Stew’s 2012 highlights
Much like when I sat down a few days ago to look back over the Podcasts we’ve done in 2012, when I think of the shows I’ve seen and covered for this website over the last year, either live or on video/download/iPPV, I can’t help but feel a bit gobsmacked – it’s been a busy, busy year. As far as live wrestling was concerned, I chalked up two more transatlantic trips (both times taking in SHIMMER in Berwyn and NCW:Femmes Fatales in Montreal), and more all-female shows than ever back here in the UK (I personally tallied up four WAWW/Bellatrix shows and an EVE show – and bitterly regret the fact that work stopped me making the first EVE show of the year, and the ICW:Fierce Females debut in Scotland). With those shows, plus the likes of WSU, AIW, Shine and more, there’s never been a better time to be covering women’s wrestling, at least at the indy level.
So how was Kay Lee Ray’s 2012?
Ahead of the announcement of the 2012 Ringbelles Awards – which start on Monday – we thought it would be a good idea to see what happened to the three winners in 2011. How has the last 12 months been for them? Well, let’s start with out pick for Discovery of the Year, Kay Lee Ray…
We selected the high-flier from Scotland for her strong showings over the course of 2011, which included strong showings against joshi talent Hikaru Shida and Tsukasa Fujimoto (the latter as part of a three-way with Erin Angel) at Pro Wrestling: EVE v Ice Ribbon in October and her thrilling deathmatch against old enemy Carmel Jacob at Insane Championship Wrestling. She ventured outside of the UK to wrestle in Denmark, and we surmised that because of the positive opinions garnered by her work, her profile would go from strength to strength in 2012. That’s exactly what happened, and she’s capping the year off being on the other side of the world… (more…)
Ringbelles Roundup (11 December 2012) – Divas future, intergender wrestling part 2, Portia’s tweets, Fierce Females DVD review & more
WWE knows the Divas division is in tatters at the moment, and seems intent on asking us what we want to happen to it, so the promotion has been contacting focus groups asking about the future of the women. PWInsider reports they were sent out to ask fans what they think of the Divas in the past, what they are like now, and which women they liked. Another question which was reportedly on the list is what role they wanted to see them in – be it as valets/managers, dancers, wrestlers, love interests and more.
This could be the opportunity that fans of women’s wrestling have been waiting for. If the data comes back in the way which we would hope for, it could see a resurgence of in-ring action for the Divas in 2013, along with some proper storylines with episodic character development, culminating in big matches at pay-per-views. It could see them take more prominent roles on the TV shows, and have their segments played out in front of interested, active crowds who care about what is going on. It could also see an injection of new talent into the ranks, possible gimmick revamps to make them more interesting, and having more options of big matches all as part of the quest to snare the Divas Championship.
Oh yes, it could be the start of something beautiful.
But what if it isn’t? (more…)
My Name Is… Bete Noire
She plays video games, she bakes, and she regrets nothing. Bete Noire has been busy over the last few months, and wanted to discuss it with Ringbelles.
In this 20 minute chat, Bete talks about being part of the mystery team at the last Pro Wrestling: EVE show, teaming with Viper (as well as the story of how the She-X team came about), facing Viper at places like ICW: Fierce Females, learning technical wrestling with Pippa L’Vinn, how her interest in wrestling began, how Nikki Storm forced her into training for the first time, and how the Bete Noire name came about. Oh, and to put the cherry on the cake, she also reveals how she’s handy with fire…
(left click on picture to stream, right click and “save as” to download)
Keep up with Bete Noire on Twitter and Facebook, and check out Bete’s baking business by clicking here
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My Name Is… Pollyanna
English grappler Pollyanna has had a big few months, and she wanted to shout about it, so she gave Ringbelles a message to request some interview time as part of My Name Is… and of course, we said yes.
As well as undertaking her first overseas wrestling trip to Spain in September to take on Rachel Evans, Pollyanna is also involved in the current British Women’s Championship tournament in NWA Hammerlock. She discusses her beginnings, who has been influential in bringing her out of her shell, Pro Wrestling: EVE, Extreme World Wrestling, and how she is not just fighting against women – she is fighting FOR them too.
(left click on picture to stream, right click and “save as” to download)
Keep up with Pollyanna on Twitter and Facebook
Looking to expand your profile and want to be featured on a future show? Send us an email!
