Wrestling Fans and Rookies

Do wrestling fans today expect too much out of rookies? Do we demand instant improvement in their skills and dismiss them out of hand without giving them enough time to grow and develop? Some, including myself, would say yes. In this day and age, where we can have instant anything, if a newcomer isn't progressing as quickly as we would like, there is a tendency to write them off without a second glance. Along similar lines, if a rookie has a lot of "buzz" around them, and they fail to live up to our expectations, we are likely to ignore them even if they do start to come into their own. Wrestling fans can be brutally harsh, and yes I am including myself in this statement. I can be as harsh as the next person, but I try to give those starting out in the sport a fair chance to reach their potential. (Obviously, this doesn't apply to those who have been wrestling for, say, over seven years and are still at the same level they have been for awhile now.)

Mia Yim (Credit to Bliz Photography)

Mia Yim had a lot of backlash in her rookie years, due to some people in the business hyping her. I can remember several times on message boards fans saying they didn't "get her" and thought she was being talked up too much. Yet, some of those same people are now some of her biggest supporters. Mia traveled across America and to Japan, she took full advantage of the opportunities she was given, and as a result she has grown into a tremendous athlete with still a lot of potential to improve even more. Veda Scott is in the same boat - her first match was against trainer Daizee Haze on May 15th, 2011. She was another who had a lot of hype around her, which led to many fans dismissing her out of hand. Since that first match, she has gone on to wrestle in SHIMMER, SHINE, WSU, ACW; when Angelus Layne had a knee injury, she was invited to debut in Canada at Femmes Fatales IX in 2012. Also in 2012 she had a short stint in Japan where she gained invaluable experience; and in AIW she rounded out the year by winning the tag team championships alongside her legal client Gregory Iron. All this, and Veda is still learning, still technically a rookie. Her hard work and dedication to wrestling has won over fans and promoters alike. Yet, there are still people out there who refuse to give her a second chance.

I can understand that not every wrestler will appeal to every fan. We all have our likes and dislikes, it's part of being a fan. However, it is a bit unfair to simply ignore someone who is just starting out and not give them a proper chance. Similarly, it is also unfair to brutally bury someone in public for having a bad match, especially when bad matches can happen to rookies and veterans alike. One specific case about a week ago caught my eye, when Absolute Intense Wrestling asked a question on Twitter: "What was the WORST match in AIW history?" A few fans answered with a match from Girls Night Out 7, Trash Cassidy versus Thunderkitty. Some went on to have a dig at Trash, specifically.

From Girls Night Out 7. Credit: Myself

I spoke up to defend both women and the match itself. I had been at GNO 7 and witnessed the match for myself. Here is what I wrote:

Thunderkitty took on Trash Cassidy in TK's debut match. This was only Trash's second appearance for AIW, and given that I was unfamiliar with both, I went into this one completely blind. Thunderkitty's gimmick is that she is an "old time" wrestler and she is playing it to the hilt. The one piece outfit, her language, her personal ring announcer, coming out to no music - it all works brilliantly and makes her stand out. Trash...I'm still not too clear on her gimmick, other than she wears a lot of different colouring clothing to go along with her multi-coloured hair. Although she did throw out a great line: "I didn't know I was wrestling Mildred Burke!" The match was decent, but Trash got a "please don't come back" chant afterwards. Ouch.

I've seen bad matches before, and although no one (including the participants) would mistake it for a five star match, it wasn't absolute rubbish in my opinon. There was a fun spot where they criss-crossed in the ropes, and the aforementioned line that Trash yelled had me laughing. I've seen far, far worse that's made it onto television after all. Of course, I didn't know anything about TK or TC going into the event, but after the fact I learned that Thunderkitty has been wrestling since 2008 (from the sparse information I found online) and recently moved out east, presumably to have more opportunities to wrestle. Meanwhile I couldn't find much of anything about Trash - however, I had recently begun to chat with her via Twitter. After meeting her at a Destination 1 Wrestling show, we became friends (I am telling this in the interests of full disclosure).

Not long after AIW posed the aforementioned question, I asked her how long she had been wrestling. Trash responded, "About a year and a half if you account for time out with injuries and just not wrestling too much. Two years if you do include managing." When I asked her about the aforementioned match, she said that she had been sick with a high fever that day and still made it to the show to wrestle.

At this point, I was shaking my head. Here was a woman that, by all rights, should have been in bed and only had a year and a half experience, being pilloried thanks to not just this match, but a previous one against Mary Dobson at AIW. These two matches were, conceivably, her highest profile to date. Dobson is also a rookie, so you're not likely to have the best match between two rookies. However, Thunderkitty had more experience, so technically she should have led the match. Again, though, when you're sick it throws your body off, so I could see how things would have been off again that night.

A few days later, after the conversation, I and another tweeter received a message from Thunderkitty. She asked if we had seen her other work. To which, I replied that yes I had (at Insanity Pro Wrestling and SPARKLE). Thunderkitty then tweeted to us, "I got put against a lazy, clumsy opponent..I didn't exactly get a fair shake...but it happens." This took me by surprise. It was rather harsh to me. I said that from what I understood, Trash was seriously under the weather that night so it was just an off night. TK replied, "I don't recall her being under the weather. I DO recall her not being in ring shape though."

Wow. My further responses to her, stating that Trash hadn't been wrestling for very long and some wrestlers don't mix in the ring went unreplied to by her. She also tweeted the Ringbelles twitter, Thomas Holzerman's twitter and the AIW account that "someday, somewhere, I'm going to give people my exact thoughts on this match." Now, I fully admit that being friends with Trash makes me biased. However, even if I was not friends with her, I would never expect someone with as little time as she has in the ring to be good. Especially since she had been injured recently (or, I assumed as much since she mentioned being injured). Plus, being sick takes you off your game and that goes for athletes and non-athletes.

Personally, I felt it was unprofessional of Thunderkitty to publicly tear down someone with considerably less experience than herself. Even more-so after I went searching for information on her and found this blog that she wrote back in 2010 about how women in wrestling needed to get along since there were so few opportunities for them. http://www.santinobros.net/newsdesk_info.php?newsdesk_id=869 To her credit, Trash hasn't addressed any of the comments publicly, choosing discretion as the better part of valor in this case. The fact that TK said this publicly is a side point, but it's another example of private matters in wrestling being discussed publicly for fans to see. It's an unpleasant trend to say the least.

Back on point though, it's really saddening to see how quickly wrestling fans are to condemn inexperienced wrestlers. Above, I mentioned how people who dismissed Mia and Veda are now fans - this isn't a bad thing. It's great that they allowed themselves to be won over by their growth and improvement. At the same time, however, how are people going to improve if they aren't allowed opportunities to work with veterans and gain experience? I fear that due to the backlash she has suffered, Trash may not be offered the chance to work with other promotions and learn from their workers. Her, and others like her, are the next generation of potential stars. Wrestling fans often complain about the tendency of promotions to rely on past stars instead of cultivating new ones. How can new flowers grow and bloom without being watered and carefully nurtured?

