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IMPACT Wrestling Slammiversary is this Saturday on pay-per-view and is one of the biggest events for the company. Over the years, the show has built a legacy of holding the Match of the Year for IMPACT. The stars of the promotion always seem to step up and deliver their best performances at this summer's event. With 16 shows in the history of this event, there have been many standout performers.
AJ Styles has furthered his spot as one of the greatest to ever step foot in an IMPACT Wrestling ring at Slammiversary, while Gail Kim has often taken center stage and added legitimacy to the Knockouts division. Over recent years, Sami Callihan has been awarded two Match of the Year awards for his efforts here.
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With this year's event coming up this weekend, it seems like an ideal time to look back and remember the greatest matches to take place on this show. In this article, let's take a look at the six greatest Slammiversary matches of all time.
#6 Gail Kim vs. Taryn Terrell - Last Woman Standing Match (Slammiversary 2013)
The Knockouts division has been one of the hallmarks of IMPACT Wrestling for a number of years. To many fans, the greatest Knockout of all time is Gail Kim. She has had many memorable feuds with the likes of Awesome Kong and Jacqueline, but Taryn Terrell would enter that conversation ahead of the 2013 Slammiversary.
At Lockdown 2013, Velvet Sky defeated Gail Kim to successfully defend the Knockouts Championship after special guest referee Taryn Terrell interfered. Gail would get a measure of revenge by attacking Terrell backstage. Taryn was put on probation and then eventually fired as a Knockouts referee, but she was then signed as a competitor to face Gail Kim at Slammiversary.
The bout was made the Last Woman Standing Match with ODB as a special guest referee and proved to be one of the hardest hitting Knockouts encounters in company history. The two ladies didn't hold anything back and went at it non-stop. It was a physically intense, brutal match with an exhilarating finish.
Gail Kim looked to finish Taryn Terrell with a piledriver on the ramp, but Terrell countered and hit a huge cutter off the ramp to the floor. ODB counted both women out, but Taryn was able to make it to her feet before the count of 10 to win this contest. The Slammiversary match elevated Taryn to eventual Knockout Championship gold and proved why Gail Kim was one of the best in the world.
#5 Pentagon Jr vs. Sami Callihan in a Mask vs. Hair Match (Slammiversary 2018)
While the Last Woman Standing Match was physical, it didn't have the level of violence that was showcased at Slammiversary 2018. At this pay-per-view, Sami Callihan and Pentagon Jr. settled their fierce rivalry in a unique stipulation. No titles were on the line, instead they were in a Mask vs. Hair Match.
Callihan, along with his oVe group, had tormented Pentagon Jr. in the months leading into the 2018 Slammiversary. Sami had even gone as far as to steal the sacred mask of Pentagon. He also attacked Penta's brother Rey Fenix under the guise of the luchador. Penta responded by picking off each member of oVe ahead of the show.
At Slammiversary 2018, the Mask vs. Hair Match became the bloodiest war in the event's history. Pentagon Jr. and Sami Callihan used anything they could to deliver punishment to their opponent. There were steel chairs, baseball bats and even spikes used in gruesome ways. The pain was across both men's faces just as much as the crimson masks that they wore.
Sami was his usual brutal, sadistic self and ripped at the mask of Pentagon, trying to reveal his face in the middle of this Slammiversary 2018 match. Pentagon went to extremes just as much as his enemy, though. Pentagon hit an insane Fear Factor piledriver on steel chairs that only got a nearfall.
He followed up with superkicks, broke the arm of his opponent and finished him with another Fear Factor to get the win in thrilling fashion. Things just didn't end there because of the pre-match stipulation ahead of the 2018 Slammiversary, though.
Following the match, Pentagon and Fenix fought off oVe and trapped Sami Callihan on the ramp. They then proceeded to shave his head bald in a final act of revenge. This Slammiversary 2018 match was dramatic, crazy and just a pure brawl throughout. It won IMPACT Wrestling's Match of the Year for 2018 and rightfully so.
#4 AJ Styles vs. Bully Ray in a Last Man Standing Match (Slammiversary 2011)
As previously mentioned, AJ Styles made a habit of having showstealing performances at Slammiversary during his time with TNA. That trend continued in the 2011 edition, where he faced one of his stiffest challenges to date in Bully Ray. The Team 3D member turned on his long-time partner D-Von and went on a revitalized run that proved that he could be a singles star.
After his transformative heel turn, Bully Ray joined the Immortal stable headed up by Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff. AJ Styles was a member of Fortune that was also aligned with Immortal until they turned on them representing TNA against the heel faction. Styles and Ray had animosity with one another following this turn and led to a blow-off at the 2011 Slammiversary in a Last Man Standing Match.
The Slammiversary 2011 contest went all over the building with the two men using whatever wasn't nailed down to put their opponent down for the count of 10. Steel chairs, chains and tables were used as weapons in vicious ways. Ray was the more powerful and extreme of the two, but Styles had a speed advantage along with his high-risk arsenal.
AJ Styles put his high flying ability to the next level in the conclusion of this Last Man Standing Match. With Bully Ray sprawled across a table, AJ Styles climbed the steel rigging structure near the stage over 25 feet in the air. He then flew off with an elbow drop through Bully Ray on the table in one of the most insane spots in Slammiversary history.
It looked as if this would Styles the victory. However, Bully kicked AJ down as he was getting up and got up at the count of nine to win the Last Man Standing Match. This Slammiversary 2011 encounter would become a signature win for Bully Ray in his eventual march to win the TNA Heavyweight Championship.
