Keeping up with Impact/GFW/Impact again has been a real challenge lately, as the company spent most of 2017 and early 2018 wrapped up in ownership changes that detrimentally affected personnel  and content. During the summer, the Knockouts – hopefully with a steadier roster now! – began to release some photoshoots again. The first, themed “Back To Basics”  seems to be a ground floor attempt to take the division back to its most recent high point, 2013 when Christy Hemme was directing the KOs marketing. The presentation includes adjectives with each photo highly reminiscent of the photoshoot that accompanied the opening of the now-defunct WestlingKnockouts.com website. I hope this does indeed herald a renewed beginning for these ladies! In keeping with the theme, the styling is stripped down and simple: denim shorts, tees, girl-next-door vibes. I’m having an inordinate amount of fun with these snaps, likely because we’ve been so starved for shoots on all fronts lately!
Katarina (the lady formerly known as Winter) kicks things off with a black tank and dark  denim shorts. She throws some edge into the look by completing it with knee-high scrunch boots with a sexy lace-up back. Her rock-solid poses show her comfort and experience: they’re fierce and sensual at the same time.
Allie takes the shoot to a lighter, brighter place: pairing a white tank with medium wash denim. Fringed beige ankle booties give an on-trend Western vibe to her look. She plays around on the bench prop flawlessly, conveying both sweetness and sexiness at once.
Tessa chose a black cropped top paired with cut-off dark denim and rounded off the look with fierce pointy ankle booties. Despite the minimalist vibe of her clothing, she manages to channel femme fatale attitude with her unique poses and stunning facials. She gets props for working hard to push the envelope.

Kim: The Impact shoots just keep on comin'! Allie is up next, and her costume is so... dang... cute! Like, it's definitely flirtatious, and a little sexy, but it's also just so adorable. I love how so many different materials are brought together to make this costume work. We've got the satin bunny ears that tie into the long, black satin gloves. So classy! The white lace body suit contrasts with the black frilly panties, but not in a bad way. They work so well together! I also love how she layered the bodysuit over a black bra, which again brings the shorts and the top together. And oh my gosh, we got a shoe shot! Thank you! Nothing too fancy here, but you can rarely go wrong with a simple pair of strappy black stilettos. We get a pop of sparkle with that crystal tie, and of course, it wouldn't be a bunny costume without a fluffy tail.

I’ve been working super hard on a massive new Melange post. Coming this week for ya, loves! XO
Maria was cool and casual in her black and red graphic tee and leggings. I love how she put a rocker-cool spin on this look with her leather vest and, most of all, those super hot ankle boots! A little hardware always gets my attention ;). For her summer tv appearance, she ditched casual for glam, showing off this silver sequined dress with a tulip front. The cutesy vibe of her lipstick-kiss pumps wouldn’t have been my first choice as a pairing from a fashion standpoint, but they’re a perfect way to convey her character, so I’m giving them the ok here. They definitely add a whimsical touch to this fancy piece, which makes the look stand out from the ordinary. She doubled down on that theme with her next look, a pairing of black kabooty shorts with a sequined Betty Boop tee and lipstick-kiss leather jacket in blush. The whole ensemble is so over-the-top and almost cartoonish that only Maria could pull this off successfully. Her massive, fearless personality carries this look: it doesn’t wear her, she wears it. And she channels it into a faux serious sexy lovefest. I’m completely in awe of how she makes something so wrong seem exactly right. And she earns bonus points for the on-trend fishnets.
We saw Maryse wear this BCBG cape dress alone with nude pointy pumps and layered over a sheer piece with Rockstud pumps, but here she lighten the look up by completing it with Nudist ankle strap sandals. They have  a barely-there quality (hence the name ;)) which really highlights the sleek softness of this dress. I’m also 100% in for her self-wrapped pony, which looks amazing on her and is rapidly becoming one of my favorite hairstyles. I also want to express my delight for Maryse and Miz and their forthcoming bundle of joy. Congrats to them!

