Since WWE and TNA formed their partnership back in January and then reminded the fans of said partnership in June with not one but two shocking appearances by Jordynne Grace at the Royal Rumble and NXT, we’ve gotten to see a few names from WWE cross the line into TNA like Charile Dempsey, Izzi Dame and Tatum Paxley.

With reports suggesting that this partnership isn’t ending anytime soon, the oppertunity is there for both brands to sent their top stars or future prospects to each others shows in order to get some much needed exposure or the ability to wrestle some of the best stars not under the WWE banner.

In regards to that last point, the Knockouts Division has seen some of the industry’s most talented females have at one point or another be a part of their locker room with many of them achieveing accolades that either rival or in some cases overshadow what they did in the WWE…Think of the following ten entries as examples of what could happen if Triple H or Shawn Michaels send any of their ladies from NXT or the main roster to TNA for an extended period of time.

#10. The IIconics

One of the funniest duos to take part in the women’s tag division in WWE, Peyton Royce and Billie Kay also known as ‘The IIconics’ took on a number of tag teams in NXT and the main roster from 2015-19 with the two finally becoming tag champs at Wrestlemania 35. Sadly, the decision to break them up as a team had made little to no sense and by the time of the Covid-19 pandemics they were released from the company.

By late 2021, the duo announced that they would be signing with TNA with their first match being at that year’s Bound For Glory for the Knockouts Tag Team Titles. From there, the former IIconics fought against Su Yung’s Undead Bridesmaids, Decay and engaged in an on and off feud with Madison Rayne and Tenille Dashwood for the tag titles.

In addition to coming out every match with ring attire that was inspired by Brittany Spears and having their theme music sung by AEW star Harley Cameron, the duo had a good run in the company before stepping away from pro wrestling in April of 2022.

Still, their short but memorable run in TNA was certainly a high point for the duo following an unsatisfactory end in the WWE.

#9. Tenille Dashwood

As I alluded to moments earlier, Tenille Dashwood also known as Emma in the WWE found her fellow Aussies for the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championships, but before all of that she alongside names like Paige and the four horsewomen were revolutionizing women’s wrestling on NXT which soon made waves on RAW and Smackdown.

Between her first and most recent stints in the WWE, Dashwood competed in places like Ring of Honor and WrestlePro before it was announced that she’d signed with TNA in July of 2019 and set her sights on the Knockouts Championship.

Her first year and a half wasn’t great as her bouts with Kiera Hogan, Madison Rayne and Taya Valkyrie could best be described as difficult to watch at times and her erratic schedule certainly slowed down her momentum on a few occasions.

Things did turn around for her when she started working with Jordynne Grace in 2020 in serious of competitive matches and was companied by her kayfabe personal photographer, Caleb Konley aka Kaleb with a K.

Dashwood also formed partnerships with the likes of Alisha Edwards, Brian Myers and later Madison Raye and Gisele Shaw to form the short lived group called ‘The Influence’ where they beat the former IIconics to have a brief run with the Knockout tag titles before getting written off of TV in July of 2022 after being squashed by a then undefeated Masha Slamovich.

#8. Winter/ Katrina Winters

Known for having one of the best TNA theme songs of the 2010’s, Winter’s time in the company was filled with highs and some very strange lows. In WWE she was Katie Lea Burchill, the kayfabe sister to her brother Paul with the gimmick being that they loved each other in a way that very much implied incest…Thankfully WWE went PG not long after and this part of their character was dropped.

She then reappeared in TNA following months after her release from the WWE and became infatuated with former Knockouts Champion, Angelina Love in manipulating meets lesbian storyline which turned the former champion into an almost catonic zombie who was provided “medicine” by her partner throughout their interactions…like I said, some really strange lows points.

Outside of her two blink and you miss it Knockouts Title reigns in 2011, her work when she returned in 2018 was much more enjoyable; Returning under her real name Katarina Waters, the former Winter was paired with Grado and soon Joe Hendry where she was involved in matches with Alisha Edwards and Scarlett Bourdeaux before turning heel and dispatching both Grado and Hendry from the company…Well at least until 2022 in the latter’s case.

Her final contribution to the company saw her become the first person Jordynne Grace feuded with during their latter’s debut in the company in late 2018…Still better than the incest or drugging ladies.

