WOW Podcast #56 with LuFisto
Episode 56 with LuFisto
On April 6th at the iPPV broadcast of SHIMMER Vol 53, Montreal’s “Super Hardcore Anime” LuFisto crashed out on a moonsault to the floor during her match – a landing which caused what is medically referred to as an “exploded kneecap”. Now, a month (and a surgery) later, LuFisto talks exclusively to the Women of Wrestling Podcast, and updates us on her current status. LuFi takes us back to that fateful afternoon and gives us a blow by blow account what happened in the ring, the immediate aftermath in the back and the days following. She’s also got an update on the injury status of her pupil Kalamity, who feared she had broken her foot in training in the last week. We talk about some of the things that she missed out on because of her injury, including SHIMMER the following weekend, her WSU World Title shot at Jessicka Havok and her being stripped of the NSPW Title. We talk rehab – including the part BonRoxx Fitness is playing in helping her get back to her best – and estimate her return date. We talk her experiences in AAA, her admiration for Konnan and her future in that company; her feud with Mercedes Martinez in WSU & NCW:FF; facing Saraya Knight and Jazz; taking on Ivelisse in SHINE and ambitions to face Tara some day. We also revisit the comments made by Al Snow following her Gut Check for TNA and her current feelings on the Gut Check Challenge voting, and there’s quite a deep discussion on LuFisto’s ever-changing relationship with the business, what it means to have “succeeded” in wrestling, and bring up the prospect of retirement. It’s a pretty exhaustive hour and a half with an awesome lady. Download, spread the word and enjoy.
Follow LuFisto on twitter ! LuFisto fanpage on facebook
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Fight Like A Girl: Heidi Lovelace
She wrestles regularly for OVW, AAW, Wrestling Is Heart, Wrestling Is Cool and AIW, she made her debut on the SHIMMER main card earlier this month, she also debuted recently for St Louis Anarchy. In addition, she’s part of the upcoming SHINE 10 show next month and is entered in the Chikara Tag World Grand Prix in Chicago. It’s Heidi Lovelace, and if you don’t know the name yet, prepare to get to know it.
In this half-hour one-on-one website exclusive interview, you can hear about how exciting a time it is to be Heidi right about now, from inauspicious starts through training (with guys) at Billy Roc‘s School of Roc through making a big impression at National Pro-Wrestling Day earlier in the year, working and training in Ohio Valley Wrestling and their growing women’s scene now, to being part of the international SHIMMER locker room. Heidi discusses her evolution so far as a wrestler from both a training and gimmick perspective, and discusses her hopes for the future. A really enjoyable chat – check it out.
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WOW Podcast #55 with Leah Von Dutch
Episode 55 with Leah Von Dutch
Ontario’s Leah Von Dutch is less than two years into her wrestling career, but having already worked in Canada, US and Japan, she’s now coming over to the UK for a month to expand her wrestling horizons. She’s on WWE‘s radar already, she’s got the backing of WWE Hall of Famer Edge and she’s got her sights set on making it to the big time – and there’s a great chance she’s going to make it. So, on this edition of the Women of Wrestling Podcast, we cast the spotlight on one of wrestling’s fastest rising stars and find out just what makes this young woman tick. We talk about her upcoming UK tour, which includes dates for Pro-Wrestling: EVE and ICW: Fierce Females, working with Sara Del Rey in Chikara, experiences in Japan and working heel in SHINE. We find out the origins of the ‘Leah Von Dutch’ name, find out about how much an influence Cody Deaner has been for her, and how she got her start in the business first through helping out and then through the Edge scholarship for training – and find out how much the Rated R Superstar still guides her career. Plus before we chat to Leah, Stew and a SHIMvirus ravaged Lee discuss some thoughts on SHIMMER this past weekend – including Allison Danger‘s retirement, the returns of Madison Eagles & Serena Deeb, elevation for new stars, some excellent debuts and the impressive work of one Melanie Cruise. All here on your WOW Podcast. Happy downloading!
