Greetings everybody. Is it I, the one and only VP of the Miss Karen fanclub, and I am here to bring you a pay per view dose of Knockouts action. Last night was Turning Point, and it was a night that I’m sure will be highly controversial indeed. First up for the ladies was Sarita (w/ Rosita) and Toxxin (Christina Von Eerie) in a six person mixed tag team match for the Tag Titles. We also saw reigning Knockouts Champion, Velvet Sky, put her title on the line against the woman brought in by the aid of Miss Karen, Gail Kim, in a match that would either give Velvet some credibility, or make Gail the ultimate Knockout in the division. Can the pigeons overcome this evil lady with a purpose? Will Gail prove that she means business in the Knockouts division? Heck, will our beloved Aunt Traci or forgotten child, Madison Rayne, make their presence known tonight?

There’s only one way to find out the answers to all of these burning questions… scroll on down!

As we head to the back, we see the phenomenal, talented, poised beacon of hope in this division, Miss Karen, standing by with her crusade of talent, Gail Kim and Madison Rayne. Jeremy Borash, for some unjust reason, asks Miss Karen if Gail is ready for the match tonight, to which our ruler states the obvious answer. The VP continues on that Kim is going to walk on down to that ring and bring that belt back with her! Miss Karen informs Jeremy that the entire Knockouts Division is a reflection upon her perfect self (note: apologies if I ad-lib a few lines here and there), and that she can not… CAN NOT… have a “nasty, skanky, little ho, smart-mouth little bitch” running around with the belt!

Miss Karen states that whenever she has a problem, she fixes it, and she did so by going out and bringing in the perfect role model for everyone, Gail Kim! She continues that she wants total Knockout dominance amongst her stable, and Gail is the perfect look for the champion to have. Our brilliant forgotten child, Madison Rayne, chimes in to gain Miss Karen’s approval, which the lady in black adds that Madison is beautiful too. Borash then turns the mic over to Gail, and she proclaims that she’s never been more ready in her life for this.

Kim calls this a piece of cake… a cake walk… and I suddenly begin to crave a piece of cake. Thanks Gail… But back to business, Miss Karen then professes that Gail does not need their help tonight because she was brought to the division to show the other girls how things are done. She is going to take care of business the WAY it’s supposed to be taken care of! The two shake hands as Miss Karen sends Gail off and grabs forgotten child, Madison Rayne, to tag along for the ride of dominance.

We then follow up with a video package highlighting the build up to this upcoming title defense, before Gail Kim makes her grand entrance to the ring. Decked out in some cool new gear, she poses with her Tag Team Champioship belt before stepping through the ropes and getting ready for her big moment. Up next comes the Knockouts Champion herself, Velvet Sky! Velvet hurries to the ring, but not before taking a moment to show off her gold to the crowd. After letting the pigeons loose, the two ladies stand toe to toe in the ring, before Velvet quickly spears Gail down and begins to beat her up.

Gail scurries out of the ring, but Velvet comes back with a baseball slide and slams the challenger’s head into the ring apron. The two ladies get back inside, as Gail goes for a kick that ends up being blocked and turned into a clothesline. Velvet continues her assault on Gail with a sweet crossbody, before taking control with a running clothesline to the corner. She follows it up going for ten punches in the corner, but after about the fifth one, Gail manages to drop her right onto the ropes. Gail then suddenly takes control with some kicks to the stomach.

She then sends Velvet into the corner and charges off with a midsection spear through the ropes. Gail knees her opponent in the stomach and snapmares her over, as… MY LIFE IS MADE! Miss Karen graces my screen with her applauding presence, as buyrates for this event increase higher than ever before due to the sight. Gail goes for a pin attempt, but only for a two count. Velvet tries to fight back and goes for another crossbody, but Gail manages to drop her with a slam onto the knee as Miss Karen applauds her girl from the stage. Kim then locks in an abdominal stretch, as the crowd begins to get behind Velvet.

Velvet manages to counter it with a flip over Jackknife cover. After a two count, she capitalizes with another quick roll up for a near fall. Both women get to two feet, but Gail Kim takes control quickly. She sends Velvet into the corner and leaps off for a reverse crossbody, but Velvet spots this coming and kicks Gail in the stomach. Velvet with some sharp kicks to the leg, before sending Gail off the ropes with a set of clotheslines. She follows it up with some facebusters to the knee, and then a great bulldog!

Gail goes for a clothesline, but Velvet drops her with the move I dubbed the “Sky Cry” for a close fall. She goes for the double underhook facebuster, only Gail shoves her back into the corner. Kim them signals for Eat Defeat until Velvet shoves her boot away and hits the double underhook facebuster! Miss Karen then takes it upon herself to argue with the referee, as forgotten child, Madison Rayne runs inside and hits the Rayne Drop on Velvet. Gail drapes herself over Sky, but the champion manages to kick out!