There is also the fact that not everyone is a natural athlete. Some have to work hard to develop their skills. If you're thinking that these people should just give up, I have one name that should make you think twice. The Queen of Wrestling, Sara Del Rey, has said many times in interviews that wrestling did not come naturally to her. She had to work and work hard at it. Given that she became one of the world's best, should she have just given up since she didn't take to wrestling naturally?

Prime example of giving a newcomer the chance to amaze you.

If we fans don't start being less harsh and unforgiving, then we shouldn't be surprised when we don't see new faces coming in. Once the veterans retire, then that's it. Game over. Is that what we want? Of course not. We love wrestling and don't want to see it die out. Therefore, we must be more lenient when it comes to the newcomers. After all, speaking personally, if I had dimissed Leva Bates after her match against Malia Hosaka at SHIMMER, I wouldn't have had the privilege to see her grow as a wrestler and as a performer. You never know who will become truly great, therefore it's worth giving rookies the chances necessary to grow and fulfill their potential. I may have used Trash Cassidy as the main example for this blog, but that goes for any man or woman who takes the awesome and terrifying decision to step into the ring and dedicate their bodies as well as their lives to professional wrestling. Those people that make this decision and take it seriously deserve a certain amount of respect as it is.

It's akin to a garden. Plant the seeds, water them, nourish them, and see what grows. The results may surprise you. 

Booking the Women's Match for Wrestlemania XXIX

Wrestlemania XXIX - The Showcase of Champions

RAW February 25th. Vickie Guerrero announces that Kaitlyn needs a new number one contender for the Divas title. Instead of a battle royal, she sets up a tournament. The winner will face the Divas Champion at Wrestlemania XXIX. The brackets are as follows for the first round matches:

Naomi versus Tamina. Alicia Fox versus Aksana. Natalya versus Rosa Mendes. AJ versus Cameron.

On the same RAW, we see the first two matches. Naomi is barely able to overcome the power of Tamina by utilizing a small package, whereas Alicia puts Aksana away with a German suplex into a bridge. Smackdown that week, Nattie easily gets Rosa to tap with the Sharpshooter. Meanwhile, accompanied by Big E, AJ puts Cameron down with a Shining Wizard. Backstage, Kaitlyn is chatting amiably with Nattie, when AJ interrupts. The petite brunette says she's beaten Nattie once, she can do it again and whoever else she has to in order to get gold. Kaitlyn shoots back that her man Dolph hasn't been able to get any gold, why should his girlfriend be any different? AJ shoves the champ and the two start to fight until Natalya and a few refs break it up. AJ gets in a slap at Nattie before being hustled away by Big E.

RAW March 4th. Naomi and Alicia Fox have a fast paced, exciting match that sees Naomi get the win with a jumping spin kick. Later on, AJ ambushes Nattie backstage prior to their match, attacking her ankle viciously. AJ comes out with Big E, confident of her win. The Hart niece insists on coming out without Khali or Hornswoggle. As expected, AJ targets the ankle throughout the match, leaving Natalya unable to stand towards the end. But she muscles through and is able to lock in the Sharpshooter. Dolph comes running out to distract the referee, while Big E pulls on Nattie's bad ankle, tripping her up. AJ gets a heel hook and Nattie is forced to tap out. Dolph, Big E and AJ celebrate in the ring while Naomi comes out to help Natalya to the back.

Smackdown March 8th. Booker T sets up a mixed tag match at the request of Nattie: Khali and Naomi versus Big E and AJ. Dolph and AJ complain but it does little good. Khali and Naomi dominate until Dolph hands Big E his suitcase. He uses it to knock Khali out, allowing him to get the pin. AJ grabs the suitcase and also knocks out Naomi. The trio gloat as they leave the ring.

RAW March 11th. Vickie Guerrero is out in the ring and announces that due to a concussion, Naomi is unable to wrestle AJ in the number one contenders final. AJ confronts her saying that's tantamount to a forfeit - she should be the number one contender then. Vickie refuses, saying due to the shenanigans during her match with Nattie, she has talked to Booker T and worked out an agreement. On Smackdown this week, they will have a rematch and everyone is banned from ringside. If anyone attempts to interfere on either woman's behalf, they will automatically be disqualified. AJ erupts at her and destroys almost everything at ringside, even slapping Lilian Garcia as well as the stagehands.

Smackdown March 15th. A furious AJ storms down to the ring, followed by an equally furious Natalya who has her ankle heavily bandaged but is not limping too much. The two battle it out, even going to the outside where the referee allows some leeway which sees Nattie wheelbarrow AJ into the barricade. The ref orders them back into the ring but while Natalya is scrambling back in, AJ grabs her by her bad ankle and slams it repeatedly into the ring post. She scrambles back in before the 10 count, drags Nattie into the middle of the ring and locks in the heel hook. Nat manages to make it to the ropes, forcing AJ to break the hold but she attacks the ankle, stomping on it over and over, almost going totally bezerk. At this point, Nattie can't stand up, and when AJ puts the heel hook in for the second time, she taps out. AJ goes from out of control to happy as a clam, even skipping to the back blowing kisses at the crowd. Meanwhile, Kaitlyn comes out from the side of the ramp and helps Nattie to the back.

RAW March 18th. Her doctor has ordered Naomi to wait another week before wrestling again, leaving AJ and Dolph complaining. Vickie orders that since AJ has re-injured Nattie's ankle, she is forcing the two to wrestle Kaitlyn and a partner of her choice since Khali is also suffering from a concussion. Kaitlyn chooses someone who has history with the two: Daniel Bryan. It's war between the four that spills out of the ring, and only ends when Big E throws AJ the suitcase, which she clocks Kaitlyn in the back with for the three count. Daniel Bryan chases all three to the back while the referee helps Kaitlyn.

Smackdown March 22nd. AJ and Dolph are in the ring, complaining about no competition and being left off the show. Booker T orders Dolph to face Kane and orders AJ and Big E to leave the building. They resist until Booker says if they do not, both will be suspended without pay. They leave reluctantly. Dolph beats Kane when Daniel comes out to seemingly help his tag team partner but winds up costing him the match.

RAW March 25th. The doctor has cleared Naomi to wrestle, Vickie announces, so the final match to determine the number one contender will be held tonight. Naomi versus AJ. She bans everyone from ringside again with the same stipulation as before. The two are cautious at the beginning, feeling each other out with headlocks, armdrags, etc. Eventually AJ gets frustrated at being unable to get the better of Naomi and the two go into over-drive with kicks, hits, reversals. AJ snaps and throws Naomi out of the ring, who lands on her feet and trips up AJ, pulling her out to the floor. It's an out and out brawl as they throw each other into the barricades, over the announcers table, into the steel steps. The referee counts both of them out and it takes several referees to break it up and get them both to the back.

