valkyrie

These ladies wasted no time after the opening bell as they rapidly transformed the ring into a visceral playground littered with chairs, ladders, tables, and eventually thumb tacks. Havoc seemed poised to solidify a dominating victory after she Tombstoned Su Yung from the top rope - yes you read that correctly - onto a bed of tacks but Taya Valkyrie returned to the ring and greeted Havoc with a chair to the face. As Havoc rolled out of the ring, Valkyrie covered Su Yung to retain her title.

X Division Championship

Rich Swann (c) vs. Johnny Impact w/ Johnny Bravo

Winner: Rich Swann

Two of the best high-fliers in not only Impact, but potentially all of pro wrestling, squared off for the storied X Division Title this evening. After a fairly even bout where neither man was really able to create much momentum, Rich Swann was able to persevere. In the closing moments of the match, Swann withstood a series of Spanish Flys (the first from the top rope), Starship Pain, and the antics of Johnny Bravo at ringside to answer with two springboard cutters and the Phoenix Splash to retain his title.

Impact World Championship

Brian Cage (c) vs. Michael Elgin

Winner: Brian Cage

Former Ring of Honor and New Japan star Michael Elgin made his in-ring pay per view debut this evening as he challenged “The Machine” Brian Cage for the Impact Heavyweight Championship. Cage wasted no time bringing the fight to Elgin as the first time Elgin rolled to the outside of the ring, Cage ensured there would be no reprieve for him as he ran and vaulted straight over the top rope to the arena floor taking out Elgin and landing on his feet in the process. In the final minutes of the contest, Cage attempted the Drill Claw but his back “went out” and he dropped Elgin. Elgin answered with a buckle bomb and as he hoisted Cage up for the Elgin Bomb, The Machine slipped out and rolled Elgin up for the pinfall. After the match, Elgin assaulted Cage with the title and then dragged Don Callis into the ring from his commentary position. Just before Elgin was going to lay waste to Callis, a masked man entered the ring from the crowd, executed a spear that looked a lot like a Gore (wink wink), and escaped through the crowd.

Intergender Match

Tessa Blanchard vs. Sami Callihan

Winner: Sami Callihan

A rarity in pro wrestling today, at least in televised matches and never in WWE, Impact decided to push the envelope and headlined this pay per view with an intergender match between Sami Callihan and Tessa Blanchard, the daughter of former Four Horsemen member Tully Blanchard. Blanchard made another huge step this evening as she continued her ascension from barely gaining air time in NXT towards becoming a bona fide superstar as she more than hung in with “The Draw.” Blanchard displayed her grit as she took some huge bumps in this bout but also demonstrated her impressive strength as she hoisted Callihan up for a Samoan Drop at one point. In the closing moments, Callihan escaped a crossface submission to finish Blanchard off with a Cactus Special piledriver allowing him to earn the pinfall.

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IMPACT WRESTLING PRESENTS: BOUND FOR GLORY 2018 Recap

Impact Wrestling presented Bound For Glory this evening from a sold out Melrose Ballroom in Queens, New York. While the venue was comparable in size to the Impact Zone utilized when tapings have been done at Universal Studios in Orlando, the rabid New York wrestling fans brought an energy comparable to a much larger audience. The card boasted seven matches, with two titles contested, in addition to Allie’s trek into the “undead realm.”

Rich Swann & Willie Mack vs. Matt Sydal & Ethan Page

Winners: Rich Swann & Willie Mack

This bout featured the debut of Willie Mack of Lucha Underground fame and the re-branding of Ethan Page as fans may recognize him from his previous portrayal of Joseph Park’s (Abyss) cousin Chandler Park. Mack was immediately serenaded by the fans with chants of “Return of the Mack” which he obliged by putting his gravity defying agility, especially for a 280lb man, on full display.  The action was fast and furious in this contest and came to it’s conclusion as Rich Swann hit a awe-inspiring Phoenix Splash from the middle turnbuckle on Matt Sydal for the pinfall.

Eli Drake Open Challenge

Eli Drake vs. James Ellsworth

Winner: Eli Drake

The “Chinless Wonder” shocked the fans in attendance as he answered the challenge of Eli Drake. Despite Drake showering New York with insults, the crowd wasted no time greeting Ellsworth with a “F#ck you Ellsworth” chant. This match didn’t last long as Drake was able to overcome the No Chin Music to obliterate Ellsworth with the Gravy Train two times.

