What’s up Knockout fans? I wasn’t able to cover Impact last week because I was flat out with work, and to be honest I’m a bit gutted I missed Dixie clinging to Hulk Hogan’s leg. With that said, if this all means Hogan is well and truly on his way out, I’m all for it. Now onto the write-up!
Here comes Dixie Carter to kick things off. She sounds off on Hogan, calling him egotistical and the like. Gotta agree on that one. She says she gave him countless opportunities to come into her company, not that needed him. She didn’t need him. It was out of the goodness of her heart. What a nice lady.
‘I don’t need any Vince.’ Wait, what?
‘I don’t need any has been Eric Bischoff.’ I’ll give you that one.
‘I don’t need any Mr. Stephanie Levesque.’ Whaaaaaat. Wait, did she mean Mrs, or was she calling Trips Mr. Stephanie Levesque. Did I hear it wrong? Either way, Dixie did some nice name dropping tonight but let’s be honest, they’re not going to care. They’re probably not going to see it. But it adds to her character, so we’ll just let her get on with it. She wants to know how any of them can tel her to do any better, when she’s already the best in the business. Uhh…
She doesn’t get it. Another thing she doesn’t get is AJ Styles. She asked him nicely (apparently) last week to just leave her building please. But he didn’t listen. Dixie hopes AJ is there tonight, though, because she’s giving Bully Ray carte blanche to book AJ in any match he wants. Out comes Sting, none too happy. Dixie thanks him for being there; she knows how much he cares about her. She says she’s awake! She’s wide awake. She says everyone in the back needs to wake up and realize that she’s in charge, including Sting.
He inserted himself into her what?! I hear you cry. Just her position, ladies and gents. That’s all. She asks him if he wants to be like AJ, if he wants to be without a contract. She’ll do it, she will. Last week he walked them up to the edge of the cliff by making his own match. He did this to himself.
Sting interrupts and demands to know what is going on. Um… this segment is not great.
‘Sting, your future here is in the palm of my little bitty hand.’ Dixie says with a wink, before she leaves the ring.
Alright. So I understand what happened in that segment (I think) but it was not a good segment. (I don’t think.) That’s just my opinion. (Let me know what you think.)
Moving on! The next lady we see is ODB, the current Knockouts champ. Called out by the Bromance, ODB heads out with her husband, Eric Young. ODB is going to take on the guy she pinned two weeks back, Jessie. ODB takes it to him with some slaps and some right hands, before shoving his face into her boobs. Ever so classy, our ODB. Robbie E takes to the apron, but ODB’s chest is awaiting him. He too gets a gob full of boob. Finally, so does Eric Young. Well she can’t just leave her hubby out now, can she?
Jessie rushes in but ODB dodges for a roll up attempt. She gets a two count, then nails Jessie with a drop toe hold. Robbie E interferes, flooring ODB, but Eric Young jumps in to defend his wife’s honour and beats Robbie E all the way up the ramp. ODB whips out the liquid courage, but then someone’s music hits.
Lei’D Tapa is on her way.
ODB drinks up that courage, because she’s going to need it. I’ve seen some people say that Lei’D Tapa is just a second coming of Kong, or a Tamina 2.0, but whatever you might think, you would not want to piss her off. So, yeah, let’s just enjoy what TNA is trying – and I stress that – to do with the women’s division. We’ll see what happens. But back to the show. ODB is raring to go, but Lei’D Tapa knocks her down with one shoulder block. She bangs her head against the mat, shoves her into the corner, hits a big boot and then lays ODB out cold! Lei’D Tapa grabs the Knockouts championship and hold it high. A sign of things to come? Probably.
Here come Brooke and Velvet Sky. After their match last week was interrupted by Lei’D Tapa timely debut, they’re going to go at it tonight to determine the number one contender to ODB’s Knockouts title. Velvet has her boyfriend, Chris Sabin, in tow and I can only assume that things may go awry for her in his presence. It doesn’t help that her ribs are heavily taped after the beating she took from Lei’D Tapa last week. There’s no sign of Brooke’s hubby, Bully Ray, but he probably has a lot on his plate at the moment.
Out first is Velvet, whose signature booty shuffle on the ropes is covered up – quite literally – but Sabin and his vest. Velvet’s all his apparently, but she doesn’t look too happy about it. I have to say, this might be the quickest an on screen romance has gone down hill. Brooke heads out next to the music of Aces and Eights.
Let’s clarify, because I was confused and I might not have been the only one: whoever wins will be added to an already-happening match between ODB and Gail Kim at Bound For Glory. Sidenote: Does anyone else thing of the BFG film, or Roald Dahl book, whenever they see the logo? I do.
Anywho. The ladies don’t waste time. Velvet gains the upper hand early on, taking down Brooke with a shoulder block. Chris calls over Velvet and tells her to ‘step on her throat and crush her.’ He is just the sweetest! They lock up again and Brooke drives Velvet into the corner, choking her. She backs off for a moment too long and Velvet manages to turn the tables, repeatedly kicking Brooke in the gut which is sure to wind her. Velvet’s in control but she clutching her ribs a lot. Brooke capitalizes and takes control.
Brooke takes it to Velvet in the corner, lapping up the attention and the boos. Velvet fights out momentarily, but Brooke ties her up in the ropes, before targeting the bandaged mid-section of Velvet. Brooke throws her opponent out of the ring. Sabin’s in his girl’s corner but Brooke’s nowhere near finished as she drives Velvet back into the ring apron. She then throws her back in. She mocks Velvet on the ropes. Velvet doesn’t take too kindly to it and a well-placed kick knocks Brooke down a peg. Velvet pulls out her five moves of doom offense and finishes up with a bull dog. It earns her a two count.
Both ladies are back on their feet and it’s Velvet who gets the upper hand once again. She hits Brooke with a pretty good neckbreaker, and it earns her another two count. Sabin wants to help so he calls his ladylove over to him. He tries to help out with a little strategy, but in the meantime Brooke is pulling herself together. She rolls up Velvet and bam! Brooke gets the three count, and with it a shot at the Knockouts title at Bound For Glory. She had a fist full of tights but never mind.
It was a pretty short match but it did what it needed to. It put Brooke in the title hunt, so she can be something other than arm candy, and it furthered whatever storyline Velvet has going on with Sabin while keeping her out of the title picture for a little while. Not bad.
We got another glimpse of Dixie later on. She runs into AJ Styles and says she’s been looking everywhere for him! She tells him he doesn’t have to do the handicap match he’s been booked in tonight. In fact, he doesn’t even have to do the match against Bully Ray at Bound For Glory. She hands him a cheque and tells him to think about what he could do with the money if he were to just leave. One of her suggestions is to buy trailers that go on for days, and another is to start a foundation for all the little redneck kids who can’t read! The sentiment is there, but the delivery is not.
She loves him, wants to shake hands and call it a career. AaJ says she’s right, that it’s a lot of money, but he’s not interested. She can’t buy him. He rips up the cheque, then saunters off. Dixie does not look best pleased. She didn’t sign the cheque anyway. (Alright, I liked that little quip.)
Our final glimpse of the Knockouts comes in the form of Brooke as she accompanies her man, Bully Ray, out to ringside for the main event.
And that’s it for the Knockouts! Not a bad showing. Aside from Gail, we saw everyone. She could have been ringside for the number one contender’s match, but I won’t complain too much. I wouldn’t mind seeing the title on Brooke, because with her being in Aces and Eights now it could be interesting. Who knows what TNA is thinking about doing though.
Until next week, Eleri out!