The crowd begins to get behind Velvet, as Gail climbs to the top rope and misses a missile dropkick attempt! Velvet goes for a roll up, but Gail reverses it, still for a near fall. Velvet signals the double underhook again, but Madison Rayne grabs her by the boot and distracts her long enough for Gail to nail the Eat Defeat for the shocking victory! Miss Karen’s stable celebrates victoriously in the ring, as Velvet’s lifelong dream is over in just 28 days…

Match Rating: 3/5

Also on the show, Check out Sarita and Toxxin in a six person mixed tag team match for the TNA World Tag Team Titles:

As Jesse Neal and Hernandez crawl to their respected corners, they reach and FINALLY tag in Toxxin and Sarita! Toxxin ducks a running clothesline and nails one of her own. Elbow follows up, with a nice step up enziguiri. Sarita is nearly sent into the ropes, but she reverses it and sends Toxxin flying. Sarita goes for a dropkick, but Toxxin holds onto the ropes and Sarita crashes the mat below. Toxxin does some nifty lifty move to get Sarita to two feet, and then drops her with another clothesline! Toxxin puts Sarita in place and nails a sick flip front face slam for a near fall until Hernandez breaks it up.

Ink, Inc. then interfere, as Shannon Moore take care of Hernandez, and Jesse Neal and Toxxin handle Anarchia in the ring. They hit a nice handspring bulldog double team move on him, before pantsing him for the world to see. Back inside the ring, Rosita steps onto the apron but Toxxin stops her from executing any type of maneuver behind her back. This distraction provides enough time for Sarita to drill Toxxin with the title belt though, as she then covers and retains the titles for her team!

Thoughts: First of all, congratulations to Gail Kim on her title victory! Now, onto the unfortunate stuff… Well, I’m sure a lot will be said about this situation. I’m disappointed that TNA continue to provide us with these month long title reigns in which the champion hardly even appears on TV during them. First Winter, then Mickie, then Winter again, and now Velvet. I don’t fault Gail in the situation because it’s what’s written, but I think Velvet really could have used the win here to help build her credibility. We all thought she would be the champion to break this game of hot potato with the belt, but who knows what will happen now? For the sake of the title, please Gail Kim, hold onto it for dear life!

Onto the six person tag, it was really enjoyable overall, but I’ll just focus on the Knockouts parts here. Sarita and Toxxin worked extremely well together. I hope we get to see them face off in a singles match in the near future because everything they did last night was perfect. I wasn’t a fan of the title belt ending, but I can overlook it due to how great all their other moves looked. I hope this leads to Toxxin helping Ink, Inc. capture the Tag Team Titles, but more-so, I just hope she continues to be given a shot to wrestle on the show because it’d be criminal to not use her talents.

Within a month of returning to TNA, Gail Kim now simultaneously holds all the gold in the Knockouts division.

In a match against Velvet Sky tonight, Gail won the Knockouts Championship tonight at TNA’s Turning Point pay per view with the help of Knockouts VP, Karen Jarrett and Madison Rayne.

Gail, who was the first ever Knockouts Champion in 2007, is now a two-time Knockouts Champion.

Thoughts: While I’m happy for Gail, I’m very disappointed in TNA giving Velvet such a short title reign when she has all the tools to be a great babyface champion. All of the short title reigns in recent months have been ridiculous.

Plus, Sarita teams with Hernandez and Anarquia to defend the TNA Tag Team Championships against Ink, Inc.’s Jesse Neal, Shannon Moore & Toxxin.

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

Discuss the show in the comments!

Returning Knockout Gail Kim challenges Velvet Sky for the Knockouts Championship tonight at Turning Point. Who will win? The Diva Dirt team weigh in…

Bobby: This is a tough one to call. It could really go either way and I’m personally a fan of both women involved. I could easily see Gail taking the title to give Miss Karen’s group all the glory, and we know from past experience that TNA is no stranger to short Knockout title reigns. The one thing that stops me from believing Velvet will lose just yet is that TNA seem to take a lot of pride in her being the champion, what with the video packages and all. I’d love to see Gail get the Knockouts Title again, but for tonight’s event, I’m seeing Velvet Sky retain, perhaps with a little help from Aunt Traci.

Erin: Gail has been pushed to the moon in her short time back with TNA, but I can’t imagine them pushing her this far so early. She’s got one title around her waist already, so unless they’re aiming for a Gail-centric division (which wouldn’t be entirely unrealistic), I think they’re more likely using this match as a way to add a bit more legitimacy to Velvet Sky’s title reign. Beating Gail, someone who has been largely untouchable since her return, would help make her look like a powerful champion and give her a victory against team Karen. Velvet Sky wins and retains her the Knockouts Title.

Katelyn: My vote goes to Velvet Sky. Not only does she deserve a lengthy reign, a victory over Gail would solidify her as a fighting champion. Already one half of the tag team champions, the strongly-booked Gail Kim doesn’t need the win.

