Ringbelles Roundup (10 July 2012)
Quite a few interconnected items to discuss this week, but they all start at the same point, so let’s go back to last Saturday night…
On the “Before They Were WWF Superstars” DVD back in 2001, we got a look at Edge and Christian’s background, learned about their friendship and how they were high school buddies. From there, they went back to their old school, walked the corridors and showed how a particular hallway entrance doubled up as their wrestling ring.
One element that is pertinent to this piece is that the group of friends that they hung around with were known as the Getalong Gang, as they got along with all the other cliques like the jocks, the geeks and so on. They were the middleground that everyone could be friendly with and not face any attitude, hostility or pretty grudges.
nCw Femmes Fatales is the Getalong Gang. (more…)
A good half year for… a few others
Over the last week, we have given you our rundown on the seven wrestlers who have raised their stock in the last six months, all of whom have done so in various ways (and you can read about them all right here). However, as with all lists, there is always some discussion about whether the right choices were made. Believe us when we tell you that there was quite a bit of conversation on who should get the article treatment, as there were a number of names who were considered. With that, we bring you the ones who were on the list because of their achievements, but didn’t make the final cut… (more…)
nCw Femmes Fatales IX results
A big card of action takes place tonight in Montreal, Quebec, Canada as nCw Femmes Fatales IX strikes. The International Championship is on the line, a grudge spanning two promotions could be settled, and the most fearsome trio in women’s wrestling today head north of the border.
Current titleholder Kalamity faces her toughest test yet when she faces the challenge of Sara Del Rey, while former champion LuFisto takes on Mercedes Martinez following their brawl at Femmes Fatales VIII in March and subsequent encounter at WSU’s Uncensored Rumble V last month, where LuFisto cost Martinez the WSU Championship in the main event Casket Match against Jessicka Havok. And speaking of Havok, she and her Midwest Militia partners Sassy Stephie and Allysin Kay take on Courtney Rush and two mystery partners.
Elsewhere, Kc Spinelli meets former SHIMMER Champion Cheerleader Melissa, Sweet Cherrie and Cherry Bomb take on the Canadian Ninjas of Portia Perez and Nicole Matthews with the winners earning SHIMMER Tag Team Championship match at Femmes Fatales X on November 3 against whoever the titleholders are at that time. Click after the jump for a look at the matches, and we will update them as we get word, courtesy of Pat Laprade, who is in attendance at the show. (more…)
Ringbelles Roundup (26 June 2012)
Back when it was still in single figures, we interviewed LuFisto for the Women of Wrestling Podcast. Among the mass of topics which were discussed, including her changing an Ontarian law which prevented men wrestling women and competing in brutal and bloody deathmatches, she pointed out one ambition which she held dear – one which has yet to be accomplished.
The last thing I would love to do is have one match with TNA. Just one. Dark match, whatever – I don’t care. I just want to experience what it is.
Considering she has been wrestling her entire adult life in numerous countries (and spilt blood in many of them – either her own or someone else’s) it sounds like a modest request. Debuting at the age of 17 in 1997, the Montreal native has broken barriers for women in her home country of Canada, competed and won championships in Combat Zone Wrestling, hanging with the guys there along the way, won deathmatch tournaments (one of which saw a piece of broken fluorescent bulb glass lodged in her back for around four years), and also proven that she’s not a one-trick pony by wrestling in SHIMMER without the benefit or distraction of weapons. Much like Mick Foley’s transformation from Cactus Jack and cellar dweller Mankind to the cuddly guy who is everyone’s happy uncle, LuFisto transitioned from a violent, partially masochistic maniac character to one which is based around Japanese anime and peppered with fun and happiness. LuFisto is a pioneer for women’s wrestling who has been trying for a number of years to get a foot in the door at either WWE or TNA, with the usual response being that she doesn’t have the “look” that they are after. However last Saturday, on the 15th anniversary of her debut, she got the opportunity she’s been after for years, when she got a chance to wrestle in a TNA ring as part of its Gut Check before the card in Oshawa, Ontario. (more…)
Courtney Rush reinstated to NEO
We’ve covered the history between Cherry Bomb and Courtney Rush in the past here on Ringbelles. Their feud in the NEO Spirit Pro Wrestling has been raging for the past year and a half, with the dastardly Cherry getting the edge at the end of last year when she used the power of new owner and boyfriend Derek Wylde to get the Winnipeg native fired from the promotion, something which she covered during our Women Of Wrestling Podcast with her in February.
