Hola everyone, and welcome to the review of TNA’s fun filled pay per view extravaganza, No Surrender! The event came to us last night from Orlando, Florida, and Knockout wise, saw Brooke Tessmacher defend her title against top contender, Tara, in a match that’s sure to leave us wondering “What Happens Next?!” Let’s delve right into the action!
Skip to 5:14.
We head backstage to Jeremy Borash, as he welcomes his guest… Knockouts Champion, Brooke Tessmacher! The champ walks in and is questioned about her upcoming title defense. Brooke calls it one of the most important matches of her career, before giving us a history lesson about her friendship with Tara where they literally go from Tag Champions to Opponents. She owes her entire career to Tara, and wants to prove to herself that she can beat her mentor and surpass the expectations set against her. While it didn’t happen at Open Fight Night, Brooke claims she needs this match tonight to prove that the student can topple the teacher… and she’s willing to put her title on the line as collateral.
Now we head to the arena, where, following the entrances of both champion and challenger, Brooke and Tara stand in the ring as referee, Taryn Terrell raises the title in the air. The bell sounds and they begin to exchange momentum through a series of lockups. Tara with a nice cartwheel, before locking up a wristlock as Brooke bridges back. She finally fights out with a flip on the ropes, but Tara takes control with an arm drag. Brooke with a nice side headlock takedown, as she keeps the hold in place and takes the challenger down with a shoulder tackle. Tara takes advantage with a leg sweep though, as they engage in a brief stare off until choosing to lock up again. After some trades in momentum, Tara gets a backslide for a two count, but Brooke then goes for a magistral cradle that Tara counters and sends Brooke to the outside.
The two stare off a little, before Tara offers to hold the ropes open for Brooke. Once Tessmacher steps inside, Tara rolls her up quickly! This doesn’t seem to sit well with the champ, as she fires up with a nice series of arm drags until Tara crawls to the ropes and Brooke is forced to break. Tara claims this is for the title so friendships are off, but Brooke seems to feel the friendship is more important! Tara strikes her down, before Brooke spears her to the canvas and then takes her into the corner. An Irish Whip counter, but Brooke stops herself and rolls backwards into a nice wheelbarrow facebuster. From there, she fires up with some clotheslines, punches, and a running fist to the face. Tessmacher then leaps off the corner with a flying clothesline, and then goes for the Tess-Shocker.
Tara counters out though and drops her with an elbow. She attacks Tessmacher in the corner and then plants her with the spinning sidewalk slam for just a two count. Tara then sits Brooke on the top rope and proceeds to head up herself… before coming off with a superplex! The move she beat Brooke with at Open Fight Night! Tara goes for the cover, but Brooke kicks out! She goes for a series of covers, but Brooke does not stay down. This seems to irk the challenger, who then sets up for the Widows Peak! Brooke just manages to counter out with a sunset flip out of nowhere for the three count! The two shake hands after the bout, but is this the end of Tara-Tessmacher?
Thoughts: What can I say? TNA did it right tonight in terms of how they booked in my opinion. I pretty much mapped out in my last Impact Write-Up how I wanted this match to go down, in that I felt Brooke needed to retain, preferably by a quick roll up, but that little signs of a potential split should happen throughout the match. All of that did happen, and I’m so glad that for once, they went with the sensible route instead of flipping the title so quickly again. The match was okay for me. I felt like it dragged in a few parts and the crowd wasn’t really into it. I definitely feel like Brooke and Tara are capable of more once they get past the whole friendship part and can put on a full out war! To be honest part of me loves that I feel this isn’t the best they can do together because it makes the thought of more exciting. Let me use this as an example… the only downside to Brooke’s title win (the first one) is that she and Gail had the better match at their first pay per view showing, when Gail retained, and the one where she won the title paled in comparison because the standard was set so high. Brooke and Tara should definitely build up each match to be better than the last, and I feel that tonight, while not perfect, was indeed better than their one on Open Fight Night.
I even loved that Brooke got some mic time before the match! It wasn’t something I expected to see, and with her absence from Impact over the last two weeks, it was much needed. I really hope this leads to a full out storyline between Tara and Brooke, with their next encounter being at Bound for Glory. Personally, I feel that a feud with them could reach heights we haven’t seen from the Knockouts in quite some time if they get the time and devotion I see in my head when mapping out the possibilities. This is/could be the first actual feud to not just be a contender of the month type deal that we’ve seen in the Knockouts Division since Gail Kim came back… which is really crazy to think about since it’s nearly been a year removed from her return. But TNA, I beg of you, you are doing it right so far. Let’s keep the momentum going!
I personally have no problems with Tara turning on Brooke during an episode of Impact, or if say Brooke were to find a new contender to the title to face at Bound for Glory (maybe Mickie James?) and Tara attacks her after the match at BFG to fully solidify a heel turn and get a moment on TNA’s biggest pay per view of the year. If we want to get really into it (and provided the plan I just mentioned actually happened), you could even have both Tara and Mickie turn on Brooke at Bound for Glory and form a new tag team, claiming they’re disgusted that this rookie is Champion and hogging all the spotlight (sort of like what ODB and Jacquline did to Velvet Sky… only this one wouldn’t disappear out of nowhere), but then there’d be a huge difference in the dispositions so that probably wouldn’t work. Those are just my own personal opinions though! There’s so many possibilities, and I just hope the one they choose works!
Overall Match Rating: 3/5
