Mickie James' Last Rodeo Comes To An End, Jessica Troy Interview

Mickie James’ Last Rodeo comes to an end at Hard To Kill. An AEW Rampage Street Fight turns bloody. A RAW Women’s Championship match is set for the Royal Rumble. Jessica Troy chats with WrestleZone, and more! Let’s break it all down in this week’s edition of Women’s Wrestling Wrap-Up!

The Last Rodeo Comes To An End

One way or another, the Last Rodeo was coming to an end at IMPACT Wrestling’s Hard To Kill pay-per-view over the weekend.

Late last summer, Mickie James laid down an ultimatum for herself: she’d win or retire. Following her emotional “Last Rodeo” declaration, James completed an impressive series of matches, with her 20+ year career at stake every time. The goal? Reclaiming the Knockouts Championship.

After defeating her former rival Deonna Purrazzo yet again, James finally met the opportunity she spent months looking for. Impressed by James’ tenacity and recent string of victories, Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace offered James a title match at the company’s annual Hard To Kill pay-per-view on January 13th — the same event James conquered a Texas Death Match at the year prior.

The two soon collided in the main event, in a title vs career match. Grace laid her Knockouts Championship on the line, while James raised up her legendary career. This bout also marked the first time these two had ever collided one-on-one before.

In a nearly 20-minute epic battle, Grace and James brought out all the stops. James managed to escape a Grace Driver and a nasty sleeperhold, while Grace kicked out of James’ signature DDT. In the end, however, James’ tornado DDT would prove to be too much for Jordynne Grace, as James clutched the pinfall, securing the Knockouts Championship and keeping her career intact.

A recap of the closing moments of the match can be read below, courtesy of our live coverage page.

Mickie goes for a rollup, but Jordynne hooks her in a rear choke. James throws her legs back and gets a near fall, but Jordynne goes right back to a grapevine sleeperhold. Mickie reaches for the ropes and can’t make it, but she finds life after the ref raises her arm to check on her. Jordynne stops the momentum by slamming her into the turnbuckle pad, then backs up for a corner tackle. Mickie sidesteps her and sends her shoulder first into the ring post, then hits a tornado DDT for the win.

Winner and NEW IMPACT Knockouts Champion – Mickie James

SHE DID IT! @MickieJames is the NEW Knockouts World Champion! #HardToKill pic.twitter.com/wYiIqADwd0

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) January 14, 2023

Elsewhere on the card, Masha Slamovich emerged victorious in a fatal-four-way match to clutch the title of number one contender for the Knockouts Championship. Assuming Mickie James holds on to the title in a possible rematch against Jordynne Grace, the two will meet for the first time with James’ newly won Knockouts Championship on the line.

Bloody Street Fight Main Events AEW Rampage

The theme of women main eventing continued on Friday, with a Street Fight on AEW Rampage.

There, Ruby Soho teamed with Willow Nightingale to take on two members of the Jericho Appreciation Society, Anna Jay A.S. and Tay Melo. All four women utilized the environment to their advantage, incorporating a vast, and brutal, variety of weapons. Each team traded blows with a garbage can. Anna Jay delivered a barbed-wire Queen Slayer to Nightingale at one point, as “The Babe With The Power” later sent Jay through a table.

In the end, though, thumbtacks would be the difference maker. Tay Melo introduced the tacks into the match, dumping them out in the ring with the intention of piledriving Soho through them. A bloody Soho managed to counter it, however, throwing a handful of thumbtacks at Melo’s face. Stunned, Melo then ate a Destination Unknown from Soho, taking the pinfall, as Soho and Nightingale clutched the win.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1614111052412686338?s=20&t=FjVBRP3xrAN169FYYp5eNQ

RAW Women’s Championship Match Set For The Royal Rumble

With the Royal Rumble rapidly approaching, a new match officially emerged for the annual pay-per-view.

Last night on RAW, Bianca Belair returned to the red brand following an attack from Alexa Bliss a couple of weeks ago. “The EST” showed great poise, challenging Bliss to explain her actions to Belair’s face. Bliss soon emerged, stating that Belair (and everyone else) fears her. Bliss then pivoted her attention to the Royal Rumble, seemingly keen on entering the 30-woman match, but Belair offered her something even better: another RAW Women’s Championship title opportunity.

Confused, Bliss asked what the catch was, but Belair revealed there wasn’t one. The “Five Feet Of Fury” agreed, as the two then brawled at ringside, and then into the crowd. Belair set up Bliss for a KOD over two chairs but became spooked when a silhouette of Uncle Howdy appeared amidst the smoke. As Belair appeared distracted, Bliss slipped down from Belair’s shoulders, hitting her with a DDT to the floor.

Now, the two will meet again on January 28th with the RAW Women’s Championship on the line.

Look who just showed up on #WWERaw!! ? pic.twitter.com/2puwF7l9Ho

— WWE (@WWE) January 17, 2023

Per WWE:

At Royal Rumble, a very dangerous Alexa Bliss will challenge Bianca Belair for the Raw Women’s Title with the ominous Uncle Howdy lurking in the shadows.

In a hard-fought Raw Women’s Championship Match pitting Belair against Bliss on Raw, the sudden appearance of several Uncle Howdy masks in the crowd caused The Goddess of WWE to completely snap. After taking out the referee, Bliss executed a brutal attack on The EST of WWE, smashing her on the steel steps and taking her out of action.

In the wake of the haunting onslaught, Bliss made it clear that the title was all but hers. She later insisted that the titleholder should not fear Bray Wyatt or Uncle Howdy but that Belair should fear her because she is the “face of evil.” Despite doubts being cast on the situation by an emerging Uncle Howdy, Bliss maintained her focus when Belair returned from her injuries. As the two irate Superstars brawled into the crowd, however, Uncle Howdy again made an appearance to drastically affect the melee and cast further doubt over whether he is actually the one in control.

Don’t miss the highly-anticipated rematch for the Raw Women’s Title when Royal Rumble emanates live from the Alamodome in San Antonio on Saturday, Jan. 28, at 8 ET/5 PT, streaming live exclusively on Peacock in the United States and WWE Network everywhere else!

READ MORE: WWE Raw Results (1/16/23)

INTERVIEWS

“The Arm Collector” Jessica Troy speaks with WrestleZone’s own Ella Jay about the legacy of Kellyanne, coaching at PWA, winning the Melbourne City Wrestling Women’s Championship, her ring gear inspirations, and much more.

IMPACT Knockouts Champion Mickie James spoke with WrestleZone’s Bill Pritchard about deciding to put her career on the line for her Last Rodeo, facing Jordynne Grace, if she has made any post-wrestling plans yet, why she won’t watch slasher movies, what she’s learned from Nick Aldis about the wrestling business and more.

“Wilde Witch” Taylor Wilde chatted with WrestleZone‘s Bill Pritchard about her return to IMPACT Wrestling, the reception to her new ‘Wilde Witch’ character, how it’s grounded in real life, her number one contender’s match at Hard To Kill, who she wants to work with next and more.

Former WWE Women’s Champion Candice Michelle joined Ring the Belle to discuss forming the “Vince’s Devils” stable with Torrie Wilson and Victoria, her memorable feud with Melina and Beth Phoenix, a possible return to the ring, and more.

TBS Champion Jade Cargill appeared on The Bootleg Kev Podcast to discuss being AEW’s TBS Champion, her beef with Bow Wow, plans to be the female Dwayne Johnson, and more.