12 Ups & 2 Downs From IMPACT Wrestling Slammiversary 2021

by Adam Morrison

1. A Legitimate Match Of The Year Contender

Christ, there was a reason we had to wait 498 days for fans to come back into the IMPACT Zone; it was to allow the promotion to prepare for such a match.

The first Ultimate X match in over two years was met with a rapturous ovation that never died down, a match that over-delivered in places, a match that paid tribute to the Ultimate X matches of old. It ruled harder than it needed to.

Trey Miguel's powerslide DDT, Ace Austin's Moonsault of the Ultimate X structure, and Chris Bey's insane Tope con Hilo where he barely had any momentum, still connected perfectly, and landed on his feet were all moments of excellence here. Towards the end, it became clear that all six guys were setting the standard for the pay-per-view. Josh Alexander literally hung from the Ultimate X cables while holding Bey in an ankle lock as part of a submission chain. Later, Petey Williams fell from those cables to spike Bey with a Doomsday Canadian Destroyer. F*ck!

Ace springboarding towards the title as Alexander and Bey were fighting over it a la AJ Styles from Final Resolution 2005, only to miss, was an admirable callback. That Josh Alexander retained the title is is hard evidence that IMPACT are indeed set on pushing him hard, as per the Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer.

No matter the outcome, this was a solidified banger. Hats off to all.

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Contributor

Can be found raving about the latest IMPACT Wrestling signing, the Saints Row franchise, and King Shark in The Suicide Squad.