TNA Slammiversary XX
July 20, 2024
Verdun Auditorium
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Watch: TrillerTV
Re-live previous Slammiversary occasions with FlagshipPatreon.com’s Slammiversary Synopsis: https://www.patreon.com/assortment/112756
TNA Wrestling returns to PPV this Saturday (July twentieth) because the twentieth Slammiversary takes place on the sold-out Verdun Auditorium in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. In the primary occasion, Moose defends the TNA World Championship in a six-way elimination match additionally that includes Josh Alexander, Steve Maclin, Frankie Kazarian, Nic Nemeth and the red-hot Joe Hendry.
We’re developing on seven months of the TNA rebrand and I’ll say that it’s been an attention-grabbing journey. There was an preliminary wave of euphoria which quickly dissipated following the departures of Scott D’Amore and the Motor Metropolis Machine Weapons. The change in reserving regime had a determined affect (pun absolutely meant) on my enjoyment of the product – it’s all the time been a promotion that makes use of interference however the shenanigans and silliness this yr nearly ran me off. It additionally led to me taking a hiatus from writing about it weekly as a result of it was to nobody’s profit that I simply acquired pissed off with the brains belief of Mr. Dreamer each week.
The latest integration with NXT is doing little or no for me as a fan, as a result of we all know the way it all ends, however it’s additionally definitely generated a discourse that I wished no a part of.
Despite the faults, they’ve began promoting tickets once more lately. They pulled in good crowds for his or her latest Philly tapings they usually’ve now offered out their first journey to Quebec in 13 years. I believe the three,000 they’ve moved for Slammiversary is a mix of assorted issues – a rabid wrestling market, heavy native promotion utilizing PCO, different key Canadian skills like Mike Bailey and Josh Alexander, and the NXT hyperlink.
For Slammiversary, they’re speaking of huge surprises. I’ll consider these once I see them however it ought to definitely be a noteworthy present, so let’s get into it…
Countdown to Slammiversary
Xia Brookside vs. Gisele Shaw vs. Tasha Steelz vs. Faby Apache
This hasn’t been billed as a high contender’s match however you would need to assume that the winner right here will doubtless be the subsequent one to problem for the Knockouts strap.
With that in thoughts, there are solely two reasonable winners: Gisele Shaw or Faby Apache. Shaw is Canadian, so it’d give the house crowd one thing to cheer for early on, and he or she’s been booked sturdy since her latest return.
Apache, in the meantime, is making her first TNA look in two years and her first ever enterprise to Canada. The TNA-AAA partnership is clearly enormously vital however in all honesty I don’t see a logical motive for them to fly her out simply to have her lose in a four-way. The logical course, to me at the very least, can be Apache going over right here, difficult for the title on the subsequent night time’s TV taping after which going residence. Prediction: Faby Apache
Countdown to Slammiversary
KUSHIDA vs. Jonathan Gresham
I like Jonathan Gresham. I believe he’s an incredible employee with a mode that appeals to my sensibilities in skilled wrestling. I additionally perceive that it’s not all the time been simple for him to recover from.
I’m not saying I understand how to assist with that crowd connection piece however it doesn’t take a PhD in wrestling reserving to know that spitting black goo gained’t assist an inch. However, that’s the course that Mr Dreamer and the reserving crew having determined to go in with Gresham…
Gresham beat KUSHIDA due to the black goo again at Beneath Siege and since then KUSHIDA has been looking for an answer. Each had been within the high contender’s match for the X-Division title, with Kushida having the higher hand on Gresham earlier than Mike Bailey acquired the win.
Easy wrestling logic says KUSHIDA outsmarts the dishonest heel and will get the win again. However, given I believe we’re going again to a babyface X-Division champion, Gresham going over makes extra sense. Prediction: Jonathan Gresham
Countdown to Slammiversary
TNA Knockouts World Tag Workforce Championship
The Malisha (Masha Slamovich & Alisha Edwards) (C) vs. Spitfire (Jody Menace & Dani Luna)
They’re going to attempt to inform quite a lot of tales at Slammiversary however the basic throughline goes to be the downfall of The System, the heel faction which have dominated the primary seven months of the TNA rebrand.
The beginning of that throughline must be this match. Alisha Edwards was the final member of The System to win a title, getting a gold watch run with these tag belts alongside Masha Slamovich, and I believe she’ll be the primary to lose it.
