Okay, so technically she never left, but it’s still been awhile since we’ve seen her…so I hereby dub this TNA Xplosion write-up as “Return of the Zombie Hot!” Tonight we see one half of the new TNA Knockout tag champions, Hamada taking on the living dead girl Daffney. Can Hamada moonsault her way to victory? Or will Daffney rise again to feast on some delicious, fresh braaaaaaains? (I’m a horror fan, I’ve got a million Zombie references to throw out. Aren’t you all excited!?) Lets find out!
Part 1
We open with Taylor Wilde and Hamada in the back, holding their tag straps. Taylor expresses how great it is to be a tag team champion again and that it’s even better with her new partner. “If you haven’t noticed, Sarita has lost her mind,” she comments and I can’t help but laugh, she says it in such a straight forward manner! She knows she can count on Hamada and it feels wonderful to be a two-time tag team champion.
We switch to Daffney, who’s just now learning that Taylor and Hamada are tag champs. She wonders where she was when all this happened and concluded she must’ve been, “out there, in la la realm.” There’s a gleam in Daffney’s eye – the kind of gleam that says, “Doesn’t really matter if they’re champions. I just want to hurt someone.” She’ll get her opportunity tonight!
Tonight the long anticipated return of Hamada to Impact took place and sadly for her, it was in very unspectacular fashion. She teamed up with Taylor Wilde to take on the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champions, Velvet Sky and Lacey Von Erich, and the match ended up being one of the worst TNA matches of all time. Granted, it was no Jenna/Sharmell fiasco, but it was pretty damn bad. If you don’t wish to take my word for it, I understand. All the proof lies within the video so feel free to see the ugliness for yourself.
The tag match officially kicked off the wrestling portion of the show tonight, so while everyone sat around and digested the epic and highly personal promo stand-off between Raven and Tommy Dreamer, the Beautiful People began to make their way towards the ring. Velvet Sky and Lacey Von Erich were in rare form tonight, carrying their titles with confidence. Each girl looked great as well. Kudos to LVE for becoming the first ever Beautiful People member with actual ring gear! Velvet was dressed in one of her usual outfits, and it’s not worth describing to be honest. The show cut to commercial as the Beautiful People played to the crowd but upon it’s return, Hamada and Taylor Wilde made their way to the ring. Their entrance was cute, and a bit cheeky. Hamada twirled Taylor around and slapped her on the ass, a la the Beautiful People. Shame Taylor Wilde’s ring gear continues to make my stomach turn. The Beautiful People stood on the outside of the ring as Taylor and Hamada hyped up the crowd. Velvet screamed at them and made reference to the fact that her title wasn’t going anywhere. When the BPs returned to the apron, Lacey hopped into the ring to start the match off against Taylor. The referee held the championships up and the match began.
Taylor coaxed Lacey into turning around so that everyone could admire her new, sparkly outfit. Of course, Lacey fell for it and Taylor immediately rolled her up for a pin. Lacey scrambled out of the before the referee could even get down and count and Taylor flew to the ropes to gain some momentum. Velvet backed up Lacey by cheaply distracting Taylor, who promptly turned around to bitch. Lacey hit her from behind and went for a spinning heel kick but Taylor dropped down and swept her off her feet. Taylor once again went to the ropes, but Lacey was there to catch her. Unfortunately what could have been a gorgeous move was hampered by the fact Lacey struggled to throw Taylor over her head. Oh well. Eventually, Lacey did what she wanted to do, and Taylor rolled over to tag in the rarely seen Hamada.
TNA Knockout, Hamada will be making her return to SHIMMER this September, the company announced today. Press release below: SHIMMER – WOMEN ATHLETES is proud to add Ayako Hamada to the announced list of wrestlers who will be a part of our Volumes 33-36 DVD tapings on September 11th & 12th at the Eagles Club … Read more
Wow, I don’t even know how to start off this Write-Up. First, I guess, we all got a surprise last night when the 8-Knockout Tag Team match that was announced was mysteriously changed into this hot mess of a match with rules that were more confusing than a episode of Lost. If you want an in-depth explanation of what went down, please go and listen to the Post Raw and Impact Show or just watch this video of Christy explaining what’s going to happen with the Knockouts tonight.
