Hola Knockout fans and as always, welcome to this week’s Impact Write-Up. We’ve reached the final destination and final week of TNA’s long UK tour. It’s been quite a ride for our Knockouts this year but we’re ending this overseas trip on a rather high note, with a big triple match for the Knockouts title between champion Taryn Terrell defending her title against Gail Kim and the woman she feels she needs to defeat in order to be a true champion, Awesome Kong. We also get an Angelina Love spotting and get an update in from TNA’s latest super couple Magnus and Mickie James, looking for some payback after their affair with Bram last week. Let’s soak in the fun of this year’s TNA UK Tour one last time.
Our first Knockout sighting comes in the form of Angelina Love who accompanies her onscreen boyfriend Jessie Godderz and his BroMans partner DJ Z as they look to regain the Tag Team titles in an Ultimate X match against current tag champions Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards along with the younger members of The Revolution, Manik and The Great Sanada. While normally Robbie E is the one that takes part in these tag team title hunts, he is sitting out this week as he just isn’t mentally prepared after his embarrassing defeat at the hands of his ex-girlfriend Brooke from last week. Cheer up Robbie, there will always be brighter and sunnier days ahead.
While most of the heavy lifting from this extreme match was conducted by the three different teams involved, Angelina still managed to find herself getting involved in this match midway through the match by doing her best to distract The Wolves with her assets when they were getting the upper hand against her squad. Angelina’s meddling may have only temporary distracted The Wolves (looking at you Davey Richards) but the end result would be the same, The Wolves would enter and leave the match as TNA Tag Team champions. Maybe it’s time to change teams there Angelina?
Another man who was embarrassed last week but is looking for some payback this week is Magnus. He finds former childhood friend Bram backstage and commences an all out brawl, beating him with every possible thing he could! This brawl eventually finds its way to ring where Magnus gives Bram a taste of his own hardcore medicine, delivering hard chair shots to an already beaten down Bram.
It takes a number of referees and security to hold Magnus back but even that isn’t enough to slow Magnus downs as he fights through the wall of officials. Just when Magnus is be tied down for good, out comes Magnus’ Mrs. Mickie James who joins in on the beat down to Bram, clobbering him even when he’s down. Earl Hebner butts in the middle of Mickie Jame’s scrap but gets elbowed and arm dragged for his interference! You go Hardcore Country!
Just when Bram finally is able to roll out of the ring for some safety escape, Magnus follows right behind and meets Bram at the top of entrance ramp and delivers an all powerful powerbomb, getting his payback from the humiliation he endured last week with his wife to be standing by his side.
Finally, we move on to the big Knockouts title match of the night. Making the last of her TNA ring announcement duties during this UK Tour, SoCal Val first introduces Awesome Kong who slowly makes her way to the ring as she awaits the entrance of both her old and new rivals.
Gail Kim is out next and she is spotted wearing a shirt that read “London” in the middle of it. That’s one way to garner some pops! With the two challengers making their full entrances, it is now time for the champion Taryn Terrell to make her presence felt as she strides to the ring ready for another big title defense.
As the official bell rings and as expected, both Gail and Taryn go for a double team attack onto Awesome Kong. The two manage to bring Kong to the ground but even when she’s down, Kong manages to brush off both Gail and Taryn by delivering some big boots to each of them. Back on her feet, Kong targets Taryn but Gail interjects by connecting a swift kick to Kong’s direction. She tries to follow up with a clothesline takedown but Kong is able to shove Gail’s direction to that of Taryn. A running big splash from behind from Kong manages to immobilize both Gail and Taryn, giving Kong control of the match.
Kong focuses in on Gail next, easily swinging her around before seeking the champion. Taryn doesn’t hide away from Kong and instead goes straight to her, delivering hard forearms shots and went as far as to try to deliver a super suplex to Kong! Kong proves to be too much for Taryn, as she manages to power out of Taryn’s grip. As Kong holds on to Taryn, Gail runs the ropes and lands a running dropkick to Taryn’s back all while Kong manages to stay on her feet.
In response, Kong drops Taryn right on top to Gail, which without warning leads Taryn to get a pin count onto Gail. Kong breaks the pin fall before the three count and continues her offense to the champion, choking her in the corner and tossing Gail across the ring.
