Slammiversary was a very bad PPV from TNA and easily the worst Slammiversary of all time. The show had an underwhelming card going in that featured no King of the Mountain match for the first time in the history of the event, but what really ruined this show was the awful booking. The middle of this show felt like a WCW PPV from the year 2000 with the Russo-riffic booking.

1.    Kazarian vs. Kurt Angle

This was by far the match of the night, albeit an interesting choice as the opener (It must have been years since Kurt Angle wrestled the curtain-jerker). Angle gets the advantage early on by taking down Kaz with a shoulder block and a pair of arm drags before slamming him into the corner. Kaz comes back with a flying dropkick but Angle hits 2 consecutive German suplexes. Kaz hits a mule kick to counter the third and goes to work on Angle in the corner. Kaz hits a leg drop but Angle fights back and hits a backbreaker. Kaz regains the advantage by choking Angle and applying a front face lock. Angle gets out of the hold with a nasty release German suplex and both men are down. They get up slow and trade punches before Angle hits some clotheslines and a back body drop. Angle sends Kaz into the corner and hits a super belly to belly suplex off the top for a near fall. Angle tries for the Angle Slam but Kaz counters with a spinning neckbreaker. Angle hits a powerbomb and applies the Ankle Lock but Kaz fights out and hits a dropkick. Kaz goes up top but Angle puts him back down and puts on another Ankle Lock. Kaz fights out again and goes to the apron, where he jumps over with his slingshot DDT for a 2 count. Angle comes back with 4 consecutive Germans and yet another Ankle Lock, but Kaz again escapes it and hits the belly to back piledriver for a near fall. Angle blocks a springboard move and hits the Angle Slam but also gets a 2 count. Both guys fight on the top turnbuckle but Kaz gets off and powerbombs Angle. Kaz tries for the piledriver again but Angle does a sunset flip and puts on the Ankle Lock. Angle gets Kaz in the center and grapevines the leg, and Kaz taps out. Very good opener, these guys clearly have a ton of chemistry together. Match Time: 14:23     Match Rating: 7.5/10

2.    TNA X Division Championship: Doug Williams(c) vs. Brian Kendrick

This was a pretty good, solid X Division title match, but it did leave you wanting a bit more. Williams is all over Kendrick with very hard hitting offense and dominates the early portion of the match, taking Kendrick down to the mat and applying a front face lock. Kendrick gets out and comes back with some quick offense until Williams hits a big kick to the face. Kendrick is sent outside where Williams sends him into the barricade and hits a back suplex onto the floor. They go back inside where Williams puts on a chin lock. Kendrick fights back with some punches but Williams hits a fall away slam for a near fall. Williams hits a backbreaker but Kendrick comes back with a quick pin attempt. Williams puts on a front facelock before hanging up Kendrick in the ropes. Kendrick comes back with a dive and then a flying dropkick. Kendrick hits a corner splash, a shining wizard, and a flying knee strike for a near fall before rolling up Williams for two. Kendrick tries for a sunset flip but Williams drops down for a near fall. Williams hits a few suplexes but Kendrick kicks out at two. Williams tries for the Chaos Theory but Kendrick bites his wrist. The two fight in the corner where Williams hits a huge Tornado DDT for the win. One of the better matches of the night but nothing too special, it’s a shame these matches aren’t going to get 15-20 minutes anymore like they did 5 years ago. Match Time: 9:36     Match Rating: 6/10

3.    Title vs. Career match for the TNA Women’s Knockout Championship: Madison Rayne(c) vs. Roxxi

This is where the show just really went downhill. Before the match began, Rayne got on the mic and said she was putting it all on the line and Roxxi wasn’t putting up anything. She challenges Roxxi to put her career on the line, and I’m thinking why would Roxxi accept seeing as she already has this title match no matter what? Anyway, Roxxi accepts just as Rayne bashes her in the head with the mic, busts her open, and the match begins. Rayne quickly sends Roxxi to the floor, and Roxxi is bleeding badly. Roxxi came back and rammed Rayne into the turnbuckles, but when she goes up top, Rayne pulls her down for a near fall. Roxxi fights out of an armbar and hits an enzuigiri. This is disgusting to watch with the blood. Roxxi hits some quick offense and a fall away slam before sort of botching her finisher. Rayne no sold it by quickly kicking out and attempting her own finisher. Roxxi hit the Voodoo Drop again but the impact sends Rayne out of the ring to the floor, repeating the same spot from her match with Tara last month. Roxxi tossed Rayne back in, but as she came back in herself, Rayne kicked her and hit her finisher, which she botched. Rayne wins and Roxxi is gone from TNA. This is legitimate from what I have heard, as Roxxi was merely used as a stopgap before Angelina Love could get healthy. The dumb booking, blood, and poor wrestling combined to make this a terrible match. Match Time: 4:20     Match Rating: DUD (0/10)

