The New Velvet Sky

Another dive into the topic of charisma. I'll be talking about someone in TNA this time. That would be Velvet Sky.

Velvet Sky has been in TNA for years, leaving and coming back a few times. She has pretty much been TNA's version of a WWE diva for the longest time. She is there for her looks, not wrestling ability. And for much of her time in TNA, her charisma was tied to her sex appeal. Not only did she have the look and frequently dressed in a sexy manner, but she had a playful character that frequently centered around being sexy. She let the pigeons loose on a frequent basis.

This year has been different. She left TNA for a while. When she came back, she reinvented herself. She is a face, but she has a more toned-down character. She is playing a more serious character. She changed her outfit. She is using the stunner. Yes, she has reinvented herself.

I do see some fans that do not like the new character. Specifically, I saw one guy complaining about how she dresses. It isn't sexy enough for him. I think a woman can be sexy without dressing in outfits that show a lot of skin and without acting too slutty. Velvet Sky has done that before. She is doing something different now.

I like the change. I was never a big fan of Velvet Sky. I am still not a big fan, but I like this new character. I think she plays it well. Besides that, you have other women to play the role Velvet Sky used to have. The Dollhouse play playful characters that dress sexy. Brooke is also pretty much in the role Velvet Sky has held in the past. Brooke is sexy and she has a fun character that draws on that sex appeal. Nothing wrong with having Velvet Sky be something different.

Can you consider this version of Velvet Sky charismatic? The old version of Velvet Sky definitely had charisma. You might watch a movie or TV show that has this strong, silent hero that is just portrayed as a badass. A lot of action movies have characters like that. It is not unusual to see a woman with this type of character. There are a lot of female heroines with this kind of character. They don't act slutty. They don't have comedy characters. They aren't jovial. They don't come off as crazy. They just have these cool characters. These women can definitely be charismatic. Both men and women can be drawn to these type of characters. The new version of Velvet Sky is somewhat like that. It might sometimes be a tough role to play, but I think she is fine at it.

It is not unusual for TNA to have a face KO play a serious character like this. I remember when Mickie James played this kind of role when she went to TNA in 2010. She would still show signs of her usual energetic charisma now and then, but for the most part, she was playing a more serious character in TNA. I saw some fans wondering what was wrong with Mickie James. Nothing. If you looked at her appearances on the independent scene around this time, she was still her charismatic self. And when she later turned heel, she was once again showing that fun charisma. I felt it was a mistake for TNA not to take advantage of that charisma more. It is one of her best qualities. Few people will get very over by wrestling ability alone. Charisma is something that helps connect with the wider audience. Having Mickie James play that serious face character was just a waste.

I would say Velvet Sky actually plays this role better. Given the situation TNA is currently in, it is probably a waste to talk about it. Nevertheless, it is an example of a different flavor of charisma that has the potential to interest an audience. You have energetic, fun psychos. You have creepy psychos. You have women relying on their looks. And even a serious character has potential to be charismatic. And I have to give Velvet Sky credit for the change.

The Decline Of The KO Division

TNA recently released a number of workers. There were a few women among them, including Tara and Taeler Hendrix. You also have the fact that the KO tag titles are gone. Financial problems are obviously significant. You can't keep around a lot of workers when your company is not making enough money to pay them all, cover other costs, and still make a profit. Regardless, what is TNA doing with their KO division?

There is definitely a change going on in TNA's women's division. They have always sold this image of being respectable since the KO division really got started. They were better than the WWE diva division. Just like the diva division is about more than just that sexy, glamorous image associated with the eye-candy divas, the status quo about the KO division is about more than this theme of respectability. The division isn't simply about the company saying they are better. What makes, or made, them more respectable and better? I would say it is two things. First, they do not hold their women back in matches. There was a ladder match just a few weeks ago featuring the KOs. Second, they featured their women more and regularly by having multiple feuds and angles going.

