One Determined Broad

She's been a fixture on and off in TNA for the better part of 5 years, played a heel and a babyface, won and lost the Knockouts Title, and currently holds the Knockouts Tag Team Titles with her (kayfabe) husband. Her name is ODB and in my opinion, we haven't even begun to see all she can offer yet.

Let's begin by stating the obvious -- ODB is a very unique female wrestler. From the tattoos to the excessive drinking to the risque sexual references to the "I just don't care" attitude, ODB is unlike any other woman in professional wrestling. But you can best believe that this is no accident. You can bet that the ODB character has been carefully constructed by the real life Jessica Kresa. While Jessica and ODB may have a lot of similarities, you can bet that Ms. Kresa is a lot smarter than the character she plays on TV.

ODB is the sort of female performer that would give Vince McMahon nightmares. She is the absolute opposite of everything he thinks a woman in wrestling should be. She's the anti-diva. Compare someone like Kelly Kelly to ODB and you get the picture. But there in lies the secret to the success of ODB. Rather than hide the fact that she was never going to be a skinny, Barbie doll type woman, ODB used this to her advantage and worked on crafting an outrageous and unique character that wrestling fans could connect with on a totally different level.

To make a success out of a character like ODB requires determination. A lot of it. Can you imagine how many wrestling promoters would have tried to tone down her gimmick or change it altogether? Can you imagine how many would have been disgusted by it or simply not have understood it at all? Wrestling has always had a blueprint for what women should look like and never has it included multiple tattoos and hip flasks. This is where TNA deserves credit. Even before TNA reached out to ODB to come and perform at the Bound for Glory gauntlet match back in 2007, someone in the company obviously understood the ODB character and was a fan of it. One of the greatest things about the early days of the Knockouts division was the unique mix of characters and personalities, and ODB was right at the forefront of that.

During her time in TNA, ODB has taken part in numerous storylines including being the only female member of TNA's Frontline faction in the war against the Main Event Mafia, being the love interest of both Eric Young and Cody Deaner and forming short-lived but entertaining partnerships with Roxxi and Jacqueline. The milestones of her TNA career thus far however have to be her three reigns as Knockouts Champion. The unfortunate thing about those three title reigns though is that on none of those occasions was she allowed to carry the belt for long and as a result, we only got to see glimpses of how good ODB could be as a champion. That's why, now, as we are well over 200 days into Gail Kim's current title reign, I'm urging TNA management to let ODB be the one to end that reign.

I'm all for long title reigns. I think it adds prestige to titles and makes the wrestlers' wins and losses seem more important. Having said that, I think the time has come for Gail Kim to drop the Knockouts Title and let someone else run with it for awhile. As good as Gail is and as much stability as she has brought to the championship, her time as Knockouts Champion has surely got to be coming to an end. In seven months TNA have not done a very good job of building anyone up as a credible threat to dethrone Gail. Brooke Tessmacher seemed like she was going to knock off Gail, but TNA management obviously felt that it wasn't her time just yet. Aside from that, no other female has come close. But then again, ODB never got a shot.

ODB has been saddled with some storylines and situations that would've derailed a lot of careers but, and this is where determination comes in again, ODB has run with everything TNA have given her, no matter how comedic, and has actually gotten herself over more and more in the process. She can also perform inside the ropes when the bell rings. ODB is more popular now than ever and right now, there is no one better to lift the Knockouts Title from Gail Kim.

ODB has come a long way in her career and she's done it HER way. She is a unique and interesting performer who has carved a career out of being different. For all her hard work and her talent, I feel like she deserves a long reign as Knockouts Champion. Maybe she'll be the one who dethrones Gail Kim, maybe she won't. But either way, the real life Jessica Kresa will no doubt keep busting her butt and some day, her time will come. Because she is ODB and she is one determined broad. BAM!!!