Hola Knockout fans and welcome to another weekly edition of Impact Write-Up. After two weeks of determining a new number one contender to Gail Kim‘s Knockouts title, the time has at last come for Gail to defend her title. With both Madsion Rayne and Jade respectively earning their title shots, the odds look to be against the Gail Kim. Let us dive in and see how all of this plays out.
We first find the champion backstage in a huddle meeting with TNA President Dixie Carter and the ever so trouble making Maria Kanellis:
Dixie says that this meeting between the three of them is long overdue, as there seems to be some questionable blank spaces as to how Madison and Jade earned their shots at the Knockouts gold. Maria tries to butter up Dixie by referring to her as a “great and inspirational leader” but the looks on Dixie and Gail’s faces pretty much say what they think of Maria’s high praises.
Turning back to the topic at hand, Dixie blankly asks Maria who she spoke with in management to approve her “Death of the Dollhouse” triple threat match. Maria isn’t able to come up with his (or her) name and neither is Gail when Dixie turns the same question over to her. To solve this little phantom of an issue, Dixie decides to book both Madison and Jade in a match against Gail, all to which the champ naturally agrees to.
Maria then sings more praises to Dixie and tries to pitch some ideas of her own ideas; only to be shut down by Dixie who makes adjourns their quick get together. Maria blames Gail for making Dixie “mad” enough to walk out on both of them and then begins to chase after her inspirational leader.
Maria had little luck sitting Dixie down for a second meeting and instead decided to accompany her husband Mike Bennett for a confrontation with the ass kicking machine, Ethan Carter III.
Time for our Knockouts title triple threat match:
After a short commercial break and ring entrances, our three competitors assemble to the middle of the six sided ring, where the one time Knockouts tag team champions Gail Kim and Madison Rayne quickly work together to land right forearms to Jade. Madison whips Jade to a turnbuckle and hits a running strike. Gail takes a turn to whip Jade to an opposite corner and goes for a running clothesline but Jade ducks out the way. Jade hits a big boot to Madison and tries to hit another to the champion but Gail evades by slipping through the second rope.
Gail punches Jade from the ring apron and Madison tries to capitalize by rolling up Jade from behind but Jade kicks out. Madison goes for three more consecutive pin attempts, all of which Jade manages to kick out of. Gail reenters the ring and takes out both of her challengers with a double clothesline. The champion tries to maintain control of the match but when she goes after Jade again, she ends up being hit with a German suplex.
Jade targets Madison next but hits a stalemate when the two take each other out with a big boot. Things turn back in favor of the champion, as Gail takes out both of her competitors with a DDT/neckbreaker combination! Ninja Kim keeps the combo attacks rolling in, as she also manages to pull out a top rope lucha libre style arm drag/head scissors to keep her foes grounded. Madison is scrambled to the outside ring, leaving Gail in a one on one circumstance with Jade.
Gail whips Jade to the ropes but Jade uses this boost to hit an outside dive to Madison. The champion tries to pull Jade back into the ring by grabbing a handful of her hair but Jade fights back with a kick to the head. Jade stays on the outside premises, where she displays her strength with a carrying chokehold to Madison before taking her out completely with a running dropkick.
Back in the ring, Gail climbs the top rope with intentions of a high flying attack but is attacked from behind by Maria. The First Lady of Professional Wrestling is certainly having a busy night! Maria hits Gail in the back with the Knockouts title, causing Jade to reenter the ring and take advantage of Maria’s sneak attack by landing her STO maneuver to put Gail down for the three count. Maria gladly hands the Knockouts title to referee Earl Hebner, who goes on to raise the arm of the new Knockouts Champion Jade!
And rounding things up for the Knockouts this week is Rosemary, who joins her Decay clan in delivering a dark themed riddle to TNA Tag Team Champions Beer Money.
Thoughts: After a little over 200 TV days, the reign of Gail Kim as Knockouts champion has come to an end. For such a lengthy reign, it sure wasn’t a memorable one, in my opinion anyway. For me, part of the problem comes from the fact that Gail won the title back when TNA were in their transitional period of moving from Destination America over to Pop TV. It ate time away from seeing Gail as champion as those months were used for what was (a biding time strategy) the World Title Series.
But even when TNA found comfort in their new home of Pop TV, the Knockouts title was still lost in the shuffle between The Dollhouse/Beautiful People feud. It felt like only a handful of times we actually got to see the Knockouts title defended and Gail came across as a non-factor kind of champion when getting placed in the middle. All of these reasons make me relief in, a way, to see the title now change hands. This now gives us a chance to see thing freshen up for the Knockouts title picture, assuming TNA are committed to deliver on that.
I’m ecstatic to see Jade come out with the gold! She was, after all, being polished for this very moment; before and after her time with The Dollhouse stable. However, I do have to say the way she won the Knockouts title was a bit disappointing. She wins the title in a very short title match; although that may have been as a result of Gail being in much pain throughout the match. After all, Gail was limping at some points in the match and it would explain the weak finish to the match. With the proper time setting, I know all three of these women could put on a much better match.
I can somewhat forgive Maria’s involvement as TNA are clearly stretching this feud between her and Gail. My only hope is that this doesn’t take away too much focus on Jade’s first reign as champion. Perhaps Maria can continue this ongoing feud with Gail while Jade enters a full on feud with someone like Madison Rayne. Or maybe an arriving Cherry Bomb can stir things up? As always, only time will tell!
