After an explosive 2022 that saw impact wrestling Proving that it is one of the best wrestling promotions today, the company would try to keep the momentum alive in 2023, though it has unfortunately been difficult for the company. Several serious injuries from names like Josh Alexander, Mickie James and Steve Maclin are responsible for that.
Tonight, Impact would put on one of their biggest shows of the year, with the return of Slammiversary! The show would feature all of Impact’s titles on the line, as well as some big non-title matches, like an Ultimate X Match and a big match between Bully Ray and Deaner against Scott D’Amore and a mystery partner.
8 Chris Sabin (c) vs. Lio Rush – X Division Championship
At Impact’s last event, The Motor City Machine Guns would compete for the singles titles with both going on to go gold as Chris Sabin would become the X Division Champion. Tonight, he would put the belt on the line against Lio Rush in a match for the first time. Rush would attack Sabin before the bell, apparently working a fake concussion angle. Rush would hit his finisher The Final Hour only for Sabin to kick it out, though Rush would nail a second to win the X Division Championship in a squash match.
7 Bully Ray and Deaner vs. Scott D’Amore and Eric Young
Starting a little earlier than expected on the show, Bully Ray and Deaner would face Eric Young and a mystery partner in a match that was switched multiple times. First, Steve Maclin was pulled due to injury, being replaced by Deaner, before PCO was dropped after being torched, creating a mystery partner alongside Scott D’Amore. As many speculated, the partner would be Eric Young for a Team Canada reunion, seemingly confirming that Young is done with his last run in WWE.
This was a fun match that beat the crowds in a big way. Team Canada was a great reunion, with former Impact Star A1 even returning to even the odds alongside Young & D’Amore. The babyfaces would emerge victorious, in a fun, but probably forgettable fight.
6 KiLynn King & Taylor Wilde (c) vs Masha Slamovich & Killer Kelly – Knockouts Couples Championship
Since the reintroduction of the Knockouts Tag Team Championship, the belts have become a bit of a curse, with injuries, tag teams breaking up, and wrestlers leaving the company. Recently, the division has been given new life with the debut of The Coven and the formation of the team of Killer Kelly and Masha Slamovich, now called MK Ultra, with the fan-favorite duo now vying for the belts. Even though Kelly & Masha’s Dog Collar Match didn’t work out well, the two would prove what it’s all about here, with a very strong showing against The Coven, as Masha & Kelly would win the tag belts in one of the best Knockouts Tag Matches. .
5 ABC (c) vs. Brian Myers & Moose vs. Rich Swann & Sami Callihan vs. Subculture – Impact World Tag Team Championship
Despite having no ties to the rest of Bullet Club at this point, Ace Austin and Chris Bey have become quite the team over the past year. At Slammiversary, the duo would put their Impact World Tag Team Titles on the line against three other teams, facing off against the returning Subculture, Rich Swann & Sami Callihan, and Moose & Brian Myers. As expected, Ace & Bey would be some of the stars of this match, and Subculture put on a great performance as well.
By the end of the match, each team was coming to their big points, with a big moment being a double cut nail against Moose from Rich Swann and Chris Bey, taking out the big man. The Rascalz would appear at the end of the match, costing ABC their belts, allowing Subculture to get a huge upset in a very good tag team match.
4 Eddie Edwards vs. Frankie Kazarian
One of the non-title fights on tonight’s card would be a tribute to Impact’s past, as Eddie Edwards would fight Frankie Kazarian, with Alisha and Tracie Brooks in their respective corners. Both Kazarian and Edwards have been delivering great matches in their recent Impact outings, and this would be another example of just how great both men are, even in the later stages of their careers. Alisha and Tracie would have a catfight later in the match, with the referee being eliminated in the mix, as Kazarian would score a visual touch during the referee’s clash.
In the closing moments of the match, Edwards would use a chair to score big against Kazarian, thanks to an extended period with the ref down, Eddie would take down Kazarian in a big match.
3 Alex Shelley (c) vs. Nick Aldis – Impact World Championship
The main event of Slammiversary would be a major Impact World Championship as Alex Shelley, having finally won the belt that had evaded him his entire career, would put the belt on the line against former world champion, Nick Aldis. Shelley has been on a streak for quite some time, and it didn’t make sense for him to lose the title he’s chased for years so early in his reign and, thankfully, tonight wouldn’t be the end of his first reign as Impact. World champion. The match would see some hijinks with a referee slam and a low blow from Aldis, but in the end, Alex Shelley would manage to outlive Aldis to retain the belt from him.
After the match, the bigger story would be that Josh Alexander would return out of the blue, announcing that he was back, apparently setting up a marquee match against Alex Shelly for a later date.
2 Deonna Purrazzo (c) vs Trinity – Championship Playoffs
One of the biggest debuts in recent memory for Impact Wrestling would take place recently, as Trinity would land in Impact Wrestling as part of the Knockouts Division a year after leaving WWE. At Slammiversary, she would challenge the woman who is arguably one of the greatest knockout champions of all time, Deonna Purrazzo, in a big match for the first time.
This was a big test for Trinity, as he hadn’t had a big singles fight in a long, long time. Luckily, her dance partner would be Purrazzo, who has proven to be quite the wrestler ever since WWE released him in 2020. The two put together a very strong match, with Trinity eliminating the Knockout Champion multiple times to win her first title afterward. to leave WWE.
1 Jonathan Gresham vs. Mike Bailey vs. Kevin Knight vs. Alan Angels vs. Kushida vs. Jake Something (Ultimate X Match)
Tonight’s opening event would be Impact Wrestling’s most famous match, Ultimate X would start off strong, featuring some of the best names in the X Division, including a surprising return from Jake Something! They would tease a near-instant win with Kevin Knight showing off the insane vertical leap of his, though Something would bomb him to the outside for a big spot. Unsurprisingly, this would be a great opening with a number of big points from everyone, most notably Mike Bailey, Alan Angels and Kevin Knight. In the end, NJPW’s KUSHIDA would be victorious, becoming the number one contender for the X Division Championship!