Hola Knockout fans and welcome to another weekly edition of Impact Write-Up. For the first time since their debut on Destination America back in January, Impact Wrestling comes us to live this week… or at least close to it with an hour or two air delay. Either way, there weren’t two months worth of spoilers for fans to avoid and/or pretend like they didn’t know what was going to happen had they decided to read ahead. Along with the announced Knockouts handicap match featuring the unlikely team of Gail Kim and Awesome Kong taking on The Dollhouse, we are also treated an early Mother’s Day celebration as well as the return of a former Knockout.
Ahead of their handicap match later in the evening, Gail Kim finds her tag partner Awesome Kong backstage and approaches her for a brief pep talk but Kong only has her back side turned to her longtime rival. Despite this unapproachable stance, Gail still tries to reason with Kong, acknowledging that while they have never been on the same page, Knockouts Champion Taryn Terrell and her Dollhouse associates Jade and Marti Bell have not only made a mockery of them but they’ve also made a mockery of the division that they’ve helped build.
Business is business after all and Gail’s short speech seemingly speak to Kong, as she meets Gail midway and faces her as Gail asks Kong if they’re in it together. Kong only nods in agreement before walking away in the opposite direction of Gail’s, her back once again to her partner of the night. Will these two manage to put their differences to the side to take down their common enemies?
We move on to our next Knockouts related backstage segment and meet good old James Storm or as he would rather be called “Christmas” because he’s always giving! In fact, he has several gifts to distribute tonight, especially one enormous gift to a very special friend of his!
Saint James Storm takes his white and gold polka-dotted gift wrapped box with him as he enters the Impact Zone. Once he’s made his way to the ring, Storm is quick to grab a mic but rather than give a run down of what it’s like to be a cowboy such as himself, Storm would much prefer if we focused the spotlight on his dear friend Mickie James instead.
The Hardcore Country singer is all giddy as she joins her pal Storm, noticing the gift that is in the ring and still not sure of what to make of it. Storm begins this gift exchange by first recognizing Mickie’s transition from a wrestler to motherhood. The fans in attendance are in agreement as they begin chanting Mickie’s name.
Storm continue his Mother’s Day themed promo by speaking of his own mother who taught him from right and wrong; had it not been for her, Storm wouldn’t know where he’d be today! So on behalf of James Storm, may God bless all mothers. Cheap pops at its finest.
On top of Mickie James new life as a mother and legendary wrestling career, Mickie is also a threat when it comes to music side of things. As of token of their friendship, Storm has gotten Mickie a little gift to help keen in on Mickie’s musical side. After rallying up the crowd to begin an “open it” chant, Mickie begins unwrapping Storm’s gift while having a bit of playful fun with Storm.
The mystery gift box is opened and inside, Mickie finds a groovy custom guitar from Storm. Mickie James finds the guitar so awesome and really thinks that Storm didn’t have of trough so much trouble. After such a good feel moment, the only logical thing to do next is capture it with a selfie and post it on Twitter. Unfortunately, Storm doesn’t have his phone with on hand but does the next best thing and calls for a cameraman at ringside to take some camera shots. While this isn’t the exact definition of a “selfie”, Mickie and James are having fun taking these friendly photos with each other until party pooper and Mickie James’s fiancé Magnus has seen enough backstage and comes on down to the ring.
No need to feel left out Magnus, as James Storm has a gift for you as well in the form of a gladiator helmet, you know from the early days of your career. Magnus is not amused by Storm and his idea of a “gift”, refusing to go along with the games. He asks Mickie to exit the ring and follow him back to the backstage area, with full knowledge of knowing what Storm is up to. Just before Magnus and Mickie make it to the back, Storm lets Magnus know that he left behind one more gift- a gift for his son Donovan.
Storm instructs Magnus to give this small bedside gift to his son right before he goes to bed while letting him know it came from “Uncle James”. This turns out to be too much for Magnus, who marches right back into, grabs a hold of Mickie’s gift of a guitar and whacks it over the head of Storm, laying him out in ring! Mickie James’ face reads of astonishment, Magnus’ of anger and a recovered James Storm of satisfaction with a grin.
As problems begin to brew in the relationship between Magnus and Mickie, Gail Kim and her celebrity chef husband Robert Irvine are on cloud nine. Gail joined her husband at a recent live event at one of his cooking shows where at the end of the program, he referred to his lovely wife as not only being an amazing wrestler but also a genuinely good person who changed his life. #RelationshipGoals
After Chef Irvine’s cooking show, TNA cameras are backstage where Gail Kim and Jeremy Borash talk about how much fun they had at the food event. Right from the corner of Gail’s eye, one particular selfie-taking guest sets off Gail’s temper button! Taryn Terrell’s friendliness with Gail’s stepdaughters touches a nerve with her and when confronting Taryn about it, Taryn states that she is just innocently joining the show her doll of a husband is hosting. Not wanting to make a scene of anything, Gail demands that Taryn leave the area and Taryn obeys to avoid any more “over-dramatic drama” Gail likes to cook up. Taryn excuses herself politely and then glares at Gail before walking away with a flip of hair and swag in her steps. I’m so loving this side of Taryn!