Melanie: I think tonight is the end-game for weeks of build for Gail Kim upon her return. While fans have been complaining that she’s been pushed to the moon since coming back, I think it was part of a bigger picture and to serve a higher purpose and that is to put over Velvet Sky tonight at Turning Point and solidify her Knockouts Title reign. Gail has been extremely hot since her comeback, aligning herself with the Knockouts VP and becoming one half of the Knockouts Tag Team Champions. I believe that build is all leading up to her taking her first loss tonight against Velvet, which will really help get Velvet’s title reign off to a good start as she will have picked off such a talent who’s been on such a high lately. Velvet Sky wins.

Who do you think will win tonight?

Interesting match up set for Turning Point on November 13th: Sarita and Toxxin (no longer spelt Toxine, apparently) will be part of a six person tag team match for the TNA World Tag Team Championships.

Sarita will team with Mexican America’s Hernandez and Anarquia against Ink, Inc., the team of Jesse Neal, Shannon Moore and the fiery new Knockout.

I’m assuming that if Sarita pins Toxxin, or vice versa, their male tag team partners will win the Tag Team Championships.

Also on the card is returning Knockout, Gail Kim vs Velvet Sky.

Fresh from her return to Impact Wrestling, Gail Kim is already in the title picture for the next pay per view, Turning Point.

The first ever Knockouts Champ is set to face off against current Knockouts Champion, Velvet Sky, for the title on November 13th.

Can Gail reclaim the title that she first held? Too soon for her to get a title shot? Tell us what you think in the comments…

If you consider the fact that the rivalry between Mickie James and Tara has roots in their time in the WWE, this feud has been going on for a long time. In between these phantom WWE issues and now, there have been countless brawls and a match that ended in a double DQ. It’s inevitable that Mickie will eventually move on to challenge Madison Rayne for the Knockouts Championship, but is tonight really the last stop on the runaway freight train that has been Mickie vs. Tara? Yes, I know runaway trains don’t stop–don’t let that ruin my metaphor. Let’s just watch the events unfold and see if these Knockouts are really ready to move on:

We start with Knockouts champ Madison Rayne being interviewed by Christy Hemme. Madison says there’s no way Mickie’s getting to her or her championship, because she has to get through Tara first, an that’s not going to happen. I can appreciate that they’re not trying to hide the direction in which this feud is headed. Also, is it just me (I mentioned this on Twitter), or does Madison’s dark hair make her resemble Mickie a bit? Do I smell a “long lost sister” Maury-esque twist coming up in this storyline? No? Just me? Anywho, she continues to play up Tara, saying that she’s here to “protect the princess”. Is Madison right–will Tara really protect her, or will she simply be paved into Mickie’s road to Madison?

We’re shown a video package chronicling this feud. Lots of upturned tables and uncomfortable fighting attire. With all the brawling and disqualifications that have come from this feud, this Falls Count Anywhere stipulation really is the best fit. Tara’s out first on her hog, and Mickie follows. Tara exits the ring, gets Mickie to follow, and the match starts on the outside. They trade blows, and Tara tries to climb over the barricade, but gets crotched on it. Whether you’re a lady or a gent, that does not feel good. Mickie goes for the first pin attempt of the match, but Tara kicks out. Mickie continues to beat on Tara, alternating between face smashes on the barricade and face smashes on the ring apron. She tosses Tara back into the ring, climbs the turnbuckle, and takes down Tara with a flying dropkick. She goes for another pin, but Tara wraps her legs around the ropes and forces a rope break.

Out of the pin Tara takes control, choking Mickie in the corner. Mickie soon turns the tables, attempting a corner hurricanrana, but gets tossed onto the apron. Tara slams Mickie’s head into the turnbuckle, and she falls to the mat outside. Mickie then pulls a Bella/Hornswoggle and slips under the ring skirt, disappearing. Tara is confused, but given how many times she was screwed over by the Bella Switch™, you’d think she’d just sit still and wait for Mickie to come out instead of risking an ambush. Mickie, of course, emerges on the other side and dropkicks Tara off of the ropes she’s perched on, knocking her out of the ring. A baseball slide knocks Tara to the floor again, and Mickie joins her outside the ring.

They trade blows a bit, and Tara whips Mickie into the barricade before dragging her to the other corner and tossing over her that section of barricade. The match spills out into the crowd. Tara slams Mickie into some steel chairs and goes for a pin, but Mickie kicks out at 2. Mickie whips Tara into some giant piece of the building’s infrastructure, and Tara starts to crawl, seeking refuge in the back area of the building. Maybe she’s just magnetically drawn to the catering area, since that seems to be their prime fightin’ place. Mickie shoves Tara into the wall and chokes her up against it. They fight further back into the building, and Tara tosses Mickie into a line of wheelchairs. The battle continues until they reach a food stand (not catering, but close enough), and Mickie squirts some water into Tara’s eyes. Not a particularly painful attack, but a bit blinding, I suppose.

