Ringbelles Roundup (6 November 2012) – experiencing live wrestling, Femmes Fatales and more
Allysin Kay, Santana Garrett, Ryo Mizunami, Heidi Lovelace, Thunderkitty, Su Yung, Shazza McKenzie, Angelus Layne, Sweet Cherrie, Mary Lee Rose, Deziree, Missy, Medianne, Xandra Bale, Leah Von Dutch, Jewells Malone, Serphentina, Angie Skye & Pink Flash Kira all share a common thread with me in relation to all the wrestling I’ve seen in the last few weeks – seven shows since October 26, and two more to come this weekend, where I can add Kaori Yoneyama and Angelina Love to that list. They are all wrestlers who I have seen live for the first time, and I think that’s a massively important thing to be excited about.
While at SHIMMER, the discussion took place about Lexie Fyfe’s announcement as part of the heel team for the elimination match which headlined volume 50, with the assertion that if you merely read the results, or even saw it on DVD, it would not generate the same reaction or experience as watching it live. At the Berwyn Eagles Club, RPM by Sugar Ray hit and there was a wave of excitement as the recognition sunk into fans’ heads, realising that Fyfe would be wrestling her first SHIMMER match since May 3, 2009, where she and Malia Hosaka fell to Ariel and Nikki Roxx. It was a nice throwback to a previous generation, and provided a lovely nostalgic feeling. Had you just seen the result on paper, or knowing that it was going to happen, it may not have garnered the same buzz. (more…)
Ringbelles Roundup (30 October 2012) – SHIMMER, Beth Phoenix, Emi Sakura & more
SHIMMER: Women Athletes was lacking some of its big names for the most recent tapings, including the injured Madison Eagles and Serena Deeb, as well as Jessie McKay and Sara Del Rey – the latter of whom has since signed with WWE. While the top storyline with SHIMMER Champion Sweet Saraya and Cheerleader Melissa was still on, the Tag Team Championship had changed hands from Del Rey and Courtney Rush to Portia Perez and Nicole Matthews inbetween the March tapings and now, leaving Rush knocked from having one of the most popular storylines in the promotion cut off before it even got started. However, the booking for last weekend’s shows proved that creating writing and a strong willed lineup can easily fill the gaps. (more…)
Blog: Madison Eagles assesses the PWWA Interim Title tournament to date, plus exclusive injury update
Let’s get the big question sorted before I continue with the most awesomest blog in the world…
As it currently stands my knee has made some general improvements without the use of surgery, which I am very happy about… BUT I am still having the nagging issues of not being able to run, jump or kneel without running into some serious pain. To look at the progress I have made (from previously not being able to walk without a full leg brace and the use of a crutch), I think im doing fairly well.
This may lead to the question of “Why not just have surgery?”, and the answer for me is fairly simple, if I am slowly (VERY slowly) making improvements without the use of a surgeon then I don’t want to risk the chance that surgery possibly could make it worse OR not help it at all, in which case I would be set back even further in my recovery process.
But for all of you wondering if this is the end of my career you should probably be more focused on wondering what the date of my return to the ring will be. So in conclusion, to make an informed guess to answer this it would have to be that I’ll be back in the ring at the end of this year.
Well, now that that Elephant is out of the room lets start talking some fun stuff. (more…)
Blog: Madison Eagles on last weekend’s SHIMMER tapings
The weekend just past saw the first weekend of SHIMMER Women Athletes shows of 2012 come and go in the USA. Coming off the end of last year, losing the SHIMMER title and subsequently injuring my right knee, unfortunately I was not a part of them. And trust me, I held out hope until the last possible moment to make that decision, hoping for some sort of modern day miracle to occur just like I had in the past with my many other injuries. I even thought that maybe if I could just out up with the pain for the weekend I might be able to compete, but my knee is too unstable when straightened and the thought of re injuring it at the cost of my pride just didn’t make sense (even thought my pride can sometimes seem like Godzilla).
So what did I do leading up to the weekend? I trolled! I sat on my computer and figured out all the girls that were going to take part on the show, sat amazed, thinking what kind of match-ups there would be, and took my pick on whether I thought the Champions would retain their titles or not. So to break it down, I was acting like a fan.
