Some exciting news has emerged within the last week in the women’s wrestling world: ROH Women’s Champion Rok-C appears amongst the recent WWE tryouts, Mickie James versus Deonna Purrazzo soon compete in a Texas Death Match, AEW unveils their Owen Hart Cup, and much more! Check it out on this week’s edition of Women’s Wrestling Wrap-Up!
Notable Names Appear At Recent WWE Tryouts
WWE recently conducted tryouts at the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida last week. A photo gallery revealed some notable names in women’s wrestling, whom attended the tryouts. Perhaps most notably, Ring of Honor Women’s World Champion, Rok-C, was spotted taking part in the December tryouts.
Rok-C recently successfully defended the ROH Women’s Championship at Final Battle against Willow, before being met by a challenge from the Reina De Reinas Champion, Deonna Purrazzo. Now slated for a Winner Takes All match against Purrazzo, Rok-C finds herself in the midst of an intriguing program. While the date for that match has yet to be announced, Rok-C is already making moves while Ring of Honor takes their hiatus.
Major League Wrestling previously announced that Rok-C will be making her debut in January at the Blood & Thunder event against Miranda Gordy.
Rok-C has certainly had a breakthrough year in 2021, simultaneously holding three championships: ROH Women’s World Championship, New Texas Pro Women’s Championship, and the Sabotage War of the Genders Championship. After capturing the inaugural Ring Of Honor Women’s World Championship at Death Before Dishonor in September, Rok-C achieved a string of impressive title defenses on the independent scene. In October, she was awarded the #28 ranking on Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s Women’s 150 List.
Take a look inside the December 2021 WWE tryout at the WWE Performance Center in this exclusive photo gallery! https://t.co/d2UCNBG74q
— WWE (@WWE) December 18, 2021
Now, less than a week after her title defense at Final Battle, Rok-C found herself amongst an elite group of competitors in WWE’s latest tryout. But she wasn’t the only fierce superstar spotted in this group.
Mission Pro Tag Team Champions and Capital Championship Wrestling Tag Team Champions, the Renegade Twins were also present. Respectively Charlette and Robyn, The Regenade Twins trained at the Nightmare Factory under QT Marshall before debuting on AEW Dark earlier this year.
Additionally, “The Number One Angel” Notorious Mimi appeared at the tryouts as well. A former Titan Championship Wrestling Goddess Champion, Mimi made her pro wrestling debut in 2019 under the training of the Monster Factory. She reigns as the current MFPW Women’s Champion.
“The Spartan Warrior” Nikita Knight was also seen at the recent tryouts. Hailing from “The Steel City”, Knight appeared on AEW Dark twice this year, including once against Thunder Rosa in September. Alongside her training at the Stronghold Wrestling Academy, she impresses with a background in gymnastics and competitive cheerleading.
3 words… chase your dreams
thank you @WWE pic.twitter.com/s4Z5wuekep— Thea Hail (@theahail_wwe) December 19, 2021
Lastly, Battle Arts Academy Women’s Champion Bianca Carelli also took part in the December tryouts. Carelli recently made her move from Canada to the United States to begin new training in Florida. Additionally, Carelli appeared at NWA’s first-ever all-women’s pay-per-view, Empowerrr, over the summer in the Women’s Invitational. Carelli carries herself a second-generation superstar, as the daughter of former WWE talent, Santino Marella.
No official signings from this tryout have been confirmed, but WrestleZone will keep you informed as soon as details become available.
James And Purrazzo To Collide In Texas Death Match
Last week on IMPACT Wrestling, the Knockouts division received some breaking news. Knockouts World Champion Mickie James is slated to defend her title against former champion, Deonna Purrazzo, at Hard to Kill on January 8th.
Following Purrazzo’s attack on the champion after James’ victory at Turning Point in November, “The Virtuosa” invoked her rematch clause for the Knockouts Championship. Mickie James previously defeated Purrazzo at Bound For Glory, ending her 343-day reign as champion.
Throughout months of barnyard brawls, picking each other’s poison, and obvious tension, James and Purrazzo will meet once again at IMPACT’s upcoming Hard To Kill pay-per-view. With the title on the line once again, IMPACT Wrestling upped the stakes for this rematch.
Mickie James versus Deonna Purrazzo will now be set in a Texas Death Match for the Knockouts World Championship on January 8th.
ITS OFFICIAL!
@MickieJames vs @DeonnaPurrazzo will now be a TEXAS DEATH MATCH!Be at #HardToKill LIVE @thefactoryDE in Dallas, Texas!
TICKETS: https://t.co/Ijd0hGrl2t pic.twitter.com/RN42xfEGIi
— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) December 17, 2021
Traditionally, a Texas Death Match is similar to a Last Man Standing Match. There are usually no disqualifications and pinfalls will count anywhere. After a three-count pinfall is secured, a ten count is initiated on the competitor who was pinned. That competitor then has ten seconds to reach their feet or get back into the ring. If they fail to do either, the competitor loses.
IMPACT Wrestling has yet to confirm the exact format and rules of this Texas Death Match for the Knockouts Championship, but it will surely be an all-out battle.
