Mickie James KO Champ
Photo Credit: IMPACT Wrestling

Women’s Wrestling Wrap-Up: New Champions Crowned At Bound For Glory, Zelina Begins Her Reign, PWI Women’s 150

By Ella Jay

Women’s wrestling has surely served up a highly successful week: Mickie James wins the Knockouts Championship at Bound For Glory, The IInspiration debuted in IMPACT (and won gold), Zelina Vega is crowned the inaugural Queen, PWI names the top 150 Women, and much more! Let’s break it down in this week’s edition of Women’s Wrestling Wrap-Up!

New Champions Crowned At Bound For Glory

IMPACT Wrestling held their annual Bound For Glory pay-per-view over the weekend, too much success for the Knockouts Division. In total, four Knockouts emerged victorious to claim new championship gold. 

Firstly, Jordynne Grace outlasted five other competitors to become the inaugural Digital Media Championship on the Bound For Glory “Countdown To Glory” pre-show. 

Jordynne Grace came out on top of a six-way intergender match to win the Digital Media Championship on the Bound For Glory “Countdown To Glory” pre-show. In a match that featured the likes of John Skyler, Fallah Bahh, Crazzy Steve, Chelsea Green and Madison Rayne, Grace managed to hit a Grace Driver on Skyler for the pinfall victory. This championship victory now marks Grace’s as the first Knockout to ever achieve a Triple Crown Champion status in IMPACT Wrestling. Grace previously also held the Knockouts Championship last year, and the Knockouts Tag Team Championships earlier this year with Rachael Ellering. 

The Knockouts Tag Team Championships also claimed new titleholders at Bound For Glory. The IInspiration (formerly IIconics in WWE) made their IMPACT Wrestling debut in grand fashion, with new gear and a live music performance during their entrance to open the main show at Bound For Glory. Now former champions, Decay’s Havok and Rosemary walked in with 98 days as champions. This bout saw a lot of back and forth competition, but closed as Rosemary met a knee strike by Cassie in the corner before The IInspiration successfully hit a tandem powerbomb for the win. The IInspiration now holds their second major tag team titles, previously claiming WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships in 2019. Now, they are the new Knockouts Tag Team Champions. 

Speaking of new champions, IMPACT also ushered in a new Knockouts Champion at Bound For Glory. 

First sparking their rivalry at Slammiversary, “The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo and “Hardcore Country” Mickie James have endured an intense exchange of words and physical action over the course of three months. Purrazzo even invaded James’ personal home and led a surprise attack in her barnyard. James then retorted by “picking her poison” in the form of Masha Slamovich at Knockouts Knockdown, where Purrazzo emerged victorious. Purrazzo answered back with “poison” of her own in Savannah Evans. James would also emerge victorious in that match, her first singles match in IMPACT in years. Finally, this feud officially came to a climax at Bound For Glory, where Deonna Purrazzo laid her Knockouts Championship on the line. 

The opening moments included a pre-match brawl, which led both competitors to the side of the stage before returning to the ring for the official bell. In a dream match considered by many, Purrazzo and James fought back and forth with impressive kickouts in a true high-stakes match environment. James shocked the world by becoming the first competitor to kick out of Purrazzo’s Queen’s Gambit move. The closing sequence of the match saw Mickie force a rope break to maneuver out of the armbar. Deonna attempted a DDT, but Mickie broke away and hit a signature tornado DDT to gain the pinfall victory.

Mickie James now holds the IMPACT Knockouts Championship for the first time since May of 2013. This win at Bound For Glory cements her fourth Knockouts title win overall. James now decorates as a 10-time Women’s World Champion across WWE and IMPACT Wrestling, as a former five-time WWE Women’s Championship five times and one-time WWE Divas Championship winner.

Deonna Purrazzo was previously undefeated in her last 15 singles matches in IMPACT, before her 343-day reign came to an end. Purrazzo beat the likes of Taya Valkyrie, Jazz, ODB, Melina, Masha Slamovich in more during her impressive second reign with the Knockouts Championship. 