Smackdown March 29th. Naomi and AJ are in Booker T's office arguing about what happened on RAW. Booker brings in Kaitlyn and asks her who she thinks should be the number one contender. Kaitlyn says Naomi since back in NXT Season 3, the finals came down to herself and Naomi - AJ was eliminated the week before. Further, Kaitlyn claims that every time Naomi has gotten into the ring she's stolen the show - unlike AJ or her boyfriend. AJ throws a lamp at Kaitlyn and screams at how she never took NXT seriously, all she did was make jokes about Vickie and do stupid dance moves like the Robot. She says Kaitlyn never knew what it was like to pay her dues and go through what she did to make it to WWE. She claims her being in NXT was a fluke, as she was just a last minute replacement. AJ points at Naomi and says she may be athletic but she didn't pay her dues either and all she does now is dance most of the time. She hasn't earned anything either, not like AJ has. AJ bursts into tears screaming that she's busted her ass to get to this point and deserves to wrestle for the Divas title on the grandest stage of them all.

Naomi calmly waits until AJ is done then points out that yes, she never went through what AJ has and never "paid her dues." However, she says that she has been patient - despite impressing fans and officials alike during her FCW days and during NXT Season Three, when she was brought up she was paired with Cameron to be a backup dancer for Brodus Clay. She had fun with it but her heart was always in the ring. Every chance she got to wrestle, she threw herself into it never knowing when the next opportunity would present itself. When she got the chance to wrestle Eve for the Divas title on PPV it only whetted her desire to be a full time competitor and go for the gold again. Naomi says that she respects what all AJ has gone through but says her behavior in the last year, and especially the last few months, has been appalling - she isn't worthy of a title shot. AJ almost loses it again but realizes that would only prove Naomi's point. Kaitlyn has listened to both women and now looks conflicted. She tells Booker T that both deserve a shot, as she can't deny her former Chickbuster's arguments, nor can she say that Naomi doesn't deserve one either. Booker T says he is going to have a conference call with Vickie Guerrero and the Board of Directors to settle this over the weekend.

RAW April 1st. Vickie Guerrero and Booker T come out to the ring. They have Naomi, AJ and Kaitlyn come out to join them. The two say they have discussed what to do for Wrestlemania with the Board of Directors and with each other extensively. They've taken in the arguments, the discussions and the track records of each woman. Vickie reveals she was over-ridden in the final decision, but will abide by it. They announce that this Sunday at Wrestlemania XXIX, Kaitlyn will defend the Divas Championship against...Naomi and AJ! All three look shocked, but then Naomi and Kaitlyn look pleased and shake hands. AJ looks like she's going to explode for a moment, but when the other two offer their hands, she shakes them. Booker T says that on Smackdown, all three will have matches but warns against interference in any of them.

Smackdown April 5th. AJ takes out her aggression on Alicia Fox, almost taking her head off with a Shining Wizard. She grabs a mic and says that much like her Ziggles, she will steal the show at Wrestlemania and leave with gold around her waist. Naomi wrestles Cameron in a friendly matchup which sees Naomi bust out a suplex and rolls into a Guillotine Choke for the submission. Afterwards the two hug and Cameron wishes her fellow Funkadactyl good luck. Lastly, Kaitlyn faces off against Natalya. However, she refuses to target Nattie's still-bandaged ankle, the two trading holds and power moves until Kaitlyn hits the spear for the win. Nattie gets a mic and says that she's helped train Kaitlyn in the past year and her progress has been amazing. She wishes her protege good luck and hugs her, both women clearly emotional.

Wrestlemania XXIX April 7th. Backstage, AJ has new gear and tells Dolph and Big E to stay behind, she can do this. Dolph gives her a good luck kiss and tells her to steal the show and the title. She comes out to the ring first. Naomi is shown, also in new gear, being given a pep talk by Cameron and Brodus Clay. Clay tells her to win this for all the little Funkateers. Naomi says she's ready to prove herself and walks out and down to the ring. Kaitlyn is shown last, in brand new gear, talking quietly with Natalya. The Divas title is around her waist. The two nod and shake hands, and Kaitlyn walks out of the curtain and down to the ring. She hands the title over to the referee, who presents it to the other two women, then to the crowd. Once it's out of the ring, the ref checks all three...then calls for the bell. The match is underway...

 Will Kaitlyn retain? Will Naomi break out of Brodus Clay's shadow? Or will AJ steal the show?

Portia Perez, Wrestling Fans and Respect

Disclaimer: I don't know Portia Perez. Never had a conversation with her or a brief chat. I only see what she tweets, what she says in her interviews, and her work in the ring. This is not an attempt to psycho-analyze her - it's merely thoughts on her as a fan, and thoughts on what other fans think of her. 

The So-Called Face of Evil - Portia Perez. (Credit Minas Panagiotakis)

Portia Perez. Throw that name into a discussion with other knowledgeable wrestling fans and chances are you will get a reaction somewhat like this: "She's great in the ring but really not sociable." Sometimes the reaction is more harsh. Chances are you've heard and seen what people say about her. Portia herself has as well. I heard from a friend that someone had approached her at the SHIMMER after party and said something (I don't know what) to her, she replied, and said person called her anti-social due to her reply. Perhaps that's what sparked the tweet she sent on November 3rd:

"When did the job title 'Professional Wrestler' become a synonym for 'Professional Nice person'? Oh, that's right: Never."

The same day, she also tweeted a picture of a bag of M&Ms along with a message:

"This is my reward for wrestling with dislocated ribs. This, and inevitable hatemail for not smiling enough."

As you can tell, Portia is very aware of the reputation she has. The question is, is it deserved? Or is a better question that are wrestling fans (female wrestling fans in particular) too demanding?

Fans of SHIMMER Women Wrestling have a reputation as being "creepy." On a few message boards I've frequented, I've heard others talk about people on the SHIMMER forum that talk about female wrestlers as if said women belong to said fans. Others claim they would never set foot into the Eagles Club due to the fans and their behavior. To be fair, the only fan I know that has been actually banned from attending SHIMMER is one male that frequently went into the women's restroom. There's a fan who is known to take pictures of the wrestlers when, supposedly, they're executing a suplex into a bridge. There's also a man who comes only to promote his cheesecake business it seems (he claims to have sold cheesecakes to John Cena and J-Wow from the Jersey Shore - absolutely thrilling, I'm sure).

Darin Childs, owner of Texas-based Anarchy Championship Wrestling, has been vocal on his formspring as well, saying that the term is well known in locker rooms around the U.S. He also claims that several of the SHIMMER roster itself is uncomfortable with the after parties. How much of this is true and how much of it is due to the fall out between the two companies, we will never know. However, taking a step back and looking at things objectively, I can see how overall fans of female wrestling have gotten that reputation. It's not just restricted to SHIMMER fans.

Wrestling fans in general can be very hard to please. Be it how a match goes, the winner of a match, the path a story line takes, what have you, you will never find fans wholly satisfied  To a degree, this is justifiable - after all, take WWE. We know it's the top choice of a lot of wrestlers, male and female, but once they get there, they aren't used to their full potential. That seems to be changing (look at CM Punk and Bryan Danielson), but for the women it remains to be seen if the recent signings of Britani Knight, Tenille and Buggy Nova will result in an overhaul of the women's division. The point is, we know the talent is capable of much more than they get to show on television. As consumers, we shouldn't be satisfied with the mediocrity on television. We should make our dissatisfaction plain until things change. And if they don't, we hit them where it hurts - ratings and profits.