4.    Brother Ray vs. Jesse Neal

Devon and Shannon Moore come out and Ray gets on the mic to apologize to everyone for how he has been acting. After a 10 minute promo, Team 3D leaves with Neal, but Ray jumps Neal from behind and throws him in the ring to start the match. The point of that promo was what? Ray unloads on Neal with a ton of punches and kicks. Ray rips off Neal’s shirt and chops him before hanging him in the tree of woe and slapping him. Ray pulls him off the ropes with a neckbreaker, rips off Neal’s dog tags, and slaps him. Neal makes a comeback with some shots before hitting a flying body press and a belly to belly suplex. Ray ducks a punch and hits the Bubba Bomb before chopping Neal in the back. All of a sudden, Tommy Dreamer appears in the crowd and does his pose, distracting Ray. Dreamer was TNA’s “big surprise” they promised tonight? Ray kicks a charging Neal in the corner and tries for a diving senton, but Neal avoids it and hits a spear for the win. Terrible, pointless match. Match Time: 5:57     Match Rating: 1/10

5.    Matt Morgan vs. Hernandez

Yet another pre-match promo! Morgan comes out in a neck brace and street clothes, handing the ref a doctor’s note saying he can’t wrestle during his lengthy promo. He starts to leave when Hernandez jumps him from behind and throws him in the ring. The ref rings the bell despite just accepting a doctor’s note saying Morgan can’t wrestle. Hernandez chokes Morgan with his shirt as the ref yells at him. Hernandez drives his shoulder into Morgan and chokes him with his boot. Morgan sends Hernandez to the outside and sends him into the ring post, before returning to the ring where the ref starts to count Hernandez out. Hernandez is back in and Morgan hits the back elbows in the corner and gets a near fall. Hernandez comes back by tossing Morgan across the ring, ripping off Morgan’s shirt, and choking him with it. The ref tries to break it up but Hernandez shoves the ref backwards, and gets disqualified. Hernandez beats up Morgan post match and tries to kick him in the head but somehow kicks the ref, who was in the way. Horrendous booking and a horrendous match, just awful. Match Time: 5:02     Match Rating: 0/10

6.    Monster’s Ball: Desmond Wolfe vs. Abyss

This was probably the worst Monster’s Ball ever, due to the idiotic spots and, going along with the theme of the night, awful booking. Wolfe attacks Abyss with a kendo stick but Abyss hits a big boot and grabs a chair. Wolfe kicks it out of his hands and wedges it in the corner. Abyss sends Wolfe head first into the chair and goes out onto the ramp to his can full of weapons but as he comes back in, Wolfe kicks the ropes to “low blow” him (this just came off looking weird). Wolfe bashes Abyss in the head with a trash can before going into the can of weapons to pull out a TEDDY BEAR wrapped in barbed wire. Wolfe holds the bear and Abyss splashes him in the corner, and Wolfe sells the TEDDY BEAR shot in the stomach. Abyss hands the bear to a confused looking Chelsea before grabbing a black bag from under the ring and dumping out broken glass into the ring. Wolfe flees and Abyss follows, but Wolfe is on him with a kendo stick. They fight near the announce table where Abyss chokeslams Wolfe through the floor in front of the table. Abyss drags Wolfe into the ring and gets a 2 count. Abyss gets a barbed wire board but Wolfe knocks him off the top rope and sends him into it. Wolfe wails on him with the kendo stick but Abyss hits Shock Treatment for a near fall. Wolfe counters a chokeslam and hits Abyss with the kendo stick again, resulting in him falling face first into the glass. Wolfe asks Chelsea for the purse, but the brass knuckles aren’t in there. Chelsea then shows that she has them and tosses them to Abyss. Abyss punches Wolfe in the head with them and hits the Black Hole Slam for the win. Really? That is the payoff to this angle? A dumb heel turn swerve like that? The match was nothing special anyway, just a typical TNA garbage brawl with really dumb spots. Wolfe continues to get buried. Match Time: 11:51     Match Rating: 3/10