The fight moves on, with cardboard signs and chainlink fences coming into play before Mickie eventually reverses a powerbomb into a back body drop onto the concrete. Mickie goes for the pin, but only gets a 2-count. They end up by the garbage cans, taking turns tossing each other at them, and Mickie rolls Tara up for another pin attempt. Tara kicks out and regains control and drags Mickie by the hair before Mickie turns the tables and hits a flying Lou Thesz press onto the concrete. Another pin attempt, another kick out. Tara takes Mickie by the hair and takes her to the restrooms. She opts to take them into the men’s restroom instead of the ladies’, for whatever reason. Brawling inside, a few men run out, with a lone straggler struggling out with his pants down. Meanwhile, Mickie takes Tara into a stall and gives her a swirly, middle-school style. They continue to battle until an occupied stall opens and sprays Mickie with…… a fire extinguisher! Okay, that was lewd. I apologize.

The culprit is Madison, of course, laying in wait. She hits Mickie with the Knockouts Title and leaves Tara to cover her, yelling for the referee, who for some reason was hanging out outside and therefore did not see the attack, to come back in and count the pin. He returns, counts the pin, and Tara wins the match. Mickie lays prone on the bathroom floor while Tara and Madison celebrate. Someone should put that “wet floor” sign in the doorway and give Mickie some privacy while she regains her wits.

The match felt like a fitting culmination for this feud, given how this rivalry was built around all-out brawls instead of actual wrestling. Still, it wasn’t much more than what we’ve seen from them already, though I’ll admit that the bathroom brawl was something new. On the whole the match was exciting, and I can always appreciate a match that bends the boundaries for women’s wrestling a bit. Still, I don’t feel they did as much as they could. It mostly amounted to Mickie and Tara tossing each other into structures–the back body drop and Lous Thesz press were impressive and I’m sure they smarted, but more big-time spots would’ve made this stand out amongst the countless similar brawls these two have already had. When a feud is build on a foundation of scrappy brawls, you’ve got to up the stakes in order to have a big “blow off” match. I don’t think they did that.

I definitely didn’t see the Madison attack coming, though, and Tara’s win was unexpected. The question is, though, whether or not this Tara/Mickie feud will go to round 3 or if Madison’s attack will lead to Mickie shifting her focus to her instead of Tara. We won’t know until later tonight, when Impact is taped, but I’ll wager a guess and say that it’s Madison/Mickie now. The end of the match was all about creating animosity between those two. Personally, leaving me unconscious on the floor of a filthy mens’ bathroom is enough to build some animosity in me. Only time will tell if it’s enough to make Mickie change her dance partner.

Match rating: 2.5/5

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. We’ll also be discussing last night’s Turning Point PPV and the knock-down, drag-out match between Mickie James and Tara that ended in a DQ.

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.

Billed as a match that had it’s roots in the company they both formerly worked for, last night saw a grudge match between Tara and Mickie James.. At first, it felt like Mickie would simply have to go through Tara to get a shot at the Knockouts Championship, but this feud has taken on a life of it’s own. Each woman is eager to get their hands on the other. So who would come out victorious?

Prior to the match, backstage we see Christy Hemme with Mickie James. It’s a short promo but MJ gets straight to the point. She admits there might’ve been mutual dislike between the two in the WWE, but no matter what, she says that Tara “will respect me.” There’s a gleam in her eyes as she glares at the camera before stalking off.

JB announces Tara being accompanied to the ring by Madison Rayne, but as Tara rides out on her bike, she’s going solo. (JB must’ve had a tad bit of the hair o’ the dog…) She’s sporting boots, fishnets, and a ripped t-shirt and frankly I’m hard pressed to make sense out of this outfit. It looks trashy to be honest. However, I adore the red streaks in her hair so I’ll overlook the outfit. Next out is Mickie James and I vastly prefer her new gear over the cut off shorts and tied shirt. Her outfit tonight is a blue top like she used to wear in the WWE, plus pants that have cowboy chaps on them. She should’ve taken the chaps off, but on the whole it’s a big improvement.

The bell has hardly rung before the two are slapping each other, trash talking one another and finally end up out and out brawling on the mat. Tara’s gotten the upper hand and goes for a Widow’s Peak, looking to end it early, but Mickie reverses into a back bodydrop. Mickie hits a clotheline followed by a dropkick. Tara rolls to the outside for a breather but MJ yells at her to get back in the ring, even sitting on the second rope, holding it open for Tara to re-enter. She gets tired of waiting and grabs Tara by the hair, hauling her up onto the apron, but the Spider Queen gets a neckbreaker on MJ onto the top rope. Re-entering the ring, Tara mocks James, getting in a few kicks to the back.

Tara goes for another Widow’s Peak but James again blocks it, reversing into a rollup pin, but she rolls through to latch onto Tara’s right leg, locking in a half Boston crab submission. She might’ve gotten Tara to tap out but she reaches behind and grabs Tara’s hair, causing the referee to break the hold. The two go to the outside, fighting and winding up in a lockup that isn’t broken until the two enter the ring again (still holding onto one another) and manuver into a corner, where the referee separates the two. Tara gets in a cheap kick and tosses James across the ring via her hair. The biker lady hits a snap suplex into a dragon submission but doesn’t hold onto it for long, choosing to pull on Mickie’s hair whilst screaming at her.

