A Look at the Women's Iron Survivor Challenge Match and the Participants

One of WWE's many modifications to their Premium Live Event calendar includes NXT's newest event, Deadline. The event will take place on Saturday, December 10, and will serve as the last overall PLE in the calendar year. In addition, it was announced by WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels that the event will feature the debut of the Iron Survivor Challenge, the latest in a long list of WWE's innovative gimmick matches. So how, exactly, does this match work? Here are the rules.

The Iron Survivor Challenge is a timed match, with 25 minute clock featured. There will be two such matches, one for the men and one for the women, and in each match, five combatants participate. Two of the five combatants will start the match, while the other three will enter in five-minute intervals. The object of the match is to have the most falls by the time the clock wins out, and similar to standard matches, falls can be won via pinfall, submission, or disqualification. A winning fall is worth one point each, but the person who loses the fall has to serve 90 seconds in the penalty box, and can only reenter when that time runs out. Both matches are for #1 Contenderships, and for the women, whoever has the most falls will be the top contender for the NXT Women's Championship.

The Iron Survivor Challenge is, IMO, a cross between Impact Wrestling's King and Queen of the Mountain matches and WWE's Championship Scramble (the latter needs to be brought back). A Hall of Fame committee consisting of Michaels, Road Dogg, X-Pac, Alundra Blayze, and Molly Holly announced four of the five combatants in each match, while the fifth spot was decided in respective Triple Threat Matches. The combatants for the women's match are as follows:

Cora Jade

Amazing that next month will mark two years since Cora Jade debuted on WWE TV, but it's been an amazing run so far. It didn't take long for Cora to gain some steam, as she managed to do so at the final NXT WarGames event. Not only was Cora on the winning side in the Women's WarGames match, she actually pinned the reigning NXT Women's Champion, Mandy Rose. Cora actually had an opportunity at the title months later, but she fell short; however, once Roxanne Perez joined NXT, Cora and Roxanne's friendship came into play, and the pair actually defeated Mandy's Toxic Attraction cohorts, Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne, to capture the NXT Women's Tag Team Championship.

All appeared to be well, but a week after the pair won the titles, Cora suddenly attacked Roxanne during her big title match against Mandy, and gave a viciously evil sneer to establish her heel persona. Cora accused Roxanne of being selfish and only thinking of her own goals, and also revealed that she attacked Roxanne moments before the match, while also tossing her Tag Team Championship belt in the trash. In the months that have passed since turning heel, Cora feuded with Roxanne, and also antagonized Wendy Choo, while claiming that everyone around her was living in the "Age of Jade." Cora definitely has her sights set on the NXT Women's Championship, and this match is definitely her biggest moment.

Roxanne Perez

Roxanne Perez's time in WWE is shorter than Cora, but she's clearly the big-time breakout babyface on NXT. Notice I used the word "breakout," that's by design. Roxanne was part of the Women's Breakout Tournament, and won it, and there was also the aforementioned tag title win with Cora Jade. Right after winning the tag titles, Roxanne decided to cash in her title opportunity against Mandy, but as we know, the evil Cora had her own diabolical plans, as she attacked Roxanne and cost her the title.

Cora and Roxanne's feud skyrocketed the latter into top babyface level, and very few are surprised that she is part of the Iron Survivor Challenge. A lot of fans, myself included, expect Roxanne to not only win this match, but also dethrone Mandy, as it would be the ultimate elevation for Roxanne, while also open the door for NXT's other villainesses to challenge her.

Zoey Stark

Zoey Stark has had quite a fascinating, but bumpy road in WWE. She had her first taste of championship gold when she formed an unlikely partnership with Io Shirai (now known as Iyo Sky) and captured the NXT Women's Tag Team Championship. Zoey was also sidelined several months due to injury, and she would return after all of that time and pursue Mandy Rose's NXT Women's Championship. After falling short, Zoey formed another interesting partnership with Nikkita Lyons, and the pair challenge Katana Chance and Kayden Carter for the tag titles twice, coming up short both times.

The second time was the last straw for Zoey, who suddenly attacked Nikkita with one of the belts. She explained her actions a week later; claiming that she carried Nikkita throughout their partnership and was now focusing on herself and herself only, and we've seen her continue to promote her new vicious and self-serving villainous role with multiple attacks towards Nikkita. Speaking of Nikkita, while she's not in this match, I somehow see her costing Zoey somehow. We have to have that grudge match between these two.

Kiana James

One NXT villainess I can't help but really enjoy is Kiana James. She debuted as one of the participants in NXT's Women's Breakout Tournament, and ever since, we've seen Kiana shine with her current evil businesswoman/entrepreneur gimmick. The wins haven't really come for her, but it hasn't really mattered, as long as she continues promoting that persona of hers.

I think Kiana is least expected to win this match, not only because the current champion is also a heel, but Kiana is also in an angle of her own. The last few weeks have seen Kiana in a storyline with Fallon Henley, with the scheming businesswoman planning to buy Fallon's bar. I'm very anxious to see where that storyline goes, especially since Briggs and Jensen are definitely inserted in this equation.

Indi Hartwell

The first four women were selected by the Hall of Fame committee, but as for Indi Hartwell, she defeated Wendy Choo and Fallon Henley to earn the last spot in the Women's Iron Survivor Challenge. Indi has had an interesting change of character in the last few months; she's now portrayed as someone who realizes that she has to fend for herself, and she can't get attached to any friendship. The interesting thing about this: that mentality is used as a motivation to turn heel, yet Indi remains a babyface.

I'm actually glad Indi's still a babyface, and the reason is obvious. If Indi turns heel, we will not get the InDex reunion on the Raw roster, and I still say that's on the horizon. Plus, it does look like Indi is in a feud with Elektra Lopez, so we need to see how that plays out. Despite Indi's NXT seniority, she's not expected to win this match, though I have some hope that if she's kept in NXT just a bit longer, we see Indi finally get that title.

Those are the five combatants in the Women's Iron Survivor Challenge at NXT Deadline. I am very excited to see the women show out once again in a big time setting, it is always an absolute delight!