TNA cameras are back at the Impact Zone as we are set for our Knockouts match of the evening. Out first are The Dollhouse, with leader Taryn Terrell sporting a new color of cotton candy blue ring gear to go with her pink ribbons. This time around, there are no ring games but there is still plenty of laughter and gossip from The Dollhouse trio. Gail Kim makes her way out next but she doesn’t enter the ring right away as she waits for her partner Awesome Kong to make her entrance to somewhat even the number odds of this match.
With Awesome Kong now by Gail’s side, the two founding Knockout are comfortable enough to get this match started, Gail kicking things off her team and Jade for The Dollhouse. Jade gets the first strike when she attacks Gail from behind, sending Gail to the ground early on. Jade quickly following up by sending Gail to a corner turnbuckle but Gail is a step ahead and evades Jade’s running attack. An arm drag from Gail to Jade gives Gail control and she continues taking down Jade with a running hurricanrana. This causes Jade to retreat to her partners and make the tag to Marti while over at the other team Awesome Kong tags herself into the match, surprising Gail.
Marti charges after Kong but only hits a wall when she hits the mat after a shoulder block from Kong. Awesome runs the ropes but now it is Gail who tags herself back in causing a shift between team Kim Kong. This miscommunication between Kim Kong is quickly handled when the two see an opening to attack Marti and Jade who begin their own dispute.
Kong sending Jade to a corner first, with Marti following seconds later. Awesome Kong sandwiches the two members of The Dollhouse with a running corner splash. Just when Gail seem to be in control of the match, Taryn gets involved and her first actions are to strike Gail with a blind attack before innocently finding her way back to the ring apron.
After the scramble, legal Knockouts Gail Kim and Marti do battle with relying on her heel like tactics and taking the back of Gail Kim. A running face crusher later, Marti makes a tag to Jade who was just asking to get in on the action next. After twirling her pigtails a bit, Jade cannonballs a cornered Gail and quickly goes for a pin but Gail toughens out at the two count. Looking for a different offense, hits a stiff kick to the back of Gail’s head and then another to her back.
Jade scoops up Gail and tosses her to the direction of her fellow Dollhouse team where they begin to toy with Gail; Taryn landing a good slap to Gail along with a double team attack from Marti and Jade when a tag is made to Marti. As Kong looks close by for an opening to make a tag, Marti continues working on Gail, sending her to the ropes and coming back to a clothesline.
Another quick tag is made to Jade and The Dollhouse look for another double team attach but Gail is able to counter this time around. Gail Kim makes the most of this quick break by picking herself back up and dashing across the ring to connect a Flying Dragon submission to Jade. The submission hold isn’t locked for long as the number games favor The Dollhouse when Marti distracts the referee allowing for Taryn to enter the ring and break Gail’s hold before retreating back in an innocent matter.
As Gail tries to get to her tag partner, Jade manage to get to her partner first and makes the tag to Marti once again. Marti pulls Gail further from Kong’s corner but tries to have a bit of fun with Kong, assaulting her from the apron. Marti’s arrogance works against her when Kong eats Marti’s attack and shoves her to Gail, who uses every bit of energy to hit a clothesline to take Marti down. With both legal down, it’s a race to make a tag as Gail at last gets to Kong and Marti to Taryn, getting involved for the first time.
Awesome Kong holds nothing back, taking down Taryn with clothesline shots and a power slam. Before Kong can hit the Implant Buster to the Knockouts champion, Marti and Jade did their way back to the ring, saving Taryn from Kong’s finisher. They double team Kong to a corner where Gail manages to slip a tag for herself. Kong takes out Jade and Marti with a double clothesline as Gail takes care of Taryn with a missile dropkick from the top rope. Gail goes for the pin but it is broken up before the count of three thanks to Marti.
All hell breaks loose in the ring when Kong hits an Implant Buster to Jade, Gail sets Marti for an Eat Defeat but is thrown off when Taryn rolls up Gail into a sneak pin and gets the three count for her team. Taryn quickly exits the ring and joins Jade but they’ve left poor Marti inside and things turn ugly. Gail successfully hits Eat Defeat to Marti and then it’s Awesome Kong who hits an Implant Buster, obliterating Marti all together. Sure KimKong can do all the damage they want but Taryn reminds them from a safe distance outside the ring that they still DON’T have her title! A very valid point from the leader of The Dollhouse.