MJ manages to fire back with some fists before hitting a headscissors takedown that tosses Tara over the top rope to the outside. The country girl follows up with a top rope Lou Thez press on the outside. The two get back into the ring where James hits a top rope missile dropkick. Sensing a victory, James sets up for a Mick Kick, but Tara grabs her leg and pulls, sending MJ into the splits – ow! James tries for a MickieDDT but Tara grabs and hoists her onto the corner turnbuckle. Somehow the two wind up tangled together on the turnbuckle until they fall over to the outside.

At this point, it breaks down. The referee tries to give them leeway, but they start slamming each other into the set, into the guardrail, OVER the guardrail, into the crowd and into the set that’s out in the crowd. At one point, Mickie accidentally hits the referee, who calls for the bell. The women pay no attention, choosing to brawl back towards the ramp, then over towards the announcers side of the set, Mickie getting hit in the back by a broom handle (which snaps in two), Tara getting clocked by a garbage can. After all this time, security finally comes out to separate the two, but they keep getting away, rushing back towards each other. At some point, Mickie breaks free and heads back to the ring, motioning for Tara to come back so they can finish what they started. Tara gets free and once in the ring, the two fight, throwing fists left and right until security re-enters to break them up. The referee has thrown out the match, calling it a double disqualification, but both women are past the point of caring. Tara is finally ushered out of the ring by security while others keep Mickie James held back.

Later on, during a backstage interview with The Pope and his entourage, they’re interrupted by Mickie James and Tara fighting once more. After watching the two go at it, the entourage pulls them apart, Pope saying, “Now that’s hardcore country!” Once the two are separated, the group departs and we hear a hard SMACK off camera. The view swings back to see Mickie James face down on the set, Madison Rayne standing over her (wearing some wicked heels!), Knockout title in hand. Tara re-enters the view and the two scream at Mickie that she doesn’t belong there before leaving her laying.

Musings: Well, there really wasn’t a match so to speak – this was a brawl for all. So it’s a given we’ll get a rematch, most likely with some sort of stipulation. As for tonight, not bad. I think TNA was trying to channel the passion that was felt between Amazing Kong and Gail Kim a few years ago. If they were, it wasn’t a bad effort. The animosity between the two felt real, felt believable and they were putting everything they had out there tonight. They were really tossing each other around, into walls, into the guardrails, everywhere. These two worked well before and it feels like they’ll continue to have good chemistry going forward. I’m interested to see where this feud will go now and what sort of match they’ll book next. Nice touch having Rayne come from out of nowhere to get a cheap shot on Mickie as a way of keeping her involved.

Match Rating: 3.5/5

Shortly after it began, the match spilled out of the ring and into the crowd. After being shoved into a wall, the referee threw out the match as a double disqualification. Post match, Mickie and Tara continued to brawl, using anything they could get their hands on. The brawling beauties had to be separated several times by security and agents when all was said and done. Judging by the brutal ending to this match, I don’t think this is the last time these two will face off in a TNA ring.

UPDATE: Looks like Mickie and Tara weren’t done for the night. Almost two hours after their brawl, Mickie and Tara fought their way through “The Pope” D’Angelo Dinero backstage interview. The second brawl ended with TNA Knockout Madison Rayne blasting Mickie James with the title from behind, laying out the ‘Hardcore Country’ Knockout while screaming: “You don’t belong here!”

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

Discuss the show in the comments!

Former WWE Women’s Champions, Mickie James and Tara collide tonight in a big grudge match live on pay per view. Who will get the last laugh? The Diva Dirt team weigh in…

Cryssi: Let me start off by asking the Diva Dirt World a question. Does it make me a bad person seeing as how I had no clue these two were even feuding? Last I checked, I thought Sarita was getting a push, but no matter. Tara and Mickie are ex-WWE stars which means they will be built up bigger than any indy/SHIMMER/ROH girl ever. Seeing as how Mickie is the newest, and perhaps the biggest signing TNA has made since Kurt Angle (because lets face it, Hulk Hogan/Flair/Bischoff are not prizes) I expect to see her pushed to the moon. She’s probably going for Madison after tonight so yeah, Mickie totally wins this match via handcuffing Tara to the ring rope and forcing her to listen to ‘Hardcore Country.’ Tara’s ears will start to bleed and for her safety, the match will be called and Mickie will be declared the winner. Meanwhile Tara will have to be committed because that song will make her want to jump off Epcot Center and that’s not really healthy.

Erin: TNA is never one to slack when it comes to pushing those new acquisitions that have a whiff of the WWE still on them, and Mickie’s still carrying the scent, while Tara’s has all but worn off. Thus, they’re probably dead set on giving Mickie a nice big push for as long as they can. The fact that this is a storyline based on their former Diva status only reinforces the belief that any association to the WWE makes TNA see dollar signs, and having one of the most popular Divas in recent history at their disposal tells me that they’re not going to do much to hold her back this early on. Add to that the fact that this match, in all likelihood, will be a stepping stone to Mickie challenging Madison for the Knockouts Title, and it becomes clear that Tara probably doesn’t stand much of a chance. While this match has the chance of being pretty damn good, I don’t think it’s going to serve as much more than preparation for the eventual title feud. Mickie wins.

