With your regular Impact Wrstling writer away in Miami for a little non-TNA event called WrestleMania (it’s an indy show that only a dozen people will show up to… very obscure!), it is up to me to welcome you “bitches and hoes” (did I do that right?) to this week’s Impact Write-Up!
It’s probably for the best that I take over for Bobby this week as no doubt, the return of Madison Rayne‘s tiara will only remind him of a certain Miss Karen and bring him to tears.
Yes, Madi’s tiara made a triumphant comeback thanks to the help of her on-again, off-again BFF, Gail Kim (in a rather risqué dress that is somewhat appropriate for National Cleavage Day yesterday). Meanwhile, Madison also faced off with her former ‘Beautiful’ partner, Velvet Sky.
Let’s get it started!
First we had backstage where a very generous Gail Kim has a gift for the woman who tried to take her Knockouts Title from her at Victory Road earlier this month. A peace offering perhaps? Gail gifts Madison a new tiara (her last one was given to then-Knockouts VP, Karen Jarrett) and the Killer Queen is back, y’all! As the pair kiss and make up, Gail tells Madison to take care of Velvet Sky in their match tonight and coincidentally, that match is just around the corner!
Madison is the first out, with her new tiara in tow, followed by Vel-Vel. Mike Tenay on commentary puts Velvet over and how she wants to become Knockouts Champion again. Hmm, anyone else see where this is going?
After letting the pigeons loose on the ring ropes (much to Madi’s disgust), Madison attacks Velvet before the opening bell and chokes her in the corner using her leg. Madison with forearm shots and a whip followed by a dropkick. Madison then chokes Velvet across the bottom rope while talking trash. With Velvet down, the former Knockouts Champ takes the time to wave to her ‘adoring’ public.
Madison keeps the control over Velvet but the pigeon-keeper manages to come back with a kick to the face and clotheslines followed by knee-smashes and a snapmare. Velvet follows through with a nice low dropkick and a pin attempt but Madison kicks out.
Madison now takes back control of the match with a few strikes before whipping Velvet into the corner. Madison screams — as only she can — in Velvet’s face, waving to the fans and then hitting a butt-bump in the corner. Madison runs the ropes and connects with a nice face-smash on Velvet.
Rayne now seeks to use her momentum to end the match with a Rayne Drop but Velvet drops her and flees to the corner to catch her breath. Madison runs at her but Velvet kicks her back. Vel-Vel with forearms and — JR voice — a spear, spear, spear!!!
Velvet next connects with her patented bulldog, riling up the crowd as she prepares to put the match to an end. Kick to the midsection and double underhook… Velvet hits the In Yo Face facebuster to take the victory!
After the match, ring announcer Christy Hemme meets Velvet at ringside to ask her what she plans to do next. Velvet informs fans (and TNA’s creative team apparently because they had also forgotten) that she never got a rematch for the Knockouts Title that she lost back in November, and she’s coming for Gail. Well, that would’ve been great about four months ago…
Thoughts: Not a bad match, but not terribly exciting, either. Pretty short by Knockouts standards (which is an eternity in Diva minutes, if anyone is counting) but it did it’s job. Velvet gets a victory to build her back up for an eventual title shot. Speaking of that title shot — really?! We just now remember that Velvet hasn’t had her rematch? Velvet has competed in number one contenders’ gauntlet matches and battle royals over the past four months to crown a new challenger for Gail’s title, but all the while, she had a title shot of her very own to cash in? This rematch should’ve been done in December quite frankly, but TNA opted to rush a Gail Kim vs Mickie James feud which if you look back, didn’t really work out very well as there was no real storyline or personal motivation behind it.
I don’t necessarily want to see Velvet vs Gail at LockDown, to be honest. I think there’s an opportunity to do something bigger at LockDown taking advantage of this being Gail’s first cage match in however many years. If you look back at her cage match with Jacqueline in 2007, it had intensity and personal rivalry behind it. If TNA manages to accomplish that same feeling with Velvet and Gail in the next few weeks, then I’m all for it, but I don’t see it happening. Frankly, I think it may end up being a waste of a big stipulation match and that would be a shame. Perhaps instead of Velvet, they should’ve continued to Madison/Gail break-up and really turned up the heat between them, warranting a cage match at LockDown.
Also on Impact this week, ODB and Eric Young (I’m not Bobby, so yes, I can mention his name!) prepared for their upcoming hillbilly wedding. Check out the clip below:
What did you think of Impact? Tell us in the comments!