What followed was Rush’s #occupyNEO campaign, which she covered in the first episode of her Rush Hour podcast in order to politick a chance to be reinstated to NEO, but all her attempts were blocked by Wylde and Bomb to help them maintain control of operations and not rock the apple cart too much. However, Rush was thrown a lifeline at the hands of NEO’s special guest General Manager Bret “Hit Man” Hart, who gave Courtney one shot at redemption. The stipulation was “win and you’re in”, setting up a match for last night’s Hart of Darkness show at the Gale Centre in Niagara Falls, ONT – NEO’s biggest show in its history – with Rush teaming with Jennifer Blake against Cherry and Leah Von Dutch.
A spanner was thrown in the works when Von Dutch was given a chance to wrestle at the rebooted REINA x WORLD show on Saturday, meaning that she would be in Japan on that date, leading to Cherry Bomb being at a 2-on-1 disadvantage as match time approached. However, this being Cherry Bomb, she had a plan up her sleeve. (more…)
Ringbelles Roundup (15 May 2012)
In news that landed on the Internet yesterday morning, Women Superstars Uncensored has been sold to what the official Twitter referred to as an “independent buyer”. In a statement in the newsletter, the promotion stated: “WSU is in the process of changing ownership. The sale will not affect any WSUVideo.com purchases or upcoming events. We will have a press release once the sale is signed.”
We understand that the press release will arrive by the end of this week, though there is no official word on whether this will affect the current direction of the promotion, the booking, the storylines, the upcoming Uncensored Rumble V iPPV next month, or the working relationship with nCw Femmes Fatales.
There is a possibility that the “independent buyer” who has bought WSU has plans to expand the brand. After all, there are elements which make it valuable. It is the busiest women’s promotion in the US, holding around a dozen cards a year – either officially or in collaboration with other companies – as well as having episodic storylines, a strong bunch of top-line characters like the Midwest Militia, Mercedes Martinez, Alicia and Brittney Savage, and it has ironed out a lot of the kinks that it suffered while it found its feet on iPPV. We hope that if there are changes, they don’t happen too suddenly, as it may be jarring for fans who are used to the current setup. We also hope that this buyer has a plan, and isn’t a money mark who throws a shedload of money at it, and pulls out if he or she does not see a return, killing the promotion as a consequence. After all, there is some evidence that WSU is not as profitable as it could be at the moment…
As we have pointed out on this site, attendance numbers have been pretty weak since WSU moved from its regular base of the ACE Arena in Union City, NJ to the NYWC Sportatorium in Deer Park, NY, though we have no real indication on how financially successful the iPPVs have been – for all we know, they could be bombing, or they could be booming. While we have a few bits and pieces of information about the current situation, it would be best to wait until there is an official word to try and get more of a handle on the situation.
We will bring you more on this sale as we get it. (more…)
Courtney Rush challenges the Midwest Militia
It is probably the most mouth watering prospect in the whole working relationship with Women Superstars Uncensored and nCw Femmes Fatales: the Midwest Militia heading north of the border for Femmes Fatales IX in Montreal, Quebec to take on what Canada has to offer.
Comprised of the WSU World and Spirit Champion Jessicka Havok and Tag Team Champions Allysin Kay and Sassy Stephie, the Militia have had their way in the New York/New Jersey area over the past six months, taking on and getting the best of the promotion’s most popular stars like Mercedes Martinez, Brittney Savage and Alicia. On July 7 – following the arrival of Femmes Fatales in WSU at the Uncensored Rumble V on June 16 when Kalamity takes on Sweet Cherrie – the Militia will work as a triumvirate in what is being described as a 6-Woman Awesome Fight against a team which is yet to be fully revealed, but we know who the captain will be – Winnipeg’s Courtney Rush,.
