Impact’s latest teaser for Slammiversary is Aces & Eights

Impact continued with their intriguing talent teasers that will change their world at Slammiversary on July 18. It began with a bunch of WWE releases, to Michael Elgin with Team Canada, to EC3 as a former champ. The latest tease is for Aces & Eights. Let’s also check in with what EC3 has on his mind about his time in NXT and how that could relate to Impact.

The evening started innocently enough with D’Lo Brown doing office work. He was then ridiculed by Reno Scum for going from Aces & Eights to computer geek.

The final scene of Impact Wrestling spied on D’Lo speaking with a mystery person about getting the band back together. He doesn’t like being called a corporate stooge. D’Lo exited to reveal his Aces & Eights cutte.

The flashback moment of the week was Bully Ray fighting Devon. Aces & Eights came out to back Devon, so the Impact locker room emptied in support of Bully Ray with Sting, Kurt Angle, AJ Styles, James Storm, Chavo Guerrero, and Hernandez. In the ring, Joseph Park (aka Abyss) removed a mask from an Aces & Eights’ member to reveal Doc Gallows.

Aces & Eights has a lengthy roll call. Some names, like Tito Ortiz, pop more than others. As for who could return at Slammiversary, Mr. Anderson and Devon could be candidates, but they don’t live up to the huge hype Impact has been giving. D’Lo could have been speaking with Gallows, however, Karl Anderson was never part of Aces & Eights. There’s no point in separating Gallows from Anderson, or muddying them down with the motorcycle club when they are hot on their own.

That leads me to the big fish. How about Bully Ray returning to Impact? He has been working with Ring of Honor, but his contract may have expired. There is a rumor that ROH is not signing new contracts at the moment due to the coronavirus making their future plans uncertain. With Michael Elgin being suspended, that opens a spot in the five-way World Championship main event at Slammiversary. Bully Ray would be a good choice to fill that hole as a surprise.

I also submit this, possibly related or unrelated, clip from last week’s Impact post-show with Don Callis teasing a new signing that he didn’t think was available. It feels like Callis is referencing Paul Heyman, but that doesn’t seem likely. Could it be Bully Ray?

The one man most are expecting to be the major return is EC3. He put out two promos in the last few days. The first feels more like character work for his new persona than anything to do with Impact.

The second refers to EC3’s time in NXT. Only after his destruction can he be resurrected to become the person he was always supposed to be. EC3 had to perish to be reborn. He will enter his final form to finish what he started.

This promo fits dead on with how EC3 has mocked Impact with symbolism that his old rich boy persona is dead.

Who do you think D’Lo Brown was speaking with? Would you be excited for Bully Ray to return to Impact? What guess do you have for Don Callis’ hints? Is EC3 a 100% lock to return to Impact?