That last point is where there is an obvious problem. They just released some of their women and there is no debuting to fill the spaces. The fact that you don't hold back your women is nice, but how interesting can your division be when you keep on featuring the same women? Currently, they are still trying to have multiple things going. Mickie James is the KO Champion, likely still feuding with Velvet Sky. Gail Kim looks to be feuding with ODB now. Not very creative right now. A lot of fans like that Mickie James is now a heel. Technically, TNA isn't really giving her a great storyline. It's up to her to make her heel character work. And Gail Kim's recent feuds also show a lack of creativity. She just lost a title match against Mickie James. She now looks to be entering a feud with the ref of the match, ODB. Go back a few months. Gail Kim lost a title match to Velvet Sky, then went on to feud with the ref of the match, Taryn. They obviously put on some respectable matches, but in terms of the quality of the actual feuds and angles, TNA is not delivering.

They should have kept the tag titles. Of course, that only works if they brought in more women to feature. But if they kept the tag titles, that would make for more feuds with more on the line. They are currently heading in a direction where everything is either a title feud for the KO Championship or a grudge match that will most likely lead into one of those women getting a title feud for the KO Championship. There are no intriguing storyline ideas, stables to feature multiple women, and development of women outside of this cycle. They had Tara involved as the valet as a tag team. If they had kept her, that would not have been a bad use for her. If there was ever a tag team or stable who got another KO member, you could have a 6-person feud and match. But keeping the tag titles would have been a great move. Getting rid of that was a sign that things really are heading in the wrong direction.

They need fresh workers, workers that can connect with the fans, and workers with unique looks and gimmicks. They can't keep pushing the same women in these cycles. At the same time, releasing a generic blond and hiring a generic blond that looks basically the same isn't really bringing anything unique. I think they should have done more with Taeler Hendrix. She is sexy and she has a unique look. TNA has redheads still employed, but they don't wrestle. Give the fans some variety in who they are seeing wrestle.

Respectability can only take you so far. Not holding your women back is fine, but if you are not featuring a wide variety of women and interesting angles on a regular basis, things will get boring. And that is the problem. They lack depth. They cannot afford Mickie James or Gail Kim getting injured. Who will be your other heels? If TNA does not plan to change things, the status quo of the KO division could really change. Their agenda is no longer about featuring their women prominently in terms of letting them go at it in the ring and having multiple fresh storylines and feuds going. It is about making do with what you have. That's not aiming for greatness. Pretty soon, the KO division might just become more hype than substance.

Mickie's Year Away From The Title

Tara retained the Knockouts Championship last night against Mickie James. Unless something happens on Impact, this will be the first full calendar year Mickie James has not held a title since her arrival on the big stage in 2005.

I know I talked a few weeks ago about Cena's year away from the title. Look at that span again. Cena goes over a year without the title. Although he has been injured for a very small portion of that time, he has not been held away from the title because of that. Yet, has it hurt him? In the time he has not been Champion, how many PPV main events has he still been in? A lot more than CM Punk, who has held the WWE Championship for the bulk of the time. Cena has still been involved in major storylines. That is why you can't be too quick to assume this guy is done as the face, or centerpiece, of the company and CM Punk is the new guy.

What has Mickie James been doing since her last run? Although she also had a very small amount of time taken away due to injury, that does not account for the bulk of the year. She has been jobbing. She has been used to put over Gail Kim, then to put over other women who put over Gail Kim, and so on. And what about storylines to keep her looking good. That is where the real disappointment is. Nothing. They almost turned her heel, but didn't follow through. Even if they do turn her heel now, there is no reason to have faith in TNA to handle this properly. They will probably turn her heel, give her the title, use her to put over Velvet Sky, then cycle her back out to nothing. That is what they have done with Gail Kim and Brooke Tessmacher. And they will eventually do it with Velvet Sky.