So there you have it. The Beautiful People kick off the live Impact after Christy explains the rules and what’s at stake. Velvet Sky and Madison Rayne are looking adorable with their pink outfits and tag titles, but Lacey is missing in action interestingly enough. Velvet starts off by saying that the Knockouts continue to revolutionize this business and tonight the Beautiful People will own three of the four lock boxes. She claims they’re going to get the spider and squash it like they should have done ages ago. Then she says they’re going to get the open contract so they can dominate whoever they want, and last but not least, they’ll get the TNA Knockout Championship, which is apparently the highest honor for women in wrestling today. Madison takes her turn speaking next. She agrees with “Vel Vel” and says tonight the Beautiful People will get it all; everything they deserve and everything they are owed. While she’s talking, Lacey von Erich walks out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a smile and a fuzzy white towel. She takes front and center and says no one will ever forget the night they saw Lacey von Erich strutting around in her bra and panties.
LVE: “Tonight, everybody wins.”
Oh boy.
With the Knockouts basically spread through out the entire show, it’s awhile before we get another segment, but when we do, it’s Christy Hemme standing with Team Tara. Team Tara is comprised of soon-to-be former champ, Tara, Angelina Love, ODB, and Hamada.
Former Knockouts Tag Team Champion, Hamada will make her return to Impact after several weeks of absence this coming Monday in yet another 8-Knockout tag team match. Hamada teams with Tara, Angelina Love and another returnee, ODB to take on The Beautiful People & Daffney. Please note that the show airs at 8pm ET this … Read more
SHIMMER Volume 28 featuring a much raved about match between TNA Knockout, Hamada and Sara Del Rey is now on DVD. Taped last November, this match has been described as perhaps the best match in SHIMMER history and was nominated in various ‘Match of the Year’ categories for 2009. Volume 28 also features MsChif defending … Read more
This just in from the SHIMMER Twitter feed, former TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champion Sarita and current TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champion Hamada will be making their returns to SHIMMER action at this April’s two day tapings. Competing as Sarah Stock, Sarita made her debut in the tournament to crown the first SHIMMER Champion on … Read more
All I have to say is thank God for the fast forward button. I thought I could be strong and sit through an entire episode of Impact tonight but man, was I ever wrong! It’s truly an excruciating show to watch and I literally watched the whole thing on fast forward until it came back from commercial break and we were treated to a shot of the Beautiful People backstage getting ready for their six woman tag team match. The brief segment (and when I say brief, it seemed less than thirty seconds!) was nothing more than two of the Beautiful People stretching each other out and the third standing in the middle looking like a little lost puppy. It doesn’t take rocket science to figure out who is who. Mike Tenay mentions that the Beautiful People will be in action later on tonight against the Knockouts Champion and Tag Team Champions, so of course I’m forced to sit here and fast forward through more garbage; aka old men desperately clinging to one last shot at glory they do not deserve. Blah.
I’m not one who reads spoilers so I was surprised to see that the Beautiful People actually got an interview. Christy Hemme made mention of the match but instead of asking them about their opponents, she asked them about Angelina Love. Velvet Sky spoke first and said that Angelina makes her sick and she’s just so tired of hearing about her. Velvet basically ripped on her former BFF and claimed that Angelina just wasn’t cut out to be a BP so that’s why she got to steppin’. Unfortunately Madison Rayne decided to talk next and she made me LOL IRL. Apparently Angelina Love is so 2009 and the Beautiful People have moved on to bigger and better things. Kudos to Madison and Velvet for keeping straight faces through that preposterous comment. Madison talked about how the Beautiful People were aiming for gold and rubbed her waist to signal that’s where it would it up going. I absolutely refuse to repeat the rest of the segment because I firmly believe everytime Lacey Von Erich speaks God kills a kitten and I just don’t agree with animal abuse.
