TNA: TKO Ep. #4

Welcome to TKO, the fictional, one hour a week, Knockout exclusive iMPACT spinoff.

ROSTER: Angelina Love, Brooke Tessmacher, Cookie, Daffney, Madison Rayne, Mickie James, Sarita, Serafina (Christina Von Eerie), Tara, Trina Diaz (Divina Fly/Rosita), Velvet Sky, Winter

BROADCAST TEAM: Jeremy Borash & Don West

RING ANNOUNCER: SoCal Val

INTERVIEWER: Christy Hemme

DIRECTOR OF AUTHORITY: Traci Brooks

TKO abides by one rule: Absolutely nothing happens on the show that could not conceivably happen if it existed in real life.

Here's what happened last time: Setting the Stage, Ep. #1, Ep. #2, Ep. #3
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COLD OPEN: Traci Brooks is in her office, talking on the phone with someone. We can't hear the person on the other line, but Traci asks if she can can be there when they discussed. The person's answer makes her happy. She says that's great and she's really excited about this too. Mickie James enters the office, prompting Traci to quickly end the call because, "She just walked in..."

Mickie asks what the call was about. Traci says it was just business.

Switching gears, Mickie asks Traci to tell her the truth -- did she appoint herself the referee in the title match tonight because Mickie rejected her offer last week? Traci says Mickie not wanting to try to iron things out between them was disappointing, but she's a professional and she can work around that. Her being the referee tonight is just to ensure there's no funny business since Angelina is bound to have Winter and/or Velvet with her, and it seems like every time there are people at ringside on this show, things tend to get complicated. She insists that she only wants to make sure the match ends the way it's supposed to.

"The way it's supposed to, huh?" Mickie asks skeptically. "Yeah... we'll see."

Mickie leaves the office. The camera lingers on Traci.


OPENING VIDEO


BACKSTAGE: Winter is heading for the ring. Serafina blocks her path. Winter tries to go around her. Serafina won't let her. "Not so tough now, huh?" Serafina asks. "Scared of getting your hands dirty, bitch?" Impatient, Winter shoves passed her, saying she doesn't have time for this. Serafina says she's going to make time and attacks Winter. They fight for a minute until security separates them. Winter quickly leaves with Serafina yelling that she'll see her later tonight.


iMPACT ZONE: Angelina Love comes to the ring as West comments that maybe Traci should just assign some security guards to follow Serafina around all the time, since a lot of fights seem to break out around her.

Angelina has a mic. She says that she was the first ever 5-time Knockouts champion in TNA history, and after tonight, she will be the first ever 6-time Knockouts champion in TNA history. But every time she's hit a peak in her career, she's always had someone with her, backing her up. That's why she's out here, because for the last few months, she's had 2 friends that just can't seem to get along. She asks both of them to come out to the ring so they can settle this.

Winter comes out immediately. Angelina has to call Velvet several times before she shows up, looking like she wants no part of this.

Angelina says the next few weeks are going to be really big for them, and if it's all going to work out the way she hopes it will the 3 of them need to put an end to all this tension because it's giving her stress lines. She knows Velvet doesn't like Winter, but she can't figure out where this is coming from. Winter's helped Angelina a lot -- she was the one who bailed Angelina out in the tag title match. And she knows Velvet couldn't be there because Sarita had choked her out in the dressing room, but that wasn't Winter's fault.

Quietly, Velvet asks if Angelina is taking Winter's side in all this. Angelina insists that she's not taking anyone's side. She and Winter are partners right now, but she and Velvet are BFFs. She knows Velvet has been having problems lately, she knows Velvet has issues with Traci and Sarita -- she won't talk about them, but Angelina knows that stuff has really been messing with her, and maybe that's where all this is coming from. Angelina doesn't know.

But there's one thing she does know. The Knockout division was started 4 1/2 years ago. Out of everyone in that first group that walked to the ring at Bound for Glory that night, Velvet and Angelina are the only ones left. Everyone else quit, or got fired, or retired, or sold out, but there's a reason why they've lasted so long while all those others didn't. It's because when they were a team, they were the best -- they got the biggest ratings, they got the biggest pops, they made the most money. The fans know it, TNA knows it, and most importantly, Velvet knows it. Just because Angelina & Winter are going to be the tag team champions, that doesn't change anything. They're still the Beautiful People, they're still the biggest thing in this division, they're still the reason why the fans show up. Angelina says she can't do this without her BFF and she needs to know that Velvet has her back, if that's what Velvet still wants.

