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Slammiversary was arguably IMPACT Wrestling's biggest event in recent history. Seen as "the beginning of a new chapter" for the company, several former IMPACT Wrestling wrestlers returned to the promotion, as well as several new faces making their debut appearances.
However, it was an IMPACT Wrestling stalwart that achieved the greatest accomplishment at Slammiversary. Eddie Edwards became a 2-time IMPACT World Champion after winning a Fatal 5-Way Elimination Match against Eric Young, Ace Austin, Rich Swann and Trey Miguel for the vacant World Championship.
Seen as the "heart and soul" of IMPACT Wrestling, many fans and colleagues were thrilled to see Eddie Edwards once again win "the big one".
The new IMPACT World Champion announced during the following episode of IMPACT Wrestling on AXS TV that he will also be a fighting champion. Eddie Edwards will hold a weekly open challenge for the IMPACT World Championship, open to all comers on the IMPACT Wrestling roster and beyond.
So, what names can we expect to see challenge Eddie Edwards for the IMPACT World Championship in the future? Let's take a closer look at five possible challengers.
#5 Eric Young
Eric Young has done it all in IMPACT Wrestling. EY was previously a member of the IMPACT Wrestling roster from 2004 to 2016. During that period of time, Eric Young won every championship possible in the company, becoming the 4th TNA Grand Slam Champion and 7th TNA Triple Crown Champion.
However, Eric Young departed IMPACT Wrestling in 2016, moving to WWE and having a successful run in NXT as the leader of the Sanity faction. But, this success would be short lived in WWE. Once the faction was drafted to Smackdown in 2018, Eric Young would only make sporadic appearances for WWE, largely being reduced to an enhancement talent.
Eric Young would be released by WWE in April of 2020, as part of the mass budget cuts by the promotion associated with the coronavirus pandemic. Once his 90-day non-compete clause expired on July 18, Eric Young made his surprise return to IMPACT Wrestling at Slammiversary competing in the IMPACT World Championship main event.
After being eliminated by Rich Swann, Eric Young would unleash a vicious assault on Swann, attempting to injure the former X-Division champion's surgically repaired ankle in the process.
Once Eddie Edwards announced the weekly IMPACT World Championship open challenge, Eric Young was first to stake his claim for a future World Championship opportunity.
However, Eddie Edwards stated that he would not allow EY to have a shot at the IMPACT World Title, due to Eric Young's actions at Slammiversary in attacking Rich Swann.
But, given the psychotic mad man that Eric Young is portraying in IMPACT Wrestling currently, it seems inevitable that the former TNA World Heavyweight Championship will receive an IMPACT World Championship opportunity in the near future.
#4 Ace Austin
At 23 years of age, Ace Austin had the opportunity to become the youngest World Champion in IMPACT Wrestling history at Slammiversary. Unfortunately for Ace Austin, he was unsuccessful in his pursuit of the IMPACT World Championship, but there is still time for Ace to break records.
Ace Austin would be the final participant eliminated in the match, leading to Eddie Edwards becoming the IMPACT World Champion. Considering that Austin was the final wrestler to be eliminated in the match, and on several occasions came within one second of eliminating Eddie Edwards himself, the former X-Division Champion could have a legitimate claim that he deserves another opportunity at the IMPACT World Championship.
The youngest IMPACT World Champion in IMPACT Wrestling history is Tessa Blanchard. Blanchard was 24 years old when she won the IMPACT World Championship at the Hard to Kill pay per view in January 2020.
Ace Austin has roughly 12 months to break Tessa Blanchard's record of being the youngest World Champion in IMPACT Wrestling history. Given the acrimonious way in which the relationship between the company and Tessa Blanchard ended, perhaps an Ace Austin IMPACT World Title opportunity and reign would be a way of removing Tessa Blanchard from the record books.
#3 Brian Myers
A former TNA World Tag Team Champion, it was announced last week during IMPACT Wrestling on AXS TV that Brian Myers has once again re-signed with the organisation.