So what did I do the weekend of the shows? I hit refresh on my iPhone’s internet about a hundred times!!! Excited to see what matches the SHIMMER office had come up with, deciding whether or not I would have booked them that way or not, swearing at my internet connection for not letting me see who were winning the Title matches fast enough. Again, I was acting like a fan. But why shouldn’t I? I love SHIMMER. It’s where I went to spread my name worldwide, and it and the girls gave me the kind of matches that helped me win the 2011 PWI Female 50. I love SHIMMER because it really does bring so many women from across the World together to compete. Many of the girls are my best friends, and I love watching them wrestle, whether it be on the screen backstage, on the TV once I get the DVDs or when I am face to face across the ring from them. And yes I do have my favorites, the ones who (as I read the match reviews) I cross my fingers for hoping they had an awesome match and that I fist pump for when I find out they won a big match up or title. (more…)
PWWA to crown Interim Champion
At the tail end of last month Australian wrestling promotion PWWA announced on its Facebook page that it would be holding a tournament, though no more details were revealed. However, another update has been released in the last few hours shedding a little more light on the issue, and relates to the injury of PWWA’s reigning champion, Madison Eagles.
According to the promotion’s official website, Eagles has not made a defence of the title in more than a year -the last recorded one being against KC Cassidy on January 7, 2011. The title lay dormant by her side while she relocated to the US for six months, where she wrestled the March SHIMMER tapings, and earned a spot on the CHIKARA roster after strong showings against Sara Del Rey, Daizee Haze and Manami Toyota. However, things came unstuck for the then-SHIMMER Champ, as she suffered an injured shoulder in a car accident, and was forced to withdraw from CHIKARA and return back to her native Australia for treatment.
She successfully defended the SHIMMER belt against Jessie McKay and Nicole Matthews in September while still dealing with her shoulder, and then wrestled five matches in three days at October’s SHIMMER tapings, dropping the promotion’s title to Cheerleader Melissa in the main event of volume 44. However, a week later, things went from bad to worse when Eagles suffered a knee injury during training, which could be career ending. With no firm date for a recovery, the decision has been made to have an Interim PWWA Champion – much like in the Ultimate Fighting Championship when the reigning titleholder cannot make a scheduled defence – while we wait and see if the winner of the 2011 PWI Female Fifty can return to the ring. If Eagles does return it would presumably lead to a unification match at some point down the road.
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…)
Blog: Madison Eagles on gaining acceptance as a wrestler, and thanks those who help make it possible
We at Ringbelles are very happy to announce the addition of Madison Eagles to our ongoing site coverage. Currently on the DL with a serious knee injury, Eagles will hopefully be weighing in on a regular basis with her unique take on the wrestling world…
So, here we are. I have been wrestling for going on 11 years now, across Australia, the USA, Canada and Japan. And all my adult life has been highly dedicated to the sport we know as Professional Wrestling. I have been hit, chopped, dropped, kicked and thrown so hard around the wrestling ring that I have torn, fractured, bruised, crippled, and burst almost every part of my body while doing it. I have missed parties, engagements, weddings and even my own birthday to bring my whole life down to the little piece of hope I have dangling in front of me. The hope that my knee will heal. And while I wait patiently, although not in my nature, for my body’s healing chemistry to take effect, I am here, writing this tiny little blog, for people who I have some very high respect for. So when deciding what I would write about as an introduction to my crazy perspective on this wacky world I love so much, it was easy to pick this – the people who support us. Not us as wrestlers, but us as in FEMALE wrestlers.
All I have craved my whole career is the acceptance as a wrestler, and not just a female wrestler. I’m not anti women, nor am I a massive girl power type either. I just want to be accepted in a way as a wrestler (male or female) who has worked my ass off to be able to produce an entertaining, highly skilled and belief suspending match. And who has helped me reach this goal? All of you! The fans, promoters, news correspondents and supporters who have said women can be equal to men. We can produce matches that can rival those of our male counterparts. Our characters are so emotion evoking that we can take you to extreme highs and lows. Our work ethic is bar none. And it’s you that have brought our names, the women of the wrestling world, to the forefront of the independent wrestling industry. (more…)
Ringbelles Roundup (31 January 2012)
So, Kharma’s back.
After all the speculation about when she would give birth after going through a high-risk pregnancy, as well as whether she would choose to leave WWE and concentrate on being a full-time mother, we saw the return of the biggest and most physical woman in the Divas division in the 2012 Royal Rumble match, entering as a surprise at number 21, causing Michael Cole to scamper with fear, then attacking Dolph Ziggler, eliminating Hunico, and being eliminated by Ziggler himself. Sure, it was short, but it was enough to whet the appetite of fans – and let’s face it, what more would you expect from a woman who gave birth less than a month ago?
