In professional wrestling the main event is by all tense and purposes the money match, it’s the thing fans are coming to see in addition to everything else that’s on the card.

TNA Wrestling are no strangers to this especially when it comes to one of their biggest show of the year: Slammiversary. Often the main event of TNA’s mega summer event can either be the biggest highlight of the night or it’s biggest disappointment.

This list will be focusing on the former as we look at what is arguably the best final matches to cap off one of TNA’s longest standing pay-per-views…With all that out of the way, here are the 10 Best Slammiversary Main Events.

#10. King of the Mountain World Title Match (Slammiversary 2005)

Debuting in early 2003, Raven appeared in TNA with one singular goal on his mine: To fulfill his destiny and become the new NWA World Heavyweight Champion; After failing to do so in matches with the likes of Jeff Jarrett and AJ Styles, fans began to wonder if the former ECW star would’ve ever get his chance in the spotlight as world champion?

These answers came to ahead in the main event of Slammiversary 2005 when NWA World Champion, AJ Styles defended his belt against Monty Brown, Abyss, Jeff Jarrett and a last minute replacement in the form of Sean Waltman aka X-Pac.

However Double J was removed from the match after he got physical with a “fan” in the crowd which led to him being arrested and removed from the building; In his place was Raven who proceeded to take part in what would be Slammiversary’s signature match.

Highlights include AJ Styles and Monty Brown sending Abyss into tables at two very different points in the match, Waltman hitting the ‘X-Factor’ on Styles off the ladder, Abyss getting payback by sending Styles crashing to the outside onto a table…culminating in Raven finally achieving his destiny and becoming the new NWA World Heavyweight Champion. 

The action itself was botchy in a few places but this was a TNA Wrestling crowd in 2005, so you know the fans were all in for everything the company was making and this match is no exception.

#9. Alberto El Patron vs. Bobby Lashley (Slammiversary XV)

Although you might be hard pressed to remember a time in which fans actually liked the former Alberto Del Rio, his run in TNA or at least the early stages of it had some promise so when El Patron defeated Lashley to become IMPACT World Champion…Things were looking up until management decided to strip him of the gold following the controversial finish to the match.

This led to months and months of build up for the rematch which took place at Slammiversary 2017 where Patron battled Lashley for both the GFW and IMPACT World Championships in a unification match with each man being flanked by their respective parties on the outside.

While not exactly known for using power moves in much of his matches, Alberto certainly was able to keep up with Lashley in this match which is really saying something as Lashley tossed and slammed El Patron around like a ragdoll even hitting a running powerslam onto the steel steps.

Alberto’s use of kicks and punches were able to keep Lashley at bait but not for long and El Patron’s determination in trying to make the former MMA fighter tap out with the cross armbar proved fruitless when Bobby countered into a powerbomb and even applied his own armbar submission later on in the match to which Alberto managed to escape.

The self proclaimed “Pride of Mexico” would put Lashley away after a double footstomp from the top rope to become the undisputed world champion…Shame Alberto’s personal life led to this reign and his career falling to the waste side.

#8. Nick Aldis vs. Alex Shelley (Slammiversary 2023)

The Machine Era of 2023 saw tag partners: Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin become big stars in their respective division as Sabin became a ten time X Division Champion and Shelley finally becoming the IMPACT World Champion for the first time in his career.

The sheer surprise factor of seeing Shelley become world champion not long after Steve Maclin won the belt at Rebellion was truly something, but it also began a feeling amongst the fandom on if the title change was made to make Shelley become a “transitional champion” especially as Magnus aka Nick Aldis had just returned to the company and was dead set on becoming the world champion again.

This led to both men squaring off in the main event at Slammiversary and it was a wonderful clash in styles as Aldis’ traditional way of wrestling collided with Shelley’s more techinical, fast paced style of action.

From the champion spewing water right into Nick’s face in the opening seconds of the match to Shelley relentlessly targeting the challengers left leg to Aldis attempting to use the belt as a weapon leaving the door open for Shelley to get hit in the balls and being set up for a Michinoku Driver leading to a close call finish.

A solid match to end an otherwise good PPV.