Velvet is silent for a moment, looking back and forth between Angelina and Winter. Finally, she says that, yes, she still wants that. She and Angelina hug. Then Angelina asks Velvet and Winter to shake hands. Winter puts her hand out, but Velvet's demeanor changes immediately and she refuses. Angelina pleads with her to just do it. She doesn't have to like Winter; they just have to coexist. Slowly, reluctantly, Velvet shakes Winter's hand, but lets go very quickly.

The Beautiful People's music plays. Angelina is happy. Velvet isn't. Velvet locks eyes with Winter and their faces say it all. West says it looks like nothing has been settled and the 2 of them coexisting may be a pipe dream.


BACKSTAGE: Christy Hemme interviews Mickie. Mickie says she isn't so sure Traci won't screw her over tonight, but this is just another hurdle that she will overcome like all the rest. She's gone through Tara, Madison Rayne, her problems with Traci -- she's put in too much work over too many months chasing the title to be stopped now. She came to TNA to make history and that's what she's going to do. She promises, one way or another, that championship is leaving with her tonight.

JB hypes up Winter vs. Serafina in a rematch from last week after the break.


COMMERCIALS


They air a Rough Cut video featuring Serafina. She says that her interests as a kid were pretty limited; she was either going to be a pro wrestler or join a punk rock band. She chose wrestling because she likes getting paid to beat people up rather than getting arrested for it. She may be small, but what she lacks in size she makes up for in ferocity. She'll be your best friend or your worst enemy and there isn't a lot of middle ground as far as she's concerned.


iMPACT ZONE: Winter is still in the ring. Velvet is at ringside, looking like she'd rather be anywhere else. JB explains that Angelina went to the dressing room to get ready for her match with Mickie, but she asked Velvet to stay out there and support Winter. West says that the more Angelina tries to make Winter and Velvet get along, the more Velvet resists. Velvet can't stand Winter and he doesn't see that changing.

Serafina makes her entrance.


SERAFINA vs. WINTER (w/ VELVET SKY)

During the match, the action goes outside the ring. Winter tries to whip Serafina into the steel steps, but Serafina reverses and Winter ends up colliding with Velvet. Winter is distracted by Velvet yelling at her for the remainder of the match.

WINNER: Serafina in 7:22

Winter and Velvet glare at each other. West thinks this just seals the deal -- these 2 are never going to be friends.

Serafina flips Winter off as she backs up the ramp.

They air a video package chronicling Mickie's time in TNA thus far and her goal to be the first woman in pro wrestling history to hold every women's title in both of the major promotions.


BACKSTAGE: We see Mickie in the locker room getting warmed up as we cut to a break.


COMMERCIALS


BACKSTAGE: Velvet heads for the Beautiful People's dressing room, passing Sarita in the hall. Sarita is just casually leaning against the wall, as if she was waiting for Velvet. Sarita says that was a nice job out there; Velvet can't even stand at ringside without screwing something up, can she?

Velvet keeps walking, but Sarita follows her, saying there's something she's wondering about -- Angelina said her and Velvet were the best when they were a team, but it seems like that team only translated into success for her. Angelina might be a 6-time champion after tonight, but what has Velvet ever gotten out of this arrangement? Sarcastically, she asks how many singles titles Velvet has won, then admits that was a stupid question since Velvet could never reach that peak on her best day. Though, maybe she and Angelina could have been tag team champions if Angelina hadn't traded up in partners.

Angry, Velvet cuts her off. She tells Sarita that maybe if she focused less on Velvet's business and more on her own, it would be her in that title match tonight. Sarita counters, saying that maybe if Velvet wasn't such a failure who can't accomplish anything by herself, her contract wouldn't be up for review. Velvet is shocked to hear this.

"Oh," says Sarita, playing innocent, "Traci hadn't told you yet, huh? Oops."

Sarita leaves the shot, laughing. Velvet just stands there, at a loss for words.


iMPACT ZONE: The announcers discuss what just happened. JB says he heard in the front office that Velvet was due to start her contract renegotiations in a few weeks, but if her contract is up for review, she may not even get the chance. West says things for Velvet are just going from bad to worse, what with Winter coming between her and Angelina, and now this, and Sarita isn't making things any better. He likens Sarita's recent fixation on Velvet to a cat with a ball of yarn.


