Hola all you tramps and skanks, and welcome to another sensational edition of the Impact Write-Up. This week, we were granted an interesting bout, which was dubbed to be a “Championship Challenge” match. In simpler terms, it was a six pack challenge which featured former champions, Velvet Sky, Mickie James, Winter, Angelina Love, Tara, and Madison Rayne, competing to see who would face Gail Kim for the belt at Lockdown. This could either go really good or really bad depending on how it’s executed, so let’s scroll on down and find out which way the cookie crumbled!
Following a pan up shot of Christy Hemme that’s sure to get Taz’s juices flowing, HARRRDCCUURRRR COUNNTREEEHHHH blasts through the sound system and out skips everyone’s favorite cowgirl, Mickie James! She slides under the ropes and hops the turnbuckle to pose for the fans, before being cut off by the sensational being that is a new slightly blond version of Winter! Winter slowly ascends down the ramp and taunts the crowd in attendance, as out next comes someone who has something Broken (broken, broken, broken…), Tara! The mainstream veteran takes it retro with some of her older gear as she poses on the ropes and readies for this opportunity. Following her comes a (new?) version of Angelina Love, complete with pink and white tron suggesting she is apart from Winter now. The KILLLEERRRRR QUEEEEEEEEEENNNN is out next, who bows and beautifully waves for her adorning fans all the way down to the ring. Rounding out the bunch comes perhaps the favorite heading into this match, the role model of pigeons everywhere looking to be let loose… Velvet Sky! All six women look ready to go, as we head to a commercial break BEFORE the match starts (which is what I’ve begged them to do instead of in between).
Back from break with Winter applying a waist lock around Tara, who fights out and reverses into a wrist lock. Winter fights back and slams her down by the hair, but Tara kips up and controls it with some punches and clotheslines. A bodyslam finishes up, before scoring with the standing moonsault as all of the other four break it up. Angelina soon blind tags herself in and engages in an interesting stare off with her (former?) BFF, Winter. The two look ready to fight, before Winter ends up tagging in Mickie James.
Mickie steps in to the roar of the fans, and then proceeds to lock up with Angelina. Love with a side headlock takeover, countered into a leg lock by MJ. Angelina fights back into the hold, but Mickie breaks out into one of her own! Mickie scores with a shoulder block, proceeding to cartwheel over Love and hit a nice dropkick. She tries to grab Angelina, but Love kicks back and drops her throat first onto the ropes. James then plants her with a huge arm trap neckbreaker, as Madison Rayne accidentally elbows Angelina to break the pin.
Love takes advantage of this with a sidewalk slam for a two count as Tara breaks it up. Angelina starts to argue with Madison, which allows Mickie to take advantage with some punches. James is sent off the ropes, where Velvet Sky blind tags herself in and hits a dropkick to Angelina. Mickie climbs out, as the former Beautiful People members collide! Sky with a kick and a few clotheslines, rounding it up with a shoulder block. Love plants an elbow to the stomach and drops her with a front slam for a two count!
She then walks over and smacks Madison right on the hand, as Tara tags herself in and shoves Rayne into Love. Tara with some punches and a clothesline, continuing with her version of the sidewalk slam! Winter breaks up the pin attempt, as Madison rakes the eyes and Velvet tags back in. Madison proceeds to tag Mickie in, which sparks these friends to meet one on one in the ring…well not really, as Rayne kicks Mickie out. Madison proceeds to score with a clothesline, before drilling Velvet with the Rayne Drop!
Angelina runs in from behind and nails the Break-A-Bitch backbreaker, before turning around into the Widows Peak from Tara! Winter then runs inside and drops Tara with the Kat-Nap Backbreaker, until turning around herself into a huge Mickie-DT. Mickie seems caught off guard, as Velvet kicks her in the gut and apologizes for doing so, before nailing the double underhook faceplant for the WIN! Velvet will challenge Gail Kim at Lockdown for the Knockouts Championship inside the steel cage!
Thoughts: I actually really liked this match. I loved that they billed it as six former champions because it explains the absence of a few ladies (although ODB not so much). I thought everyone performed excellently, with no slip ups or slow moments in the slightest. All six women did their parts tremendously, and I loved the unique concept Impact took in delivering a number one contenders match. We’ve seen battle royals etc. already, so it was refreshing to see another six pack challenge actually happen. I thought it was also tremendous to see all six women actually get a solid amount of time to wrestle. This could’ve been such a cluster… you know what, but they handled it perfectly and everyone came off looking like they actually were fighting for their life to get the title shot.
I’m so happy Velvet Sky won because the crowd loves her, as do I, and I really want her to get the reign she was basically screwed out of in the start. I don’t think there is really anyone left for Gail Kim to go through except the woman who never got her rematch for the belt in the first place, and I really really hope Velvet wins it back and has a long reign.