#7. Victoria/Tara

An underrated figure in women’s wrestling, Victoria’s time in both WWE and TNA saw her become a respected name in the industry but one who often got overshadowed by her comtemporaries.

Getting involved with the wrestling business in the year 2000, the real life Lisa Marie Varon went from debuting as an extra to become well known player in the WWE’s female division as she became a two time WWE Women’s Champion, crowned the 2004 Woman of the Year by Pro Wrestling Illustrated and shared the ring with names like Trish Stratus, Lita, Jazz, Michelle McCool, The Bella Twins and Molly Holly.

Fast forward to the May 28th 2009 edition of the TNA IMPACT! and Victoria (now going under the name of Tara) made her debut dismantling all three members of the Beautiful People before soon capturing her first TNA Knockouts Championship in the summer of 2009.

From here, Tara’s run in TNA saw her win the title at least four more times and have some iconic matches and moments with the late great Daffney, Madison Rayne, Awesome Kong, ODB, Mickie James, Jessie Godderz and Brooke Tessmacher with the latter also becoming a part of the short lived tag team with Tara known as TnT where they became one time TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champions.

By the title she was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2024, Victoria/Tara had become living legend in the sport and became a multi-time champion in two of biggest wrestling promotions of the 2000’s and 2010’s.

#6. Killer Kelly

The only female on this list that’s still competing in TNA, Killer Kelly’s time within TNA has already seen her level quite an impression which is a far cry from her time within the WWE.

Wrestling in her native land of Portugal as well as other independent promotions, Kelly was given the opportunity to wrestle for the biggest name in sports entertainment in 2018 as part of their NXT UK brand where she shared the ring with fellow international stars like Toni Storm, Dakota Kai and Meiko Satomura…Unfortunately she would be on the losing end of those matches before she released from the company in early 2020.

Kelly would soon make her way to TNA in late 2020 where she took part in a tournament to crown the new Knockouts World Tag Team Champions and while she wasn’t successful, she certainly made quite an impression as by the Summer of 2022, vignettes began to air on IMPACT television thus heralding her return to the company but this time as a full signed contracted wrestler.

On the August 4th edition of IMPACT! Killer Kelly easily dispatched two local wrestlers and defeated indie wrestler, TIffany Nieves the week after before engaging in a short but memorable feud with former Knockouts Champion, Tasha Steelz and her bodyguard, Savannah Evans.

Kelly would soon face off against Masha Slamovich in a series of matches before eventually becoming a tag team known as MK Ultra and becoming two time Knockouts Tag Team Champions for a combined 196 days.

#5. Chelsea Green

After a few inauspicious runs in the WWE, Chelsea Green would return at the 2023 Women’s Royal Rumble match where she was eliminated in about five seconds…In the hands of any other wrestler, this moment as well as having an Entitled/Karen style of gimmick would’ve been formulatic but Green managed to make it work…But it’s safe to say she had practice perfecting this type of character.

Appearing in TNA in 2016, Chelsea Green known at the time as Laurel Van Ness would be signed to the company in 2016 and became a rising star thanks to her association with kayfabe authority figure for the Knockouts Maria Kanellis-Bennett and Allysin Kay as part of the heel group ‘The Lady Squad’ which made everyone from the knockouts locker room to even Maria’s kayfabe assistant, Allie been forced to deal with the groups mean girl inspired antics.

After the group quietly disbanded and Laurel was left alone at the alter during a massive wedding segment, she soon became ‘The Hot Mess’ which allowed her to show off her more creative and crazier side to her character. As the Hot Mess, Green came to the ring wrestling barefoot with outrageous hair whilst wearing a messy wedding dress, makeup smeared all over her face and often drinking from a wine bottle…The gimmick was gold and soon helped her to capture her first and only TNA Knockouts Championship but soon dropped the strap as she left the company not long afterwards.

Her second run saw a brief return to the Hot Mess gimmick at Slammiversary 2021 but stayed as her regular self throughout the rest of run; Green would get to work with and wrestle Mickie James, join forces with real-life husband, Matt Cardona as a heel couple and even won the Knockouts Tag Team Titles with her friend and pro wrestler, Deonna Purrazzo before losing the belts at Bound For Glory and suffering a loss to Mickie in November of 2022 which saw her time in company come to a close.

