Affect Wrestling
Slammiversary 2023
July 15, 2023
St. Clair School
Windsor, Ontario, Canada

Watch: FITE

Slammiversary, one in every of Affect Wrestling’s two largest exhibits of the yr, takes place this coming Saturday (July 15). Predominant eventing at St. Clair School in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, is Trinity difficult Deonna Purrazzo for the Affect Wrestling Knockouts World Championship. 

Coming into this present, Affect has had two distinct identities. On the one hand, the promotion delivers distinctive and largely compelling matchups on the enterprise finish of the cardboard. On the opposite is an outfit that seems to be reserving the underside half of the cardboard by rote, utilizing the identical tropes and patterns we’ve seen a number of occasions this yr. 

The reserving of the 2 important title matches, Trinity vs. Purrazzo and Alex Shelley in opposition to Nick Aldis for the Affect World title, will set out the corporate’s stall for the final a part of 2023. 

Countdown to Slammiversary
Jody Menace & The Loss of life Dollz (Courtney Rush & Jessicka) v The SHAWntourage (Gisele Shaw, Savannah Evans & Jai Vidal)

Jody Menace made her Affect Wrestling debut again in March, and 4 months into the experiment, I stay unimpressed. Though she’s largely been in squash matches, her work has accomplished nothing for me, and there’s nothing about her that screams star. 

She must be on the successful finish right here, although, as a result of as a lot as I’d like Gisele Shaw and Savannah Evans to get a win that would set them up for a future Knockouts Tag Title match, placing the babyfaces over appears the logical route. Prediction: Jody Menace & The Loss of life Dollz

Countdown to Slammiversary
Affect Wrestling Digital Media Championship
Joe Hendry (C) v Kenny King (w/Sheldon Jean)

Affect’s latest tour of Australia confirmed what Joe Hendry can do when he has easy matches with respectable opponents. 

My hope is that we get extra of the identical right here in opposition to Kenny King, who has been fairly stable for the 18 months or so of his present Affect run and has been pushing towards this match for some time. 

The possibilities are we get one thing extra sports activities entertain-y, although, with the brand new King and Sheldon Jean pairing working the numbers sport to safe the title. Prediction: Kenny Ok-I-N-G

Eddie Edwards (w/Alisha Edwards) vs. Frankie Kazarian (w/Traci Brooks)

This assembly might be third between the 2 within the final six weeks. In precept, I’ve no situation with that – the core story of them being the divergent veteran progeny of the identical coach is fascinating, and I believe their work collectively has been largely good. My important situation is that it’s the second trilogy story we’ve had within the final six months. 

For many who aren’t common viewers of Affect, Eddie Edwards’ matches during the last PPV cycle (since April’s Riot occasion) have featured much more heel schtick together with his spouse, Alisha, working interference on the skin. That was the deciding issue within the second match between Edwards and Frankie Kazarian, resulting in Kazarian’s spouse, ‘The Authentic Knockout’ Traci Brooks, coming to ringside for this one. 

This one appears pretty reduce and dried from a reserving perspective. Alisha will intervene early on, solely to be canceled out by Traci. That may go away Edwards and Kazarian to have a enjoyable ending stretch, with the babyface Kazarian going over to win the feud and transfer on as much as one thing extra. Prediction: Frankie Kazarian

Bully Ray & Deaner vs. Scott D’Amore & TBC
Darren McCarty will function the Particular Visitor Enforcer

Are we there but? Are we on the finish of the Bully Ray in Affect Wrestling in 2023 arc? Lastly? I gained’t consider it till I see it, however this might and must be the top for him within the promotion.

It’s not been my cup of tea from the get-go however in actuality, this match is much less for me than it’s for the stay Windsor crowd, who Affect is relying on to pack the venue to observe their man Scott D’Amore step again into the ring and provides the heels the comeuppance they deserve.

D’Amore, the Affect president, has labored seven matches within the final 14 years and simply two for the reason that pandemic. The final time he was in a hoop was for a comedy tag match on Affect’s gimmick federation present final December, teaming with Eddie Edwards, Josh Alexander, Josh Mathews, and Rhino to defeat Crowbar, Mahabali Shera, Kon, and the Beer Metropolis Bruiser. Yep.