In a new video released by Femmes Fatales yesterday evening, Rush points out that she was the one who went to nCw to request a match against the trio of terror with a hand-picked team called the Rush Revolution, and said she would be keeping their identities a secret for now, though she does reveal that Sara Del Rey would not be one of them, as her SHIMMER Tag Team Championship partner is taking on Kalamity that night for the International Championship. She also compares herself to a rottweiler, though you should click the jump and find out for yourself what she means by that… (more…)
RUSH HOUR with Courtney Rush, Episode 2
RUSH HOUR with Courtney Rush, Episode 2: w/ Kellie Skater
It’s taken a while to get Episode 2 of RUSH HOUR together, but time zones and various international jet-setting going on since the turn of the year, it’s the best we could do. For this episode, your intrepid host is joined by fellow Spoontopian and Japanese roommate, “Rate Tank” Kellie Skater. Rush & Skater talk their time in Japan together earlier in the year before getting down to the big questions regarding the mystique of wrestling. What’s wrong, what’s right and what’s fake? Courtney asks whether the pro-feminist push in wrestling has become ever so slightly sexist in the other direction, the dynamic duo touch on their respective SHIMMER weekends last month, and finish up with more “Chaos in Japan” talk, including drinking games with Yumi Ohka. As Yumi would say… “No problem!” Oh, and Courtney reads out the best bit of feedback she’s ever received. Get behind the wheel for RUSH HOUR 2, exclusively here on RingbellesOnline.com!
(left click on picture to stream, right click and “save as” to download)
Mercedes v LuFisto at Femmes Fatales IX, plus more
nCw Femmes Fatales IX on July 7 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada is taking shape.
As well as Kalamity defending the International Championship against Sara Del Rey and the Canadian Ninjas taking on Sweet Cherrie and a partner of her choosing, the promotion has announced that LuFisto will take on Mercedes Martinez in a match which has its roots set in the closing moments of Femmes Fatales VIII.
After failing to win the International Title from Kalamity, Martinez turned heel and attacked the Champion with a chair, but was stopped by LuFisto, and the pair tore strips out of each other both in the ring and at ringside. It seemed inevitable that this match was going to happen, and now it is official.
Considering their high profiles and being on the same rosters in a number of promotions, this is the first match between the two since SHIMMER Volume 7 back on October 22, 2006. Seriously – these two haven’t faced each other in a big-time situation for close to SIX YEARS.
However, that’s not the only announcement made today. Click after the jump and we will reveal the rest… (more…)
DVD Review: nCw Femmes Fatales VII – World Summit (8 October 2011)
Kalamity challenges her tag team partner, mentor and friend LuFisto for nCw Femmes Fatales International Championship, Mercedes Martinez looks to extend her win streak, and SHIMMER original Tiana Ringer returns to the ring.
Results
1. Angie Skye beat Cherry Bomb with a handful of tights on a roll-up.
2. Mercedes Martinez pinned Tiana Ringer following a Fisherman Buster.
3. Courtney Rush defeated Kellie Skater with the Skyward Suplex.
4. She Nay Nay bested Xandra Bale via submission with a Fujiwara Armbar.
5. The Sherbrooke Connection – Loue & Kira defeated Anna Minoushka & Missy. Loue pinned Missy with a top rope splash.
6. Cheerleader Melissa beat Yumi Ohka with an Air Raid Crash.
7. Tomoka Nakagawa won a 3-way over Portia Perez and Sweet Cherrie by pinning Perez with a roll-up.
8. Kalamity pinned LuFisto with a Ki-Krusher to win the nCw Femmes Fatales International Championship.
Highlights
• Martinez extends her win streak in the promotion to five by defeating the returning Tiana Ringer, who returned to wrestling following a four year absence, then challenged the winner of the main event for a title shot.
• Courtney Rush and Kellie Skater broke out the comedy at the start of their match, engaging in an 
arm-wrestling match, using the referee as a table. Rush antagonised Skater on her way to the ring by carrying a toy kangaroo, which ended up being punted into the front row.
• Cheerleader Melissa and Yumi Ohka earned a “this is awesome” chant from the audience in Montreal, Quebec, Canada for their match.
• Kalamity ascends to the top of the ladder in Femmes Fatales by defeating LuFisto to win the International Title. Following the contest, Martinez tried to snatch the belt from the new champion, but ended up offering her hand, setting up Kalamity’s first challenger to her championship.