This system of running their women's division, as well as their overall product, is very stupid. I hear it all the time still that KO division is so great and such a major draw for TNA. What is it really amounting to these days? A 1.2 for the KO segment rating, if they are even that lucky? And when you look at the overall average of the show, it's still as mediocre as it has always been. No growth. Yes, they let their women wrestle, but who are the stars? Everybody! Okay, but who are the jobbers to those stars? Everybody! And which of these women really end up being the major draws? Nobody! Velvet Sky's leaving did not lead to any noticeable dip in the numbers and her return will not lead to any major increase. The company can get rid of every KO currently on the roster and haul in new ones, including some who got attention from the WWE and were never in TNA before, and their KO division would do just as fine with the new women as the old ones. I honestly believe that. It's this idea that the KO division features better women's wrestling and allows the women to work that really amounts to the success, as well as some beautiful women. The specific women are not making the difference. How could they? TNA is not consistent enough with them to build any of them into draws and rely on them as draws. And when they continue to run the same philosophy for their entire show, it is no surprise that they haven't really gone anywhere in the ratings for all these years.

I tried to have an open mind when TNA got Mickie James. I gave them a chance when they put her against Gail Kim. Gave them another chance when it looked like they might turn her heel to keep her fresh. Now that I am seeing how they like to handle their KO division, there is no reason to have hope that they will handle her properly. They don't handle anyone properly. How long will her title drought last? A legacy in pro wrestling goes beyond title reigns. TNA is not doing enough with Mickie James in that respect.

Velvet Sky Leaves TNA

Velvet Sky was pretty much TNA's version of a WWE diva. She had the image and the character that the WWE likes to push in their typical eye-candy divas. Was Velvet a phenomenal wrestler? No. Nevertheless, she was one of TNA's top Knockouts. And now, she is gone.

After her friend, Angelina Love, left a few weeks ago, it shouldn't be too shocking to see Velvet leave, as well. Honestly, they were treating Angelina a lot worse this year than they were Velvet. Winter also has good reason to possibly want to leave. What's the point of being with a company that does not use you right?

Was anything of value lost with Velvet leaving? As you will see in coming weeks, no big collapse should happen in the women's division. Ratings will be the same as they always were. Top faces of the division can include Brooke Tessmacher, Mickie James, Tara, and ODB. Heels can include Gail Kim, Madison Rayne, Sarita, and Rosita. Are they even going to use Winter? Point is, they still have women who have been there for a while. They can easily supplement that with women from the indies. And even though Velvet was over, TNA still has some over women in there.

Velvet to WWE? Mick Foley would like to see it. Honestly, since the diva division is broken right now, they might as well give Velvet a try. People can debate whether she's better than Kelly Kelly. Pushing this woman would not take the diva division in a new direction, however, since it would still be pushing an image above actual wrestling. Have to see what happens.

TNA's Two Overpushed Knockouts?

I read that there is a magazine out that criticizes TNA for pushing Mickie James and Gail Kim so much. They want the other Knockouts to get the spotlight. Is the criticism warranted? Is it really as simple as pushing the other women and depushing certain others?

First, you have Mickie James. Obviously, it would be stupid to criticize TNA for pushing her too hard now. She has not won a 1-on-1 match on Impact since January. She has not gotten any real storyline since then to keep her fresh. The feud she had prior to that ended up being meant to put over Gail Kim the most. How about the time between her debut and her second title reign ending? Did she deserve the push? TNA just acquired a popular worker for their KO division. Obviously, they are going to put focus on her. You have to try to take good advantage of what people are talking about before it goes stale. As I have said many times, I think TNA dropped the ball with her storylines and feud development. Nevertheless, consider something else. Were other women left in the dark during the time Mickie was getting her push. No. Winter and Angelina Love had a storyline going on. Velvet Sky and Sarita had a minor feud going on. In fact, there was a PPV just a year ago where the KO action did not feature Mickie James at all. At Victory Road, it was Angelina Love and Winter vs. Rosita and Sarita. I know most people want to forget that PPV. Still, there is much I can say before, during, and after Mickie's push to show that TNA has passed the ball around and was still finding things for other women to do.

And Gail Kim? This woman pretty much stuck her middle finger into the WWE's face and chose to go back to TNA. I'm not going to criticize her for that. I like that she stood up for herself. People can say she was unprofessional, but there was a lot worse that she could have done. Back to my point, did anyone really think that TNA would not push this woman when she returned? Not only did she take a hard shot at the WWE, but she was pretty much the woman credited for starting up the KO division. And after the years she spent not being pushed by the WWE, or only being pushed as filler or in a wasted romance angle, what kind of stupid idiot would deny that she does have a good push coming? She has only been back around five months. People already want to see the push end? You should also keep in mind that ODB has had a good storyline going on for her recently, and is holding a title. Velvet Sky is frequently getting wins and minor attention too.