David: I’m excited for tonight’s Turning Point match between Tara and Mickie. Not just because of their TNA spots, but because we know their WWE history and they have used that as part of their storyline. I liked the aggression between both girls on this week’s Impact and I expect a hard-hitting match between these two veterans at the PPV. I think Mickie will get the victory Sunday because TNA brought James in to be the star of their Knockouts Division, and I just don’t see the cougar defeating their golden goose.

Jennifer: Is the outcome of this match really in doubt? There’s none in my mind that this is just a prequel to Mickie challenging Madison for the Knockouts Title. She’s gotta get through Tara first, however. I definitely see Mickie getting the 3 count on Sunday.

Melanie: Finally! A Knockouts feud I can get behind. I have been hoping to see a feud between Mickie and Tara from the moment Mickie signed and they have wasted little time in making that happen. I think the build to this match has been sufficient — including some great segments on Reaction — so I have high hopes for this match. I would love this to be the start of a big new push for the Knockouts, giving them 15-20 minutes on pay per view like we got in those early Kong/Kim matches. I’d love to see Tara go over here and continue this feud into the New Year, with Mickie overcoming Tara and then beginning a feud with Rayne for the title after January 1st but I’m not so certain. I feel this will be a victory for Mickie.

Steven: I thought for sure that Mickie would be going straight after Madison Rayne for her title, so it’s a nice to see her have to go through Tara first. That said, this whole “Mickie got Tara fired” storyline is lame and just a way to play off of both ladies past careers in WWE. Anyway, TNA has made it very clear that they want to push Mickie James for the title, so I expect Mickie to pick up the win tonight and start feuding with Madison Rayne for the Knockouts Championship in the coming weeks.

Put your predictions in the comments!

As seen tonight on Impact, the storyline is that Tara is angry at Mickie because she felt that Mickie had a hand in her release from WWE. Obviously not factually accurate as Tara left on her own terms in January 2009, but whatever drives the plot forward.

Thoughts: Thoroughly looking forward to this match. These two weren’t given the feud that they deserved together in WWE, so I’d like to see TNA do a longer program between the two, however it seems like this could just be a stop-gap between Mickie vs Rayne.

Good appeared to conquer all evil last Sunday night at Turning Point.  First in Knockout action sought the Beautiful People (Madison Rayne/Velvet Sky/Lacey Von Erich) vs. ODB, Sarita, and Taylor Wilde with all titles at stake.  Of course, what would a TNA match be without some complicated stipulations?  If ODB is defeated she loses her title; if Saritaylor is defeated they lose their titles.  Simple enough, right? I suppose this is the part where I go “TNA rulez!  WWE droolz!” or something to that effect…

The Beautiful People make their way to the ring looking very shiny and, erm… accessible. Before the sound of the bell, we are treated to even more gratuitous ass shots courtesy of Mi Pi Sexy – to bring even more credibility to this bout, of course.

Taylor Wilde and Velvet Sky kick off the match with a lock-up.  The referee tries his best to cop a feel while Velvet takes her aggression out on the Wilde one.  The ever-confident Velvet is distracted long enough for Taylor to trip her and drag her to the opposing side.  Tags alternate among the babyfaces as they all seem to take particular interest in Velvet’s nether regions.  ODB mounts her opponent, but Velvet says neigh.  Velvet powers out and leads ODB into her corner, tagging in her partner Madison Rayne.

Madison takes a break to indulge in a bit of self-admiration.  As per usual, Madison proves her salt personality-wise.  There is a way to be cleverly gimmicky without being overly gratuitous, and Madison masters that quite brilliantly.  Her beautiful partners should take note.

Madison’s exhibition buys ODB enough time to recharge and tag in Sarita.  Sarita outsmarts Madison with a series of flashy predicaments.  She then makes the tag out to Taylor, who she then assists into a moonsault onto Madison (rather flawlessly, if I may add).  However, Madison kicks out at 2.  Taylor draws her into a clutch and sends her down with a springboard arm drag.  Before she can even begin to capitalize on said move, Lacey Von Erich blindsights her with a clothesline.  Cue a very convenient wide-angled shot of a fan in the front row holding a “Lacey Von Botch” sign.

Madison regains control of the match with a swinging neckbreaker onto Taylor Wilde, but Taylor kicks out at 2.  Velvet Sky requests a tag and makes the assist into a double reverse DDT.  Taylor attempts to escape, but Velvet mounts her with a few punches and a very suggestive cover.  Taking a moment to tease her competition, Velvet flattens Taylor with a stiff kick to the back and a running front dropkick.  Taylor kicks out yet again.

