The much-buzzed ‘Monday Night War’ experiment is over… at least for now, with TNA Impact going live last night for a three hour show up against WWE’s Raw. With two Knockouts matches announced prior to the show, I kind of knew what to expect — and I got just that. I knew the ODB vs Tara bout wouldn’t be great as their past matches haven’t lived up to the hype, and I knew that the Tag Team Championship match between Sarita, Taylor Wilde vs Awesome Kong and Hamada would be awesome given time. So in terms of that, I’m good.

What TNA proved last night however, is just how erratic their booking and writing can be. We have two Knockouts segments here that are on the complete opposite ends of the scale. One left me thinking “WTF?!” and enraged me to the point of praying for Maryse over on Raw, while the other reminded me just why I was looking forward TNA last night and just why I wanted the show to succeed — a true alternative to WWE’s diluted Divas division. TNA are very lucky that Tag Team Title match came on after the Knockouts Title match, because it helped redeem/overshadow the awful handling of Tara’s title loss.

Let’s kick off with the Knockouts Championship match:

As both ladies get into the ring, ODB [wearing a brand new outfit for the occasion] attacks Tara as she takes her shirt off, with a kick to the stomach and begins clubbing her across the back. With the referee’s back turned, ODB begins choking Tara with her own t-shirt and then does something rather unsavoury~ with it. Note to Tara if you’re reading: Burn that shirt, please don’t use it again for the love of babies and kittens!

Tara is propped in the corner and ODB runs at her but the champion counters with an elbow, Tara then uses the ropes to launch her into a dropkick of sorts on ODB and follows through with a clothesline. Things pick up as ODB and Tara, both tough women, trade blows — I really like this sort of ‘test of endurance’, something I think more of their matches should have been made up of. Tara begins kicking ODB with left and right legs, ODB catches one of her legs though but Tara follows through with a lovely enzuigiri. Powerslam by Tara followed by her patented standing moonsault. Tara goes for a pin but ODB kicks out. ODB throws Tara into the corner and runs at her, Tara uses the ropes to jump onto ODB’s back and goes over the top rope and applies the tarantula submission move. She follows through with another old favourite, the over-the-top-rope leg drop.

Tara looks to be setting up ODB for the Widow’s Peak but ODB backs her into the corner. She picks up the champion for perhaps a TKO or fallaway slam but Tara hops off ODB’s shoulders and kicks her in the gut setting up the Widow’s Peak again. It looks as though she’s about to hit it but ODB manages to slip away and rolls up Tara quickly, pulling her tights, for the pin. Cue collective gasp and face-reddening-with-anger.

After the match, Tara attacks ODB… finally hitting the Widow’s Peak on her and unleashing Poison onto a fallen new champion. Tara poses with the Knockouts Title.

Tara had survived this long in wrestling without a wardrobe malfunction [that I know of], until tonight. Sad times!

But in all seriousness, I don’t know what the fudge they were thinking here and I am thoroughly annoyed. I don’t know what it is that the new TNA regime sees in ODB that they felt the need to put the belt back on her so soon, but I’m guessing they have some sort of plans for her or Hogan is high on her and wants to do something with her. I honestly don’t know what it is. This is the second time that the Knockouts Championship has been ripped out of Tara’s hands just days after winning it and if you ask me, the credibility of the belt is shot to hell when you have it passed around like candy. The past 6 months have not been kind to the Knockouts Championship. It’s been passed around like a bong, been vacated and been a prop for a comedy character for the past three months. And just when you thought that was all behind us in 2009, 2010 kicks off with the same inane booking.

ODB has proven to be one of the least effective champions the belt has had, if not the least, so of course they’d award her another run. Her title reign did not resonate with the fans and it was only until she turned heel in her feud with Tara, that she showed some spark as champion but even then, I’d say most didn’t want to see her feud with Tara continue after she lost the belt. In fact, I didn’t even want to see this match, but when it was booked I had hoped it would end up being a blow-off, but with Tara’s actions after the match it seems as though they’re continuing with this feud.

Watching the match last night and again for this review, the crowd was very into Tara and it just shows that even after all that’s happened to her in WWE and even TNA, this is someone fans support and want to see done right by finally. I’m sure Tara will continue to do her job as she has done for many years, with total professionalism but I have to wonder if she, like us, is as frustrated. After the 10-day run back in July, it was inconceivable that they’d do that to her again and they did. I just don’t get it. Sure, being lucky enough to win a belt is prestigious in itself but this is extremely disappointing for not only fans of Tara, but fans of the Knockouts division. It’s hard to take a belt seriously when it’s treated so laxly. Say what you will about WWE, but the title reigns for the Divas are usually lengthy and in my book, that makes them more memorable and prestigious.

After the cut, the Knockouts Tag Team Championship match:

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