Whereas the go-home angle recommended in any other case, I believe Spitfire are a extra good choice for the belts and the title change frees up Slamovich to return after the Knockouts title. Prediction: Spitfire
The Rascalz (Wes Lee, Trey Miguel & Zachary Wentz) v No Quarter Catch Crew (Charlie Dempsey, Tavion Heights & Myles Borne)
The TNA/NXT provide match might nicely kick off the primary card and appears, on paper, nicely price your consideration.
Charlie Dempsey, whose peculiar accent belies his very good in-ring expertise, crashed the latest TNA tapings in Philly, attacking Trey Miguel throughout his bout with Leon Slater and forcing a no contest. That led to Zachary Wentz then going through Dempsey and shedding due to interference from Myles Borne and in the end Miguel and Wentz regrouping with their outdated pal Wes Lee on each NXT tv and the go-home TNA broadcast.
Though it’s been a narrative outlined by interference in matches, it’s been a easy construct with a logical payoff on this present. Wes Lee is probably the most established NXT man, so including him into the combination ought to see the babyfaces get their revenge and go over. Prediction: The Rascalz
Matt Hardy vs. JDC
From a match I’m anticipating to at least one I’m very a lot not.
The previous Fandango lately acquired repackaged once more, changing into JDC, a hitman for rent that’s been aligned with The System. He’s interfered (there’s that phrase once more) in a bunch of matches, costing The Nemeths the tag titles, Santana a spot within the Slammiversary foremost occasion, and Matt and Jeff Hardy a 3rd TNA World Tag Title reign. With Jeff doing the compulsory stretcher job as he can’t cross the border, that is Matt’s bid for revenge on his brother’s behalf.
JDC can work however there’s completely nothing left with Hardy and I’ve acquired little interest in seeing him wrestle anymore. In the event that they maintain it quick, that’s the most effective end result for all concerned. Prediction: Matt Hardy
Mike Santana vs. Jake One thing
A battle between two males who missed out on qualifying for the primary occasion, with Santana having misplaced to Frankie Kazarian and One thing falling by the hands of Joe Hendry.
Though it’s not been excellent, I’ve favored Mike Santana’s return to TNA. He’s wager on himself, gotten into nice form and sorted his life out and it reveals. I don’t know if he’ll ever be a foremost occasion singles man however he’s giving it a go and that is the form of promotion the place he’ll get the possibility to attempt it.
Between Santana and One thing, Santana is the one with the extra apparent push ready for him. Nevertheless, I don’t assume he wins right here. I believe we get a flip from one man right here, with both One thing changing into a monster heel or Santana snapping in irritating after shedding. Nevertheless it’s laid out, this must be actually good. Prediction: Jake One thing
TNA Digital Media Championship & Canadian Worldwide Heavyweight Championship
AJ Francis (C) (w/Wealthy Swann) vs. PCO
Though his matches, and by proxy these of Wealthy Swann, are among the many worst and most overbooked in TNA, I’ve favored AJ Francis’ run with the promotion. He will get real warmth and there’s nothing fallacious with him holding the underside of the barrel title. Likewise, him bringing a title out of abeyance for the primary time in 37 years made me chuckle – he fitted the gimmick of somebody paying for a mark title run.
PCO, in the meantime, is shot to items however he’s the hometown hero on this present and has achieved a ton of labor to assist with native promotion and ticket gross sales. He deserves a feel-good second primarily.
The place this has fallen down fully is the Steph De Lander side. The entire ‘her and PCO is likely to be an merchandise’, the Z-list horror film scenes and poor SNL-style skits are simply horrific and the form of content material that makes NXT unwatchable. Take this half out and it’s a high-quality, easy story that does its job. However you possibly can’t take away this side and you understand it’ll be a giant issue on this match and the end result.
Nevertheless the angle performs out, PCO ought to win. There’s no different end result that makes this price anybody’s time. Prediction: PCO
TNA World Tag Workforce Championship
The System (Brian Myers & Eddie Edwards) (C) vs. ABC (Ace Austin & Chris Bey)
I’ve mentioned this a couple of occasions this yr however I’ve had a real liking and appreciation for Myers and Edwards as a tag crew. They’re a meat and potatoes crew however they simply work for my present sensibilities.
