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Photo Credit: IMPACT Wrestling

Women’s Wrestling Wrap-Up: VXT Captures Knockouts Tag Titles, Killer Kelly Returns, WWE Women’s Tag Tourney Continues

By Ella Jay

VXT (Chelsea Green & Deonna Purrazzo) capture the Knockouts Tag Team Championships. Killer Kelly officially makes her IMPACT Wrestling re-debut. WWE continues their Women’s Tag Team Championship tournament, and more! Let’s break it down in this week’s edition of Women’s Wrestling Wrap-Up!

VXT CAPTURES KNOCKOUTS TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS, KILLER KELLY MAKES IMPACT IN-RING REDEBUT

VXT has officially climbed the tag team mountain.

Real life best friends, Chelsea Green and Deonna Purrazzo have translated their friendship over to IMPACT Wrestling television in recent months. On August 12th, the duo finally emerged victorious with tag team gold.

On the Countdown To Emergence, Purrazzo and Green challenged then Knockouts Tag Team Champions Taya Valkyrie and Rosemary. Partly thanks to some inadvertent mist sprayed into Valkyrie’s eyes by Rosemary, VXT managed to land a double suplex to capture the win.

This win marks Chelsea Green’s first major championship since she won the Knockouts Championship (as Laurel Van Ness) on November 8, 2017. In addition, this becomes the first tag team championship of any kind in the career of both Knockouts. With Rosemary and Valkyrie now dethroned, the era of VXT is among us.

Also on the Emergence card, Jordynne Grace successfully defeated Mia Yim to retain her Knockouts World Championship.

READ MORE: IMPACT Wrestling Emergence Results (8/12/22)

Ahead of the IMPACT Emergence event, a Knockout made her official in-ring debut as a contracted talent. Killer Kelly defeated Tiffany Nieves on the August 11th edition of IMPACT Wrestling on AXSTV. This marked Killer Kelly’s first match under contract with IMPACT Wrestling and her first in-ring appearance for the promotion since she competed in the IMPACT Knockouts Tag Team Title Tournament in December 2020.

READ MORE: IMPACT Wrestling Results – August 11, 2022

WWE WOMEN’S TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT CONTINUES

The WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship tournament continues this week with two more opening-round matches taking place.

With the near three-month absence of Sasha Banks and Naomi, the main roster women’s tag team division went virtually non-existent. In late May, WWE announced that a tournament would take place to crown new Women’s Tag Team Champions in their place.  Last week, the tournament finally began.

As WWE unveiled the tournament, the WWE Universe learned eight official teams across RAW, Smackdown, and NXT would compete. Perhaps the biggest surprise, Nikkita Lyons and Zoey Stark of NXT will compete in the tournament in what also serves as their main roster debuts.

Last week on RAW, the first official quarterfinals matchup concluded. Dana Brooke and Tamina battled IYO SKY and Dakota Kai–who arrived with Bayley by their side. In the end, IYO SKY and Dakota Kai secured the victory, ensuring their spot in the semi-finals. Yesterday on Monday Night RAW, the duo learned who their semi-finals opponents would be.

Rounding out the left side of the bracket, Alexa Bliss and Asuka clashed with Nikki A.S.H. and Doudrop in another first-round matchup. RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair joined to watch at ringside as well.

Nikki A.S.H. traded in her superhero cape for a leather jacket on this occasion. There, she and Doudrop attempted to fend off the powerful duo of Alexa Bliss and Asuka. In the final result though, Asuka locked in an armbar on Doudrop, forcing her to tap out.

After the matchup, Bayley, Dakota Kai, and IYO SKY appear on the entrance ramp. Asuka, Bliss, and Belair turn to face them, as arguments ensue. Before any physicality can escalate, WWE officials force a divide between the six.

A recap of the quarterfinals matchup can be read below, courtesy of our live coverage page.

WOMEN’S TAG TEAM TITLE TOURNAMENT ROUND ONE MATCH: ASUKA AND ALEXA BLISS VS. DOUDROP AND NIKKI A.S.H.

Bianca Belair skips to ringside to watch Asuka and Bliss’ backs. Nikki comes to the ring in her superhero gear, but sans cape. She is rocking a leather jacket gifted to her by Doudrop. Nikki takes down Asuka. Asuka responds with a popup knee. Asuka tags in Bliss and they double clothesline Nikki. Bliss and Asuka clear the ring.

