Welcome everybody to the Bound for Glory review! It is I, Bobby, your normal bringer of FCW and NXT greatness here to recap what happened at the pay-per-view. On top of the scheduled fatal four-way for the Knockouts Championship between Mickie James, Velvet Sky, Madison Rayne, and reigning champion, Winter (along with Angelina Love in her corner), we also had a tag match featuring the managerial services of Sarita, Rosita, and new Knockout Toxine (Christina Von Eerie).

For the full scoop, head on down below!

We first head backstage where Traci Brooks can be seen taking a picture with Miss Karen‘s children. (Yes, Madison Rayne is rubbing off on me with the Miss Karen ordeal.) Traci makes sure that the picture came out well, as Miss Karen enters the room with a look that, if could kill, would see everyone imaginable pushing up daisies. Nonetheless, our Knockouts VP puts on a smiling face with her children present, as she sends the little kiddies out of the room to have a grown up conversation with Aunt Traci.

Traci attempts to pass a compliment to the children, but Miss Karen cuts her off and warns her to never go near her kids again. She questions why Traci has not listened to her to put those things on her chest away, citing that they don’t need to confuse Kody anymore than he already is. She tells Aunt Traci that she has a little surprise, in that she has brought something special to wear on this huge night. Miss Karen then steps to the side of the room and reaches into the closet to pull out a skimpy referee uniform.

Aunt Traci asks if Miss Karen is kidding herself, as the VP questions if Traci thought she was going to let those four prostitutes run around the ring unsupervised! Traci demands Karen let the girls have a normal ref, but Miss Karen claims that she’s the best damn referee for this match. She warns Brooks that she is to not come near the ring unless Miss Karen is in harm’s way. She makes sure Traci understands her clearly, before beckoning Jeremy Borash to follow her and help her get ready.

Up next, we have the big Knockouts fatal four-way match to determine who will leave Philadelphia with the title around their waist! Mike Tenay and Tazz run down a tale of the tape to hype the match up, as Velvet Sky then makes her way out to the ring to a pretty large reaction! Next we have the Killlllerrrrr Queeennnnnn, Madison Rayne, sporting a camouflage get up to show her support to the armed forces. With her patented wave shining brightly during her entrance, she makes her way into the ring next to her arch rival, Velvet Sky. “HAAARDCORREEEEE COUNTRYYYYYY” blares across the speaker system, as Gangster MJ makes her way to the ring. Rocking our worlds with a thrillbilly sound indeed! Just then, the chimes of the devilish, haunting “Hands of the Wicked” plays, as Angelina Love and Winter make their way to the ring, Knockouts Title in tact. Once Winter climbs into the ring, our special guest referee, MISS KAREN, makes her way out. She flaunts to the fans, as Madison Rayne meets her half way with a hug, followed by handing off her trademarked tiara to our referee.

Miss Karen holds the Knockouts Title upside down, but that’s fine because, well, after all it is Karen Jarrett and she can do no wrong. Winter and Mickie start things off as they lock up and Mickie rolls Winter up. Miss Karen chooses not to count though, and Winter takes control with an armbar. Miss Karen begins slowly counting, as Mickie reels in pain. MJ with a cartwheel — one armed, mind you — but Winter slams her down to the mat. Madison screams for the two legal women to not hurt Miss Karen, as Winter slams Mickie into the corner repeatedly.

Mickie fights back, hitting a Mick-A-Rana, followed up with a neckbreaker! Winter slides out of the ring and tries to fend away the two crowd-pleasing women, as Madison Rayne steps up and shoos her hand in Mickie’s face. Mickie takes control and sends Madison into the ropes, but Rayne slams her down by the hair and takes a bow to large boos. Mickie then erupts with a Thesz press out of nowhere, followed by an assortment of punches. She goes after Madison in the ropes, but Rayne elbows her in the face and tosses her outside the ring.

Velvet steps into the ring behind Madison and takes control with a couple of jaw breakers, followed up with a bulldog! She hooks the leg, but Miss Karen notices that her shoe is untied… Madison slams Velvet down and Miss Karen runs over to count, but Winter breaks the pin up. Winter and Madison begin arguing, but Miss Karen directs them to tag Mickie and Velvet in so they can fight one another. They do as she orders, as Velvet and Mickie shake hands and look to put on a competitive match.

