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IMPACT Wrestling Slammiversary 2021 was one of the most newsworthy pay-per-views of the year so far. The company promised a night where the world would change to follow up on last year's event where The Good Brothers, Eric Young and others returned or debuted for the promotion. There were plenty of rumors heading in, that fans would see WWE releases and other free agents arrive.
Slammiversary 2021 definitely delivered on their promises and produced plenty of memorable moments. From the likes of No Way Jose to teases at the former Aiden English, the promotion opened its doors for some underutilized talent. They also showed their willingness to work with other promotions with appearances or teases of stars from AEW, NJPW, NWA and AAA.
With such a buzzworthy event in the books, it is extremely tough to quantify the magnititude of what fans witnessed on this night.
In this article, let's take a look at the five takeaways from IMPACT Wrestling Slammiversary 2021.
#5 Hot Mess return (IMPACT Wrestling Slammiversary 2021)
Matt Cardona had his back against the wall heading into IMPACT Wrestling Slammiversary 2021 with his former best friend Brian Myers and his former lover Tenille Dashwood joining forces against him. He looked to his real-life fiance to be his tag team partner on this evening with former IMPACT Knockouts Champion Chelsea Green returning to the company.
Green had just got done with her 90-day non-compete clause and made an appearance for another promotion, but this came as a pleasant surprise. Despite the arm injury that she suffered in WWE, "Hot Mess" came out with a lot of energy and felt revitalized on IMPACT Wrestling Slammiversary 2021.
The presentation of Matt Cardona and Chelsea Green together just felt right and was beautiful to watch. With IMPACT Wrestling promoting their next special as Homecoming with a "Homecoming King and Queen" being crowned, it should be interesting to see if their real-life partnership continues on screen after the 2021 Slammiversary.
#4 X-Division once again proves themselves as the most exciting performers in IMPACT with Ultimate X (IMPACT Wrestling Slammiversary 2021)
Heading into IMPACT Wrestling Slammiversary 2021, the Ultimate X Match was one of the potential showstealers on the night. The performers of the X-Division have long been a hallmark of the promotion, delivering the most exciting and exhilarating matches seen in their history. With this new batch of athletes here, it was a chance to stand out on this huge pay-per-view.
Right from the start, the action was fast and breathtaking in this Slammiversary opener. Ace Austin and Trey Miguel were flying around with dives to the outside. Chris Bey showed off his excellent footwork in trying to avoid opponents.
Rohit Raju was at his comedic best in the Ultimate X Match. First, he couldn't reach the wires due to being too short and then would come up with different methods to get the title like a rope or a hook to pull it down. X-Division Champion Josh Alexander showed off his arsenal with suplexes to his opponents. Petey Williams showed his advanced experience compared to everyone else at different points.
There were so many cool spots in this Ultimate X Match that could have taken 'moment of the night' for Slammiversary 2021. There was a unique submission train spot, with Alexander hanging from Ultimate X. Chris Bey gave Ace Austin a cutter off the top rope.
The best highlight in the Ultimate X Match had to be Petey's Super Canadian Destroyer on Chris Bey who was Alexander's shoulder in an electric chair. This lived up to any and all expectations set before it. Josh Alexander's eventual win felt like confirmation of his place within the company. This truly was one of the best matches of the night and a fantastic way to open Slammiversary 2021.
#3 Mickie James and Thunder Rosa tease a new partnership with NWA (IMPACT Wrestling Slammiversary 2021)
Deonna Purrazzo's run of dominance as Knockouts Champion was one of the main selling points for IMPACT Wrestling Slammiversary 2021. Gail Kim said she would have a mystery challenger at the pay-per-view. Purrazzo wouldn't know who she would be facing until tonight. In a shocking debut, it was NWA and AEW's own Thunder Rosa.
The former NWA Women's World Champion has been one of the best women's wrestlers in the world and has taken the wrestling world by storm over the past year. Her classic Unsanctioned Lights Out Match against Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. on AEW Dynamite stands as one of the best matches of 2021 so far. This presented a stiff challenge for Purrazzo at Slammiversary 2021.
Deonna and Rosa had a brilliant contest that had crisp wrestling and strong storytelling. Thunder Rosa was amazing in her IMPACT Wrestling debut and showed why she is a sought after performer for so many promotions. Deonna Purrazzo displayed her technical expertise and finished Rosa with the Queen's Gambit to retain the Knockouts Championship.
