The Long And Winding Road of The TNA Wrestling Knockouts

A Name that Changed Women’s Wrestling

When the company chose this name for its ladies in 2006, the “Knockouts” description was selected as a catchall name, unlike the WWE Divas. Female performers have been a part of TNA since the first national show featured Alexis Laree, aka Mickie James, Francine, or Shannon, aka the late Daffney.

Before the “Knockouts” name, TNA had its lingerie matches to determine Miss TNA. Women were often depicted as valets. The formation of an official women’s division began at Final Resolution 2007 and legitimized all the women’s wrestlers who had been struggling to have a spot.

The name Knockouts created a stark departure from TNA’s past programming, where their female talent were often promoted as eye candy with little to no emphasis on athleticism or wrestling ability, in the same fashion as their WWE Diva counterparts during that time period. Suddenly, TNA’s Women’s division emphasized serious wrestling competition between their female talent and their credibility on par with their male counterparts.

Knockouts like Gail Kim, Jacqueline, Roxxi Laveaux, Angelina Love, Velvet Sky, Awesome Kong, and Taylor Wilde have paved the way for the next generations. As revealed by Angelina Love at the TNA Hall of Fame ceremony, Tommy Dreamer had a lot to do with that at that time.

Highs and Lows

Obviously, the Knockouts division has had its highs and lows. The women’s division would see a start of vast departures in 2009 and 2010, including Gail Kim, the first-ever TNA Knockouts Champion. The company fell for a few years in an “eye-candy” period. But since 2016, the company’s been on a huge ride. Allie, Laurel Van Ness, aka Chelsea Green, Sienna, and Rosemary brought the company to a true women-wrestling era.

TNA Hall of Famer Gail Kim turned from Knockouts to producer and offered a unique input on the women who became Knockouts. She brought women like Taya Valkyrie, Su Yung, Tessa Blanchard, Jordynne Grace, Tasha Steelz, Deonna Purrazzo, and so many more.

A golden era of the Knockouts means breaking records. Tessa Blanchard became the first woman to main event at Slammiversary XVII against Sami Callihan in an intergender match. In 2019, Taya Valkyrie became the longest-reigning Knockouts Champion. On January 12, 2020, at Hard To Kill, Tessa Blanchard became the first woman to win the Impact World Championship.

Breaking Barriers

On August 24, 2020, on the second night of the Emergence special, Deonna Purrazzo defended the Knockouts Championship against Jordynne Grace in the first Knockouts 30-minute Iron Man match in TNA history. On October 23, 2021, Jordynne Grace also made history when she became the first Knockout to become the Impact Digital Media Champion, an intergender title, at Bound for Glory 2021. The Knockouts also had their Monsters Ball, Queen of the Mountain, and Ultimate-X matches.

There is almost nothing a Knockout can do, except the Barbed Wire Massacre. Gail Kim has been the maestro of this golden era. Does that mean the Knockouts are done because Gail Kim was fired, Jordynne Grace left for WWE, Deonna Purrazzo left for AEW, Ash by Elegance retired, or Masha Slamovich is under investigation? The answer is no.

The 2025 Knockouts Division

Since the beginning of the year, the Knockouts have been in a “rebuilding” mode. The legendary Jazz is now the Knockouts producer. Tommy Dreamer is the Head of Talent Relations, while Delirious is the Head of Creative. The current roster is made up of 20+ ladies. Alisha Edwards has been working behind the scenes for a very long time.

Rosemary is the longest active Knockout in the current roster. With her character, the Demon Assassin has captivated every generation of fans for nearly 10 years. The kids adore the face-painted demon look. The adult fans admire her in-ring abilities and her touches of madness.

Recently, TNA Wrestling signed Harley Hudson, Mila Moore, Myla Grace, and Jada Stone. Hiring young talent is also about helping them train to become stars. For example, Leon Slater signed a year before he started on TV. So, Hudson, Grace, Moore, and Stone may be signed, but they continue to learn their craft. Every match, inside and outside the iMPACT Zone, is a new step to becoming a TNA Knockout.

The NXT/TNA Effect

Many former WWE women’s stars are indeed in TNA Wrestling. The same could be said about men. The NXTNA partnership has opened the gates for more women crossing the lines, like men. NXT’s Kelani Jordan, being the Knockouts Champion, like Jacy Jayne a few months before, is not especially appreciated by the TNA fans. The fact that WWE can influence booking decisions on their talents when they are in TNA Wrestling has created a stir.

The TNA roster has a few former WWE talents, like Victoria Crawford, The IInspiration, or Mara Sadè. Wrestling is like a market; companies choose their wrestlers, and vice versa. Currently, the most powerful TNA Knockouts, in my opinion, are all former WWE/NXT talents: Léi Ying Lee, Xia Brookside, and Indi Hartwell.

One of the best things TNA has ever done is building talent. Whatever the storyline, the Knockouts have to be good wrestlers and fit their characters to make it believable. This is why the ladies coming from WWE are welcomed in a place like TNA, as they can help train and work with the young ladies who will become the Knockouts of tomorrow.

A Phoenix Company

TNA Wrestling is an ups-and-downs company. When you think the company is on the verge of sinking, it rebirths like a phoenix. Currently, the NXT/TNA partnership has changed the game. TNA probably has less input on its storylines. Whether it’s TNA, AEW, or WWE, women are not very put in the spotlight. A few chosen ones stole the sun and left the moon for all the others.

So many times, the company has been considered dead. Time flies, and the company is 23 years old now. A wise man told me, a wrestler leaving doesn’t mean the company is done. Maybe the Knockouts are currently a bit weak because of the partnership, not having the best storylines, or a lack of new talents, but believe me when I say they’re far from dead. TNA Wrestling has always known how to cross the lines.