They lock up as Velvet rolls her up to… no count by Miss Karen. Mickie with a jack-knife cover, but again, to no avail. Miss Karen laughs at the two, as they again lock up, and Mickie takes control with a head lock. Velvet sends Mickie into the ropes, but Mickie with a shoulder tackle. She runs off the ropes, and Velvet slides over to trip her up, only James cartwheels out and lands a beautiful snap mare. She runs forward with a dropkick to the face, before slapping Madison off the ring apron for good measure. Velvet then takes control with chops and kicks. Velvet goes to shoot Mickie off into the ropes, but Mickie reverses. Velvet comes back with a multiple revolution headscissors takedown that sends Mickie down.

Velvet takes Winter off the apron, as she and Mickie then exchange punches inside the ring. They get the crowd riled up, as both women go to run along the ropes. Winter and Madison each pull a member to the outside after tripping them up, as all four now return to the ring. Mickie and Velvet go crazy on Winter and Velvet, as Miss Karen threatens to throw Mickie’s ass out. Winter throws Velvet outside the ring, as Mickie does the same to Madison. Winter then goes for her Catatonic backbreaker, but Mickie reverses out of it and sends Winter to the corner.

Mickie gangs up on Winter in the corner, as Miss Karen tries to break her up. Out of nowhere, Angelina Love slides Winter something that she then proceeds to put into her mouth. Mickie returns her focus to the scary champion, and Winter looks to spray her bloody mist into MJ’s eyes for a third time… but mama taught Mickie well and she ducks out of the way. instead the mist nails MISS KAREN! Miss Karen rolls around in pain, as what I can only assume to be tears fall from Madison Rayne’s eyes as she looks on in horror. Mickie James capitalizes and drills the champion with her patented Mickie-DT, but with no referee, there is no victory.

Aunt Traci then runs out to the ring, now that Miss Karen is in harm’s way. Madison Rayne throws Mickie outside the ring and drags Velvet inside. Velvet stops whatever Rayne had planned and drops her with a sick double under-hook facebuster! Hook of the leg beckons Aunt Traci to count…

ONE…

TWO…

THREE!

Velvet Sky is the new TNA Knockouts Champion! The two ladies celebrate inside the ring as Winter and Angelina look on in horror at what has transpired… and well, Miss Karen can’t even look at anything. Madison Rayne aids the Knockouts VP out of the ring, as Velvet ushers in the Era of Sky and celebrates in front of the live crowd with Traci.

Thoughts: What a night! A lot transpired involving the females in TNA, but to focus on the match, I thought it was fun. The addition of Karen kinda stopped a lot of high risk maneuvers from happening, but there was a large story told, and it helped the crowd to get even more behind Mickie and Velvet. I thought they built to Velvet’s win perfectly with Traci running down to crown her the champion, because in a sense it would have been kinda odd to see Mickie celebrate with her after being in the match herself. TNA does seem to be getting better with their Knockouts, and I just hope Velvet Sky has a lengthy reign because she deserves it.

Match Rating: 3.5/5

Also at Bound for Glory…

As Ink Inc. and Mexican America do battle for the TNA World Tag Team Titles, all hell broke loose with the men outside the ring. Sarita and Rosita then step into the squared circle, as the duo look to have something up their sleeve. They run off the ropes, but out of nowhere, new Knockout, Toxine DRILLS Rosita with a sick spear. Sarita spins Toxine around and goes for a fist, but the mohawked beauty ducks and drills Sarita with a headbutt. Toxine then proceeds to rip Sarita’s mask off, as she then hits a backbreaker/facebuster combination! Anarquia steps into the ring, but Toxine rakes him along the eyes and pantses him, leading to Ink Inc. taking control, only for Mexican America to emerge victorious in the end.

What did you think of the Knockouts action at Bound for Glory?

The match saw Velvet competing against the likes of Madison Rayne, Mickie James and Winter, and the whole thing went off-track when Angelina Love slipped a eye-stinging mist to Winter, who proceeded to accidently spit it in Karen’s face. This brought out Traci Brooks, who was banned from ringside unless something befell Karen. With Karen down, Traci assumed the role of referee and counted the pin when Velvet pinned Madison, winning her the match and the Knockouts Title.

What do you think of Velvet Sky winning the Knockouts Championship?

Tune in tonight at 8pm ET on pay per view.

You can watch the Bound for Glory pre-show for free at 7.30pm ET on TNA’s Facebook page. The pre-show will include Mexican America vs Ink Inc, featuring Christina Von Eerie‘s pay per view debut as well as Sarita & Rosita.

Discuss the show in the comments!

The Knockouts Championship is on the line between Winter, Madison Rayne, Mickie James and Winter. Who’ll win the title? The Diva Dirt team weigh in…

Bobby: While I wouldn’t have minded if Winter lost the title had Mickie’s odd two week reign never happened, I’ve come to terms with the fact the hot potato games will likely continue tonight. It’s the popular vote that Velvet Sky will win, although just for the sake of myself, I’m on Team Winter tonight.