As a lot as I haven’t appreciated the feud, Affect has put the work in, and the video packages and promos involving D’Amore have been legitimately nice.

Sadly although, the match took a success within the final days earlier than the occasion, with Steve Maclin dominated out via harm. Maclin would have been the workhorse of the match, and shedding him is a giant blow – whereas Deaner is a succesful employee, he’s not the identical type of star or madman. 

D’Amore’s companion can be up within the air, with the promotion saying PCO’s standing is unsure as a result of Ray and Maclin poured lighter fluid on him and set him on hearth on the penultimate present earlier than the PPV. Once more, Yep. 

So, I see three doable setups for D’Amore’s companion. One would see PCO being changed by Tommy Dreamer, which means his arc with Bully Ray comes full circle as properly. One other would see the particular enforcer and four-time Stanley Cup champion Darren McCarty step in as D’Amore’s companion to get revenge on Ray for Ray placing him via a desk at Sacrifice. The third possibility is PCO popping out in the course of the match, exemplifying his Frankenstein character by battling via the ache to assist Scott. 

No matter method they play it, my important hope is that this doesn’t take up an excessive amount of of the present and that it’s enjoyable and foolish at a naked minimal. Like, critically, if we don’t have a correct Crew Canada reunion, we’ve received all of it mistaken. Oh, and that it truly ends with Scott pinning Bully Ray. Prediction: Scott D’Amore, the bells and the whistles

5-way Final X match to find out the No. 1 Contender to the Affect Wrestling X-Division Championship
Mike Bailey vs. Jonathan Gresham vs. Angels vs. Kevin Knight vs. KUSHIDA

As has been the case on a number of earlier Affect exhibits, I think that this match might be given the present opener spot. With good motive too as a result of as a lot as I dislike the dearth of qualifiers for the match, the star-quality right here will nearly actually result in an awesome match.

Whereas I don’t know this, my assumption is that the winner of this match will get their shot on the title at one in every of Affect’s stay exhibits in August, so both Multiverse United 2 or Emergence. 

Mike Bailey is probably going getting an IWGP Junior title shot at Multiverse United to repay his win over Hiromu within the Better of the Tremendous Juniors, so it’s tougher to see him successful this. 

KUSHIDA or Kevin Knight could be good picks in the event that they’re planning on doing the match at Multiverse United, significantly with the previous’s connection to Chris Sabin and his typically robust reserving in Affect. 

That stated, I’m leaning extra towards Jonathan Gresham to win right here. As a lot as I really feel Affect aren’t transferring the needle on Mike Bailey as they need to be, I really feel like Gresham is the one most in want of a win. Prediction: Jonathan Gresham

Affect Wrestling Knockouts Tag Crew Championship
The Coven (Taylor Wiler & Kilynn King) (C) vs. Masha Slamovich & Killer Kelly

Masha Slamovich and Killer Kelly have bonded as a workforce in latest weeks in what can solely be described as a really sexual method. The clip under can converse of my behalf…

As a workforce, Taylor Wilde and Kilynn King are good staff however their gimmick kills my curiosity in them stone useless. Though that’s prone to be dialled down now that Jimmy Jacobs has gone, a change of titles is the one acceptable transfer right here. Prediction: Masha Slamovich and Killer Kelly

4-way match for the Affect Wrestling World Tag Crew Championship
ABC (Ace Austin & Chris Bey) (C) vs. Subculture (Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster w/ Dani Luna) vs. Wealthy Swann & Sami Callihan v Brian Myers & Moose

Whereas presently listed as a four-way, I think it’ll in all probability be a five-way by bell time in Windsor because the returning Zachary Wentz was going through Chris Bey on the go-home present. 

Whether or not it’s 4 groups or 5, I don’t know why it’s a multi-team match within the first place. The easy, apparent story for this present was ABC defending in opposition to Moose and Brian Myers. Myers had been managing The Good Fingers, who fell quick of their title problem at Towards All Odds, and he ought to have parlayed that have for a shot of his personal alongside a former Affect World Champion in Moose. 

