A la TIME’s Person of the Year list, Diva Dirt has compiled a countdown of the women we feel have best embodied the zeitgeist of the year in women’s wrestling. To compile this list, the Diva Dirt team have tracked the headlines here at Diva Dirt over the past 12 months, followed the lively fan debate on social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, considered the impact that the women have made within the industry, and taken into account personal achievements as well. More information on the Women of the Year list here.
BROOKE TESSMACHER AND TARA
TNT: A Dynamite Duo
Throw two singles competitors together and put the Knockouts Tag Team Championships on them. That is a formula we regularly see in TNA’s Knockouts division. However, unlike other randomly paired teams who don’t really “go” together, in 2011, Brooke Tessmacher and Tara proved to be an exception to the rule.
With Tara taking more of a backseat from the singles spotlight this year, pairing her with the rising rookie was a breath of fresh air for her character, while Brooke welcomed a partner who has done it all and can guide her to success.
From their first match together, in which they won the Knockouts Tag Team Championships, there was an instant chemistry between Brooke and Tara — perhaps a sign that we were onto something special. As well as their chemistry in the ring, TNT gelled together just as easily, with Tara citing that both have similar goofy personalities. In a Knockouts division full to the brim of serious Knockouts, Brooke and Tara are a much needed injection of fun.
True, the Knockouts tag team division is barely existent, but even with the limitations, Tara and Brooke brought much needed attention to the belts and in our opinion, had the best run as champs in recent memory, with each of their matches together being memorable.
Individually, in an industry obsessed with you, Tara celebrated a milestone birthday — the big 4-0 — and proved that you can still wrestle on TV and look fabulous. Particularly for women in the business, who tend to only last until their mid-30s on wrestling TV shows, Tara has been inspiring, and has further cemented her legendary status. Before joining forces with her current partner in crime, Tara finally ditched her last partner in crime — Madison Rayne — following the culmination of nearly a year-long storyline. Tara won her freedom from Rayne and as the icing on the cake, defeated her in singles action.
Meanwhile for Brooke, 2011 has certainly been her breakthrough year in wrestling, as she’s impressed fans with her growing in-ring repertoire and has had the chance to face off with Mickie James amongst others. This girl can only get better.
Who’d have thought that this pairing, who were at two different points in their career, could come together and become one of 2011’s hottest tag teams? However, truth be told, we’ve barely scratched the surface. As Brooke told us in an interview recently, TNT still has a lot of in-ring magic that they haven’t had a chance to show Impact Wrestling viewers, and thus we’re hoping that 2012 will be an even bigger year for TNT, and hopefully lead to a revival of women’s tag team wrestling on TV.
PREVIOUSLY:
– The Women of the Year 2011: Britani and Saraya Knight (#23)
Click here for the full Women of the Year countdown
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