WOW Podcast #47 with Rhia O’Reilly
Episode 47 with Rhia O’Reilly
31 episodes ago we had a rookie wrestler on our Christmas show, who we thought had a bright future… now, coming off a quite astoundingly successful 2012 it’s time to welcome back our friend Rhia O’Reilly and see what’s causin’ all this. We talk working in NCW: Femmes Fatales earlier this year (and getting a “Finlay’s Daughter” chant), working heel on St Patrick’s Day in SHIMMER, “The Catchphrase” (Oh Really??), her second trip to SHIMMER in October, working Cheerleader Melissa & Davina Rose and interjecting herself into the main event of SHIMMER Vol 52, black eyes, working SHINE in Florida, Su Yung wackiness, the impact of Lexie Fyfe on her career, winning the British Ladies Title at WAWW, Scottish hijinks at Fierce Females and her friendship with “Amazon” Ayesha Ray which has become a tag team in Pro Wrestling: EVE. With a year like this, how can 2013 compare? Well, Rhia’s already got her sights on another continent…
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(left click on picture to stream, right click and “save as” to download)
Ringbelles Roundup (13 November 2012) – EVE’s iPPV, WAWW free show, Amazing Kong & more
In a move that nobody anticipated, Emi Sakura left Pro Wrestling: EVE’s second iPPV as the promotion’s Champion, after successfully defending her JWP Openweight Title earlier in the night, then challenging new EVE titleholder Nikki Storm in an impromptu match which saw the founder of Gatoh Move hit a quick 450 splash for the pin.
Now, I get the reasoning for putting the belt on Sakura. On an immediate level, it offers a happy ending for the show, and the visual of the JWP and EVE titles together is pretty striking. Longer term, it means that the belt is now associated with the oldest active women’s title in Japan, and considering how good Sakura is at garnering publicity, there is a lot of opportunity for joshi fans to find out about Pro Wrestling: EVE because people will inevitably ask about this other belt that she’s holding. In turn, it could lead to more international recognition and possibly more DVD sales and iPPV buys from Japan in the future.
However, the circumstances in which she won the title seems to be a big sticking point among some fans who both attended the show and watched online. (more…)
Pro Wrestling: EVE – Wrestle Fever results (now updated with thoughts, photos and an interview with Angelina Love)
It has been 19 months since their previous encounter, and tonight, the pair meet again. Pro Wrestling: EVE Champion Alpha Female defends the title against number one contender Nikki Storm, with Storm possessing a psychological advantage in that the only defeat on Alpha’s record in the whole of EVE history was by her hands. It’s the main event of Wrestle Fever – EVE’s second foray into iPPV, and you can watch it by ordering it here.
On what is a bumper card of action, JWP Openweight Champion Emi Sakura puts the title on the line against Kay Lee Ray in the first defence of the belt in the UK, while Sakura’s running buddy in Gatoh Move Kaori Yoneyama teams up with April Davids against Hannah and Holly Blossom, with the winners meeting the victors in another tag match involving Kasey & Leah Owens against Amazon Ayesha Ray & Rhia O’Reilly and a mystery team in a mini tag team tournament.
The other high-profile encounter sees former TNA Knockouts Champion Angelina Love take on the Glamour Gym’s Carmel Jacob – elsewhere, Kirsty Love faces Blue Nikita, Janey Britannico steps into the ring against Shanna, and Erin Angel competes against Scottish newcomer Fiona Fraser.
While you’re keeping up with the results, you can have a read of Nikki’s most recent blog where she discusses Wrestle Fever and our chat with her as part of a recent Women Of Wrestling Podcast, and you can click the jump to see the results as they happen. (more…)
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…)
Blog: Nikki Storm on Pro Wrestling: EVE this Saturday
Pro Wrestling: EVE.
November 10.
The biggest event in the history of the company: WrestleFever.
The main event: Number one contender Nikki Storm v EVE Champion Alpha Female.
The event is also featuring one of the best ever TNA knockouts in Angelina Love.
Now, added to the event is 22 time champion and current JWP Openweight Champ Emi Sakura and Fighting Spirit award winner for match of the year 2010 and 2011, Kaori Yoneyama.
