Greetings and salutations Knockout fans! Welcome to another edition of TNA Throwback Thursday, where we take a look back at some of the most memorable moments to come from the Knockouts division throughout the years.
It’s been a very busy news week over at TNA, full of many top story headlines. Starting with Kay Lee Ray coming up short of winning British Boot Camp in favor of Mark Andrews, Brittany‘s TNA status being up in the air and TNA’s brand new logo along with a new time slot upon their move to Destination America in the new year. With so many surprises happening in such a short amount of time, this week we look back at a night that was full of surprises for the Knockouts. I’m of course referring to the infamous notion known as TNA’s Lockbox Showdown!
In this one of a kind scenario, there would be an Eight-Knockout Elimination Tag Team match that saw a double elimination between the winner and loser whenever a pin fall or submission occurred. Those that managed to score a win for their team were rewarded with one of four keys that would open a mysterious prize box later in the night. The other, would simply walk out empty handed. And what were the fabulous prizes these Knockouts were competing for? Boxes included an open contract, where a Knockout could face any opponent of her choosing, Tara‘s pet spider, having to perform a dreadful strip tease and the ultimate prize of the Knockouts Championship.
Backstage, Christy Hemme interviews team number one consisting of Tara, Angelina Love, ODB and Hamada to get the scoop on what prizes they’re looking to win. Though she longs to be reunited with her pet spider Poison, Tara realizes that it comes with the cost of losing her Knockouts title and she is not happy about the stipulation she’s been put in. Angelina interjects and reminds Tara that the world of wrestling is never fair and that the only one walking out with the Knockouts title t the end of the night is her. While ODB opts out of the Knockouts gold, she does declare that she is looking to win the box containing the open contract do that she may step into the ring with the likes of AJ Styles and his booty… BAM! Hamada’s words get lost in translation with Christy but ultimately she nods and agrees with her.
Team number two members Madison Rayne and Velvet Sky warm up for their match with some good old stretching exercise. Fellow Beautiful People member Lacey Von Erich soon joins in on the fun with her undergarments in hand as she plans to win the key that contains the action of performing a strip tease. After team number one makes their way to the ring, The Beautiful People with their tag partner Daffney make their way and the Lockbox Showdown gets underway.
The first key is won by the Knockouts champion Tara, who manages to gain an early win after hitting Madison with a Widow’s Peak after Madison attempted an attack from the turnbuckle. Following the first pair elimination, Daffney puts herself in the match and immediately targets Angelina Love. The two duke it out as we head out to a commercial break.
Upon the return from the break, a surprise double elimination has occurred, with Daffney being award the second win after dodging a moonsault from Hamada and landing the Daff Knees. The fight for key number three comes Velvet and ODB. ODB over powers Velvet for most of the match, landing a Fall Away Slam and going for a close cover. ODB tries to go for a TKO but Velvet manages to escape and reverse with a hard DDT for the three count and the third key.
The final key is up for grabs and comes down to the final two participants, Angelina Love and Lacey Von Erich. Angelina quickly beats down Lacey before whipping her to a corner. Angelina then charges after Lacey but Lacey manages to get her boot up in time deflecting the oncoming Angelina. Lacey follows up with a moonsault but misses. Angelina takes this as an opportunity to hit the Lights Out for the three count and the final key.
With all four keys fully distributed, it’s time for the fun to begin an find out what prizes our winning Knockouts will walk away with! With the boxes all neat aligned, game show like host Jeremy Borash elaborates once again what each of the random placed box contains: the Knockouts Championship, “Poison”, an open contract and a strip tease. The first to open her box is Velvet Sky and her prize is the open contract! She squeals with satisfaction as her plan is to use it against Angelina Love who is only a few feet away from her. Tara, who has the most to lose in this Lockbox Showdown, is second to open her box and, for a brief relief, has been reunited with her tarantula spider Poison. Tara kisses the container her little friend but then comes to the realization that it’s at the cost of being dethroned Knockouts champion. Rage speaks through her eyes as either Angelina or Daffney will soon be crowned the new Knockouts Champion and the other has this misfortune of performing a live strip tease.
With only two boxes left, Jeremy decides to have both Angelina and Daffney open their boxes at the same time and even counts it down. Three… two… one… and Angelina reveals the most prestigious box containing the Knockouts title whilst Daffney having the lowest of low box containing a strip tease which she now perform or be fired.
The scream queen slowly makes her way to the ring at a zombie like speed. Once in the ring, the most tacky music for a strip tease hits and Daffney begins this disgraceful obligation by first removing her green top hat. Neck brace is next and very slowly Daffney works her way to her attire, removing her left shoulder strap first and then the right one. Before things get any hotter with Daffney, a pink robed wearing Lacey Von Erich runs to the to ring. She pulls out the ugly stick and beats down Daffney down with it! Lacey is determine to perform a strip tease and damn it she’s going to do it!
With Daffney ou of the picture, Lacey throws her robe off and begins flaunting everything she’s got. Meanwhile, a tug of war between the new Knockouts champion Angelina Love and former champion Tara infuses. Soon it’s turned into an all out brawl that makes it all the way to ring, which Lacey seems to be oblivious to, as she casual prances over to a corner so she can continue her performance.
The only thing that seems to be a halt to Lacey is Velvet on the mic. While she agrees that Lacey really turned up the heat with her dance routine, she has broken the number one rule of The Beautiful People club: “Thou shall not upstage another Beautiful Person.” Within minutes of winning her open contract, Velvet cashes it in to book a leather and lace match against Angelina the following week as we close in on this topsy-turvy episode of Impact.
While I think this was a neat way to give the Knockouts their own kind of “Feast or Fired” briefcases the male TNA superstars get, it was really overall a real messy way to have the Knockouts title change hands without an actual match taking place. When it was first announced, TNA really got behind the whole Lockbox Showdown through promoting it and pitching the whole segment, giving it a good chunk of time that during the show that paid off when the rating numbers came back. Was that because of the strip tease promised? Maybe but maybe not, as the Knockouts have proven to be a draw to the TNA audience even when there is no promise of T&A (no pun intended).