Let me talk about Velvet Sky for a moment. Heading into Bound For Glory last year, she had slightly more focus on her than any of the other wrestlers involved in that title match. It wasn't surprising that she won the title. Her moment in the sun, including build for the win, the win itself, and the aftermath, did not last long, but TNA did give it to her. They could have kept the belt on Winter and have Gail Kim return as a face to beat her. They could have given the title back to Mickie James, who would then drop it to Gail Kim. Did Velvet deserve a better amount of focus on her? In a way, she was kind of like a transitional centerpiece. My point, if TNA had pushed her well, there would still be a ton of fans criticizing TNA for that. There are a lot of people who do not believe she is good enough in the ring to deserve big pushes as a wrestler. Even if TNA were to pass the ball around more often, is it guaranteed that the fans they want to please will like who is getting the push?

Judging by what I read about the headline of the article, it is like the magazine just looked at who has been booked at PPVs the most since October 2010 and made the conclusion that two certain women are pushed too much. That pays no attention to other storylines going on in the division. As I pointed out with the push Velvet got, it does not pay attention to who really has the attention going into a PPV match, or who is being used to put over who. It does not pay attention to who is actually connecting with the fans or is being owed a major push.

What it all boils down to is, how long should a centerpiece be pushed? A centerpiece is the person you want the division or show to revolve around. TNA is a lot better at revolving centerpieces than the WWE usually is. TNA was not wrong in pushing Mickie James. I think they wasted a lot of time and could have given Winter a better reign, but Mickie James is over and a good worker, so she deserved her time. Focus was on her for about a year, with a minor break here and there, before Velvet Sky's brief focus in the title picture. Gail Kim has had focus for about 5 months. When you want to connect the fans to someone you want to be a draw, you have to spend some time developing them, which includes the chase to the title, then you have to give them a good few months with the title, and then you have to ease them out of the push, if and when you are developing a new centerpiece. If this magazine thinks shooting the title and the same style of push will make everyone mega over, that would be wrong. Of course, what they might argue is that everyone deserves a fair chance to see what they could do. You can never know how well a woman can handle the centerpiece push until they get it. Believe it or not, I disagree. Why? TNA is not only good with revolving centerpieces, if that is really a good thing, it is good with minor storylines. The WWE would end them abruptly or have the women involved not do anything too interesting to even have a chance to connect with the crowd. TNA should be paying attention to how women in lesser storylines and feuds are doing in connecting with fans. If you were deciding who to give a push to from a pool of women only involved in minor things, would you choose a woman who is connecting well with the fans or a woman whom most of the fans are indifferent to? Forcing someone who is not getting the job done down the throats of fans could be painful. I'm not saying you fire women like that. Continue to use them in minor storylines or as jobbers. Minor storylines are not bad. They can either help you develop yourself or stay fresh when someone else is getting a push. I wish TNA would give Mickie James one. In the end, you can't just rotate who you give major pushes to without paying attention to who and what your fans want to see. If you have something you know works, you cannot do something stupid to mess it up.

There is one last point I want to make. About Mickie James in the WWE. I have been thinking about some recent comments I've gotten on my blog and a recent conversation I had with a guy on Youtube. I don't think people really understand my main point about Mickie's career in the WWE. Yes, she was overlooked. Yes, the WWE was not pushing her in a way for her to be as entertaining as possible, which would have benefited her, the fans, and the company. But the WWE was purposely doing this. She was never there to get over. She was there to be used, like so many other women before her. And Mickie James overcame it. At a time when the women the WWE wanted to succeed could not get it done, Mickie James was maintaining the overness those other women were supposed to have. In my mind, this is an accomplishment. She achieved first-rate overness while being used as a type of worker that never makes it. I'm not simply crying about Mickie being mistreated. I want to see the diva division end so that female wrestlers can get the treatment they deserve, because it is possible for them to connect with the fans just as good as those the WWE would rather push ahead of them. Mickie James proved that.