Carmel Jacob v Angelina Love has been announced as well as Janey Britannico v Shanna, Blue Nikita v Kirsty Love, Fiona Fraser v Erin Angel. Kay Lee Ray, April Davids, Rhia O’Reilly, Ayesha Amazon Ray, the Owens Twins and the Blossom Twins. It is the strongest card that Pro Wrestling: EVE has ever promoted. What makes this show so spectacular is not only the fact that there is two former TNA women’s champions on the show, it is not only because there is two of the best joshis to ever compete in ring wrestling at the show, it is also because the European and British scene has never been better. (more…)
Ringbelles Roundup (23 October 2012) – women in WWE, AJ Lee, SHIMMER and more
Funny how the past comes back to haunt you.
In June, while she was still campaigning to be Connecticut Republican candidate for the US Senate, Linda McMahon’s past as the CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment was brought up, including the effect the programming may have had on women and men’s views of how to treat women. One particular incident keeps cropping up – the segment on the March 5, 2001 episode of Raw Is War when Linda’s husband Vince forced Trish Stratus to crawl on all fours, bark like a dog and then strip in the middle of the ring, all in an attempt to humiliate and degrade her.
Even at the time, the event was seen as so offensive that it was never shown in the UK, and it is still great ammunition for opponents of McMahon. Back in June, Linda’s opponent Chris Shays said during a debate: “I think when you force a woman to take off all her clothes in an arena, and get down on the ground and bark like a dog, I think that’s assault on women.” (more…)
Ringbelles Roundup (9 October 2012) – the return of Rebecca Knox, WSU and more
“I am so sorry I have not been in touch in a while. I have been in and out of hospital and have not been able to get access to the internet in over a week. I am very upset I have to write this email because I have to cancel all future dates until December. I am not sure if you had heard about the knock to the head I got in Germany a few weeks ago or not, but I got a bad cut above the eye and it was stitched up and all seemed fine. But after a few days I was getting extremely painful headaches, loud buzzing in my left ear and my vision in my left eye is completely blurred. The doctor has told me it may be damage to the 8th cranial nerve and I am waiting for a CT brain scan and have been advised to stop wrestling for the next few months. It could be permanent or it could go away by itself, but until all signs have been alleviated I will not be able to engage in any heavy physical activity.”
That’s the message Rebecca Knox posted on her own website back in October 2006, following her serious injury in a match against Kisu in Dortmund on September 22 of that year. The match finished as normal, and took on Sweet Saraya the following night in Great Yarmouth, England in a match which saw her drop the Queens Of Chaos Championship. After that, she took some time out to get medically checked out, which gave her the bad news about her 8th cranial nerve injury. It also meant that the proposed Iron Woman Match between she and Daizee Haze at SHIMMER Volume 7 had to be scrapped, after the pair had engaged in a heated feud in the promotion’s early days.
As she points out in her post, she was expecting to be out until December 2006. It’s now October 2012, and only now is the 25-year old from Dublin, Ireland seriously thinking of a return. (more…)
Kaori Yoneyama to make UK debut at Pro Wrestling: EVE on November 10
Kaori Yoneyama, who in the past has been JWP Openweight and Tag Team Champion, All Japan Women singles and doubles champ, will make her United Kingdom debut in just over a month’s time as part of Pro Wrestling: EVE‘s Wrestle Fever show on November 10. She will make the trip alongside tag team championship partner Emi Sakura, who was announced to appear on the show earlier this week. Yoneyama – who celebrates her 13th anniversary in the biz next month – has had one hell of a year, especially considering she was seconds away from retiring last December…
The 31-year old announced her intentions to leave wrestling behind before embarking on a huge farewell tour, which saw her win tag straps with her friend Hailey Hatred, and also saw her make her US debut in December as part of JoshiMania, just weeks before she was scheduled to hang up the boots – though she has since returned to CHIKARA, taking part in September’s King Of Trios as part of Team JWP. On December 23, she was defeated by Kayoko Haruyama before standing in the ring to receive the ten tolls of the bell which would signify the end of her career. However, she interrupted it to say that she had changed her mind and anted to continue on – something that had never happened before. Controversial to say the least, nobody seemed to know this was going to happen – and if it was a work, it’s one which very few knew about. Ironically, it was Sakura who was most upset, attacking Yoneyama for what she did – though the pair are now the backbone of Emi’s Gatoh Move promotion. (more…)
Ringbelles Retro: Emi Sakura in NEO
A year since the excellent Pro Wrestling: EVE v Ice Ribbon weekend in Nottingham, England (results of which you can see here and here), founder and former head of the joshi promotion Emi Sakura is returning to the UK to compete in an EVE ring again – this time for the November 10 Wrestle Fever event, headlined by Alpha Female v Nikki Storm for the EVE Championship, and also featuring former TNA Knockouts titleholder Angelina Love against Carmel Jacob.