7.    AJ Styles vs. Jay Lethal

The string of awful matches was finally broken with this match, however it was pretty disappointing given the hype. After a couple minutes these guys lock up and AJ backs Lethal into the corner where he hits a chop. AJ takes a hard slap and rolls out of the ring. AJ comes back in and does a side headlock, taking Lethal down to the mat. Some reversals and Lethal puts AJ in a headscissors. Both men are up and another side headlock from AJ. Styles hits some chops and a monkey flip but Lethal comes back with some strikes and hits a back suplex. They trade punches before Lethal hits a backbreaker followed up by a headscissors that sends Styles to the outside. As AJ comes back in, Lethal goes out and pulls AJ’s feet out from under him. Ric Flair helps Styles up and Styles gets back in the ring, choking Lethal before Lethal hits a chop. AJ sends Lethal off the top turnbuckle to the mat for a near fall but Lethal comes back with shoulder blocks in the corner and a big kick to the face. Styles hits a back suplex and some punches before tossing Lethal out of the ring, where Flair chokes him with his jacket. AJ tries for a pin but gets a 2 count and puts on a front face lock. Lethal fights out and springs off the ropes with a back elbow. Lethal hits a punch, then a face lock, then another punch, and another face lock. Lethal continues the assault, booting AJ in the corner and hitting a chop before connecting with the Lethal Combination for two. AJ takes Lethal down but Lethal hits a back suplex into a cutter for a close near fall. Styles rakes the eyes and puts on a Figure Four, but Lethal gets to the ropes. Styles hits a brainbuster for two and goes for the Styles Clash, but Lethal fights out and hits a dragon suplex. Flair pulls AJ to the ropes to break the pin attempt. Lethal does a Figure Four but AJ gets to the ropes. Lethal hits a backbreaker but Styles hits a terribly botched Pele. Styles goes to the corner but falls down face first onto the turnbuckle, selling the knee. Lethal hits a botched Northern Lights suplex and gets the win with a jackknife roll-up. Just an okay match that plodded along and had nice spots, but the botches and slow pacing hurt it. Match Time: 17:18     Match Rating: 5/10

8.    Beer Money Inc. vs. Mr. Anderson and Jeff Hardy

This was a decent tag match but was just slightly above TV quality in my opinion. Anderson starts the match by circling and grappling with botch members of Beer Money separately before making the tag to Jeff Hardy. Hardy and Roode lock up with Roode hitting a side headlock and a shoulder block before double teaming Hardy with Storm. Jeff gets to the corner where he goes over a game plan with Anderson. Storm and Anderson are the legal men and the faces double team Storm and Roode. Storm fights Anderson in the corner before Anderson runs to the ropes and is sent to the outside when Roode pulls the ropes down. Beer Money just continues with a bunch of double team moves on Anderson for a bit. Hardy gets the tag and hits a slam but Storm breaks up the pinfall. Anderson pulls out Storm and Jeff hits a Swanton on Roode, but Storm pulls the ref out. Beer Money regains the advantage by double teaming Jeff as the ref screams at Anderson. Storm hits a spike DDT and goes for a couple pins, but Anderson breaks it up. Beer Money just continues to double team Jeff and Roode distracts the ref as Hardy scores a near fall. Roode puts on a front facelock after tagging in but Jeff fights out and goes up top before crashing and burning on a dive attempt. The heels act all cocky but Jeff hits a somewhat botched Twist of Fate on Roode. Both guys tag in their partners and it all breaks down. Storm gets sent out and Hardy leaps off of Anderson’s back onto him on the outside. Roode hits a spinebuster to Anderson, but Jeff breaks up the pin attempt before Storm hits him with the Eye of the Storm. Anderson gets the win with the Mic Check on Roode. This was a very average, plain tag match that had pacing issues and was pretty much barely above TV quality. But on this show, that equals a near highlight. Match Time: 14:05     Match Rating: 6/10

9.    TNA World Heavyweight Championship: Rob Van Dam(c) vs. Sting

Hyped all night long and pushed heavily by the announcers, the main event world title match between RVD and Sting wasn’t very good at all, even though I don’t think anyone expected much. They lock up, with Sting backing RVD into the corner where he beats on him before sending him out of the ring. Sting sends him over the barricade, but RVD starts to fight back, slamming Sting into the barricade a few times. The ref has been down this whole time for no apparent reason. RVD hangs up Sting on the barricade and hits a leg drop to Sting’s back. Sting sends RVD across the barricade yet again and they brawl in the crowd, with Sting throwing RVD into the wall. Sting continues to attack Van Dam as they fight back toward the ring and go inside. Sting hits a couple Stinger splashes in the corner and gets a near fall. Van Dam fights out of a chinlock and hits a couple clotheslines followed up by a superkick. RVD hits a thrust kick and a split-legged moonsault for a 2 count. They fight in the corner with RVD springing off the ropes with a cross body, and connecting with the referee. Sting grabs the bat and beats down RVD with it before Jeff Jarrett comes out and gets the bat (Instead of a King of the Mountain match, we got THE King of the Mountain. Great.). He hits Sting in the gut and cracks him in the jaw with the bat. RVD hits rolling thunder as the ref comes to and gets a close near fall. RVD charges Sting in the corner but Sting moves and RVD gets hung up. Sting misses a corner splash and RVD hits a big kick. RVD hits the Five Star Frog Splash afterwards for the win. Very underwhelming main event, RVD’s lackluster run with the belt continues. Match Time: 11:04     Match Rating: 4.5/10

Overall PPV Rating: 5/10

Tagged with: Apron, Belly To Belly, Clotheslines, Ddt, German Suplex, Germans, Kaz, Kazarian, King Of The Mountain, King Of The Mountain Match, Kurt Angle, Leg Drop, Mule Kick, Powerbomb, Russo, Slingshot, Springboard, Trade Punches, Turnbuckle, Wcw Ppv

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