MCMAHON’S 7/7 SLAMMIVERSARY REPORT: Live report covering Cage vs. Elgin, Callihan vs. Blanchard, women’s monster’s ball & more

IMPACT WRESTLING SLAMMIVERSARY PPV REPORT
JULY 7, 2019
DALLAS, TEX. AT GILLEY’S
AIRED LIVE ON PPV & FITE TV

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Join me live with co-host Andrew Soucek after tonight’s event for a live post-show with calls.

To stream the show live, CLICK HERE after the event ends.

Or call in to listen or participate: 515-605-9345 (Push “1” after calling to indicate you want to be on the show to provide thoughts on Slammiversary and talk on-air with the hosts).

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— An opening montage aired highlighting TNA’s history.

— As the opening graphic aired, the in-arena announcer could be heard hyping up the crowd.

(1) TJP vs. TREY MIGUEL vs. JAKE CRIST vs. WILLIE MACK  — Four-Way Match

Shortly into the match, all four men were tired up in the corner. Trey was filled off by TJP and they went one-on-one while Willie Mack stayed prone in the corner. Crist came in and tried to go for a pin during a surfboard by Miguel and Willie came off the top with a double stomp on all three men to break up the pin. Crist powerslammed Miguel into the corner for a two count. Crist hit Mack with a Death Valley Driver for a two count. Mack picked up the win with a frogsplash onto Crist.

WINNER: Willie Mack in 10:00 (***)

McMahon: Good opener and what’s become expected of Impact pay-per-views … opening with a multi-man spotfest. Mathews said that this match stole the headlines for the weekend, on the same weekend as UFC and the US women’s soccer team winning the World Cup. Sometimes I think Josh says this stuff on purpose just so people needle him online. There’s trying to sell your product, and I respect that, but that statement is so preposterous it takes me out of the moment, it doesn’t enhance it. The match itself was fun, and what I expected.

— Mathews and Callis ran down more of the card.

— Highlight’s of the North winning the Impact Tag Team Titles on Friday night were shown.

— Melissa Santo interviews The North backstage.

Impact World Tag Team Championship
(2) THE RASCALZ vs. LAX vs. THE NORTH (c) 

The North was trash talking Konnan during their entrance and LAX attacked them to begin the match. The North were taken out early and LAX battled with The Rascalz inside the ring. During the match, Santana was down on the outside. Konnan came to the announce table and said that they needed to get medical attention to ringside. Mathews sounded frazzled for a second and medical personnel arrived at ringside. From there, the attention of the broadcast was back in the ring where The North and The Rascalz were battling. The North double-pinned Ortiz for the win.

WINNER: The North retain in 8:00 (**1/2)

Santana was still down after the match and in some cutaways, you could see referees and doctors tending to Santana’s left leg. Santana was shown on camera screaming that he didn’t want a stretcher. Don Callis got up and went to the arena where Santana was being attended to. The Rascalz also came over to help Ortiz carry Santana to the back. Not sure if that was legit or an angle, but if it was an angle, it was well done and felt legitimate.

McMahon: The match may have been cut short due to the Santana injury … it was hard to tell. The match was good but it fell off the rails when the injury happened and (at least all of my) attention was focused on Santana instead of the ring. The injury looked legit, and if so, here’s hoping Santana has a speedy recovery. He’s a very talented guy and LAX has been one of my favorite acts in wrestling over the last two years. 

— Sami Callihan cut a backstage promo.

— A video package aired on Killer Kross and Eddie Edwards.

First Blood Match
(3) KILLER KROSS vs. EDDIE EDWARDS

Edwards charged Kross as he was introduced and they began brawling on the outside. Kross gave Edwards a powerbomb onto the apron corner and his back made a sick sounding thud against the corner of the ring. Back in the ring, Edwards charged the ropes and Kross, from the outside, threw up a chair and hit Edwards in the head. Kross gave Edwards a gut-wrench suplex off the apron onto chairs on the outside. Kross threw Edwards violently into the corner inside the ring. Kross mocked Edwards, asking him where his “stick” was … meaning the kendo stick. Kross went to the corner and kicked “Kenny” to the outside. Edwards recovered and hit Kross with a Boston Knee Party. Eddie retrieved “Kenny” on the outside. Edwards missed a swing with the kendo stick and Kross locked in a sleeper. Edwards fought his way out and hit Kross with an elbow. Edwards his Kros with a Tiger Driver on the outside. Edwards snapped “Kenny” in half and began stabbing Kross in the mouth with it to make him bleed.

