Hola Knockout fans and welcome to this week’s Impact Write-Up. Last week, Allie threw down the gauntlet against Su Yung and will meet her in the ring in a non-title match. She made a promise to her friends and herself and she intends to keep it. How will the newly fired-up Slayer flair?
This week also marks the debut of Ms. Scarlett Bordeaux‘s talk show The Smoke Show and some continued trouble for in paradise for two of Impact’s Wrestling Couples.
In a pre-match interview with Alicia Atout, Allie explains that this match against Yung is about more than the Knockouts Championship. Allie is done with distractions whether that be in the form of Tessa Blanchard, the Knockouts Championship or Yung’s Undead Bridesmaids. Kiera Hogan chimes in, promising to have Allie’s back so that she can focus on Su Yung to end her reign of terror and assure that no one will ever be stuffed inside a casket again.
We move to the much-anticipated debut of The Smoke Show talk show! And just who are the first guests to The Smoke Show? Why it’s KM and Fallah Bahh – the very same men who bumped into Bordeaux backstage last week.
Both men, still under the infatuated spell of Bordeaux, are unaware that the other is arriving for this “date” until they arrive at The Smoke Show setting. In an attempt to land a good first impression, KM steals Bahh’s bottle of champagne and shoves him to the floor so he can sit next to the hostess of the hour. He pours her a glass of said champaign… which turns out to be a drink for “side chicks”.
Despite the drink not meeting Bordeaux’s standards, she welcomes her guests and cuts right to the chase: these “two big strong men” have been having a few problems lately. KM explains that has only been trying to help Bahh by taking him under his wing to clean up his act. Problem is, KM feels that Bahh isn’t listening to him. Case in point, the big argument they get into.
Being the voice of reason and gifted hostess she is, Bordeaux suggests to KM (who tried to plant a sloppy kiss on her) that he be more sensitive and flexible. KM agrees right away and wastes no time patching things up with his tag team partner, promising to be more like Bahh, matching gear and all. The talk show segment ends with Bordeaux slapping Bahh after he, apparently, suggested something “disgusting”. I was hoping for some/hear some ‘Final Thought’ a la Jerry Springer.
Despite stepping back into the Impact Wrestling ring for the first time in over a year last week, Alisha Edwards still has her hands full with her husband Eddie Edwards.
After falling short on his attack against Impact World Champion Austin Aries and his new backup Killer Kross, Eddie is backstage still wanting war with them. He cries out that they can bring out the entire locker room, he’ll still take them on! Alisha checks on her husband and even though he thinks they are good, Alisha says otherwise. She thinks he is still crazy and ends up walking out on him again.
Still trying to prove to be the good friend he is, Joe Hendry takes on Eli Drake in honor of his friend Grado. Despite Grado and Katarina Leigh being at ringside to cheer him on, Hendry is defeated due to outside shenanigans on Grado’s part. Leigh is upset and seems to place the blame on her supposed boyfriend and walks out on him. Well, at least Hendry’s Music Video this week was catchy?
And finally, it’s time for featured Knockouts match of the week:
The Knockouts make their respective entrances and after a short break, the match gets underway! Yung gets the first strike from behind after a staredown between Kiera Hogan and an Undead Brides Maid sidetracks Allie. Allie begins to fight back, cornering Yung with forearms and kicks.
Yung reverses a corner Irish Whip but Allie hops to the second turnbuckle and takes Yung down with a crossbody for a two count. The Knockouts get back on their feet but a toehold from Allie trips Yung onto the middle ropes, allowing Allie to land in a sliding forearm.
While making her way back to the ring, Allie keeps a close eye on Yung’s Undead Bridesmaids who are at ringside but the small distraction proves to be enough to allow Yung to take control. She sends Allie back to the outside ring and takes her down with a running cannonball from the ring apron.
Back in the ring, Yung repeatedly chokes Allie, only letting go of her grasps when the referee would get close to counting down for a disqualification. Allie tries to rebuild some momentum with a combination of chops and forearms but Yung cuts her off with a palm strike. Yung goes for double running knees but misses, allowing a fired-up Allie to bring Yung down with a neck breaker and follows up with a running Senton.
Back at a corner, Allie sends Yung facefirst to the second turnbuckle. Yung’s ringside Bridesmaids slowly mount onto the ring apron but Allie takes two of them down with a running dropkick while Kiera neutralizes another two with a dive from the apron. However, one Bridesmaid remains standing and manages to send Kiera to a ring post.
Back in the ring, Yung sets Allie up for the Panic Switch but Allie reverses with a backstabber. As Allie waits for Yung to get back up for the Best Superkick Ever. Tessa Blanchard runs-in and ambushes Allie from behind causing the match to end via disqualification.
Blanchard pummels over Allie and tries to lay her out with the Hammerlock DDT but Yung makes the save? Yung begins to choke Blanchard with the Mandible Claw but its Allie who stands tall in the end when she Superkicks Blanchard to the outside and takes Yung down with a Code Breaker.
Thoughts: So I know that I mentioned before how I wanted to see Tessa Blanchard enter the Knockouts Title picture in a one-on-one scenario against Su Yung (frankly, I think she’s earned it) but I have to take that back. Allie’s growth from being Maria Kanellis’ assistant who was a “novice” wrestler to a bold slayer has been one of my favorite character progression in wrestling as of late!
She really helped carry this week’s match against Yung and fills that true babyface role of someone you want to root for. Ever since her casket match against Yung, Allie’s mission and mindset have been about avenging her friends, which is I’m so glad that she stood tall against both Blanchard and Yung this week. Even though the match ended with no winner due to Blanchard’s interference, this only progresses the current storyline with all three women are involved in. Between Blanchard’s arrogance, Allie’s determination and Yung’s terror, the fan in me feels this new generation of Knockouts are finally pulling through for the division.
I’d be a liar if I said The Smoke Show was everything I expected. Since these talk show segments never made their way to the spoilers, I wasn’t sure how it would play out but given the way Bordeaux debuted, my initial thoughts were that she would use this platform to sort of defy those who believe a ‘Diva’ persona doesn’t belong in today’s era of Women’s Wrestling. Maybe that can still happen – after all Bordeaux teased that a Knockout would make a future appearance but this first bit felt over the top for me. But hey, if it gives more airtime for the Knockouts to further storylines in place of those, you know, random GWN Flashback moments, then I’m here for it!
What did you think of the this week’s episode of Impact? Are you enjoying the current Knockouts Title scene? Who would you like to see on The Smoke Show in coming weeks? Let us know in the comments below!