However, on the Independent scene, it feels different. Because more often than not the men and women are more willing to engage with fans on social media and in person, we form attachments. We feel we come to know these people, and at some point the line becomes blurred. We start to feel as if we have bonds with these men and women and sometimes we feel like we are on the "inside" of the wrestling business. We're not just fans anymore - we're friends.

Yes, I am including myself in this, because I've formed attachments of my own. I have been very privileged to get to know some of the women on a personal level. That's not bragging either - I don't believe I pursued personal friendships with these ladies, but for reasons I'm not certain of, they have let me in to a degree. Make no mistake, however, I don't abuse these connections. And I struggle from time to time with the line between fan and friend. Overall though I remain a fan first and a friend second. I admire so many of these women because they are strong, determined individuals - they are people I look up to. They are on a separate level from me. I never forget this.

As such, I am on the level with all the other fans. I don't expect preferential treatment. So when, to use an example, if I tweet a wrestler and get no response, I don't take it personally. These folks are swamped on social media to varying degrees and it simply isn't in the realm of possibility for them to answer everyone. However, I have seen fans that take it so personally that if they receive no response, they turn on said wrestler. There is one in particular that has seen fit to abuse several women that he was formerly a fan of when they don't reply to his tweets. That's an extreme case to be sure, but it does happen to varying degrees.

Since I have only been to the SHIMMER after parties (and one Femmes Fatales party), I can only remark on what I see there. Depending on the location that they have been at, the fans and wrestlers have been either lumped together in a relatively small place, or they have been separated voluntarily in a larger place until everyone has eaten at least. Most fans do conduct themselves in a respectful manner, at least I have not witnessed anything out of the way. There were a few shenanigans that happened (some video taped) during the after party in April 2010 - that may be where some of the reputation that the SHIMMER fan base has comes from.

Since then, however, nothing of the sort has happened. But invariably when you have drunk people, you have out of the way behavior. You have demands for pictures and autographs. You have fans wanting detailed discussion of the matches that the women have just went through. You have fans who want to spend the night talking with their favorites while the women want to relax and chat with friends they only see once or twice a year. You have fans that demand wrestlers sit with and spend time only with them. When it's over, you have people who complain about how unsocial such and such was, how they will never be a fan of said wrestlers again, and so forth.

Which brings me back to Portia. From my own experiences, I have either seen her briefly appear at the after party or not at all (which isn't to say she wasn't ever there, just that I did not see her at times). The longest I saw her at a party was this previous October set of shows. Her and Nicole Matthews walked in the door to Paisans and were immediately flooded with fans. She hadn't even gotten one step away from the door. Seriously. To her credit, her and Nicole talked with fans, took pictures and were very social. But I can't blame her for leaving not too long afterwards.

There is another person who took a sharp dislike to the Ninja after she allegedly shunned some international fans and was rude to him. I don't give him much credit, however, because this person also thinks that some of the SHIMMER roster sleeps with the owner for their pushes. I have heard other stories, of how she was rude or dismissive of fans and what have you. Let me propose a thought though: perhaps Portia Perez truly is not a people person. Her Twitter profile describes herself as a "misanthropic people-person." Misanthropy means to have a general hatred, distrust or disdain of the human nature. If you've seen her tweets, this pretty well hits the nail on the head, although social media isn't the best way to get to know a person obviously.

Maybe she has had bad enough experiences with fans that she keeps her wrestling persona up at all times. Perhaps she wears it like a shield, preventing anyone from getting too close. Maybe at the times that said fans have approached her, she was having a bad day, had gotten some depressing news, or just did not feel like putting on a smile. Maybe she hates crowds (goodness knows a lot of people do, including myself) and feels suffocated around groups of people.

Or maybe, just maybe, for a woman who has been wrestling since she was sixteen years old (for nine years), worn out, working through injuries, traveled all over the world...maybe she's a bit tired and a bit jaded. A bit tired of fans calling her a 'bitch', 'arrogant', 'anti-social' - all because she doesn't bend over backwards to please people. At the end of the day, people go into wrestling (Independent wrestling, at least) because they have a love for the business. Their passion for it drives them. You have to love it to be willing to go through what these people do to their bodies for low and sometimes non-existent pay. To work through injuries. The catch-22 is that the wrestling business has to have fans willing to pay money for it to stay in business. Which means that, to a degree, wrestlers have to be accommodating to fans.

That doesn't mean that we get to stake a claim on these men and women, however. They belong only to themselves - not to us. We cannot and should not think that we have exclusive claims on their time and attention. We must also remember that these athletes are also performers. They are actors and actresses. The personas we see aren't who they really are. Or maybe they are, but it's their own personality turned up to an outrageous degree. We must also remember what they go through.

For the SHIMMER women, some of them fly halfway across the world, suffer through customs and boarder controls, rely on others to get to their hotel where they can decamp and spend time with friends before going into a weekend where they may wrestle up to 4 times in two days before fans who have come to expect near perfection from every woman on the roster. In-between volume tapings, they have to cram into a tiny space with their fellow workers, put on a smile and sell as much merchandise as possible to fans who often times want to stop and chat, which causes congestion. Then after each days' shows, they go to wherever the after party is (with varying degrees of enthusiasm) to stay for varied lengths of time and are almost bombarded with fans who want to chat, criticize, get a picture or an autograph and sometimes don't let them even have a few minutes to eat and chat with friends they don't see at any other time in the year (although, in fairness, this past set of shows in October the fans were good about letting the wrestlers eat before approaching them). Then come Monday, it's off to either back to their regular jobs in their own countries, or off to another booking (which also may be in yet another country). Over the weekend, various injuries may or may not occur, which they either choose to wrestle through or must sit out a taping, causing fans to speculate.

Portia Perez wrestled on Volumes 49-52 over the weekend of October 27th-28th. Only one was a singles match but it was against one of the hardest hitting Joshi, Ayako Hamada. Her first match was a defense of the SHIMMER Tag Titles with Nicole against two more hard hitters, LuFisto and Kana. The following Saturday, she wrestled two matches for Femmes Fatales, the first against Courtney Rush (who defeated Perez with a spear - consider the fact she was working with dislocated ribs, yet still took the spear), the second against Pink Flash Kira, which was abbreviated when she walked out. Now knowing about the ribs, the walk out was justified. At the Femmes Fatales after party, she was there for awhile, mostly sticking close to other wrestlers who, to me, it felt like were sheltering her. Portia looked tired, and my heart went out to her. This is what sparked this post, contrasting how she felt and remembering all the nonsense I had seen directed towards her. It infuriates me.

To me, no other wrestler takes as much shit as she does. And it isn't right. She is one of the best wrestlers, male or female, in the world right now. She works for several different promotions, and has wrestled in Europe and in Japan. She's done every style of match known to the business. Her peers hold her in high regard. She is one of the all time best heels (in my opinion), up there with Jake 'The Snake' Roberts, Raven, Ric Flair and Bobby Heenan.

