Every episode of Karen’s Angle on iMPACT has ended with Karen losing control of the interview and the set getting rearranged by wrestlers. This has become a running joke- I wonder when Karen will take matters into hand and get some muscle to back her up? While some interviews have been pretty lame, I laughed throughout Abyss’s interview. Karen, you’re tough as nails to have stuck that one out!

Abyss: “Before I leave, I wrote you a poem: ‘Karen, you’re skin is golden, you’re eyes are brown, I can take you with me…but you can’t make a sound…”

Ms. Angle: “Oh, god!”

SoCal Val sets the women’s liberation movement back a hundred years, announcing that she was going to hang her engagement ring above the wrestling ring during a Jay Lethal-Sonjay Dutt match and the first person to grab the ring gets her.

SoCal Val: “I know it sounds ridiculous…”

Let’s hope that after Lethal and Dutt beat each other to pulp, SoCal Val steps to the mike and slams both wrestlers for treating her like a piece of meat and leaves both of them laid out flat on the mat.

Okay, on with the evolving situation with the Knockouts. Gail’s gone and the show must go on.

The first match had Kong step in the ring with SHIMMER star Josie Sojourner. She’s going by the name Sojourner Bolt at TNA and worked in the Kong challenge for Slammiversary. Sojourner Bolt does a great job with Kong, giving a lot of offense before ultimately becoming the recipient of a Kong Bomb. I think losing to Kong in a fierce match gives a Knockout more credibility than debuting with a lesser card and winning. Kong and Saeed set up chairs for Bolt after the match and ODB runs out in a powerful rage to make the save!

ODB sends Kong a message, that she doth believe that she, in fact, is the meanest b*tch on TNA! ODB hits a tornado DDT off the rope, gets Kong down and just wails on her until she flees the ring! I loved Kong’s facial expressions during the beat down! In an interview backstage later on, ODB mixes up which day iMPACT is supposed to be on and covers by calling herself a drunk and later implies she’s ‘loose’. Somehow, ODB still cut an AWESOME promo, but I’m not sure if her uncensored mouth is going to get her to the top spot with the Knockouts.

ODB corrects Kong on the finer points of wrestling etiquette, or being a b*tch. You decide.

Wow- does Christy look good in a very low cut blue top and skirt! Christy Hemme does a great job as valet for the Rock N’ Rave Infection, first taking the mike and showing some great skills and then distracting Curry Man to give Jimmy Rave an opportunity. Curry Man’s move to get Christy Hemme out of the way was smooooth… but I’m thinking his chances with Christy are pretty small, especially considering the slaps and lowblow she gave him after the match…

Christy Hemme responds to Curry Man’s suggestion, “Let’s make beautiful music together.”

Jim Cornette talks to Traci Brooks backstage about her proposal to him the month before. Jim Cornette appoints Traci Brooks ‘The Law’ for the Knockouts. Jim gives her some advice about how to get along with him in doing her job; “Wrestlers are products and like products, they have a shelf life. When a product’s shelf life is up, it’s time to move that product out and get a new product.” Reference to Gail, anyone? Lauren Brooke asks Traci what Jim meant by ‘shelf life’ and we get a huge signal which way Traci’s going with her newfound power when she replies, ‘Well, Lorne, you might find out first hand. Excuse me, Lorne; I have some work to do!”

The tag match between The Beautiful People and Roxxi and Taylor Wilde was okay on the whole, with some sloppy moments. Roxxi finally has a clear run at the Beautiful People. Roxxi practically skipped to the ring in her entrance! How cool was ‘The Voodoo Queen’ when she cleaned house? Roxxi ain’t graceful, she’s a down and dirty brawler with a mean right hook. Angelina Love is a total package; she’s solid in the ring, knows what’s going on and is great on the mic. Velvet Sky has to polish her act in the ring. Everything Sky does is great and perfect for her character, but, it’s just not tight. Tayler put in a solid performance, but she’s still having a hard time getting over the crowd.

TNA needs to focus on a feud between Kip James and Rhino and get him away from The Beautiful People. He’s like that guy who crashes photographs; always in The Beautiful People’s way. Kip James could be used better and I’m not buying The Beautiful People need a third wheel. They are in a league of their own as heels and a third wheel- even Kong- waters down their act.

See Velvet Sky in the corner? See Taylor Wilde wondering where Velvet Sky is? Damn!