#7. Tessa Blanchard vs. Sami Callihan (Slammiversary XVII)

2019 was a major year in the career of Tessa Blanchard as she went from feuding with longtime rival, Taya Valkyrie for the Knockouts Championship to pulling Gail Kim out of the retirement for a once in a lifetime dream match at Rebellion to main eventing Slammiversary in another high profiled match.

At that year’s Slammiversary, Tessa had her first in a series of matches with Sami Caliihan in the very first ever intergender main event PPV match for a major U.S. wrestling promotion which is all the more great when you realize that not even Tessa or Sami knew that this match would be the one to close out the show.

Punches are traded, action gets taken to the outside of the ring where everything from death valley drivers to a diamond cutter on the entrance ramp is being used; middle fingers, foul language, baseball bats and a whole bunch of piledrivers are just par for the course in this nonstop classic.

This match doesn’t get much attention these days…Can’t imagine why, but do seek it out if you can and you will be treated to two spectacular performances from two spectacular wrestlers.

#6. King of the Mountain World Title Match (Slammiversary 2008)

2008 was a great year for TNA Wrestling as the roster was stacked with talent, fan support was almost universial and the brand felt the closest it’s ever been to really being the second best promotion in the U.S. post The Monday Night Wars…Sorry Ring of Honor and All Elite Wrestling.

Samoa Joe was one of the most popular acts in the company and his victory over Kurt Angle at Lockdown 2008 to win his first and only TNA World Championship was just another reason why ’08 was such a great; After successfully defending the title in a three way match at Sacrifice, Joe defended the title in a star studded King of the Mountain Match including Christian Cage, Booker T, Rhino and Bobby Roode with Kevin Nash as the special guest title holder.

It’s everything you’d expect from a King of the Mountains match: ladder based devastation, high flying spots off the penalty box and wrestlers hitting their finishers in order to get the advantage with even Booker T going berserk at one point as he clobbers everyone with the world title before Nash powerbombs him right to the matt.

The match ends with Samoa Joe retaining the gold thus making him the only person to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship in a King of the Mountain Match…a great way to end an often overlooked Slammiversary.

#5. Kenny Omega vs. Sami Callihan (Slammiversary 2021)

We talk about the short lived partnership between IMPACT and AEW from later 2020 until 2021 quite a bit on this site, but it simply can’t be helped as the possibility of what we could’ve had compared to what we actually got is a stark contrast.

If there was anything good that came out of this whole ordeal it would have been Christian Cage making his long awaited return to the company after so many years away…oh yeah and Kenny Omega as World Champion, that’s another good that also happened.

Of all of Omega’s matches in TNA, his best would have to be his No Disqualification match with Sami Callihan in the main event of Slammiversary 2021. The first thing that makes this match great is the fact that fans are finally back in attendance so the action feels all the more better and second, this bout is perhaps the closest the company got to a CZW inspired death match.

For over 27 minutes (the longest main event in the show’s history btw) Omega and Callihan beat the bricks off each other with Callihan handing the champion piledrivers like they were candy; weapons are brought in not long into the match and both men end up with blood all over the faces with Sami cutting Omega with a pizza cutter and Omega jabbing a fork into Callihan’s head and later his jaw…Jesus.

Cue close near falls, a tease of outside interference by the Good Brothers and the introduction of thumbtacks into the match. Omega prevailed in what would be his final title defense of the IMPACT World Title before losing to Christian Cage on AEW programming, but what a way to go.

#4. Sting vs. Bully Ray (Slammiversary XI)

Going into their No Holds Barred match for the world title at Slammiversart 2013, the stakes were absolutely high for “The Icon” Sting where if he lost the match, then he could never challenge for the world title again…Big stuff there.

Both Sting and Bully leathered each other with punches, shots with a steel chair and everything else in between and the presence of Aces and Eights in this bout only for a worn out Sting to somehow dispatch them felt like a combination of the best attributes from ECW and WCW put together with violence and the feel of Sting vs. the NWO knowingly or otherwise seeping throughout this match.