Ringbelles Roundup (20 March 2012)
Almost five years ago, Sweet Saraya was injured in a match against Cheerleader Melissa where her kneecap was severed – an injury so bad that not only was she told she may never wrestle again, but she may lose her leg. Showing the same sort of guile and determination that saw her endure brutal attacks while as a valet, and become clinically blind, she returned to the ring four months later – probably earlier than she should have, but nobody is going to stop Saraya when she sets her mind on something.
Saraya and Melissa didn’t share a building again until a year ago when the British veteran debuted in SHIMMER alongside her daughter Britani. The fact that she even made it to the promotion in the first place was a big unlikelihood, as she believed her time for wrestling in the US had passed, and in her own mind, was only tagging along as part of a showcase for her 18-year old offspring, who was well on the radar of WWE at the time – she’s now signed, as has been renamed Paige, making her FCW TV in-ring debut last week – but something happened. Instead of being in the background, Saraya ended up right in the spotlight due to her surly demeanour, violent tendencies and venom-filled promos – so much so that when Britani turned babyface and they wrestled on SHIMMER Volume 44 last October, the pair brutalised each other with Britani getting the win, and the wicked witch was vanquished. Some thought that would also be the last we would see of the red-haired menace in SHIMMER.
They were wrong. (more…)
SHIMMER volumes 47 & 48 results – title changes (now updated with live observations)
It’s day two of the SHIMMER tapings in Berwyn, IL (you can find out the results, thoughts and photos from yesterday’s DVD tapings by clicking here), and a number of matches have been announced.
After defeating both Canadian Ninjas in singles matches yesterday, Cheerleader Melissa defends her SHIMMER Championship against Jessie McKay, aware that Sweet Saraya has apparently put a bounty on her head.
Elsewhere, the Tag Team Championship will be on the line as holders Ayako Hamada and Ayumi Kurihara defend against high-fliers Ray and Leon in an all-joshi affair, Mercedes Martinez takes on Hailey Hatred, and the unlikely team of Sara Del Rey and Courtney Rush will meet ReGeneration X – Allison Danger & Leva Bates.
As with yesterday, we will be adding the results to this post as they happen, and Stew will offer his thoughts from ringside later. Click after the jump and keep hitting refresh to follow the goings-on. (more…)
SHIMMER volumes 45 & 46 results (now updated with live observations)
We’ve had WSU; we’ve had Femmes Fatales, and now it’s the turn of SHIMMER as part of wrestling’s March Madness.
Cheerleader Melissa walks into these four DVD tapings as the SHIMMER Champion, while Ayumi Kurihara and Ayako Hamada hold the Tag Team Championship. Although no matches have been announced, we offered some thoughts about what could happen, but they are just musings and nothing more. We will all find out together how things will unfold.
Stew is in Berwyn, IL watching the shows live, and will offer up thoughts on the tapings later on. For now, we will bring you results as they happen, so keep refreshing the page to keep up with all the developments.
Click after the jump to dive in. It’s going to be a busy one. (more…)
DVD Review: SHIMMER volume 39 (27 March 2011)
Cheerleader Melissa continues her quest towards Madison Eagles‘ SHIMMER Championship, while Jessie McKay and Nicole Matthews settle their feud in a best of three falls match.
Results
1. Kellie Skater defeated Courtney Rush with a Skate And Destroy.
2. LuFisto beat Sassy Stephie with the Mangalizer.
3. Rachel Summerlyn made Mena Libra tap out to the Texas Cloverleaf.
4. 3S (Hiroyo Matsumoto & Misaki Ohata) beat Pretty Bitchin’ (Nikki Roxx & Ariel) to retain the SHIMMER Tag Team Championship – Matsumoto pinned Roxx following an Exploder Suplex.
5. Mercedes Martinez pinned Britani Knight with a Fisherman Buster.
6. Daizee Haze & Tomoka Nakagawa defeated Mia Yim & Jamilia Craft. Nakagawa pinned Yim with a Fisherman Suplex.
7. Jessica James pinned Athena after hitting the Hard Boiled Egg.
8. MsChif beat Sweet Saraya with a Desecrator.
9. Serena Deeb defeated Portia Perez via DQ when Perez hit Deeb with a cookie sheet.
10. Nicole Matthews beat Jessie McKay in a best of three falls match. Matthews took the first fall with a tights-assisted O’Connor Roll, McKay equalised with multiple Schoolgirl Crushes, and Matthews scored the third fall with the Vancouver Maneuver.