I do know I’m fantasy reserving however bear with me. If that they had accomplished that because the title match, you might have had Wentz & Trey Miguel going through Sami Callihan & Wealthy Swann in a No.1 Contender’s match. Then, when you wished to make use of Subculture and provides them a win, you might have caught them on the pre-show. 

Affect has gone with the multi-team format once more, although, and meaning it’ll in all probability be go-go-go from the outset and numerous chaos with out a lot construction. My view is that ABC retain right here and transfer right into a program with Wentz and Miguel afterwards. Prediction: ABC

Affect Wrestling X-Division Championship
Chris Sabin (C) vs. Lio Rush

On paper, that is the very best match on the whole card. The ground might be simply lacking the pocket book, and the ceiling is Affect’s finest match of the yr. 

I’m that prime on this match for 2 causes. One is that Lio Rush has been nice in every single place he’s been this yr, and his charisma has leaped off the display screen in his Affect appearances. The opposite is that Chris Sabin is arguably pretty much as good now as he’s ever been, and his fashion goes to mesh splendidly with the velocity and carnage of Rush.

Sabin’s story is inherently tied to Alex Shelley’s within the subsequent match. Whereas the World title match is tough to select, I can’t see each males shedding and meaning Sabin retains right here. Prediction: Chris Sabin

Affect Wrestling World Championship
Alex Shelley (C) vs. Nick Aldis

Of the matches that genuinely matter on this present, that is undoubtedly essentially the most difficult to foretell, and alongside Sabin-Rush is the one I’m trying ahead to most.

So far as the roles of champion and challenger goes, the 2 key actors right here couldn’t be extra diametrically opposed.

You have got Shelley as champion, fulfilling a spot that he all the time thought he ought to have however was by no means in a position to or by no means allowed to attain beforehand. Whereas he’s an organization man, he’s not the speaking type or the suit-and-tie type. He’s a person of few phrases however a thousand holds, and now the self-confidence he has all the time appeared to lack.

Standing reverse him as challenger is Nick Aldis. He’s a talker, he’s a suit-and-tie wearer. He’s a special type of firm man, the kind of company dream that made him a favourite of previous reserving regimes. Certainly, whereas he’s 4 years Shelley’s junior, his first World title reign got here a decade earlier than Shelley’s.  

Though they stalled a bit in getting there, Aldis’ heel flip and subsequent promos have been good and have set the stage for what might be an awesome conflict of types. Aldis has his in-ring limitations, however Shelley is the precise particular person to work round his fashion to provide one thing particular.

By way of reserving tells, there are issues working in each males’s favor. 

Aldis is purportedly on a short-term deal, so might he be shedding right here in what is going to in the end quantity to little greater than a routine protection?

Contrastingly, Affect’s previous exhibits a historical past of tortured babyface icons that had quick first title reigns. Sabin had one and it lasted 28 days. James Storm had one, and it lasted eight. Josh Alexander’s first was lower than a day. Shelley might be at 36 at bell time, so is he on the right track to lose the belt nearly as quickly as he received it? 

However then once more, how does this not happening final telegraph the outcome? Does it take away the drama and make a title protection extra apparent, or does it make Aldis’ heel shenanigans to win extra palatable because the present will finish with a babyface win? 

I’m actually undecided, however Aldis successful is my present clubhouse chief. Prediction: Nick Aldis

Affect Wrestling Knockouts World Championship
Deonna Purrazzo (C) vs. Trinity

Signing Trinity in April was a wise transfer from Affect. It may not have been her first selection, however for Affect she was a giant title and somebody that has been a needle mover, not less than from a digital perspective.

That is the second the place she has to point out her value as an in-ring act and face of the corporate transferring ahead. 

Deonna Purrazzo is the most secure wager and erstwhile largest star in Affect’s girls’s division, delivering on the mic and within the ring and stepping up this yr for a 3rd title reign when Mickie James received harm. 

Trinity is succesful within the ring and on this match, realistically one of many largest that the promotion can ebook, she’s received the prospect to have the very best match of her profession. No matter how good it’s although, her successful is the one method this present ought to finish. Prediction: Trinity