IMPACT Wrestling Slammiversary 2021: 10 Things That Must Happen

The buzz is in the air once more: IMPACT Wrestling's Slammiversary pay-per-view goes down this Saturday (17 July), and again, once more, the company are being cheeky. Surprises are confirmed. The world is changing again.

But who's showing up?

We know Ruby Soho (Riott) won't be there. The very recent WWE releases are a possibility if WWE has made any more clerical issues à la Malakai Black in AEW. Hell, Kazuchika Okada and Tetsuya Naito have even been teased, two of Japanese wrestling's biggest current gets. Also, you know, Yujiro Takahashi.

Yay for 'The Tokyo Pimp'?

Even aside from these lucrative debuts/returns, the card is sublime from beginning to end. There's a marquee World Championship match between Kenny Omega and Sami Callihan, an Ultimate X match for the first time in a couple of years, a tantalising four-way bout for Violent By Design's World Tag Team Championships, and the guarantee of at least one massive surprise in Deonna Purrazzo's mystery opponent.

While not quite as buzz-worthy as last year's Slammiversary, IMPACT Wrestling have pulled out all the stops here. It's going to be enthralling, but they must get absolutely everything right to make it work.

Can they achieve that?

Yes, if they do this:

It's IMPACT Wrestling's first event with a live audience in over 15 months. They're going to be buzzing, finally bringing some life to an otherwise empty Skyway Studios. Keep in mind that IMPACT literally ran a contest where über-fans of the promotion could put forward a reason as to why they deserve to attend Slammiversary. The (limited capacity) crowd is going to be red hot.

How else are you supposed to welcome them back than with the first Ultimate X match to take place in over two years?

You need something huge to welcome the audience back in style. IMPACT likely won't do a big gathering on the stage like WWE did at WrestleMania 37 - and will likely do again on Friday's SmackDown episode - because, unlike Vince and co., Scott D'Amore's team know they can rely on the X Division.

Ultimate X matches are always enthralling contests, regardless of the participants involved. Here, though, you've got a good mix of styles; the cocky nonchalance of Ace Austin and Rohit Raju, the innovation of Chris Bey and Trey Miguel, the experience factor of Petey Williams, and that strong style arsenal of Josh Alexander. Hell, Madman Fulton and Shera - presuming they will be - could cause some serious damage at ringside around this structure.

Don't dawdle on another potential show-stealer. Go the obvious route.