Slammiversary (2009) - Background

Background

The event featured seven professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds, plots, and storylines. Wrestlers portrayed either villains or heroes in the scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.

The main rivalry heading into Slammiversary was the annually held King of the Mountain match (KOTM). The KOTM involves five competitors fighting to gain a pinfall or submission to be allowed to climb a ladder and hang a championship belt above the ring to win. Mick Foley was the first competitor in the match as he was the TNA World Heavyweight Champion heading into the show. On the May 29 edition of Impact!, TNA's primary television program, Foley announced that there would be a series of qualifying matches to determine the other four competitors starting that night. The first match saw Jeff Jarrett defeat Eric Young, then, later on the same edition of Impact, A.J. Styles defeated Daniels. The following week on Impact! Samoa Joe qualified for the match by defeating Kevin Nash. The final competitor was determined to be Kurt Angle the next week after defeating Sting.

Another rivalry involving the tag team division was between TNA World Tag Team Champions Team 3D (Brother Ray and Brother Devon) and Beer Money, Inc., Robert Roode and James Storm. At Sacrifice, Beer Money won the Team 3D Invitational Tag Team tournament by defeating The British Invasion (Brutus Magnus and Doug Williams) gaining a TNA World Tag Team Championship match.

The main rivalry from the X Division was between Suicide and the teams of Lethal Consequences (Jay Lethal and Consequences Creed) and The Motor City Machineguns (Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley). Following an assault from the tag teams, it was announced on the June 4 episode of TNA Impact!, that Suicide would defend the TNA X Division Championship, against all four of his attackers in a King of the Mountain match, marking the first time that the match-up has been used twice on the same card.

The main rivalry from the women's division was between TNA Women's Knockout Champion Angelina Love and Tara. On the May 28 episode of TNA Impact!, Love expressed her perceived dominance in the division, only for Tara to interfere in the proclamation, leading to a series of assaults until it was announced on the June 11 edition of Impact! that the title would be contested between the two.

During Daniels' match with Styles on the May 29 edition of Impact!, Shane Douglas, who was making his return with the company, interfered during the match, assaulting him with a chain, causing him to lose the match. The animosity would progress the following week with Douglas explaining his resentment towards Daniels due to the fact Daniels was given an opportunity to return rather than him. Daniels gave rebuttal of challenging Douglas for a match at Slammiversary with Daniels' contract with the company being held up and given to the winner. On the June 18 edition of Impact!, Douglas accepted.

Another feud being represented at Slammiversary was the conflict between Abyss and Dr. Stevie and his associates. For several months prior to the show, Abyss had been seeking storyline therapy from Stevie, only to have revealed Stevie's abusive treatments towards Abyss. After a match between Taylor Wilde and, an associate of Stevie, Daffney at Sacrifice, Abyss would assault his therapist, leading to Stevie, Daffney, and another associate in Raven, apprehending Abyss and Wilde leading to the announcement of an intergender tag team match pitting Abyss and Wilde against Raven and Daffney with a Monster's Ball stipulation.