Roundtable: Slammiversary 2018

On a scale of 1-10, how excited are you for Slammiversary?

Devonte Grant: 4/10

Jack Goodwillie: I’m at a six. I’m just beginning to test the waters of the new TNA/iMPACT product toes first before I fully commit and jump back in the water. That said, TV has improved by the week and the company has picked out a very interesting venue to hold the show that’ll give it a slightly different look and feel from Slammiversarys of old, so I’m definitely going to watch.

Chad Gelfand: I’m at a 7. I haven’t seen much Impact Wrestling recently, but from the clips I’ve seen, it seems like it has turned a corner and are heading in the right direction.

John Corrigan: 8…Redemption was so damn good that I’m sure Callis and D’Amore have something even greater up their sleeves for one of the company’s signature events.

Steven Jackson: I have not been as excited for a TNA PPV in years. As there are a couple of matches I’m not that interested in, I’d give it an 8. But considering where the company was 18 months ago, I think that is well deserved high praise! This year I have really got reinvested in Impact Wrestling. There have been some great matches, feuds and segments this year, and I hope all the hard work pays off at the PPV.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXO3hdQO5TI

Which match are you most looking forward to?

Grant: Fenix vs. Johnny Impact vs. Rich Swann vs. Taiji Ishimori.

Goodwillie: This card is a throwback to the WWE cards of old, where you’d have at least some level of excitement for each match. Power vs. speed seems to be a theme here, in addition to high stakes, very personal issues. There’s not much to really pick at. A sleeper pick for me is the LAX vs. The OGz. It’s the Hispanic, modernized version of the Midnight Express vs. Midnight Express storyline, which showed creativity and ambition sorely lacking in today’s wrestling booking. I think it’s a brilliant idea, and I can only hope the match meets those standards as well.

Gelfand: I’ve enjoyed what I’ve seen of the Eddie Edwards/Tommy Dreamer storyline, so I’m looking forward to their hardcore match.

Corrigan: The original LAX is my favorite tag team ever, and the new LAX has become my favorite part of Impact, so I can’t wait for this war.

Jackson: It is a really tough question as there are several. I think because of the great storyline and chemistry they have, Pentagon Jr. vs. Sami Callihan is my pick. Plus, it is high stakes and I really don’t know who’ll win.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTehBqVPo1I

How do you feel about Eddie Edwards’ heel turn?

Grant: It’s interesting, let’s see where he takes it.

Goodwillie: Career babyfaces and career heels may be a thing of the past, sadly. I thought Sami Zayn, like Ricky Steamboat, was unturnable. Yet, they found a way to do it and he has found a way to make it work. The timing of this one is a little weird given how sympathetic of a character he became after the Sami Callihan baseball bat accident, but the way they tied it back to the storyline made a world of sense and it’s a situation I can definitely see being relatable to some. And Tommy Dreamer’s in-character willingness to insert himself into the Edwards-Callihan issue, I guess could make him a heel in the eyes of some. So I guess what I’m really trying to say is two thumbs up! (thus far)

Gelfand: I think that it’s been executed well so far. His dissent into madness after being obsessed with getting vengeance for what Sami Callihan did to him has been excellent story telling.

Corrigan: It’s been a great twist on the feud of the year. The best thing to ever happen to Edwards was getting bashed in the head with that bat. While he’s always been a decent wrestler, his personality was vanilla. Now that he has evolved from avenger to madman, he’s added a much-needed edge to his character.

Jackson: I’m a bit bored of the Eddie Edwards saga. It just went on a bit long for me and I’m disinterested now. The way Eddie is coming across just doesn’t seem natural and the whole thing just seems like a second rate “Lucha Underground” angle. It was so hot and now it is not!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCPbFdu0QBg

Is Su Yung the most captivating woman in wrestling?

Grant: Captivating? Yes. The most captivating? No. However, Yung is very talented no doubt.

Goodwillie: It all depends on how you define “captivating.” I define it as the woman who’s got the most gravitational pull from an attention standpoint. Su Yung is a totally unique character and I like how Impact has given her stable the more believable traits of a cult/gang as opposed to the phony, supernatural stuff that WWE has attempted to pull off as recently as WrestleMania 33 with Bray Wyatt’s petri dish. But, the most captivating woman in wrestling is Ronda Rousey, bar none, until she’s not. Simple as that. And while I think Su Yung walks out as champion on Sunday, keep an eye on Tessa Blanchard, who’s also on this card. Impact is making quite an investment in her, and I would liken it to a football team investing in a franchise quarterback of the future. She’s another women’s wrestler with all the tools you could want in a future star, and given the capital behind her, it won’t be long before she’s atop the Impact women’s division.

Gelfand: I’ve honestly haven’t seen enough of her to form a strong opinion one way or another.

Corrigan: Absolutely. My eyes don’t leave the screen when that disturbingly hot bride comes out. Her commitment to character is commendable.

Jackson: Su Yung is definitely the most interesting/unique character currently in wrestling. She has that original Undertaker/Bray Wyatt vibe that helps make her scarily captivating. In the ring, I don’t find her captivating, but the angles and segments definitely are.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcYAR_MxQqM

Who wins: Austin Aries or Moose?

Grant: Pulling for Moose, all the best to Moose.

Goodwillie: World championships have eluded Moose Ojinnaka not just in Impact, but throughout his career in Ring of Honor, too. This time, however, on the biggest show Impact has done in the Anthem era, Moose gets the job done and carries the belt all the way up to the main event of Bound for Glory.

Gelfand: I think Moose gets the win. This is Impact’s biggest show in a long time and now that Moose has been with the company for a few years, I would consider him an “Impact Guy.” So, I think it would behoove Impact to put the title on and build the company around one of their own guys.

Corrigan: Moose! (flex) Moose! (flex) For the past two years, I’ve been clamoring for Impact to build the company around the incredible, charismatic athlete, and this Sunday will finally be his time.

Jackson: It is Moose’s time. However, Austin Aries won the belt back really quickly from Pentagon Jr., so it could be an Aries’ retain as well. But, I’d like to think it’ll be Moose’s night as he deserves it.