Mickie James relinquishes Impact Knockouts Championship

Mickie James has relinquished the Knockouts Championship.

Impact has the Rebellion PPV on Sunday, April 16. The Knockouts Championship match was booked for the show, however, it was uncertain if the champion would be available to compete. Mickie James was suffering from a broken rib. That injury put a cloud over the contest. If James was fit to fight, then she would defend in a three-way against Jordynne Grace and Deonna Purrazzo. If not, then the new champion would be determined in a singles bout between Grace and Purrazzo.

With only a few days left before Rebellion, James had to make a tough decision during Thursday’s episode of Impact Wrestling (April 13, 2023).

Mickie James requested time to speak to the world. She discussed how the Last Rodeo was about proving she still belonged with the best in Impact. James knows that there comes a time when a younger, hungrier, faster, or even better competitor would knock her off the mountaintop. Passing the torch would have been an honor.

What James can’t stomach is age catching up. She feels like she can take on the world when wrestling in front of the fans. Once James cools down backstage, the aches and pains remind her that she isn’t 20 years old anymore. That’s what makes her announcement so tough.

The doctors have not medically cleared James to compete at Rebellion. She has to do what is right for the business, right for Impact, and right for the locker room. As a woman of her word, the champion officially relinquished the Knockouts title.

This ends the fifth Knockouts Championship reign of James at 90 days.

The current card for Rebellion includes:

• Impact World Championship: Steve Maclin vs. Kushida
• Knockouts Championship: Jordynne Grace vs. Deonna Purrazzo
• Impact World Tag Team Championship: Ace Austin & Chris Bey (c) vs. Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley in Ultimate X
• X-Division Championship: Trey Miguel (c) vs. “Speedball” Mike Bailey vs. Jonathan Gresham in an elimination three-way
• Hardcore War: Team Dreamer (Tommy Dreamer, Frankie Kazarian, Yuya Uemura, Killer Kelly, & Bhupinder Gujjar) vs. Team Bully (Bully Ray, John Skyler, Jason Hotch, Kenny King, & Masha Slamovich)
• Last Rites match: Eddie Edwards vs. PCO
• Santino Marella, Joe Hendry, & Dango vs. The Design
• Knockouts Tag Team Championship: Taylor Wilde & KiLynn King (c) vs. Rosemary & Jessicka (pre-show)
• Heath & Rhino vs. Champagne Singh & Shera (pre-show)

The Rebellion PPV broadcast starts at 8 pm ET on April 16 streaming through Fite TV.

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