During the program fans saw a very brief vignette, which ended with the reveal of Myers' face and the news that the former Curt Hawkins would now be calling IMPACT Wrestling his new home.
While many fans expected Brian Myers to return to promotion, it hasn't dampened the excitement of what storylines and matchups Brian Myers will be involved in once he makes his re-debut with the company.
Given the mystery nature of the IMPACT World Championship open challenge format, perhaps answering Eddie Edwards' open challenge would be the perfect way to reintroduce the IMPACT Wrestling audience to Brian Myers.
As Curt Hawkins in WWE, most fans recognise Brian Myers as the wrestler who amassed a losing streak of 269 matches in World Wrestling Entertainment. Therefore, IMPACT Wrestling will want to debut Brian Myers in the biggest and best way possible to show to the IMPACT audience that Brian Myers is a major player in IMPACT Wrestling and not the guy that lost every week in WWE.
Brian Myers being revealed as the mystery challenger for Eddie Edwards' IMPACT World Championship in a future IMPACT World Championship open challenge could be the perfect way to reintroduce Brian Myers in the biggest and best way possible.
#2 Moose
Is Moose currently a World Champion? According to Moose himself, yes. Since IMPACT Rebellion, Moose has appeared with the old TNA World Heavyweight Championship, in it's 2011 - 2017 design.
After defeating both Hernandez and Michael Elgin, Moose crowned himself as the "new" TNA World Heavyweight Champion and dubbed himself as "The Real World Champion".
Moose has subsequently "defended" the TNA World Heavyweight Championship against the likes of Suicide, Hernandez, Crazzy Steve, Fallah Bah and Tommy Dreamer at Slammiversary in an Old School Rules match.
After being attacked by the newly returned EC3 last week during IMPACT Wrestling on AXS TV, it would appear that Moose is scheduled to feud with Ethan Carter III in the near future in IMPACT Wrestling.
However, with the IMPACT World Championship open challenge format, anyone can step up and challenge Eddie Edwards' for his IMPACT World Championship. If Moose truly wants to prove that he is "The Real World Champion", perhaps Moose should challenge Eddie Edwards for the IMPACT World Championship and remove all doubt in who "The Real World Champion" in IMPACT Wrestling truly is.
#1 Matt Cardona
Matt Cardona is currently one of the hottest free agents in all of professional wrestling. Cardona is best known as Zack Ryder during his 15 year run with WWE. The former WWE Intercontinental and United States Champion was released in April of 2020 as part of mass budget cuts by the organisation due to the coronavirus pandemic and would certainly be a fine addition to the IMPACT Wrestling roster.
Although it's always sad to see anyone lose their job, many fans were glad that Zack Ryder may finally have the opportunity to truly show what he can do inside of a professional wrestling ring and meet his full potential. Perhaps Matt Cardona can reach his potential in IMPACT Wrestling?
At times, Zack Ryder was one of the most popular superstars on the WWE roster. However, despite Intercontinental Championship, United States Championship and Tag Team Championship reigns, from an outsider's point of view, it always felt as if WWE never truly had faith in Matt Cardona. Despite all of the momentum that the Long Island Ice Z character would generate for himself on Social Media, Cardona would consistently lose matches or be kept off of WWE television.
Therefore, now that Matt Cardona is longer with WWE, we may finally be able to see the very best version of him that there is. As of yet, Cardona has yet to announce which promotion he has signed with post-WWE. However, like many of the WWE Superstars released in April, Cardona continued to hype up his 90 day non-compete clause expiring on July 18, 2020, which was the same date of IMPACT Wrestling's Slammiversary pay per view.
Now that the date has come and gone, many are anxious to see where Cardona ends up next. Given that his former long time friend and tag team partner Brian Myers has signed with IMPACT Wrestling, many are assuming that Cardona could follow suit.
Debuting as the mystery opponent in Eddie Edwards' IMPACT Wrestling World Championship Open Challenge could be the perfect way to see the former Zack Ryder debut with IMPACT Wrestling.
One of Samoa Joe's colleagues had harsh words for him HERE