Before Deonna could celebrate, the music of Hardcore Country hit. Former WWE Superstar Mickie James arrived at Slammiversary. She stole Deonna's moment and invited her to the NWA Empowerrr event coming up in August that James is producing. Purrazzo responded by telling Mickie "to grab her trash bag and get the hell out of here".
This led to Mickie nailing Purrazzo with the Mick Kick to stand tall. The debut and return of Thunder Rosa and Mickie James signals a crossover partnership between IMPACT Wrestling and NWA. With Deonna Purrazzo potentially at the Empowerrr pay-per-view and Mickie making appearances for IMPACT, Slammiversary has shown that the two companies have resolved their past issues.
#2 Kenny Omega proves himself as the Best Bout Machine again (IMPACT Wrestling Slammiversary)
The main event of IMPACT Wrestling Slammiversary 2021 saw Kenny Omega defending his IMPACT World Championship against Sami Callihan in a No Disqualification Match. Omega's reign has been criticized and polarizing for some fans, so there was a good amount of interest in the result here. However, those focusing too much on the outcome might miss a classic bout.
The No Disqualication stipulation played into the chaotic in-ring style of Sami Callihan. He has made a name for himself as a death-match performer and has been in brutal contests with the likes of Pentagon Jr. and Eddie Edwards in IMPACT Wrestling before. At Slammiversary 2021, this gave him a distinct advantage.
Despite Sami getting his match of choice, Kenny Omega proved once again why he is the Best Bout Machine by having an encounter out of his comfort zone. Omega took some brutal bumps and spots in this main event. Callihan split Kenny open with a pizza cutter early and later used the piledriver on "The Belt Collector" through a table at ringside.
Sami followed that with a backbreaker on a trash can and a powerbomb through wood. Omega matched the extreme nature of this contest by using a fork to bust open Callihan and even used the fork to fish hook his opponent's mouth. The level of insanity in Slammiversary's main event was unreal.
A barbwired chair was used and then thumbtacks were introduced in the latter stages of the contest. This became a turning point as Omega used Don Callis as a distraction to throw tacks in Callihan's eyes. He followed with a thumbtack-assisted V-Trigger before shoving thumbtacks in Sami's mouth. Omega then hit another V-Trigger to spell doom for Callihan in this Slammiversary closer.
Kenny Omega finally hit the One Winged Angel on the thumbtacks to retain his IMPACT World Championship. This was an insane main event that had two unbelievable performances. Sami Callihan more than held his own and showed why he is the top guy in IMPACT Wrestling, while Omega proved why he is considered the best wrestler in the world at Slammiversary 2021.
#1 The world changes with the arrival of NJPW's "Switchblade" Jay White of the Bullet Club (IMPACT Wrestling Slammiversary 2021)
The shocking ending to IMPACT Wrestling Slammiversary 2021 saw the arrival of NJPW's "Switchblade" Jay White. The Bullet Club leader and NEVER Openweight Champion came down to the ring to confront The Elite. AEW World and IMPACT World Champion Kenny Omega seemed confused after his victory in the main event over Sami Callihan.
The new IMPACT Tag Team Champions The Good Brothers and Don Callis were in the ring, with Omega celebrating the win before the lights went out to signal White's arrival. While The Good Brothers wanted to welcome Jay White, Kenny Omega seemed hesitant and unsure of Switchblade's intentions at Slammiversary 2021.
Jay White and Kenny Omega have their own history from their time in NJPW together. Following White's return from an excursion at Wrestle Kingdom 12, Omega invited Switchblade into The Bullet Club the following night. White turned down the offer and laid out Omega to challenge him for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship.
White paid off on the challenge and defeated Omega for the gold, which initiated a falling out with the other Bullet Club members with Cody Rhodes laying out Kenny afterwards. Later that same year, the Guerillas of Destiny excommunicated The Elite from the Bullet Club before Jay White revealed himself as the new leader. Slammiversary marked the first time they have met face-to-face since.
There has been plenty of online banter between The Elite and The Bullet Club over the years since 2018. The two sides have taken credit for the success of the supergroup. With AEW's relationship with NJPW, many believed that the first confrontation between the two factions would happen in All Elite Wrestling. This makes Slammiversary 2021 a huge coup for IMPACT Wrestling.
They have generated a great amount of buzz for the promotion. The Bound For Glory 2021 trailer teased appearances from AEW, NJPW and AAA in Las Vegas for that pay-per-view. Now with Jay White's arrival, many fans are hoping for a showdown between the two Bullet Club leaders. Slammiversary promised the world would change and Switchblade's debut more than delivered.