Cryssi: As much as I like Winter holding the title, I like idea of Velvet Sky being champion even more. She’s paid her dues, improved a ton, and now it’s time to give her the ball and let her roll with it. No one else should win this match. Good luck, Vel Vel!

Erin: Velvet’s been getting most of the spotlight in the run-up to this match, being the main focus of Karen’s ire, so unless they’re building some feud between those two outside the bounds of the wrestling ring, I think they’re setting up for a Champ vs. VP scenario, which could be interesting. Like many have said, it almost feels like Velvet’s due for a title win, so I can kind of feel that they’re prepping for it with this her having problems with Karen, practically eclipsing the rest of the Knockouts in this match in the process. I say Velvet Sky wins the match and the Knockouts Title.

Melanie: Velvet has the most support behind her in terms of how things have been booked on TV over the past few weeks, and she has a lot of fan support too. It seems like people want to see Velvet as Knockouts Champion. Could TNA finally pull the trigger? Sadly, Winter has become an afterthought as champion and she’ll likely spin off into a secondary feud with Angelina while Velvet feuds with Madison Rayne and Karen Jarrett over the title. I say Angelina inadvertently costs Winter the belt and Velvet Sky wins.

Who do you think will win tonight?

Check it out below:

Following the final “Queen’s Qualifier” match last night on Impact Wrestling, the four-way Knockouts Championship match is now set in stone for October’s Bound for Glory pay per view.

Champion Winter will defend against Velvet Sky, Mickie James and Madison Rayne on October 16th.

In recent weeks, six Knockouts have competed for the chance to challenge Winter in matches set up by Knockouts VP, Karen Jarrett. Velvet defeated Angelina Love, Mickie beat Brooke Tessmacher and just last night, Rayne went over Tara to advance into the pay per view match.

Interestingly, in a similar four-way match at last year’s Bound for Glory, the championship changed hands. Will history strike again?

Who do you think will win the Knockouts Championship at Bound for Glory?

At Bound for Glory, Knockout fans would see the culmination of the feud that has been building for the past few weeks. The insertion of the newest Knockout, Mickie James, as the special referee was a wild card added on just last Thursday. Would the match really be more of a tag team effort (as the Beautiful People have led us to believe), or will fragile alliances break under the pressure (how deep is Tara’s loyalty to Madison really?) as the Knockouts Championship is on the line? And where would Mickie fall in all of this? Lets find out…

We open with Christy Hemme backstage with Madison Rayne and Tara. Madison proceeds to shred Christy verbally, unloading on the poor redhead her frustrations and fury. The promo is actually pretty hilarious and well done, with Tara providing the straight face in the background. Words can’t do it justice, you should have a listen for yourself. I’m loving Madison on the mic!

Once the interview is done, we see a video package detailing how this feud came to be, with several of the past interviews from each woman spliced in. Also included is how Miss Tessmacher came to be the Knockouts Division supervisor – something she has done a particularly good job at so far. The “Tale of the Tape” brings us up to speed before we fade back into the arena.

“HARDCORE COUNTRY!” blares over the speakers (I’m sorry, I can’t take that music seriously…how cheesy can you get?) and out skips Mickie James, who gets a loud welcome from the crowd. She looks fantastic in her referee shirt, hair done up properly. She feels genuinely enthusiastic to be there. After her entrance into the ring, new music plays and out come Madison Rayne and Tara, guiding the motorbike down the ramp instead of coming through the crowd. Very nice bike!

The two are in their usual gear and make their now-usual entrance into the ring, still chummy up to this point. Now the original Beautiful People music blares, signalling the arrival of Angelina Love and Velvet Sky. Their outfits look to be the same as they wore last Thursday, which suits me just fine as they look nice and even match somewhat. There looks to be a bit of a conflict between Angelina and Mickie when it comes to handing over the title belt. This passes, allowing Mickie to show off the belt as is customary. The crowd pops abit for her holding the title, which she acknowledges with a small smirk. In a funny moment, she goes to hand the title off to an assistant on the right side of the ring – only, unlike in the WWE, there’s no one on that side. She reverses course and hands the belt off. Looks like we’ll be starting out with Angelina vs Madison as the bell rings…

Or not. Out of pure spite Madison tags in Velvet, screeching at her to get in there and wrestle Angelina. She does, reluctantly, but in a show of good sportswomanship, the two high five each other before locking up. There’s actually a nice bit of spot wrestling between the two, each getting several near falls, before knocking each other down with a shoulder block. Throughout this exchange Madison can be heard screeching at both women and the referee. As the two roll to the sides, Madison hits Velvet, tagging herself in to take advantage of Angelina’s still groggy state. But even as she charges at Love, she gets a drop toe hold for her trouble. Angelina goes for a whip into the corner but it’s reversed, getting slammed into the corner. When Rayne charges, Love gets both boots up but Madison’s no fool – she grabs both feet, swings them around into the middle rope and slams Angelina down to the canvas in a hard move! Choking out Angelina, Madison gets pulled off by Mickie and immediately gets in the referee’s face with quite a psychotic look!