There it is: the moment we all awaited with bated breath… Lacey Von Erich gets tagged into the match. Less than 5 seconds transpire before Lacey is subjected to the thoughts of the mass majority of TNA fans (and perhaps that of even Lacey herself) in the form of “You can’t wrestle” chants.  Lacey quickly exits the ring; the scent of defeat is almost too rancid to ignore.

Velvet gets her second chance in on the action by which she traps Taylor in an Octopus stretch.  Meanwhile, she bites the trapped arm out of the referee’s line of sight.  When Velvet attempts to shift the maneuver a sunset flip, Taylor runs (or rather trips) into Velvet’s face.  Hilarity ensues.

Both ladies make the hot tag.  ODB charges into the ring, taking out the legal woman Madison.  She also takes down Lacey Von Erich, which gets a rather positive reception from the audience.  Leading Velvet into the ropes, ODB catches her in mid-air and drops her with the fallaway slam followed by a kip-up.  ODB goes for a cover, but Lacey breaks up the pin.  Sarita and Taylor take exception.  However, in their effort to clear the ring of the excess plastic, they are sent out to the floor.  This gives the Beautiful People an opportunity to set ODB up for a potential double team move.  Instead, ODB overpowers their advances and takes Madison Rayne out with the TKO for the 3-count.

Somewhere during the 3-on-1 attack against ODB, a few of Lacey’s hair extensions fall out.  One piece even finds its way into the hand of a lucky fan in the front row, who takes the liberty of twirling it around like a prize.  Lacey then does something that will possibly put her my good graces for all of eternity.  She stuffs a piece of her lost extensions down her trousers and does a little hoe down.  From what we’ve seen in the past, Lacey is a master at not taking herself too seriously and being able to laugh at herself.  As embarrassing as weave-tragedies can be, that purely awesome act alone almost defuncts any and all of my criticisms of Miss Lacey.  Key word: almost.

While the outcome was predictable, all in all, I thought this was an impressive match.  If an MVP had to be chosen, my pick would definitely belong to Madison Rayne.  Madison has come leaps and bounds since her first run with the Beautiful People.  Ever since the departure of Angelina Love, Madison has been able to exude personality and charisma. Ever since Angelina left, people supposed the leader position would fall under Velvet Sky or even Lacey Von Erich.  However, I think Madison stands out as the one with the best balance between wrestling ability and temperament.  That being said, I don’t imagine it will be over between the Beautiful People and Saritaylor.  Velvet and Madison don’t strike me as the type that will rest until the belts are finally around their “pretty little waists.”  As for Lacey?  Well… between the Kong hug attempt and the weave fiasco, it’s safe to say that she is entertaining in her own right.  Just keep her in the background, and I will be content. After all, we’re overdue for another Botchamania.

Next up, in the long-awaited steel cage match, we see an end to World War III aka Tara vs. Awesome Kong.

In a lulz-worthy turn of events, Tara approaches the ring in a Kongbuster T-shirt.  (I can only imagine the laughs Tara and Kong must’ve had backstage.)  Kong enters the cage next and wastes no time charging into Tara and pinning her into the corner.  Kong and Tara exchange blows, and Tara attempts to manipulate Kong with her speed.  She succeeds when Kong tries to sit on her but misses.  Tara begins to take the fight to Kong yet again, but Kong steps on the brakes before Tara can take advantage of their surroundings.  Kong goes for a spinning backhand but receives a handful of steel instead.  Tara takes advantage of this misstep by slamming the injured fist into the steel wall repeatedly.

Tara tries to find a way out of the cage, but is instead caught on top of Kong’s shoulders and is taken down with the Electric Chair.  Awesome Kong then tries her hand at scaling the cage, but this time, Tara stops her in her tracks.  Knocking Kong down onto the top rope, Tara goes for what could be a super hurricanrana, but she is shoved down.  Tara begins to regain herself, but walks right into a front dropkick a la Awesome Kong from the second rope.  This results in a near fall.

Kong, in minor disbelief, proceeds to toss Tara around like a ragdoll.  She slams into Tara, using the steel wall as her vice.  Tara endures even more abuse for a good portion of the match.

There appears to be a blown spot when Kong takes Tara into a suplex position against the steel fence, which we later discover is supposed to lead into a DDT counter.  The two ladies attempt the spot again, this time successfully.

When both ladies make it to their feet, Kong tries for the Implant Buster, but Tara counters.  The match seems to work in Tara’s favor as she lands a standing moonsault onto Kong, but Kong kicks out.  Tara decides to scale the cage, but Kong is hot on her trail.  They exchange blows on the ropes, but then both crumble onto the top rope.  The exchange persists until Tara is knocked off onto the mat.  Kong braces herself against the fence as she calculates her next plan of action.  Tara promptly recovers, finding the strength to powerbomb the near 300 lb Knockout from the second rope.  Tara appears to have this thing won, but Kong gets her shoulder up at the last second!