11. Cheerleader Melissa & Ayako Hamada beat Madison Eagles & Sara Del Rey when Hamada rolled up Eagles for the pin.
Highlights
• 3S continue their run as SHIMMER Tag Team Champions and establish themselves as the most over team in the promotion’s history with a second successful title defence over Pretty Bitchin’.
• Both Sweet Saraya and daughter Britani Knight are defeated by SHIMMER originals, MsChif and Mercedes Martinez respectively. The former sees the Knight’s manager Rebecca Knox get involved in the match but gets her comeuppance when a Saraya basement dropkick goes awry.
• Haze and Nakagawa earn a SHIMMER Tag Team Title shot by remaining undefeated, beating Mia Yim & Jamilia Craft.
• The Serena Deeb/Portia Perez feud that began following Deeb’s return to the promotion after her release from WWE the previous year continues and starts to involve weapons.
• Nicole Matthews and Jessie McKay put their on-off feud to bed after their best of three falls match after trading victories in singles and tag matches.
• Ayako Hamada pins Madison Eagles to earn a shot at the SHIMMER Championship, much to the chagrin of Cheerleader Melissa, who wanted to get the pin to earn the shot for herself. (more…)
Ringbelles Roundup (14 February 2012)
Seeing as it’s Valentine’s Day, how about a look at two of the romances running in WWE that involve two of the biggest storylines going on at the moment?
On Raw this week, the relationship between Zack Ryder and Eve Torres ground to a halt when Eve decided to kiss John Cena after he helped to rescue her from the clutches of Kane. Unfortunately, a crushed Ryder saw the whole thing, though Torres claimed it was a heat of the moment thing, then called things off with him, hoping that they can remain friends.
On the plus side, this storyline is the best opportunity that Torres has every had to show some personality in her near five year WWE tenure, even though it has caused her to experience derision from the audience for knowingly or unknowingly screwing over one of the favourite wrestlers in the promotion right now – someone who has captured the hearts and imagination of fans by standing up to his bosses with his YouTube Z! True Long Island Story, getting over in spite of his booking (or lack of it) and then being sucked into one of the most asinine and ridiculous storylines in years, that being Cena v Kane, by being the whipping boy who is the real life equivalent of Kenny from South Park being murdered on every show. By screwing over the guy who has the sympathy of fans, Eve is positioned as a heel… for now. (more…)
In Video: A chapter of the Cherry Bomb/Courtney Rush feud
The feud between Courtney Rush and Cherry Bomb continues next Sunday in Tri City Wrestling in Kitchener, ONT, Canada when the pair meet with Cherry’s TCW Women’s Title on the line. The bulk of their feud has taken place in Neo Spirit Pro Wrestling, though Rush was fired from the promotion by Danger Boy Derek Wylde in early December as a gift to Cherry Bomb, who was reluctant to fight her on the show, backing out of her match with Rush and seeing the Winnipeg native wrestle Leah Von Dutch instead.
Cherry alluded to the situation on the Women Of Wrestling Podcast that was released yesterday after Courtney began her Occupy Neo campaign which she furthered in the debut episode of her Ringbelles show Rush Hour last month.
However, even though the pair cannot meet in NSPW at the moment, they will wrestle in TCW, and judging from their previous encounters, it should be a stormer. You can find out how to buy tickets by clicking here.
While we wait to see if Rush will return to Neo, we’ve got a match between the two from the promotion’s event in Niagara Falls, ONT, last August. Click after the jump to see them go to war. (more…)
Ontario & Quebec dish out their 2011 awards
NCW Femmes Fatales were big winners at the annual Quebec Wrestling Awards for 2011, which were announced yesterday on lutte.com. The French language website celebrates the history of Montreal wrestling as well as recognise the best in current day Quebec grappling – and these awards are now in their eleventh year. Femmes Fatales, which returns to action on March 10th, picked up a number of plaudits. LuFisto‘s feud with current NCW International Champion Kalamity won Feud of the Year in the province, while Femmes Fatales VII: World Summit (from October) won show of the year. Femmes Fatales VII was the show which saw Kalamity beat LuFisto for the title, and feature more international visitors than ever before, such as the debuting Yumi Ohka (who had a highly regarded match with Cheerleader Melissa), Tomoka Nakagawa, Kellie Skater and the return to the ring of Tiana Ringer. For having both feud and show of the year, as well as enhancing the international reputation of his promotion, Femmes Fatales booker Stéphane Bruyère was awarded the Best Booker award.
