Mickie James will officially be walking into the 2022 WWE Royal Rumble as the IMPACT Knockouts World Champion.
On Saturday, James defeated her nemesis Deonna Purrazzo. Purrazzo was on a mission to become a three-time Knockouts Champion and the two battled in a Texas Death Match.
The rules of the match were simple. After a pin or a submission, the one who took the fall had to get up by the referee’s count of 10 or else would lose the match. The match started off fast with James getting a quick three count but of course, Purrazzo was too fresh to even have the referee count to one.
The action quickly spilled out of the ring and we see the ROH Women’s World Champion Rok-C sitting in the front row keeping a close eye on the match. She has an upcoming match against Purrazzo and at one point the two locked eyes and exchanged some words.
Weapons were introduced into the match including chairs, tables, a golf club, and thumbtacks. A guitar with “Hardcore Country” was brought in but wouldn’t be useful until the end of the match.
Blood started to appear on the forehead of James as the two were on the stage. Purrazzo hits a suplex on James which had her laid out on the stage but then added further injury by pushing a production crate into her. James stayed down for almost a count of 10 and was able to get back to her feet barely at nine with Purrazzo right there to continue more pain.
Later in the match, James was able to have Purrazzo laid out after a chair shot and she fell to the ringside area. The Virtuosa was almost out by the count of 10 but Matthew Rehwoldt appeared and helped her up before the ref could finish the count. Rehwoldt was ordered not to touch James through this feud or he would be fired, and he kept to his word but helped Purrazzo where he could. James took them both out by leaping off the top turnbuckle.
Once returned to the ring, Purazzo is put on the table that is set up by James. Purrazzo was able to get up before James did any damage and the two fight before Purrazzo executes a Queen’s Gambit onto the table. Purrazzo gets a pin on James but once again, James is able to get back to her feet barely at the count of nine.
After Purrazzo falls on the thumbtacks, it would be James that grabs a hold of her guitar and smashes it over the head of Rehwoldt. Purrazzo has a chair but it backfires and James hits a Mick Kick and then delivers a Mickie DDT to get the three count. She makes sure that Purrazzo can not get up by the count of ten as she piles nearby weapons on top of her opponent. James retains when Purrazzo is not able to get back to her feet.
The show goes off the air with James sitting in a chair with the Knockouts Title on her lap taunting Purrazzo telling her to get up. IMPACT Commentary helps promote WWE’s Royal Rumble.
During Friday Night SmackDown, James was confirmed for WWE’s Royal Rumble match on Jan. 29. She was let go from the company in April 2020. She was confirmed as the Knockouts Champion on SmackDown commentary.
The first-ever Ultimate X match for the Knockouts took place as well at Hard to Kill. You can click here for those results.
Check back in with Diva Dirt for all of your news and results from the Knockouts of IMPACT.