TMZ reports that Kharma delivered a baby boy on December 31, who has been named Jamie. Four weeks later, she’s putting back on the leather and stepping foot in a WWE ring to reprise the role which was put on hold on May 30 when she announced she was pregnant on Raw, a week after crumbling in the ring in tears. When she left, she was a heel with a heart, as people empathised with her desire to be a Diva and a mother – and she achieved both at the same time – and was then verbally attacked by the Bellas, before promising to get at them when she returned. Throw on top of that the fact that everyone she had a physical interaction with at the Rumble was a heel, and must was now assume that Kharma is a babyface? If also you consider that the current titleholder Beth Phoenix is the top heel who has been steamrollering the rest of the division and Kharma will inevitably be gunning for the belt, that must also position her as the fan favourite, right? (more…)
Ringbelles Roundup (27 December 2011)
Madison Eagles was flooded with messages from both fans and peers on Twitter after revealing on the Women of Wrestling Podcast on Christmas Eve that the knee injury that she is currently sidelined with could be career ending if it doesn’t heal of its own accord. Should it require surgery, she will be unable to wrestle again.
The 27-year old Australian, who spent close to two years as SHIMMER Champion before dropping the belt to Cheerleader Melissa back in October, suffered the injury two days after those DVD tapings while preparing for her match against Kana at CHIKARA the following weekend. She hyperextended her knee while executing a double stomp, causing her to collapse in pain. After having to wait 6 weeks for an MRI, she was put in a brace for the next month and a half, and only had it removed in the last couple of weeks, though the healing process is still agonisingly slow. She told us that the injury could heal naturally, but there is no time frame for a recovery, meaning that the winner of 2011′s PWI Female 50 could spend the bulk of 2012 on the sidelines, unable to capitalise from the extra buzz surrounding her following the win.
Eagles’ character’s descent into madness during her SHIMMER title reign was a joy to watch. She became more and more self-obsessed and paranoid as each show went on, but – uncharacteristically for a heel – won all of her title defences clean, rarely cheated and gave the fans no tangible reason to boo her. As it turns out, despite not being cheered, she received the overwhelming support of the audience at October’s tapings when she was presented with the Female 50 plaque. From there, Eagles received a mixed reaction from the crowd, as it was hard to hate someone who had given and given to wrestling, beating every Diva and Knockout to the top spot and doing so with comparatively little mainstream coverage.
We at Ringbelles hope she enjoys a full recovery so she can return to the ring, but also urge her to take her time, as rushing back could do more harm than good. Normally, we wouldn’t need to say that, but this is a woman who thought she could wrestle through a fractured elbow and wrist last year… (more…)
Eagles: Knee injury could be career-ending
That’s never a title you want to read, but it’s the reality that the winner of the 2011 PWI Female Fifty, our choice for 2010 Wrestler of the Year, former SHIMMER Champion and current PWWA titleholder Madison Eagles is having to consider at the moment.
Speaking exclusively to Ringbelles following a two week, self-imposed exile from the Internet, the 27 year old Australian broke her silence in the latest Women Of Wrestling Podcast to explain the nature of her knee injury, when and how it occurred, and its severity.
It’s just disgusting. I got the worst prognosis that I could have; either surgery and you can’t wrestle again or let’s just wait it out and see what happens. Unfortunately, that one doesn’t have any time restraint on it. We’re looking at crap or crapper.
It was two days after SHIMMER [back at the start of October] that I did it. I did a double stomp – from doom, as I call it, the Double Stomp of Doom – and just hyperextended my knee so horribly that I just collapsed in pain and couldn’t move. I think it was six weeks after I actually did the injury that I finally got my MRI from the specialist done – and at that point it still looked pretty horrible, like, having been healing for six weeks. So they put me in a brace for another five or six weeks and that’s just come off recently and it’s still pretty bad. It just looks horrible from my point of view.
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)
Pocket Volcano: What’s in a name?
When Beth Phoenix and Natalya turned heel back in August, WWE Diva fans held their breath. They seemed hell bent on turning the division upside down, separating themselves from the “models” like Kelly Kelly, Eve Torres, Alicia Fox and others. They christened themselves the Divas of Doom, or, alternatively, Sisters of Salvation, claiming that they were out to “save” the Divas division from princesses and perky blondes.
The storyline has mostly gone downhill now, for several reasons. It took Beth three matches to defeat Kelly for the Divas title. Even when she won it, at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, it was only after Natalya interfered by hitting Kelly in the head with a microphone. Hardly a dominant win. Creative also didn’t go nearly far enough with the storyline – Beth and Natalya still refer to themselves as “Divas”, they still do photo shoots, and they have been very selective in who they choose to go after. So far it has only been the faces such as Kelly, Eve, Alicia, AJ and Kaitlyn. If they were after the models, shouldn’t they also target Brie and Nikki Bella, as well as Rosa Mendes? Tamina was never a model, so there is a logical reason why they wouldn’t go after her.