Since her last visit to the UK, Sakura has parted ways with the promotion she created, established a new one in Thailand called Gatoh Move, won the JWP and Daily Sports Tag Team Championship with Kaori Yoneyama, and initiated an infiltration of JWP – and you can read more of that by clicking here.
Before she makes her flying visit to England, Sakura will have another big milestone for her year when she holds Gatoh Move’s first event in a proper ring in Itabashi on November 4. Like at the start of Ice Ribbon, GM shows have taken place on mats up until now, barring a couple of exhibition matches between Sakura and Yoneyama in Muay Thai rings in Bangkok. (more…)
Ringbelles Roundup (2 October 2012) – Sara Del Rey, TNA DVD ban, Alpha Female and more
“I don’t think there’s a better female wrestler in the world right now.”
Not my words – though I agree with them – but the words of WWE Champion CM Punk, who confirmed that Sara Del Rey has been employed as a trainer for the company and will be working in its developmental facilities in Florida.
We have stayed deathly quiet over Del Rey’s signing with WWE since we found out, as they notoriously hate their private business affairs being discussed openly, and would not want to jeopardise the position of anyone signing a contract with them. For that reason, we wait until the ink is dry and they appear in WWE facilities. That happened on September 28 when Bill DeMott sent out a Tout video of Joey Mercury, Norman Smiley and Del Rey in NXT trainers’ shirts offering a small pitch for wrestlers to come and try out. A photo of the trainers soon followed, and then came the confirmation from Punk at the Ohio Comic Con on September 29.
“We recently hired Sara Del Rey to train our future Divas. I know a lot of people will be like, ‘Oh, that sucks, Sara should be on television’ and maybe you’re right, but I’ve talked to her about it. This is her dream job. She gets to wrestle everyday and she gets paid for it.” (more…)
Ringbelles Roundup (25 September 2012) – Beth Phoenix departure rumours, Ice Ribbon issues & more
Following last night’s Monday Night Raw (which we will get to in a minute, be patient), Beth Phoenix was approached by fans outside the Times Union Center in Albany, NY, asking if the rumours about her planning to leave WWE and retire were true. Lords Of Pain reports that she replied she was neither leaving WWE or retiring in the near future.
To paraphrase Mandy Rice-Davies – a model involved in one of the biggest scandals of in British 1960s politics, the John Profumo/Christine Keeler affair and discredit of the Conservative Government at the time – “well, she would, wouldn’t she?”
Wrestling Inc was the first website to report that Phoenix was intending to leave WWE. It posted a piece last Thursday saying that they had heard from a source that she would be going in October. This was later picked up by other wrestling news sites, and was given extra weight by the Wrestling Observer, which says it has had it confirmed by other sources within the company. However, Phoenix is a professional, and will likely not be addressing the rumours – if she is leaving, she will do so in the right way, quietly slipping into the shadows, likely putting over remaining talent along the way. (more…)
In Video: What Angelina Love will face at EVE
Before July’s Pro Wrestling: EVE‘s Special Edition show in July, Nikki Storm made the point that despite she being a WWE Diva and TNA Knockout, it was Kat Waters who was the one who was at the disadvantage. After all, she was the visiting team, and was entering unfamiliar territory. The same could be said of Angelina Love, who will wrestle Scotland’s Carmel Jacob on EVE’s Wrestle Fever show on November 10 - and Jacob will be flanked by her Glamour Gym partner Sara Marie Taylor, which puts the Canadian at a further detriment.
In addition, Jacob has been busy wrestling TNA & WWE talent recently, taking on former Knockouts, Women’s and Divas Champion Mickie James in singles and tag team matches last weekend, though came out on the losing end on both occasions. (more…)
Ringbelles Roundup (11 September 2012) – Jerry Lawler/LuFisto, Kaitlyn & Knockouts booking
Last night’s scary incident involving Jerry “The King” Lawler’s heart attack during the live broadcast of Monday Night Raw in Montreal, Quebec, Canada saw an outpouring of support across the Internet, with various woman involved in wrestling taking to Twitter to wish the WWE Hall Of Famer all the best. AJ Lee, Vickie Guerrero, Velvet Sky (who worked on shows with Lawler in Aruba at the weekend) and former wife Stacy Carter all expressed their sentiments.