#4. Brooke Tessmacher

Similar to the preivously mentioned Killer Kelly, Brooke’s run in the WWE was lackluster at best as the former fitness model’s time in the company basically saw her train in OVW, become a part of a dance group known as Extreme Exposé for the WWE ECW brand and compete in a number of forgettable battle royals before being released from her contract 11 months after signing it in 2007.

Cut to 2010 and Brooke (or Brooke Tessmacher) was the short lived Commissioner of the Knockouts Division before transitioning into the role of a pro wrestler and soon became a popular act within company as not only did her wrestling abilities improved in the years that followed but she also had the habit of twerking her backside before, during and after matches with her most notable move being the ‘stinkface’ into the corner.

A run with the Knockouts Tag Titles with Tara in 2011 eventually led Brooke scoring the biggest win of her career at Slammiversary 2012 when she beat Gail Kim to win her first TNA Knockouts Championship in her homestate of Texas.

Brooke’s final years in TNA would also see her join Aces & Eights, become a two time Knockouts Champion, wrestled a young Deonna Purrazzo on two different occasions, and even took part on the hit show, The Amazing Race with fellow TNA Wrestler, Robbie E.

#3. Naomi/Trinity

Naomi returned to the WWE in early 2024 as part of the Royal Rumble after almost two years away following her and Sasha Banks’ walk out over creative issues. While Banks would make headlines after working for company’s like New Japan, Stardom and All Elite Wrestling, Naomi’s future in the business was uncertain with some believing her in-ring career was quietly coming to a close.

That changed with the announcement of Naomi (now wrestling under her real name of Trinity) being signed to TNA Wrestling and making her debut for the company in Chicago Illinois on the April 28th 2023 edition of IMPACT!.

To say the company booked the former Smackdown Women’s and WWE Tag Team Champion like a big deal is putting it likely as Trinity went on a mini undefeated streak, wrestled some the company’s most talented females like Deonna Purrazzo, Jordynne Grace, Gisele Shaw and KiLynn King not mention holding the Knockouts World Championship for all of 182 days before losing it to Grace at TNA’s very first PPV of year in 2024: Hard To Kill.

Since departing TNA in early 2024, the former Funkadactyl has had nothing but praise for her time in the promotion and the people she worked with…she even added the words ‘TNA Knockout for Life’ on her Twitter bio, probably tells you everything you need to know.

#2. Taryn Terrell

Before hanging up ber boots as part of her announcement about retiring from the sport of pro wrestling, Taryn Terrell was one of the most popular female wrestlers in the mid 2010’s…And considering the Four Horsewomen where dominating the reigns in both NXT and the WWE main roster, that’s saying something.

Of course this popularity didn’t come during her time in WWE as her most notably accolade in that company saw her become the general manager of the WWE ECW brand in the final years of it’s existence and nothing much to speak of.

When she debuted in TNA on the August 16th 2012 edition of IMPACT! Terrell became the newest edition to the TNA Roster…As referee?!? Okay then; After a rubbish time as the official referee of the Knockouts Division, Taryn got into a feud with Gail Kim which lead to the two having the first ever Last Knockouts Standing match at Slammiversary 2013.

That match as well as their number one contender ladder match on IMPACT! ranked as some of TNA’s best matches of 2013 and this coupled with her formation of the Dollhouse and his 279 day reign as Knockouts Champion turned Terrell from a forgottable blond bombshell in WWE to one of the most beloved female wrestlers of all time.

#1. Gail Kim

The story of Gail Kim’s rise to the top in pro wrestling can’t be overstated as she along with countless others not only jumped started arguably the best women’s division in all of North America with the Knockouts but also became one of the most influencial figures in all of women’s wrestling.

After working in WWE’s development for about eight months, Gail Kim debuted on the June 30th 2003 episode of Raw and won the Women’s Championship in her very first match…Sadly Gail’s career in the WWE never reached those heights again and she left the company in 2005 before signing with TNA and becoming a valet for Jeff Jarrett and America’s Most Wanted.

By late 2007, the Knockouts Division was born and while Gail would leave TNA in 2008 for an equally unfulfilling second run in the WWE, her matches with Awesome Kong and her body of work in TNA after her 2011 return made her a seven time Knockouts Champion, PWI’s Top Female Wrestler of the Year in 2012 and the first female inductee into the TNA Wrestling Hall of Fame.

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