We finally get to the match and the Beautiful People are out to the ring first with a horrible choreographed ring entrance. As cute as their pink outfits are, their antics just aren’t this week. I hated von Erich’s awkward flip over the top rope and I when I went to pause the match to dissect the ring entrances, I paused on a shot of Velvet’s bottom which does absolutely nothing for me. Madison’s hair looks absolutely terrible and in my opinion, Velvet just doesn’t seem to have as much fun anymore. Awesome Kong and Hamada make their way out next and if this is truly Awesome Kong’s last match in TNA, I’m sure going to miss her. She’s got the best entrance music ever and it just scares me to see her stalking down towards the ring because I sure wouldn’t wanna face her! Tara gets a nice reaction from the crowd and I chuckled at seeing TBP freak out over the spider.
The match gets started pretty quickly with Hamada and Madison Rayne. There’s not a whole lot of messing around at the start of this like there was in last week’s match and that’s always good to see. Hamada takes Madison to the mat with a wicked kick and doesn’t let up on her offense by chopping the pink and blonde headed beautiful person. This continued for a few moments before Hamada decided to unleash her inner Undertaker and do his “Old School” type of move by walking on the top rope while hanging onto Madison’s arm. Hamada put her own twist on the move by flipping down and executing a weird looking arm drag to which Madison bounced back up from. Madison is able to make the tag to Velvet, who stayed in the match for approximately two point two seconds before tagging out to LVE.
TNA is currently in Europe for an overseas tour which kicked off in Glasgow, Scotland on Saturday night. Diva Dirt reader Gavin sent in these pictures and his own report of the show which featured Hamada vs Sarita in Knockouts action. He writes: I have to say the match wasn’t as good as they are … Read more
This week on TNA Impact, one of the biggest news stories of 2009 came full circle as former Knockouts Champion Angelina Love made her return to the company after being released in September due to visa issues. But before we get into that, Velvet Sky and MadisonRayne of The Beautiful People took on new Knockouts Tag Team Champions Awesome Kong and Hamada. Check out the match and Angelina’s return below:
The Beautiful People make their way to the ring first, sporting their new matching ring gear. I know she’s not actually wrestling, but would it kill them to pick up a trashy velour outfit for Lacey? She looks tragically out of place next to the newly coordinated Velvet and Madison. As the trio strut their stuff on the ramp, Velvet Sky spots a familiar face in the crowd. Is that… Ashley Massaro? No, it’s her old friend Angelina Love! Reunion Time! Velvet and Madison seem ecstatic to see their former teammate, but Lacey Von Erich doesn’t share the sentiment. In fact, she makes sure to give Angelina a good dose of stink-eye while greeting her. I love how TNA played up the tension between Lacey and Angelina. If I didn’t know any better, I would think Lacey genuinely disliked Angelina, because that fake ass smile she gave her was 100%, Grade A bitchy. I may not a fan of Lacey between the ropes, but it’s the little things like this that she excels in.
Next out is the Tag Team Champions Awesome and Hamada looking surly as usual. I couldn’t help but notice that Hamada seems to still be having trouble with that ankle of hers. Props to her for working matches essentially on one foot.
The bell rings and it looks like it’ll be Hamada and Velvet kicking things off. Velvet starts the match on a sour note, striking a Karate Kid crane pose. That’s not offensive at all, right? The two lock up and Hamada forces Velvet to the ropes prompting a not-so-clean break by Hamada. Hamada unwisely turns her back to Velvet, who jumps at the opportunity to take her down by the hair. Velvet mounts Hamada and hits a few rights, followed by a splash in the corner and her trademark bulldog. She goes for the pin, but it’s not enough to keep Hamada down.
