10 greatest Knockouts in TNA history

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The revolution started here

TNA, or Impact Wrestling as they are known, is having a hard time at the moment. In fact, has been having a hard time a lot in recent years, whether it be wrestlers leaving the company, bad business decisions or poor attendance, which has left the company under a lot of criticism.

But now and the past, they've had one hell of a roster that have given us some of the greatest matches and moments over the last 16 years.

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What separated Impact from WWE for many years was it's women's division. The women's revolution may be in full swing in WWE today, but it started in Impact Wrestling more than 10 years ago. WWE is only catching up to the speed.

Impact Wrestling's women's division, or Knockout's, have been some of the best and most talented women's wrestlers in history, and that brings me to this list of the Top 10 greatest Knockouts in the history of TNA Impact Wrestling.

Honorable Mentions: Taylor Wilde, Miss Tessmacher, Jade, Sienna, Allie, Laurel Van Ness Roxxi Laveaux, Sarita, Maria Kanellis, Jackie Moore and Trinity


#10 ODB

One
One dirty...

ODB was an unconventional performer. At a time when women's wrestling was really living up to the 'Diva' moniker, ODB debuted for Impact Wrestling as a comical drunk female looking trucker, who loved to party, yet also had great ability and skills in the ring.

When she debuted for Impact Wrestling at the beginning of the Knockout's inception, Awesome Kong was the one to beat. Other than Gail Kim, while ODB could never actually defeat King, she still gave her the biggest run for her money, having many solid encounters.

ODB would end her Impact Wrestling career as a 4-time Impact Knockout's Champion, and also held the short-lived Impact Knockout's Tag Team Championship, with Eric Young. ODB had many highly entertaining matches with many of Impact's greatest Knockout's, including Gail Kim, Awesome Kong, The Beautiful People, Laurel Van Ness, Rosemary and more.

#9 Taryn Terrell

Play time
Playtime with her Dollhouse

Former WWE and current Impact Wrestling star Matt Sydal once recalled a time when a young Taryn Terrell tried to pin someone while they were lying face down in the ring, during a training session. So to be ranked as one of the best Knockout's of all time shows how very far she has come.

Terell made her Impact debut as the official referee for the Knockouts division, in August 2012.

She would remain in this position until January 2013, when she slowly started to become more aggressive with heel knockouts when they were being verbally abusive towards her.

The build-up went until March, when she was fired as a referee but hired as a knockout, and would feud with Gail Kim.

Taryn returned to Impact in June 2014, after a year off TV. She spent months pursuing the Knockout's Championship, and would eventually win it at the end of the year.

Terrell became the new longest reigning TNA Women's Knockout Champion in TNA history, surpassing Kim's previous record of 210 days.

#8 Tara

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Better than in WWE

Former two-time WWE Women's Champion, the often underused Victoria would part ways with WWE in January 2009, and signed with TNA Impact Wrestling the following May under the name, Tara.

She won her first of five Knockout's Championships just a little over a month, but the reign was short lived at just two weeks.

Over the course of the next four years with Impact, Tara held the Knockout's Championship four more times and had excellent matches with Awesome Kong, The Beautiful People, Mickie James and more, and would also hold the short-lived TNA Knockout's Tag Team Championships with Brooke Tessmacher.

Tara also competed in several Knockout's Hardcore, Ladder and Steel Cage matches.

#7 Mickie James

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Hardcore Country!

Mickie James worked for TNA Impact Wrestling during the promotion's very early days, even appearing on the very first TNA show back on June 19, 2002. She performed under the name, Alexis Laree.

After being on TV for a few weeks, she quietly disappeared, only to return in 2003 as a member of the Raven faction, The Gathering.

The stable feuded with Jeff Jarrett and James Mitchell's New Church before she was picked up by WWE at the end of the year.

After her very surprising firing from WWE in 2010, she would return to TNA as Mickie James at Bound For Glory that October.

During her near four-year second run with TNA, Mickie was a three-time Knockout's Champion.

She competed in numerous Street Fights, Cage matches and Last Knockout Standing matches, and had many exciting matches with Gail Kim, Ms. Tessmacher, Madison Rayne, ODB and many more.

#6 Velvet Sky

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Couldn't stay out of Impact

After being used as an extra by WWE on several occasions, Velvet Sky auditioned for the 2007 WWE Diva's Search but did not make the final cut.

She would be then picked up by TNA Impact Wrestling as one of the 10 women to compete in a battle royal at Bound For Glory 2007, to crown the very first Knockout's Champion. She was then signed to an exclusive full-time contract.