Awesome Kong stirs while Tara tries to find her best way out of the match.  Tara scales the six sides of steel, yet this time, she stalls at the top.  She awaits Kong’s arrival and then mounts her with a huge crossbody from the top and for the 3-count.  Tara wins the match.

As long-winded as this Tara/Kong feud has been, this match was exciting for what it was.  The crowd was into it.  Not to mention, it’s always a treat to see talented female competitors get a chance at more hardcore male-oriented matches.  In the grand scheme of things, the David-Goliath story never gets old.  Though, Kong seems to always be at the losing end of it.  Nonetheless, this was a mighty win for Tara – one that I hope will catapult her to finer things in TNA.  And to think, just a few months ago she could barely get past Angelina Love.

Discuss tonight’s Turning Point pay per view right here in this post. Two matches have been announced:

- ODB & Saritaylor vs The Beautiful People [Knockouts & Knockouts Tag Team Championships on the line]
- Awesome Kong vs Tara [Six Sides of Steel]

Results:

Dark match
Hamada def. Alissa Flash

Title match
ODB & Saritaylor def. The Beautiful People

Six Sides of Steel match
Tara def. Awesome Kong

Leave your feedback on the pay per view as it happens in the comments. We’ll be tweeting throughout the event, so follow us on Twitter.

TNA returns to pay per view tonight with two huge matches. ODB and Saritaylor will defend their gold in a six-Knockout tag team match against The Beautiful People. Then in what could be the biggest Knockouts match in history, Awesome Kong and Tara will battle in a Six Sides of Steel match. Who will win? The Diva Dirt team weigh in…

ODB & Saritaylor vs The Beautiful People

Erin: There’s no way in hell that Lacey’s winning the Knockouts Championship, and that’s the only way I see it going if her team won. Maybe they’d pull some strings and give it to Velvet or Madison, but it’d still be a travesty. All my inclinations are pointing me toward ODB and Saritaylor, and I realllly hope I’m right on this one.

Melanie: No chance in hell The Beautiful People will win this match. If they do, there’s something seriously wrong with TNA and we should all boycott. By no means do ANY of the TBP members deserve the Knockouts Championship and it would just make the so-called prestigious title a complete and utter joke. ODB and Saritaylor have to win this one. There’s no other option otherwise I’m done with TNA.

Steven: As I said on the Roundtable last week, this match is a train wreck waiting to happen. With the limited ring work of The Beautiful People, I doubt TNA will put all the gold around their waists. Expect ODB and Saritaylor to retain at Turning Point. If they don’t, I’ll be staying far away from Spike TV for next few weeks.

Tiffany: I’m going to go out on a limb and call this one out in The Beautiful People‘s favor.  The Knockouts title has been needing a change of scenery, and I wouldn’t mind seeing the team of Madison and Velvet hold tag team gold.  Lacey Von Erich as the Knockouts Champion would grind a few gears, and that’s enough to root for her.  She’d already a shoe-in for being a more credible champion than Cody Deaner.

Kong vs Tara after the cut:

Awesome Kong vs Tara

Erin: This one has been pretty standard in its buildup–Kong coming out week after week and attacking Tara. I think this match will serve as Tara’s response to those attacks–she’ll finally get a chance to have the upper hand. I see Tara coming out with the win, if only to prolong the feud and send it in a less predictable direction. Perhaps an angry, defeated Kong will only triple her efforts to get in the head of Tara. At least, I hope so.

Melanie: While the implications of the first match is ridiculous, this one could be the saving grace for the Knockouts tonight. Arguably the biggest Knockouts match in pay per view history and possibly a Match of the Year contender. I honestly think this could go either way but I’m going to with my gut instinct and say Tara. It just seems like this will be the first and only encounter between them and you have to have the babyface overcome the odds. I mean after the cage match, where do you go next? For that reason, I predict this will be a blow-off/pay-off match. If they planned to have several matches this should have been a singles match with a cage match at the December PPV.

Steven: Finally we get some payoff from this feud. And in a steel cage no less. Kong seems to be on quite the tear since ditching Raisha, so I definitely see Kong pick up the win tonight. However, expect a hard-hitting, balls to the wall matchup, as Tara won’t be going down without a fight.

Tiffany: While it can really go either way, I think all signs point to Kong as the victor of the cage match at Turning Point.  This appears be a whole new, fiercer Kong sans her former orderly, Raisha Saaed.  Tara may stand a chance, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Kong come out on top.

Kong vs Tara after the cut:

TNA has announced two huge matches for it’s November 15th Turning Point pay per view. For the first time in history, both the Knockouts Title and the Knockouts Tag Titles will be on the line in the same match. ODB and Saritaylor will defend their gold in a six-Knockouts tag team match against The Beautiful People.

Meanwhile, in what I’m sure will be an epic match — Awesome Kong and Tara take their grudge to the Six Sides of Steel. My only issue with this match is that it is ‘stipulation first’. This is the two Knockouts first singles grudge match, I’d much rather see a normal singles bout and then bring in the stipulation element for the second bout in the series possibly at next month’s pay per view.

Excited?