Velvet and Madison exchange quick tags, keeping control of the champion. The duo take a bit too much time executing a double Russian Legsweep and Hamada capitalizes, tripping both girls and tagging in Kong. Kong snatches both girls down to the mat by the hair, before stacking them up in the corner for a splash of her own. Finally, she grabs Madison, the official sacrificial lamb for The Beautiful People, and hits the Awesome Bomb for the three count.
As we said on last night’s Post-Impact Show, the match was just fraction of what it could have been. It seemed to drag on and it didn’t help that the majority of the match was worked by Velvet Sky, who is definitely the weaker link wrestling wise. Furthermore, where were Sarita and Taylor Wilde? If anything, they deserve first crack at Kong and Hamada. Hopefully we’ll be seeing them next week on Impact.
The Perfect 10 counts down the ten Divas and Knockouts who have had the best week in television on Raw, SmackDown, ECW and TNA Impact. The Perfect 10 considers matches, promos, character development and more. Who’ll be #1 this week? THIS WEEK MOVEMENT DIVA LAST WEEK AWESOME KONG & HAMADA After a hard fought battle, … Read more
One half of the newly crowned TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champions, Hamada sprained her ankle during the Knockouts tag team match on Monday night. Hamada was noticeably limping around halfway through the match and it was also picked up by Taz on commentary. Being the incredible athlete that she is, Hamada worked through the rest … Read more
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:
In an incredibly fun match, the TNA Knockouts sort of made up for the earlier title shocker as Hamada and Awesome Kong became the new Knockouts Tag Team Champions, defeating Sarita and Taylor Wilde. This is exactly the type of stuff I wanted to see more of on the show, it took nearly one and … Read more
With two matches announced for tonight’s live three-hour episode of Impact, the Diva Dirt team have chimed in with their predictions for tonight’s show:
Knockouts Championship: ODB vs Tara
Erin: Unless TNA feel like repeating the mistake they made last time in yanking the Knockouts Title away from Tara waaayy too soon, Tara’s walking out as champ. She deserves a nice, long run and her losing would make absolutely no sense. Still, I guess they could swerve us, but it wouldn’t be of much use–TNA demonstrated that they didn’t have much confidence in ODB as an engaging champ as they stuck her in the middle of other feuds (Tara/Kong, Saritaylor/TBP) instead of giving her have actual feuds over the title. With all that in mind, I’m going with Tara to retain.
Melanie: Very predictable. Tara will retain, far too soon to drop the title now. I feel as though this will be the blow-off to this feud with Angelina Love coming out and attacking Tara after the match, leading to a revival of that feud. The Ang involvement is all I’m excited about to be honest.
Steven: It looks like Tara is propped and ready to take on TNA’s top babyface role now that she has the gold. I expect Tara to come out on top tonight. With the rumored return of Angelina Love, I expect her to get involved in some way, picking up their feud where they left off.
Tiffany:Tara will win. I really don’t see TNA making the same mistake it made during Tara’s first run. She obviously isn’t ready to lose the title just yet. Not even TNA can screw this up.
2009 is now over and we are celebrating with our second annual Year-End Awards. This year, we have had thousands of votes as you have voted for the top Divas, Knockouts, matches and moments of 2009!And now it’s time to reveal the winners.
2009 is now over and we are celebrating with our second annual Year-End Awards. This year, we have had thousands of votes as you have voted for the top Divas, Knockouts, matches and moments of 2009!And now it’s time to reveal the winners.
BEST NEWCOMER
The nominees are:
* Alicia Fox
* Alissa Flash
* Hamada
* Madison Rayne
* Sarita
Often imitated but never duplicated, it’s the Tiffany Guide to Impact. This week, TNA’s creative team takes a nap. Meanwhile, this week’s episode of TNA Impact is laced with a boost of testosterone that could only be matched by that of Tiger Woods. First off, we’ll go right ahead and expunge the pink elephant in the room: The Beautiful People (Velvet Sky vs. Lacey Von Erich ft. Madison Rayne) in a mud wrestling match.