And that’s the Knockouts without Gail. The Knockouts have deep talent and the ranks have closed. Roxxi finally has the storyline she earned when she took the ladder shot and had her head shaved at TNA’s Sacrifice PPV. ODB has a feud with Kong. Josie Sojourner may get a contract with TNA. Traci heads the Knockouts. If Gail were to look back, she won’t see the gap she left and that’s a good thing.

Gail, don’t ever sweat your choice to go to the WWE. You’ve got great opportunities ahead, you’re friends at TNA can take care of themselves and we’ll be watching for you on WWE.

Smackdown opened with Undertaker coming to the ring and telling the crowd he doesn’t forgive and tonight he’s coming to collect Vickie’s soul, where she’ll burn in hell. This is PG-13? Well, the kids probably think it’s pretty cool- ask the moms what they think. In a series of segments between matches- and Smackdown features a lot of wrestling this time out- Vickie became trapped in her office, couldn’t phone out and ended the show screaming when the lights went out on her. So, is this the last of Vickie?

If you’ve shared the common complaint that there’s too much ‘sports entertainment’ on wrestling shows these days and not enough wrestling, last night’s Smackdown will come to you as a refreshing change.

Maryse, teaming with Natalya, defeated Michelle McCool and Maria in a tag team match and then followed their win up by giving the Diva Champion a beat down after the match. Maryse’s French accent makes her a natural heel on Smackdown and she’s taking to the role well. The Canadian is a bad, bad, sexy blonde with a French accent and is quickly becoming a personal favorite. Natalya is all about the business and gains more respect from me every time she wrestles in the ring. The heels on Smackdown are more interesting and the better talent, in my opinion.

‘Crazy’ Victoria, whatever has become of you? Victoria was reduced, once again, to jobbing to a newbie. This time she found herself at the wrong end of a rollup, losing to Brie Bella on Friday’s Smackdown. For those of you who like a puzzle, Nicole Bella, her twin sister was at the match (try to figure out where). Victoria still has all the skill and still has the body to kick ass in the ring, but is cruelly booked by WWE Creative. The crowd was completely dead for this match. The only cool thing about the quiet is we got to hear the girls trash talk each other in the ring.

Victoria will leap at the opportunity to introduce herself to new Divas.

I suspect a Diva Scramble match will be announced for Unforgiven (with a three minute time limit) and it will feature Beth Phoenix going after Michelle McCool’s belt.

Shelly Martinez aka Salinas in TNA wrote on her myspace blog Friday, August 29, 2008,

R.I.P. Hollywood Dale Duncan!!
Current mood: sad

So on Wed I found out my pal Hollywood Dale Duncan passed away. Now I know I wrote a blog on here about the real meaning in life is to make a positive impact on someone in your life time. Hollywood did that for me. I just got off the phone with my bud and he said “I don’t know if this sounds fucked up but when I found out about Hollywood I smiled because everytime I hear about that guy I smile.” Wow!! Everyone I know that had the same bond with this crazy man says the same thing!! I’d like to think a layer of Fun Time Shelly is due to him!! I feel so zombie like about the whole thing. Hollywood and I met while I was in OVW he was what you would call a “big deal” in E-town KY. We ran shows there pretty frequent and I formed a huge bond with him. He even gave me a nick name he called me She She lol. He always told me I was his fav and we would greet each other by me jumping in his arms and he’d give me a big gross kiss on the cheek. He would always tell me “She She, f*ck wrestling you belong in the movie Hollywood won’t know what hit them when She She comes into town.” So this ones for you Hollywood!! I will always love you Hollywood!! Cheers to the man who never wanted anything from me but my friendship and to be part of the show. Hollywood, you will always be a part of the She She Show!! You are and will always be the Wild Thang Hollywood Dale Duncan.

She’s a lover, not a fighter. But she does enjoy a good, clean wrestling match! Meet Daizee Haze…the groovy, high-flying, peace-loving, hippy chick who is making a big splash in rings across North America. While she may be one of the smaller girls on the indy scene today, Daizee makes up for her lack of size by leaving the mat and taking some major air to deliver stunning blows to her opponents. And all those muscles built up from her daily training regimen help a lot, too. Sure she may be a peace-nik outside the ring…but once the bell sounds, expect a good, hard, clean wrestling match from Daizee Haze!”