Follow Leah on twitter ! Leah on facebook | Leah’s Merch Store
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Ringbelles Roundup (16 April 2013) – Farewell Allison Danger, SHIMMER tapings, LuFisto & more
Allison Danger isn’t going to Terry Funk her retirement. After her match at SHIMMER volume 57 on Sunday, she took the microphone to explain the reason why she is quitting the ring and won’t be coming back.
In January, the 36-year old suffered a minor stroke, after which doctors performed some tests and found out that she had lesions on her brain. She explained that they were not life-threatening, but did mean that she would have to stop wrestling for good. While she was thinking of stepping away from the ring, the diagnosis sealed her fate. However, the 13-year veteran is not going to be leaving the business completely, as she will shift her attentions to behind the curtain, assuming a backstage role in SHIMMER to help develop new talent.
The announcement came at the end of a match which raked up history, exposed old wounds and saw someone who she considered a friend take advantage of an old injury which she actually caused. Back on volume 17 in 2008, Danger suffered a broken collarbone at the hands of an Air Raid Crash from Cheerleader Melissa which put her out of action for three months. During her match alongside Regeneration X partner Leva Bates against Melissa and Ayako Hamada, Danger backed off from Melissa’s attack saying that her clavicle was hurting – to which Melissa responded that Danger was milking the moment for attention and sympathy, helping to make sure fans got behind Danger and didn’t have their loyalties separated. However, as the contest developed, Melissa’s aggression went into overdrive, refusing to tag her partner in and setting out to injure Danger on her way out. (more…)
SHIMMER Volumes 56 & 57 DVD taping results (now updated with thoughts and photos)
After the events of yesterday, SHIMMER returns for its DVD tapings for volumes 56 and 57.
Expected to continue on from yesterday’s tapings include the quest by the Global Green Gangsters to secure another Tag Team Title shot at the Canadian Ninjas; Saraya Knight‘s reign of terror is being curbed by the officials; meanwhile, Jessicka Havok wants to leave more bodies in her wake, and Cheerleader Melissa is looking to retain the SHIMMER Championship. Also, these tapings mark the final matches for Allison Danger, who retires from the ring on volume 57.
As with yesterday, we will bring you results after the jump, along with pictures on thoughts on the show in due course. For now, click into the results and enjoy. (more…)
SHIMMER Volumes 54 & 55 DVD taping results (now updated with live thoughts and photos)
It’s the kickoff to SHIMMER’s Vols 54-57 tapings in Berwyn, IL at the Eagles Club with Vols 54 & 55 being recorded today. We’ve got a big preview of the Vol 54 taping up already, and we’ll be updating this page with results after the conclusion of both of today’s volumes. As noted in the preview, we’ll be back with thoughts and pictures from the event at some point thereafter. Enjoy!
(more…)
Full card for today’s SHIMMER Vol 54 released; notes on website coverage this weekend
We’re in the calm before the storm that is SHIMMER Weekend, and in a slightly surprising move, the SHIMMER Office have released the entire card for the first of the four tapings this weekend ahead of time – adding a bunch of intriguing new matchups to the three already announced a couple of days ago. Therefore, in a few short hours, SHIMMER Vol 54 will feature the following matches.
• SHIMMER Championship: Cheerleader Melissa vs Mercedes Martinez
First ever two time SHIMMER Champion Cheerleader Melissa makes her first defence of her second reign (a week after winning it in the Steel Cage) against “The Latina Sensation” Mercedes Martinez, who last weekend defeated Ayumi Kurihara in Ayumi’s last US match before retirement. A battle between two SHIMMER originals who were part of Volume 1 back in 2005, but have only fought once in SHIMMER competition – when Martinez beat Melissa on Vol 19 in July 2008. Will we get the same result today?