BACKSTAGE: Christy interviews Traci, now wearing a referee shirt. Traci acknowledges that she and Mickie have had their differences lately, but that doesn't change anything. Her job tonight is to be an unbiased official and that's what she's going to be. Christy mentions that Mickie seems awfully skeptical about that. Her mood shifting slightly, Traci says to leave Mickie to her.

They air a video package about Angelina's rise to prominence in TNA. It describes her as the most decorated Knockout in TNA history and she's looking to add another accolade to her resume tonight.

In the Beautiful People's dressing room, we see Angelina warming up.

Traci heads for the ring. She's stopped by Mickie. Mickie tells Traci to be straight with her and asks if she should be looking over her shoulder tonight. Traci says comments like that one are the reason why this working relationship has been so messed up. Contrary to what Mickie thinks, Traci really does want to make this work, but Mickie has done nothing but question every decision she's made since she got this job and just seems dead set on believing that Traci is out to get her. She says that whoever becomes the Knockouts champion tonight is going to be the spearhead of this division, and that person will either be Traci's biggest star or her biggest problem. She asks Mickie which one she wants to be.

"I haven't decided yet," Mickie responds. "But I'll let you know... after I win the title."

The camera pans around to Traci's back as she watches Mickie leave. Whatever Traci's face is telling us right now, we can't see it.

JB hypes the main event as we cut to a break.


COMMERCIALS


They air another video package promoting the upcoming debut of Jennifer Blade (Jennifer Blake). We see interview snippets where she talks about her background and how she broke into the business. She cites Tara as her biggest influence and someone she really admired growing up. She says watching Tara is what inspired her to become a wrestler.


iMPACT ZONE: Traci makes her entrance.


BACKSTAGE: Angelina cuts a promo in the dressing room. She's putting nothing passed Mickie, but if Mickie thinks Angelina's going to make this easy for her, she's dead wrong. She says she has her girls behind her and she's 100% confident about this match. Mickie wanted to make history, but tonight she'll have to settle for standing on the sidelines of history.

We hear Angelina's music play in the arena and she heads off down the hallway, followed by Winter and Velvet. The camera follows them to the entranceway like at a UFC PPV. Winter is giving Angelina a last minute pep talk. Velvet scowls, her mind clearly somewhere else.


iMPACT ZONE: Angelina makes her entrance.


BACKSTAGE: Mickie is psyching herself up. We hear her music. She heads for the entranceway. The camera follows.


iMPACT ZONE: Mickie makes her entrance.

SoCal Val introduces each woman separately and holds up the title belt. Mickie and Angelina shake hands.


KNOCKOUTS TITLE MATCH
MICKIE JAMES vs. ANGELINA LOVE (w/ WINTER & VELVET SKY)

Velvet stands on the opposite side of the ring from Winter during the bout.

There are teases throughout the match that Traci may turn on Mickie, but nothing concrete. The announcers aren't sure which way she's going to go. Toward the end, Winter tries to interfere on behalf of Angelina, but Traci stops her. Winter argues with Traci for a moment until Velvet interjects herself and Winter's vitriol switches to her. Fed up, Traci sends them both to the back. They argue the whole way.

JB & West are convinced that Traci has chosen the high road. Ultimately, she calls the match 100% clean.

WINNER AND NEW (STILL) KNOCKOUTS CHAMPION: Mickie James in 13:21

Mickie seems genuinely surprised that there was no funny business. Traci gives her the title and raises her hand. They exchange words. We can't hear what's being said, but it doesn't look hostile. Finally, Mickie extends her hand and Traci shakes it.

JB says it looks as if these 2 have finally put their differences aside. West remarks that maybe the issues Mickie had with Traci don't seem so bad now that she finally has the title.

Traci leaves the ring and heads to the back, clapping for Mickie. Mickie celebrates with the fans at ringside. This goes on for a bit. Mickie climbs back into the ring one final time and poses with the belt. Pyro goes off.

Suddenly, a woman in a black sweatshirt with the hood pulled up jumps over the rail and enters the ring from behind. She pulls out a tire iron and blasts Mickie with it. Mickie crumples to the mat.

The woman grabs the title belt and holds it up. She removes the hood...

It's Daffney!


FADE OUT