What do one half of The Beautiful People & The Celtic Warrior have in common?

Hot acts and even hotter action figures!

It's hard to believe that the very first TNA Knockout figure is being released nearly nine years after the start of the company. It isn't very hard to believe that the first figure is one of the biggest names to come out of the Knockout division.

While a Daffney figure is just beginning to hit shelves, the very first TNA Knockout figure is none other than a founding member of The Beautiful People, the one and only Velvet Sky.

Although many would've preferred a two-pack of The Beautiful People, I'm simply happy that we're getting figures of these ladies period. Velvet, Angelina Love, Madison Rayne, and Lacey Von Erich have variously done a great job in making what could have been a one-dimensional gimmick into a reason to watch. Heck, they've even spawned some much less talented imitators!

Velvet comes as part of the third series of Deluxe Impact! figures produced by Jakks. Packed at one per case, Velvet has become a "hot" figure regardless of her fan base.

Female action figures have always been a problem for toy companies. Most companies feel that children playing with the figures simply don't want to buy a "girl" figure. Seeing as that the action figure market is dominated by boys, this is an easy conclusion to come to. That said, an interesting character with a lot of exposure in the base product will make for a well-selling action figure regardless of gender.

This is why the limiting of Velvet's figure distribution is baffling to me. Hopefully future Knockout releases, such as the upcoming Rayne and Love figures, will be more evenly packed.

Is the the former Talia Madison worth the hunt? Absolutely! For a company known to skimp on details, especially on the backs of their figures, Jakks outdid themselves with Velvet. From a completely correct and nicely colored outfit to her back tattoos and the word "Sky" on her famous...bottom, Velvet looks as if she just stepped into the Impact Zone.

The head looks to be a complete mold as opposed to separate pieces for the head and hair. The hair is highlighted just like that of the real Velvet with her face contorted into the pouty sneer we are all familiar with.

The articulation is plentiful and matches up with the male Deluxe Impact! figures. Although the torso joint that I so regularly bash is present, it seems to stick out less to me on this figure. Even her tiny wrists are jointed enabling Velvet to blow a kiss with her left and throw a punch with her right.

Velvet is also nicely scaled to fit in with other similar figures. Not only does she mix in well with all of the new TNA releases, but match her up with Jakks WWE Diva figures of the past and Velvet is ready to "Cleanse the world, one ugly person at a time."

While still in demand, the WWE Sheamus figure has greatly diminished due to several releases of the character already available. On the other hand, this is the only Velvet Sky figure planned to be produced. Unless some sort of two-pack is released in the future, chances are that this will remain the only figure of her. My recommendation? Pick her up if you can. If you're looking for a decent investment and happen to see a second, snap her up also. Limited distribution plus a great character plus a female figure equals collectibility.

Now you know exactly what Velvet and Sheamus have in common. You didn't think it was the tan, did you?