Ringbelles Roundup (16 August 2011)

So it’s official; Melina’s return to indie wrestling will be on November 19 at Women Superstars Uncensored’s Breaking Barriers II iPPV where she will wrestle fellow ex-WWE employee Serena Deeb. WSU made the match official in its press release yesterday, where it claims “Melina, who has a very storied career in WWE, wants to prove to the world that she is not just a diva, but a full-fledged womens wrestler. She will get that opportunity on 11/19. Serena is calling herself “The Best in the World”. We’ll find out if that rings true on 11/19 in this first time ever one-on-one clash.”

In theory, this is will be a comfortable return for Melina to a different style of action than you normally see on WWE TV, as she and Serena can work a half WWE, half indie style. It’s a decent idea, considering she has not been on the indie scene since 2004, a mere three years into her wrestling career. It’s also Melina’s best opportunity to create a new first impression…

32-year old Melina Perez has a reputation for being troublesome behind the scenes, with a number of reports from a number of different sources – some of them could be true, some of them could be phoney. However, after a number of reported incidents, it becomes ever more likely that the next incident will be more readily believed, regardless of its validity. Melina polarises opinions – some think she is excellent, others think she is more trouble than she is worth – but she has a chance to sell herself to a fresh set of eyes on November 19. In essence, she has an opportunity to wipe the slate clean and give us the chance to see that she is taking wrestling seriously, and is willing to muck in and work towards presenting a better product for women’s wrestling fans.

However, the question has been asked about how relevant she will be come November. Sure, Melina is a hot talking point right now, but that will inevitably calm down as the days and weeks pass. It is possible that by the time she debuts for WSU, she may be less valuable. Having said that, the phrase “former WWE Diva” does carry a lot of weight for a while, and she would be wise to take advantage of it for as long as she can, considering paydays vary from place to place.

Her opponent is the perfect person to help her do that. When Serena was released from WWE around this time last year, she picked herself up, dusted herself off and got back out there with a smile on her face and ambitions running through her head. After returning to SHIMMER on volume 33 in September, she then starting working in WSU set upon accomplishing her new dream of wrestling in Japan, starting in January of this year with a trip to SMASH, defeating Syuri in her debut. At press time, she is undefeated in the promotion – beating Makoto at SMASH 13, Kana at 17, Tomoka Nakagawa at 19 and Syuri again at 20. She and Kana will wrestle again on September 8 in the finals of a tournament to crown the first SMASH Champion.

Deeb is proof that you don’t have to mope around and feel sorry for yourself; nor do you have to sign with TNA just to have a regular wage. By expanding your horizons, accepting new challenges that may take you out of your comfort zone and showing great humility along the way, your reputation can be a benefit to you instead of a hindrance.

This writer is willing to give Melina a second chance at WSU, though she needs to concentrate on her future instead of constantly referring to her WWE past. If she knuckles down and improves her game, there is every chance that she could be rehired – it happened for Eddie Guerrero in 2002 and Chris Masters in 2009, so there is no reason why the same can’t happen for Perez.

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SHIMMER founder Dave Prazak says the split between the promotion and Ring Of Honor which has been reported this week by PWInsider. He insists the claim that the relationship has been “severed” is an exaggeration, and “the door is open to potentially continue to distribute through them in the future if that’s the route we decide to go.” From the current volume (37) – the DVDs are being distributed via SHIMMER itself, rather than going through the ROH shop.

In other SHIMMER news, former tag team champions Hiroyo Matsumoto and Nevaeh have been announced for the October 1 & 2 tapings, as well as the debuting Pro Wrestling WAVE’s Yumi Ohka, who shares a close association in that promotion with Misaki Ohata in the Black Dahlia faction.

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WWE did not really forward the programme with Kelly Kelly and Eve Torres against Beth Phoenix and Natalya on Raw, following Kelly’s win over Phoenix at SummerSlam in which she retained her Divas title. Instead, the Divas of Doom took to the stage to sarcastically clap for the Kelly and Torres after they defeated the Bella Twins, with the commentary team telling us to go to Beth’s Twitter page to see the follow up.

This is beyond stupid.