WINNER: Eddie Edwards in 11:00 (***3/4)

Edwards went back up the ramp and celebrated as Kross was in the ring.

McMahon: I had very low expectations for this match, mainly because I think the first blood stipulation is quite limiting, but Kross and Edwards told an awesome story in this match. Kross dominated early and then Edwards snapping his kendo stick for the win was good storytelling. I’m not a huge fan of the zany Eddie Edwards character, but this match was well done all around. 

— Tessa Blanchard was interviewed backstage.

— Rob Van Dam was interviewed by Melissa Santos.

(4) ROB VAN DAM vs. MOOSE

In the ring, RVD rammed Moose into the corner with his shoulder. Moose hit a delayed dropkick in the corner on Moose. Moose then dominated the match’s pace and offense for several minutes. Moose hit RVD with a chokeslam for a two count. RVD missed a frogsplash into the chair and Moose then hit a spear for the win.

WINNER: Moose in 13:00 (***1/2)

McMahon: Moose should have won, and Moose won. Good showing for RVD though, probably his best since returning to the company in the spring. 

— A promo aired for Fallout, next week in Ontario. The promo didn’t say if it was airing on Twitch or Impact +.

— Melissa Santos interviewed Taya Valkyrie backstage.

— A promo aired for Monster’s Ball.

— James Mitchell cut a hype promo in the ring to begin the match.

Impact Women’s Championship (Monster’s Ball)
(5) TAYA VALKYRIE (c) vs. ROSEMARY vs. SU YUNG vs. HAVOK

The match started hot with Rosemary-Su Yung and Havok-Taya squaring off to begin. Chairs were thrown in the ring. Taya tried to use a staple gun on Havok but it was defended. There’s also a trash barrel in the ring. Havok was knocked off the apron with a garbage can. Taya stapled Su Yung in the back. Taya then pulled a photo of herself out of her cleavage and stapled it to Su Yung’s head. Taya ripped the photo off of Su Yung and shoved it in her mouth. Havok elbowed Taya off the top rope through the chair. Havok hit two running boots to Taya’s face. Rosemary landed a missile dropkick on Havok. Rosemary attacked Havok with a cookie sheet but Su Yung cut her off with a dog collar and began choking Rosemary with the chain. Su Yung put the collar on Rosemary and herself. Taya brought a ladder into the ring and took out Su Yung and Rosemary. Taya dropped Havok onto the ladder with a body scissors. Taya set up Havok on the ladder inside the ring and then went to the top rope but Su Yung intercepted her. Rosemary was back involved as all three women were locked up in the corner. Rosemary and Su Yung went crashing onto the ladder as Havok moved out of the way. Havok tried to rush Taya but missed and crashed through a chair set up in the corner. Rosemary went under the ring to get tacks. Rosemary grabbed Taya, but Taya evaded. Taya hit Rosemary with a German Suplex (not in the tacks). Taya stomped Rosemary’s face into the tacks but Havok broke up the pin. Su Yung went to mist Havok but she ducked and Su misted Mitchell. Rosemary and Taya went through a table off the apron. Su had Havok with a mandible claw on the top rope. Havok gave Su Yung a super tombstone onto the tacks and would have had a three count but Taya came in and threw a chair at Havok to the outside, stealing the pin.

WINNER: Taya Valkyrie retains in 13:00 (****)

McMahon: A+ for effort. Rosemary taking a curb stomp into tacks? Wow. The super tombstone into the tacks? C’mon! Great effort all around. 

— A video package aired on Rich Swann as X-Division Champion.

— Melissa Santos interviewed Rich Swann backstage.

Impact X-Division Championship
(6) RICH SWANN (c) vs. JOHNNY IMPACT (w/ Johnny Bravo)

Early in the match, Johnny Bravo collected some tacks from the previous match and threw them into the ring to buy Impact some time. Impact hit a springboard kick off the second rope. Bravo kicked Swann on the outside. Swann hit a springboard DDT on Impact inside the ring to take momentum back. Swann hit Impact with a superkick. Swann covered Impact for a two count. Swann hit a huge Macho Man elbow for a two count. Swann took out Bravo on the outside with a leg lariat. Impact missed a dive to the outside. Impact hit a springboard kick. Impact went up top and hit Starship Pain for a two count. Impact looked shocked. Swann hit a Fenix Splash for the win.

WINNER: Rich Swann retained in 15:00 (***1/2)

McMahon: Really fun athletic match and a showcase for Swann, who gets a huge (clean) win over Johnny Impact. I’m done with the Johnny Bravo antics — it just doesn’t add anything to Impact, and I think it takes away from him as a heel — but I can get past that given how good the match was.