We head backstage once again to see the aftermath following Magnus and Mickie James’s encounter with James Storm. Mickie wants to talk about Magnus attacking James Storm after promising he would keep his cool. Magnus reassures he loves Mickie, their family and would always let her choose her friends but just can’t seem to trust Storm. On top of the trust issues, Storm also disrespected him and that’s where the line was drawn. Mickie tries to understand but has trouble doing so now that she feels disrespected after Magnus’ actions tonight. Hug it out guys!
Our final good Knockouts segment of the night comes in the form of Ms. Angelina Love, who has a few things to say. She’s been badgered on social media with loads of questions ranging from her thoughts on the BroMans breaking up, The Dollhouse formation and the new team of KimKong. Basically everything but her recent engagement to Davey Richards.
She take this moment to put all those questions to the side to talk about something far more important- herself! She is the record breaking six time Knockouts Champion after all and the ONLY beautiful person in existence. How quickly did we forget of Madison Rayne?
At the drop of the beautiful person line, we see another beautiful face in the crowd of the Impact Zone as a returning Velvet Sky finds her way back to TNA to a warm welcome from the crowd. A surprised Angelina wonders what Velvet is doing back as she had been fired just two months ago. Seriously, how quick was that?
Velvet says nothing but enters the ring rocking a new look and some new hair color, to which Angelina admits not being a fan of. Velvet glares at Angelina and suddenly it kicks in that Angelina was a bit too happy when Velvet left after her Feast or Fired ordeal. Yes, Angelina did receive all the messages that Velvet had left but she was too busy being awesome to get back to her.
Despite all that, Angelina tries to welcome Velvet back with a friendly hug but Velvet remains silent, never nudging even when Angelina squeezes her hug. Realizing this new attitude, Angelina calls out Velvet, accusing her being “too cool” to hug her best friend now. Ms. Love reminds Velvet that had it not been for her, Velvet would be NOTHING!!!
Instead of words, Velvet’s action doing all the talking as she takes down Angelina with a spear and begins choking her before security breaks this beautiful brawl up.
Thoughts: Another action-packed week for the Knockouts this week! All semi-live nevertheless.
Always starting with the good, I really enjoyed this awaited match between KimKong and The Dollhouse. There was this uncertainty of how Gail and Awesome Kong would interact given their long history with one another. I think TNA did a good job of making sure Gail and Kong weren’t sudden best friends but had the common goal of defeating The Dollhouse as a business perspective. There was their segment before the match and even during the match where the two would tag each other in.
The match itself was fun. I absolutely loved Gail and Jade’s standoff with each other and I know many are just waiting to see these two go at it one on one. Taryn may have only been tagged in during the end of this match but she still played a vital role in making sure her partners did plenty of work and getting involved throughout the match when an opening was available. With the numbers on The Dollhouse side, it would make sense for them to win and their win came in the form of Taryn catching Gail off guard and rolling her into a schools girl pin. It protects Gail status, gives heat to Taryn and opens the idea that KimKong may need to find another partner if they want to even up the score and conquer the Dollhouse. Perhaps, someone like Havok who has been away for far too long now? Surely this won’t be the last time these women meet in the ring.
Speaking of Taryn, she has been playing her heel character just brilliantly. That little segment at Chef Irvine’s show was hilarious and so fitting of Taryn’s new character- antagonizing someone like Gail through innocent play all while carrying this mean attitude with her.
The Mickie James/Magnus/James Storm was a step up from last week. Storm has just been proving how great of a manipulator he can be through his face promos for Mickie and quickly shift into heel when it comes to Magnus.
This feud is much different from when Magnus and Mickie feuded with Bram, as back then both Magnus and Mickie were against Bram and his personal attacks to their family. This time, Storm is only an enemy of Magnus while Mickie still seems him as a friend. While I am very interested to see where this story line goes, it’s still a bit disappointing to see this angle pull Mickie even further from the Knockouts division despite it all being started after Mickie announced her “retirement” and Storm convincing her to have “one more match”.
I don’t know what to make of Velvet Sky’s return. On one side, she came into an easy storyline practically written for her but on the other, it’s a rehash of a past feud that really fell flat in my opinion. It was just around this time last year that The Beautiful People were relaunching themselves but even that was a stalemate. Are we sure this won’t be any different?
Still, this at least gives us fans another potential Knockout and maybe the absence any lesbian vampire can help the flow of this feud this time around.
These next set of taping will all be the building blocks to Slammiversary this year so it will be an interesting month to look forward to as well as what matches may play out during TNA’s upcoming pay per view.
That’s it for this week Knockout fans, hasta luego!