With a few exceptions, the phrase “if it didn’t happen on TV then it didn’t happen” still rings true. If the majority of your audience doesn’t get to see it or know about it, then what’s the point in even going through with it? It would be like having a World Heavyweight Championship change on Superstars, which is WWE’s C show and only seen in the US at WWE.com. Besides, tweets flow through at 100mph if you have a couple of hundred people on your follow list, you may miss an important piece of information pertaining to the feud.

WWE seems to have discovered – later than everyone else – that Twitter is an important social networking tool, and can be used to connect with the fans. However, it should never be a substitute for forwarding storylines on your main TV shows. We know WWE doesn’t care too much for the Divas division, but at least pretend to give enough of a crap about it to give it some airtime, please…

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The best of the rest

Sendai Girls has announced a show for October 27 in Tokyo which will be an 8-team tournament featuring wrestlers from Diana, JWP, WAVE, Ice Ribbon, Stardom & REINA… Before going to WSU, Melina will be at a Family Wrestling Show on August 20 which also features Jillian Hall against Jackie Haas… Maxine’s graduation form the FCW roster to the main WWE roster has reportedly been put off because of a “breach of etiquette” on her part… CHIKARA’s Joshimania card in December will feature wrestlers from WAVE, Sendai, JWP and OZ Academy. No Ice Ribbon, which is interesting, considering Tsukasa Fujimoto & Makoto were at CHIKARAsaurus Rex… I know the brand split is pointless, but how was Beth Phoenix allowed to team with Natalya on SmackDown when she wasn’t the Divas Champion?… Mickie James beat Madison Rayne on Impact Wrestling to become the #1 contender to the Knockouts Title. Considering how long she’s been off TV, how could Rayne have been considered a top contender in the first place?… Terri Runnels is suing her ex New Jack for libel and to stop him releasing sexually explicit images of her… Rain is going to become a character in a comic book… Despite leaving for SMASH in less than a week, Makoto is now one half of the Ice Ribbon International Ribbon Tag Team Champions with Emi Sakura. They beat the Lovely Butchers (whose second tag team title reign lasted just 8 days. Their first was just 10)… MsChif made her return on Friday night, retaining her NWA Midwest Championship by beating Stacey O’Brien… Chyna didn’t appear at the Juggalo Championship Wrestling Legends show on Friday. She was to team with the New Age Outlaws against Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Sean Waltman… Tiffany (the one in CMLL, not Taryn Terrell) has had shoulder surgery and will be out for up to three months… AJ and Kaitlyn were named by WWE Magazine as two of six breakout stars predicted for 2011… Eve Torres, Natalya, Maryse, Layla, Michelle McCool, Kelly Kelly and Beth Phoenix have been named as being part of the upcoming WWE ’12 videogame. Alicia Fox, Rosa Mendes and the Bella Twins miss out on a massive licensing payoff, though they could be added as downloadable characters in the future… Lilian Garcia attended WWE’s SummerSlam Axxess… LuFisto rescued former nemesis Kalamity at the nCw Amazones et Titans show in Montreal on Saturday to protect her from a 3 on 1 beating… Maria Kanellis was backstage at the ROH tapings in Chicago Ridge, IL at the weekend… The guy Kelly Kelly kissed before her Divas Championship defence at SummerSlam was her new boyfriend, NHL star Sheldon Souray. The Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer reckons she may be in trouble for it if she wasn’t given permission to do it, as WWE likes its Divas to appear to be single and available.

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Results

August 10: Ohio Valley Wrestling (Louisville, KY) – Smothers Twisted Daughters b The Blossom Twins

August 11: SMASH (Tokyo, Japan) – Serena b Makoto; Kana b Serena; Yuko Miyamoto, Ray & YO-HEY b Takuya Kito, Mio Shirai & Yusuke Kodama

August 11: WWE Superstars (Sacramento, CA) – Alicia Fox b Tamina

August 11: Impact Wrestling (Orlando, FL) – Mickie James b Madison Rayne; Miss Tessmacher & Tara b Jacqueline Moore & ODB

August 11: ArenaChicks (Cave-In-Rock, IL) – Amber O’Neal b Sassy Stephie; Brittany Force b Allysin Kay;
Angel Orsini b Josie; Taryn Shay & CJ Lane b Epiphany & Jenny Star;
Izza Belle Smothers b Jazz

