10 Times TNA Succeeded Where WWE Failed
7. The Knockouts
In 2007, WWE’s Women’s Division was a far cry from the Women’s Revolution we know today. With their females still labelled “Divas”, the WWE’s female sideshow was just that. An over-reliance on models with no prior wrestling experience made matches almost unwatchable and saw the Women’s Championship around the waist of some seriously dubious champions.
TNA countered WWE’s Divas with the newly-founded Knockouts Division - a completely opposing presentation of women’s wrestling. While there was still a healthy presence of T&A in TNA, the Knockouts put a strong focus on athleticism and, believe it or not, actual wrestling.
The division began to pick up steam by centering around intriguing match-ups and feuds, most notably Gail Kim’s rivalry with Awesome Kong. The two quickly established the division as something worth tuning in for and paved the way for a host of great women wrestlers to follow.
With stars like Sarita, Tara (WWE’s Victoria), and Taylor Wilde, TNA offered athletic contests with wrestling that wasn’t just watchable but enjoyable, more akin to Trish Stratus and Lita than Kelly Kelly and Layla. Along with great acts like The Beautiful People, TNA capitalised on the strength and depth of the division by also introducing the Knockouts Tag Team Titles, which lasted from 2009 until 2013.