The Right Fit For Maria
Gail Kim comes out and talks about Maria, saying she is all talk and no action. Maria comes out and talks about her being a “lady” and will not fight. She talks about her appearance on Celebrity Apprentice and Playboy, so she says she is not interested. Jade comes out and attacks the champion, hitting her from behind with a spinning kick and then grabs the Knockouts Championship.
A positive step tonight for a few reasons. I wrote last week about TNA needing to focus on a contender, not necessarily 5-6 women that all fight one another. Yes, stables can work for women but there needs to be a clear favorite to challenge the champion. With one title, one reason to fight, this is always something that needs to be spotlighted.
Also, Jade deserves a shot. She works hard to evolve her game in the ring and has made vast improvements over the past few months. Lastly, protect Maria. She is great at being a heel. She is that “untouchable” woman that everyone either wants to slap or wants to have.
Later in the night, Maria helps Mike Bennett pick up a win after a highly contested fight against Drew Galloway. Bennett took some punishment, including being thrown into the barricade and steel steps. It was primarily focused on Bennett being an opportunist. He picked and chose his spots with the aid of Maria on the outside. Another big reason why these two can be successful is their real chemistry on the screen. Good work from both tonight and Drew Galloway still has a briefcase which means he is still walking around with a spotlight following him.
Eric Young As Champion
EY faced Big Damo in a King of the Mountain Championship match. Nothing against Damo, as his look and size is impressive, but I do think TNA is dropping the ball with Eric Young. As KOTM champion, he needs to revitalize it. The creative team needs storylines, not random opponents each week. This should be utilized like a slightly more important Intercontinental Championship. With no storyline, we do not get dastardly and intense Eric Young as a heel. Some of the stuff he did towards the end of Destination America was EXCELLENT. We need to see him get back to that.