Drake proceeded to run his mouth after the bout insisting that he came to New York for hall of fame caliber competition. It didn’t take long for the music of the new Impact Wrestling Hall of Famer, “The Monster” Abyss to resonate throughout the venue. Abyss wasn’t finished after he hit promptly hit the Black Hole Slam on Drake as he proceeded to retrieve a table from beneath the ring and thwarted Drake’s offensive attempts with a choke slam through it.

Impact Women’s Championship

Tessa Blanchard (c) vs. Taya Valkyrie

Winner: Tessa Blanchard

Tessa Blanchard was challenged this evening by the returning Taya Valkyrie (real life wife of Johnny Impact) and she was ready to bring the fight. This was easily Blanchard’s stiffest competition to date in her tenure with Impact Wrestling. Valkyrie hit the Road to Valhalla and Blanchard the Buzzsaw DDT, but these signature maneuvers were not enough to put either lady away. This match did not reach it’s culmination until Tessa landed a devastating Codebreaker that she initiated by propelling herself from the top turnbuckle to finally put away Valkyrie for the pinfall to retain her title.

Moose vs. Eddie Edwards

Winner: No contest

This “contest” didn’t last long as Killer Kross attacked Eddie Edwards from the crowd, acquiring a kendo stick from ringside, leading the referee to call for the bell. As Moose and Cross beat Edwards in the center of the ring, the crowd was shocked by the entrance of “The Innovator of Violence” Tommy Dreamer. This immediately lead us to an impromptu tag team match.

Tommy Dreamer & Eddie Edwards vs. Moose & Killer Kross

Winners: Tommy Dreamer & Eddie Edwards

Moose attempted to punish Edwards with a kendo stick strike only to have Edwards get the best of him with a Schoolboy rollup for the pinfall. There was no celebration as Moose and Kross quickly laid waste to Edwards after Dreamer had been dropped on his head by Kross. Edwards suffered a spear from Moose and then was taken to the outside of the ring to be unceremoniously power bombed on the hardest part of the ring apron.

Sami Callihan & OVE vs. Pentagon Jr., Fenix, and Brian Cage

Winners: Sami Callihan & OVE

This match was contested under OVE rules which essentially meant there were no rules.  After OVE was able to take the Lucha Bros out of the equation it left Cage in a one on three situation-for those familiar with Cage’s body of work, these are odds he would typically be comfortable with.  OVE proceeded to hit Cage with a plethora of super kicks before Callihan shocked the fans in attendance and hit him with a piledriver to become the first man to pin Cage in Impact Wrestling.

Concrete Jungle Death Match

The OGz vs. LAX

Winners: LAX

The ring itself was a true spectacle in this contest as the mat, apron, and turnbuckles were all removed leaving a stripped down squared circle. Earlier in the evening, Konnan was “taken out” changing the dynamic of this match to a handicapped bout. Just as things began to look dire for LAX, their music hit and Konnan made his way to the ring to help even the odds. Konnan turned the tides of the match as he Irish whipped  King through a table propped up in the corner of the ring. King was then set up for the Street Sweeper by Ortiz and Santana to score the pinfall for LAX.

Allie Goes to the “Undead Realm” in Search of Su Yung Vignette

This segment was just weird and looked like something out of a low budget horror film. It was also apparent that this segment was presented at this juncture of the evening to allow the crew to reassemble the ring for the main event. Essentially, Kiera Hogan was taken to the undead realm by Su Yung and Allie sought the assistance of Father James Mitchell to gain entry there so she could rescue her. Allie, with an axe in hand, proceeded to take out several undead bridesmaids until she finally found Kiera in a coffin leading to another encounter with Su Yung. As Allie and Kiera made it back to the entrance of the realm, James Mitchell wouldn’t allow them to leave. Rosemary then emerged to fend off Su Yung allowing their escape.

Impact World Championship

Austin Aries (c) vs. Johnny Impact

Winner: Johnny Impact

The fans in attendance were at a fever pitch for this encounter with the world title on the line. Johnny Impact and Austin Aries certainly were primed for this bout as they both brought their A-games to the table. One of the highlights of the match occurred on the outside of the ring as Impact leapfrogged a charging Aries, landed with one foot on the guardrail and the other on the ring apron (this was possible due to the incredibly close proximity between the ring and the crowd), and countered with a backflip. The conclusion of the match came after an incensed Johnny Impact, moments after his wife was knocked down outside the ring by a diving Aries, took down the champ and ascended to the top turnbuckle to finish him with Starship Pain for the 1-2-3! Your winner and the new Impact World Champion, Johnny Impact!

-Steve Ward

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