Storylines
The event featured several professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds, plots, and storylines. Wrestlers portrayed heroes, villains, or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that build tension and culminate in a wrestling match or series of matches. Storylines were produced on Impact's weekly television program. [6]
On May 11, Impact Wrestling announced a Gauntlet for the Gold for the May 12 episode of Impact!, with the winner earning an Impact World Championship match against Josh Alexander at Slammiversary. [7] On the May 12 episode of Impact!, Eric Young won the Gauntlet for the Gold by last eliminating Chris Sabin to become the number one contender for the title. [8] [9] [10] On the May 19 episode of Impact!, Alexander would come to the aid of The Briscoes from a post match attack by Young and his Violent By Design group. [11] This would lead to a match on the May 26 episode of Impact! where Violent by Design would defeat Alexander and The Briscoes when Young pinned Mark Briscoe. [12] In an effort to weaken Violent By Design, Alexander would face Joe Doering on the June 9 episode of Impact!, but would lose by DQ when he was caught using a VBD flag on Doering followed by a standoff with Young. [13] There would be a tense contract signing between Alexander and Young on the June 16 episode of Impact! where Violent By Design would attack Scott D'Amore and Alexander ultimately leaving him bloody after a Young piledriver on the exposed wood portion of the ring. [13]
On May 11, Impact announced that Ace Austin would defend the Impact X Division Championship at Slammiversary in an Ultimate X match, and several qualifying matches would take place in the weeks leading up to Slammiversary. [14] Kenny King, Mike Bailey, and Trey Miguel qualified for the match by defeating Chris Bey, [8] [9] Laredo Kid, [15] [16] and Alex Shelley, [17] [18] respectively. [19] On the June 2 episode of Impact!, after King defended his spot against Blake Christian, former Impact and All Elite Wrestling (AEW) wrestler Jack Evans was announced as the fifth participant. [20] [21] On June 3, at the Best of the Super Juniors event held by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), Austin joined Bullet Club. Backstage after the incident, Austin's former tag team partner Alex Zayne confronted Austin and Bullet Club, only to be attacked. [22] [23] As a result, the following week on Impact!!, Zayne was announced as the last participant in the Ultimate X match. [24] [25] On the day of Slammiversary, it was announced that, due to Evans suffering an injury, Andrew Everett would take his place in the match. [26]
On the May 12 episode of Impact!, Knockouts executive Gail Kim announced the first ever Queen of the Mountain match, with Tasha Steelz defending the Impact Knockouts World Championship against previous champions Chelsea Green, Deonna Purrazzo, Jordynne Grace, and Mia Yim. [8] [9] [27] On June 10, Impact announced that former four-time Knockouts World Champion Mickie James will serve as the match's special guest enforcer. [28]
On the May 19 episode of Impact!, The Briscoes would successfully defend the Impact World Tag Team Championship against Joe Doering & Deaner and also The Good Brothers defeated Matt Taven & Mike Bennett. [11] The May 26 episode of Impact! would feature Scott D'Amore making a tag title match at Slammiversary between The Briscoes and Good Brothers. Also on that show, The Good Brothers would taunt The Briscoes saying they can't be considered the best team till they beat them. [12] On the June 2 episode of Impact!, The Good Brothers would mock The Briscoes about beating them at Multiverse of Matches leading to a brawl. [29] The June 9 episode of Impact! would have footage of The Good Brothers at the Briscoe Family Chicken Farm in Delaware, mocking it and having a wild brawl with The Briscoes and their father. [13] On the June 16 episode of Impact!, The Briscoes would defeat Jay White & Chris Bey despite having fellow Bullet Club members (The Good Brothers and Hikuleo) at ringside. [30]
On the May 26 episode of Impact!, during a match between Impact Wrestling originals Chris Sabin and Frankie Kazarian, Honor No More (Eddie Edwards, Matt Taven, Mike Bennett, PCO, and Vincent) attacked both Sabin and Kazarian. This was after Taven and Bennett were denied a rematch with The Good Brothers Impact World Tag Team Championship The Briscoes, proclaiming that "if they can't have what they want, nobody can". [17] [18] Taven and Bennett went on to defeat Heath and Rhino the following week, before the rest of Honor No More came and target Rhino with steel chairs. While Rhino was stretchered out of the arena, Kazarian and The Motor City Machine Guns (Sabin and Alex Shelley) arrived before anymore damage was done. [20] [21] After the incident, Impact Executive Vice President Scott D'Amore announced a ten-man tag team match for Slammiversary, pitting Honor No More against a team of Impact Originals, which by then consisted of Kazarian and the Motor City Machine Guns. [31] On the June 16 episode of Impact!, former Impact World Champion Nick Aldis (then known as Magnus) was announced as the fourth member of the Impact Originals. [32] [33] [34]
After having his ankle broken by Moose seven months ago, Sami Callihan made his return at Under Siege, attacking Moose when he attempted to hold the show hostage. [35] In the following weeks, Callihan would continue to play mind games with Moose, either attacking him after the arena lights or messing with the electronics. [20] [21] On the June 9 episode of Impact!, Callihan and Moose brawled backstage, to where Callihan eventually locked Moose in a boiler room. [24] [25] Impact later announced that Callihan and Moose will collide at Slammiversary in a Monster's Ball match. [36]
On the May 12 episode of Impact!, The Influence (Madison Rayne and Tenille Dashwood) would successfully defend the Impact Knockouts World Tag Team Championship against Gisele Shaw and Alisha Edwards. [37] On the May 19 episode of Impact!, The Influence would celebrate their win and mock Rosemary and Havok about recent Knockouts title losses, leading to Havok challenging the undefeated Masha Slamovich to a match. [11] That match would happen on the May 26 episode of Impact!, where Slamovich would defeat Havok soundly and quickly leading to her disappearing from Impact. [12] On the June 2 episode of Impact!, The Influence would mock Rosemary about Havok's disappearance leading to a match the next week. [29] On the June 9 episode of Impact!, Rosemary would defeat Dashwood (w/ Rayne). Afterwards The Influence would attack Rosemary until Taya Valkyrie made the save, though they had some tension from their previous feud. [13] The June 16 episode of Impact! would have Rosemary and Valkyrie settling their past with each other since they have a tag title shot at Slammiversary. [30]
On May 28, at the Vegas Vacation event held by The Wrestling Revolver, Rich Swann defeated Matt Cardona to win the Impact Digital Media Championship. Afterwards, Cardona refused to give up the title, attacked Swann after the match, and made it off with the title belt. [38] [39] On the June 9 episode of Impact!, Cardona appeared on a Zoom call with tag team partner Brian Myers, "relinquishing" the title to the latter after suffering a torn bicep. [24] [25] [40] Myers would later challenge Swann to a Digital Media Championship match at Slammiversary to determine the "real" champion. [41]
On June 14, Impact would announce that the Reverse Battle Royal would return at the Slammiversary preshow. [42] Raj Singh, Shera, Johnny Swinger and Zicky Dice made it known on the June 16 episode of Impact! that they intended to win it. [30]