#3 Kurt Angle & AJ Styles vs. Bad Influence for the TNA Tag Team Championships (Slammiversary 2012)
The 2012 Slammiversary marked a decade since TNA started. One of the biggest matches of the night would include four pillars of the foundation of the company. AJ Styles was a star from the very beginning. He was the first X-Division Champion and triple crown winner in TNA history. His partner at the show was the company's biggest acquisition, Kurt Angle.
Their opponents and TNA Tag Team Champions, Bad Influence, had their own rich history in the promotion. Christopher Daniels was another star who was in TNA from the start, while Frankie Kazarian elevated the prestigious of the X-Division Championship before winning tag gold with Daniels. They also made AJ Styles's life a living hell after turning on their former friend.
Due to that animosity, AJ Styles came out and immediately attacked the champions to start things off hot at Slammiversary. The action only picked up from there and never let up. Daniels and Kazarian made expert foils for Styles and Angle, isolating the emotional AJ for a good portion here.
Eventually, Styles tagged Kurt Angle, who brought a bevy of suplexes to Bad Influence, including an impressive double german suplex. In the end, Styles would take out Daniels with an amazing springboard Shooting Star Press from the ring to the floor. Angle then locked on the ankle lock on Kazarian for the submission win at Slammiversary 2012.
This was easily the match of the night and delivered awesome exchanges between all four men. The title change became one of the best moments of the night and added another layer to the long-term storyline between AJ Styles and Bad Influence. It still stands as arguably the best tag team match in Slammiversary history.
#2 Christian Cage vs. Kurt Angle vs. AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe vs. Chris Harris in the King of the Mountain Match for the TNA Heavyweight Championship (Slammiversary 2007)
Prior to Slammiversary 2007, the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship was the top prize in TNA. At Sacrifice the month before, Christian Cage defended the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship against Sting and Kurt Angle in a three-way match. In a convoluted finish, Sting rolled up Cage, while Angle tapped out Sting in the ankle lock.
TNA decision maker Jim Cornette vacated the title and made a King of the Mountain Match, the main event for Slammiversary to determine the first TNA Heavyweight Champion. Christian Cage, Kurt Angle, AJ Styles and Samoa Joe qualified for the contest, while Chris Harris was a last minute addition.
The different rules for the King of the Mountain Match meant that the participants in this Slammiversary 2007 main event had to score a pinfall or submission over one of their opponents before qualifying to hang the title above the ring to win. The encounter was filled with big spots and fever pitch action. Samoa Joe was a world beater, while Kurt Angle put in a superb effort.
AJ Styles brought his high risk versatility as well as tremendous selling and Christian Cage was bumping like crazy in this Slammiversary main event. Chris Harris put on what many felt was a star-making performance. He put his body on the line on many occasions and more than held his own alongside the Hall of Fame talent that he shared the ring with.
It came down to Christian and Angle fighting on top of the ladder to hang the gold above the ring. Chris Harris came out of nowhere with a spear that took down Cage and left Angle all alone. Kurt hung the title above the ring and became the first TNA Heavyweight Champion to end Slammiversary 2007.
This was undoubtedly the best King of the Mountain Match in IMPACT Wrestling history. It had everything that was necessary to be a top notch contest that legitimized the TNA Heavyweight Championship. Everyone came out looking better after the 2007 Slammiversary, especially Chris Harris. This was an exceptional main event that more than made the entire pay-per-view worthwhile.
#1 Sami Callihan vs. Tessa Blanchard in an Intergender Match (Slammiversary 2019)
Slammiversary 2019 had one hell of a lineup for the big summer event for IMPACT Wrestling. Brian Cage defended the IMPACT World Championship against Michael Elgin, while Johnny Impact looked to take the X-Division Championship from Rich Swann. Despite those huge title matches, the company chose a non-title, history-making bout as the main event.
Tessa Blanchard was a former Knockouts Champion who reached her peak against the ladies of the company after a remarkable contest against IMPACT Hall of Famer Gail Kim at Rebellion 2019. Having already been at the top of the Knockouts division, Tessa ventured off to new horizons and found herself drawing the ire of Sami Callihan.
This animosity led to the first intergender match to ever headline a professional wrestling pay-per-view at Slammiversary 2019. Both competitors brought bats to the ring, with Tessa Blanchard holding a special gold one matching her attire. Blanchard came out aggressive, hitting head scissors and then a suicide dive to start things off.
Sami gained control by hitting a death valley driver on the floor and appeared to dictate the pace. With Callihan having the advantage, he taunted and toyed with his Slammiversary opponent. This didn't deter Tessa though. She countered Sami and hit a Samoan Drop. Blanchard then followed with a Tornado DDT for a nearfall.
Sami put down Tessa and locked her in a STF, which Blanchard fought to the ropes to break. She then reversed the Cactus Driver attempt off the top into a draping code breaker for a two count. After the referee was taken out, Tessa nailed Sami with a low blow, a bat shot and The Magnum for another close nearfall. She followed with a crossface and looked close to victory.
However, Sami Callihan powered out and hit a Gotch tombstone for a nearfall. He then followed with The Cactus Driver for the win. Tessa Blanchard refused to quit throughout this Slammiversary main event. Not only did she earn the respect of the IMPACT Wrestling fans, but Tessa also earned Sami's, who handed her his bat as a sign of respect.
This was an incredible main event that won IMPACT Wrestling's Match of the Year for 2019. This set the foundation for a magical run for Tessa Blanchard that led to her eventually defeating Sami Callihan for the IMPACT World Championship months later. Due to this and the history-making significance of the bout, Tessa vs. Sami is the greatest Slammiversary match of all time.
