We had more Knockouts action tonight than you could shake a stick at! (Although why you’d want to shake a stick at them is beyond me…) Let’s dive right in, shall we?
Prior to their match, we see Generation Me walking towards the entrance backstage when Tara comes up and wishes them luck. She makes sure they know she’ll be watching VERY closely, emphasizing this with a smack to not just one but both men’s backsides. Woo, you go Tara!
Switching gears to the ring, it’s going to be a mixed tag team match pitting Jay Lethal, the Motor City Machine Guns and Velvet Sky vs Generation Me, Robbie E and Cookie. For a minute, I think something’s wrong with Cookie’s eyes until I realize she has extended blue eyelashes on. Oookay. Last out is Velvet, in her pink attire. As she enters the ring, Sabin takes a seat and puts all his focus on her as Tazz and Tenay make mention of those two dating. Even Jay has a grin on his face. Perhaps he’s thinking he finally has found an equalizer in his fight against Robbie and Cookie.
As it is, we don’t get a proper mashup between Velvet and Cookie, but both women make their presence felt by attacking the guys on the other team. The match breaks down towards the end, and Velvet enters the ring, rushing over to nail Cookie, but the brunette hops down from the apron, sparing herself the wrath of the Beautiful Person. Vel Vel turns around and seeing an opportunity, hits a very nice headscissors takedown on Max of GenMe. Both women are back on the apron while the guys brawl, but when Cookie re-enters to try and help out her team, she’s taken down by a spear from Velvet, who starts to bash her head into the mat repeatedly. The ref tries to break this up and while he’s distracted, Sabin gets hairsprayed in the eyes, allowing Jeremy to get the roll up pin for the 3 count. Velvet looks pissed but then concerned, seeing Sabin on the mat, clutching his face. The team of Generation Me, Robbie and Cookie celebrate on the outside.
Musings: I really preferred this mixed match to last week’s, due to the fact that both women’s strengths were played to. They stuck to well-timed interferance on each of their team’s behalf and had a nice little mini-brawl at the end where some satisfaction was had with Velvet getting a few licks in on Cookie. It’ll be interesting to see where Jay goes to find a partner next that can take her out so he can focus on Robbie. Plus, the interaction with Tara and GenMe beforehand was nice. It shows she doesn’t have to be confined to her feud with Mickie James, her character can be involved with other people in other storylines. And speaking of Mickie…
We have a number one contenders match set between Angelina Love and Mickie James. Backstage, the camera’s caught up with Angelina, who admits Mickie’s a good wrestler, but so is she, and if MJ thinks she can just be handed the number one contendership, she’s wrong.
First out is Angelina, and my jaw drops upon seeing her outfit. It looks more suited for a BDSM club, but seeing as I fancy these types of clothes, I think it looks dynamite. Next out is Mickie and she’s back to the cut off shorts and tied, frayed top. I preferred the long pants she had on last time, but c’est la vie. Enough with the outfits, we’re here to see this match!
As the bell rings, the two circle each other before locking up. There follows a series of pins by each woman, two attempts from Angelina, two from Mickie, before they separate, eyeing each other appreciatively. The fans applaud the exchange as well. The two regroup and shake hands before locking up once more. Angelina locks on a side head lock that MJ is hard pressed to get out of. Once she does, however, each woman attempts a hip toss on the other, Mickie finally hitting a monkey flip. She follows up with a dropkick, then a pin and gets a two count.
Angelina scrambles to the corner, looking a tad bit fustrated now. She slaps the turnbuckle before getting to her feet. Both women are focused now, having had a chance to take each other’s measure. They lock up again, Angelina pushing MJ back into a corner. They slowly untangle from one another, but Love gets a forearm shot in. She attempts to whip James into the other corner, but MJ reverses into a knee to the stomach. She tries to follow up but Angelina hits a jumping clothesline and goes for a cover, getting a two count. She hits a front slam, goes for another pin, gets another two.
Angelina slaps a sleeper hold on while there’s dueling chants for both women in the crowd. Mickie fights out of it, back to her feet, while Angelina attempts the Botox Injection but James ducks it. Angelina stops at the ropes, now looking thoroughly annoyed. She takes a moment to fluff her hair and slowly turns around, spying Mickie offering a friendly handshake. Love takes her hand – and knocks her to the mat. Fun and games are over, this one’s for real now. After a pause, the blonde goes for a pin but gets two for her trouble.
On their feet, Mickie whips Angelina into the corner, but as she rushes in, Angel locks her legs around MJ’s neck. She kicks her twice before shoving her back onto the mat. Mickie’s back up, however, and as she goes back towards Love again, Love deftly manuevers out of the way and winds up school-girling MJ for a two count. Nice move! James is whipped into the corner but as Angelina comes at her, she hits the Beautiful Person with a headscissors takedown, followed by a hard neckbreaker into a pin. Two count.
Obviously fustrated as well now, Mickie climbs onto the top turnbuckle and goes for a top rope Lou Thez but Love ducks, Mickie landing on her feet. She turns around into a Botox Injection! James is down but Angelina is slow to cover and as a result gets a two count. Angel is in disbelief, but when she pulls MJ up Mickie hits a huge MickieDDT and gets the three count! As her hand is raised, Mickie mouths the word, “Wow.” Wow indeed. The two exchange a look as James heads back up the ramp.
Musings: Wow indeed. These two put on one hell of a match! There’s plenty of chemistry between them and I liked the slow build of the exchange, going from moderately friendly to intense. Both women wanted the number one status badly and I felt that from them. It also appears that Angelina, who considered herself the top Knockout in the company, now realises she has serious competition from the newcomer. I wouldn’t mind seeing a feud between these two at some point, especially if we get more great matches like this! But Angelina’s night wasn’t over just yet…
Angelina’s pissed and she takes it out on items backstage before plopping down in a chair and nearly crying. A slender hand places itself on her shoulder, and a voice declares that it was “destiny” that she lost the match. Angelina jerks her head up to see the ethereal Winter beside her. She explodes, wanting to know what the other woman wants from her. Winter stoops down, telling her that all that has happened was meant to be, and things will fall into place now. As she strokes Angelina’s hair and arm, the beautiful brunette tells her it’s time they got to know each other. With that, the camera switches out.
Musings: Whoo hoo! More Winter/Angelina interaction! And this time, Angelina didn’t freak out too badly. She didn’t make any attempt to push Winter’s hand away, either. Perhaps this angle is going to kick into high gear now. Where it’ll go, I have no clue, and I don’t mind not knowing. I’m willing to wait and see how it progresses as it’s kept me interested this far. Kudos to TNA overall, a pretty darn good night for most of the Knockouts!