The distraction costs Madison, however, as Angelina gets in a spat of offense before going for a cover, but it’s broken up by Tara. Angelina starts towards Tara, however she sees Madison coming in time to block her offense and get in some of her own. Being slammed down near her corner, Madison tags in Tara. The raven haired lady blocks Angelina’s attempted kick and grabs her by the hair, hoisting her on her own back until Mickie’s count breaks it up. While she’s busy jawing with the ref, Angelina rolls to her own corner, where Velvet tags herself in. She goes on the offense, getting some nice chops on Tara, before whipping her off the ropes. It’s reversed, but on the come back, Sky nails a nice headscissors takedown! Velvet tries for a cover but only gets two.

Gathering Tara up, interestingly enough, Velvet goes for a submission, which looks like half abdominal stretch, half octopus – something I’ve not seen out of Miss Sky before. Nice! Tara refuses to give in, so Vel-Vel manuvers around until she gets a sunset flip into a pin. Tara rolls through and hits a short dropkick to Velvet’s chest (which actually doesn’t connect….). Tara folds up Velvet’s legs but gets two for her trouble.

Tara tries a suplex but Velvet blocks, countering with one of her own. She then gets in a flurry of offense that finishes with a running bulldog. The resulting pin only gets two. She’s apparently getting her second wind but a sneak kick from Madison to her back sends Sky to her knees. Angelina’s had enough at this point and enters the ring, rushing over to hit Madison. She turns back around only to get a stiff fist from Tara which sends her to the canvas. It’s turning into chaos as all four women are in the ring, hitting each other with fists. Tara gets Angelina with a swinging sidewalk slam, Velvet hits Tara with a dropkick to the chest (this one actually connects!), Madison slams Velvet’s face into her knee, Angelina hits a sit out jaw breaker on Madison and a Botox Injection on Tara! She turns only to be met with some kind of stiff move from Madison which sees her face/head driven into Madison’s lower leg. Angelina rolls out of the ring and Madison turns – just to be hit with an Implant DDT!

Madison rolls to the apron as Tara attempts to hit the Widow’s Peak but Velvet slips out of it, grabbing Tara by the waist and rushing her forward into the ropes (which knocks Rayne onto the floor and onto Angelina), then rolling her up into a pin. Mickie goes for the count but Tara reverses and with the leverage of holding Vel’s tights she gets the three count! Your new Knockout Champion: Tara!

Tara celebrates for a micro second before her eyes grow wide. We can clearly see her say, “Oh shit” as she realizes…she won the title. Not Madison, whom she is indebted to. There is a fabulous shot of Madison peeking over the top of the apron, eyes wide in disbelief as Tara is handed the belt, her expression turning to fury as she climbs into the ring. Her face is enough to send me into giggles because it’s just too damn perfect! She is pissed and going to let her erst-while bodyguard know it. However, whilst making her way to Tara, she pushes Mickie aside, then starts to berate the hell outta the black haired champion. Tara tries to explain but Madison’s having none of it. After a few minutes, Mickie attempts to pull Madison back but gets shoved on her keister for her troubles. We see Mickie’s face curl into a grin, as if she was just waiting for this to happen. She stands, marches over to Rayne and DECKS her hard, sending the former Beautiful Person to the ground. Tara grows furious but does nothing but go to her partner’s side as Mickie smiles – and blows Tara a kiss as she exits the ring. The two are left there to glare at Mickie James.

This has not turned out the way Madison Rayne wanted it to. But this does create tension between the two. Will Tara honor her commitment and make things right between her and Rayne? Or will Mickie get to her first? The next few tapings should be interesting…

Later in the evening, after Jay Lethal retained the X-Division title, he was jumped in the crowd by Robbie E, who layed him out in the ring. He was accompanied by Cookie, and the two let their intentions be known. Robbie’s looking for X-Division gold. However, we didn’t get to hear Cookie speak except for her catchphrase: “JERSEY’S IN THE HOUSE, BITCHES!” These two were looking to make an immediate impact, and they’ve done just that.

