5. The Knockouts wrestled in the Middle East first.
Last December, the press surrounding RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss wrestling against Sasha Banks in Abu Dhabi was amazing. For years, the women were not allowed to wrestle on the card and it was a feel-good moment for everyone involved, when Alexa Bliss and Sasha Banks were finally able to step foot in the ring in a previously uncharted territory.
However, a whole 7 years earlier, the Knockouts wrestled in Abu Dhabi in November 2010 first. The Beautiful People, Angelina Love and Velvet Sky defeated Sarita and the then Knockouts Champion, Madison Rayne. It’s interesting that TNA didn’t push this feat, as they ran a big promotional video of the tour. In fact, there is barely any footage shown of their match, but I’ve managed to find a video recording of the match here.
As seen, much like Banks/Bliss, the Knockouts were less revealing outfits to adhere to local customs. Technically, this was a private event and not a public show like the WWE, but it was still a pro-wrestling match between women in the Middle East! It’s a shame that the Knockouts didn’t get the press that Banks/Bliss received, but that’s more a fault of the TNA marketing team – such a big chance missed!
The Knockouts had also previously taken part in Ring Ka King, a wrestling broadcast in India. Angelina Love and Alissa Flash took part in 2012, with Love noticeable covering her arm tattoos. It’s an interesting thought, considering that WWE tried to take over the wrestling market in India last year and the crowning of Jinder Mahal as WWE Champion, but again TNA was still one step ahead!
CONCLUSION:
Competition is always healthy and while Impact has had its ups and downs over the recent years, it’s unfair to dismiss some of the opportunities that they gave their women first. To this day, the Knockouts are a mainstay of Impact programming and with Allie winning the Knockouts Championship and Taya Valkyrie making her return, the division is picking up once again. With WWE opening up more doors for their women, it will be intriguing to see if Impact keep up. Last year’s feud between Jade and Rosemary continued to break more barriers, but things slowly dwindled. Now that ROH has made a steal by acquiring Tenille Dashwood, there’s even more competition to have a strong women’s division!
Do you remember some of the things on this list? Do you think the Knockouts get enough credit? What would you like to see this year from the Knockouts division? I’ll be reading your comments below!