Assuming Mickie James retains in a possible rematch against Purrazzo, she will go on to face the winner of the Knockouts Knockdown Tournament, Mercedes Martinez. “The Latina Sensation” outlasted seven other women at IMPACT’s Knockouts Knockdown event to earn a future championship opportunity. Martinez versus James will surely deliver quality competition between two in-ring veterans. 

RELATED: Mickie James Wins IMPACT Knockouts Championship At Bound For Glory

There is one other notable takeaway from the Knockouts performance at Bound For Glory. With the debut of The IInspiration in the IMPACT Zone, four former WWE women were featured on the card. All released on April 15th, 2021, Chelsea Green, Mickie James, Cassie Lee (formerly Peyton Royce), and Jessie McKay (formerly Billie Kay) all competed for championship gold this past weekend. Green competed for the inaugural Digital Media Championship on the “Countdown To Glory” pre-show. James walked away with the Knockouts Championship. The IInspiration now also sport championship gold with the Knockouts Tag Team Championships. 

Cheers to all the women for their spectacular performances at Bound For Glory!

A New WWE Era Begins: A Queen Is Crowned, Title Swaps, WWE Draft In Effect

WWE has officially ushered in a new era this last week. 

Firstly, the finals of the first-ever Queen’s Crown tournament concluded at WWE Crown Jewel last Thursday, which saw Zelina Vega square off with Doudrop. Vega hit a Code Red on Doudrop to gain the pinfall victory, and title of Queen. It should be noted that this match was also the longest recorded match of the whole Queen’s Crown tournament, coming in at about five minutes and fifty seconds.  This was just one of two women’s matches to take place in Saudi Arabia, with the Smackdown Women’s Championship also at stake in a competitive triple threat. 

Becky Lynch would retain her Smackdown Women’s Championship against “The Boss” Sasha Banks and “The EST” Bianca Belair in a highly praised matchup. In turn, Lynch would be the one to trade titles the next evening on Friday Night Smackdown, with the RAW Women’s Champion, Charlotte Flair. 

With WWE draft selections now officially in play, and each respective women’s champion swapping brands, Flair and Lynch commenced a familiar theme in trading championships. Last year, the New Day and the Street Profits traded RAW and Smackdown Tag Team Championships. This year, Flair the RAW Women’s Champion now becomes the Smackdown Women’s Champion. Accordingly, Becky Lynch now gains the Raw Women’s Championship in turn for trading her Smackdown Women’s Championship to Flair. 

As a reminder, here is a breakdown of the updated RAW and Smackdown women’s rosters, post-WWE Draft:

RAW 

  • RAW Women’s Champion – Becky Lynch
  • WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions: Nikki A.S.H. & Rhea Ripley
  • Bianca Belair 
  • Alexa Bliss
  • Carmella
  • Dana Brooke
  • Doudrop
  • Liv Morgan
  • Nia Jax
  • Mia Yim
  • Tegan Nox
  • Tamina
  • Zelina Vega

Smackdown

  • Smackdown  Women’s Champion – Charlotte Flair 
  • Sasha Banks
  • Natalya
  • Aliyah
  • B-Fab
  • Naomi
  • Shayna Baszler
  • Shotzi
  • Toni Storm
  • Xia Li

The first post-WWE Draft title defense has been slated for Monday Night RAW next week, where Becky Lynch will defend her newly regained RAW Women’s Championship against “The EST”, Bianca Belair. 

RELATED: Becky Lynch To Defend RAW Women’s Title Against Bianca Belair On 11/1 WWE RAW

PWI Women’s 150 Reveals Top Women’s Wrestlers 

Pro Wrestling Illustrated unveiled their annual Women’s List last week, expanding the crop from 100 to 150 women’s wrestlers this year. Atop that list stood “The EST of WWE”, Bianca Belair at number one. 

Belair successfully won the 2021 WWE Women’s Royal Rumble before going on to capture the Smackdown Women’s Championship against Sasha Banks in the main event of WrestleMania Night One. From there, she successfully retained against the likes of Bayley and Carmella, and even won an ESPY. Belair has undoubtedly demonstrated consistent work the entire evaluation period from October 1st 2020 to September 30th 2021. As a result, she was crowned number one on this year’s PWI Women’s 150 list. 