Yet, despite always giving her all in the ring, Portia continues to receive insults for not giving of herself outside of the ring. Honestly? I can't blame her if she is/was rude to fans. Because she is as human as all of us. She has her bad days. She has nagging injuries (from a tweet she sent not too long ago, it gave the impression that she is in constant pain). Sometimes, you just don't feel like putting on a song and dance, no matter if those same fans are the ones who help keep the promotions you work for going.

To those out there who are guilty of this: stop. Put yourself in her shoes. Think twice before saying or typing something that she may hear or see. Remember she bleeds like the rest of us. Portia Perez is a woman who loves wrestling, loves what she does, but doesn't necessarily like the side effects that come with it. For as much as she has given to us, we can afford to give her the respect a top notch athlete such as herself deserves. After all, how many of us, were we in her shoes, elect to wrestle two weekends in a row with an injury?

That doesn't just apply to Portia, it applies to every man and woman who steps into the ring. Whatever you may think of them outside the ring, whatever bad experiences you may have had, they deserve at least respect if not support for being willing to put their bodies through stuff that the majority of us never will. For traveling great distances, for training hard, for paying their dues, for following their passion and allowing us to witness their athleticism...

I say, thank you. To Portia Perez, and every man and woman who has put themselves through hell following their hearts - thank you. I appreciate and am grateful for all you do for us. For me.

My First Femmes Fatales Show aka Why I Love Wrestling (Part 2)

Femmes Fatales X Roster (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis)

(Part 1 can be read here: http://thedangerousqueen.blogspot.com/2012/11/shimmerween-aka-why-i-love-wrestling.html )

When the tenth show for Femmes Fatales was announced earlier this year, I knew immediately I wanted to go. I had been an eyelash away from purchasing a plane ticket and attending FF IX in July but good sense prevailed. The temptation of being at SHIMMER Volume 50 one weekend and in Montreal for the tenth FF show the next was huge, so I went ahead and bought a VIP ticket. If worse came to worse, I could attempt to sell it and get my money back, or keep it as a souvenir (it had glossy pictures of LuFisto and Kalamity - how could I resist that?). Months passed, and as SHIMMER approached, I looked at my financial situation. Long story short, NYC had taken more money of mine than I thought, and even though I was restrained at SHIM, funds were low. Combine bills and everything, I didn't think I'd get to go to FF. I was resigned to it until coming home from Berwyn. I was on such a 'high', feeling so positive and happy that I realized I didn't want it to stop. And it didn't have to - if I could get to Montreal.

Cutting out a lot of details, thanks to a helping hand, I was on my way to Canada Friday the second. I'd only get to stay one full day but Chris and I made the most of it by getting an early start to go be tourists. Backing up a bit though, the flight to Montreal was via Air Canada and it was lovely. I'm actually starting to like flying (although take off and landing still make me clutch my companion/arm rest/cross/etc) - who'd have thunk it? Customs and immigration was easy as was converting the money so my next job was getting a taxi to the Best Western. An airport security guard flagged one down and I did my best "Parlez-vous anglais?" which got a response of "A little". I'd had the insight to write down the address of the hotel so I handed it to him. He read it out loud and said, "Downtown?"

My reply? "Si."

..........

My eyes went wide as I realized I'd just spoken Spanish to the French Canadian cabbie. My first trip to Canada was off and running~! Fortunately he asked again and I replied, "Oui." The cab ride was nice and despite it being dark, it was cool to sit back and look around. I had little cash though and it galled me to pay 40 dollars but beggars can't be choosers. It was weird not having anyone there at the airport to greet me, but considering I didn't wind up gutted in an alley somewhere, I'd say things turned out okay. Fanciest hotel I've ever been in, Best Western knows how to do things up north.

Saturday morning Chris and I got up and ventured out for some sight seeing before the show. Fortunately since he'd been there a few days before me, he'd figured out the Metro system so we didn't get as lost as we might have. Except when we tried to find the entrance to the line we were going to take originally. Took us awhile but we finally boarded and I didn't find out until later that the arena that we'd walked through to get to the boarding platform was the old Molson Centre (now called the Bell Centre) - the place where Survivor Series 1997 took place. Considering I'd at least had wanted to see it but forgot to look up details, I was STOKED we'd actually walked through it! Wrestling history took place there!

Anyhoo we made it to the Basilica I'd wanted to visit most, Notre Dame. It was magnificent. There was a sense of peace as I walked through, watching the tourists mingle with those who had come to worship. We took pictures and I noticed there were dozens of stands set up with candles that you could light for people, along with boxes you could donate money to the Church. There was a small altar to the left of the main altar, set back in a small alcove. Behind the candles, there was a statue of a lamb with a cross, and the painting behind it pictured the Virgin Mary. It was here I gave a small donation, lit a candle for someone and knelt down to pray. I felt so peaceful there I could've stayed for hours but time was short. We finished up our tour and walked around. I love old cities and there were places in the streets where the old cobblestones were still around. 

Actual apron for sale in the shop....

Eventually we found a souvenir shop and of course I had to buy some items in there for myself and my parents. But this item pictured here.......Chris said I should buy it but I refrained. Had to snap a picture though as proof. Montreal, you are a kinky city! After that we went into a restaurant and although I had a burger and friends (SO good!), he ordered some poutine. To my credit I tried it. It actually wasn't bad! Wasn't what I expected at all. Once we got done eating we took the tube down to where the venue was and waited in line until the VIP section was called.

The Femmes Fatales venue is awesome. The ceiling is higher up than in the Eagles Club so it feels more spacious. Very well lit (once I got my camera to work, I got some great shots with it and also my iPhone; both sets came out clearer and brighter than at SHIMMER), plenty of room for the meet and greet during intermission between the two shows, and the setup (stage, etc) was cool. Since Chris and I were among the people who bought the front row VIP tickets, we got to choose where we sat in the front row. We picked a good spot on the side, so that if you were facing the stage, we were to the right near the pillar.

I loved it. Both shows were fantastic, everyone put 110% into their matches and I was completely happy that I had been able to go in the end. The best part was getting to see so many talents I'd never seen before (I'd only watched up to Volume 6 by the time the show came around.) and I left Montreal convinced there is a ton of talent just waiting for opportunities to show what they can do. For the dark match, Jewells Malone wrestled Serphantina, who has a Jake Roberts thing going on that she leaves a small ball python on her victims after she pins them. The match was good, there's a lot of potential in both. Serphantina has a great look to her especially, and Jewells is an explosively spunky lady. Good match to start things off.

Every match was anywhere between good and off the charts amazing, as I said, so I'm not going to comment on each match. With a smaller roster though I can offer some observations and impressions on those that stood out to me. Some I was seeing for the first time ever since I had only watched Femmes Fatales Volumes 1 - 6 so this was a treat.