• SHIMMER Tag Team Championships: Canadian NINJAs (Portia Perez & Nicole Matthews) (c) vs Global Green Gangsters (Kellie Skater & Tomoka Nakagawa)
During last weekend’s Vol 53 iPPV, it looked like 3G were on course to possibly upset the Canadian NINJAs and walk away as the new SHIMMER Tag Team Champions – however, communication issues (or possibly philosophical differences) between Skater & Nakagawa resulted in Nicole Matthews taking advantage of the situation, spitting water in Skater’s face and Perez rolling up Skater with a handful of tights. A week later, will history repeat itself, and will confirmed friends Skater & Nakagawa be on the same page? (more…)
SHIMMER co-founder Allison Danger to retire from competition this weekend in Berwyn, IL
In sad news coming out of SHIMMER Women Athletes today, it has been announced that the promotion’s co-founder Allison Danger is to retire from in-ring competition, with her last appearances coming this weekend in Berwyn, IL. This weekend, of course, will be the tapings block for Vols 54-57. The news comes just days after SHIMMER fans got to bid farewell to Ayumi Kurihara at SHIMMER Vol 53 on iPPV.
Much like Kurihara, it’s an accumulation of nagging injuries over the years which has seen Danger decide to finally hang up her boots after a thirteen year career which has seen her compete internationally across four continents. While it’s sad to see Danger bring down the curtain on her active career, at least it’s a decision that has been taken with careful consideration for her future health and wellbeing, and one that will see her continue to have an active and valued role backstage in the company. It has yet to be determined on which Volume Danger’s retirement match will be, nor has her opponent been announced at this time.
We’re sure there will be plenty more news about this as Danger’s final weekend as an active in-ring competitor comes to a close this weekend in Berwyn. If you haven’t got your tickets yet, get them now and make your plans to be in the Eagles Club this weekend.
LuFisto off weekend’s SHIMMER tapings with fractured kneecap; WSU bout with Havok also off
For those who saw SHIMMER Vol 53 this past Saturday on iPPV, they’ll have seen a very scary moment during the four way SHIMMER Tag Team Titles match when Montreal’s “Super Hardcore Anime” LuFisto flew off the top rope to the outside with a moonsault, and crashed and burned on the concrete floor in a sickening thud.
After not moving for several seconds, LuFisto managed to struggle back to her feet and re-enter the match – including hitting a Burning Hammer on Taylor Made to eliminate the team of Made in Sin from the contest. Soon after, LuFisto was pinned by Kellie Skater, eliminating her and her partner Kana from the match. Adrenaline is a crazy thing, and nobody has ever doubted LuFisto’s toughness for one second – but the days that followed have told a different story. After returning home and icing the knee, she tweeted “Swollen knee, no weird colours. Looks better. #positive #wrestlingYAY” – but there was worse news when she went to see a doctor earlier today.
In an open letter published on her facebook, LuFisto revealed that following an X-Ray on the injured knee, she actually suffered a fractured kneecap on that landing, and as a result is looking at at least 2 months out of action, and may require surgery depending on the opinion of an orthopedist this weekend. What that means is that her booking this weekend at SHIMMER is now off, as is her challenge for the WSU World Title at the “Queen & King of the Ring” show on May 11th in Vorhees, NJ, where she was scheduled to face Jessicka Havok. Click through after the jump for the full text of LuFisto’s open letter. (more…)
Ringbelles Roundup (9 April 2013) – SHIMMER 53 reaction, SHIMMERs 54-57 preview & more
Lots to mention from SHIMMER volume 53 on Saturday afternoon, so let’s get into it.
Let’s start with the main event, which had the right result for the biggest show in the promotion’s history (not 93,173 as announced by Joey Eastman but more around a hefty 700+, which is more than three times the maximum attendance at the Berwyn Eagles Club). With nowhere for her enemy to run and with nobody to help her, Cheerleader Melissa soundly defeated Saraya Knight inside a monolithic steel cage to regain the SHIMMER Championship. While the match was OK, the real tale was in the story told, which did not see Melissa eke out a victory with luck, but saw her deliver a super hurricanrana, missile dropkick and Air Raid Crash to convincingly pin her rival of close to six years.
The crowd was quiet for much of the match – part of the reason being that a lot of the crowd may not be completely familiar with their history, or that the action was not the crisp sort of execution as other contests because most of their matches look more like fights than matches – but they came out of their seats for the finishing sequence, which was a simple tale of good punishing evil and the snarling, unfriendly heel finally getting her comeuppance. However, despite her loss, Saraya retained her scary aura, attacking fans on her way out of the ring – and was also put over by Bryan Alvarez, who was getting his first viewing of Knight, pointing out that she was a proper, grizzly, old-school wrestling heel.