All in all, I enjoyed the Knockout’s match. There were no noticeable botches, except for Tara’s dropkick to Velvet, but the MVP of the night is definitely Velvet Sky. Sure, she’s no ring technician but she impressed me by working most of the match and doing really well at it. I actually wouldn’t have minded if she’d won, it would’ve been a great swerve. We’ll find out where the Beautiful People, as well as Tara and the Rayne, go from here…

Join Diva Dirt every Monday night as we discuss the Divas action from Monday Night Raw. The matches, the segments, the fashion. It’s all analysed and there’s nothing off limits! Tune in with Cryssi, David, Jennifer & Steven Monday nights exclusively here at Diva Dirt.

PLUS tonight, we’ll have analysis from last night’s Bound for Glory pay per view!

Please Note: ‘The Post-Raw Show’ is the exclusive content of Diva Dirt (diva-dirt.com), for which we hold copyright. By downloading our audio you agree not to repost the content elsewhere including but not limited to other websites, blogs or message boards. Failure to respect copyright will result in legal action.

This is outcome is shocking, as most believed that Madison Rayne would come out on top, leading to a program between her and Mickie. However, Tara and Mickie have met before in WWE and put on some great matches, so it seems to be in TNA’s best interest to put these two into a feud with each other. In any case, it will be interesting to see how this all plays out this week on Impact.

Who will be Bound for Glory and will Mickie be an impartial ref?

Discuss in the comments!

TNA presents its biggest pay per view of the year tonight — Bound for Glory, featuring a fatal four-way for the Knockouts Championship. Who will come out on top? The Diva Dirt team weigh in…

Cryssi: You know, logic dictates that TNA will crown a new champion at this pay-per-view but who will that champion be? Angelina is the quote-unquote “golden girl” of the company and it would be fitting that she keeps the championship and goes on to feud with Mickie James over the next month. However, on TNA Reaction, Mickie spoke about the championship and apparently she’s under the assumption that Madison is the champion. It would not shock me to see TNA give Madison the title back just to make Mickie look like less of an idiot. In reality there is no way to fix her blunder, but TNA will think they can and give it back to Madison. Then there’s Tara. She’s the TNA queen of pointless, transitional title reigns so giving the belt to Tara not only gives some drama to the relationship of Madison/Tara but it gives Mickie a familiar, comfortable person to feud with in what’s sure to be her first TNA storyline. All these scenarios make sense, right? There’s holes in all of them but that doesn’t matter. Even the most virgin wrestling fan could handle all of those. So what will happen at Bound For Glory? Velvet Sky will win of course. And that will make this Alabama beauty a very happy camper. GO VEL VEL! It’s your time and you deserve it.

Eric: I am tempted to simply write “Who Cares” and move on. This is a result of the poor promotion and buzz that this match has been able to generate in the Internet wrestling community. On paper, this feud looks amazing. Will Vel Vel face off against Angelina? Will Tara give Madison the Widow’s Peak? These are the questions that usually get fans buzzing about such matches. However, as Mickie James’ abortion of a promo showed us, TNA has no interest in making this match anything other than Madison vs. Angelina. As Mickie was randomly telling Madison that she was coming after the belt (didn’t she see Angelina with the strap? Does she need contacts?) Velvet and Tara made gestures that their friend and tag partner would be the one walking away with the strap.

These two gestures proved to me that this match would be ridiculous and pointless. Whereas WWE’s Fatal 4-Way a few months ago had an air of mystery, this match has none. Despite this match holding the opportunity for Velvet Sky to accomplish the biggest achievement of her career, she would rather help Angelina keep the belt.

I expect this match to be a less than ten minute affair. Given that Mickie is insistent on Madison being Knockout champion, my guess is Madison steals the win (wouldn’t it be awkward if Angelina won and Mickie still thought Madison was champion?). Think about the way Alicia won the title at Fatal 4-Way. Velvet and Tara will mostly exist to take the beating from Madison and Angelina respectively and have little impact in this match. As soon as Madison wins, expect Mickie James to lay her out with the Mickie DDT. Expect me to roll my eyes.

Jennifer: With the introduction of Mickie James last week, TNA has made it clear she’s going to be the focal point of the Knockouts. The question is, who will her first feud be against? If they want to keep her face, it’ll be either Madison or Tara. If heel, then Angelina or Velvet. I’m wagering that tonight, somehow, Madison will regain the title and set up a feud with Mickie. The way the title is passed around, however, I hope they do a slow burn with this feud and build it up gradually. Will that happen? Probably not. TNA likes to pull the trigger on things way too fast.