Also, at the start, Natalya was presented as an equally dominant partner. However, her singles wins have been sporadic, at best – any match that she won was when she was in a tag team match with Beth. Lately she has lost out to Alicia on RAW, SmackDown and at the house shows. This weakens the concept of the dominant team they were originally made out to be. Now it seems like they are another version of LayCool. (more…)
Fight Like A Girl: Shazza McKenzie
Perception is reality. That statement rings true when you take a look at how Australia’s Shazza McKenzie advertises herself on social media. Constantly telling her followers and friends where she is going to be wrestling, who she is against and then posting up the results, it’s fair to say that she has got this networking thing down to a T. It’s also pretty fair to say that if you look at her list of dates, she may be the busiest female wrestler in Australia at the moment.
Thanks to her getting her name out there, Ringbelles found out about the 23-year old Melbourne native (though she was raised in Sydney) making her debut this coming weekend at NWA Pro Australia in Adelaide against Kellyanne English. Shazza kindly granted us some of her time to talk about the show, how happy she is to be a part of it, her work in the PWWA, her hopes for the near future as well as the origin of her (very Aussie sounding) name. It’s a great 15 minute chat, so check it out!
(left click on picture to stream, right click and “save as” to download)
Don’t forget to leave us a comment below!
Keep up with Shazza McKenzie on Facebook and Twitter
And as a side note, check out the promo video made by Melbourne City Wrestling for Shazza v Kellie Skater using the Fight Like A Girl track, performed by Jenna Dwyer!
Pocket Volcano: Alternatives to Ring of Honor (Part 2)
(Yesterday, I focussed on Anarchy Championship Wrestling as an alternative to the lack of female wrestling in Ring Of Honor. As it turns out, the article was pretty well-timed, as Portia Perez won the ACW Heavyweight Title, if only for an hour. Today, let’s look elsewhere…)
The other promotion that has done equally well by it’s female talent is Chikara. Started by Mike Quackenbush and Tom Carter in 2002, it started integrating female wrestlers right off the bat. Its sixth show, which took place June 28th, 2002, was one that featured talent from their sister promotion Kiryoku Pro in an almost all-female show (there was a ten person tag team match that came as a result of interference in an earlier women’s match). After that all-female show, there were two other regular shows that had women’s matches billed as “Kiryoku Pro Showcase” matches.
Eventually the overall ethos of the promotion changed. They no longer saw gender as a wall – rather, the company wanted wrestlers to wrestle each other, regardless of sex. This started in 2003, at the first annual Tag World Grand Prix on July 5th, where the Kiryoku Pro team of Mercedes Martinez & Sumie Sakai took on The Wild Cards of Eddie Kingston and Blackjack Marciano. On October 18th, 2003′s International Invasion Of The International Invaders Sumie took on Jigsaw.
Granted, 2004 saw less female v female or female v male matches than 2002 or 2003 but 2005 was a sort of rebirth for women in Chikara. You had a slew of talent that made for some interesting matches (Chris Hero v Sumie Sakai? It happened at Running in the Red on November 13th, 2005). This also coincided with the birth of SHIMMER in November 2005 and the high point of IWA: Mid South‘s women’s division. It felt like women on the independent circuit had more choices than ever before. In 2006, two women debuted that would become Chikara mainstays: Sara Del Rey and Daizee Haze. These two would also become part of Chikara’s biggest storyline to date in late 2009: The Bruderschaft des Kreuzes versus the rest of Chikara. (more…)
SHIMMER announces next tapings, plus video
It’s less than a month since the SHIMMER volume 41-44 DVD tapings wrapped, but promoter Dave Prazak has already announced the dates for the volumes 45-48 tapings.
It will take place on March 17-18, 2012 – the week after nCw Femmes Fatales VIII in Montreal (featuring the Femmes Fatales debuts of Serena Deeb and Jazz) and just a few days before the provisionally-booked Pro Wrestling: EVE v Ice Ribbon 2 event, which has been pencilled in for Korukuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan on March 20, though nothing is official with that yet.
Coupled with the Women Superstars Uncensored 5th Anniversary Show on March 3, it’s expected to be a busy March for women’s wrestling fans – very similar to March of this year, which had WSU’s 4th Anniversary show, SHIMMER, Pro Wrestling SUN and the exhibition matches at the Ring Of Honor shows.
Click after the jump for a sneak peek at footage from the most recent tapings… (more…)
DVD Review: PWWA (3 September 2011)
Despite only taking place a month ago, the Pro Wrestling Women’s Alliance event which took place on September 3 was available for purchase at the recent SHIMMER: Women Athletes tapings in Berwyn, IL last weekend. Obviously, we had to pick up a copy to see the event, which was headlined by the first SHIMMER title defence outside of the United States, with then-Champion (still feels weird to think of her in that way) Madison Eagles defending against longtime rival/partner Jessie McKay, and former SHIMMER Tag Team Champion Nicole Matthews, who was making her first trip Down Under.