I’m on the fence about this “match” purely because any way I go about it, someone’s going to have some reason to complain. Whatever. For what it’s worth, this was a five minute erm… exhibition that went against the grain of most Knockout matches. Was it raunchy? Sure. Is it degrading? Eh perhaps, for some. The way I see it: it was a goofy segment that’s better suited to just disappear into the depths of pro-wrestling history. With the decent overhaul of Knockout action we we’ve been blessed with recently, this one silly Beautiful People segment gets a pass (and a well-received “yawn”). As long as it doesn’t become a usual occurrence, all should be forgotten soon enough. It’s not often that Velvet Sky wins a match single-handedly, so it’s best to just enjoy it while it lasts.
Next up, Hamada challenges the TNA Global Champion, Eric Young.
This week on Impact, ODB gives Tara a panic attack, Dixie Carter spills the beans, Kristal lays down the law, Lauren gets woman-handled a la Mi Pi Sexy, and Jeff Jarrett tells TNA to kiss his ass! Meanwhile, Tazz responds with a sturdy “WHO?” to the mention of Lacey Von Erich. The Tiffany Guide to Impact: sharing the same sentiments with TNA’s road agents since 2009.
While that pretty much summarizes last night’s episode in a nutshell, TNA still manages to squeeze in a 5-minute Knockouts bout in the 3/4 hour. Hamada vs. Sarita takes center stage in this installment.
Hamada and Sarita lock up, and Hamada grabs Sarita from behind. She takes Sarita over successfully the first time, tries for a second, but Sarita lands on her feet. Sarita leads Hamada into an arm drag. However, Hamada ducks a clothesline and flips Sarita into an arm drag of her own. Sarita reiterates the exchange with yet another arm drag, and both Knockouts go for a dropkick. Hamada and Sarita both kip up, and in typical Knockout fashion, they have a stand-off.
Readying themselves back into the match-up, the ladies link hands. Hamada breaks the hold with a kick to the midsection and a series of chops and headbutts to Sarita. Hamada runs the ropes, ducks Sarita’s knee, goes for a leg feed Enzuigiri but misses. A couple kicks to her opponent later, Sarita runs the ropes and utilizes this momentum to hop onto Hamada’s shoulders. This leads into an impressive hurricanrana. Sarita powers up, however Hamada quickly recovers and catches her with a superkick. Hamada covers Sarita, and Sarita barely gets the shoulder up at 2.
Always the risk taker, Hamada sails to the top rope and plants Sarita with a front dropkick. Transitioning this into a pinning position, it only results in another near-fall. Unperturbed by this close call, Hamada picks Sarita up by the hair and drags her into position for the Hamada Driver. Sarita is quick to counter into a victory roll, which surprisingly only renders a 2-count. Not to be outdone, Sarita swiftly grounds Hamada with a float-over DDT. Hooking Hamada’s leg, she goes for the cover again, but Hamada gets the shoulder up in time.
Here, the match takes an interesting turn as Sarita rolls Hamada into a rather complex (though aesthetically effective) submission maneuver. The hold doesn’t quite sustain Hamada, who maneuvers into a modified crucifix pin but only generates a 2-count for her troubles.
Consequently, Sarita staggers to her feet only to succumb to two nasty-looking spinning kicks to the side of the head. Hamada takes a brief moment to signal her signature driver, which she bestows upon Sarita for the 3-count and the win.
It was only a matter of time until the golden girls of the TNA Knockouts division would cross paths. While Sarita and Hamada have both managed nearly spotless records on Impact, this ménage à quatre (also involving Alissa Flash and Taylor Wilde) comes to a head with Hamada coming out on top. Hamada is quickly climbing the ladder in terms of Knockout stardom, and it will only be a matter of time before this winning streak calls for something extra. Hopefully, TNA will have something new and exciting in store for the incredibly talented Hamada. As far as Sarita and Taylor Wilde go… at least they can now bond over the fact that they have both been laid out by one of the greatest.