One would anticipate that Melissa will enjoy a longer run with the belt during her second reign than with her first – when she dropped the title to Knight on her fourth defence, following wins over Nicole Matthews, Portia Perez and Jessie McKay. While there is no detail on who Melissa will be facing in Berwyn this weekend for the usual two-day, four-DVD taping extravaganza, there are a lot of names to play around with – including one debutante who surprised everyone when she hit the ring… (more…)
SHIMMER Vol 53 – Knightmare over as Melissa becomes 2 time Champion; Havok debuts, targets Deeb
It’s WrestleMania weekend, which means it’s also WrestleCon – and the return to action for SHIMMER Women Athletes for their Spring taping season. While there’s a weekend of festivities in prospect next weekend in Berwyn for four tapings across two days, there’s the small matter of today – right now – when SHIMMER makes its iPPV debut in front of its biggest live crowd to date.
You’ve read our primer, you’ve watched Eagles/McKay from Vol 35, you’ve listened to Athena’s podcast and you’ve followed Saraya’s winding road to Vol 53 with successful title defences in both Bellatrix and Femmes Fatales, and you’re ready for action, right? Well, we hope you’re watching live on iPPV via WWN, but we’ve got your results right here as they come in anyway. (more…)
Your SHIMMER Vol 53 Primer for iPPV viewers
So… we’re hours away from SHIMMER Vol 53 on iPPV via WWN. Sure if you’re a regular visitor to the site and a supporter of the women’s wrestling scene you’ll be aware of who’s who, what’s what and why you should care – but what if you’re a curious first time buyer, getting into the WrestleMania hype weekend buy purchasing one or more of the dozen or so wrestling/MMA events available this weekend? Need a primer? We’ve got you covered.
Main Event: SHIMMER Championship/Steel Cage Match – Saraya Knight (c) vs Cheerleader Melissa
This is, naturally, the big draw – as the six year long feud finally reaches the steel cage with the richest prize in women’s wrestling on the line. Saraya and Melissa first met at ChickFight 7 in Great Yarmouth, UK in January of 2007 – in the opening match of the first round of the tournament that night. In a gritty and tense match, Melissa advanced to the next round, leaving hometown heroine Saraya hanging by her neck in the ropes and causing an uncomfortable and scary few minutes as local wrestlers, including Saraya’s daughter – 14 year old Britani (now Paige in WWE) – struggled to extricate Knight. They met again later that year at an RQW event in Colchester – a match now infamous as the night Saraya’s kneecap was torn from her leg during a pre-match brawl that never reached the ring. Melissa, apparently aware of the injury, continued to attack the knee for several minutes as friends and family tried to tend to their fallen loved one. The injury, believed career threatening, kept Saraya out just six months – and the Saraya/Melissa feud entered a period of what can only be described as “cold war”, with both on different continents. With Saraya’s debut at SHIMMER in March of 2011 (initially as part of “The Knight Dynasty” with Britani), the potential for escalation was there again – but didn’t surface until the following year. Melissa had won the SHIMMER Title from Madison Eagles at the last taping of the October 2011 block, so in March 2012 Saraya started interfering in, and sending out hits on the new Champion. Nicole Matthews & Portia Perez of the Canadian NINJAs were sent at Melissa in title challenges, along with an intimidated Jessie McKay, but Saraya eventually got the job done at the end of those tapings, challenging an injured Melissa (injured because Saraya had taken out her knee with a pipe – in an attack tinged with irony) and winning the SHIMMER Title on a submission. The following tapings in October 2012 saw Melissa work towards getting a title rematch, including pinning Saraya in a 5 on 5 elimination match on Vol 50. Melissa received her shot at Vol 52 – only to be screwed out of her opportunity by interference from the Canadian NINJAs and Saraya’s British compatriot, Rhia O’Reilly. (more…)
In Video: Madison Eagles v Jessie McKay
Ahead of SHIMMER volume 53 on Saturday (which you can pre-order here), the promotion has given us a hell of a taster of one of the big matches which has been announced for the bumper card.
