2019 was IMPACT Wrestling‘s best year in a long time. Current AEW stars such as Brian Cage and John Hennigan were still signed to the promotion. The talent exchange program with overseas promotions such as Pro Wrestling NOAH meant fans were bound to get classics at television tapings and PPV events.
When it comes to PPV matches, IMPACT delivered many classics that rivaled some of the best outings from WWE, especially NXT, at the time. The insane litany of talents that Scott D’Amore and Don Callis had at their disposal made 2019 was one of the best years in terms of in-ring storytelling and work rate.
So without further ado, let’s reflect on some of the best IMPACT Wrestling PPV matches of 2019:
Sami Callihan vs. Tessa Blanchard (IMPACT Wrestling Slammiversary)
There’s no denying that Sami Callihan’s greatest work came in IMPACT Wrestling. The Draw consistently showed up and showed out no matter what angle he was given or whom he faced inside the squared circle.
His match against Tessa Blanchard at Slammiversary was one of the best matches from the promotion in 2019. Blanchard was easily one of the best female wrestlers in the world at the time and would make history just one year into this match as the first-ever woman to hold the IMPACT world title.
Rich Swann vs. Johnny IMPACT (X-Division Championship Match – Slammiversary)
The X-Division has always been one of the consistent offerings from IMPACT Wrestling. X-Division Championship matches, in particular, are bound to steal the show in one way or the other – no matter their placement on the card.
The IMPACT X-Division Championship match between Rich Swann and Johnny IMPACT from Slammiversary carried forward the consistency and reliability that helped the division stand out in the first place.
The pair delivered great action from bell to bell. Swann maintained his footing as the defending champ against the man with a fondness for adopting the name of the promotion he signed with.
Gail Kim vs. Tessa Blanchard (Rebellion)
Gail Kim couldn’t have asked for a better final opponent than Tessa Blanchard. The Knockouts legend met the future IMPACT World Champion in one of the finest outings for the promotion in 2019.
The match ticked all the boxes when it came to in-ring storytelling, psychology, emotion, and drama. Blanchard used her strength and overall wrestling ability to keep the much more versatile Kim at arm’s length.
Kim relied on her veteran instinct to keep up with the much younger and stronger Blanchard, though she ended up falling short of winning her send-off match, which, by the way, has always been the purpose of retirement matches.
In 2023, Gail Kim made her in-ring return for one match at IMPACT Wrestling #1000.
LAX vs. The Lucha Brothers (Full Metal Mayhem – IMPACT Wrestling Rebellion)
LAX versus The Lucha Brothers was one of the hottest storylines in IMPACT five years ago. The two teams met each other multiple times inside the squared circle with the tag team titles at stake. The best bout came at IMPACT Wrestling Rebellion 2019, and it absolutely delivered.
LAX and The Lucha Brothers poured months of animosity and bad blood into this Full Metal Mayhem match. This was an absolute war with the use of foreign objects in full effect. Both teams displayed no regard for each other.
The match would’ve made it to the top of the list if it wasn’t for the botched ending. For those wondering, a miscommunication on the part of LAX led to Ortiz hitting the powerbomb on Penta instead of the planned avalanche blockbuster with the assist from Santana.
Brian Cage vs. Michael Elgin (IMPACT World Championship Match – Slammiversary XVII)
Brian Cage and Michael Elgin slapped meat years before Miro and Powerhouse Hobbs did the same. The Machine and the Unbreakable duked it out for the IMPACT World Championship in this penultimate match at Slammiversary XVII.
Pre-injury Cage was one of the best workers in IMPACT Wrestling and never missed the opportunity to deliver a great match with the right opponent. This match against Elgin was the perfect example of Cage pulling out every move from his arsenal to retain the world title.
Also read: Best IMPACT Wrestling PPV Matches Of 2020
