Greetings and salutations Knockout fans! First off, I would like to thank Erin for covering last week’s Impact Write-Up. Please excuse my absence from last week, as I was busy making my way around different parts of Canada in full support of the United States Women’s National Team and their journey to winning this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup! As a fan, it was such an incredible experience to witness such a historic win in person and I just would like to just give one more big congratulations to the USWNT, especially to our MVP of the final match in the tournament Carli Lloyd! Bask in all of the World Cup victory glory ladies!
While I can go on and on about the female athletes of the USWNT, it is now time to discuss and turn our attention to another group of athletic women: TNA’s Knockouts division. On this week’s program, the spotlight is shining back on our secondary non-title Knockouts feud that has been placed in the back burner as of yet. Velvet Sky looks to continue to add another win under her belt over her former Beautiful People team members, this time that being against Madison Rayne. Darlings, if that wasn’t exciting enough for you, we are also being honored with the return of Madam Dixie Carter this week, who has been away for nearly a year after sustaining the kind of damage that comes with going through a table. Who can forget such a table bump?
Before we get to the ladies of TNA, we first make a quick stop by Mike Tenay (who needs to return to the commentary booth in place of Josh Mathews) for his part two sit down interview with Jeff and Karen Jarrett, the co-founders of GFW. The interview is set up to try and talk more in to detail about the possible relationship between GFW and TNA.
Jeff acknowledges that he has been working with various other promotions throughout the world to build a healthy partnership with them but never did he think TNA would be one of those promotions. An understandable point given the emotion baggage that would come from an allegiance but as they say, time heals all wounds and after a few years and cooling off from both sides, the Jarretts find themselves back inside TNA’s six sided ring.
Mike continues the interview with his next topic at hand: the “new” KOTM title. Karen reminds Mike that it has new home in GFW and her husband adds that it will be a front and center title for his promotion with the hopes that it will able reach the ring of multiple different promotions to help create dream matches for fans all throughout the world. Hopefully, the same can be said about the potential GFW Women’s title once the company crowns their first champion.
Knockouts match time and the only Knockout making her entrance for this contest is Velvet Sky. Madison Rayne is in the unfortunate scenario of already being in the ring, thus planting the idea that she pretty much isn’t going to win this match.
Once Velvet meets Madison in the ring, Madison has a mic in hand and has a few choice words for the returning Velvet. The Queen Bee cuts the chase and refers to herself as polished while Velvet looks like someone who only belongs in the crowd and outside the ring.
Velvet has had enough and kicks Madison in the midsection before any more insults can be spoken. The bell rings and Velvet’s first approach is to toss her former friend outside the ring. Once on the outside, Velvet tosses Madison face first to the ring apron, letting a few fans from the Impact Zone that she was doing this for them.
All that time outside the ring causes the referee to reach a count out count of seven but Velvet breaks it once she enters the ring only roll immediately afterwards. On this second trip outside the ring, Velvet takes a hold of Madison and sends her to the steel steps.
After utilizing the steel steps, Velvet tosses Madison back into the ring. The Queen Bee goes to a corner, resting just under a turnbuckle and hits a kick to Velvet when she gets close. Madison begins to fight to make a comeback once back on her feet, taking down Velvet and going for the pin cover.
When Velvet is able to kick out before the three count, Madison goes for another pin attempt, this time after landing a Northern Lights Suplex but once again Velvet is able to kick put in time. The crowd begin to warm up to Velvet as Madison then goes for a headlock procedure for a few seconds and releasing her hold to hit a few knee shots to her opponent’s chin.
Madison keeps in line with her submissive locks, going for an illegal chokehold using the second rope next and making sure to let go before she can be disqualified by the referee.
Madison stays in control of the match and sets Velvet up for her multiple face crusher stomp with the use of her lower body. Velvet no-sells this and surprises Madison when she turns around with a triple kick combination you would find in a Street Fighter game!
Madison goes down but still puts up a fight when Velvet tries to Irish whip her to the other side of the ring by countering with a kick to Velvet in the midsection. Madison runs the ropes looking for a running big boot but Velvet dodges this and hit her stunner finisher to put Madison away and get the win. I suddenly miss the “In Yo Face” finisher.
We close this week’s episode with anticipated return of the one and only Dixie Carter. Throughout the night, her supple and undefeated champion of a nephew Ethan Carter III was granted the right to run the night’s program and believes he has done the Carter family name proud with how has run things. He asks his dear Aunt D to join him in celebration of a successful first night of the “Reign of Carter”.
Aunt D has other bigger plans for her beloved nephew. She congratulates him on winning the TNA World Heavyweight Title but also reminds him that she was gone for nearly a year because she too was on a power hungry trip last year against her enemies. She doesn’t recognize the woman she was last year and the harm she was doing to the company (ahem) but promised to justify her mistakes.
Dixie says that the company needs a strong leader to help run things and who won’t take any BS from anyone. She knows she can’t be that person (bigger AHEM) but neither can it be her nephew after his actions tonight. Rest assured darling, someone will be in charge soon enough.
Thoughts: Not the most eventful night for TNA this week.
The continuous GFW/TNA partnership tease didn’t exactly give us anything different from what fans have already assumed. Ever since Jeff reappeared in TNA, there was always the buzz that the two promotions would work together down the line.
My only real interest was the talk of the KOTM title possibly being used in other promotions as it opens the idea of GFW’s other titles to do the same. A promising project for GFW’s women’s division as more and more names are being added to upcoming shows, all leading up to the eventual crowning of a women’s champion in their upcoming tournament. Champion versus champion matches always tend to entertain.
The Knockouts match this week felt very flat with me. Aside from the incredibly short amount of time it was given, it wasn’t all too exciting and really did little progress any storyline; not that it exactly had one to begin with.
There has only been one encounter between these two prior to this match and it happened weeks ago! Not to mention it was only used to progress the Velvet and Angelina feud at the time. There was little to no build for this match, unless we as fans are just to assume this match happened because of their last in ring encounter and the history between the two.
My only real positive highlight of the match was Madison’s opening promo. She excels when she is handed a mic and more so when she is a Heel. She truly is the entire package and I wish she would be used more within the division.
As I questioned when Velvet defeated Angelina, I again ask where exactly does Velvet go from here? She has now defeated both of her former Beautiful People team members, so there is no need to continue that feud. The title picture is stacked so Velvet will have to wait her turn if she does get another title push. Time will tell I suppose.
Finally, there’s Dixie Carter! I’ve always been a fan of Dixie’s onscreen character. She falls under the “so bad it’s good entertainment” category for me. I did fear she would come across on our screens again after being away for so long but she was decent, more so now that she has turned to a Face again. Oh how I will miss Heel Dixie Carter!
As far as her bombshell announcement, it is surprising that she would want to declare a new authority figure at this time. TNA has been without one since January when Kurt Angle returned to the ring full time. TNA just felt like they didn’t need one in my opinion but there was always those questions as to how and why someone like Taryn Terrell was able to book her own matches so I guess this would take care of those questionable gaps.
Speaking of Taryn, next week she is set to defend her title against Brooke. How this came about is still a mystery but hopefully some backstage segments and talk with this new general manager can fill in the blanks. All I ask is that next week we get an improvement from this week’s show!
Until then, hasta luego Knockout fans!
