A lot of people look to 2007 and early 2008 as the peak of the Knockout's division at least until more recent times, but I have to say from a match quality and innovation perspective the period of the division from late summer 2009 to January 2010 was the peak.









Most of these matches were not given  much time at all, but they really made the most of what they were given, and seemed more action packed than a lot of 10 minute tv matches today.

Not only were the matches fun but they were so innovative wrestlers like Sarita and Hamada were pulling off spots you don't even see many mainstream women's wrestlers pull off today, and so leanly and crisply too. Like I don't understand how you look at a very attractive woman like Sarita who can perform at such a high level in the ring , and who wrestles such an exciting crowd pleasing style and not think you should push them as the face of the division I just don't.

I sometimes wonder what would have happened if TNA decided to run with this section of the division as the division's main focus , instead of the Tara's and ODB's of the world, instead of having a few great months and then ignoring it ever existed. I mean Hamada never even had a ppv match or even a  single's title match for crying out loud. Just infuriating to think about. 


 

The behind the scenes of TNA during this time would probably be a fascinating (and as you said, infuriating) documentary. When you combined Dixie's ego and delusion with her signing of Hogan (and his ego and delusion), among others in management who were just as incompetent, you had a perfect storm that led to the company's painful decline. I haven't watched TNA in a few years and it does seem they're in a better place now in terms of quality, but the decline from January 4, 2010 (the "Monday Night Wars" episode where Hogan and his buddies took over) through 2014ish was just horrendous.

It wasn't just the Knockouts Division that suffered, although I'd say that division's decline in quality was the most painful given how hungry the TNA audience was to see it succeed. The company has always actively worked against the division - initially out of cheapness from 2007-mid 2009, but then I believe it become an ego thing when Hogan came in during late 2009. Granted we did get the rise of Madison Rayne in 2010 and her character growth is etched in history as one of the most memorable things to happen in TNA's women's division, but there was still so much horrible booking happening.

I think Hogan and his crew hated the fact that when they debuted and became the focal point in 2010, their ratings were not doing anything for the show, no matter what they tried - whereas all of the Knockouts segments carried the ratings, winning the highest ratings segments week after week. The ratings success of the Knockouts was a known fact and par for the course in 2008 and 2009, but when it continued in early 2010 during the debuts of Hogan, Bischoff and co. (past their prime wrestlers who were getting legitimate paychecks), I think that was part of what led to the division's poor handling and decline of importance on the show. And ultimately, it continued to affect the morale of the women.

These articles go pretty in-depth on how the rating for the women's division in TNA caused turmoil once Hogan came into the company:

www.cagesideseats.com/2011/5/18/2177424/a-closer-look-at-tna-president-dixie-carter

www.cagesideseats.com/2010/9/29/1719902/an-examination-of-tnas-appalling-treatment-of-talent

The lesson of the rise and fall (and re-rise) of women's wrestling in both WWE or TNA is that the fans want to see quality women's wrestling. And they consistently respond to it when they get it. But when the company actively works against the division, which has happened in both WWE and TNA, the fans will stop caring.

In the grand scheme, back in 2007/2008, getting Kong, Gail, Angelina, Velvet, ODB and Roxxi over with the crowd was not very difficult - a couple segments to explain their characters, putting them in the ring for longer than 4 minutes, and then putting them in actual storylines. The same way that when WWE's "revolution" started, getting the crowd to respond to women took minimal effort. The booking wasn't even good when Charlotte, Becky and Sasha got called up to the roster - they were simply treated with some respect and as an actual integral part of the show, as well as given time to perform. Going back a few years prior, and the audience's investment in AJ Lee goes to show that wrestling fans have always been ready to invest in women.