Missy. To be very honest, Missy caught my eye when she walked out for her tag match on Femmes Fatales X Part 1. Mostly because of her teddy bear. It was beat up, had black and white striped leg warmers on each leg, one eye hanging on by a thread, and she was holding it by a noose that was wrapped around it's neck. Considering I took the barbie doll heads off my dolls when I was younger and collect Living Dead Dolls now...this appealed to me. I also got heavy Raven vibes from her, which, given her attire was like his, seems to be what she was going for. If so, success! Combine a unique look, good in ring skills and charisma and Missy is someone I quickly became a fan of. Makes me interested to see how she comes across on FF VII - IX, if she started out with that look or if she evolved into it. Loved her tagging on Part 2 with Xandra Bale and Leah Von Dutch, she may have looked like the odd duck out but they did great together. Speaking of which...

FF X Part 2:The Team of Leah, Xandra and Missy.

Xandra Bale. This was someone that I had heard a ton about yet hadn't seen except in one match on YouTube. But given she'd taken the last name of the most current (and best in my opinion) Batman actor, and had a penchant for wearing superhero-themed gear from the pictures I'd seen, I was keen to see her. I wasn't disappointed either. I was VERY impressed as she held her own in the three way between her, Leah and Ryo Mizunami. This was Xandra's second highest profile match in FF (the first being part of the Rush Revolution taking on the Midwest Militia in July of this year) and her star looks to be on the rise. Keep an eye out for this lady, it can't be too long before she is seen in more promotions outside of Canada.

Leah Von Dutch. The third person in the aforementioned tag team match, she's had a tremendous rookie year. She won an essay contest former WWE wrestler Edge had set up last year, and the prize was a scholarship for free wrestling lessons. She started training at Squared Circle in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and since then has wrestled several different places such as Battle Arts, CLASH, CCW and even in CHIKARA against Sara Del Rey. This was her second appearance for FF, as she had debuted in July against Angie Skye, and Leah did not look out of place in the three way between her, Xandra and Ryo. Von Dutch has a look about her, is obviously eager and willing to learn and wrestle wherever she can, and is very friendly with fans on social media and in person. She has a ton of potential, there's no telling how far her star will rise.

Pink Flash Kira. Kira has a great look to her as well as a ton of personality, but unfortunately having missed her SPARKLE matches in Berwyn, her singles against Mercedes and Portia weren't really a good chance to see what she has in the ring. Given I'm a Powerpuff Girls fan though, her designs caught my eye. She gave it her best shot against Martinez but the veteran was too much to overcome. I'm looking forward to seeing what Kira can do in the future, she is definitely one to watch.

X-Cute Sweet. This was, I believe, the French wrestler's debut in North America. Coming out to a version of "Y'all Ready for This?", I'm not sure anyone knew what to expect but what we got was tremendous. Sweet is a ball of energy, outgoing, silly and very good in the ring. She fit right in with the others in the four way, and her match against Stephie on Part 2 was fantastic. I would definitely like to see more of her, I'm not sure what the wrestling landscape is like in France but she has talent that should be seen worldwide. Here's hoping she comes back to North America soon, she would be a great addition to any promotion.

Sweet Cherrie. I was familiar with Cherrie since she had been on all the volumes from three onwards, and she has evolved into one of the strongest people on the Femmes Fatales roster. As a protege of LuFisto's along with Kalamity, she's been taught by the best but she has a natural charisma that draws fans to her. It is impossible to not cheer for her as she engages fans instinctively. She has a great look to her (her wrestling gear is wicked cool!) and a lovely smile. Here's to more future success for her.

FF X Part 1: Angie Skye.

Angie Skye. After seeing her at FF, I kicked myself for not seeing her on SPARKLE. That "it" that people talk about that people in entertainment have to have? Angie Skye has it. In spades. Her look is unique, her gear is awesome, she has a ton of intensity and charisma, and she is eminently enjoyable to watch wrestle. Her partnership with Kath von Goth is still fairly new and makes for an interesting duo as Kath is a...unique character as well. Their shenanigans were highly entertaining, despite Angie not picking up a win on Part 1 or 2. Nonetheless, she made a huge impression on me and I'm eager to see where she goes from here.


Now for some thoughts on others that were on the card that I was familiar with...




Ryo Mizunami. As I said on my blog on SHIMMER, Ryo is amazing. Her three way with Leah and Xandra was one of the best matches of the day as was her re-match from SHIMMER with Courtney Rush. She may look ultra serious and intense, but she's as capable of shenanigans as the other Joshi are - case in point, during intermission her, Hiroyo and Kellie Skater were doing the Gangnam Style dance and after her match with Rush, the latter got her to do the dance in the ring with her! Ryo's style and look set her apart from the other Joshi and it was great that she got to make her Canadian debut.

Hiroyo Matsumoto. The second Joshi debut and Hiroyo continued her string of great matches in North America. Her rematch from SHIMMER Volume 31 against LuFisto was utterly amazing with plenty of hijinks including the Gojira mask. These two gelled so well, it was a pleasure to watch them because you could tell they were having fun wrestling each other. Hiroyo is one of my absolute favorite Joshi wrestlers, it's impossible to dislike her. Seriously! She truly lives happy even when destroying others. She had one of the best matches of the day against another FF regular...

FF X Part 2: Cherry Bomb v Hiroyo Matsumoto.

Cherry Bomb. I was absolutely stoked to see Cherry Bomb two weekends in a row. Despite being somewhat of a tweener at SHIMMER, here she was a heel, having turned on Sweet Cherrie at FF IX after they lost to the Ninjas. She opened FF X Part 1 against her former tag partner then took on Hiroyo Matsumoto for Part 2. This match was fantastic. Bomb was incredibly easy to boo against the ultra happy Hiroyo, especially after she flipped off Lady Destroyer at the start! She looked great in there against Matsumoto, recalling her time in Japan when she teamed with Sexi Star to wrestle Hailey Hatred and Kaori Yoneyama for Joshi4Hope. Cherry is a hell of a wrestler, and a performer, and I'm really happy that she had great bouts in her home country.

Sassy Stephanie and Mademoiselle Rachelle. These two, as I've said before, are a perfect team. It's as if they were made for each other, both being incredibly expressive, aggressive and talented to boot. Rachelle has amazing facial expressions and she was in her element in Canada. I don't know half of what she said (although I did learn the French word for three! "Trois! Trois!" When she argued with a ref, telling him it was three, I shouted "Trois!" She looked around and said, "Oui! Trois!" with the most exasperated look on her face - priceless!), but her back and forth with the crowd and the two wrestlers that Steph faced was amazing. Meanwhile the Sassy one showed off the French she had learned from her manager which got a nice reaction from the crowd. Sass looked incredible, getting the win over Mary Lee Rose (the match being a consequence of Rachelle turning on Mary at FF IX and joining up with the Midwest Militia); and despite a loss to X-Cute Sweet on Part 2, the redhead continues to prove her reliability and skill in the ring. I maintain that she is one of the most under-rated wrestlers in America - hopefully her work in Femmes Fatales, SHINE and AIW will prove that she deserves to be at the top of more cards. And when she gets the chance to pair up with her manager (and if Steph was not the best, why would Rachelle be working with her? Exactly.), it makes a good thing even better.

FF X Part 2: Mademoiselle Rachelle and Sassy Stephanie. That face..!

