The IInspiration
Photo Credit: IMPACT Wrestling

Women’s Wrestling Wrap-Up: The IInspiration Is Bound For Glory, WWE Queen’s Crown Pros And Cons

By Ella Jay

The IInspiration is Bound For Glory, Deonna Purrazzo and Mickie James look to clash in a dream match, WWE’s Queen’s Crown Tournament finals are set, and more! Let’s break it down in this week’s Women’s Wrestling Wrap-Up!

Bound For Glory Preview: The IInspiration Are Coming, Purrazzo vs James

Women’s wrestling is about to become IIconic, or should I say, IInspiration-al?

IMPACT’s Bound For Glory pay-per-view is just days away, with two women’s championship matches set to emanate from Las Vegas. Coming off the heels of Knockouts Knockdown, IMPACT dropped a major announcement that the highly sought-after team of The IInspiration have not only officially signed with the company, but are set to debut at IMPACT’s biggest event of the year, Bound For Glory.

In addition, Jessica McKay and Cassie Lee will now also receive a Knockouts Tag Team Championship opportunity against the current champions, Decay, at Bound For Glory. 

IMPACT Wrestling released the following excerpt about the Knockouts Tag Team Championship match: 

The IInspiration is coming to Bound For Glory – and they’re coming for the Knockouts Tag Team Championships! In the closing moments of Knockouts Knockdown, we learned that Cassie Lee and Jessica McKay will be making their IMPACT debut at Bound For Glory. We can now confirm that The IInspiration will compete at IMPACT Wrestling’s biggest event of the year as they challenge Decay for the Knockouts Tag Team Championships! Having held tag team gold in the past, it’s no surprise that The IInspiration have set their sights on capturing the Knockouts Tag Team Titles. But their opponents, Havok and Rosemary, are not to be taken lightly as they have proven to be a powerful force during their title reign. Will The IInspiration become Knockouts Tag Team Champions in their very first match in IMPACT or will Decay spoil their arrival in the name of The Shadow?

RELATED: The IInspiration Challenge For Knockouts Tag Titles At IMPACT Wrestling’s Bound For Glory PPV

In addition, Deonna Purrazzo is slated to defend her Knockouts Championship against Mickie James after months of tension. The two will officially collide for the first time in IMPACT Wrestling this Saturday, October 23rd at Bound For Glory in a dream match. 

IMPACT Wrestling released the following excerpt, detailing the two’s rivalry and upcoming match:

At Bound For Glory, Deonna Purrazzo will put her Knockouts Title on the line against Mickie James in one of the most anticipated matches in IMPACT Wrestling history. It all started when James recruited Purrazzo to compete at NWA’s first-ever all women’s pay-per-view, NWA EmPowerrr. After several heated exchanges with James in the leadup to the event, Purrazzo would go on to retain her Knockouts Title against the legendary Melina on that very night. But it was what happened just 24 hours later at NWA 73 that truly changed everything. Following her return to in-ring competition, Mickie James was assaulted by Deonna Purrazzo, bringing a grim end to her monumental moment. Vowing to show her what “Hardcore Country” was all about, James would retaliate with an all-out attack on Purrazzo inside the IMPACT Zone. But when James challenged Purrazzo to a Knockouts Title match at IMPACT Wrestling’s biggest event of the year, Purrazzo would turn her down, citing that she hadn’t earned the opportunity. Luckily for James, IMPACT Executive Vice President Scott D’Amore happened to disagree, vetoing Purrazzo’s decision and making the match official. Will Deonna Purrazzo continue her dominant reign as one of the greatest Knockout Champions of all time? Or will Mickie James prove why she’s one of the pillars of IMPACT Wrestling and capture Knockouts gold once again

Bound For Glory airs Saturday, October 23rd at 10 pm est / 7 pm pt on FITE.

Read More: Mandy Rose Wants To Show Her ‘Ruthless Aggression’ On WWE NXT 2.0

Queen’s Crown Finals Set

The final of WWE’s inaugural Queen’s Crown tournament is now officially set. In a tournament with fan favorites and former champions, it is now down to two: Zelina Vega and Doudrop. 

Possibly the biggest underdog in the tournament, Zelina Vega faced her ally, Carmella, last Friday on Smackdown in the semi-finals.  Prior to the official match, Vega and Carmella reached a “lady’s agreement”, promising not to hit one another in the face. As “The Most Beautiful Woman In WWE”, Carmella is known for shielding her beautiful face from strikes, and in recent weeks, she’s dawned a glittery protective face mask. 

Zelina and Carmella formed a formidable tag team over the last couple months. Their partnership was seemingly strengthened after both overcoming the likes of Liv Morgan and Toni Storm in the opening round of the Queen’s Crown Tournament. When the two met in the semi-finals though, this dynamic shifted. Vying for the title of Queen, Vega attempted an early win out of the gate with a quick pinning attempt, but Carmella kicked out. Carmella then took some control of her opponent, striking Vega with a kick to the head before realizing she broke their pre-match agreement. She repeatedly stopped and apologized to Vega as a result. 