The contest between former tag team partners Madison Eagles and Jessie McKay on volume 35 still ranks up there as one of (if not the best) SHIMMER Championship matches, and had fans at the Eagles Club in Berwyn, IL going batty, as you will see in the video after the jump, as the entire contest has been uploaded as a sweetener for their return match this weekend. The contest on September 12, 2010 came about after McKay earned the shot by beating Sara Del Rey and Ayako Hamada in a 3-way in what was a mild surprise. To a certain extent, the favour lay with the defending champion, who had been main-eventing SHIMMER shows as well as holding a size and experience advantage over her fellow Australian.
Unfortunately for Madison Eagles, nobody told Jessie McKay that she was the underdog. (more…)
Ringbelles Roundup (2 April 2013) – Femmes Fatales XI, SHIMMER Volume 53, WrestleMania XXIX & more
Last week, I repeated my previous assertion that two championships would change hands at NCW Femmes Fatales XI in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on Saturday. Lo and behold, that’s what happened – with the Bellatrix World Championship and the Femmes Fatales International Titles being won by Courtney Rush and Mercedes Martinez respectively.
Martinez’s victory over Kalamity is only part of her story in the show. She continued her cross-promotion feud with LuFisto following her defeat to the Super Hardcore Anime at Women Superstars Uncensored’s An Ultraviolent Affair in February by attacking her foe during LuFisto’s challenge for the SHIMMER title against Saraya Knight. The steel chair attack to LuFisto’s head was enough for Knight to lock in the Bridal Rocking Horse for the stoppage and retain the belt, meaning that no matter what happened with Mercedes’ challenge to Kalamity, the Martinez/LuFisto programme would continue.
As it turns out, the programme will likely feature the International Championship, as the Latina Sensation used a Fisherman Buster onto a steel chair to gain the pinfall and bring The Oncoming Storm’s 17-month reign to an end. (more…)
WOW Podcast #53 with Athena
Episode 53 with ‘The Wrestling Goddess’ Athena
Here’s one we’ve been meaning to do for some time – and we’ve finally got our schedules aligned in time to bring it to you just before SHIMMER Vol 53 on iPPV next weekend, where our guest Athena will be in one of the featured matches against Ayako Hamada. In this wide ranging interview, we talk about how the various parts of her act came together – including how she started, was ripped off, clotheslined, yet still came back for more; we find out where the name came from, how the spectacular O-Face came to be, and the origin of “Hussy”. We talk run-ins with various former (and future) WWE wrestlers, early awesomeness with Booker T & Sharmell, thoughts on ACW, Rachel Summerlyn, Death Matches and Intergender wrestling (Brock Lesnar vs Kim Kardashian anybody?). We talk SHIMMER, Femmes Fatales, WSU – and then out of nowhere break open the Wrestling Bucket List~!, where Athena runs through the people she wants to wrestle before she retires. Some serious, some personal, some… a little out there! We finish up talking about making it to the big time, and the craziness that has been the TNA Gut Check voting. A bit of an epic podcast, this… but this girl can talk!
Follow Athena on twitter ! Athena on facebook
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My Name Is… Chasity Taylor
Chasity Taylor has been involved in wrestling for a third of her life. She is one of the voices of the CWF Mid-Atlantic team, which sees her ring announcing, interviewing and hyping up shows – such as tomorrow night’s Madness In Any Direction iPPV, which you order by clicking here.
As part of this 15-minute interview, Chasity talks about how she was ring announcing before her 13th birthday, who is helping to keep her on the straight and narrow in this crazy business, ring announcing for SHIMMER‘s pre-show known as SPARKLE, and her goals in wrestling. It’s a fascinating chat, so make some time to have a listen.
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Keep up with Chasity Taylor: Twitter
Photo by Gilda Pasquil
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Ayumi Kurihara to retire in August; comes to SHIMMER one last time in New Jersey for v53
The wrestling community worldwide was shocked today as joshi superstar Ayumi Kurihara announced her forthcoming retirement at a press conference. Kurihara, 28, plans to retire at Korakuen Hall on August 4th. The reason for the retirement was given as a number of nagging injuries accumulated over a hard-hitting eight year career. Notably, she missed around a year and a half of action in 2007/8 with a broken clavicle suffered in a match in NEO (she still finished the match), and earlier this year suffered an orbital bone fracture in a match in WAVE. Kurihara said in her announcement today that she would not be happy competing at a level below her best, and that this has played a large part in her decision to retire.