— Michael Elgin cut a promo backstage.

— A video package aired on Brian Cage vs. Michael Elgin.

Impact World Championship
(7) BRIAN CAGE (c) vs. MICHAEL ELGIN

Early into the match, Elgin was in control and he was beating on Cage’s injured back. Elgin hit a huge lariat in the ring. Elgin took off his elbow pad and began terminator clapping. Elgin hit a running clothesline and then his a second Elgin Bomb but Cage kicked out at two. Cage hit a discus clothesline. Elgin hit a Canadian Destroyer for a two count. Cage hit another powerbomb and then a Drill Claw for a two count. That earned a “fight forever” chant from the live crowd, who was on their feet and into everything Elgin and Cage are doing. Cage’s back went out going for a Drill Claw and Elgin hit a forearm and kick to Cage’s head. Elgin hit two huge forearms on Cage but he stayed on his feet. Cage snuck a pin on Elgin with a sit-down pin after Elgin missed a clothesline.

WINNER: Brian Cage regains in 10:00 (****)

After the match, Elgin attacked Cage from behind and took the championship belt. Elgin took the belt over to Don Callis at the announce table. Callis was telling Elgin to leave but Elgin threw Callis into the ring. Callis was begging Elgin to stop. A masked man hit the ring and gave Elgin a spear and the masked man ran off through the crowd. The masked man looked a lot like Rhyno. Mathews stammered and was confused at ringside. Callis returned to the announce table as Elgin slowly got up inside the ring. Callis returned to the headset and said, “what the hell just happened?” Callis said that Elgin was out of control.

— Mathews announced that Bound for Glory will take place on October 20. A video aired hyping that Bound for Glory will take place from Chicago but no venue was advertised.

— A hype video aired for Callihan vs. Tessa Blanchard.

(8) SAMI CALLIHAN vs. TESSA BLANCHARD

Tessa hit a tilt-a-whirl head scissors to bring down Callihan. Tessa hit Callihan with a tope. Tessa hit Callihan with a second tope. Then, Tessa went back into the ring and hit Callihan with a third tope, but Callihan caught her and swung Tessa’s head into the railing (twice) before a Death Valley Driver onto the mat on the outside. Tessa beat a 10-count on the outside and Callihan had his back turned. Callihan kicked Tessa in the head and said to her, “I said this would happen.” Tessa tried to fight back but Callihan hammered Tessa back to the mat. Tessa hit a cutter to make a comeback. Tessa hit the rope and then ran into a huge boot by Callihan. The action spilled to the ramp. Callihan told fans to move and went to powerbomb her into the crowd but Tessa fought out and hit a cutter on the ramp. The referee was counting as both Tessa and Callihan crawled back into the ring. Callihan begged Tessa to hit him so Tessa did it twice. Callihan asked Tessa if that’s all she had? Then Tessa went nuts on Callihan, who got out of it by hitting a low blow. Tessa hit a Samoan Drop. Tessa hit a DDT for a two count. Callihan stepped over Tessa and locked her in an STF. Tessa dragged Callihan to the rope and broke the hold. Tessa threw some live-round forearms and punches at Callihan. The ref was knocked down by Tessa, who went to check on the ref and then Callihan hit Tessa with a baseball bat. A second official ran to the ring and Tessa kicked out at two. Callihan took out the second official. Tessa spit at Callihan and then hit a low blow. Tessa grabbed a golden bat and hit Callihan in the stomach with it. Tessa went up top and hit a flying codebreaker for a two count. Tessa floated over into a crossface on Callihan. Mathews screamed at Callihan to tap. Callihan got up and hit a package tombstone for a two count. Tessa gave Callihan the thumbs down. Callihan hit a piledriver on Tessa for the win.

WINNER: Sami Callihan in 15:00 (****1/4)

Replays were shown after the match.

McMahon: After a great back-and-forth and emotional match, the finish was a dud with the heel winning with a standard piledriver (after everything that Tessa kicked out of). The finish aside, it was a very strong match. Definitely up there with the other top matches on the show. 

Callihan stalked Tessa with both bats after the match. Callihan handed Tessa her gold bat and then left the ring. Callihan blew her a kiss from the top of the ramp.

Then, the show went off the air.

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Join me live with co-host Andrew Soucek after tonight’s event for a live post-show with calls.

To stream the show live, CLICK HERE after the event ends.

Or call in to listen or participate: 515-605-9345 (Push “1” after calling to indicate you want to be on the show to provide thoughts on Slammiversary and talk on-air with the hosts).

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