Next, Tara guest stars on “Trash Talk with ODB.” The Knockouts Champion and the #1 Contender come to blows, and a few interesting sentiments are exchanged.
With the quality you’ve come to expect and the enthusiasm you’ve come to enjoy, the Tiffany Guide to Impact helps you come down from your cramp-inducing turkey high: with a steaming plate of reheated Knockout action, and a side of stale competition. In perhaps the greatest Knockout tradition of all, this TNA Knockout battle royale … Read more
If this week’s Divas action on TV left you salty, the Knockouts action on the web should do the trick. Two of TNA’s most talented Knockouts lock horns in what I consider to be Black Friday’s biggest steal — a match worth paying for, for free on YouTube! Watch below:
This week on Impact, we’re treated to double the dose in Knockout action. As per usual, we try not to overdose on TNA’s overwhelming generosity.
In the first contest, Hamada takes on one half of the TNA Knockout Tag Team Champions, Taylor Wilde. Taylor enters the Impact Zone by her lonesome and does the tango with herself. (Not to be confused with the type of solo-activity recently made famous by Carrie Prejean).
At the start of the match, Hamada and Taylor lock up. Taylor maneuvers into a headlock, but Hamada counters into a headscissors. Back into the lock-up, Hamada falls into the headlock, but this time Taylor catches her in the headscissors. The hold is broken as the two indulge in a bit of showboating.
Taylor and Hamada partake in a show of respect with a quick handshake. The two Knockouts link hands, but Taylor spins Hamada into an arm drag. Taylor leaps over Hamada, who then rolls over Taylor. Taylor runs the ropes and follows through with a headscissors takedown. Unfazed, Hamada plants Taylor Wilde with an Impact DDT. Hamada goes for the cover, but Taylor kicks out at 2.
Hamada lifts Taylor for a back suplex, but Taylor counters by landing on her feet. She takes Hamada by the hand and leads her into a springboard arm drag and a swift kick to the head. Taylor covers Hamada, but Hamada gets the shoulder up. Ducking a clothesline, Hamada dazzles Taylor with a super kick. Hamada climbs up to the top rope (while Taylor nudges into position a tad too obviously) and delivers a moonsault. Taylor kicks out once again.
Hamada sets Taylor up for a powerbomb, but Taylor refuses. Hamada pulls Taylor into a powerbomb again, but this time Taylor rolls into a sunset flip pin. Hamada kicks out. This is the consecutive tone for the crucifix pin and the hurricanrana Taylor also pursues. Always quick to recover, Hamada rocks Taylor’s marbles with a leg-feed enzuigiri.
Signaling her finisher, Hamada sets Taylor up for the Hamada Driver. Instead, Taylor lands on her feet, grabs her from behind, and attempts to lift her into a German suplex. However, Hamada sandbags, breaks the hold, and nails a spinning kick to the side of Taylor’s head. She delivers the Hamada Driver, successfully this time, which renders a 3-count and the win.
This was an entertaining and high-impact match, which is a staple for a combination such as Hamada and Taylor Wilde. I’m not sure what this spells for either Knockout at the moment, other than to put on a fleeting clinic for appreciative fans. Every so often, there are Knockouts that push the envelope in singles competition. They also just happen to remind those of us who might’ve forgotten just what makes this a highly credible division. Nowadays, it’s a treat to find either Taylor Wilde and Sarita in action without the package deal of Saritaylor. Now that the Knockouts Championship has been pushed from the forefront for the time being, perhaps this will allow both ladies more time in the limelight as single competitors.
Speaking of the luchadoress, Sarita meets Alissa Flash in their only second bout.
This week on Impact, TNA gives us a double dose of Knockouts action. But first, we’re treated to the second installment of TheBeautiful People’s ‘movie’, “Meanest Girls.” Oh joy… Watch below as Velvet, Madison and Lacey find a surprise while searching for the Tag Team Champs, Saritaylor:
Skip to 2:15
TBP make their way into the Knockouts locker room, expecting to terrorize Saritaylor, but are met by the Knockout Champion ODB instead. After tossing some insults their way, ODB gets the jump on the ‘STD Sisters’ (lulz) and takes Lacey out with a kick to the gut. As expected, the number game comes into play as TBP overpowers ODB, and give her a ‘makeover’ (now with full body bag!).
