IMPACT Slammiversary Review - July 15, 2023

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Pre-Show: Death Dollz and Jody Threat def. Gisele Shaw, Savannah Evans and Jai Vidal

Did I miss the part where Threat had an issue with Shaw's crew and formed an alliance with Death Dollz? It's not as if Death Dollz have had a personal issue with Shaw's crew coming into this event, either. This only existed to get them all on the card and it was fine. Threat was able to rebound from her loss to Deonna Purrazzo this past week on IMPACT! Wrestling, but Shaw has been losing a lot lately and feels firmly slotted in a stepping stone role at this point.

Pre-Show: Kenny King def. Joe Hendry to Win the Impact Digital Media Championship

I just mentioned the other day that I wasn't sure if Hendry's lengthy title reign would be ending on this show, but it was time to switch things up and I'm happy King finally has some gold for the first time since leaving Ring of Honor. It was a fairly average match, which is why I was okay with it being on the pre-show. I assume the feud will continue, but Hendry should move beyond the Digital Media title scene soon.

Kushida def. Alan Angels, Jonathan Gresham, Kevin Knight, "Speedball" Mike Bailey and Jake Something in an Impact X-Division Championship No. 1 Contender's Ultimate X Match

IMPACT kicking off Slammiversary with the ol' reliable Ultimate X match made sense. We've seen so many of them over the years that we've practically seen it all by now, but this was still fun and everyone involved had a chance to shine. Angels getting his full name back seems to suggest he's indeed done with The Design, which is a positive move. I'm cool with Kushida winning, and Something returning as the final entrant was a pleasant surprise. We'll see if he's re-signed with the company or if it was just a one-off.

Masha Slamovich and Killer Kelly def. The Coven to Win the Impact Knockouts World Tag Team Championship

Slamovich and Kelly have already come into their own as a team. Was there ever any doubt they were winning here? It's not like The Coven had much competition left, anyway. It was a well-worked match and they made the most of their time. The Impact Knockouts World Tag Team Championship is largely an afterthought, but it was nice the belts were defended on the main card for a change.

Team Canada (Eric Young and Scott D'Amore def. Deaner and Bully Ray) (Darren McCarty Served as Special Guest Enforcer)

I thought this whole time PCO would be back as D'Amore's partner because nothing kills the dude, but apparently not. It was heavily implied at the end of Thursday's IMPACT! Wrestling that the returning Young would be his replacement and that's exactly what happened. It was logical given his history with D'Amore in Team Canada and the fact that he was "killed off" IMPACT by Deaner late last year. This had plenty of smoke and mirrors, specifically with Bully and McCarthy, but as an "attraction," it was serviceable and didn't overstay its welcome.

Lio Rush def. Chris Sabin to Win the Impact X-Division Championship

This turned out to be more of an angle than a match. I mean, it wasn't much of a match at all. Rush attacked Sabin before the bell, hit his finisher on him twice, pinned him and that was it. I was slightly bummed because I know these two could kill it against each other, but if it was their way of prolonging the program, putting Sabin back in chase mode and giving him an out for losing, that's fine. Rush feels like a perfect fit as X-Division Champion.

Subculture (Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster) def. ABC, Moose & Brian Myers, and Rich Swann & Sami Callihan in a Four-Way Tag Team Match to Win the Impact World Tag Team Championship

There was a ton of talent in this one and it was the chaotic, fast-paced, enjoyable affair I figured it would be. Any of these teams could have walked away with the tag titles, so the uncertainty surrounding the outcome was a plus. That said, I probably expected Subculture to win the least, but I'm not complaining. This should clear up ABC to have a non-title feud with The Rascalz and maybe Subculture feud with Moose and Myers coming out of this.

Eddie Edwards def. Frankie Kazarian

I didn't think this would be slotted higher up on the card, especially without anything on the line, but maybe they wanted to break up the championship matches. The feud's been fairly basic, but both guys are seasoned vets, so as expected, it was a very well-wrestled match. A stipulation may have helped, but the crowd came alive for Alisha Edwards and Traci Brooks brawling at ringside. I assume the issue between the two isn't over.

Trinity def. Deonna Purrazzo to Win the Impact Knockouts World Championship

Purrazzo is obviously a star, but Trinity is the hot hand right now and I was worried she might lose to keep her in chase mode. That said, I'm glad that didn't happen. She's done well in IMPACT and now we'll see how she can do as a champion outside of IMPACT. I don't have any doubts she'll continue to excel. The match itself was great and was probably one of the best matches I've seen Trinity have in her entire career.

Impact World Champion Alex Shelley def. Nick Aldis

The match came together on such short notice and thus the rivalry felt rushed and the "bad blood" didn't come off as genuine. Don't get me wrong, this was a damn good main event, but it lacked that extra something and the crowd could sense that. I figured Aldis was on a short-term deal with IMPACT, so I wasn't shocked when he lost. Shelley just won his title and shouldn't have been a transitional champion. Then again, Josh Alexander resurfaced afterward and it's possible he takes back the title he never lost very soon. I'm happy he's cleared, though. He was killing it prior to the injury.

Overall Show

Needless to say, this was a very newsworthy show thanks to the five title changes and two returns. IMPACT dropped the ball in building this show up to feel as must-see as past installments, but I thoroughly enjoyed the event from start to finish. IMPACT tends to deliver on the biggest stages and this was no exception, even with all of the talent and buzz they've lost since last year. Hopefully all of the eventful stuff that happened freshens things as the road to Bound for Glory begins.

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