With the four competitors now determined for the Knockouts Championship match at Bound for Glory on October 16th, it’s time for the inevitable tag match. It’s the heels of that four-way bout (Winter and Madison Rayne) teaming up against the babyfaces (Mickie James and Velvet Sky).
Watch the Bound for Glory prelude match below:
The babyfaces are out to the ring first with separate entrances, however, Madison must make do with sharing the spotlight with the champion, Winter, and her main squeeze, Angelina Love. Madison continues her comedic act from last week as she tries to hog the spotlight from Winter only to have the fierce bish that is the Knockouts Champion shove past her and continue her strut to the ring. Work it!
First in the ring are Mickie James and her “blood rival”, I guess you could say, Winter. Winter applies a waistlock on Mickie from behind, which Mickie quickly breaks out of and applies the same move on Winter. Mickie transitions into a side-headlock followed by twisting Winter’s arm. Winter reaches the ropes and Mickie must break the hold.
Mickie taunts a visibly irritated Winter by blowing her a kiss, while disgust sets in on the champion’s face. Winter teases a lock-up but instead jumps back at the last minute and tags in her partner, Madison.
Madison goes for a kick which Mickie blocks. James then hits Rayne with a side-headlock takedown. Mickie wrenches in the headlock while the two are on the mat but Madison quickly counters with a legscissors wrapped around Mickie’s neck. Mickie then shows off her athleticism by maneuvering herself out of the hold with a kip-up.
Mickie with another headlock but this time Rayne throws her into the ropes. Rayne hits the mat, Mickie with a cartwheel and a snapmare on an unsuspecting Rayne. Meanwhile, Velvet who has blind-tagged Mickie, jumps into the ring and hits a low dropkick right into Madison’s face while Mickie props her up, to a big cheer from the crowd. Pin attempt by Velvet but Madison kicks out.
Velvet picks up Madison and hits her with a forearm shot but Madison blindsides her with a jawbreaker. Rayne makes a run for it to her corner and tags in the Knockouts Champion. Velvet has Winter’s arrival well scouted as she hits a drop toe hold on the champion and follows through with facebusters to the knee and a flying clothesline, complete with a Kelly Kelly-esque shriek.
Tag goes to Mickie James now who comes in with a big Thesz Press from the top on Winter. Mickie then scares Rayne off the apron. However, as Mickie directs her attention to Rayne, Winter is back on her feet and kicks Mickie in the midsection. Winter whips Mickie into the corner and runs at her but gets clocked with a back elbow. Mickie uses her corner position to her advantage and hits her patented rope-assisted headscissors takedown. Mickie follows up with a neckbreaker and goes for a pin but Winter kicks out.
Mickie with a forearm and kick to the midsection on Winter, however, the champion then whips one of her challengers at Bound for Glory into the opposing rope. With the referee distracted by Winter, Angelina trips Mickie from the outside resulting in her falling flat against the canvas. Winter then assaults Mickie. Pin attempt by Winter now but no three count.
Winter tags in Madison and the pair hit a double team whip into the corner on Mickie, followed by Winter launching Madison into Mickie for a clothesline. Madison chokes out Mickie with her leg in the corner before tagging out to Winter. The champion lays in some kicks on Mickie before again tagging out. Madison chokes Winter before tagging out once again. Winter enters the ring and the two whip Mickie hard into the corner. This time Madison tries to launch Winter into Mickie but this time the former champion ducks and hits Madison with a clothesline as Winter eats the turnbuckles.
Winter goes after Mickie, catching her by the ankle, but Mickie manages to tag out to Velvet Sky. Velvet runs into the ring with a flurry, ducking Winter’s clothesline attempt, and knocking Rayne off the apron. Velvet then hits a whirly-bird headscissors on Winter followed by two running clotheslines. Velvet then plants Winter with a double-underhook facebuster and goes for a pin but Madison Rayne breaks it up.
Mickie gets back in the fray, taking Madison out of the ring and the two begin brawling on the outside as the referee tries to regain control.
Back in the ring, Winter communicates with Angelina on the outside to trip up Velvet as she whips her into the ropes, however Angelina becomes distracted by Madison and as Velvet reverses the whip, Angelina ends up tripping up her lady lush!
Angelina then realizes her mistake and jumps on the apron, screaming at Velvet. Angelina goes for a forearm but Velvet blocks and knocks Love off the apron.
However, with Vel-Vel distracted, Madison squeaks into the ring and rolls her up from behind, grabbing her tights, and takes the victory.
So Madison scores her second victory in as many weeks — even if it is by cheating — and is looking very strong going into the Knockouts Championship match in just over a week. Can she take the victory where it counts, however?
Thoughts: The match was fine, if nothing too spectacular. The continued miscommunication between Winter and Angelina is interesting. It seems to signal that Angelina may inadvertently cost Winter the Knockouts Championship at Bound for Glory. After all, the odds are against her anyway.
As for Madison, I’ve noticed in recent weeks she’s becoming more of a “comedy heel”, and while that is entertaining, there is a danger of her ending up going down the same route as Jillian where she could be overlooked as a serious competitor.
What did you think of this week’s Impact?
