TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship

TNA Knockout, or just Knockout for short, was the term used by TNA to refer to its onscreen female employees; this is similar to World Wrestling Entertainment and the Divas pseudonym they then used. TNA's first women's accomplishment was announced at TNA's first weekly pay-per-view event on June 19, 2002.[3] It was called the "Miss TNA" crown. The holder of the crown was determined in a lingerie battle royal on June 19, 2002, which aired on June 26, 2002. The participants in the match were Alexis Laree, Elektra, Erin Bray, Francine, Miss Joni, Sasha, Shannon, Taylor Vaughn, and Teresa Tyler.[4] Vaughn last eliminated Elektra to win the crown.[5] The TNA Knockout of the Year is another award in TNA given to the knockout who achieved the most or had the best run that year.[6] The most recent Knockout of the Year was Gail Kim in 2007;[6] no award was given out in 2008. In October 2007 at TNA's Bound for Glory PPV event, TNA established their first women's championship, with Gail Kim winning a 10 knockout gauntlet match to become the first TNA Women's Knockout Champion.[7] Ms. Brooks, Christy Hemme, Awesome Kong, Roxxi Laveaux, Talia Madison, Shelly Martinez, Jackie Moore, ODB, and Angel Williams were also involved in the match.[7] Two DVDs on the topic of the TNA Knockouts have been released by TNA. The first was named "Knockouts: The Ladies of TNA Wrestling Vol.1" and was released on August 29, 2006.[8] "Knocked Out: The Women of TNA Wrestling" was the second, being released on October 7, 2008.[9]

On the August 20, 2009 episode of Impact!, backstage interviewer Lauren, who was standing with and about to interview Christy Hemme, Tara, Taylor Wilde, and Sarita, announced that TNA were planning to host an eight-team single elimination tag team tournament to crown the first-ever TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champions.[10] After a four-way match consisting of Hemme, Traci Brooks, Sarita, and Awesome Kong, TNA commentators Mike Tenay and Taz announced that the first round match of the tournament would take place on the August 27 episode of Impact! with Kong and Raisha Saeed facing Brooks and Sharmell.[10][11] Kong and Saeed wound up winning the match, and moving to the next round of the tournament.[12] On the September 3 episode of Impact!, the team of Hemme and Tara defeated the team of Hamada and Sojournor Bolt to move onto round two of the tournament.[13] The next week on Impact!, the team of Sarita and Taylor Wilde defeated Alissa Flash and Daffney to also advance to round two.[14] Later in that same episode, Angelina Love and Velvet Sky (collectively known as The Beautiful People) defeated the team of Madison Rayne and Roxxi.[15] Round two began on the September 17 episode of Impact!, with the encounters of Kong and Saeed versus Sarita and Wilde and The Beautiful People versus Hemme and Tara. The first bout pitted Hemme and Tara against The Beautiful People, with the latter being victorious.[16] Sarita and Wilde won the second encounter over Kong and Saeed.[17] The finals for the tournament were then set for TNA's No Surrender PPV event, with The Beautiful People versus Sarita and Wilde.[18] Sarita and Wilde defeated Madison Rayne, a substitute for Angelina Love who had been released from her contract prior to the event, and Velvet Sky (also collectively known as The Beautiful People) on September 20 at No Surrender to become the first official TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champions.[19]

Tournament Bracket

The actual physical title belts were first shown at No Surrender. The belts introduced have a red strap with two small gold plates and one large gold plate. In the center of each plate stands a figure resembling a globe made out of gold. On the outer edge of the plate are red gems, which circle the entire plate. The center golden plate of the belt has TNA's official logo engraved in the very center with the words "Knockouts Tag Team" above it and the words "Wrestling Champion" below.[N 1]