SHIMMER Vol. 46

So as I delve more into the world of women’s wrestling, there’s only big daddy (or I guess mommy in this case) to them all. And that’s SHIMMER. So I decided to focus some time into what is largely considered the top women’s promotion in the world.

Sassy Stephie vs. Courtney Rush

My first thought is that the in-ring work means a lot more here than anything else. They did a great job of the chain wrestling at the beginning. I would put this match up there with anything you would see at a Dragon Gate USA show. This is the second time I have seen Stephie have a really excellent technical showing in a second promotion. So either Courtney Rush and Athena are really great at carrying her, or Stephie is really good. Being the connoisseur of Sassy Stephanie that I am, I’ve seen her have some really varied matches. Rush is such an amazing athlete. I think she’d excel in whatever sport she decided to compete in. Wrestling is very lucky to have her. The match clicked, and instead of just being really excellent wrestling, it had a nice story too.

Veda Scott vs. Saraya Knight

This is my first time to see Veda as face, believe it or not. And Saraya just comes out and has more ring presence than I’ve seen a lot of wrestlers have, male or female. Saraya takes about 5 minutes to get in the ring and it’s more entertaining than half the wrestling out there. Veda played the underdog well here, earning a “Please don’t die” chant. Her face is so expressive and so emotional, she can convey so much. This was a good match. It had the stiff technical wrestling but also had a really good story. Veda is very good on the mat.

New York Knockout vs. LuFisto

Upon seeing LuFisto, I began to pray for NYK. LuFisto has lots of energy. It had a surprising amount of comedy. It was entertaining enough to get my 3-year-old’s attention among all her other activities, such as assembling Mr. Potatohead. But I really liked the match. I felt like the story wasn’t as well-laid-out as it could have been. I found myself disappointed that the match was over.

Sara del Rey vs. Leva Bates

This why I love Leva Bates. She came out as Hawkeye. But not Jeremy Renner Hawkeye. She was comic book Hawkeye. Del Rey is a once-in-a-lifetime talent. Leva does the bumping ragdoll thing very well that Shawn Michaels could always do. Plus the geeky connection she has with the crowd makes her a great babyface. I really enjoyed the match’s flows and nuances.

Mia Yim & Davina Rose vs. Ray & Leon

Ray & Leon had a very impressive entrance. There is a lot of talent behind Mia Yim. She’s exotic, drop-dead gorgeous and wrestles as good as any wrestler you’d see on Dragon Gate USA. Davina-Leon had some good chemistry. Ray is so stunning to watch, much like another Rey I used to remember seeing. This match was great. It was the right amount and the work was very excellent.

Kellie Skater vs. KC Spinelli

I really liked KC’s energy. There’s a lot of work that goes to the “Ratetank” persona. I really like watching Skater work. She carries her gimmick into the work very well. Scott Steiner used to do push-ups. Skater does the push-ups as part of her wrestling moves. I liked Spinelli’s look and wrestling ability. Were I there for this match, I would have loved in and been into it. The highlight was my daughter seeing a DDT followed by an “Ohhh. You ok?”

Jessie McKay vs. MsChif

McKay & MsChif had a nice little exchange on the mic. You don’t have to be Rock and Austin. Just give us a reason to care before the match. I liked the scream-off. It was like a dance-off but with screaming. MsChif is so intricate and so unique. She puts so much thought and character into her in-ring work. This is my first time to see McKay where her whole purpose is not to be hot and have an Australian accent. Who would have thought she could wrestle? The finish was incredible. It was really creative and a good story. Easily match of the night up to this point. This was the show-stealer.

Nicole Mathews vs. Athena

I still can’t believe that I still Athena at my local indy in Texas. Mostly because  she’s ridiculously talented and I can’t believe she’s not booked sometimes. There was such athleticism here. Athena is so agile and stunning. Somehow this is my first Nicole Mathews match. I really liked what I saw from her. This was easily one of the top matches on the card. If you like athletic wrestling, this is your match.

Mercedes Martinez vs. Kana

This is my first ever Kana match. Kana has some killer head kicks. Usually if you see two wrestlers who have never worked together, they don’t quite have that chemistry. These two were not indicative of that Ruffism. This was tough, stiff, in your face. I really liked the booking and the athleticism. According to the commentary, the fans chose for Mercedes Martinez to be the one that got to face Kana. I would say they chose wisely.

Hailey Hatred & Kalamity vs. Ayumi Kurihara & Ayako Hamada

I’m a huge Hailey mark so naturally I’m going to love this. I’d never seen how short Kalamity is until she’s standing next to Hailey. They began with handshakes & bows. This was stiff but still fast-paced. This was some really excellent wrestling. There was a double abdominal stretch that got reversed into another double abdominal stretch. If you love Japanese wrestling, this is your match. I loved this match. I would call this match of the night overall.

Cheerleader Melissa vs. Portia Perez

The previous match was a beautiful technical match. This was not that match. They brawled through the crowd for what had to be about 10 minutes. And then they made it to the ring. It was a great brawl and then was a great in-ring match. They essentially had two matches. Both were very strong and entertaining.

All in all… I really enjoyed this DVD from SHIMMER. I got to see a lot of my favorites, like Hailey Hatred, Athena, Sassy Stephie & MsChif. I got to be introduced to a lot of really good wrestlers: Kana, McKay, Spinelli. I liked Prazak on the play-by-play. I’ve been listening to his stuff since his IWA-Mid South days. I also like Portia on the mic. The match of the night was Hailey Hatred & Kalamity vs. Ayumi Kurihara & Ayako Hamada. Really worth checking out.

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