I hate to admit it, but I rather liked that segment. Maybe it was because of ODB’s foul mouth, but everything came together perfectly. Take note WWE, this is how a backstage segment should be done. All the dialog was delivered well without sounding like it was being read directly off a script. Well done, TBP. Now if you could only put on a decent match…
Next up, Hamada takes on Tara in singles action. Dream Match much?:
ODB has successfully defended her Knockouts Championship against perhaps the two biggest challengers in the division, Awesome Kong and Tara, who will likely now be feuding on their own. Where does this leave the Knockouts Champ? Who will be the next challenger for the title? With seemingly the top contenders for the title now wrapped … Read more
This week on Impact, TNA finds new ways to bring the ratings lulz (SUPER 3 hour promo show… really?) while The Tiffany Guide finds its way into your hearts via a computer screen. Velvet Sky, Madison Rayne, and Lacey Von Erich take on Awesome Kong, Tara, and ODB in tag team competition.
First off, let it be known – I’m not a fan of choreographed entrances in any capacity. They just seem so unnatural, gratuitous, and rather lame. So… I’m not really feeling this new Beautiful People entrance. It just seems far too unrefined and hokey (not to mention homoerotic. Come on, Taylorita had that market cornered first). As relatively simple as it was, the original entrance was just fine. I was hoping that Lacey would just take Angelina’s place in the original choreography. Understandably, this new group will take some getting used to – the viewers need to get comfortable with the new lineup just as much as the members do. Plus, it seems like they might’ve been pressed for time and might’ve thought to just throw something together on the fly. That being said, the “Beautiful People” has slowly transformed into somewhat of a parody of itself. This entrance is merely Exhibit A. What was once comical and somewhat charming is now in-your-face and reminiscent of high school glory days. I can almost see it in Madison Rayne’s face – poor girl looks distressed, and who wouldn’t be? Though, Lacey (who has somehow managed to escape the notorious clown makeup and mini-skirt getup) looks pretty incredible. Looking at her, I feel like I should have no room to complain. Well, at least they all match right?
Tara makes her way to the ring (looking as stunning as ever), and Awesome Kong enters the Impact Zone with Raisha Saeed in tow. Funny thing is, I completely forgot about ODB. Her involvement in this match didn’t cross my mind until she made her entrance. What could be a testament to my ailing memory, I’d rather blame on TNA’s booking inability. The title holder and forefront of the division = forgettable? That’s rather unfortunate.
At the start of the match, Awesome Kong quickly takes down her squabbling partners. The Beautiful People fly in like vultures to pick at the leftovers. The boiling rivalry between Kong and Tara comes to a head yet again. Meanwhile, ODB endures the 3 on 1 onslaught. The Beautiful People continue to cut the ring in half with the Knockouts Champion until Tara crawls back to her rightful corner. ODB overpowers Madison Rayne (who has proven herself as the star of this match) which results in a near double count-out. Both ladies make the tag out to their respective partners. Tara hurries into the ring, bulldozing both Velvet and Madison down in her path. She appoints a nice slap across Lacey’s face for good measure. Tara sets Velvet up for a moonsault, but ODB makes a blind tag. ODB sets Velvet on top of her shoulders for the apparent finish, but Tara disrupts in retaliation. A staredown commences between the two Knockouts before Tara finally takes ODB down with a superkick. Velvet quickly makes the pin and picks up the win for her team. More gratuitous ass!
Somehow, I don’t feel so apologetic for discounting ODB’s presence. The way she’s booked, it doesn’t seem like TNA could give much of a care either. This three-way rivalry lost its purpose long ago; I’m just pulling for a conclusion come Bound for Glory.
