#TNA PhotoShoot

[mickie-maniaedits]

[wrestlingmgc]

TNA Knockouts World Champion Jordynne Grace

[wrassledits]

all-time attires: 5/∞

[imvgeswrestling]

》》》

[alexlacquemanne]

Happy Birthday Mickie ♥️

[blowflyfag]

the Wrestler: Volume 25, 2009

ON ASSIGNMENT

BY LIZ HUNTER

I TAKE A few weeks off and Dan Murphy uses my “On Assignment” column to start a feud with Bret Hart. Then, the most surprising promotional jump since the Monday Night Wars takes place as Gail Kim leaves TNA for WWE.

This is why I hate taking vacations… I always seem to be off somewhere else when the good stuff happens.

[Gail Kim’s move to WWE could benefit her pocketbook, but not necessarily her career. As Senior Writer Liz Hunter points out, Kim is an amazing wrestler, not just eye candy. In TNA, she even matched her talents against top male athletes, such as A.J. Styles.]

One quick thought on Dan’s column last month. Hart’s conduct at the Tragos/Thesz Hall of Fame was despicable and the Turnbuckle Turkey he receives elsewhere in this issue is well-deserved. I’m glad Dan took Hart to task for his conduct. I just wish he hadn’t used my column as the launching pad while I was away leaving me with a stack of letters and e-mails weighing in on the matter. 

On to Kim, the woman who became the cornerstone of the TNA Knockouts division and helped the women’s division surpass the X division as the most exciting group in the company. 

According to people close to the situation, Kim’s decision to leave TNA came down to dollars and cents. Her contract with TNA was set to expire, and the company was neither willing nor-most likely-able to match the offer WWE set on the table.

If that’s the case, I can’t blame Kim for taking the better offer. After all, pro athletes in mainstream sports routinely follow the dollars and go to the team willing to pay them the most. 

But unlike athletes in mainstream sports, pro wrestlers are considered to be independent contractors, meaning they have to pay for their own insurance and expenses. One unfortunate fall and a wrestler’s career can come to an end. When that happens, he or she is left without a source of income or a player’s union for representation. 

Kim wrestles a very athletic, daredevil style.S She is in terrific shape, but her style puts her at a disproportionately high risk for injury. It makes good business sense for her to sign with the company willing to pay her the most and WWE is a higher-profile company where she can earn even more money in merchandise and endorsements. 

All that being said, I'm still not convinced that leaving TNA for WWE is a good move for Kim. 

For my money, Kim is the best all-around female wrestler in the sport today. She may not have the raw power of a Beth Phoenix of Awesome Kong, but she’s an excellent technician and is skilled in a variety of different international styles. She’s the most exciting and dynamic woman wrestler of the post-Trish era, and her defection could prove to be a major blow to TNA. 

But does WWE know how to handle a woman of her talent? WWE has no interest in presenting “women’s wrestling.” It would rather showcase Divas, interchangeable models who can learn a handful of moves and look good wearing skimpy little outfits. WWE sees its Divas as dime-a-dozen bimbos, girls willing to pose for Playboy and do sexy photoshoots to sell some magazines and posters. 

In fairness, it must be noted that Kim isn’t exactly afraid to show off her body to get ahead. She’s posed topless for some cell phone advertisements in Korea that are now all over the Internet. And she’s not being coy when she does that little fanny shake while climbing into the ring. 

But beneath the booty-shaking sexiness, Kim is a legitimate wrestler. She trains four hours a day. She breaks down videotape and spars with a variety of training partners. She works hard to be the best wrestler she can be, not merely the best eye candy. That part seems to come naturally to Kim and she shouldn't be criticized for it. 

Kim is a beautiful woman, but she’s not the blonde-haired, blue-eyed, big-chested prototype WWE fans have been conditioned to accept. In TNA, Kim stood out as a gorgeous woman. In WWE, I'm afraid she'll be pushed off into the background, lost amidst the panoply of blonde hair, blue eyes, and implants. 

[If WWE plans to market Kim as the wrestler she has trained so hard to become , they’ll have to find her better competition. Mickie James matches up well against Kim, but a contest between two fan favorites on Raw is unlikely.]

My other concern is that there aren’t many women in WWE capable of having a competitive match with Kim. Phoenix could be a good opponent, but her style is methodical and power-based, which will limit Kim’s ability to showcase her quickness and fluid counter-wrestling abilities. Maria, Candice Michelle, and Michelle McCool can’t hold a candle to Kim. Mickie James probably matches up best against Kim from a style standpoint, but Kim will only face her if (A) she debuts on the Raw brand and (B) she becomes a heel. If Kim shows up on Smackdown, she will be badly underutilized unless she faces Victoria or Natalya most nights. 

I’m glad Kim is getting another chance with WWE, and I'm glad she presumably got the big-money contract she sought.. I just hope she doesn’t regret her decision sex months from now when she’s stuck battling Diva Search runner-ups for TV time. If she's doing bra-and-panties matches against the Bella Twins, the jump will be a travesty.

[womenofpw]

[mickie-maniaedits]

[trishstratuscom]

Photos: Trish in Muscle Memory Magazine

See Trish like you've never seen her before with this fit and fierce collection of photos from the pages of Muscle Memory. View gallery »

[wrestlingmgc]

Steph De Lander.

[wrassledits]

all-time attires: 4/∞

[imvgeswrestling]

》》》

[toyahbunyan-blog]

She loves playing my little actress. Hand round my neck, face slammed in the mattress I dont wanna gas but the actual fact is, got this one hooked on me something like a cat fish. #azzamc #dnb #tna #tnasquad #tattoo #tattoos #tattooed #tattooedgirls #girl #girls #girlswithtattoos #girlswithink #ink #inkedgirl #inkedgirls #instadaily #pierced #pinkhair #picoftheday #piercing #bodypositive #boudoirphotography #photoshoot #photography #photooftheday

[chloe-l-palmer]

Shoot 5,Behind the Scenes:

I thought I would include a little video of me photographing the model from photoshoot 5.

This is the three outfits of what the Neo wore (girl in the video). It helps me remember and share where the pieces are from.

The other girl called Bella wore this:

-first outfit, jacket was pull and bear, shirt is from brandy melville, trousers we’re pull and bear and the shoes were from a cheap boutique in paris (balenciaga centurion boot knockoffs)

-second outfit, jacket was TK MAX, shirt was pull and bear, trousers were urban outfitters, shoes were from Nike, and necklace was primark

-last outfit jacket was the Super Puff from TNA, shirt was also from TNA, trousers were the same ones from pull and bear and shoes were checkered vans

[bryansolarski]

The Saloon for @ladygunn . . Model: @nicolewhittaker_ | @statemgmt Stylist: @caitlin_afton H&MU: @anitahairnmakeup Photographer: @bryansolarski . . Tna sweatshirt, @zara pants, vintage boots . . #studio #fashion #photoshoot #photography #newyork #beauty (at Pier59 Studios) https://www.instagram.com/p/BsvwfWWAhos/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=16187o40mejn9

[womenofpw]