Which barriers to break? Don’t ignore what happened the week before. It sounded like a revolution but it wasn’t one. When you stumble, get up and continue. When you fail, learn lessons from it and move on. Regrets are made for the weak. So ask yourself the question, am I weak? Or am I the strongest ever? The answer depends on you only, and you know deep down inside of you what it is.
On the menu this week, from Nashville, Tennessee, Trey will face off Madman Fulton. Moose will put the TNA World Heavyweight title on the line against Crazzy Steve. Chris Bey and Suicide will square off. Kiera Hogan will face off Havok. We’ll hear from The North after their attack on Ken Shamrock last week. Also, Madison and Johnny Swinger will host a new episode of Locker Room Talk. So no more words, let’s get ready for some action, but your French Enygma Steph way, of course…

The Nygma’s Chart of the Week

Josh Mathews and Madison Rayne were on commentary this week. Mathews announced that there’s been a change made to the main-event match at Slammiversary. Since the Impact World Championship is currently vacant, the main event will now be a Four-Way match between Eddie Edwards, Ace Austin, Trey and a mystery opponent.

• Chris Bey w/ Johnny Swinger defeated Suicide. Swinger interfered.
• Backstage, Moose told Gia Miller, before he defends his Championship against Crazzy Steve, that fun and games didn’t get him anywhere, it was hard work that did.
• Backstage, Swinger was so proud of Bey for winning his match. He said after what he did tonight, there is no way he won’t become the new X-Division Champion at Slammiversary. Referee Brandon Tolle came in to inform Swinger is going to be banned from ringside during Bey’s match at Slammiversary, after the commotion he caused during Bey’s match tonight.
• Fallah Bahh & TJP defeated Reno Scum.

• The “Locker Room Talk” with Madison Rayne and Johnny Swinger. Their guest was John E. Bravo. Rayne wanted to know about his relationship with Rosemary. He said that it’s nothing, they just like hanging out with each other. Rayne clarified that there’s a difference between hanging out as friends, and hanging out with someone you have a crush on. She brought Rosemary in. Rosemary admitted that she has no idea what’s going on between them. Swinger said that he could feel the sexual tension, but he felt it towards himself and Rosemary. Bravo and Swinger started to argue. Rayne then asked if Bravo is in love with Rosemary? Taya Valkyrie arrived as he was about to reply. She said the reason she was there is that she wants Rosemary to be her tag team partner. Rosemary accepted, they left the interview.
• Recap of Deonna Purrazzo’s debut match against Alisha Edwards from last week.

• The North made their way to the ring. Josh Alexander said that all good things must come to an end, especially with “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” act. Ethan Page said that it must be hard for Shamrock to be liked in Impact since he doesn’t seem to have any friends. As Shamrock stepped into the ring, the “ICU” logo appeared. Sami Callihan popped up on the screen and said, “Who needs friends when you’ve got an enemy.” The arena went dark, and when the lights came back on, Callihan was standing side by side with Shamrock. Both men threw The North out of the ring. Callihan gave Shamrock the “thumbs up, thumbs down” before he disappeared out of the ring.
• Backstage, The North found Scott D’Amore. They thought it was unfair that Shamrock and Callihan attacked them, especially since they didn’t have their proper ring gear on. D’Amore agreed, they shouldn’t have been attacked. He announced that he has a great idea: at Slammiversary, The North will put their Tag Team Championships on the line against Callihan and Shamrock.

• Jimmy Jacobs wanted to get a quick word from Trey before his main-event match against Madman Fulton and what was his strategy for the match. After finding out that Fulton was the one who attacked Trey these past two weeks, he was ready to tear him apart.
• Moose defeated Crazzy Steve to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. After the match, Moose kept attacking Steve. Tommy Dreamer, Dr Ross and a few referees came down to the ring to break it up. Moose fought Dreamer off, then left the ring. Dreamer called Moose out for his heinous attack on Steve and himself.
• Outside, Cousin Jake and Hernandez were competing in an arm-wrestling match. Cousin Jake lost. Cody Deaner bet that he can beat Hernandez and placed a double or nothing bet on it. Hernandez squashed him. Hernandez was having a great time counting his newly won money.

• Kiera Hogan w/ Tasha Steelz defeated Havok w/ Nevaeh. Steelz distracted Havok.
• Backstage, Moose replied to Dreamer’s comments from earlier. He said that he’s going to sue the hell out of Dreamer and Impact Wrestling if he doesn’t get a public apology from Dreamer for defaming his character.
• Madman Fulton w/ Ace Austin defeated Trey via DQ. Trey hit Fulton with a stick. After the match, Trey continued his attack on Fulton but also Austin with a chair.
• A mystery man grabbed a mask that was next to a golden robe with a red E. A piece of superhero music was heard.

The Nygma’s Nutcracker(s) of the Week

– Trey vs Madman Fulton
Trey dove into the ring. He ducked Fulton’s boot, came off the ropes, hit a clothesline and dove out on Ace Austin. Fulton tried to grab him and ate a kick to the head, Fulton charged and Trey lept over him into the ring as Fulton ended up outside. He tried off the ropes and dove in, got caught by Fulton and thrown into the ring. Fulton climbed in and they stared off. Fulton started swinging and Trey blocked, ducked and hit an enzuigiri. He charged in, went up and over Fulton to the outside and hit a kick to the head. Springboard dive but Fulton caught him again. He went for a suplex but Trey slid out and hit a front dropkick. When he charged in, he was pulled into a headlock. Trey got out, went up on the ropes, flipped around, went for an arm drag. Fulton grabbed Trey by the throat and chokeslammed him.