Moreover, the result of this championship match is very crucial to determining the placement and stakes of the upcoming Winner Takes All Match between Deonna Purrazzo and ROH Women’s World Champion, Rok-C. As the current AAA Reina De Reinas Champion, Purrazzo challenged Rok-C to a high-stakes championship matchup for sometime in the new year. This match does not have an exact date yet, but it will take place after the Knockouts Championship match at Hard To Kill.
Should Purrazzo walk away with the Knockouts Championship following Hard To Kill, that title would subsequently be added to this Winner Takes All match against Rok-C. However, should Mickie James retain, could we see this become a triple threat match??
Deonna Purrazzo has another obstacle in her way ahead of this highly anticipated match though, in the form of Taya Valkyrie. Valkyrie recently returned to AAA on December 4th following her WWE release, with a clear statement for the current Reina De Reinas Champion. “Deonna, you have something that belongs to me,” Valkyrie declared in a short vignette.
Ironically, Valkyrie last shared a ring with Purrazzo at IMPACT’s Hard To Kill show this past January.
With Taya Valkyrie now in pursuit of the Reina De Reinas Championship, Deonna Purrazzo has some stiff competition ahead of her before this Winner Takes All Match happens with Rok-C. No official date has been given for the assumed match between Valkyrie and Purrazzo, but perhaps it will be sooner rather than later.
Nevertheless, “The Virtuosa” has cemented herself in the middle of three fierce challengers. Women’s wrestling fans are certainly in for a treat though.
Read More: Mickie James On Rekindling Her Feud With Deonna Purrazzo: The Stakes Are Even Higher Now
Women’s Owen Hart Cup Confirmed
Last week on Rampage, All Elite Wrestling revealed that their inaugural Owen Hart Cup is soon to begin.
With both women’s and men’s tournaments set for May, AEW revealed that the respective finals of both tournaments will conclude at the Double Or Nothing pay-per-view. Dr. Marth Hart was also announced to be presenting the awards for both tournament winners.
Last Friday on Busted Open Radio, Tony Khan made the initial announcement:
“I’m excited tonight to announce the when and the where for the Owen Hart Cup, but for the first time I’ll say it — there will be singles [wrestlers] tournaments, there will be two tournaments. There’s going to be a men’s Owen Hart Cup winner and a women’s Owen Hart Cup winner, and that’s the first time I’ve ever announced that. It’s great, I talked to Dr. Martha Hart and she hasn’t followed wrestling that closely, but from afar she knows that there’s been huge, huge developments and so many great women’s stars have emerged in the last 20-plus years, and really, now it’s such a huge part of wrestling and there’s more great women’s wrestling than there was 20-years-ago-plus when Owen Hart was an active competitor. So I told Martha I think it would be really great for the fans, it would be tremendous if we had two Cups; a men’s winner and a women’s winner, and Martha thought that was tremendous.”
The #OwenHartCup men’s and women’s tournaments will take place in May, culminating with both finals at #AEW Double or Nothing with Dr. Martha Hart on hand to award the cups to the winners. We’ll have more on #TheOwen WEDNESDAY on #AEWDynamite
Watch #AEWRampage NOW on @tntdrama! pic.twitter.com/Jelc6I85XR
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) December 18, 2021
No competitors have been confirmed for either tournament thus far, but more details regarding the Owen Hart Cup will be revealed on tomorrow’s edition of AEW Dynamite.
RELATED: AEW’s Owen Hart Cup Will Feature Men’s And Women’s Tournaments
Credit to WrestleZone for the above transcriptions.
INTERVIEWS
PCW Ultra Women’s Champion Viva Van spoke with Da Call Up Podcast about the Viva Van name, food, possible facing Thunder Rosa again, her favorite music, and more!
AEW star Tay Conti appeared on Elite POV to discuss her match at Full Gear, reaction to her first AEW action figure, her desire to wrestle in Japan and more!
Pro wrestler and manager Jade Chung chatted with A Wrestling Gal about starting her own small business, balancing a hectic schedule, finding her voice in podcasting, her favorite couples in wrestling, and more!
Former Knockouts Tag Team Champion Rosemary joined Inside The Ropes to discuss, the Tag Me In Campaign, Daffney, the first-ever Knockouts Ultimate X Match, the IMPACT locker room and much more.
NWA broadcaster Mayra Dias Gomes spoke with Samira of WrestlingNewsCo about
EMPOWERRR, working with Madusa and Mickie James, her broadcasting career within NWA, and more!
Reina De Reinas Champion Deonna Purrazzo appeared on the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling Podcast to discuss ROH, IMPACT, NWA, Mickie James, Chelsea Green, her dream matches, AAA, and so much more!
Ring of Honor star Willow Nightingale recently appeared on In & Out The Locker Room to discuss her recent experiences in Ring Of Honor, CCW, international wrestling goals, methods for unwinding, and more!
Read More: Scarlett Bordeaux Reveals She Was Originally Set To Manage Damian Priest In WWE