In other categories, Femmes Fatales placed strongly. The match between LuFisto & Ayako Hamada (which headlined FFV in March) was the runner up for Match of the Year (coming second to Kevin Steen vs Paul London from NSPW only on the basis of “first place votes” cast – and only then by a margin of one vote). LuFisto also placed second runner-up for Best Babyface, while “The Pink Flash” Kira was first runner-up in Rookie of the Year. In related news, Kira’s next challenge was announced today, as she will go one-on-one in an international challenge with “Rate Tank” Kellie Skater at Femmes Fatales VIII next month. (more…)
2012 – Opportunity Knocks
It’s fair to say that Ringbelles HQ has had a bit of a dark cloud of depression hanging over it recently, as Lee and I have often found ourselves discussing how terrible it is that a number of our favourite wrestlers are out – in some cases, possibly permanently – with injuries. Daizee Haze has already hung up her tights, LuFisto & Mercedes Martinez have been struggling and resting up with serious injuries (back and concussion respectively – the latter of which has taken Martinez out of WSU’s event next weekend in New Jersey) and more serious still, Serena Deeb has been told she should no longer wrestle due to a severe concussion while Madison Eagles admits her knee injury could be career threatening. It’s amazing how much these women give of themselves to the service of pro-wrestling – often in front of small (albeit appreciative) crowds. Call it passion, or call it what you will, they continue to push themselves hard (and probably harder than they should) in order to entertain – and as we’re seeing quite clearly, with that comes a price. Going into the upcoming “Spring Season” of shows from the major North American indy wrestling companies, it’s hard to imagine a SHIMMER taping without Madison Eagles; or what about Serena Deeb, who is still scheduled to debut for NCW Femmes Fatales on March 10th in Montreal? What if Mercedes Martinez can’t completely shake her concussion issues by March? Main events in SHIMMER, Femmes Fatales and crucially WSU may all have to be re-written. In my head, it all felt very “glass half empty”.
Happily though, a chat with a friend in the business a little while ago persuaded me to turn the frown upside down. “Well,” she said (when contemplating the worst case scenario that Deeb, Eagles and others may be facing the end of their careers) “That gives plenty of opportunity for other girls to move up and take those spots”. I stopped and thought for a moment, and answered in the affirmative. I wasn’t yet 100% convinced, but the more I thought about it, the more I figured that there was a definite ring of truth to that statement. Don’t get me wrong, I am definitely *not* ready to contemplate life without Eagles and Deeb, and I’d love nothing better than to have them back – but if they don’t return (or even just miss an extended length of time as they overcome their issues), it’s worth considering who actually is likely to benefit, and why we can actually look forward to 2012 as a year of opportunity as much as anything else. (more…)
Ringbelles Retro: When the rockstar was a groupie
We have had quite a week for new audio shows. Not only have we got a new segment called My Name Is with Luscious Latasha and a Fight Like A Girl with TNA‘s Tara, as well as a new full-on podcast with Courtney Rush, entitled Rush Hour. For that reason, let’s take a look back at Miss Rush, before she metamorphosed into the suplex machine that she is now, back when she was PJ Tyler.
As she mentioned back on the Women Of Wrestling Podcast last year, Rush equated PJ Tyler to being the groupie, whereas now she is the rockstar. Besides, it was probably a good reason to change the handle, as PJ Tyler also seems to be the name of an astrologer…
The match we bring to you today is from Border City Wrestling, a promotion created by former TNA booker Scott D’Amore in 1993, and went out of business in 2010. Based out of Windsor, Ontario, Canada, Tyler was a staple in the promotion along with her first Rush Hour guest and longtime friend/rival, Haley “Cat Power” Rogers, as well as fellow former TNA employee Jamie D, who wrestled in Orlando as Sirelda.