Eagles had been away from the promotion and its parent company the PWA for around six months to live in the US, making it onto the CHIKARA roster, but had to withdraw and return to Australia for treatment for an injured shoulder which she suffered in a car accident back in April. She had wrestled sporadically in North America since then – once in CHIKARA and another time at nCw Femmes Fatales VI in Canada in June where she defeated our latest Women Of Wrestling Podcast guest Courtney Rush. Upon her return to Australia, Eagles (who also holds the PWWA Championship) turned heel, attacking a newly-turned babyface McKay, who was trying to win the PWWA title which KC Cassidy had claimed as her own in Eagles’ absence. As it turned out, the belt was reclaimed by Eagles and she and Cassidy let things slide, even teaming together for Madison’s return match in her home country on August 8 against McKay and Shazza McKenzie.
The SHIMMER title match at PWWA was a big talking point ahead of time. Would Eagles be dropping the belt due to injury, and if so, to whom? How hurt was she? Would she be able to go at full-speed during the match considering she had only wrestled as few as three matches since the injury occurred four months previously? With that level of intrigue, it became a real possibility that the SHIMMER Championship would change hands in Liverpool, New South Wales. Obviously, we know she retained the title, but what participation did she have in the match? Let’s find out… (more…)
SHIMMER Volumes 43 & 44 results and thoughts
Day Two of SHIMMER is in the history books, and now that the smoke has cleared from the shimnanigan-filled afterparty, it’s time to go back and review an absolutely amazing day of action. In my opinion, Day Two (encompassing Vols 43 & 44) was a stronger day of tapings than Day One, featuring many great matches and topped off with a history making Vol 44.
In male pre-show action, the team of Knight Wagner, Jordan McIntyre and the indiest man alive (a wrestler I failed to identify, but who wore the indytastic combination of a mask, t-shirt and pleather pants) defeated Team CLASH. After that, SPARKLE action saw Jett Riley & Kimberley Maddox beat December & Buggy Nova, while KC Spinelli pinned Su Yung with a hard powerslam.
Volume 43
1. LuFisto pinned Maja Svensson with the Mangalizer.
2. ReGeneration X (Allison Danger & Leva Bates) beat Sassy Stephie & Nevaeh after a Sonic Screwdriver on Stephie.
3. Nicole Matthews pinned Davina Rose with a Roll Of The Dice.
4. Hiroyo Matsumoto defeated Kellie Skater with a side suplex.
5. Saraya Knight pinned Ariel after a Sunset Flip Powerbomb.
6. Courtney Rush pinned Nikki Roxx following an Angle Slam.
7. Yumi Ohka pinned Mia Yim with a bridging Tiger Suplex.
8. MsChif pinned Tomoka Nakagawa after a Desecrator.
9. Mercedes Martinez & Athena went to a double countout. After the match, Athena wanted to restart, but Martinez walked off.
10. Jessie McKay pinned Britani Knight following a Boyfriend Stealer. Afterwards, Saraya Knight came out and berated Britani for letting down the Knight family name, and disowned her – suggesting she could put out a want ad and find a better daughter than Britani. Britani eventually snapped and the two brawled in a breathtaking extended pull-apart brawl. Britani vows to leave, but wants one match with her mother on Vol 44 to settle it all.
11. Serena Deeb pinned Portia Perez in an amazing no holds barred match, after spearing Perez off a table the two were standing on at the time.
12. Cheerleader Melissa defeated Kana after an Air Raid Crash. Post match, ring announcer Joey Eastman revealed that the win made Melissa the new top contender for Madison Eagles’ SHIMMER Championship.
13. SHIMMER Tag Team Titles: Ayako Hamada & Ayumi Kurihara (c) defeated Madison Eagles & Sara Del Rey to retain their titles after Hamada pinned Del Rey with an AP Cross.
Volume 44
1. Kellie Skater pinned Davina Rose after a Skate or Die.
2. Taylor Made pinned Veda Scott with a neckbreaker.
3. Kalamity pinned Tomoka Nakagawa with a Kalamity Driver.
4. Sassy Stephie & Neveah beat Ashley Lane & Mia Yim with a Kiss My Sass from Stephie on Yim. Former partners Nevaeh & Ashley Lane had already brawled to the back.
