Mickie Knuckles - Professional Wrestling Career - Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South (2003–2010)

Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South (2003–2010)

Mickie's debut match was 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, Mickie 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.

Mickie continued to have intergender 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 (show segment) 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, Mickie became the IWA Mid-South Women's Champion, keeping the title for 5 months before losing it to her first ever opponent Hailey Hatred, on the 18th November 2005. Mickie 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 who stated that if he had to put up his title against a female, than the female should also put her title on the line as well. 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, Mickie broke her right femur on July 6, 2008 after performing a diving crossbody off a platform onto Del Rey.