For reference, criteria for the “Women’s 150” list included:

  • In-Ring Achievement (championships, tournaments, win-loss record)
  • Influence (in one’s home promotion and the industry at large)
  • Technical Ability
  • Breadth and Quality of Competition
  • Activity

Rounding out the top five on the list included, Utami Hayashishita of Stardom at #2. Now former Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo clocked in a #3. All Elite Wrestling represented the number four and five slots in Britt Baker and Thunder Rosa, who competed in the company’s first ever women’s main event in an epic Lights Out match back in March. 

The entire PWI Women’s 150 issue is available digitally now, before hitting newsstands on November 9th. 

RELATED: Bianca Belair Ranks Number One On The PWI Women’s 150

TBS Championship Bracket Revealed, First Round Matches Commence

With the inaugural TBS Champion set to be crowned in early 2022, All Elite Wrestling released the official tournament bracket last week on Rampage. 

Here is a breakdown:

First-Round Byes

  • Thunder Rosa
  • Jade Cargill
  • Nyla Rose
  • Kris Statlander

First-Round Matchups

  • Anna Jay vs. Jamie Hayter
  • The Bunny vs. Red Velvet
  • Serena Deeb vs. Hikaru Shida
  • Penelope Ford vs. Ruby Soho

RELATED: TBS Championship Tournament Bracket Revealed On AEW Rampage

Penelope Ford and Ruby Soho competed in the first matchup over the weekend on AEW Dynamite. Soho proved victorious after applying the Gedo Clutch for the win. She now moves on to face Kris Statlander in the second round of the TBS Championship tournament. 

In addition to this matchup, AEW also announced a future title match for the AEW Women’s World Championship. Britt Baker will defend her championship against Tay Conti at Full Gear next month. 

INTERVIEWS

Independent wrestling star Gigi Rey joined Spencer Love of Love Wrestling to discuss her move to Texas from Alberta, learning from Michael Richard Blais, Thunder Rosa, and Booker T, the Clandestine Society, her Monday Night RAW appearance, dream opponents, and more!

UK Superstar Echo Reed talked with A Wrestling Gal about split dying her hair, her ring gear inspirations, breaking her braces in her debut match, her admiration for Natalya, and much more!

“The Golden One” Cassandra Golden appeared on The Hardy Wrestling Podcast about her career, the greatest things that wrestling has given her, and her journey as a growing talent! 

“The Latina Sensation” Mercedes Martinez chatted with Bell To Belles to discuss her last year in wrestling, Retribution, SHIMMER and WSU, Shayna Baszler, Nicole Savoy, and more!

IMPACT Knockouts Champion Mickie James joined Busted Open to discuss her victory  over Deonna Purrazzo at Bound For Glory, her journey in the business as a now 10-time champion, how much this title means to her and her goals with IMPACT Wrestling moving forward.

AEW star Tay Conti also spoke with Bell To Belles on TayJay, the new TBS title, and the difference between WWE and AEW, and more. 

Former Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo appeared on SEScoops to discuss Bound For Glory, Masha Slamovich signing with IMPACT, her feud with Mickie James, the IInspiration, and much more!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Pro Wrestling EVE – November 6th

Capital Championship Wrestling – November 6th

Read More: Mickie James Didn’t Think Knockouts Title Win Would Matter As Much As It Did: ‘There Was Nothing Sweeter’

Ella Jay
Ella Jay

Ella Jay is a writer, podcaster, interviewer, and host in the wrestling space.
Her love for professional wrestling sparked at the age of 11, finding Friday Night SmackDown while scrolling through channels. Ella watched and attended numerous wrestling events growing up, captivated by the likes of Jeff Hardy, Mickie James, and Shawn Michaels. 

Ella currently resides in Buffalo, NY and has a Bachelor's in Psychology and minored in Creative Writing at Canisius College. She also highly enjoys reality television and crime shows, specifically: Survivor, Big Brother, Law & Order: SVU, and NCIS.
Follow Ella on Twitter: @itsellajay

EMAIL: ellajayofficial@gmail.com

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