5. Serena Deeb pinned Yumi Ohka with a Spear.
6. ReGeneration X, Christina Von Eerie & MsChif beat Mena Libra, Melanie Cruise, She Nay Nay & Bonesaw when Von Eerie pinned She Nay Nay with a Pedigree.
7. Hiroyo Matsumoto pinned Jessie McKay with a side suplex.
8. Sara Del Rey pinned Courtney Rush with a Royal Butterfly.
9. Athena beat Mercedes Martinez via DQ when Martinez blatantly used a steel chair to attack the ankle of Athena. This seemed to cement a double turn, as Martinez was booed, while Athena was cheered. Athena pledged to get back at Martinez, but claimed she thought her leg was broken.
10. Kana beat LuFisto with the Kana Lock.
11. Britani Knight pinned Saraya Knight in a no DQ match with a Knight Light DDT.
12. SHIMMER Tag Team Titles: Ayako Hamada & Ayumi Kurihara (c) beat The Canadian NINJAs (Portia Perez & Nicole Matthews) after Kurihara pinned Perez after an Exploder Suplex.
13. SHIMMER Title: Cheerleader Melissa pinned Madison Eagles (c) with a rollup after escaping the Hellbound – NEW CHAMPION. After celebrating with the fans, Melissa was jumped and assaulted by Nicole Matthews, who claimed that this was “her time” now.
Click after the jump for more thoughts
SHIMMER volumes 41 & 42 results and thoughts
Day one of SHIMMER: Women Athletes is in the bag, with volumes 41 and 42 seeing some top class matches, strong debuts and some advancements in storylines, which should add intrigue to tomorrow’s event.
Before the tapings began, we were treated to two SPARKLE pre-show matches, with BoNayNayBugs (Jessie “Bonesaw” Brooks, She Nay Nay and Buggy) defeating Veda Scott, Kimberley Maddox and former WWE Developmental Diva Su Yung when Bonesaw nailed Yung with a double underhook DDT, and Allysin Kay & Maja (Mia) Svensson went to a time limit draw with KC Spinelli and Cherry Bomb.
Volume 41:
1. Nikki Roxx beat Kellie Skater with a schoolboy as Skater went for her Skate Or Die finisher.
2. Mercedes Martinez pinned Davina Rose with a Fisherman Buster.
3. Hailey Hatred pinned Kalamity with a running powerbomb. Hatred showed respect to Kalamity for her effort afterwards, but were attacked from behind by Mena Libra and Melanie Cruise.
4. Sara Del Rey beat Yumi Ohka with the Royal Butterfly.
Amber Gertner then brought out former SHIMMER Tag Team Champion Ashley Lane (AKA TNA‘s Madison Rayne) who called out Nevaeh after her former partner’s heel turn at AAW last night. The two got into a pull-apart brawl.
5. Kana (who was shown in video packages lanking Sara Del Rey and Cheerleader Melissa) made Mia Yim tap out from the Kana Lock (crossface chicken wing).
SHIMMER Champion Madison Eagles was presented with her award for being number one in the PWI Female 50, then talked trash about Serena Deeb, who was her challenger for the taping. Serena then cut the best promo of her SHIMMER career to express her desire to be the champion.
6. Ayako Hamada & Ayumi Kurihara defeated Daizee Haze & Tomoka Nakagawa to win the SHIMMER Tag Team Championship. Haze and Nakagawa came out beforehand to say they were taking the night off, but were forced into a defence. Nakagawa was pinned by Kurihara following two exploder suplexes.
7. Nevaeh b Ashley Lane with a German Suplex.
Daizee Haze returned to ringside to quit the promotion.
8. Cheerleader Melissa pinned Britani Knight following an Air Raid Crash. Britani’s mother Saraya gave her some verbal abuse after the match.
9. Portia Perez beat Jessie McKay after hitting her in the head with a chain wrapped round her fist, then wished rival Serena Deeb all the best in her title match, as she wanted to become SHIMMER Champion by beating her.
10. Saraya Knight defeated Allison Danger in a British rounds-based match. Danger got the first fall at the opening of round one; Saraya equalised by pinning Danger with her feet on the ropes in round three, and; Knight won the third fall in round four by pinning Danger with her forearm over her throat.
11. Hiroyo Matsumoto beat Nicole Matthews with a backdrop driver.
12. Madison Eagles retained her SHIMMER Championship after pinning Serena Deeb with the Hellbound.
Volume 42:
The taping began with a video of Sara Del Rey talking about Kana blanking her and challenging her to a match.
1. Mercedes Martinez beat Leva Bates with the Fisherman Buster, then kicked her a few times after the bell.
2. Mena Libra and Melanie Cruise defeated Hailey Hatred and Kalamity when Libra pinned Kalamity with the Ambassador Bridge (samoan drop with a bridge).
