The new and improved Impact Wrestling looks to really showcase it’s fantastic roster and the compelling storylines of the past few months with their marquee event, Slammiversary XVI, this Sunday live from Toronto, Ontario. The Canadian crowds have re-enegized Impact – for the fans at home as well as the performers – and they look to continue that trend in front of what should be a hot Toronto audience. Lots of great match-ups on this one and if you’re looking to jump back on to the Impact gravy train, there’s no better launching point.
TESSA BLANCHARD vs. ALLIE
After being frustrated in her attempts to knock off Madison Rayne the past few months, Tessa Blanchard has turned her sights on former 2x Knockouts Champion Allie in the past weeks. Now that Blanchard has signed a long term deal with Impact, expect her to be more focused and this could be the opportunity for her to score her biggest win since joining the promotion earlier this year.
RICH SWANN vs. JOHNNY IMPACT vs. “BONE SOLDIER” TAIJI ISHIMORI vs. FENIX
An absolute stunning four way with the potential to steal the show, it may lose one of its participants by the time the match hits the air. On Friday, Rich Swann hit his head on the guardrail following a missed spot during tapings for Major League Wrestling (MLW) during it’s Battle Riot and was taken to the hospital for a potential concussion. If Swann isn’t medically cleared for Sunday, Impact could simply turn this into a triple threat or replace him with one of the other X-Division stars, like Dezmond Xavier. Johnny “Multiple Names” Morrison (Johnny Impact in Impact Wrestling) makes his long awaited return after missing the last tapings due to his wedding with fellow Impact star Taya Valkyrie, and former X-Division champion Taiji Ishimori makes his Impact return as well, his first since signing with NJPW and joining Bullet Club as the new Bone Soldier. It marks the first time a New Japan contracted wrestler will compete in an Impact ring since the debacle of 2010. Add in Fenix and this has all the ingredients for a high flying spot fest that should rock the Rebel Complex audience.
HOUSE OF HARDCORE MATCH: EDDIE EDWARDS vs. TOMMY DREAMER
Following his victory against Sami Callihan for the bat incident that nearly ended Edwards’ career, Eddie Edwards has finally gone full blown insane, hearing voices, hallucinating, and now blaming former friend Tommy Dreamer for his wife leaving him. The two are meeting in a House of Hardcore Rules Match (a No DQ, anything goes affair), and Dreamer will be looking to show some “tough love” his old friend. This one will get bloody.
MASK vs. HAIR: PENTAGON JR. vs SAMI CALLIHAN
These two have been tearing up Impact Wrestling for months now and the fact they’ve recently turned their sights on each other has only pushed them to new heights. The battle between Callihan and his oVe teammates the Crist Brothers (Dave and Jake) and the Lucha Brothers of Pentagon Jr. and Fenix over oVe’s repeated attempts to unmask the luchadors of Impact Wrestling has resulted in some amazing moments – most notably that insane 6-man tag from a few weeks ago. The two go head to head tonight, with each other’s heads on the line – for Pentagon Jr., it’s his iconic mask, and for Callihan, it’s his long hair. The numbers game is clearly on Callihan’s side, as oVe aren’t booked for a match, and Fenix will be battle worn from his 4-way dance earlier in the night. Perhaps a previous victim, El Hijo del Fantasma will help even out the lucha side. While Callihan may be “The Draw”, he could be sporting a new do come Monday for the next set of tapings.
IMPACT TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH, 5150 STREET FIGHT: LAX (Santana & Ortiz) (c) w/ Konnan vs. THE OGz (Homicide & Hernandez) w/ “King” Eddie Kingston
The LAX Civil War continues, this time for the Impact Tag Team titles, as Konnan leads his new LAX duo of Santana and Ortiz into a 5150 Street Fight against the original LAX, Homicide and Hernandez, who are reformed as The OGz under the leadership of “King” Eddie Kingston. If Edwards and Dreamer don’t blood stain the ring enough with their match, this one will cover the remaining spots, and possibly spill out onto Yonge Street.
IMPACT KNOCKOUTS CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: SU YUNG (c) vs. MADISON RAYNE
For the past several months, former 5x Knockouts Champion Madison Rayne has been building momentum as her return to Impact Wrestling continues. Wins over Tessa Blanchard and Taya Valkryie have pushed her to a Knockouts title opportunity on Sunday against Su Yung, but the “Undead Bride” has been a force of brutality since her debut with the company, taking out Rosemary and Allie.
IMPACT X-DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: MATT SYDAL (c) vs. BRIAN CAGE
Ushering back to the days of when bigger men with more complex skill sets, such as Samoa Joe and Kurt Angle, were competing in the X-Division, “The Machine” Brian Cage is out to prove his dominance against Matt Sydal. Cage is a genetic freak (in more ways than Scott Steiner) and after weeks of being ducked or cheated on, this should be the night that Cage wins his first Impact gold.
IMPACT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: AUSTIN ARIES (c) vs. MOOSE
“The Belt Collector” has been dominating Impact Wrestling (and various international indies) for nearly a year now, holding court at the top of the Impact food chain with two World Heavyweight title runs in the past seven months. His opponent is one of Impact’s most popular stars, Moose, who looks to claim his first World Championship since entering the business. It’s a case of power vs athleticism, veteran versus new school, in what should be a hard hitting contest for Impact’s richest prize.