August 12: WWE SmackDown (Sacramento, CA) – Beth Phoenix & Natalya b AJ & Kaitlyn

August 12: WWE Axxess (Los Angeles, CA) – AJ b Natalya

August 12: 19 Pro (Saitama, Japan) – Hikaru Shida b Kurumi; Kaori Yoneyama & Hikari Minami b Tsukasa Fujimoto & Dorami Nagano

August 12: Chaotic Wrestling (Woburn, MA) – Alexxis Nevaeh b Taeler Hendrix

August 12: Fighting Back (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) – Cheerleader Melissa b Addy Starr & Portia Perez in a 3-way

August 12: Dynamo Pro Wrestling (Glen Garbon, IL) – MsChif b Stacey O’Brien

August 13: Ice Ribbon (Saitama, Japan) – Kurumi b Dorami Nagano; Tsukushi b Maki Narumiya; Chii Tomiya b Hikaru Shida; Hikari Minami v Tsukasa Fujimoto went to a 3 minute time limit draw; Hikari Minami, Chii Tomiya, Tsukushi & Kurumi b Tsukasa Fujimoto, Maki Narumiya, Dorami Nagano & Hikaru Shida; Emi Sakura & Makoto b Hamuko Hoshi & Mochi Miyagi to win the International Ribbon Tag Team Championship

August 13: Ring Wars Carolina (Raeford, NC) – Nicole Poliki b Mia Svensson

August 13: SWS Pro Wrestling (Malmo, Sweden) – Jenny Sjodin b Aurora Flame to win the NWWA Championship

August 13: Metro Pro Wrestling (Kansas City, KS) – MsChif b Stacey O’Brien, Lucy Mendez & Miss Natural in a 4-way

August 13: Northern Championship Wrestling (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) – Portia Perez & Handsome JF b Sweet Cherrie & Pat Guenette; Cheerleader Melissa & Jay Phenomenon b Mary Lee Rose & Alextreme; Angie Skye & Thomas Dubois b Kira & Spark; Kalamity & Darkko b Anna Minoushka, King Cobra & Prince Kiol; Cheerleader Melissa & Jay Phenomenon b Portia Perez & Handsome JF; Angie Skye & Thomas Dubois b Kalamity & Darkko; Cheerleader Melissa & Jay Phenomenon b Angie Skye & Thomas Dubois

August 13: All Japan Women (Toshigi, Japan) – Kaori Yoneyama b Sawako Shimotsuke; Mio Shirai b Sakura Hirota; Takako Inoue & Hanako Nakamori b Sachie Abe & Tomoko Morii; Tsubasa Kuragaki b GAMI; Toshie Uematsu & Ran Yu-Yu b Command Bolshoi & Yumi Ohka

August 14: STARDOM (Tokyo, Japan) – Yoshiko b Saki Kashima; Natsuki*Taiyo b Eri Susa; Yoshiko b Haruka; Arisa Hoshiki b Mayu Iwatani; Nanae Takahashi & Io Shirai b Yuzuki Aikawa & Yoko Bito

August 14: REINA (Tokyo, Japan) – Sakura Hirota b Lady Afrodita;
Sendai Sachiko b Dama de Hierro;
Mia Yim b Saya; Ray b Latasha; La Commandante & Mima Shimoda b Aki Kanbayashi & Kyoko Kimura

August 14: JWP (Tokyo, Japan) – Hikari Minami b Manami Katsu;
Hanako Nakamori b Tomoko Morii;
Leon b KAZUKI; Tsubasa Kuragaki b Misaki Ohata; Hanako Nakamori b Hikari Minami;
Leon v Tsubasa Kuragaki went to a 10 minute time limit draw;
Tsubasa Kuragaki b Leon; Command Bolshoi won a Plum Mariko Memorial Battle Royal; Tsubasa Kuragaki b Hanako Nakamori

August 14: World Association of Wrestling (Great Yarmouth, England) – Britani and Saraya Knight b Busty Keegan & Destiny; Amy-Lee Krammer v Liberty went to a time limit draw

August 14: Tri City Wrestling (Kitchener, Ontario, Canada) – Cherry Bomb b Holly Hilton to win the TCW Women’s Championship