On the other hand, Lacey did not get as much time in the ring – not that I expected her to, really. Lacey has plenty of time to prove her in-ring ability, and it’s in TNA’s best interest to be patient. At the very least, she has proven to have some amount of charisma thus far… right? She seems very comfortable in the role of a Beautiful Person (as opposed to Madison) and doesn’t seem to have many inhibitions. If all else fails, let Madison be the muscle (so to speak). She has already shown that she can work her way around a six-sided ring – at least with much more skill than her sorority sisters.
Next up: the Hamada vs. Alissa Flash grudgefest continues.
This week on Impact marked a Knockout Elimination tag team match and a Knockouts Title match.
First, Team Hamada/Christy Hemme/Sarita/Taylor Wilde take on Team Velvet Sky/Madison Rayne/Traci Brooks/Alissa Flash.
Hamada and Traci briefly lock up, but Hamada takes Traci down. Hamada attempts a springboard moonsault, but Traci dodges in the nick of time. When Traci goes for the Sunset Flip, Hamada rolls out, allowing Traci the opportunity to avoid a kick and attempt a school boy roll-up. Hamada kicks out, ducks a clothesline, and finally connects with a kick. Hamada goes for the cover, but Traci gets the shoulder up.
Christy Hemme gets tagged in. She isn’t able to put up much of a fight before being eliminated ala a jawbreaker courtesy of Traci. Taylor then enters the match on her team’s behalf and covers Traci following a dropkick. Alissa Flash distracts Taylor for a moment, and Traci capitalizes with a clothesline before tagging in Alissa. Alissa bestows the Curb Stomp upon Taylor, who gets the shoulder up at 2. Taylor retaliates with a double knee backbreaker and a tag out to Hamada. Hamada drops Alissa with a resounding front dropkick from the top turnbuckle. With a bit of residual aggression from their bubbling feud, the fight between the two adversaries spill out to the back.
Meanwhile, Sarita takes Velvet to the limit with a series of armdrags. Velvet kicks out. Sarita tags in Taylor, and in a double team display, Velvet is taken down by a drop toehold and a dropkick. Velvet kicks out yet again. In yet another pinning predicament, Velvet kicks out of a double wrist clutch Northern Lights Suplex. In somewhat of a surprise element at play here, Velvet Sky is able to ensure a victory over Taylor Wilde with a DDT. It comes down to 3 on 1.
Sarita enters the match, attempting a dropkick but she misses. Velvet tags in Traci, who is quickly eliminated by a belly-to-belly suplex. The Beautiful People bum-rush Sarita and are able to get the upper hand for the majority of the remainder of the match. That is, until Sarita is able to outsmart the duo and eliminate Velvet with the Small Package. Madison Rayne goes for a suplex, but Sarita counters with yet another inside cradle. Madison kicks out, and she kicks out again from a schoolboy attempt.
Alissa Flash seems to be making her way down the ramp onscreen, at the perturbation of the referee. Back in the ring, Sarita takes Madison out with a powerbomb, however the referee is distracted long enough for Lacey Von Erich to approach the ring and plant Sarita with a lifting body slam. Madison gets the win for her team.
With a few high spots, this was an overall decent match. A few of the eliminations were just a tad weak, but it served its purpose – which was to sustain the feuds. Velvet was made to look somewhat strong in this match, being able to kick out of a few predicaments and to score a pinfall the way she did. That will be a rub going into the Tag Team title match. Lacey Von Erich also fulfilled her role rather fittingly. That lifting body slam was eloquently executed, and to her credit Lacey is already differentiating herself by adopting a less Diva-oriented moveset. Which, ideally, complements the whole “third generation” persona. In the words of Roddy Piper “old school is cool!” For what it’s worth, the Beautiful People now seem to work for the best interest of the team. Looking back, that isn’t something we’ve seen often from them. Definitely, a new side of Mi Pi Sexy in more ways than one.
Next, is the TNA Knockouts Championship competition between Tara and ODB.
