Women’s Wrestling Wrap-Up: NXT Iron Survivor Challenge Participants Unveiled, Tegan Nox Returns, Brooke Havok Interview

NXT announces the Iron Survivor Challenge competitors. IMPACT Wrestling makes a massive Knockouts Championship match for Hard To Kill. Tegan Nox returns to WWE. Brooke Havok chats with WrestleZone, and much more! Let’s break it down in this week’s edition of Women’s Wrestling Wrap-Up!

NXT Iron Survivor Challenge Participants Unveiled

WWE NXT will make history this weekend with the official introduction of a brand-new match type. At their NXT Deadline premium live event, two Iron Survivor Challenges will unfold, as five men and five women look to become number-one contenders for their respective singles championships.

As announced by WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels, the matches will culminate in “revolutionary” fashion. Two wrestlers will begin the bout, with a new competitor entering the match every five minutes. Each entrant will join with the same objective: earning the most points. Competitors can earn points by forcing their opponents into a pin or submission fall. However, if someone is the one to be pinned or submitted, they must spend 90 seconds in a nearby penalty box before they can re-enter the match. After 25 minutes, whoever racks up the most points will be deemed the Iron Survivor and earn a future title shot against NXT Women’s Champion Mandy Rose.

Last week on NXT, most of the entrants were announced by a panel of WWE Hall of Famers, including Shawn Michaels, Road Dogg, X-Pac, Molly Holly, and Alundra Blayze. For the women’s Iron Survivor Challenge, the following competitors were made official:

• Zoey Stark
• Cora Jade
• Roxanne Perez
• Kiana James

The fifth and final participant will be determined on tonight’s edition of NXT in a triple-threat match. Accordingly, Wendy Choo, Fallon Henley, and Indi Hartwell will battle for the wild card slot.

READ MORE: Shawn Michaels Announces Men’s Iron Survivor Challenge Participants For NXT Deadline

Tegan Nox Returns To WWE

“The Girl With The Shiniest Wizard” is now back in WWE.

Tegan Nox made her surprise return back to the company last Friday on SmackDown, coming to the aid of former SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan. As Morgan attempted to take down Damage CTRL, Tegan Nox ran in to join Morgan. Bayley, IYO SKY, and Dakota Kai initially grounded the colorful-haired Superstar, but Morgan even their odds with a kendo stick.

As Morgan damaged the trio with the kendo stick, Nox delivered a shining wizard to Bayley.

Nox was previously released from WWE in November 2021. For over a year, Nox remained out of in-ring competition, citing visa issues as the primary reason why. Now, she rejoins WWE and seemingly stands as an ally to beloved babyface Liv Morgan.

RELATED: WWE SmackDown Results (12/2/22)

IMPACT Knockouts Championship Match Announced For Hard To Kill

Mickie James’ “Last Rodeo” received its biggest challenge to date last Thursday. The “Hardcore Country” legend battled “The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo in a main-event clash of two former foes.

Both Knockouts fought valiantly, back and forth, but in the end, only one could emerge victorious. As Purrazzo applied her signature armbar, James reached the rope with her foot, breaking the hold. James then shifted her momentum into a roll-up on Purrazzo, lifting her tights to gain leverage, and earn the three count or the victory.

Following James’ victory, Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace appeared with a microphone and a challenge. Impressed by Mickie James’ “Last Rodeo” performances, Grace said it’s finally time for James to step up to the champion. Now, Mickie James will vie for the Knockouts Championship match at Hard To Kill on January 13th against the reigning defender, Jordynne Grace.

IMPACT released the following statement on the match:

For Jordynne Grace and Mickie James, the stakes have never been higher. Following her successful Knockouts World Title defense over Masha Slamovich in a grueling Last Knockout Standing match, Grace has turned her attention towards the legendary Mickie James. For months, James has been working her way through the ranks of the Knockouts Division, in what she called The Last Rodeo. With her career on the line, every match was must-win for “Hardcore Country”. And after her victory over longtime rival Deonna Purrazzo, James was confronted by the reigning Knockouts World Champion who deemed that she had successfully worked her way back to the top. Now two of the greatest Knockouts in IMPACT history will collide with both the Knockouts World Title and James’ career at stake – and something has got to give. Grace vs James, Title vs Career – it all goes down at Hard To Kill.

SEE MORE: IMPACT WRESTLING RESULTS – DECEMBER 1, 2022

ROH Women’s World Championship Match Set For Final Battle

Ring of Honor gears up for its last pay-per-view of the year this weekend with Final Battle. There, an ROH Women’s World Championship has been announced.

In December, Mercedes Martinez will defend her title at the ROH Final Battle pay-per-view against “The Fallen Angel” Athena. Martinez returned to programming on November 18th after a four-month hiatus from injury. In the weeks that followed, the newly turned heel Athena had her eyes set on some gold, specifically the Ring of Honor Women’s Championship.

Athena now receives the title opportunity to do so, as she takes on Martinez in Arlington, Texas.

RELATED: ROH Pure Championship Match Set For ROH Final Battle

West Coast Pro Announces Inaugural Tournament

An exciting tournament will culminate next year to crown the “Queen of the Indies.”

West Coast Pro Wrestling recently announced its first-ever Queen of Indies tournament, set to feature a number of the top independent wrestling stars from around the world. From San Franciso, California, the women will compete for the prestigious and inaugural title.

As of this writing, no official talent announcements have been made for the May 2023 event.

West Coast Pro’s 2022 King of Indies tournament took place last month, with former ROH World Television Champion Dragon Lee emerging victorious.

Who would you like to see in the first-ever “Queen of the Indies” tournament?? Let us know in the comments below!

INTERVIEWS:

“The Leader of the Emo Heads” Brooke Havok speaks with WrestleZone’s own Ella Jay about recent training at Hart Dungeon, undergoing two ACL surgeries, her official comeback to the wrestling ring, holiday memories, and much more!

Former Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo spoke with DAZN Wrestling about wrestling Mickie James, her Mt. Rushmore of Women’s Wrestling, marrying Steve Maclin, and more.

AEW manager Vickie Guerrero appeared on PWI’s FaceTurn with Candace Cordelia to discuss Vickie’s unconventional path into the business, the origin of her famous catchphrase, working with Nyla Rose, and much more.

WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Dakota Kai appeared on Getting Over to talk about her return to WWE at SummerSlam, her recent performance at Survivor Series WarGames, the origins and formation of Damage CTRL, and much more.

Independent star Missa Kate joined Women’s Wrestling Talk to discuss how she fell in love with wrestling, her conflict with Madi Wrenkowski & and the meaning behind: “The Kick-fil-A”.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Mission Pro Wrestling: Silver Belles 2 – December 10th