Mickie & Kelly: Almost Going Somewhere

I have been wanting to talk about Mickie James and TNA's recent use of her for a while now. The main theme there was going to be inconsistency. This week, I see WWE being inconsistent with Kelly Kelly. I will be talking about both.

The last time I devoted some time to what was currently going on with Mickie James, I was talking about a potential heel turn. In what was booked as a face vs. face match involving Velvet Sky and Mickie James, Mickie played the heel role. In a battle royal later on, there was friction teased between Mickie James and ODB. I could have easily have pictured TNA heading in the direction where Mickie James was slowly developing issues with the other Knockouts, like feeling disrespected by them, and would slowly turn heel that way. Recently, Mickie James seems to be a regular face again, teaming with Velvet Sky. She has won some matches recently, but no good character focus on her.

Was she really turning heel at all? As I just said, there were signs pointing to it. And if she wasn't, then what was the point of that face vs. face match? TNA rarely has just plain filler matches on Impact. Most things usually have a storyline to it. Even if it appears the two sides involved in a match have no story going on, there will most likely be a run in during or after the match from someone who is feuding with someone in the match, or at least a stare-down. If not that, there will be some kind of segment beforehand to make up some friction for why the two sides are fighting or put a story into the match. This match between Mickie and Velvet didn't really have anything. It wasn't the stepping stone for a push for Velvet. Aside from the potential heel turn, it really went nowhere. Could it have been Mickie just randomly playing the heel for the sake of making the match more interesting? I mentioned before the changes in the creative team in TNA. That must have done it. No heel turn, yet.

How do I feel about this? Inconsistency is going to hurt Mickie's potential in TNA. I have said many times that her first year back in TNA was not handled well. Her feuds were repetitive and boring. It doesn't look like they were trying to screw her, but they do not know how to take proper advantage of her. They had a chance to make her character look interesting again, but did not follow through. I really don't care too much if she ever wins the tag titles with Velvet. I would rather see her be used to her proper potential. That would do well for Impact. That would really make her shine.

As for Kelly Kelly on Raw, it looked like they were building a feud between her and Eve. There was a personal story starting there. It looked like the WWE was finally going to run with a well-built storyline that might actually benefit at least one diva they planned to be a star. And now, it looks like CelebrityMania will once again spoil diva matters heading into Wrestlemania. Kelly Kelly was not furthered in the storyline involving Ryder and Eve this week on Raw. Instead, she was on Superstars. Once again, you see inconsistency.

I haven't forgotten what happened last year. Kelly Kelly got bumped off Wrestlemania for the sake of celebrity nonsense. However, the WWE did go back to her to try to develop her as centerpiece. Kelly Kelly does have some flaws and limitations, but I would still be surprised if they have completely given up on her. Would one personal feud leading into Wrestlemania really shoot her to where she needs to be? I doubt it. Nevertheless, I am getting tired of multi-diva matches and celebrities taking the spotlight in Wrestlemania diva matters. I understand that these women deserve the big check for the big event, but for the sake of running a respectable division and making a good card that will make your workers into legitimate draws, have these women not involved in the top diva match do a lesser match or get backstage segments. Increasing quantity does not necessarily improve quality. That is to say, more is not always better. In the case of the diva division, more often than not, more women involved in something than is necessary is never better. All that being said, I really do not feel as bad for Kelly Kelly as I do for the diva division itself.

Gail Kim Back To TNA

Don't want to spoil too much, but with her WWE contract officially expired, Gail Kim has wasted no time in returning to TNA. She will appear on this week's episode.

Overall, this is a great thing for TNA. The KO division was already more respectable than the diva division, but regaining one of the women that helped to really create it will definitely help. Gail Kim was the first true centerpiece of the division. Things have changed in some way since she left, but I know a lot of fans are happy about this move. Gail Kim is too.

There is one obvious problem. I have pointed out many times that there seems to be a lack of continuity in some TNA matters when it comes to the women. This is due to the fact that they have multiple women whom they want to treat well. If this was the WWE, 9 out of 10 women would be getting screwed over for the benefit of one being made to look great. TNA is not like that. That is respectable, but it can be a problem when you have too many women.