As Kong sets up Gail for an Implant Buster, Gail manages to fight her way out of it by landing some punches to Kong’s head. Seeing a moment of opportunity, Taryn rolls Kong in to a pin but only manages to get a two count. A double team from Taryn and Gail forms once again but Kong halts this by delivering a double clothesline to each of them. To assure that this strategy doesn’t happen again, Kong takes out Gail first by flinging her head first to the ring post before going after Taryn.
The fighting champion makes a first move against Kong, striking her in the head before climbing the second rope from a corner to land a dropkick to Kong, sending her across the ring. Before Kong can fully turn around, Taryn climbs the ropes for a second time to connect a cross body into a pin to Kong.
Only able to get a two count, Taryn goes for her Sugar Rush finisher that she has yet been able to connect to Kong. As with their last match, Kong brushes off Taryn’s finisher, leaving Taryn to fall flat on the mat.
Things are about to go down when the gloves come off Kong as she climbs to the second to hit a big splash on to Taryn. The champion manages to roll out of safety and with some sweet luck Taryn triumphantly hits the Sugar Rush to Awesome Kong! Sorrowfully, not even a Sugar Rush finisher can give Taryn a win over Kong, as Kong is able to kick out right before the three count.
As Taryn’s face is reads of shock and disbelief, rage and aggression fuels inside Taryn. A rage takes over Taryn and she doesn’t hold back from going after Kong, taking Kong out of the ring with a vicious dropkick. Still looking to do even more damage, Taryn tries to climb the top rope but Gail has already beaten her to it. She shoves Taryn out of the way before making the big dive to Kong, taking her in the process!
Back in the ring, Taryn doesn’t give up on her position on climbing the top rope and she dukes it out once again with Gail Kim to get it. Gail out does Taryn once again ending their battle to the top with a sunset flip power bomb leading to the pin cover but Taryn still has enough fight in her to kick out before the three count. Looking to end the match, Gail sets up Taryn for the Eat Defeat but Taryn surprises Gail when she counters this to a school girl pin for the three count and the privilege of entering surviving another night as Knockouts champion!
Thoughts: What a stirring conclusion or this year’s successful UK Tour.
Quick note regarding Angelina Love, I think her run with the BroMans has reached it’s peak already and I really would like her to venture off on her own once again. The feud with Robbie and Brooke seems to be over and as with Brooke, I’d like to see Angelina back on the Knockouts roster full time to venture out more as a solo competitor once again.
I’m very pleased to see that Magnus was able to redeem not only his name but also the name of his family with his beat down to Bram. Bram is just one of those guys who you love to hate because of his wild nature and how personally he has made things between himself and Magnus’ family by involving Mickie. This is just the kind of the needed to garner some sympathy for Magnus, who has been very plain in my opinion. Not only does Mickie’s presence give us a reason to see her on our TV screens again but it also helps flush out the raw emotions and “reality” feel to their storyline.
Onto the title triple threat, I thought it was a great match despite how short the overall match was. If the Knockouts were given just a few more minutes to this match, I really think we could have seen a whole lot more from them. I was so ecstatic to finally see Taryn hit her finisher to Kong after numerous failed attempts; it made the wait for it that much more worth it.
Though there was a sense of some holding back, Kong continued to show much dominance throughout the match and Gail’s presence helped add another threat to Taryn’s title reign in this match. Her history with both Taryn and Kong also adds that history that connects them all.
I think we saw some new sides to Taryn that we haven’t seen up to this point, more aggression and will to get a big win over Awesome Kong. Even though Gail was the one who took the pin there was still this attitude during the stare down between Taryn and Kong post match; almost sending this message that Taryn will truly be satisfied in her reign once she gets a big win over Awesome Kong.
With the conclusion of this UK tour, we return back to the States next week to the favorite venue that is the Impact Zone. While it will be a different environment when compared to the likes of the Wembley Arena, we have seen glimpses of the newly decorated Impact Zone that can help things feel more refreshing than they were just about a year ago. So long as the Knockouts action continues to look promising, it will be just a small price to pay.
Until then, hasta luego Knockout fans!
