There is a new Knockout at the top of the mountain and her name is Tasha Steelz.
At the IMPACT! Plus event Sacrifice on Saturday, Steelz and Mickie James battled it out in one monster of a match. The two met at No Surrender in February and Steelz wasn’t able to pull out the win. This time it was a very different story.
Prior to the match getting underway, Deonna Purrazzo had her Champ Champ challenge. Purrazzo has been defending one of her two titles weekly over the past few weeks and she did so once again at Sacrifice. Heading into the match, her opponent wasn’t known. The challenge was answered by Chelsea Green. Green wanted the ROH Women’s World Title on the line.
Purrazzo focused on the Fujiwara Armbar to take care of Green. Green countered many of them and even tried to lock on in of her own to no avail. Finally, Purrazzo targeted the previously injured wrist of Green to get the armbar locked in for the victory. However, Purrazzo would not let go when the bell rang. This caused Mickie James to rush to the ring to help her friend.
Several backstage personnel along with James were in the ring trying to help Green to the back. She was screaming in pain as Tasha Steelz made her way to the ring for her Knockouts World Title match. James continued to be extremely concerned about her friend’s well being but the show had to go on. With her mind possibly off the task at hand, the bell rang and the match was underway.
The championship bout was essentially a two-on-one affair but it was a very entertaining match nonetheless. With Savannah Evans at ringside to help out Steelz, she attempted to get involved multiple times and even attempted to go after Green as she made her exit up the ramp. James stopped Evans and nailed her with a low blow taking her out for a bit.
With the match heating up with back and forth action, James hits a backpack stunner which creates some breathing room between the two Knockouts as they rolled to the floor after trading blows on the top rope. James follows up with a Thesz Press. After getting a Mick-DT on her opponent, Evans interferes once again by getting in the ring. James deposits her back outside but Evans gets involved one more time which is all that Steelz needed to capitalize.
A mid-air cutter on James is what sealed the deal for Steelz and she becomes the new Knockouts World Champion for the first time in her career. This ends Jame’s fourth reign as Knockouts Champ at 133-days. This makes Steelz the first Afro-Latina Knockouts Champion in history.
This wasn’t the only title change of the event as The Influence is now the new Knockouts World Tag Team Champions after defeating The IInspiration. You can read more on that by clicking here.
Congratulations to Tasha Steelz on becoming the NEW Knockouts World Champion. Check back in with Diva Dirt for more news and results from the Knockouts of IMPACT!