ODB and Jackie returned a few months ago. Since they have become official members of the roster, what have they done? I heard ODB is losing to Brooke at house shows, but that really is nothing.

Christina Von Eerie debuted in TNA with Ink Inc. to feud against Mexican America. As long as that feud is going on, she has a purpose. Even after, she might be left as part of the stable. That is fine.

Velvet Sky is the new Knockout's Champion. That is fine. With the way the feud was going, it does not surprise me. For as long as I could remember, TNA has always tried to find something for her. She has definitely been one of their centerpieces, despite never being one of their best female wrestlers pushed in the ring.

And Mickie James? She is one of the highest paid female wrestlers in TNA for a reason. They want her. She is popular and she works to promote TNA. Don't forget that she was in TNA even before Gail Kim. While Gail Kim deserves a lot of praise for her involvement in helping TNA make their KO division, Alexis Laree was proving her worth at a time when there was no title for the women to aim for in TNA. Mickie James definitely deserves some credit for what she has done in her first year back in TNA.

I can run through the list of other women, but I don't think I need to now. They're all working hard, but not all are bringing the same kind of results as others. How can TNA really keep them all and use them all right? It is a good thing Gail Kim is back, but the division is not the same as it was back when she left. TNA has been leaning slightly towards the diva side. Look who has the KO title. Velvet Sky is pretty much TNA's Kelly Kelly. And with TNA rotating the women who get pushed, you may not be seeing Gail Kim every week. Would be kind of unfair if you did. Why can't more of the other women get that regular treatment? In any case, I am sure she is being paid better than before. That is why she left TNA in the first place. With TNA becoming a little more successful, they can definitely afford to pay the women they feel will draw well for them better. Gail Kim deserves to be in a TNA that will pay her what she deserves. Mickie James deserves to be in a WWE that will treat her as she deserves. As it stands, both are in a TNA with a whole lot of other women TNA will have to try to juggle around to use well. This does not look good.

Velvet Sky: Knockout Centerpiece

TNA's Knockout division has been going in the wrong direction for about a year now. To put it simply, it has been turning into a diva division. They have phased out certain female wrestlers who did not have a certain look and have not been giving the women that much time to compete on Impact recently and not always pushing the best wrestlers the right way.

Even on its worst night, the division still has a few positives above the WWE diva division. Among them, I find it interesting that TNA really does try to find some kind of storyline or use for almost all their female talent. If they cannot find that use, they release them eventually. Nevertheless, they do not keep them around to simply be random jobbers, extras in large tag matches that do absolutely nothing, or random, meaningless backstage segments. For the most part, I like this.

Right now, I want to talk about what I do not like about what has been going on recently. Who in the bloody hell is Velvet Sky supposed to be feuding with? She has issues with Karen Jarrett, a storyline with Winter and Angelina, I saw her randomly attack Sarita and Rosita at Lockdown, and now ODB returns just to feud with Velvet? This mess is going all over the place. Nowhere are her feuds being developed properly. If her last encounter with Winter and Angelina was supposed to be the end of that feud, for now anyway, it was weak. The build was not really there. As I just said, I have nothing against TNA trying to find a use for as many as their women as possible, but I believe this is too much for a woman who is not even one of the greatest wrestlers they have. She would fit more with the "diva" image than proving wrestling matters. I know, that is the point of her coming feud with ODB, but her overuse was there before this and I do not see why it will go away that easily after it ends. While so much is devoted to build this woman's character, not enough is being done for other women. They are being pushed a lot more linearly than Velvet.

In the end, there is a reason that the Knockout segment no longer typically gets the most viewers of any given Impact. Aside from TNA women's involvement in the Jarrett/Angle elaborate storyline, which TNA is purposely pushing and treating as a top draw itself anyway, and so it would be the women who are benefiting from that rub more than Jarrett and Angle getting the ratings for the segment because of the women, a women's match or extended promo has not had the highest quarter hour rating for the show since February. By the way things are going, a match may not be stealing the show on Impact again for a while. Wrestling matters?