Awesome Kong vs Melissa Anderson (lost footage of professional wrestling match; 2009)

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Awesomekongvsmelissaanderson1.jpg

Photo of the match.

Status: Lost

During a Total Nonstop Action (TNA) taping on 26th May 2009, professional wrestlers Awesome Kong and Melissa Anderson competed in a dark match. Despite the lack of hype surrounding the match, it was highly acclaimed by those in attendance, with some considering it to be one of the best women's wrestling matches of its era. While there are plenty of photos of the match, no footage of it has ever been publicly released.

Background

Heading into the match, Awesome Kong had gained a reputation for being one of the most dominant female professional wrestlers.[1] A two-time TNA Knockouts Champion,[2] her feud with Gail Kim from 2007 to 2008, and later 2015 to 2016, was critically acclaimed, due to the high match quality and narrative.[3][1] Meanwhile, Melissa Anderson appeared in a try-out match on the 1st May 2008 edition of TNA Impact!, as Cheerleader Melissa, defeating Daizee Haze.[4] Aside from this match, Melissa had not appeared on TNA. However, she is also known for her time as Raisha Saeed, managing and occasionally teaming with Kong from 2008 to 2009.[5]

The match on the 26th May 2009 taping was generally considered an afterthought by TNA officials. It was not planned to air on television, with the booking plans indicating she was to continue to be Saeed in future events.[6] For this match, Melissa Anderson adopted the nickname "Future Legend", as she was awarded this accolade in 2004 by Cauliflower Alley Club, the first woman to receive this award from the organisation.[7][8][6] Awesome Kong picked up the victory, most likely from an Awesome Bomb based on the available photos.[8] Despite the match's lack of significance to TNA television, many in attendance, including veteran Raven, took note at the fight's high quality. Raven, who seldom praised the work from other professional wrestlers, deemed the match as being the best women's bout he had witnessed in a decade.[6] It was also compared to the matches Kong had with Gail Kim, with the general consensus according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter being that while the Kong-Kim matches were "more spectacular", this fight was "more believable".[6]

Anderson would later compete in TNA as Alissa Flash,[9] eventually dropping the Saeed gimmick on the 22nd October 2009 edition of TNA Impact! after being Awesome Bombed through the entrance stage by Kong following a match between the two.[10] However, she was seldom utilised by the company as Flash, and she was granted a release on 21st January 2010,[11] though would later make a couple of one-off appearances for the company in 2011 and 2013.[12][13] Awesome Kong would also depart from TNA in 2010,[14] although she would return to the organisation from 2015 to 2016.[15]

Availability

While the match received rave reviews, it was never intended to air on television.[6] Hence, while there are photos of the match, including on Cheerleader Melissa's website,[8] no footage of the fight has ever been released to the public.

Gallery

Video

Photos of the Kong-Anderson match.

See Also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 WhatCulture detailing Awesome Kong's reputation. Retrieved 25th Jan '22
  2. ↑ Cagematch detailing the Impact Knockout Championship's history. Retrieved 25th Jan '22
  3. ↑ Sporting News detailing the Kong-Kim feud. Retrieved 25th Jan '22
  4. ↑ Pro Wrestling Torch reviewing the Melissa-Haze match. Retrieved 25th Jan '22
  5. ↑ Bleacher Report detailing and discussing Raisha Saeed. Retrieved 25th Jan '22
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Freakin' Awesome Network discussing the match and providing the Wrestling Observer Newsletter quote. Retrieved 25th Jan '22
  7. ↑ Cauliflower Alley Club giving the 2004 "Future Legend" accolade to “Cheerleader” Melissa Anderson. Retrieved 25th Jan '22
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Archived Cheerleader Melissa summarising the match and providing photos. Retrieved 25th Jan '22
  9. ↑ Archived Slam Sports! reporting on Alissa Flash's first match. Retrieved 25th Jan '22
  10. ↑ Pro Wrestling Torch reviewing Saeed's final appearance. Retrieved 25th Jan '22
  11. ↑ Pro Wrestling Torch reporting on Flash departing from TNA. Retrieved 25th Jan '22
  12. ↑ Archived WrestleView summarising Flash's TNA match in 2011 against Madison Rayne. Retrieved 25th Jan '22
  13. ↑ PWInsider summarising Flash's TNA match in 2013 against Gail Kim. Retrieved 25th Jan '22
  14. ↑ 411 Mania detailing Kong leaving TNA in 2010. Retrieved 25th Jan '22
  15. ↑ The Sportster summarising Kong's 2015-2016 stint in TNA. Retrieved 25th Jan '22
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