Lawler’s current girlfriend Lauryn McBride took to her Facebook to let everyone know the situation:
Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers. It has been confirmed that Jerry did have a heart attack…he is in stable condition and breathing on his own & heart is stable. I’m getting on the first flight out of here to be with him & will keep everyone posted. He is a strong man and we will get him back at his best as soon as I can get him home! I love you so so much baby!!
WOW Podcast 45 with Nikki Storm
Episode 45 with Nikki Storm
All female wrestling shows are popping up all over the place, and with Scotland about to enter that game with ICW: Fierce Females on September 30th, what better time to welcome Scotland’s “Dynamite Queen” Nikki Storm to the show? She’s got a lot to talk about, including her ICW persona of Ms. Nicola Storm and an overview of the diverse Scottish scene going into Fierce Females. Did you know Nikki Storm used to cheerlead? In Glasgow, no less. She’ll tell you about that, and how she went from dancer to wrestler… to her early appearances in the over 18s Triple X Wrestling in Coventry, and how influential Jetta and Saraya Knight were in guiding her early years in the ring. We take a chance to go through the spotlighted matches she’s had in EVE, including with Saraya, Tsukasa Fujimoto, Hikaru Shida, Kay Lee Ray and Kat Waters as we await EVE’s WrestleFever event on Nov 10th, when she will face Alpha Female for the EVE Championship. We also talk marketing yourself, her blogs, 30 minute poops and Lee gets a crash course in Glaswegian slang…
(left click on picture to stream, right click and “save as” to download)
Ringbelles Roundup (4 September 2012) – Ice Ribbon exodus, Cameron’s woes, WSU & more
As we reported at the weekend, Riho is leaving Ice Ribbon after being with the promotion for the entire existence of the company. She’s leaving following her match against Aoi Kizuki on September 23 to focus on her high school entrance exams. Now 15 years old, Riho debuted at the age of 8 and won the ICEx60 Championship when she was 12. When she returns, she says it will not be for Ice Ribbon but for her trainer Emi Sakura in Thailand.
Riho’s departure is the latest in an expanding list of wrestlers who have left Ice Ribbon in the last 12 months or so. Chii Tomiya (now Micro), Ray, Makoto and founder Emi Sakura have all said their farewells, while Dorami Nagano has been missing since June, Sayaka Obihiro hasn’t had a match since July and Hikari Minami is also taking some time away to prepare for high school. For the most part, none of these acts have been replaced, and precious few have debuted in the last year.
Some have benefited. Kurumi has come on leaps and bounds to the point where she is one half of the International Ribbon Tag Team Champions; Aoi Kizuki returned at Christmas and has been a smiling presence since then; Maki Narumiya has improved too, and names like Hamuko Hoshi and Maeri Naito have also had more attention bestowed onto them. However, the top of the card looks a little sparse these days, with ICEx60 Champion Hikaru Shida and Tsukasa Fujimoto heading things up, names like 14-year old prodigy Tsukushi the next level down (and presumably will also be thinking about school soon), and Narumiya and Kizuki also around there. (more…)
Ringbelles Roundup (21 August 2012) – Too many promotions, BLOW, Caylee Turner & more
It’s a jungle out there.
Take a look at the Upcoming section – most specifically the section for October and November. In the space of a month, you have three iPPV shows (SHINE will be one of them, most probably on October 19), as well as the SHIMMER weekend, nCw Femmes Fatales and Pro-Wrestling: EVE. In a four week gap, there are hugely advertised women’s cards taking place across the western hemisphere. If you expand the boundaries a bit to include the start of October, there is the new UKWW/WAWW venture in the UK, the debut of REINA x World in the US, PWWA in Australia and Joshi4Hope in Japan. No doubt, if you’re a fan of women’s wrestling, you certainly have a lot of stuff to choose from. Unfortunately, it may be too much for a minority in a minority like women’s wrestling certainly is.
