This was the first time since 2006 that Slammiversary was held at the Impact! Zone, and the first time that a King of the Mountain match did not take place.
On the May 20 edition of TNA Impact!Sting was ranked number one in the first Top 10 ranking by the TNA Championship Committee and was as a result given a shot at the TNA World Heavyweight Championship at Slammiversary.[4]
On June 10, Dixie Carter said on Twitter she would have a big surprise at Slammiversary that would ultimately change TNA forever.[5][6] Also using Twitter, she later clarified her statement to indicate that while there will be a surprise revealed at Slammiversary, it will not be the one said to "change TNA forever," which will instead be revealed in the coming weeks. It was soon known that Tommy Dreamer was the surprise after making his debut at the TNA Wrestling Pay-per-view event.[7]