However, some good news for fans of Kurihara – she will be competing in the USA one final time in just over one week’s time as part of SHIMMER Vol 53 at WrestleCon in Secaucus, NJ. Ayumi, a former SHIMMER Tag Team Champion, missed the October tapings last year, so this will be the first time she will compete under the SHIMMER banner in a year. The Vol 53 appearance will be a one-off, as she will not be at the Vol 54-57 taping block in Berwyn, IL the following weekend. Her opponent for Vol 53 has also been announced, and she will be taking on SHIMMER original Mercedes Martinez. The announcement of Ayumi completes the joshi lineup for the April SHIMMER tapings, with Ayako Hamada, Kana, Tomoka Nakagawa & the debuting Yuu Yamagata all already announced. (more…)
Ringbelles Roundup (26 March 2013) – Bellatrix growth, Femmes Fatales XI, WrestleMania
Not making it to Bellatrix 5 in Norwich, England on Sunday may have been unfortunate, but it did provide me the opportunity to utilise the option to watch the show on iPPV. Considering a lot of the changes from Bellatrix 4 last November were being done because of this one being broadcast live, it was interesting to be able to assess if those changes were successful.
They were.
Improvements to aesthetics like giant wall hangings of the roster, an improved entranceway, ringside barriers and more attention paid to start and running times were coupled with the venue being a purpose-built TV studio with full-scale lights and sound systems, the Epic Studios in Norwich looked vastly different to 5 months ago. The benefit of it being a proper studio also made it easier for the show to be streamed online, as the facilities to broadcast were all there, and had been tried and tested with previous unrelated shows. As a result, Bellatrix 5 was one of the slickest women’s wrestling iPPVs produced to date. (more…)
Fight Like A Girl: Santana Garrett
Santana Garrett seems like a woman on the verge of big things. Not only does she compete on worldwide iPPV every month for SHINE Wrestling, she’s also a big part of the WOW revival going on in Las Vegas, and last weekend was one of the competitors on TNA‘s taped Knockouts PPV – so on the eve of SHINE 8 on iPPV, we check in with the woman who wears the headband of power and talk about all of the above, her real-life job and find out just what she experienced for the *very first time* in Las Vegas.
Not only that, she was one of the undercard highlights last October, and we’re able to announce that Santana will be a part of the upcoming SHIMMER Tapings in Berwyn, IL in three weeks time (Vols 54-57 will be taped across the weekend of April 13-14). You can still grab your tickets for Berwyn (or Vol 53 on iPPV at WrestleCon) online now.
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Ringbelles Roundup (19 March 2013) – TNA One Night Only tapings, Bellatrix, GLOW documentary & more
WARNING: Spoilers lay within.
TNA Wrestling is saying goodbye to the Impact Zone in Orlando, FL by hosting a series of One Night Only pay-per-views. In last week’s Roundup, we discussed the Knockouts Knockdown all-women show which saw a number of former Knockouts turn down the offer of being there. At the time, Traci Brooks was one of the women who had declined the offer, but it was not because she was holding a grudge of any description, tweeting “I had to say no to TNA for the KO ppv as I couldn’t make it that day. No other reason”.
Payton Banks (Rain) and Winter (Katarina Leigh) pointed out last week that they had also been asked but said no, while Salinas (Shelly Martinez) vlogged that she wasn’t asked. However, it was the former Roxxi who came out and explained in detail why she didn’t go back for Sunday’s show.
