Self Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 [QUOTE]sources: Wrestling Observer Newsletter, PWInsider.com Spike TV officials have noticed the high quarter hours ratings the women of TNA have been garnering on Impact the last few months (the women matches are often the highest-rated segments on Impact), and they're looking to take advantage of that. Over the last two months, TNA and Spike TV officials have been talking about giving the TNA Knockouts their own spin-off weekly one-hour program. As of late, talks have gotten really serious so it's looking more and more likely that it will happen sometime down the line. Should TNA start a Knockouts spin-off showcase show, they will be adding even more women to the roster. They only have ten women in wrestler roles at the moment (Angelina Love, Awesome Kong, Christy Hemme, Gail Kim, Jacqueline, ODB, Payton Banks, Roxxi Laveaux, Traci Brooks, Velvet Sky).[/QUOTE] Happened upon this yesterday and it had me thinking. It certainly would offer something relatively different to the WWE, which is something TNA just aren't doing right now. For me personally, I would be more tempted to watch this than Impact, largely because I don't have the time/patience to watch 2-hour long shows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cappyboy Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 Time and patinece for two hour shows are no problem for me when the creative people have a clue. The thing that would draw me to this spinoff if it happens would be the something different factor you mentioned. There hasn't been a American-based women's wrestling show with this level of prominence since the early 90's/ And even then it was syndicated around to regional channels like NESN. It's probably been since the Rock & Wrestling era that women's wrestling will have had this kind of reach. As a fan of the women's product, I don't know you could keep me away short of publicizing it poorly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Self Posted February 3, 2008 Author Share Posted February 3, 2008 So far I've only seen 2 Knockouts matches. The Amazing Kong vs Gail Kim No DQ match that was a brawl around the arena, which I thought was a very cool that 2 women were doing. The other was psychologically the worst tag match I've seen in ages. Traci Brooks and Jacqueline vs Velvet Sky and Angelina Love. First, I didn't know who the faces were; Ms. Brooks was the sympathetic put-upon female under Roode, Jackie was playing comedy drunk (awesome) and the two hot girls were... well... two hot girls. I've never been so turned on while watching wrestling than when those two made their entrance. And then, Talia started off, got no offense while taking a beating from Traci and Jackie, then she made the hot tag to Angel who beat them up without any help from her partner. Is that the team dynamic they've got going? Did they mean for Talia to look like **** and Angel to look unstoppable? I think the point I'm making is that I'm surprised that people are SO up on the Knockout division. Kong has been booked properly, but on a ground level, it's... well, its TNA isn't it. P.S. Angel finished with the Downward Spiral/Complete Shot/Reverse STO. How many people use that move now? Judas Mesias, Alex Shelley, Kennedy used it in the Rumble, someone else used a jumping version in the Rumble, I'm getting sick of that move, which is a shame because used in a Diamond Cutter out-of-nowhere way I reckon it could get pretty over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickC13573 Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 I think this would allow them to stop using Knockouts on Impact and basically give more exposure to undercard guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cappyboy Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 [QUOTE=NickC13573;367570]I think this would allow them to stop using Knockouts on Impact and basically give more exposure to undercard guys.[/QUOTE] Which would be another great benefit. Giving people more guys to be interested in could only help the presentation of Impact. The more people can discover the undercard guys, the better their chances for climbing the ranks and becoming viable commodities within the company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remianen Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 [QUOTE=cappyboy;367497]Time and patinece for two hour shows are no problem for me when the creative people have a clue. The thing that would draw me to this spinoff if it happens would be the something different factor you mentioned. There hasn't been a American-based women's wrestling show with this level of prominence since the early 90's/ And even then it was syndicated around to regional channels like NESN. It's probably been since the Rock & Wrestling era that women's wrestling will have had this kind of reach. As a fan of the women's product, I don't know you could keep me away short of publicizing it poorly.[/QUOTE] I've seen the Knockouts matches and while some of them are pretty good (Kong isn't quite as green as I remember and Gail can go), many of the folks they have signed are dojo quality at best. Angel Williams has NEVER been particularly good in the ring and Talia's made a career off of being April Hunter's sidekick (T&A). Now, I'm not saying they should go out and sign Melissa (they probably couldn't afford her, to be honest) but if they let Nikki Roxx loose, she can seriously go in at least three styles (American, Catch, and Lucha). I realize the need to have lots of eye candy due to TV exposure (it's the nature of the beast for the American audience) but there are workers who can look good AND put on a good match. Giving them their own show would be a huge mistake, in my view. But it's not like Spike is brimming with options. Hell, even from within Viacom, Spike is a second-class citizen, at best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Self Posted February 5, 2008 Author Share Posted February 5, 2008 I'm pretty out of the loop with the talents of the Knockouts. I've always thought Kong was pretty good... except for that spinning back-fist, which looks terrible (hard move to judge, if you really go for it you could someone) Financially, this could be awesome for TNA. Tape the Knockouts around the same time as Impact to keep production costs down, and bring in another hour's worth of TV money. They could end up losing money even slower. I love the idea of it, mainly because it would present a more even playing field than in WWE and TNA. There are no pre-established stars. There's a creative freedom to forge characters and base pushes off of audience reactions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moe Hunter Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 Haven't they already got Melissa? I could have sworn I heard some buzz about her being a manager in TNA right now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest loves2spooge Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 Yeah shes the arab chick with knog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cappyboy Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 [QUOTE=Remianen;368426]I've seen the Knockouts matches and while some of them are pretty good (Kong isn't quite as green as I remember and Gail can go), many of the folks they have signed are dojo quality at best. Angel Williams has NEVER been particularly good in the ring and Talia's made a career off of being April Hunter's sidekick (T&A). Now, I'm not saying they should go out and sign Melissa (they probably couldn't afford her, to be honest) but if they let Nikki Roxx loose, she can seriously go in at least three styles (American, Catch, and Lucha). I realize the need to have lots of eye candy due to TV exposure (it's the nature of the beast for the American audience) but there are workers who can look good AND put on a good match. Giving them their own show would be a huge mistake, in my view. But it's not like Spike is brimming with options. Hell, even from within Viacom, Spike is a second-class citizen, at best.[/QUOTE] But there are three factors that would go to suggest such a show could work. 1: The eye candy factor you yourself mentioned. Let's remember the thrust of Spike's promotional strategy. They are the network for men. As such a show with lots of hot chicks wearing skimpy (but functional) attire willingly should fit in well with Spike's defintion of that. 2: With Spike, we're talking about a niche cable network. You don't need ratings as big as they'd need to be on even a CW or USA ratings level to make a show worthwhile. I've never been good with citing rating numbers but figures that would be unmitigated disasters on major networks would be big deals on Spike. 3: The something different factor. You've got many wrestling fans out there who don't trust the WWE monopoly to put out a good product. Who try TNA and just see more of the same in the a funky-shaped ring. The fact this Knockouts show would be a fresh take on wrestling programming and could bring a totally different set of eyeballs to the table. Might you possibly have a reasonable point about the talents of some of the Knockouts? Sure. I would be pretty well shocked if a high-profile women's wrestling show in the current American climate didn't have some of those. But then again look at the jump a Trish Stratus was able to make. From pure T&A joke to the biggest fish in her small pond and arguably the leading icon of her admittedly limited era. From the distance most of us are at, what's to say one of the lesser Knockouts couldn't make a similar jump given this kind of opportunity? Considering women's wrestling hasn't had the kind of consistent visibility this could bring since the early Wrestlemania era, I think such a show could be well worth the gamble. Even if it blew up in Spike's face, well at least it wouldn't drag down any networks of real importance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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