What’s the story?
While promoting the upcoming pay-per-view Slammiversary, the head honcho of Impact, Jeff Jarrett, had teased that “the most powerful, influential resident of Orlando, Florida” will be associated with the event. Wrestlingnewsworld and NoDQ.com reveal that it is going to be none other than the NBA legend, Shaquille O’Neal.
In case you didn’t know....
Slammiversary XV will be the first pay-per-view of Impact Wrestling in 2017. There are seven matches confirmed for the show, including the main event bout between Lashley and Alberto El Patron to unify the Impact Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship and the GFW Global Championship.
The heart of the matter...
Shaquille O’Neal has made numerous appearances in WCW and WWE. The basketball legend was also a part of the Andre the Giant Memorial battle royal at WrestleMania 32, where he had an epic staredown with the Big Show. The two Giants were rumoured to collide this year, at WrestleMania 33 but the match fell through as WWE and Shaq couldn’t settle a deal.
If O’Neal appears at Slammiversary, we can expect that he will be involved in a segment at the pay-per-view. Even, a physical altercation with a member of the Impact roster can’t be ruled out considering his previous records at a pro-wrestling show.
What’s next?
Slammiversary XV will be held at the Impact Zone in Orlando, Florida on 2nd July 2017. This year’s show will be the thirteenth event under the Slammiversay pay-per-view series.
Author’s take
Since regaining the authority of Impact Wrestling earlier this year, Jeff Jarrett has only targetted to revive the promotion.
In this scenario, Slammiversary will be acting as an important event as it will be representing the new era of Impact. The presence of someone like Shaquille O’Neal in the show will not only provide it mainstream acknowledgement but also generate a buzz in the pro-wrestling industry.
