7 Ups & 5 Downs From IMPACT Slammiversary 2023 (Review)

3. Too Long With Nothing To Show

Eddie Edwards vs. Frankie Kazarian was fundamentally a solid pro wrestling match. The strikes were heavy, the slams were stiff, and the dives were potent, but clocking in just shy of 18 minutes, it was difficult to remain invested for the entire match.

It dragged on.

And on.

And on.

Outside of a fiery Eddie Edwards suicide dive, there was little in the way of excitement, as the match relied heavily on rest holds, walking-and-brawling, and ringside shouting matches involving their wives - Alisha Edwards and Traci Brooks, respectively - who added nothing of note to the bout, outside of an ineffective referee bump that saw Traci seemingly twist her arm while Spearing Alisha.

Eddie cracked Kazarian with a kendo stick into a Boston Knee Party for the win, but this finish wasn't the expected one, nor the justifiable one, for a bout billed as the rubber match. There'll be low interest in seeing a fourth match between the two if this is the quality of their pay-per-view work. It's fine for heels to cheat, but in this situation, it shouldn't have been the finish.