Melanie: Honestly, it could go to any of these four women and I wouldn’t care. I feel like these four and Lacey Von Erich have had all the screen time for the Knockouts on Impact and frankly, if I never hear the word ‘Beautiful People’ again, it’ll be too soon. Please let this be the nail in the coffin for this feud and please let this be the end of the TBP (both past and present) monopoly on the Knockouts division. I would like to see Tara win here and feud with Mickie James, since it’s a feud that started out hot in WWE but never got the nurturing it deserved. However, my gut says Madison wins and goes onto feud with Mickie.

Steven: Four days ago I would have said Angelina has this match in the bag. She hasn’t had the title for very long and she, alongside Velvet Sky, have been in the spotlight since their reunion. Four days ago I would have said this TBP/Rayne and Tara feud would continue for the foreseeable future. However, four days ago Mickie James was not a TNA Knockout.

The return of Mickie James to TNA has turned the division on it’s head. She made it very clear that she is gunning for the title and if she’s a face, I can only assume that she’ll be feuding with either Madison or Tara. Also, after Mickie’s little slip on Reaction, all signs lead to Madison taking the win tonight and entering into a feud with Mickie, while the newly reformed Beautiful People can take a break from the title picture and concentrate on the floundering tag team division.

Put your predictions in the comments!

However, according to PWInsider, she actually suffered a concussion. She was held at the hospital overnight for observation and thus did not appear at this week’s Impact tapings. Putting that all in perspective, it looks like her time on the injured list will be shorter than previously thought. Still, a concussion is a serious matter, so don’t expect to see her jump right back into action all that soon.

If you feel so inclined, drop Daffney a “get well soon” message on Twitter. We hope things are right as rain for her ASAP!

EDIT: The Wrestling Observer website mentions that Daffney suffered both a broken arm and a concussion. Hopefully this will be clarified soon.

TNA Knockout, Daffney has reportedly been sidelined after suffering a broken arm at the Bound for Glory pay per view on Sunday, says Wrestling Observer.

Daffney took a jaw-dropping bump on Sunday during the Mick Foley-Abyss match.

Having become the go-to girl for insane spots this past year, it’s of no surprise that one would finally take it’s toll on Daffney. We wish her a speedy recovery!

Last night’s big angle at Bound for Glory got chins wagging in the immediate aftermath, as Kim Couture confronted TNA Knockout Tara – real name Lisa Marie Varon — during a triple threat Knockouts Championship match. What became evident within nearly half an hour was that the shoot-like confrontation was indeed scripted and seems to be the beginning of a new storyline for the former WWE Women’s Champion and Knockouts Champion.

The drama, adapted from the real life war of words between the two in interviews, will now play out this Thursday night on Impact. Though not confirmed, it’s likely Couture will be in attendance at tomorrow night’s taping or film something in advance. So is TNA doing the right thing by cashing in and bringing the feud onto their soil? Perhaps surprising to some of you, I would say yes.

It seems like a good business choice by TNA to bring in Couture and have her feud with Tara, it didn’t seem like they were going to have a fight anytime soon in the actual MMA industry. TNA allows them a platform to have it out, while also gaining some industry buzz from both MMA and wrestling audiences. Considering that both are contact sports and physical, it seems like a fitting extension from one into the other, right? I do think there’s some cross-promotion benefits for both.

I can understand why fans wouldn’t want this to occur, fearing it may overshadow competition among the Knockouts. Why promote someone who isn’t even in your company over the girls that work for you? True. But I can’t help but feel a little curious to see where this goes, and it is not as though Couture is Jenna Morasca. And I am certainly curious to see if TNA will allow Tara & Couture to have a real shoot MMA fight at their next pay per view.

That said, having read the Wrestling Observer website just before writing this, it seems there’s been little buzz created about this in the MMA media & Couture is not considered as having star power. Perhaps this is subject to opinion however. TNA’s likely hope is that this will create buzz within the MMA audiences and MMA media leading to people watching Impact and maybe ordering the pay per view, if they do fight. If they do, I’m sure the media will pick it up and follow it through to the PPV.

In all, I’m impressed by this move on both a business level as TNA has picked up something of a hot thing outside their circles and brought it into their realm; and I’m also impressed on a level of what this means for an iconic veteran in Lisa Marie Varon. TNA bringing in someone outside the company to come in and work with her shows they are willing to put stock in her. I’m sure she’s really excited to get stuck into this feud and perhaps that will show in her work as Tara on screen.

