Slammiversary 2020 Honest review

Last night IMPACT wrestling presented its biggest show of the year, Slammiversary and with a strong build in recent weeks and months there was a lot of hype around this special event! Now, I will admit its been a while since I last watched IMPACT wrestling but this was most certainly a brilliant show to come back to and so today I am going to be reviewing the PPV in full discussing the best and worse moments, dissecting match and taking a look at the shocking moments throughout.  

 

A Brilliant Showing of the Tag Division

The last time I was watching IM[ACT wrestling religiously I spent a lot of time expressing my frustration at the tag team division for its lack of depth and variety despite solid matches being presented regularly; however, last night IMPACT proved massively that their tag team division is looking stronger than it has in a very long time with two must-see collisions. The opening contest saw the Rascals accept their open challenge contest and fans awaited to see who would take them up on their challenge. Of course, after the revelation that the Good Brothers had signed with IMPACT many expected to see Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows as the men accepting the open challenge but we were all left surprised when two former X-Division champions and a long time tag team in the Motor City Machine Guns made a huge return to IMPACT wrestling. I do not think anyone saw this coming and I personally was incredibly surprised indeed!

The match itself was strong! It was an action-packed wrestling match up that showcased the modern style of wrestling incredibly well. The Rascals to the surprise of many dominated the early stages of this match and their fantastic teamwork and tag team unity was on very clear display as the executed epic spots that put the returning Alex Shelly and Chris Sabian put through their paces. The Motor City Machine Guns did eventually turn things around and score the win, but this was an exciting, entertaining opening matchup that set the pace of the evening and highlighted the shift in the tag division and the depths. A brilliant showing from both teams.

Later on, in the evening fans saw the North take on the team of Ken Shamrock and Sami Callihan in what was actually a solid tag-team contest. Shamrock and Callihan despite their intense history and they're clear disliking of each other was able to work very well together and their respect for one another almost resulted in becoming tag team champions but the fact the pair were going up against arguably one of the best tag teams in IMPACT wrestling history it proved too difficult to score the big one. I loved the backstory and history here between Shamrock and Callihan and what it meant going up against a team like The North, we had some basic strong wrestling and again it was highlighted how strong the division is while also using the history and status of Ken and Sami to add depth to the tag team title match and scene.

 

Moose Suck Eggs

The “World Heavyweight Championship match” was the second match of the evening which made for an interesting placement on the card but worked as a different match to what we had previously seen which I liked despite Moose not truly being the champion. With Moose going up against Tommy Dreamer in an old school style contest this match was instantly highlighted to me as something right up my street! The two men possess two vastly different images and styles in the ring making for a unique collision, but we saw was again an entertaining match up. While Dreamer had some great moments and his experience and heart were on clear display it was Moose who stood out here. His athleticism was showcased incredibly well, and it was evident that he would make for an amazing future champion for he really does have it all. He adapted to a style that caters more so to Dreamers' style and was able to retain the title. Awesome shirt though Dreamer!

Knockouts Gauntlet Match

The Knockouts Gauntlet match was special! While it won't be going down as a classic wrestling contest any time soon and I do feel as though more could have been done especially when the match became one on one between Taya and Kylie this was entertaining and a huge eye-opener. This Gauntlet match highlighted a lot of things including how much stronger and bigger the division is, the fact it's more stacked than it has been in many years, and again raised the conversation regarding bringing back the knockouts tag team titles. We had some great moments, nothing too standout but none the less a great addition to the show and important booking for the knockout division. Kylie Rae’s win was no surprise, but he had an excellent showing and has truly become a fan favourite.

 

New X-Division Champion

Up Next, we had the first true championship contest when Willie Mack defended his X-Division title against Chris Bey. This match highlighted the strengths of both men and the incredible athleticism they both shared. This match has a solid build and there was a decent level of chemistry there. It did feel as though something was missing but the action itself was strong and that cannot be denied! We saw some awesome spots from both men, but this match created a new star in Bey who managed to walk out the new x-Division champion. I do not feel as though all is done from these two, but we can sure expect to see a lot from Bey’s title reign and I’m excited to see what is to come in the weeks ahead!

 

Her Time!

One of the matches I personally was most excited about was the Knockouts Championship bout between Jordynne Grace and Deonna Purrazzo. Purrazzo I a woman I have been a huge fan of for several years now and seeing the WWE fail her the way they did was extremely frustrating and disappointing but the young star has already been on a roll since joining IMPACT and last night he worked a must see title contest against Grace with the end result seeing her pick up the big win and become the new Knockouts Champion. This match was just as good as we expected it to be. We saw a collision between two vastly different styles, on the one side we had Grace who had the power advantage and on the other side, there was Deonna who is one of the best technical wrestlers on the scene today. They worked incredibly well together bringing out the best in one another and complementing the styles of each other. This was an intense battle that put the champion through her paces in a way we have not seen before. The match was also everything fans wanted to see from Purrazzo during her time in the WWE and this was a clear message to the company that they had really missed something special with her. The division looked fantastic last night, and I’m very excited about Deonna’s title reign.

 

Main Event

The main event match up to determine a new world champion was yet another I could not wait to watch. Originally scheduled as a fatal four-way the match was soon made a five-way when Eric Young made his return to the company. Prior to this, Rich Swann was revealed as the mystery fourth opponent in what was a disappointing moment but made for a great addition to the match. The contest itself was full of strong storytelling and fantastic moments and spots. Eric Young’s character work was simply fantastic and his brutal attack on Swann after being eliminated was hard to watch and incredibly intense. The ongoing story between Ace Austin and Trey was a strong focus point in the early stages of this match and Trey’s desperation to eliminate Ace would be his downfall yet an amazingly well and unique element. Ace went on to relive another rivalry with Eddie Edwards when the two came down to the final moment in crowning a new champion. There is a lot of history between these two and it was great to see them in another intense battle especially one on one later in the match. Now, personally I did want to see Ace win and make history but Eddie makes for a fitting champion and I’m excited for his new reign!

Slammiversary was yet another huge success and has once again made me a huge fan of IMPACT Wrestling. The night showcased the depths of both the women’s and tag team division and how far they have come in recent months in increasing the numbers! We also saw appearances from the likes of the Good Brothers and Heath Slater, and it must be said that the IMPACT roster is looking incredibly stacked and exciting! I would, of course, love to know what you guys thought of the show to feel free to leave a comment below or tweet me over at @TeznagiVictoria.