Courtney Rush. 2012 has been "the year" for several women and Rush is one of them. Her partnership with Sara Del Rey as "Death Rush/Queens of Winning" was one of the best things going earlier this year, and although it was unfortunate it got cut short due to Del Rey's signing, maybe it was for the best. After all, had she been with Del Rey, we may not have gotten to see her outstanding singles outings against Ryo, Mercedes and Hiroyo at SHIMMER (the upset win against Martinez had the crowd on it's feet); and depending on what had happened in Berwyn, we may not have seen the sequel at FF against Ryo. The mini-story line at SHIMMER where she modeled herself after Del Rey, then went back to her old self after a pep talk from ReGeneration X brought things to a nice close there. Here at Femmes Fatales she got her revenge against Portia Perez, bringing her down with a hard spear in Part 1; then in Part 2, with her rematch against Mizunami, she showed she belongs in there with the best at the top of the card. Rush has really come into her own this year and she rebounded nicely from her losses at FF IX with two solid wins at FF X. It may be only a matter of time until she challenges for the Femmes Fatales International Championship..were she to win it, maybe she will dance Gangnam Style in celebration. Time will tell!

Intermission: Cat Power and I!

Cat Power. Cat made her return to wrestling in July as part of Rush's team against the Midwest Militia, and most of us thought it was a one-off thing. Color me shocked to see her as booked to face Saraya Knight on Part 1. She took quite a beating but recovered enough to have an utterly hilarious match against Kellie Skater on Part 2. Cat Power was one of the people that first caught my attention when I attended my first SHIMMER show in September 2010 and it was a blast to see her in person again two years later. She's lost none of her appeal or her prowess in the ring. If we never see her wrestle again, at the very least I got the chance to thank her for coming back this year. Her matches were a highlight of the day.



Kellie Skater. The Rate Tank continued her three weekend run of great matches by going balls out against Kalamity in a best of 3 falls match for the FF International title on Part 1. It was somewhat jarring to go from cheering her one weekend to booing her the next, and some of us that had been at both shows cheered her anyways in Montreal despite her heel tactics on full display. However, she did win the crowd's respect by the end, and deservedly so - for the final fall it was Falls Count Anywhere, and the two beat each other up and down all over the venue. It took a Kalamity Driver through two chairs to keep Skater down for the 3. A magnificent match, and it was a relief to see her have a semi-humorous bout against Cat Power for Part 2 as she was in major pain by then. Two title shots for two major titles in two weekends - a surefire sign that Kellie Skater is a main eventer now. Most deservedly.

FF X Part 2: Athena

Athena. Wherever The Wrestling Goddess goes, whatever promotion she wrestles for, she makes an instant and unforgettable impact. The same happened in her Canadian debut during the four way on Part 1 for the Number One Contendership; then the title match between her and Kalamity on Part 2. When she hit the O-Face on Sweet for the win, the gasps in the crowd were audible. During intermission, she was a hit with fans as her natural sweetness and humor won over just about everyone. Athena went toe to toe with one of the hardest hitting women in Kalamity and despite not winning, cemented herself as a main eventer as well. It was tremendous being in the crowd and feeling/hearing the buzz she generated. Personally I couldn't wait for her matches as I knew she would create new fans in one day. Sure enough, she did. Queen of Queens winner, AIW debut, SHINE debut, SHIMMER title shot, Femmes Fatales debut and title shot - makes you wonder what's on the horizon for Athena in 2013 doesn't it?


Saraya Knight. As I wrote before, the SHIMMER Champion is a force of nature. She made sure that her Canadian debut would be unlike anything the fans of Montreal had ever seen. Absolutely no one was safe - other wrestlers, crew members, fans and poor Pat LaPrade was left with a boot print on his face thanks to her. I'm quite confident no one there will forget when 'Sweet' Saraya Knight came to play in Montreal. She warned LuFisto in Part 1 that she was coming for her and in Part 2 she took out two of Lufi's students, Mary Lee Rose and Sweet Cherrie as an example. By the end of Part 2 she and Mercedes had left Lufi and Kalamity battered after the cage match between LuFisto and Martinez. There is a score to settle here and we are left wondering when student and teacher will get their revenge. Meanwhile, remember what I said in my SHIMMER blog about the consequences of provoking Saraya? Well, case in point - she saw me twirling my finger around my head, indicating she was crazy, and it took three people to pry her away from the railing and from me. I made the mistake of thinking that since she was toned down the previous weekend she was no less dangerous. Lesson learned. However, I did NOT provoke her during the second part when, after decimating Rose and Cherrie, she walked around ringside and locked eyes with me. She asked if I wanted to play, which I shook my head no. She advanced, asking again and I kid you not I went from shaking my head to saying no to screaming and almost toppling backwards in my seat to get away from her. The fear of Saraya Knight remains. Provoke her at your own risk.

FF X Part 2: The FF International Champ, Kalamity

Kalamity. On October 8th, 2011, Kalamity won the Femmes Fatales International Championship from her mentor, her foe, her friend LuFisto. Over a year later she defended it against two top tier talents from different countries. The Oncoming Storm has now been champion for over a year. She has faced every challenge that has come her way, and in the process, has become one of Canada's finest. I've been a fan of hers from the moment I saw her, and it was a bit different watching her in Berwyn and then getting to see her defend her title in Montreal. Different but no less amazing. They were phenomenal matches as well, two great opponents for her. The only thing I would wish for Kalamity now is the same I'd wish for Athena - the chance to travel to Japan to train and compete. Both would thrive there, I feel, and further expand their skills. However, even if she never gets to the Land of the Rising Sun, Kalamity has made her mark on Canadian wrestling. She has come a long way, thanks to Lufi's training, but also thanks to her own determination to grow and evolve into something unique. Something better. Something special.

LuFisto. This lady continues to amaze me. She has been through so much physically, mentally and emotionally; she has been let down and disappointed by her passion, wrestling, yet she keeps coming back stronger and better than before - she keeps going. This is a woman who has given her heart and her soul and her body to a profession that can be ruthless, merciless, and downright hateful. Yet she keeps going. Not only does she keep going, but she gives back to the business that has caused her permanent damage physically. She has trained new students, instilling in them the skills and the love of wrestling she shares. She has helped create an all female promotion that has become to Canada what SHIMMER is to the United States. She has given her tears, her sweat and at Femmes Fatales X Part 2 she gave her blood once more. Whereas her match against Hiroyo on Part 1 was light hearted competition, her cage match on Part 2 against Mercedes Martinez was deadly serious. I had never been to a wrestling show where one of the competitors was busted open until that match. The sight of her bleeding left me speechless. I was honestly afraid for her and it wasn't until I spoke with her later that my worry started to lessen. The intensity between the two was off the charts and despite worrying about her, I was captivated by the match. They gave everything in the cage for us. It was an honor, and a privilege to witness this fight in person.

FF X Part 1: The Super Hardcore Anime, LuFisto!