Nikki Roxx (who was messed around during her two stints in the promotion) spoke to the Greg DeMarco show about her turning down the offer, saying, “You can only get kicked so many times… I think that I had finally had enough. They had trouble treating me very well to begin with and I felt like I was being a glutton for punishment every time I went back… I felt like it was the right time to tell them no. It was like one of those bad relationships where you keep trying to get away from it… You can’t treat people badly and then hope that they’ll come back and hang out.” (more…)
Kimber Lee to make SHIMMER debut next month
As somewhat foreshadowed in our special Christmas Edition of the Women of Wrestling Podcast last December, SHIMMER today announced the addition of CZW trained Kimber Lee to the roster for their April events. She will be part of the Vol 53 taping on April 6th at the WrestleCon convention (which will be offered on iPPV through WWN) and the traditional Vols 54-57 tapings at Berwyn, IL the following weekend (April 13-14).
On Episode 49 of the WOW Podcast, SHIMMER promoter Dave Prazak commented on Kimber Lee’s potential:
“…On the subject of Kimber Lee, that’s the wrestler I was referring to who competes for WSU that I would like to incorporate into SHIMMER next year. [...] Based on watching some of the [AIW] Girls Night Out shows, she was the one wrestler out of the talent on those shows that isn’t already in SHIMMER that would be a good fit, so I’d like to see how she does in Berwyn coming up next year. It goes to show you, like I was saying earlier, if you have the talent, you’re going to get booked by multiple promotions – and I see that’s probably in the future of Kimber Lee.”
Kimber Lee has come off a superb 2012, which saw her named as our pick for Discovery of the Year for 2012, with a debut for SHINE in Florida in January and continue her streak of show-stealing appearances for AIW as part of AIW Girls Night Out 8 on iPPV earlier this month.
Yuu Yamagata to make US debut for SHIMMER
Until today, the joshi contingent making its way to the US for the SHIMMER volumes 54-57 DVD tapings on April 13 and 14 in Berwyn, IL, have been returning grapplers. Ayako Hamada, Kana and Tomoka Nakagawa are all ingratiated with the fans, though the promotion made an announcement this morning which means a new female star will be making her way across the Pacific.
12-year veteran Yuu Yamagata started in the ARSION promotion, debuting in December of 2000 against Mariko Yoshida, but has been spending the last couple of years wrestling for Pro Wrestling WAVE after going freelance following her departure from K-DOJO, where she had spent the bulk of her career. After leaving K-DOJO on July 31, 2011, she initially spent most of her time in Stardom, but made a more permanent switch to WAVE in February last year, save for some cameo appearances in places like DDT and Ice Ribbon. (more…)
Ringbelles Roundup (12 March 2013) – Former Knockouts decline return, Mae Young turns 90, and more
On Sunday, TNA records an all-female version of the One Night Only pay-per-views which it is using to run in the months when it’s not presenting one of its big PPVs like Genesis, Lockdown, Slammiversary or Bound For Glory. Entitled Knockout Knockdown, it is advertised as a show to determine the true Queen of TNA. It is possible that the show will be a tournament if it is going to determine an overall winner, and to make it an occasion, TNA invited former members of the Knockouts roster to be part of it.
It probably didn’t go as well as they had hoped.
When asked on Twitter, Angelina Love, Nikki Roxx (Roxxi), Traci Brooks & Amazing Kong (Awesome Kong) all revealed that they were not going to be part of the proceedings and Dark Angel (Sarita) is also unavailable as she is in Japan. Considering the impression that each of them made to the division and the contributions that they made, for them to decline or not be in the country speaks volumes about what they may feel about TNA these days. (more…)
Ringbelles Roundup (5 March 2013) – Paige’s rise, AJ Lee’s fall, Femmes Fatales XI, ABC Catch and more
On Saturday night in Kalamazoo, MI, Paige defeated AJ Lee at a WWE house show in a match refereed by Hornswoggle. The following evening in Cleveland, OH, the same match took place with the same outcome. The results of a WWE house show don’t usually mean much, but in these instances, they may mean a great deal.
First off, let’s look at the 20-year old Briton. It’s the second time that Paige has been on the road with WWE since she first reported to developmental in Florida 14 months ago – the first time round saw her team with Layla to beat Aksana and Natalya in tag matches in South Carolina at the start of December. However, she’s been given an even bigger shot in the arm by wrestling singles matches and beating AJ – the most over woman in WWE last year. (more…)
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