After the break, Nikki and Doudrop are working over Bliss. Bliss tags in Asuka. Asuka lands a flurry of offense. Doudrop flattens Bliss with a low crossbody. Doudrop misses a Vader bomb. Asuka traps Doudrop in a modified cross armbar. Doudrop taps out.

Winners- Asuka and Alexa Bliss

Alexa Bliss and Asuka will now go on to face IYO SKY and Dakota Kai next week on RAW. This will officially begin the first semi-finals matchups of the tournament.

On the right side of the bracket, stars from Smackdown and NXT will collide. Former NXT Women’s Champion Raquel Gonzalez partnered with Aliyah to take on former NXT Women’s Tag Team Champion Shotzi on Xia Li last week on Smackdown. Accordingly, Raquel and Aliyah secured their semi-finals slot with a dominant win over Shotzi and Xia.

Their semi-finals opponent will be determined this Friday on Smackdown. Former Smackdown Women’s Champion Natalya will team up with Sonya Deville to battle the biggest surprise of the tournament. NXT’s Nikkita Lyons and Zoey Stark will make their main roster debut as they set to collide with Natalya and Deville in this WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Tournament First-Round Match.

This isn’t the only big matchup on Zoey Stark’s plate though. Tonight on NXT Heatwave, she will vie for the NXT Women’s Championship against Mandy Rose. If successful, Stark could walk into her main roster debut appearance on Friday with championship gold. With the fierce Nikkita Lyons by her side, this week will surely be Stark’s biggest since joining WWE.

RELATED: WWE RAW Results (8/15/22)

NWA UNVEILS TWO MORE COMPETITORS IN THE BURKE INVITATIONAL

Nine of the ten entrants have officially been confirmed for the NWA 74 Burke Invitational.

On August 27th in St. Louis, Missouri, these competitors will battle for an NWA Women’s World Championship title shot on night two of NWA 74. Current champion Kamille will also defend her title against Taya Valkyrie on night one. Then, the victor of that title match will defend “The Burke” against the winner of the Burke Invitational the following night.

The National Wrestling Alliance has unveiled participants in this year’s Burke Invitational throughout the last few weeks. In 2021, the NWA held their inaugural Women’s Invitational at the first-ever Empowerrr event. There, “The Hot Mess” Chelsea Green outlasted all her competitors to emerge victorious. She would go on to vie for the NWA Women’s Championship the next night against Kamille, falling short.

This year, the Women’s Invitational was renamed to The Burke Invitational, in honor of legend Mildred Burke. As revealed by the National Wrestling Alliance last week, the two more competitors in the match have officially been announced. Amongst the two, a “Bionic Beast” and a “Russian Crush” join the ranks.

Jennacide returns to The Burke Invitational for the second year in a row. Last year, she competed in the inaugural Women’s Invitational, pulling an impressive performance before being eliminated. She heads back to St. Louis as one of two returning competitors, alongside Tootie Lynn. Lynn she made it all the final to the final two in 2021, before being eliminated by Chelsea Green.

In addition, “The Russian Crush” Natalia Markova will enter the Burke Invitational, presumably with her manager Taryn Terrell by her side. Markova has quickly risen through the ranks of the NWA, defeating the likes of Taya Valkyrie, Kenzie Paige, and Paola Blaze. This will mark Markova’s first appearance in the Burke Invitational.

As previously mentioned in last week’s edition, “The Perfect Knockout” Samantha Starr became the first competitor added to the Invitational. “The Mother Effing King” KiLynn King also returns to St. Louis this year for the Burke Invitational. Last year at Empowerrr, King challenged for the NWA Women’s Tag Team Championships alongside Red Velvet. In the end, The Hex defeated them to claim the goals in the finals of the tag team tournament.

In addition, the following talent will also compete in the Burke Invitational: Missa Kate, Max the Impaler, Madi Wrenkowski, and Angelina Love.

As of this writing, one spot remains open in the Burke Invitational. Who will it be? WrestleZone will keep you updated as more details become available.

INTERVIEWS

Former RAW Women’s Champion Nikki A.S.H. spoke with Denise Salcedo about her favorite WrestleMania memories, took part in a rapid question game and more.

“The ShoYang Of Wrestling,” Jazzy Yang chatted with A Wrestling Gal about a mutual love of High School Musical, NWA Empowerrr, her first WrestleMania, and more.

IMPACT Knockout Tag Team Champion, Deonna Purrazzo talked with Muscle Man Malcolm about VXT, her IMPACT Knockouts Mount Rushmore,  thoughts on Logan Paul weekend, finding her confidence in wrestling, and more!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Black Girl Magik – August 19th

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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