Her opponent in the contest is Taylor Wilde, who at the time of this match (June 28, 2009) had just finished her feud with Daffney, with it culminating in a Monsters Ball intergender match (Wilde & Abyss v Daffney & Raven). Tyler’s playing heel, so it will be a departure for any fans who have only seen Rush’s recent work in SHIMMER – so click after jump and enjoy… (more…)
New Podcast: “RUSH HOUR” with Courtney Rush
RUSH HOUR with Courtney Rush, Episode 1: w/ Cat Power
Courtney Rush was one of our absolute favourite people in 2011 – and her appearances on the Women of Wrestling Podcast (episode 28, and again on the epic Christmas Show) left us wanting more… so what better idea than to give Courtney her own show? Joined by the first of her rotating guest co-hosts, friend and retired rival Cat Power, Courtney and Cat break down all manner of things, including how Cat has been adjusting to wrestling retirement, their last match together and yes, even stoke the flames of the small hope of a Cat Power comeback. Momma Power lays down the lessons to the young girls in the Ontario scene, and Courtney discusses her ongoing feud with Cherry Bomb, including calling us to arms for the “Rush Revolution” at Neo Spirit Pro-Wrestling. Also up for discussion is the DVD release of Monster Brawl, love and good wishes sent out to Britani and Saraya Knight on Britani’s FCW debut, last week’s Chelsea Handler/Beth Phoenix twitter kerfuffle (and what you need to say to Cat Power to have her shoot on you). Oh, and there’s a never before told story about a proposed gimmick for Cat & Courtney before they were Cat & Courtney. It’s so packed, it doesn’t even fit in an hour!
(left click on picture to stream, right click and “save as” to download)
Girls Grand Prix: opening matches announced
Two weeks ago, we reported about Squared Circle Wrestling setting up a new tournament called Girls Grand Prix, to be held in Binghamton, NY on February 24. At the time, the names which had been announced were Rachel Summerlyn, Sara Del Rey, Portia Perez and Serena Deeb (should she be fit to wrestle following her concussion). Today, 2CW has announced the other four participants in the tourney, as well as the opening round matches.
Joining the announced quartet will be former World Women’s Wrestling Champions Nikki Roxx and Alexxis Nevaeh (AKA Lexxus in Women Superstars Uncensored), as well as Canadians (and potential smash hits for 2012) Cherry Bomb and Courtney Rush. Having the experience and East Coast history of Roxx and Navaeh as well as the youth and added international flavour of Rush and Cherry Bomb (to go with fellow Canuck Perez) makes for an interesting dynamic. It could have been the same local faces for the most part, but those additions mean that it has a unique edge to it all. (more…)
WOW Podcast Xmas Special (#32) with Hailey Hatred, Courtney Rush, Mercedes Martinez, Saraya Knight, LuFisto & Madison Eagles
Episode 32 with Hailey Hatred, Courtney Rush, Mercedes Martinez, Saraya Knight, LuFisto & Madison Eagles
Welcome to the show that almost killed us. Six Guests. Four Continents. Two Hours (plus). One Podcast. Recorded over the last couple of weeks at various times, we welcome back six of our former guests for a Christmas Extravaganza that, well, we’re quite unlikely to ever top. In this two hour podcast, you’ll hear happiness, depression, tears and laughter – sometimes in the same segment, as our guests recount how 2011 has been for them, and their hopes for the New Year. Hear Mercedes Martinez talk about her year as WSU Champion and address her current concussion. Listen to Courtney Rush recount tales of giant bananas and her incredible growth year. LuFisto talks of her pride at the emergence of her pupil Kalamity and her optimism that there are still achievable goals in 2012. Last year’s Wrestler of the Year Madison Eagles hits us with a world exclusive on her current injury status and what that means for her career. The ever-entertaining Saraya Knight explains how SHIMMER saved her life, and talks about her daughter’s potential in 2012, and finally, Hailey Hatred gives us the lowdown on life at the top in joshi puroresu, winning titles, Kaori Yoneyama, Gail Kim and potential international travel plans next year. Oh, and did we mention that one of the above “Usual Suspects” is our 2011 Wrestler of the Year? Find out who on this very show.
