Welcome, welcome Knockout fans! This week we get round two of Knockout champ Gail Kim‘s open challenge. After last week’s losing effort by Hannah Blossom, we’re left to wonder who – if anyone – will be able to knock Gail off her pedestal. We also got more of #HeelDixie to tide us over, which is where the action kicked off last night. So shall we head on over to Turning Point?
Dixie finds Samoa Joe backstage, who looks like he’s aged roughly ten years since last week. Seriously. Wow. Dixie asks how he is, though I’m sure she’s doesn’t care. She tells him she watched last week’s show – precisely, her segments – over and over again, and she asks if he knows why. Duh, it’s so she can be the best she can be, and give her fans what they want!
“While my performance was outstanding, Joe, yours was not.”
Dixie gets better and better every week.
“Let me give you a little warning.”
She’s so cutesy..
“If you ever take that tone with me again, you’ll find yourself like your little buddy AJ…”
…but she can turn sour in a second.
She asks if he understands. He does. She says he can forget any ideas he has about a unification match with AJ Styles, because AJ will never be back in TNA and Joe is lucky to be there. Dixie knows the people would rather see her first, before him, so she tells him to keep on warming up for his little match and ditches him…
..and she heads right out to the ring. She knows the people are just so excited to have her back in Orlando. She has to say a very special thank you to Sports Illustrated, who launched a massive article on her entitled Dixieland. Awesome.
But right now she has to publicly address AJ Styles. She says the people are upset with him for being so ugly to her. Look what’s happened to him since he decided to forego #TeamDixie. She has no pity for him, wrestling in ‘third, world countries’ for minimum wage. That’s right, zero pity from Dixie. She feels disdain – which she clarifies means ‘ticked off’ in trailer talk – because he has taken her intellectual property illegally. He has misrepresented it around the world, and it stops today. Dixie has lawyers everywhere, ready to shut him down. AJ better prepare himself for the consequences that are coming his way, but coming Dixie’s way is Cowboy James Storm.
He wants a Florida Death Match after being attacked by Bobby Roode the previous evening, but Dixie isn’t interested. His bar room escapades are on his time, not hers. The #WheelofDixie (I’m gonna have to stop with the hashtags) has spun and spoken. She can’t change it now and she won’t. The Cowboy gets himself worked up, threatening to have Roode arrested and therefore negating the tournament, and Dixie warns him not to take that tone with her. The crowd is behind Storm, and Dixie can barely get a word in. He’s trying to back her into a corner publicly. Nuh uh, buddy.
He changes his tone, asking politely, and promises to make the cops go away if she grants him this match. He called her ma’am and darlin’ and everything. Dixie agrees. As long as he calls the cops and tells them everything is a-okay, nay, perfect on her show.
(Sidenote: Magnus advanced in the tournament over Samoa Joe and I am allll smiles about that. Now all I need to Jeff Hardy on my screen and I’ll be content. Anyway…)
We cut back to the ring, where the Knockouts champion Gail Kim and her lady in waiting, Lei’D Tapa await the arrival of Gail’s next opponent. Who will answer the challenge this week?
It’s… Candice LaRae!
Candice comes in, fists a’flying! She takes it to the champ, who’s quite obviously caught off guard. Candice is on fire. But Gail turns it all around in an instant with a huge clothesline, flooring her opponent. Gail on the offense with a kick to the gut. She follows up by driving Candice head first into the turnbuckle, then nailing a dropkick. Gail gets an early two count. Gail with some right hands and an irish whip, but Candice reverses into a lovely head scissors. Candice with a pin attempt and a count of two.
Candice in control again with some shots to the face, and then an attempted clothesline in the corner. Gail dodges and the ladies trade blows in the middle of the ring. Candice sets up for the Frankensteiner, but Gail turns it into a big powerbomb. Candice kicks out at two. Somehow. Props to the girl.
And there’s the Eat Defeat. Gail gets the win, making quick work of her second challenger. I would like to see Candice and Gail square off again; they had some good chemistry going, despite a few slips. Definitely something for the future, I hope.
Next up we get a rare glimpse of Christy Hemme away from the microphone. Always nice to see her! She’s at the home of up and comer Samuel Shaw, and they have a nice little chat about his home life and the things he likes, and how he came into wrestling. He was an artist. And after filming ends, lookie here: Samuel asks Christy out and she says yes, giving him her number. Another on screen romance to come? Hopefully! Any Christy is good Christy!
Bully Ray is ready for interview and Brooke decides she should be the one to interview her hubby. Awesome. She asks him to tell the whole world what he has in store tonight for Ken Anderson. It’s brief, but there’s more Brooke to come. Stay tuned!
We’re shown Kurt Angle and Bobby Roode arguing backstage, and Dixie Carter pops up to quell the tension.
‘Lord would you pay attention to me, please?’
They both swing their noggins Dixie’s way. She reminds them that next week is Thanksgiving. It’s a day of traditions, such as family, turkey and Impact Wrestling. She congratulates them on reaching the final four of the world title tournament – ‘Pay attention to me!’ – but she knows they don’t get along so she’s going to fix that next week. It’s going to be the Dixie Carter Special Thanksgiving Edition of Impact. She wants them to know her how thankful they are to her, and bring her a great main event next week.
And here comes Brooke again. She’s accompanying her boo to ringside for his match against Anderson. It’s winner take all: Club vs. Career. Things get heavy and fast. Around 19:50, Bully’s on the outside with Anderson in pursuit and Bully – ever the gentleman – uses Brooke as a shield while he recovers. Anderson, being an actual gentleman, refuses to strike so Bully takes the fight to him. He shoves his lady love into his opponent, and then lands a right hand that takes out not only Anderson, but Brooke too! Bully helps Brooke to her feet, then sets on Anderson again.
Skip ahead to 27:40 and Bully orders Brooke backstage. She runs off for an unknown purpose. Tazz hands a hammer to Brooke, who hightails it back to ringside to deliver it to her man. But she throws it too far! It lands right in the hands of Ken Anderson, who clocks Bully Ray over the head with it and lands the three count. Brooke can’t believe it!
Thoughts: I’m looking forward to how the now disbanded Aces & Eights storyline will affect Brooke, whether or not she and Bully will stick together or if she’ll turn face again due to his blaming her for it. If yes, I can see her challenging Gail for the title somewhere along the line.
As for the match, I enjoyed it. As I said, I thought Gail and Candice had some good chemistry – aside from the fumbles, which I put down to Candice being nervous. I would like to see them go at it again sometime. Considering the lack of depth to the Knockouts roster right now, they could do with bringing in some fresh blood. I still think Lei’D Tapa will be the one to dethrone Gail. Where else could it be going?
Until next time, bon nuit!
