When Deonna Purrazzo Found Out Mickie James Would Be Relinquishing IMPACT Knockouts Title
Due to a rib injury, Mickie James was unable to compete at IMPACT Sacrifice, leaving Jordynne Grace without an opponent.
Grace did not receive her IMPACT Knockouts Title match at IMPACT Sacrifice, and she would have to wait until IMPACT Rebellion to compete for the title. Deonna Purrazzo earned her place in the match against Grace at Rebellion by defeating Masha Slamovich, Gisele Shaw, and Miyu Yamashita at IMPACT x NJPW Multiverse United.
If James had been cleared, she would have been added to the match, making it a three-way bout. If she hadn’t been cleared, Grace and Purrazzo would compete for the vacant title in a singles bout.
James stood in an empty arena on the April 13 episode of IMPACT and disclosed that she had not been approved, leaving the championship and her hat in the ring.
“That’s when both Jordynne and I found out,”
Deonna Purrazzo via In The Weeds
“We were waiting just like the rest of the world to know what that match was going to be. It was a bit of uncertainty. Leading into Mickie’s announcement and then only having Friday and Saturday to prepare for this match, knowing that there is this pressure on us and we want to outdo ourselves. We want to do better. Jordynne wants to win, but I want to win, and all those things. It was interesting to watch, and of course, with Mickie, it was very dramatic. That was her moment and she took it and we don’t know what’s next for Mickie. She kind of left it open-ended, she left the belt in the ring, and said ‘It’s your time now.’ We are all very interested, myself, Jordynne, the IMPACT Wrestling world is excited to know what that meant for Mickie James and what that means for her future. She never lost the Knockouts World Championship. Does that mean she’s gunning for me? Is she the first person to want to challenge me? I don’t know. There is a lot of uncertainty.”
Deonna Purrazzo via In The Weeds
Purrazzo won the Knockouts Title for the third time when he defeated Grace in the main event of IMPACT Rebellion. When James will return to the ring is unknown.
h/t Fightful
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