He dead picked Trey up off the ground, lift him into a gorilla press, here him there with one hand and then dropped him onto the mat. Fulton stalked Trey, who hit some chops and punches to no effect. He came off the ropes, got a bodyscissors but Fulton held him there and stretched him. He then hit a reverse suplex. Fulton stepped on Trey’s hand then pulled Trey in but ate a few elbows. He caught Fulton in uranage position and lift his foot for a back kick but Fulton caught it and flipped Trey over. Fulton pulled Trey to the middle of the ring, he fought back to the corner and Fulton just grabbed him, slamming him repeatedly head-first into the turnbuckle. He bent Trey back against the ropes and hit a huge overhand chop, then went to toss him over the ropes on the other side but Trey turned it into a springboard into a sleeper. Fulton swang Trey around like a doll, then caught him and hit a sidewalk slam.

Trey had the sleeper on. He kept it locked in until Fulton finally backed him hard into a turnbuckle. He then charged in but this time Trey got the back kick to the head and went up top for a second-rope cutter. Trey backed up, he kicked at Fulton’s chest repeatedly and then one right to the head, and another to the jaw. Superkick staggered Fulton, springboard DDT was caught by Fulton who replied with a Northern lights suplex. Fulton was frustrated and lied in wait as Trey staggered to his feet. Fulton charged in for an avalanche splash, he put Trey up on the turnbuckle and beat on him, then hit an elbow to the back before pulling him up. Trey grabbed the stick and he whacked Fulton with it for the DQ.

The not-Nygma’s Moment(s) of the Week 

Maybe Ethan Page’s shirt…

The Weekly “Enigma For a Nygma”

A cape, a mask and a theme that made me remind of a TNA superhero. May Super Eric be on his way back to Impact Wrestling?

#Slammiversary is going to be SUPER! #IMPACTonAXSTV pic.twitter.com/P2U09r00VT

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) July 1, 2020

The Nygma’s Noticeable Facts of the Week

– Ken Shamrock and Sami Callihan
Since they started to feud, I have had a strange feeling that these two would team up after beating the hell of each other. And I was right. Sami Callihan is absolutely right, who needs friends when you’ve got an enemy. They will be the perfect match because they know exactly the other is capable of.

– Bravo, Taya and Rosemary
Whoever Bravo may love, or not, he could not fight against the love between Rosemary and Taya Valkyrie. They have hated each other when Taya made her debut with Impact Wrestling, now they are a tag team. Once again, enemies seem to make the best teams. And one thing the episode proved this week is female teams are ruling the Impact zone.

– Madman Fulton
Now on his own, Madman Fulton is on fire. He has main evented the show two weeks in a row. Being the sidekick of Ace Austin is putting him into the light. And suddenly, you realize Impact’s resident monster is not only extraordinarily talented but also a very good storyteller. He is finally able to show what he is about and his in-ring repertoire. I could easily see him as the fourth man in the World Championship main-event at Slammiversary…

– Slammiversary XVIII – Four-Way World Championship match / TNA Championship
Who will be the mystery men? The contenders for the Impact and TNA World Championships? Moose will face a TNA original, but who? Eddie Edwards, Ace Austin and Trey won’t be alone in the ring at Slammiversary, but who will join them? Here is my thought: I want a surprise, not one but two. I want at 4.30 AM in the morning on July 19 (French hour for a PPV main event) to wake my home up because I will be screaming. Let’s be mind-blown…

To be eNYGMAtic…

After a week like no other, the episode was once again what it was in that context, and it was good. We saw a major step up with some good in-ring action and focused storylines. Some are not moving as fast as others but, 16 days before Slammiversary, this isn’t that bad.
We have never been closer to the rebirth of the Knockouts Tag Team Division. This Demon and Loca association is something so cool, they have everything to dominate that division. Madman Fulton is emerging as the next big thing on IMPACT. Trey did one hell of a great match against him and showed he has everything to hold a belt. TJP and Fallah Bahh’s in-ring chemistry is fantastic to see. The future is so bright I will soon need to buy mountain special sunglasses.
I couldn’t blame Impact Wrestling to fight that hard against adversity. Slammiversary was probably something they have had in mind and been preparing for months. Suddenly, the chessboard was stormed and Impact Wrestling are holding on. We are witnessing the birth of a different PPV and if some things are changing, we, the fans, are not changing our mind. We are holding on too.
More than ever, take care and watch wrestling. On this “Nygma Resists Every Storm” note, until next week, never EVER forget to stay #eNYGMAtic…

Slammiversary XVIII Card (as of today):

• Four-Way Match for the Impact World Championship: Eddie Edwards vs Ace Austin vs Trey vs a mystery opponent
• Knockouts Championship Match: Jordynne Grace vs Deonna Purrazzo
• X-Division Championship Match: Willie Mack (c) vs Chris Bey
• World Tag Team Championship Match: The North (c) vs Sami Callihan & Ken Shamrock
• Gauntlet Match for the number one contendership at the Knockouts Championship: Taya Valkyrie vs Nevaeh vs Kimber Lee vs Rosemary vs Havok vs Susie vs Alisha Edwards vs Tasha Steelz vs Kiera Hogan vs Kylie Rae

All pics, videos, and screenshots courtesy of Impact Wrestling, Basil Mahmud, and AXS TV. Photocollage custom made by @frenchnygma exclusively for @steelchairmag.