3. Tomoka Nakagawa defeated MsChif, LuFisto and Kellie Skater in a 4-way when Nakagawa pinned MsChif.
4. Yumi Ohka pinned Courtney Rush following a chokebomb.
5. Portia Perez made Davina Rose tap out with the Just Facelock. Perez had called for Serena Deeb to sit at ringside to watch her destroy Deeb’s protege. Perez refused to break the hold so Serena got in the ring to break it, only to be attacked by Nicole Matthews. The four then had a wild brawl which saw the locker room clear to break them up.
6. Nevaeh and Sassy Stephie defeated Nikki Roxx and Ariel.
7. Cheerleader Melissa pinned Christina Von Eerie following the Kudo Driver.
8. Athena won a 3-way featuring Jessie McKay and Mia Yim with the O-Face (leaping Stunner from the top rope).
9. Nicole Matthews beat Serena Deeb with the Roll The Dice after Portia Perez interfered. Deeb then challenged Perez to a no holds barred match for volume 43.
10. Ayako Hamada and Ayumi Kurihara retained the Tag Team Championship over Saraya and Britani Knight when Hamada pinned Britani. Saraya refused to help her daughter during the match, who she blamed for being soft after the match during a scathing promo, where she said “they” would want her anymore.
11. Kana beat Sara Del Rey via referee stoppage when she passed out in the Kana Lock.
12. Madison Eagles retained the SHIMMER Championship by beating Hiroyo Matsumoto with the Hellbound.
Click after the jump for more thoughts. (more…)
Nevaeh turns heel ahead of return to SHIMMER
Tonight’s precursor to this weekend’s weekend of DVD tapings for SHIMMER: Women Athletes at AAW in Berwyn, IL saw one half of the inaugural Tag Team Champions turn heel and align herself with a new set of friends.
Nevaeh – who was teaming with MsChif and Jessie McKay – hit Your Soul’s Tormentor with a German suplex as she was going for a Descecrator on Mena Libra, who was teaming with Sassy Stephie and SHIMMER Champion Madison Eagles, causing MsChif to be pinned by AAW rival Libra. Nevaeh had been beaten on for the majority of the match, but chose to place herself with Stephie, with Libra suffering a green mist attack after the bell.
The star of the match was McKay, who wowed the crowd with a rana to the outside on Eagles, and a reverse rana to the Champion inside the ring. Eagles herself managed to bring the crowd out of their chairs by hitting Nevaeh with a low leg lariat which looked like it decapitated her opponent.
How this will play into SHIMMER this weekend remains to be seen, but it looks set to be an interesting weekend.
In addition, LuFisto and her opponent at Femmes Fatales VII Kalamity have been announced for the tapings, and West Coast wrestler Buggy, along with Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling talent KC Spinelli also set to make her debut in SPARKLE.
Ringbelles Roundup (27 September 2011)
A bumper two weeks of women’s wrestling kicks off this weekend with SHIMMER: Women Athletes undertaking two days of DVD tapings for volumes 41-44. With close to 40 wrestlers expected to compete over the weekend, fans have got 12 hours of debuts, returns, twists, turns and top quality wrestling to look forward to in Berwyn, IL.
As mentioned, there will be a number of new faces at the tapings, the most publicised is the current SMASH Divas Champion Kana. The 30-year old took the title earlier this month by beating rival Serena Deeb, ending her seven match undefeated streak, and avenging the two pinfall losses to her gaijin opponent. In addition to wrestling at SHIMMER, Kana will also compete in CHIKARA the following weekend against current SHIMMER Champion Madison Eagles, and former titleholder Sara Del Rey.
Current JWP Openweight Champion Hailey Hatred returns to the US to wrestle for the first time at SHIMMER on October 1 before going on to Absolute Intense Wrestling the following day to take on Cherry Bomb. Arguably the most successful non-Japanese female wrestling talent to ever compete in Japan, Hatred had an absolute slew of titles in her possession, and was criminally left out of the PWI Female 50 this year, because the magazine does not recognise wrestling from Japan or Mexico.
Yumi Ohka’s debut has been slightly overshadowed by Kana’s arrival, but she will be unlikely to accept being looked past. A member of Misaki Ohata’s Black Dahlia group in WAVE, 32-year old Ohka has been wrestling for close to a decade after originally lacing up the boots to migrate into the acting industry, though elected to stay wrestling instead. She could be the sleeper star of the weekend. (more…)
Ringbelles Roundup (13 September 2011)
Pro Wrestling Illustrated sent WWE and TNA and a message last week – sort out your women’s divisions.