Vega quickly retorted though, striking Carmella back with a series of punches. Carmella then rolled out of the ring, seemingly headed to get her familiar face mask at ringside. However, she was met by her rival, Liv Morgan, taunting her with it in her hands. Morgan motioned as if she were to hit Carmella, which caused Carmella to retreat back into the ring. This distraction allowed Vega to sneak a rollup pin for the win. Zelina Vega now heads to Crown Jewel where she competes in the finals of the first-ever Queen’s Crown tournament against RAW’s Doudrop.

Last night on RAW, Doudrop competed in a semi-final matchup against “The Queen of Spades”, Shayna Baszler. Zelina Vega also watched her prospective opponents from the throne on the stage. Baszler landed a Saito suplex on Doudrop relatively quickly, then locked in her signature Kirifuda Clutch. Doudrop managed to fight out of the submission and flipped the script on the former NXT Women’s Champion. In perhaps the biggest shock of the tournament, Doudrop then flipped Baszler onto her back, allowing her to score the pinfall victory. Baszler was previously on Friday Night Smackdown last week in a two-on-one handicap match, teaming with Sonya Deville against Naomi. 

Doudrop now advances to the finals of the Queen’s Crown tournament at Crown Jewel after defying the odds against a tournament favorite. Perhaps the most unlikely tandem to meet at the end, Zelina Vega and Doudrop will vie for the title of Queen this Thursday. 

Despite the history-making moments in this tournament, it should be noted that the duration of the Queen’s Crown Tournament is utterly shocking. From bell to bell, no match from any round has gone over three minutes of in-ring action, which led to the disappointment of many fans. Moreover, fan favorites Toni Storm and Liv Morgan, were knocked out of the tournament in the opening round. Arguably the favored winner, Shayna Baszler was also shockingly eliminated from the tournament pre-finals. So, while the Queen’s Crown tournament is a herstory-making celebration of women’s wrestling in WWE, the match quality and bracket results cannot be overlooked. 

Here is a full breakdown of all the match times thus far in the tournament:

RELATED: Doudrop To Face Zelina Vega In WWE Queen’s Crown Finals

On a positive note, two great women’s matches highlighted Friday Night Smackdown and Monday Night RAW this past week. On Friday, “Big Time Bex” Becky Lynch took on “The Boss” Sasha Banks in an intense match that lasted over seventeen minutes. In the end, however, a distraction from Bianca Belair allowed Banks to hit the Banks Statement on Lynch and secure the pinfall. 

Monday featured a RAW Women’s Championship match, as Charlotte Flair defended against “The EST” Bianca Belair. Similarly, great in-ring action ensued with beautiful reversals and a brutal spear. In the end, Belair evades a moonsault by Flair and successfully hits a nasty German suplex on “The Queen”. Belair then follows up with a powerbomb, as Flair kicks out.  Flair had enough, as she grabbed a chair and subsequently struck Belair with it, resulting in a disqualification finish. Charlotte Flair retains.

INTERVIEWS

Former Smackdown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks spoke with The New York Post about being a big star, Becky Lynch’s return, the Queen’s Crown Tournament and more. 

Former TCW Women’s Champion Chakra appeared on A Wrestling Gal to discuss working towards her business certification, true crime television, early 2010’s TNA, the inspiration behind the “The Golden Goddess” image, and much more!

Former Smackdown Women’s Champion Carmella recently joined WWE After The Bell to talk about her famous Superstar impressions, how her protective mask was made, social media negativity, and more. 

“The Russian Dynamite” Masha Slamovich recently chatted with Off The Top Ropes Podcast about her appearance at Knockouts Knockdown, wrestling Lady Frost, advice to aspiring wrestlers

Finnish wrestling pioneer Regina Rosendahl appeared on Wilde On to discuss her first memories in wrestling, American Horror Story, witches, and much more. 

Former FFW Women’s Champion Nadia Sapphire joined According To Woods to talk about being a content creator, her ventures in professional wrestling, WWE’s Four Horsewomen, and more. 

NXT Women’s Champion Raquel Gonzalez spoke with Yahoo Sports about watching her father wrestle growing up, her Latino heritage, transitioning from heel to babyface, and more.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

NWA: By Any Means Necessary

Read More: Bring It To The Table: Marina Shafir Aims To Prove Herself At ‘Bloodsport’

Ella Jay
Ella Jay

Ella Jay is a writer, podcaster, interviewer, and host in the wrestling space.
Her love for professional wrestling sparked at the age of 11, finding Friday Night SmackDown while scrolling through channels. Ella watched and attended numerous wrestling events growing up, captivated by the likes of Jeff Hardy, Mickie James, and Shawn Michaels. 

Ella currently resides in Buffalo, NY and has a Bachelor's in Psychology and minored in Creative Writing at Canisius College. She also highly enjoys reality television and crime shows, specifically: Survivor, Big Brother, Law & Order: SVU, and NCIS.
Follow Ella on Twitter: @itsellajay

EMAIL: [email protected]

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