Last night’s Bound for Glory was the biggest pay per view on TNA’s calendar with not one but two championship matches for it’s celebrated Knockouts division. Neither, if you ask me, were truly memorable matches worthy of TNA’s WrestleMania. The fault isn’t solely on the women themselves, but should be blamed on the way TNA plans out it’s pay per views. Truthfully, I wouldn’t be complaining if TNA, like WWE, showed no effort in it’s women’s division and added a Knockouts match as a ‘filler’ like the Divas. But that’s not the case with TNA, this is a company that says they have such a value in their women’s division yet fails to deliver. What’s worse is that this is a division that once did deliver, to pull that rug from under viewers’ feet, I argue, is far worse than WWE’s Diva filler matches on PPV.

Slowly but surely, those long introductory video packages that added a big fight feel to the Knockouts matches, have been phased out. This was something that TNA did extremely well and made the Knockouts seem significant; in WWE we haven’t seen these kind of video packages for the Divas in years. The fact that TNA managed to do this for nearly every pay per view was a nice touch, it made the matches on the card seem important.

Granted, one thing that has changed over the past couple of months is, we now more often than not, get two matches on the pay per view. With a singles division and a tag division, should we just be grateful for getting two matches on one pay per view card? I argue no. I would much rather have just the one, lengthy and fully exhaustive match that allows two or more Knockouts to really showcase what the division is all about. What happened to those long 15-20 minute matches that we once got? Could you really tell a story like Kong vs Kim in the 7 minutes the Knockouts Championship bout got last night? Hell no. Tara vs ODB vs Kong should’ve been a bigger affair than it was, one befitting of the 15-20 minutes that those early Kong-Kim matches got.

The matches have gotten shorter and shorter, which brings me back to that feeling I get every month: “Never got out of first gear.” These matches we seem to be churning out month after month are never truly given the opportunity to explore all the possibilities, to really showcase talent in the way the opening Ultimate X match did last night. Instead, they end far too quickly — usually just as things are getting a little more interesting — into an abrupt finish.

There’s no emphasis on the quality anymore and I feel like I’ve seen it all before and can’t truly enjoy the match; it’s like knowing the DVD is going to stop half-way through the movie. The Knockouts are coming across as less and less important with each passing pay per view. I had a feeling going into Bound for Glory that neither match would be able to top the Hamada-Flash match on Impact, it’s a sorry state of affairs when you’re giving away a match of that caliber on TV but not on something fans have paid $40 for.

The railing that Kim Couture ran through had already been opened, since it was used to move out the Ultimate X structure following the opener, and was also the spot where Booker T was stretchered. A TNA TV producer or floor director was stationed in that very spot all night. When Tara walked out, Vince Russo met her on the ramp and escorted her to the back. Atlas Security took Kim out of the building, but rather than take her into a backstage area, they walked her through the crowd and up the stairs, escorting her into the building’s foyer. Seems like they wanted to be sure everyone got the chance to see who she was.

I’ll be writing up a longer editorial later today, but I definitely have to hand it to TNA. They pulled it off perfectly and it came across very realistic and exciting from a live standpoint.

MMA fighter and ex-wife of Randy, Kim Couture appeared moments ago at TNA’s Bound for Glory pay per view, interrupting the Knockouts Championship triple threat match.

Couture caught Lisa Marie Varon — TNA’s Tara – off guard during her match and the pair began getting into it near the ramp-way, having to be separated by security. Meanwhile in the ring, ODB and Kong watched on as the match was disrupted.

The mystery figure was not acknowledged on television, simply explained away as a ‘fan’ by commentator Taz, but PWInsider now confirms the woman to be Kim Couture. It’s not known if the interruption was a work or a real shoot.

Couture and Varon have had a lengthy war of words in the media over the past few months, as the former Knockouts and WWE Women’s Champion branches out into MMA.

If you ask me, the way ODB and Kong looked perplexed, it does seem as though it was unplanned and Couture was there of her own accord. If it is a work, then bravo because it looked great. Hopefully we’ll have more soon.

EDIT: Jeremy Borash just tweeted the following: “Tara and Kim Couture got into a fight during the Knockouts title match. More about this on Thursday.” Looks as though TNA has managed to bag Couture for a storyline, which is a fantastic move if you ask me. This is bound to get a lot of MMA-skewed media attention.

EDIT #2: PWInsider reports the angle was indeed planned and the cut-away camera shots were pre-planned to make it appear more shoot-like, as though they’d just caught what was going on. Mike Johnson notes TNA has made references to Couture in recent weeks, which is true. Varon mentioned Couture on commentary during the Kong vs ODB match on Impact a couple of weeks ago.

