Hola Knockout fans and welcome to another weekly addition of Impact Write-Up. This week’s edition of Impact Wrestling is all about #BellToBell action: three main event matches of nonstop wrestling, which in my theory, is pretty close every week on Impact anyway. In between these #BellToBell matches, we are treated to a Knockouts match between cornerstone Knockouts Angelina Love and Gail Kim, as well coming to the thrilling conclusion to what has become a personal feud between Bram and Magnus with Mickie James having been involved since early on. Let’s jump right into it all, shall we?
Our Knockouts match of the night kicks off with Angelina Love making her solo entrance and leaving her usual mountain of muscle known as the BroMans behind as she prepares for her one on one match against Gail Kim. Gail Kim makes her normal entrance next but just as we are going to start this match, Angelina is given a microphone to speak a few words towards the woman across from her in the six sided ring..
Angelina begins her opening dialogue by claiming she has been blessed with her looks.
Along with her blessed assets, Angelina also adds that she is equally a great wrestler, hence why she is the record breaking six-time Knockouts champion. With such qualities in a wrestler, Angelina says she that she is tired of everyone constantly praising Gail and now that she is free of the constraint (assumedly Velvet Sky) that were holding back within the last year, she is finally ready to prove that she is just as equally well to Gail, if not better.
With that closing statement, Angelina plows a shot to Gail, brining the inaugural Knockouts champion to the ground as the official bell rings. Angelina keeps Gail down with several kicks of her fury white furry boots. Angelina brings Gail back to her feet and sets of her offense by bringing Gail to a corner of a turnbuckle. Still in control of the match, Angelina runs the ropes for a running cross body and into a pin.
Only getting a two count, Angelina looks to end this match early by setting Gail for the Lights Out finisher by Gail manages to fight her way out of it and gains control of the match with a running arm drag to Angelina. Gail follows up with a combination of forearms, kicks and running dropkick. Keeping the momentum going, Gail flies from the ropes and to Angelina, looking for a signature Flying Dragon submission but instead gets side slammed when Angelina is able to counter.
Another cover by Angelina only gets a two count, leading Angelina to grapple Gail and work on her back by dropping Gail on to a knee instead of the mat. As this match continues, we go into a TNA split screen to hear the commentary team of Taz and Josh Matthews dispute on whether champions are better wrestlers than non-champions. Can we wait until later to have this discussion guys and maybe stop the split screen in between matches?
Refocusing back on the match and to one screen, Angelina whips Gail to the turnbuckle and dashes to Gail’s direction but only gets a taste of Gail’s shoulder when Gail manages to get it up on time. Gail climbs to the second rope for a cross body but in thrown off when Angelina flings Gail off and connects a running dropkick towards Gail’s backside. Making the most of her position, Angelina takes a hold of Gail and lingers her from the second rope before dropping her straight to mat.
With another failed three count leads Angelina to rethink her strategy and does so my throwing Gail to the outside of the ring. From the outside, Angelina targets Gail’s back once again, first my ramming her to the ring apron and then by sending Gail straight to the steel steps. Still relying on the outside environment, Angelina again sends Gail to the cold steel steps but Gail manages to get her right leg up in time to come to a full halt and this time it is Gail who takes advantage of the outside ring when she connects a Russian Leg Sweep to Angelina hitting the ring apron in the process.
As both Knockouts lay on the outside, referee Brian Stiffler begins his count out count to ten. Just as he makes it to nine, both Angelina and Gail roll back into the ring and the match continues. As the two get back on their feet, a back and forth battle of swings are exchanged with Gail eventually winning the mini contest by adding some kicks to the mix. Gail continues her speedy offense with a running clothesline.
With Angelina flimsy from a corner, Gail connects a corner cross body and soon climbs the top rope to add some extra damage with a flying missile dropkick. Gail for a cover to Angelina but only falls short on getting the three count. Gail retries to get the better of Angelina, first with an Eat Defeat, which Angelina manages to reverse and then by a head scissors from the top rope, which Angelina too is able counter, leaving Gail to land fall hard on the mat.
To add onto Gail’s crash and burn, Angelina hits the Botox Injection to Gail. Making sure there’s no chance at a rope break, Angelina pulls Gail away from the ropes before going for the pin. To her surprise, Gail is still able to reach the ropes before the referee can make a three count. Trying her luck again, Angelina re-positions herself to try and land another helping of Botox Injection to Gail but Gail manages to side step to safety leaving Angelina to only hit the ropes. Once free from the trap of the ropes, Gail sets Angelina with her Eat Defeat finisher, landing it and getting the cover for the three count win of this hard fought battle.
From one hard fight to another, we move to our next Knockouts related match of the night, one that is part of the #BellToBell line up- the Falls Count Anywhere match between psychopath Bram and family man Magnus. As the two former partners battle it out, Magnus’ better half Mickie James would find her way to the ring mid-match to keep a close eye on her fiancé and the man who has been nothing but trouble to them.
Upon realizing Mickie is close to danger in one of his matches again, Magnus pleads for Mickie to go backstage but Mickie objects. This unintentional distraction gives Bram an upper hand in this match, as he takes out Magnus with a steel chair shot from behind. The chair assaults to Magnus continue and all Mickie can do is watch from close by.
Instead, she tries to plea with Bram to stop but Bram ghastly gazes at Mickie, following her to the ring with the steel chair still in his hand. He corners Mickie and before any damage can be done, the unlikely hero in James Storm runs to the ring to make the save for Mickie.
The Revolution leader gets in Bram’s face and says that if he wants to hit a woman, he has to hit him first. Mickie takes this chance to roll out to safety as the battle between Bram and Magnus carries with Magnus eventually picking up the win after landing numerous powerbombs to Bram all ending with his beau Mickie joining him for a celebrated kiss and comfort to one another after putting away their chapter with Bram.
Post match, we head backstage where Mickie is able to tell Magnus how proud she is of him. From a far, they spot James Storm again and instead of thanking him for protecting Mickie, Magnus questions what he was doing out there. James response is a simple one; he was just looking out for an old friend and the plot thickens.
Thoughts: This week, we take a break from the usual Knockouts Title picture, which isn’t bad as it allows TNA to still give some screen time to the rest of the Knockouts who aren’t all in the title hunt and with there only being one weekly two hour show (not including Xplosion) it can be done every other week to still keep things fresh in the Knockouts division.
As for the match, we’ve seen Angelina and Gail go at it numerous of times but this match was still really great. There was a good amount of time given,both women looked great and there was still that tale of which founding Knockout still had that fire as per Angelina’s opening promo.
I loved that Angelina has finally taken that break from managing the BroMans ans is slowly finding her way back to the Knockouts division. She still has fight in her and is still one of the very best when it comes to speaking on the mic, in my opinion. I was surprised to see that assumed shot to Velvet Sky being brought again but perhaps this help to reestablish that solo career for Angelina.
Just as we close the Magnus/Bram/Mickie saga, it would appear a brand new saga has begun for TNA’s super couple.James Storm interference in the Falls Count Anywhere match felt very random but it does help plant the seeds for any future involvement that may be taking place. Not a bad thing as The Revolution stable does seem stale with The Great Sanada and Manik going MIA, Abyss still being a one note character and Khoya still coming across green. The group could use a mix up.
The good news, it can mean we can still see more of Mickie James on TNA screens. The downside, it appears that, for now, it would be away from the Knockouts division again and a talent like Mickie James still has plenty to offer in the ring. Still, only time will tell where this angle will go.
That’s it for this week Knockouts fan, hasta luego!