August 14: Diana (Nagoya, Japan) – Kyoko Inoue b Nancy Ball; Jenny Rose b Sari; Cherry b DASH Chisako; Kyoko Inoue & Ryo Mizunami b Kaoru Ito & Keiko Aono

August 14: OZ Academy (Osaka, Japan) – Sonoko Kato b Nao Komatsu; Dynamite Kansai & Ayumi Kurihara b Ran Yu-Yu & Hiroyo Matsumoto; Tomoka Nakagawa b Yumi Ohka; Chikayo Nagashima & Takako Inoue b Mayumi Ozaki & Hiren; Manami Toyota & Carlos Amano b AKINO & Aja Kong

August 14: WWE SummerSlam (Los Angeles, CA) – Kelly Kelly b Beth Phoenix

August 15: WWE Raw (San Diego, CA) – Kelly Kelly & Eve Torres b Nikki & Brie Bella

Upcoming

August 16: Association Biterroise de Catch (Port la Nouvelle, France) – Shanna v Amy Morgane

August 20: AAW (Berwyn, IL) – MsChif v Sassy Stephie

August 20: Gakepro (Saitama, Japan) – Miyako Matsumoto v Makoto

August 20: Family Wrestling Entertainment (Manhattan, NY) – Jillian Hall v Miss Jackie

August 20: Combat Revolution Wrestling (Hudson, Quebec, Canada) – featuring LuFisto’s return

August 21: Anarchy Championship Wrestling (Austin, TX) – Portia Perez v Lillie Mae; ACH v Rachel Summerlyn v Jerry Lynn v Shawn Vexx

August 21: Yuzupon Matsuri 4 (Tokyo, Japan) – Yuzupon Mask v Busty Sentai Pai Ranger Blue; Sanshiro Takagi & Munenori Sawa v Yuji Hino & DJ Leek;
Nanae Takahashi & Saki Kashima v Natsuki*Taiyo & Yoshiko;
Yuzuki Aikawa v Dump Matsumoto

August 26: Preston City Wrestling (Preston, Lancashire) – featuring Mickie James

August 26: PWA Queensland (Logan Diggers, Australia) – Storm v Baby Devine

August 27: NWA Hammerlock (Cheshunt, England) – April Davids v Rhia O’Reilly

August 27: CHIKARA (Easton, PA) – Sara Del Rey v Hallowicked

August 28: FutureShock Wrestling (Stockport, England) – TAFKA Becky James v April Davids

September 2: Pro Wrestling Alliance (Liverpool, Australia) – featuring Madison Eagles, Jessie McKay, Nicole Matthews, Megan-Kate, Evie, JPE & Britenay

September 3: Pro Wrestling Women’s Alliance (Sydney, Australia) – Madison Eagles v Jessie McKay v Nicole Matthews

September 4: Happy Hour (Tokyo, Japan)

September 8: SMASH (Tokyo, Japan) – Kana v Serena Deeb

September 10: New Scene Wrestling (Birmingham, England) – April Davids v Jenny Sjodin; Jemma Palmer v Darcy Steele

September 17: IndyGurlz (Boonton, NJ) – Mercedes Martinez v (Portia Perez selection)

September 18: CMLL (Tokyo, Japan) – Amapola v Ayumi Kurihara

September 24: IndyGurlz (Shrewsbury, MA) – Sara Del Rey v Mercedes Martinez

September 24; Southside Wrestling Entertainment (Huntingdon, England) – Super Janey B v Rhia O’Reilly

October 1 & 2: SHIMMER: Women Athletes (Berwyn, IL)

October 8 and 9: Pro Wrestling: EVE v Ice Ribbon (Doncaster, UK)

October 8: nCw Femmes Fatales (Montreal, Quebec, Canada)

November 19: World Association of Women’s Wrestling (Norwich, England)

November 19: Women Superstars Uncensored (Union City, NJ) – Jetta & Rain v The Boston Shore; Serena Deeb b Melina; Mercedes Martinez, Alicia & Brittney Savage v Jessicka Havok, Allysin Kay & Sassy Stephie

March 3, 2012 (Union City, NJ) – Mercedes Martinez v Jessicka Havok

Got any news, results or upcoming events that you want to tell everyone about? Are you a female wrestler looking to secure more bookings? Let us know by emailing us at ringbelles@gmail.com and we’ll get the message out there.

- Lee Burton