The Impact (formerly TNA, now GFW) Knockouts are back in a BIG way! They have their first full photoshoot in aaaaaages and it includes most of the roster. Even better, the snaps are seriously awesome! The ladies each portray a force of nature, in keeping with their new promotion. Earth, wind, water and fire are all represented and quite fabulously at that!
Allie took on the force of water in a beach-setting collection of snaps. She paired a white faux-wrap cami with lace shorts, which are noteworthy for the gorgeous scalloped edges. While I'm a little surprised that she didn't reach for blue tones, I love the softness of these shots and the way she explores classic pin-up poses as she rolls about in the sand. The backdrop takes a bit of artistic license with its wispy waves; if you're looking for ultra-realism, this might throw you for awhile, as it did me. It's not my favorite facet of the 'shoot, but when I adjusted my perspective to looking at it as an artistic assemblage, rather than a photograph, it's dealable. It does add a hiccough to a very solid set of snaps that are not only the sultriest we’ve seen from Allie, but also some of the prettiest, as well as an indication of her appreciable fashion talent.
As with her street fashion, Laurel's photoshoot pops off the page; it's immediately engaging,  impactful and hot as heck! She donned a black, strappy monokini for her interpretation of water's force. The piece is 100% fierce in and of itself and Laurel unquestionably owns the look. Posing with poise and confidence, she rocks my word hard by playing with her hair and  glancing over her shoulder , smashing the open-mouth facial in the process and making it instantly relevant again. Her wet hair looks as though it is catching the spray from the waterfall backdrop, which is fittingly symbolic of both danger and beauty.  Everything – background, fashion , poses – comes together brilliantly in this set, making it one of the standout collections of the ‘shoot. Brava.
It's been too long since we've gotten to enjoy Gail's prowess in a photoshoot and her skill and experience shines through here, as she embodies the force of wind - what else but a gale force for Gail? I'm thrilled with her interpretation - it's creative and darkly beautiful, expressing the theme in an intriguing and aesthetically stunning way. Outside of a strappy bikini bottom  and strappy heels, the fashion consists primarily of fringe-like strands of black ribbon that extend the full length of her body and sway in the breeze, creating the sense of movement and drama that makes these snaps so captivating. Her long, flowing curls reinforce the idea. The peekaboo effect of the blowing fabric brings in a seductive tension that adds intensity to the snaps, while Gail's flawless poses heighten the effect. I especially love the one of her playing with her hair, eye half-closed, as if savoring her power!

The Fourth of July celebration is continuing around here, as several of the lady superstars  have been kind enough to grace us with Stars and Stripes-themed 'shoots.  I'm especially pleased to see this set from the Knockouts, as it's been awhile since we've gotten major photoshoots from the brand, excepting the massive gear 'shoot from a few months back. Prior to that, we saw the KO's do a number of awesome themed photoshoots, but they haven't had a set focused on fashion for ages. This one rectifies that dearth by including both a theme and fashion! That's the way to a stylish girl's heart!
First up is Laurel, who blasted on to the scene last year and grabbed the Silver Snap honor for photoshoot of the year with a single scintillating shot. She's got a good one in the running for 2017 as well with this thoroughly Americana-inspired look. She paired a solid red string bikini top with denim cutoff shorts. I love the extra dimension she brought to the look via her denim vest - the suggestion and shadow make it stand out from an ordinary string bikini 'shoot. She added a dash of glam with her crystal statement necklace  - love that! And naturally, any good cowgirl would wear her boots with her glam, so ta-da! Caramel Western boots it is. Her long and loose banana-curled hair gives this a completely classic country-bombshell vibe, aided and abetted by her joyously confident pose. So much fun!
McKenzie brings a fashionista's heart to her ensemble. While she starts with the iconic white tank and blue denim skirt combo - the latter given a suitably modern spin with fraying and distressing - she makes it super trendy with asymmetric red suede ankle booties (fabulous!) and a starred-and-striped kimono: yaaaaaaaas, girl! I'm all in for this injection of trendy modernity in streetwear into Knockouts fashion. It makes a classic look come alive with freshness and spunk.  She is proving her slot on my One To Watch list is well-deserved! More please :) She also earns props for her pose - it's a standard, but she nails it! Actually, she nails every pose...as does Laurel. And their back-to-back snap together is an unquestionable shoot highlight.
I always love Gail's distinctive sense of style and this look is no exception. She combines an on-trend ruffled star-and-stripe bikini top with medium-wash denim shorts. The chevron waist and flawless fit of the latter makes them scalding hot, even with a minimal amount of distressing and skin-peek. She completes the look with boldly geometric  heeled sandal booties in bright white - a perfectly summer-appropriate (and ttly on-trend) conclusion. The look is has a crisp, classy punch and it's trademark Gail. I love it from head to toe. And her aaaaaahmazing pose is only helping that love :) I wish we had gotten a few more shots from her, as her looking backward pose is killer as well!
The set rounds out with Allie. It doesn't get much more iconic than her half-starred/half-striped bikini top. She paired it with rolled deep-blue wash denim shorts that she left half un-zipped and open in a distinctly 90's-throwback look. While I'd probably opt for a fully-zipped set-up if I were wearing this look in real life, Allie's flirty styling helps this editorial look by elongating her line and accentuating her hips. Like Laurel, she reached for Western-tinged booties to finish the ensemble. Allie's represent the super-hot-lately nod to the theme, as opposed to Laurel's full-on iteration, but they work equally well, lending a current edge to her outfit. This pose isn't my favorite of Allie's set; there's something about her stance that's just a touch off.  Happily, her other snaps are much stronger, with her poses in front of the American flag being highlights.