EDIT #3: Kim tweeted about the encounter on her Twitter page:

Discuss tonight’s Bound for Glory pay per view as it happens in this post! It’s the biggest pay per view event in TNA history, with both the Knockouts Title and Knockouts Tag Team Titles on the line.

Saritaylor defend against The Beautiful People in the Tag Team Championship bout. Meanwhile, ODB defends against Awesome Kong & Tara in a triple threat match. Who’ll leave with gold tonight?

Leave your feedback!

We’ll be live tweeting the PPV, follow our Twitter page for live coverage.

It’s the biggest night on the TNA calendar! Two Knockouts matches, two sets of titles on the line. ODB defends the Knockouts Championship in a triple threat match against Awesome Kong and Tara. Meanwhile Saritaylor put up the Knockouts Tag Team Titles against The Beautiful People. Who will be victorious tonight? The Diva Dirt writers weigh in:

Erin: ODB seems to be getting the short end of the stick in this–getting left behind by Kong and getting kicked in the face by Tara. It seems like this match is more about Kong and Tara’s issues than the Knockouts Championship, so I don’t see either of them coming out with gold. I have a feeling that Tara and Kong’s problems will take their full attention, which will give ODB the opportunity to sit back and let those two beat the tar out of each other before taking advantage of either one and sneaking out a victory.

Melanie: As badly as this has been built up [I mean did we ever find out why there so much tension between these Knockouts?] I think this could be a good match. These three are the heavyweights of the Knockouts division so it makes sense for them to go at it on the biggest event of the year. That said, as everyoneelse has pointed out, this one has been all about Kong & Tara with ODB as an afterthought. I don’t know why, but because it’s the biggest show of the year, I expect to see Tara finally get her WrestleMania moment… except at TNA’s WrestleMania. I can’t explain why, but I just feel like this is all about Tara and she’ll finally get that big moment here. Then she could go off and feud with Kong for the title, perhaps.

Steven: Even though this is a triple threat match, it seems like ODB is just being tacked on to the Tara/Kong feud. That said, I see Tara coming out on top this Sunday. I think it’s safe to say that Tara’s first title reign was a sham, so this could be the time for her to have a decent run with the title and a meaningful feud with Kong.

For Tag Team Championship picks, follow the cut:

Erin: If this were a battle of choreography, it might be a battle to end all battles. But as it is, I don’t feel like Madison and Velvet are strong enough yet as a team to hold the titles. Conversely, Taylor and Sarita are fantastic as a team, and I wouldn’t mind seeing them hold the titles for a lot longer. Still, I can’t help but think Lacey might factor into a dirty TBP victory. TNA seems content to push this trio whether they’re actually a good team or not. I’m willing to bet they’ll go for “style” over substance and choose The Beautiful People to go over.

Melanie: It is far, far too soon for a title switch, especially for a set of belts as new as this. Of course, in TNA world that means it’s the perfect time to switch the titles~! The first title reign of any championship should have longevity and be allowed to set a precedent, if you have Saritaylor drop it here, it’ll just make the belts look weak. For that reason, I predict Saritaylor to retain tonight.

Steven: Given the current state of The Beautiful People in terms of in-ring work, I doubt TNA will be putting the straps on them just yet. Two out of their three members don’t really have chops to be taken seriously as champions. Furthermore, Saritaylor’s explosive, high flying style has livened up the Knockouts division and made people care again. Knowing TNA, their going to milk those two for all they’re worth. Expect Saritaylor to retain this Sunday.

Currently scheduled for the WWE pay per view is a Divas Championship match between Alicia Fox and Mickie James. Don’t be surprised if Beth Phoenix is inserted, however. As with SummerSlam and Breaking Point however, one shouldn’t hold their breath as there are constant rewrites. If they do opt for a match, it’ll likely be announced next Monday on Raw.

TNA’s big WrestleMania-esque extravaganza began to be set in stone at this week’s Impact tapings. Both Knockouts’ championships will be on the line. Sarita & Taylor Wilde are expected to defend the Tag Team Championship against The Beautiful People. ODB will defend the Knockouts Championship in a triple threat match against Awesome Kong and Tara. At last word, that may end up being a Monster’s Ball Match.

WWE will also hold a second pay per view in October on the 25th, WWE Bragging Rights replaces Cyber Sunday.

Marketing gaffe or just poor timing? The poster for TNA’s Bound for Glory Pay-Per-View, which doesn’t take place until October, features one Gail Kim, whom we all know has recently made an exit from the company. Obviously, the poster holds no bearing towards her status with TNA, but it’s proof positive that her departure was rather abrupt and unexpected.

Click the thumbnail below to see a larger version.