Mickie Knuckles


Mickie Lee Knuckles is an American professional wrestler. She is best known for work on the independent circuit, particularly Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South, Chikara and Combat Zone Wrestling, as well as a brief stint with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Moose. Knuckles is also notable for her hard-hitting style and intergender deathmatches.

Early life

Knuckles graduated from Charlestown Senior High School.

Professional wrestling career

Knuckles has been a fan of professional wrestling since she was five years old, and she started training to become a professional wrestler under Chris Hero, Mark Wolf and Bull Pain. During this time, she also worked as a referee and part of the security for Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South shows. Knuckles became the final graduating student of the IWA-MS Wrestling School, and would go on to wrestle many various opponents including Amazing Kong and Too Cold Scorpio.

Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South (2003–2009)

Knuckles debuted on August 2, 2003 in a non-tournament match at the 2003 King of the Death Match against Hailey Hatred. During the match, Hatred powerbombed Knuckles across two bridged steel chairs. Knuckles' neck hit the back of the chairs, causing the match to be stopped. Undeterred, in November 2003, Knuckles was booked into the Ted Petty Invitational tournament, becoming the first woman to be booked in either the IWA Mid-South Sweet Science Sixteen Tournament or the TPI.
Knuckles continued to have inter-gender matches against wrestlers such as Cash Flo and Nate Webb, before Dave Prazak began to bring in more women to IWA Mid-South and their women's division was formed. In May 2004, a tournament was held to crown the first NWA Midwest/IWA Mid-South Women's Championship, during which Mickie advanced to the semi-finals before being defeated by Mercedes Martinez. One of her fellow entrants in the tournament, Traci Brooks, stated that she had "never seen a girl train as hard" as Mickie. Mickie won the NWA Midwest/IWA Mid-South Women's Championship on June 11, 2005 defeating MsChif and Alison Danger in a three-way match. However, six days later NWA Midwest promoter Ed Chuman declared that the title match had been unsanctioned and returned NWA Midwest title to MsChif. Ian Rotten, however, still recognized Mickie as the IWA Mid-South Women's Champion, leading to the titles splitting into two separate entities.
As such, Knuckles became the IWA Mid-South Women's Champion, keeping the title for five months before losing it to her first ever opponent Hailey Hatred, on 18 November, 2005. Knuckles would win the title back at an IWA East Coast event in February 2006, and held on to it until July 2007 before losing it to Chuck Taylor in controversial fashion, since Chuck is in fact a man. Mickie earned an IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Championship match against Chuck, but was met with disapproval from Chuck. He stated that if he had to put up his title against a female, than the female should also put her title on the line. Mickie agreed and was defeated by Chuck who then became the men's and women's champion. Less than a month later, Mickie won back her title by defeating Taylor in a Falls Count Anywhere match to regain the Women's Championship for a third time. She would go on to hold the title until May 2, 2008, where she lost to by Daizee Haze in a triple threat match also involving Sara Del Rey.
Before receiving a rematch for the IWA Women's Championship, Knuckles broke her right femur on July 6, 2008 after performing a diving crossbody off a platform onto Del Rey.

King of the Death Match Tournament

After losing on the first night in a Fans Bring the Weapons Match in the 2006 tournament, Knuckles once again was booked in the King of the Death Match Tournament in 2007, becoming the only woman to ever be booked for the show on multiple occasions.
On Night One, Knuckles defeated Tank in a Barbed Wire Ropes and Barbed Wire Baseball Bat Deathmatch. However, she was defeated on Night Two in the quarter finals by Brain Damage in another Fans Bring the Weapons Match.

Queen of the Death Match Tournament

At the inaugural Queen of the Death Match tournament in November 2006, an announcement was made to open the show that LuFisto would not be performing due to breaking her hand punching Necro Butcher during the finals of the Stranglehold KOTDM tournament show. In the first round, Knuckles defeated Ann Thraxx in an Unlucky 13 Staple Gun Death Match, and went on to defeat Rachel Putski in the semi-final in a Taipei Death Match. This put Mickie through to the final where she defeated Mayumi Ozaki in a No Rope Barbed Wire, Fans Bring The Weapons Steel Cage Death Match to become the first ever IWA Mid-South Queen of the Death Match. However, following the match, LuFisto and Vanessa Kraven entered the cage and beat Mickie down, leading to Mickie swearing revenge against LuFisto.
The second Queen of the Death Match tournament show was held in October, 2007 and this time LuFisto was able to make her booking. Mickie was beaten in a first round Barbed Wire Ropes and Barbed Wire Baseball Bat Deathmatch after being pinned by Storm, however she was victorious in the Semi Final Losers Bracket, defeating B.B. Walls in a Barbed Wire Ropes and Deathmatch Bats match; following that with a victory over Roxie Cotton in a Barbed Wire Ropes and Taipei Death Match in the loser's bracket final. This set up the final fight of LuFisto vs Mickie Knuckles in a No Rope Barbed Wire and Electrified Light Tubes Death Match in which LuFisto defeated Mickie.

