Impact Slammiversary 2018: Moose Can Be A Winner In Defeat

Impact Wrestling are less than a week away from Slammiversary 2018, their summer spectacular that looks to build on the positive momentum of the last seven months. In the main event, Austin Aries looks to defend his world title against, first-time challenger, Moose.

The stage has been set for a contest that, logic would dictate, will see the former NFL player victorious and walking away with the gold. Sounds perfect, right? Right? Hmmmm, I’m not convinced that Slammiversary 2018 is Moose’s time. Here’s why.

The Slammiversary 2018 card is stacked. I’ve been unwavering in my support and have praised the promotion for the quality of the overall product in 2018. It seems crazy that it is the strength of the pay per view that makes me worry for the main event. In short, the under card threatens to outshine Moose’s quest for the most prestigious title in Impact Wrestling. Lets take a look.

Sami Callihan takes on Pentagon Jr in a hair vs mask match. A personal feud between two of Impact’s grade-A talents, Sami has been the most consistently entertaining heel in wrestling this year. Pentagon, in spite of language barriers, oozes charisma. The build to this  match has taken in stolen masks, superbly prickish promos from Callihan and the finest 6-man match on free television in many a year (see below). This feels like it will steal the show.

The LAX gang war will ignite in a street fight between Ortiz and Santana, taking on The OGZ of Homicide and Hernandez. The Scarface saga of professional wrestling has slowly built to this feud opening bout. With the aid of masterful storytelling and the addition of all manner of weapons, this could be a brutally violent, angry, hate-fuelled hardcore war.

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Similarly, Eddie Edwards and Tommy Dreamer will bring extreme levels of blood and violence to the culmination of their student/mentor divorce. Impact Wrestling’s resident soap opera, this off shoot of the Callihan/Edwards war is the most dramatic and personal of the PPV.

Having attacked Dreamer, drawn colour and believing Tommy to be fooling around with his wife, Alisha, Eddie wants to pave his path to insanity in the Hardcore Icons blood. This won’t be a classic, but I’m sure it’ll be memorable.

These three matches have developed organically and (perhaps) comprise the most successful and entertaining feuds that Don Callis et al, have engineered.

Add in the horror movie stylings of Su Yung vs Madison Rayne, the suicidal expectations emanating from Brian Cage vs Matt Sydal and this card looks set to achieve great things. And in fairness to the remaining matches, creative have given weight and meaning to every bout on the show.

So where does Moose vs Aries sit amongst this sea of potential? From my perspective, somewhere in the middle. The use of video packages instead of weekly physicality has been a bold choice. These productions have used the classic boxing/UFC approach to promoting a fight: who are these men? Where do they come from and where are they going? Why must these men fight and win? Slickly produced and giving insight into each wrestlers POV, these have been especially effective for Moose.

Having won a random, throwaway number one contenders match, versus Eli Drake, Moose’s road to the title was disappointingly flat. I’m a Moose fan, but there was no storytelling involved in Moose’s selection as the next in line to the throne. This is an oversight from the creative team. Every hero needs a journey, with obstacles, bumps in the road and levels to climb. Fortunately, the video production team salvaged this mis-step with a mix of home videos, one on one interviews and reasons to root for the challenger.

Aries’s video is equally as well produced. However, in terms of excitement, Moose/Aries will have a massive challenge to follow the majority of the, more dramatically satisfying, under card. If only Moose’s path to glory had been given a little more thought and time, I might be a little more hyped for the main event.

And Aries is such a great heel champion. Who wants to see him lose the title in the culmination of a good, rather than great, rivalry?

The question of whether Moose is ready for a main event spot has still yet to be answered. Moose is an ever improving talent. He has good matches, is over with the crowds and has a genuine affinity for the professional wrestling world. As I say, I’m a big fan but…

…his promos need work. He rarely shows a real fire and passion in backstage interviews. The video packages hide this by putting Moose in a natural, “just talking”, environment. Moose, to really connect needs to translate the intensity of his in-ring work into his verbiage. To be ‘the guy’, Moose will need to find that missing ingredient.

I’m not rooting for a Moose loss at Slammiversary, but I genuinely believe that a heart breaking loss might do more for him, than an underwhelming win on a card that could have peaked on the mid card. Taking the defeat to heart, Moose could then vow to return for “his” title when he knows he is ready. And so begins his real journey to greatness. He could get his redemption at, errrr…

…The Redemption PPV next year! I don’t like to fantasy book (that way lies madness), but I really want Moose’s title win to start in a spectacular fashion.

Moose could spend the next year building a ‘big match’ reputation. To be Mr Impact Wrestling, he needs to become the go to guy every week.  A catalogue of memorable match ups will earn a reputation that will mean he sits at the apex of every card. When that title opportunity swings around once more, there’s no chance Moose doesn’t ascend to become, The Man.

So, how does Sunday go for A Man Called Moose? My brain has Moose take the title. In a way, I hope he does, in a match that exceeds all expectations and goes onto be a tremendous champion and torch-bearer for Impact Wrestling. 

My heart wants Aries to retain. Rarely a fan of outside interference, perhaps this main event could benefit from a little salt and pepper. A DeAngelo Williams heel turn? Unsigned and perhaps done with the NFL, is this the start of the former Steelers pro wrestling career? Maybe a face from the past, returns to assist Austin? A Bully Ray? James Storm? Scott Steiner? Wishful thinking maybe, but crazier things can, do and have happened!

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What do you think? Am I being too harsh? Is it Moose’s time? Should Slammiversary be the big man’s crowning achievement? Comment below! I’m genuinely intrigued as to what the temperature is like in The Moose Nation.

We’ll see how the landscape has changed come Sunday. Win, lose or draw, Moose is in an enviable position: even in losing, Moose can, and will, be a winner.