For some reason, Impact *always* decides to release a photoshoot right around Wrestlemania. It's slowly becoming one of my pet peeves with the company. They don't release anything for almost a year and then, boom, right when  everything is psycho-crazy around Wrestlemania, they put out a huge  'shoot. Why, guys? Don't you know it's just going to get buried in the Wrestlemania onslaught? You're not going to top that. You're going to end up here, getting reviewed in June. That's so unfair to the ladies on your roster. Maybe a litttle diff timing next year, huh? Think about it. Ok, enough of Brie's b*******g. To fashion!
We kick it off with Brandi and a black and white version of her halter-meets-high-waisteds snake-embellished gear. This is such a solid effort from her! The gear is spot on, her poses are killer. She looks like she was born to do this. Gear 'shoots are notoriously difficult because they tend to be simple - just you and your gear out there on a blank backdrop to do your thing.  It's hard to keep them interesting. Brandi works some less common poses and overcomes the drawback of the standard, blah gray background. Done like a boss and I love it!
She's back, b*****s! The BAM is back! ODB has returned, flask, attitude and all. She's looking fab in an on-point red romper, made suitably trailer-park-ish with a camo head band. Her personality comes blazing through these shots and it makes them come alive. I love the spark she brings back to the roster!
Sienna is making a serious effort to sell the whole skirt-as-gear thing and while I'm not on board yet, I give her points for tenacity. This black and burgundy combo is stunning, especially with the way the burgundy peeks through the black lace. I'm 100% in for her halter top (wish it had the same deep red metallic lining as her skort). This gear is definitely going in the right direction!

Ok, so I know Wrestlemania is this weekend (Go Taker! sorry - had to get that in there ;)) and I promise I will abso def cover AAAAALLLL the fashion from that. Doing so in a timely fashion is #Goals.  I feel like all I'm doing is apologizing lately; I feel so badly for not keeping up. My life is just crazier than I could ever have imagined right now. You wouldn't believe how many posts I have in the planning and partial stages that I just cant get to grrrr. Anyway, I'm here, I'm working, and I *will* get to it all somehow.  'k  'nuff b!tch*ng. FASHION. Let's do it.
A few of these Masterposts are going to be combos because some of these ladies only share tidbits with us, but whatever, right? We'll enjoy and smidgeon we get! First up is Alexa with a couple of cute outfits. The first is a look that reprises a styling we've previously seen: mini skirt+boots+leather jacet. Here, she used a polka dot mini and topped it with a slogan tee. This pairing is has such a great girl-meets-tough vibe! And I totally love the way it suits Alexa's personality. Her tights make it cool-weather friendly. Plus, it utilizes a skirt in such a carefree, laidback way that it makes it easy to vary the ubiquitous leggings scene. The coup de grace is her studded knit hat, which brings a big statement pop, while still carrying the chill-rocker chick feel - kind of like a 90's Avril Lavigne. She switches things up for her next look, going with black denim. Another slogan tee tops it , but she goes for a white, black and red varsity jacket/bomber, instead of leather. A taupe studded knit add brings the attitude here in a similar way to her previous use of one. I could have been a shade happier if she's done black again instead of the taupe, but the rest of her outfit is so neutral that it works. Wedge sneakers finish the look with sporty flair.
Allie also graced us with a trio of fab put-togethers. The first is a gorgeous crop top and maxi skirt pairing in black, accented with sheer fabric and crystals. This is such a great way to do an evening look - it's restrained, with just enough glamour to have presence. Her side braid is gorgeous, as is her bold eyes-meet-pale lips make-up. Anyone looking for prom inspiration could start here! Allie's next outfit incorporates her favorite peplum-style top, paired with black leggings and sage suede OTKs. The stunning square neckline of her top lends itself to a wide choker. The look is on-trend and super cute. PS it could easily be finished with black leather pointy OTKS too ;). Her last outfit reaches back to late summer, but I had to call out this lovely combo of scalloped lace and blue denim. It's frothy, but casual, feminine but confident and I love it! I'd complete this look with nude pointy pumps.