Chikara and Chickfight (2005, 2006)

In February 2005, Knuckles made her Chikara debut as Eddie Kingston's tag team partner for that year's Tag World Grand Prix. Later that year, she was booked in the Young Lions Cup tournament, becoming the first female wrestler to compete for the title. Knuckles made her final appearance with Chikara on June 25, 2006, where she lost to Daizee Haze.
In October 2005, Knuckles was booked in the Chickfight 3 tournament show in Hayward, California. After defeating Tiffany in the first round and Hailey Hatred in the second, Mickie lost out in the finals to returning champion Mariko Yoshida.

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2008)

In mid-2008, Knuckles made her debut with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. She appeared on the June 5 edition of Impact!, coming to The Beautiful People's aid by attacking Gail Kim, ODB, and Roxxi. It was later announced that she would be in a tag match with The Beautiful People against the team of Kim, Roxxi, and ODB at Slammiversary. At the show, she made her in-ring debut under the name Moose, but lost the match when ODB pinned her.
After Slammiversary, Mickie was in negotiations to sign an official contract with TNA but made her Impact! in-ring debut on the June 26 edition with a victory over ODB in a Bimbo Brawl. The following week, she defeated Roxxi in another Bimbo Brawl.
Later that week at an IWA-MS show, Knuckles broke her leg during a match against Sara Del Rey. In order to take time off to recover, TNA had reported they had a spot left open for Knuckles. However, after an unsuccessful first surgery, another surgery was needed and TNA decided to release her from her contract instead.

Juggalo Championship Wrestling (2008–2012)

Knuckles debuted in Juggalo Championship Wrestling as a referee in season two of the internet wrestling show SlamTV!. Tracy Smothers, who was facing his rival 2 Tuff Tony, won the match after a fast count by Knuckles, who was later revealed as Tracy's illegitimate daughter, Isabella Smothers. Two weeks later, Tracy caught Isabella listening to Boondox, the rapper who sings 2 Tuff Tony's entrance music. The following week, Tracy caught Isabella engaging in sexual actions with Boondox, through storyline, and assaulted him. Tracy and Isabella were later scheduled to face Boondox and 2 Tuff Tony at Bloodymania II. After Isabella broke her leg wrestling for IWA-MS, she was replaced in the match by Bull Pain.
Isabella defeated Hailey Hatred in a Ladies 10,000 Thumbtack Deathmatch at Juggalo Championship Wrestling's event Oddball Wrestling 2009. At Bloodymania IV, Isabella lost to "The World's Tallest Juggalette" Isis in the first women's match in Bloodymania history. By the end of 2010, she was put into a storyline in which she was seemingly dating Bull Pain. Smothers and Pain were then involved in a brief rivalry with the Weedman.

Ohio Valley Wrestling (2011)

Knuckles made her Ohio Valley Wrestling debut on episode 610, under the name Izza Belle Smothers. She teamed with her sister Jessie Belle Smothers in a losing effort to The Blossoms. On episode 612, Smothers Twisted Daughters teamed with Shiloh Jonze in a six-person mixed tag team match in a losing effort to The Blossoms and Johnny Spade. Smothers was part of an eight-woman gauntlet match for the at OVW's Saturday Night Special on April 15, but was unsuccessful in winning the title. On July 7, Smothers Twisted Daughters defeated Taryn Shay and Lady JoJo when Izza Belle pinned JoJo, giving her an opportunity to challenge for the title. On August 6, at the Saturday Night Special, Smothers defeated JoJo to win the Women's Championship. On August 24, Smothers lost the title back to JoJo. On October 11, Knuckles was unsuccessful in reclaiming the Women's Championship during a three–way match against Lady JoJo and Taeler Hendrix. On December 10, Knuckles and Jessie Belle Smothers' OVW profiles were removed from the website, signalling their departure from the company.

Independent circuit, return to IWA-MS, and hiatus (2012–2015)

In 2012, Knuckles wrestled only four times as she was due to give birth. Knuckles made her full-time return to wrestling on February 10, 2013, where she teamed with Ryan Dookie to win an eight-team Gauntlet Match to win the Pro Wrestling Freedom Tag Team Championship. Following this, Knuckles returned to Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South for the first time in four years, where she defeated Heidi Lovelace, Jordynne Grace, Randi West and Thunderkitty in a five-way match on December 6. After a few more matches with IWA-MS, Knuckles wrestled her final match for the promotion on April 13, 2014, where she defeated Randi West in a Strap Match. Knuckles found championship success soon thereafter, as she won Resistance Pro Wrestling's Women's Championship on April 25 and, while teaming with Matt Tremont, won Women Superstars Uncensored's King and Queen of the Ring tournament on May 10. After defeating Nick Esteban in an intergender Falls Count Anywhere Match on March 28, 2015, Knuckles announced she would be quitting wrestling for a little while a few weeks later on April 7 while also revealing that she was once again pregnant.

Return to TNA (2016)

After giving birth to her son and marrying her husband, fellow wrestler Justin Turner, Mickie Knuckles made her return to wrestling in May 2016. Shortly after making her return she made a debut at TNA for a dark match against Laurel Van Ness.

Championships and accomplishments

1The IWA Mid-South Tag Team Championship was held jointly between Knuckles, Abercrombie and Moore under the Freebird Rule.