– www.glorywrestling.com

Daizee Haze, former IWA Mid-South Women’s Champion and APW ChickFight 6 Tournament winner, is a mainstay in SHIMMER Women Athletes. Daizee Haze actively works the indy circuits, has made several appearances on TNA and has a recent interview by Jeremy Borash on the May 1, 2008 edition of TNA Today.

Daizee Haze’s troubles come out of the work she does for ROH. Daizee has found herself in the middle of a storyline love feud and the situation ain’t pretty. Daizee’s mentor and friend Delirious developed a crush on her and just couldn’t seem to work up the guts to ask her out. Daizee has always considered herself ‘just on of the guys’ and has a reputation for being a straight arrow in the locker room, never even dating another wrestler. A feud in wrestling required a heel and that heel is Rhett “Addicted To Love” Titus, who would come out to the ring to interrupt Delirious’s efforts to ask out Daizee and hit on Daizee himself.

Rhett Titus has been trying to be the ‘first wrestler to get with Daizee’ and has even gone as far as to change his look and try trickery and subterfuge to get past Daizee’s guard. Delirious finally disposed of his rival and ask Daizee out, only to get the ‘friends’ letdown from Haze.

Now a few weeks later, Titus has started showing everyone backstage footage on his cell phone that he claims is proof that he scored with Haze. Daizee denies “Addicted to Love’s” claims. The crowd has been giving Haze heat, who think she should have agreed to a date with Delirious.

Delirious, meanwhile, hurt and confused, has fallen in with Jimmy Jacobs and his The Age of the Fall stable. Recently Delirious got even with Titus, busting his head open in the ring. Unfortunately, the unstable Delirious also showed how heartless he has become when he ended the career of former partner Pelle Primeau in Chicago at the urging of Jacobs.

‘The worst part in all this is that Haze now realizes she made a mistake by giving Delirious the “friend” line. It might be too late as Jacobs has a firm influence on Delirious. Daizee now finds her reputation in shambles and she has lost a friend. Delirious has become a monster in The Age Of The Fall.’

Next time your freind complains about the lack stories in ROH, give him this ‘Dangerous Laisons’ epic.

Finishing Moves: Mind Trip (Snapmare driver), The Daizee Cutter, The Heart Punch
Favorite Moves: The Daizeecanrana , Missile Dropkick, Yakuza kick

As we reported before, the primary reason Gail Kim left TNA for WWE is due to the huge difference between the money WWE offered her and what TNA offered her. Kim has always come across as a loyal team player, so how big a difference would it take to get Gail Kim to walk away from the Knockouts?

The wrestling observer newsletter reports that TNA offered their top female baby face well under $100,000 per year, a figure that can only be met if she appears on a target number of shows ( so if she gets hurt, she’s not getting all the money). The company still saw Gail Kim, who helped build the Knockouts into their top rated segments and set ratings records, as low-budget expenditure. The offer that TNA gave is apparently less than one-third of what WWE was offering; a six-figure guaranteed contract for three years. Kim can potentially earn significantly more from appearing on pay-per-views and house shows, not to mention merchandise such as action figures.

The Knockouts aren’t making much money in comparison to the guys, despite being the most consistent TV ratings draws for the company. TNA’s offer to Kim doesn’t bode well for the other girls in the company when their respective contracts come up. On the other side of the coin, this is a pretty good wake up call to TNA that they’d better get in step if they want to keep the talent they’ve drawn to the Knockouts.

TNA’s offer relied heavily on playing on Kim’s strong sense of loyalty and happiness with TNA. In spite of the better offer from WWE, Kim’s friends still had to talk her into leaving TNA. A friend of Kim explained she really had no choice ‘but to go for the financial security that only WWE can provide.’ Another friend of Kim with knowledge of TNA’s apparent lowball offer called it “insulting” and “possibly sexist.” One TNA source disappointed in her decision said, ‘She chose to be unhappy for more money rather than stay happy with the smaller company that made her a star.’

We would have to say that TNA gambled in being able to take advantage of Kim and lost, big. If Kim had capitulated to TNA’s offer, how happy would she have remained with a company with so little respect for her talent?

Kim’s absence at this week’s Impact tapings was palpable as a number of her friends couldn’t believe she was gone, especially without saying goodbye before she left. Once the decision was made, apparently Kim felt she couldn’t risk getting hurt or being jobbed out.

(thanks: www.WrestlingObserver.com)