The iconic spot of Bully revealing the exposed wooden boards underneath the ring padding and both Bully and Sting using it when hitting their signatures move further adds a sense of danger to what is already a soild contest.

Although he didn’t get the job done on this night, Sting did put on a wonderful performance alongside Bully who felt even more like a main eventer after his battle with ‘The Icon’.

#3. Eddie Edwards vs. Rich Swann vs. Ace Austin vs. Trey Miguel vs. Eric Young (Slammiversary 2020)

Following a series of events involving a global pandemic, the #SpeakingOut Movement and Tessa Blanchard reportedly not wanting to drop the belt, the main event saw Eddie Edwards, Ace Austin, Trey Miguel and a mystery opponent who was also a former world champion battle for the now vacant IMPACT World Championship.

When the time came for the match, the former world champion was revealed to be a returning Eric Young and Rich Swann was also added to the mix…because reasons.

Jokes aside this match was great, filled with fast paced action thanks to Ace, Trey and Ric; It’s also got some good technical wrestling thanks to EY and Eddie which almost makes you forget that you watching a wrestling match during in an empty arena.

By the end, Edwards would defeat Ace Austin to become a two time IMPACT/TNA World Champion but had to contend with Austin and his running buddy, Madman Fulton until the debuting Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows came to the rescue…Also, bonus points for the sequence surrounding Eric Young’s elimination by Rich Swann and the World Class Maniac’s outburst afterwards as it was a good way to set up their feud that would ultimately main event that year’s Bound For Glory.

#2. Austin Aries vs. Moose (Slammiversary XVI)

I had a really hard time choosing between this and my number one entry won which should take the top spot as both matches are excellent but when it came to it, I choose this one as the runner up which isn’t to say this match isn’t great…as I’ll explain right now.

2018 was the year of the biggest comeback story in all of modern pro wrestling when the former TNA Wrestling began it’s long crawl out of the mess that was the previous years creative and PR blunders with the biggest example of this comeback being that year’s Slammiversary pay-per-view.

The show was filled with matches and moments that since become iconic but the main event was something as defending champion, Austin Aries takes on Moose in the latter’s first major opportunity at the world title on the biggest stage in company.

It’s a David vs. Goliath scenerio with the only difference being that fans actually want David to get his butt kicked; Aries plays his role as the quick moving, crafty veteran remarkably well in this match, but it’s Moose who damn near steals the bout with his performance as he dominates the champion a number of times whether his swinging Aries into the guardrail, delivering a thunderous sounding headbutt that staggers the champion and of course that spot where Moose Gorilla Press Slams Aries into the crowd…My word that was awesome.

Aries is more than capable of tearing his larger opponent down but this one was not going to be simple right up until the final bell sound. Even though Moose didn’t win the belt on this night, it was a career defining match for the former NFL star who would use the experience from this match to become one of the biggest stars on the TNA roster today.

#1. Bobby Lashley vs. Drew Galloway (Slammiversary 2016)

If Aries vs. Moose was David versus Goliath then Bobby Lashley vs. Drew Galloway for the TNA World Championship at Slammiversary 2016 was like watching two gods declare nonstop war on each other.

From the out of nowhere Claymore Kick by Drew in the opening seconds to the action that proceeds it you get the feeling that you’re watching an modern classic as it’s fast paced, hard hitting and unwavering in how physical things in the match can get.

Highlights like Drew stomping on Lashley’s face causing his left eye to bleed and swell, Lashley busting up the Spear in quick succession throughout the match, Galloway hitting the Celtic Cross and later a Sharpshooter on the champion whilst on the ring steps.

And the final moments of the match: Drew sets up for one more Claymore Kick only to be stopped by the champion and placed in a submission hold that makes Galloway’s eyes roll back into his head before the bell rings as his unable to continue and just like that, we have a new TNA World Champion.

The fact that this was the last Slammiverary match under the TNA Wrestling name…I mean a way to go and what an amazing main event match between these two and thus it’s my pick for number one.

Make sure to follow Lace ‘Em Up on X @laceemupoffice You can follow me also on X @hakeemfullerton for wrestling related articles like this and I’ll see you next time.