On August 8, Pro-Wrestling: EVE promoter Dann Read tweeted his thoughts on the matter: “Its been obv for a while but I’m now feeling that the women’s scene in the US is becoming over saturated to a potentially harmful level.”
The first apparent victim of this rapidly expanding calendar was Ohio-based Independent Women’s Internet Wrestling, which shut up shop last week after one – albeit well received – show in July which crowned Cherry Bomb as its first champion. In a message posted on its Facebook page last week, it said; “As you know there is SHIMMER and WSU and Femmes Fatales which provide women’s wrestling action as well as Pro Wrestling Eve in England. And now there are two new promotions Shine and Blow which are going to be having regular and affordable iPPV’s featuring top talent.
“I see little reason in attempting to compete with a fraction of the resources. Even on a hobby promoting level it’s too expensive and too little return to pursue any further.” (more…)
Ringbelles Roundup (14 August 2012) – Femmes Fatales, Hiroyo Matsumoto, Maria Kanellis & more
Wrestling promotions spend a long time building up a reputation. Many groups which are starting out at the moment like SHINE and BLOW are looking to get some traction, credibility and a fan base behind them to be mentioned in the same sort of high regard as companies like SHIMMER and Women Superstars Uncensored. Another promotion which has created a great reputation for itself is Montreal, nCw Femmes Fatales, which was worked hard over the last three years to be known as the standard bearer for all-women shows in Canada.
Earlier this year, another promotion looking to start its own women’s show did not do as much research as it probably should have. Insane Championship Wrestling in Scotland called its group Femmes Fatales, but after realising that there was already another Femmes Fatales out there which already had a positive reputation and was working on heritage. After a brief contact from the original, ICW agreed to change the name to Fierce Females, admitting that there would have been some confusion, rebranded itself and looked ahead to promoting its first show, which takes place in Glasgow on September 30 (which Ringbelles will be attending, we may add). It was a considered, reasonable and mature approach exhibited by all which meant that nobody felt aggrieved or hard done by, and would mean that there would be no confusion by fans.
A similar situation came to light this week. (more…)
Ringbelles Roundup (7 August 2012) – Wrestlers Rescue, Dawn Marie, BLOW & more
Former WWE and ECW personality Dawn Marie seems to have a good heart. Setting up Wrestlers Rescue in 2008 (and the subsequent Pro Wrestlers Relief) in 2009, her goal was to make life easier for wrestlers with medical issues to help them pay their bills – a common problem for wrestlers outside of WWE who may not be able to secure the proper insurance needed to cover their ailments.
In the last week or so, her charity has received a battering from James “Kamala” Harris, who has had both of his legs amputated due to complications stemming from diabetes and high blood pressure. He claims that Wrestlers Rescue and Boston-based independent wrestling promotion the Millennium Wrestling Federation promised to help him out financially, and never did so, calling Dawn Marie “no good” and accusing her of keeping the money that was raised for him.
Wrestlers Rescue has not had the best of reputations in its short existence, but following this high-profile attack on her work, Dawn Marie decided to go public with all the details. (more…)
Lee’s 2012 highlights
Dolly Parton said that – wise woman.
The reason I started out this piece about my favourite memories from 2012 with that quote is because to truly appreciate the moments you most enjoyed, you need something negative to compare it to – and for me, that moment was back in mid-March when I was sat at home in the early hours of the morning updating the results of the SHIMMER volumes 45-48 tapings for Ringbelles.
I was at home because the inevitable happened – after eight trips to the Chicago area in four years, the coffers had run dry and I couldn’t afford to go. While Stew was at the Berwyn Eagles Club watching everything unfold, I was remotely keeping up with the festivities, feeling more and more disappointed that I wasn’t there. After his return, Stew let me know about the epic encounter that was Ayumi Kurihara and Ayako Hamada against Ray and Leon which saw the crowd lose their collective shit, as well as the whole Queens of Winning storyline play out, culminating in Courtney Rush and Sara Del Rey winning the SHIMMER Tag Team Titles. However, the ultimate low point for me would have been the ultimate high point if I was there, and that was Saraya Knight winning the SHIMMER Championship. (more…)
December 31, 2012 | Categories: Commentaries | Tags: Bellatrix, Erin Angel, ICW:FF, Nikki Storm, Pro Wrestling: EVE, Rhia O'Reilly, SHIMMER, WAWW | Leave A Comment »