Hola Knockout fans and welcome to this week’s Impact Write-Up. After two weeks of being treated to zero matches from the TNA Knockouts, the women of TNA are back in action this week! Tag team action to be specific. This week, Brandi Rhodes is scheduled to take on Maria Kanellis‘ Lady Squad of Sienna and Laurel Van Ness. As we saw last week, Brandi attempted even up the numbers game by recruiting Allie to join her circle but Allie, politely. declined. Will Brandi be able to find anyone to stand by her in this battle?
We first find the Lady Squad backstage, where Laurel Van Ness is full of smiles and giggles thanks to a cute text message she’s received on her phone from Braxton Sutter. A curious Allie wonders why Mr. Braxton would text Ms. Laurel but before we can get an answer, in comes Boss Lady Maria. Maria reminds her clique, particularly Allie, that some folks seem to have forgotten their places in TNA. Maria then name drops Brandi Rhodes, celebrating the fact that her husband Cody was injured, therefore leaving poor Brandi without any partners ahead of her tag team match. With all eyes gazed upon her, Allie assures her associates that she would never go against them. Keep your head high Allie!
Before we get to our Knockouts match of the evening, Gail Kim is back for a second week to deliver some breaking news to Jeremy Borash and TNA fans alike! Apparently during her match against Maria, Gail suffered an injury and after being attacked last week at the hands of Rosemary, doctors would not clear her to compete. With that said, Gail has decided to step to the side and vacate the Knockouts Championship. Get well soon Gail! A new Knockouts Champion will be crowned in two weeks!
It’s time for our Knockouts tag team match! The entire Lady Squad make their collective entrance, though Allie continues to be shoved all around as the Black Sheep of the group. Brandi makes her entrance solo and Maria sees this as an opportunity to taunt Brandi for not being able to find a partner. Just to be sure someone who “gets a little confused sometimes” isn’t tempted to tag with Brandi, Maria orders Allie to head on to the back.
Unknown to Maria, Brandi has actually found a partner, who just happens to be a five time Knockouts Champion. Come on down Madison Rayne! With these teams now formed, the ring bell sounds off with Brandi and Laurel starting things off.
Scratch that, Brandi decides to start things off by sliding outside the six sided ring and chasing Maria. Maria manages to escape any harm thanks to Laurel but then a tag is made to Madison. Madison takes control early on, putting Laurel down with clotheslines, chops to the chest and a super slap across the face.
Sienna decides to tag in and is able to slow down Madison’s momentum. She takes Madison to a corner, which leads to some dirty double team attacks from Sienna and Laurel. A tag is made back to Laurel, who tries to put Madison away with a few good hair tosses to the mat and a quick suplex but to no avail. “I don’t have time for this” yells out Laurel who then sets Madison up for the curb stomp. Madison dodges out the way and collides with Laurel after a double clothesline connects, setting up for a hot tag scenario.
The tags are made and Brandi lands the first strike to Sienna, hitting two clotheslines. Brandi follows up with a series of offense that include a dropkick to the corner, a back elbow strike and a knee shot to the head of Sienna. Brandi goes for the cover but Laurel breaks the pin before the three count.
A proud Laurel taunts the crowd only to be big booted (?) by Madison and tossed out the ring. We turn our attention back to the middle of the ring, where Sienna mounts Brandi over her shoulders for the AK-47 but Brandi slithers out of harms way. Brandi then takes down Sienna with a reverse STO, going for the cover and picking up the win for her team!
But wait, there’s more Knockouts to discuss!
Jade is seen backstage filming for, what looks to be, an Impact Wrestling social media video for Pop TV. Get that advertisement TNA! Decay members Crazzy Steve and Abyss crash the set to deliver a message to Jade on behalf of their bold leader Rosemary!
The Death Dealers tell Jade that Rosemary is waiting for her so that they can have a face to face conversation. Of course, this wouldn’t be a simple sit-down conversation, as Jade would first have to find Rosemary in the upstair setting of the Impact Zone, which, according to Abyss, is “beautiful”.
When Jade finally does find Rosemary, she has her guard and fists up! After last week’s brutal attack, I don’t blame you Jade! Rosemary refers to Jade as “Gail’s Little Chosen One” and “Blue” but Jade cuts right to the chase, revealing that the two will be the ones competing for the (now) vacated Knockouts title.
Jade says she isn’t afraid of Rosemary but Rosemary wants to put this fearless attitude to the test. She proposes that their match in two weeks be held inside a steel cage! Any chance we can push this match for next week instead!?
Thoughts: As great as it was to have the Knockouts back in action, more so with Madison returning and leaving her short lived commentary stint behind, I was a bit underwhelmed by this week’s match.
Brandi is still very green in the ring, hence why she was kept on the side for the majority time of this tag match up until the end; an ending which had an awkward pace to it. That being said, I’m also very surprised to see Brandi get a clean win over Sienna.
Josh Matthews on commentary even mentioned during the match of how Brandi is still training her craft. So to see Brandi manage to get the win over a former Knockouts Champion, who is suppose to be Maria’s muscle, feels iffy.
Allie continues to garner sympathy but I am ready for TNA to push the fast forward button with Allie. Perhaps with Braxton Sutter’s name still being thrown in Laurel’s circle can be that rift that allows Allie to break away for good.
Moving on to the Knockouts title picture, Gail having to relinquish the Knockouts title explains why she was kept off TV for nearly a month. I had heard of Gail being injured through these last set of taping but I wasn’t sure of when it happened. It is unfortunate situation since the Knockouts title has not had a memorable reign this year, so to see another reign end abruptly is disappointing.
On the bright side, getting some build from Jade and Rosemary for their upcoming Knockouts title match was great! I loved the little interaction between the two and I’m very much looking forward to this steel cage match!
What did you think of this week’s Impact? What are your thoughts on Gail relinquishing the Knockouts title? Excited to see Rosemary and Jade square off inside a steel cage? Let us know in the comments below!