At the December Turning Point pay-per-view, Sky and Angelina Love formed an alliance and were dubbed Velvet Love Entertainment, renamed The Beautiful people shortly thereafter, and instantly became one of TNA's most over acts. The group had several different breakups and reunions, due to the high number of times either Velvet or Angelina had to temporarily part ways with Impact.

During her nine-year run with TNA, Sky was a two-time Knockout's Champion and also held the short-lived Knockout's Tag Team Championship. She had many memorable matches both with and against her Beautiful People teammates.

#5 Angelina Love

WWE rele
WWE release was a blessing

After three years wrestling for WWE developmental as Angel Williams, the future Angelina Love signed with TNA Wrestling in 2007, as one of the 10 women to compete in a battle royal at Bound For Glory 2007, to crown the very first Knockout's Champion. She would prove that WWE releasing her was a huge mistake on their part.

As mentioned, she would form The Beautiful People with Sky shortly after her debut, which would be one of the most entertaining acts in Impact history.

Angelina would become a six-time Knockout's Champion, the second most in company history, and also held the short-lived Knockout's Tag Team Championship.

She had many thrilling matches with and against Sky, as well as Kim, Kong, Madison Rayne, Tara, Terrell, and many more.

#4 Madison Rayne

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The queen

Madison Rayne debuted for TNA at just 22 years old, in January 2009, as a mostly a jobber, before The Beautiful people took her under their wing.

As a member of The Beautiful People, Rayne was apart of some highly entertaining matches, moments and segments. She would become a five-time Knockout's Champion and a two-time Knockout's Tag Team Champion during her nine-year run with the company.

Madison had highly entertaining matches with and against her Beautiful People partners, as well as Kim, ODB, Tara, Mickie James and many more.

#3 Awesome Kong

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Kharma, Glow, Awesome!

Awesome Kong debuted for TNA in 2007, just in time for the battle royal at Bound For Glory 2007, to crown the very first Knockout's Champion.

Kong lost out to Kim, who she would instantly begin to feud with. The rivalry between is still today, the greatest feud between any Knockout's in TNA Impact Wrestling history.

Their first encounter occurred on December 2 at Turning Point, which resulted in Kim retaining the title due to a disqualification by Kong.

Kim defeated Kong in an acclaimed second encounter to retain the championship under no disqualification rules on January 6, 2008 at Final Resolution.

In their third and final encounter in the main event of the January 10 episode of TNA Impact!, Kong defeated Kim to win the TNA Women's Knockout Championship.

After eventually losing the Championship to Taylor Wilde, Kong would later hold it once more, as well as the Knockout's Tag Team Championship. She had many of Impact's other greatest Knockout's matches with Taylor Wilde, Tara, ODB, The Beautiful People, and more.

#2 Rosemary

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Still running the division

Rosemary is well and truly keeping her gimmick alive and well, really playing it up more than any other wrestler with any other character today.

Debuting as a valet for Abyss and Crazy Steve, known as Decay, the trio appeared in some of Impact's truly bizarre moments, most notably in their feud with the 'Broken' Hardy Boyz.

Rosemary defeated Jade in six sides of steel cage match to win the vacant Knockouts Championship for the first time in her career on the December 1 episode of Impact Wrestling.

Rosemary lost the Championship after a seven-month reign at Slammiversary. During the course of her reign and after, she had some highly entertaining matches with Gail Kim, Sienna, Laurel Van Ness, Su Yung and more.

#1 Gail Kim

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Kim had a phenomenal run in TNA

Kim was released from her WWE contract in 2004, just days after she had a meeting with WWE officials about doing something worthwhile with the Diva's division. That goes to show the mentality each had with women's wrestling at the time. WWE were barely ready for highly skilled women's wrestlers like her.

She signed with TNA Wrestling in 2005, as a manager for Jeff Jarrett and America's Most Wanted. She would also compete in feuds with Mrs. Brooks and Jackie Moore in 2007 until the inception of the Knockout's Championship at the 2007 Bound For Glory. Gail became the inaugural Knockout's Champion when she won a battle royal to determine the first Champion. She would then participate in the greatest feud in Knockout's history, with Awesome Kong.

Gail had much of the best women's matches in history, with just about every knockout to ever compete for Impact Wrestling. Gail Kim holds the record for most reigns as Knockout Champion with seven, and also held the Knockout's Tag Team Championship. Gail was rightfully inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame in 2016, the first women to have done so.

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