TNA Slammiversary 2014: Updated Card and Triple-Threat Main Event Preview
The 2014 TNA Slammiversary match card has undergone major changes since Thursday.
The annual pay-per-view is one of the most important shows of the year for the company, but a knee injury to director of wrestling operations and No. 1 contender MVP, according to ImpactWrestling.com, has forced TNA to make drastic changes.
Executive vice president John Gaburick shared the details of MVP's injury on Twitter:
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While Eric Young will still defend the TNA World Heavyweight Championship Sunday, he will now be squaring off with two other challengers in a triple-threat steel cage main event. Two qualifying matches will determine the other two competitors in the match.
Here is all the vital viewing information needed to enjoy the show, the full match card and a preview of the revamped main event.
Where: College Park Center, Arlington, Texas
When: Sunday, June 15, at 7:30 p.m. ET
Watch: Pay-per-view (local service provider)
| Eric Young (c) vs. World Title Qualifier 1 vs. World Title Qualifier 2 | Triple Threat Steel Cage Match | World Heavyweight Championship | MVP |
| Ethan Carter III vs. Bully Ray | Texas Death Match | N/A | ECIII |
| Bobby Lashley vs. Samoa Joe | World Title Qualifier 1 | N/A | Samoa Joe |
| Austin Aries vs. Kenny King | World Title Qualifier 2 | N/A | Austin Aries |
| Manik vs. Tigre Uno vs. Crazzy Steve vs. Sanada (c) vs. Eddie Edwards vs. Davey Richards | Ladder Match | X Division Championship | Sanada |
| Willow vs. Magnus | N/A | N/A | Magnus |
| James Storm vs. Mr. Anderson | N/A | N/A | James Storm |
| Angelina Love (c) vs. Gail Kim | N/A | Knockouts Championship | Angelina Love |
Breaking Down Sunday’s New Main Event
Before Friday’s announcement by TNA regarding MVP’s injury, the whole build for the Slammiversary PPV was centered on the main event match featuring Young defending his world title against MVP.
Up until the final go-home episode of Impact Wrestling on Thursday, the storyline was built on Young vs. MVP, but a freak injury overseas has ruined the chances for the fans to witness what would have been a marquee main event.
As the director of wrestling operations as well, MVP handled the situation in intriguing fashion:
With Samoa Joe scheduled to fight Bobby Lashley and Austin Aries in a match against Kenny King already, MVP made the right choice turning each of these bouts into heavyweight championship match qualifiers.
Regardless of which superstars advance, the resulting triple-threat cage match will be must-watch TV.
The injury to MVP really puts TNA behind the eight ball, but some of the best moments in wrestling history have been a byproduct of unexpected changes to the card. If the company wants to draw interest in the program, it must book this main event to perfection.
In the first qualifier between Joe and Lashley, the hope from many smart wrestling fans is that Lashley takes the victory in a dirty fashion. Whether it’s a cheap rollup or a distraction from King or MVP, a loss would be the best option for Samoa Joe moving forward, as long as it was Lashley that won the world title later in the night.
Aries deserves the win over King because of his long history with TNA and the fact that he is the most talented all-around wrestler on the roster. However, this will be more of an interesting in-ring battle than a determining factor in the title match.
King or Aries could be victorious and add skill to the main event, but neither should win the title.
Many fans feel Young should retain his title, but the truth is that Impact Wrestling’s rating has been dropping since he was given the belt, according to Raj Giri of Wrestling Inc., and a title change could be exactly what the brand needs.
While Lashley isn’t the person most fans want wearing the belt, it would be the perfect chance to appease him for signing with TNA and use him as a transitional champion. With talented stars like Joe, Aries and even the suspended Bobby Roode waiting to hold the world title again, there are plenty of options for Sunday’s show.
With the changes to the main event putting every option back on the table for the creative team, it wouldn't be a surprise if Roode were to return at Slammiversary and play a major role in the outcome of the main event.
Regardless of how the whole show shakes out, the last-second changes have fans genuinely excited for what will be one of the most unpredictable nights in recent TNA history.
Predicted Winner: Bobby Lashley
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