(left click on picture to stream, right click and “save as” to download)
nCw Femmes Fatales: Kalamity wins the big one
The pupil surpassed the teacher in Montreal this weekend, as Quebec’s “can’t miss” prospect Kalamity ascended to the position of champion in the main event of NCW: Femmes Fatales VII: World Summit in what was reported to have been an excellent hard hitting affair on par with the other two times they’ve fought in the last year, and a worthy passing of the torch from one generation to the next. The twisted tale of LuFisto and Kalamity’s friendship was told in the form of a four and a half minute history package which played before the main event. You can view it here.
The event, which took place in front of 175 fans at Centre St Barthelemy in Montreal, Quebec, Canada saw Mary Lee Rose beat Milouu in the preshow match when she hit her Encore (RKO) on Milouu after Milouu missed her moonsault.
1. Angie Skye beat Cherry Bomb with a handful of tights on a roll-up. The match was very competitive with lots of submission attempts. At the end, Cherry had Angie in her Cattle Mutilation, but Angie reached the ropes. Cherry thought she had won, but Angie snuck up on her with the rollup whilst Cherry argued with the referee.
2. The Sherbrooke Connection defeated Anna Minoushka & Missy. Minoushka used some impressive power moves on both opponents – but at the end of the match, the Connection was able to eliminate Anna from the ring and double team Missy for the quick finish.
3. She Nay Nay bested Xandra Bale via submission. Bale entered a strong performance, overcoming She Nay Nay with quickness for much of the match before falling to She Nay Nay’s modified crossface finisher.
4. Mercedes Martinez defeated Tiana Ringer in Ringer’s first match back in four years. Ringer was reported to have shown absolutely *no* ring rust at all. The match was a 50/50 affair, which Martinez narrowly won with the Fisherman Buster. Post match, Martinez says she deserves a title shot at the winner of LuFisto vs Kalamity due to being undefeated in the promotion to date. (more…)
Greenfield: Down The Rabbit Hole
Next thing you know, I’m pushing deadlines to watch Mercedes Martinez and Madison Eagles brawl through an arena. I’m seeing Kana and Hailey Hatred beat the ever-loving hell out of each other instead of working on a pitch. I’m leaping out of my chair when Jenny Sjodin hooks a picture-perfect guillotine on Alpha Female, ignoring my wife when she asks if I’ve changed the cat litter.
It’s a downward spiral, friends. Stew and Lee: they’re bad people. You should click a button on your browser and get out while you can. You don’t want to end up like me.
I’ve been a wrestling fan since I watched Dick Murdoch screw Ted DiBiase out of beating Ric Flair for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in Mid-South when I was nine or ten. Hogan/Piper, Doctor Death Steve Williams, Four Horsemen, Flair/Steamboat, nWo, Austin, Brock, JBL/Eddie, Undertaker/Batista, Joe/Angle, Punk/Cena, Henry’s World Title run. Until recently, these were my touchstones as a wrestling fan.
Two things have happened to my wrestling sensibility since the beginning of 2012.
First, after years of effort Court Bauer got me watching All Japan from the ‘90s (with an assist from the Torch’s Bruce Mitchell and the Observer’s Dave Meltzer). I got hooked immediately – if I’ve seen a better series of matches than Steve Williams vs. Kenta Kobashi or Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Toshiaki Kawada, I must have been on an alcoholic blackout because I don’t remember them.
Second: those rat bastards, Stew and Lee. I did an interview with them to talk about my contribution to the Trish Stratus vs. Mickie James story at WWE and they used their Merry Olde Empire powers of hypnosis to tell me about SHIMMER and Femmes Fatales and EVE. “Just watch Shimmer Volume 37,” they said. “You’ll love it.”
They were right. Now I buy dvds and waste time I can ill afford because of these Ringbelles douchebags. They’ll do the same to you if they can, gentle reader. Get out while you can. (more…)
April 9, 2012 | Categories: Commentaries | Tags: Alex Greenfield, Alpha Female, Courtney Rush, Kalamity, NCW:FF, Pro Wrestling: EVE, SHIMMER, Trish Stratus, WWE | 9 Comments »