At IMPACT Wrestling Slammiverary, Sami Callihan challenged Kenny Omega for the IMPACT World Championship. However, this wasn’t the final note that the show left on. Following a hellacious battle, Omega was able to put away Callihan, retaining his title in the process. What had the wrestling world talking, however, was the unexpected appearance of New Japan Pro-Wrestling star, as well as NEVER Openweight Champion, Jay White.
Sami Callihan and Kenny Omega have been at each other ever since Against All Odds, where Omega retained the belt against Moose. Callihan was scheduled to face the winner of that match and made his presence felt shortly after the final bell rang. He took out The Young Bucks and Omega with a baseball bat. IMPACT Executive Don Callis attempted to call Callihan off The Elite but was unsuccessful. This lead to Callis firing Callihan on the spot, stripping him of the number one contendership.
Tommy Dreamer, acting as a representative of IMPACT Wrestling, later reversed the decision. Dreamer reinstated Callihan as a wrestler and number one contender and fired Callis as an executive. After weeks of back and forth, everything came to a head at Slammiversary.
.@TheSamiCallihan has CUT @KennyOmegamanX OPEN with a pizza cutter. #Slammiversary
Order HERE: https://t.co/B4rKbNpqAD pic.twitter.com/0OzlUNj3qq
— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) July 18, 2021
Fought under no DQ rules, the Slammiversary main event between Callihan and Omega showed no bounds. From trash cans to pizza cutters to forks to steel chairs wrapped in barbed wire, virtually everything but the kitchen sink was thrown into this match. During the action, Callis joined Matt Striker and D’Lo Brown on commentary. Callis would soon leave the desk as Callihan was on the ropes, antagonizing the challenger. Devastating maneuvers such as a piledriver on Omega through a table, as well as one on the aforementioned chair, showed just how far “The Callihan Death Machine” would go to win the title. Even the official, Brian Hebner, would get caught in the melee. The Good Brothers, who won the IMPACT World Tag Team Championship earlier in the night, would attempt to interfere, only to be intercepted by Chris Sabin and Eddie Edwards.
The match would reach its apex when Callihan dumped a bag of thumbtacks onto the canvas. Omega hit Callihan, mouthful of tacks and all, with multiple V-Triggers, though IMPACT’s “Death Machine” remained in the fight. Omega would finally put Callihan away with the One Winged Angel for the pinfall victory. Post-match, Omega celebrated with Callis and The Good Brothers. However, the celebration would be cut short with the arrival of “The Switchblade,” and NEVER Openweight Champion, Jay White.
.@JayWhiteNZ HAS ARRIVED AT #Slammiversary!
Order HERE: https://t.co/B4rKbNpqAD pic.twitter.com/B1A6FaUhz6
— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) July 18, 2021
Stepping into the ring, across from Kenny Omega, The Good Brothers, and Don Callis, Jay White watched as they threw up the iconic “Too Sweet” hand gesture. Before White had the chance to respond, however, the video feed went out, leaving the viewers on a cliffhanger. What does the conclusion of Slammiversary mean for White in IMPACT? Will he join his Bullet Club brethren or become the next man that challenges Omega for the IMPACT World Championship?
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