The ABC are a really totally different form of crew however I believe they’re nice too. Since shedding these belts in March, they’ve been on a ‘voyage of discovery’, thrashing out their variations by preventing one another to get on the identical web page. Whenever you have a look at it, they’ve successfully had the very same story as the opposite tag challengers on this present, Spitfire, however that’s moreover the purpose.
Whereas it wouldn’t shock me if Myers and Edwards are the one little bit of The System to not lose their titles, there’s no apparent subsequent steps for them in the event that they do retain. So, I believe the home of playing cards continues to fall and ABC turn into three-time tag champions. Prediction: ABC
TNA X Division Championship
Mustafa Ali (C) (w/Marketing campaign Singh) v Mike Bailey
Mustafa Ali promised a lot when he left the WWE however the politician gimmick he’s run with hasn’t landed for me. I perceive that it was an efficient approach for him to remain unbeaten for thus lengthy however his matches have all been beset by interference and I really feel far much less engaged with him than I did again in January.
Ali nonetheless hasn’t misplaced a singles match however that streak certainly ends towards a Quebecois in Montreal.
The construct to this match has been goofy, with Mike Bailey having to beat a posse of goons on the go-home present after his tag companion acquired the title shot first, however the go-home angle very a lot telegraphed that it’ll be the Speedball standing tall on Saturday night time. Prediction: Mike Bailey
TNA Knockouts World Championship
Jordynne Grace (C) v Ash By Magnificence (w/George Iceman)
It has been apparent since she got here into the promotion that Ash By Magnificence, the previous Dana Brooke, would problem for the title in some unspecified time in the future.
Fortunately, the promotion haven’t simply given her the post-WWE rocket push and made her appear like a dominant monster. As an alternative, she’s lurked in and across the title image, gained some and misplaced some. Ultimately, she acquired her title shot by being an instigator, interfering in Jordynne Grace’s match with Roxanne Perez at NXT Battleground and costing her a shot at successful each titles, resulting in Grace providing her a match right here.
Though they might ebook Grace to lose as she will get caught up in her personal hubris, she’s the most effective expertise they’ve within the Knockouts Division by a good distance and I see no motive why they need to take the belt off her earlier than she leaves early subsequent yr. So, I count on interference from George Iceman on the skin, Rosemary to run him off, and possibly extra shenanigans moreover earlier than Grace retains. Prediction: Jordynne Grace
Six-way elimination match for the TNA World Championship
Moose (C) vs. Josh Alexander vs. Steve Maclin vs. Nic Nemeth vs. Frankie Kazarian vs. Joe Hendry
I wasn’t offered on Moose successful the title for a second time again in January and his reign has achieved nothing to alter my notion. His matches haven’t been nice and I’ve seen nothing to recommend that he’s a significant, high of the cardboard act in any approach.
Coming into this six-way, Moose hasn’t misplaced a singles match in additional than two years. That might imply he goes to the ultimate two or it might imply he goes out first. Both approach, this must be the top of his run as champion.
Whereas some say that he’s acquired no charisma, I believe Steve Maclin is without doubt one of the finest components of the TNA roster. Him as a babyface wasn’t one thing I’d thought of however when it occurred, I realised it was what I wanted. His depth and elegance makes him excellent for a match like this however it’s onerous to see him successful the belt once more.
If Nic Nemeth was going to be champion he’d have gained by now and he appears to have a ready-made programme with Frankie Kazarian arrange popping out of this present anyway. Kaz has been efficient as a heel however going from one heel champ to a different is not sensible, significantly in the primary occasion of a present like this.
That leaves Josh Alexander and Joe Hendry.
If I had the pencil, Josh Alexander can be the one you place over each single day of the week. I’m an unabashed fan of his however I actually consider he’s the most effective on this planet and when you put him on high, in his native Canada, it delivers a feel-good second and means far increased foremost occasion match high quality than they’ve had underneath Moose.
I don’t have the pencil although, and which means you look to Joe Hendry. I’ve been on the Joe Hendry prepare loads longer than most – neglect WCPW, I’ve been watching ICW for greater than a decade so I’ve seen extra Joe Hendry than most likely anybody. I used to be delighted when he acquired his second probability in TNA and I’m delighted that he’s acquired over the best way he has this yr and had the moments he’s had in NXT. He’s additionally a much better employee than folks give him credit score for. Is he a World Champion, although? In my thoughts no however I believe he’s using the crest of a wave that they gained’t need to ignore. Prediction: Joe Hendry