They did so by crowning SHIMMER Champion Madison Eagles as its number one in the annual Female 50, which marked the first time in its four year history that someone from outside the national promotions had taken the honour – Awesome Kong, Mickie James and Michelle McCool had won previous years. Mickie was the highest-ranked Big Two employee at number three, with WSU Champion Mercedes Martinez taking the runner-up spot. In fact, the women on the independent circuit had a strong showing in the top ten, with Cheerleader Melissa, MsChif and Sara Del Rey making sure that the women who accept their own bookings took up half of the final countdown.
Understandably, the PWI list isn’t perfect – after all, it doesn’t take into account Europe, Asia or South America, and only ranks Australasian talent that has competed in the US. Therefore, it’s a pretty strangled list – had it been opened up further, Britani Knight, Hailey Hatred, Amapola and others would have likely been included – but it’s a vast improvement on previous years, though with the proviso that it still has a long way to go before it can be a comprehensive rundown.
Still, it’s a massive pat on the back to Eagles, who doesn’t even live in the US – though she was residing there for a portion of the year – and has never even had a tryout in WWE or TNA, yet is still recognised by a world-reknowned magazine for being the best female wrestler in the world. When you take into account the fact that PWI still portrays wrestling as being a legitimate, competitive sport and judges the list by wins and losses, it would be hard to deny the 6’1” Australian the top spot, or Mercedes runner-up place either. After all, both had been champion of their respective promotions for the entire year; both had racked up win after win, and had put on incredible matches to justify their desire and will to be the champion. When you consider that the only real competitor for the top spot from WWE was Kelly Kelly or Layla, you can see why they only ranked at 15 and 13 respectively. Pretty much every Diva was booked badly over the last 12 months – and seeing as that is how PWI assesses who goes where, we have to look at the writing over the performances – and nobody has gotten over to the point where you would want to spend money to see them. (more…)
Madison Eagles takes top spot in PWI Female 50; full list also included
SHIMMER and PWWA Champion Madison Eagles is the top female wrestler on the planet, according to Pro Wrestling Illustrated.
The 27-year old has taken the number one spot in the 2011 PWI Female 50, jumping from 15th place last year, and replacing Michelle McCool at the top. Since its launch in 2008, previous winners have been Awesome Kong (now Kharma), Mickie James in 2009 and McCool last year. That makes Eagles the first independent female wrestler to head the list.
As part of the announcement, PWI wrote:
Madison Eagles is not a household name.
She’s not a Diva. She’s not a Knockout. To a large portion of wrestling fans, she is completely unknown.
But that’s about to change.
The 6’1″ Australian has been selected by the editors of PRO WRESTLING ILLUSTRATED as the top female wrestler in the sport, and she heads the 2011 “PWI Female 50.”
The reigning SHIMMER champion has had a tremendous year, successfully defending her title against the cream of the crop of the independent circuit, including Mercedes Martinez, MsChif, Cheerleader Melissa, and Ayako Hamada. She has competed in Japan, Canada, and her native Australia (where she also holds the PWA Australia Women’s title) and has dominated competition worldwide.
She may not be world famous, but she has enjoyed worldwide success. And our editors took notice.
PWWA results: Eagles retains the SHIMMER title
The first defence of the SHIMMER Championship outside of the US has seen titleholder Madison Eagles retain the belt over her two challengers, Nicole Matthews and Jessie McKay (who spoke to us about the match on the most recent Women Of Wrestling Podcast).
There had been a lot of intrigue surrounding the match, including whether Eagles’ recent injury issues would be a factor in this contest, and whether this was an occasion for there to be a new champion while Madison rehabbed her damaged shoulder. As it turns out, Eagles recovery is not as bad as originally feared, and she will roll into SHIMMER’s DVD tapings in Berwyn, IL on October 1 and 2 as the champion.
Last night, parent company the Pro Wrestling Alliance held its own card in Liverpool, with a taster of the PWWA show the following evening. Matthews defeated Shazza McKenzie in the semi-main, while in an eight woman tag, McKay, Evie, Megan Kate & Kellyanne English defeated Eagles, Kellie Skater, JPE & Britenay.
Thanks to PWA’s official Twitter, we bring you the results: (more…)
2012 – Opportunity Knocks
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…)
January 15, 2012 | Categories: Commentaries | Tags: Allysin Kay, Angie Skye, Athena, Courtney Rush, Jessie McKay, Kalamity, Lexxus, LuFisto, Madison Eagles, Mercedes Martinez, Mia Yim, NCW:FF, Nicole Matthews, Portia Perez, Sassy Stephie, Serena Deeb, Sherbrooke Connection, SHIMMER, Stew, WSU | 1 Comment »