Mickie James Retains Knockouts Title In Texas Death Match

Mickie James has had a busy and eventful week, and it continued on Saturday night, as she took down Deonna Purrazzo to retain her Knockouts World Championship.

Just a day after the surprising news that she would be participating in WWE’s Women’s Royal Rumble, James took to the ring and walked out as defending champion following a brutal match with Purrazzo.

Towards the end of the match and outside of the ring, Mickie was able to survive a Mick-DT by Deonna before throwing her into a pile of rubble that had accrued. WIth Purrazzo too exhausted to get up, the referee counted to ten to hand James the win.

A full recap of the match from our play-by-play coverage is below:

Mickie and Deonna get to the mat, but then they slug it out after a visual pin attempt by Mickie. Deonna catches Mickie with a Hot Shot. Deonna locks in a Butterfly lock and Mickie submits, but answers the count at three. They show Rok-C at ringside. Mickie and Deonna begin tossing chairs in the ring. Despite that, Mickie and Deonna fight on the outside. Deonna sends Mickie into a ring post.

Deonna confronts Rok-C before hitting Mickie with a golf club. The two fight to the top of the ramp. Deonna nails a suplex on the stage. Deonna walks to the back before returning witht a road case cart. She slides it ino Mickie. Deonna gets a pin and Hebner counts. Mickie gets to her feet, bloody at nine. Deonna immediately takes rapid shots a Mickie. James plows Deonna into the ring apron several times. In the ring,Mickie ducks a chair shot and locks in a single leg crab. Mickie dropkicks Deonna through the ropes. A table is set up in the ring and Deonna plows Mickie into it before she dumps out thumbtacks. Mickie James gets booted down into them after she tries a Mick-DT to Deonna. “Holy shit” chants break out. Deonna chokes Mickie with her own ring gear as Purrazzo makes her submit. Referee counts but Mickie gets up and Deonna fights with her. Mickie pulls out a guitar, but Deonna gets her back in the ring and places a chair on Mickie’s knee. Mickie is in the thumbtacks. James nails Deonna with the chair up top. Mickie Thesz presses Deonna off the apron to get the three count. Deonna is bleeding. Rehwoldt enters and picks Deonna up right before ten. Mickie dives on top of both. Deonna is bloody now too along with Mickie. Mickie sets up a table and gets Deonna on top of it. Mickie climbs up top, but Deonna gives her a shot and she nails a Queen’s Gambit on Mickie through the table (Deonna takes most of the blow). Deonna pins Mickie for three. Ref counts but Mickie just answers at nine. Mickie catches a chair and jabs Deonna with it. Mickie grabs the guitar and nails Matthew with it. Mick-DT by Deonna. Three count. The ref counts as Mickie buries the chaos on top of Deonna. Ref counts to ten.

WINNER and STILL Knockouts Champion: Mickie James