LuFisto is the heart of Femmes Fatales - of Canadian wrestling itself. That may be a strong and controversial statement to make, but I will stand by and defend it. Together with Stephane Bruyere, they have made the landscape of Canadian wrestling better for women overall. November 3rd marked their tenth show and it was spectacular. I got to see how much talent and how much potential the Great North has with my own eyes. The future there looks as it does in America, Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom and elsewhere - incredibly bright.

I left Montreal the next day with memories I will treasure for a lifetime. My heartfelt thank you to Stephane, LuFisto, Pat LaPrade, the photographers, everyone behind the scenes and most of all to the women who stepped into the ring that day. Here's to another ten shows and more for Femmes Fatales!

Here is a link to all my pictures from Montreal: http://s173.beta.photobucket.com/user/elusivecharades/library/Femmes%20Fatales%20November%203rd%202012

Here is a link to the outstanding photography done by Minas Panagiotakis as well as results: http://ncw.qc.ca/resultats/resultats_20121103.html

Here are the hype videos that were shown before Part 1 and before Part 2 at the show:

SHIMMERWeen aka Why I Love Wrestling (Part 1)

LuFisto, Sweet Cherrie, Kalamity and Me

The weekends of October 26-28 and November 2-4 have been the busiest, the best and the most exciting I've had in a year full of exciting things. I've actually taken a step back a few times and said, "This is my life. I get to do this stuff, I get the opportunities to travel and follow my passion. This is really my life." It's probably something I'll never get to do again (at least not until my debts are paid), but these last two weekends were amazing. I'm going to do my darnest to put together some thoughts on both shows, plus some personal musings and some pictures. My iPhone took some great shots thank goodness!

I decided to separate this into two parts. Part one is on SHIMMER and part two is on Femmes Fatales. Even still, it will be long. Fair warning!

These tapings promised to be different. First, a few names were noticeably absent, due to injury (Madison Eagles, Serena Deeb), rotation (Jessie McKay, Ayumi Kurihara), or signing (Sara Del Rey, Mia Yim). While I heard some internet chatter about these being weak tapings, for me they were some of the strongest yet. Given that Volume 50 was extremely important, I expected everyone to pull out all the stops.

Not a woman on the shows disappointed me. I enjoyed every match and every woman put 110% every time. The most exciting thing for me was getting to see so many people wrestle in person that I was familiar with, and a fan of, outside of SHIMMER. These tapings felt like another shift, with the roster rearranging to include the next generation. A lot of people got a chance to step up and not only did they take the ball and run with it, they made dozens of touchdowns. That metaphor is a bit clunky but you know what I'm saying.

I don't do "typical" reviews so don't expect that. Rather, I'm going to just give thoughts and feelings on the people and the shows overall. But first off, let me say that it was an honor to be at Volume 50. I highly doubt people at the start thought SHIMMER would make it this far...but it has. It has grown to include not only women from all parts of the world flying in to compete but it also has grown to include fans coming from all over the world to attend. That's enormous and a testament to how much fans have grown to love this promotion. My first taping was September 11th & 12th, 2010 for Volumes 33-36. I haven't missed one since. SHIMMER absolutely gave me a reason to keep watching wrestling, it gave me back my passion for it. And through SHIMMER, I came to know and start watching WSU, ACW, CHIKARA, FF, EVE, WAWW, PWWA, Joshi. I also came to know friends that I love with all my heart thanks to SHIMMER.

So to Dave Prazak, Allison Danger, David Puente, everyone in the back, the photographers and to every woman past and present who has stepped into that ring - thank you. Thank you so very much.

Now then, let's dive in~!

...With bad news. Thanks to my laziness I missed both SPARKLE shows. This is what happens when I have no one to keep me on schedule. Beyond disappointed, and I even missed the first three matches on Saturday, coming in during Made in Sin v Veda Scott and Shazza McKenzie. Trust me, this won't happen again. I won't allow it. Even if I have to sleep in the parking lot of the Eagles Club. But part of my lateness was that I went in my Halloween costume and I had to get my hair just right. I went as LuFisto, wearing the gear you see her in on the cover of her Best of Volume 5 DVD. Even had red streaks put in my hair the Thursday morning I drove up to Berwyn. Unfortunately I couldn't find the hair ties that were puff balls (seriously, I looked in several Wal Marts, Amazon, Ebay, Etsy and Danger looked around several places - NO LUCK. What the heck!?), so I had to make due with regular pink hair ties but it took several tries before I got my hair into pig tails that looked halfway even. Considering the temperature, I was cold but it was worth it. I looked great! Unfortunately I forgot to snap a picture of myself...whoops...

Kalamity v Hamada.

For Volume 49, I enjoyed every match as I said, but three in particular I loved. Hiroyo Matsumoto v Sassy Stephanie (accompanied by the devious Mademoiselle Rachelle) was really fun to watch, as you had the happiest woman on the planet against one of the most underhanded. Stephanie doesn't get the credit she deserves sometimes, but you can count on her to be one of the best heels on any show. She did great against Hiroyo. Kalamity v Hamada was hard hitting and showed just how far Kalamity has come under LuFisto's tutelage. She went toe to toe with one of the best in the world and although she didn't win, it made for an outstanding match. The other was the Canadian Ninjas v LuKana. I can't really describe how fantastic this was, and if LuFisto and Kana had actually won I would've lost my mind (although I want Lufi to win the SHIMMER title at some point!). Single they are fantastic but as a team the Ninjas continue to dominate. However, at some point I want Kana to face both of them one on one.

Intermission was crazy as usual, however since some of the women are setting up around the ring, it has made a difference. It didn't seem as hard to get around as it has before, but maybe that's because I had a game plan of what I wanted to buy, where it was, and I got out when I was done. As I was chatting near the wall with a friend, I was taken by surprise by someone coming up and hugging me. It was LuFisto, and she loved the outfit! She was also glad I came and it warmed my heart that even though everyone had to rush backstage to get ready for the second taping, she took the time to give me a hug and a few words. I'd tweeted that I had dressed up as one of my heroes, and Lufi truly is just that to me.

Volume 50 was epic. There was so much energy from the crowd it was electric. I can't explain it but it was magical. The athletes brought their A-game and every match was tremendous. The last three were five stars to me. Kellie Skater had a phenomenal match against Kana back in March that had a lot of people talking. This time she faced Yumi Ohka in her second match (the first on 49 was against Leva Bates which she won) and by the time she pinned Yumi, the crowd was cheering for her. Skater's face turn was subtle and the fans sorta turned her all the way by the end of the weekend. She refrained from cheap shots, over the top boasting, refrained from taking her "supplements" and shook hands after both matches. Whether it was by design or something that was accidental, the Rate Tank is now one of the biggest stars that is still rising. The first main event of Volume 50 was a match that had been requested since last year. It was hard hitting, fast paced, emotional and beautiful: Ayako Hamada v Kana. I freaked out when the one's music hit then the other's. Because I knew this would be off the charts and they didn't disappoint. And when they hugged at the end, tears welled up. It was beautiful.

The second main event for 50 was the second SHIMVivor Series match. Whereas the first one on Volume 36 had a lot of silliness, this one had less silliness and more intensity. There were a lot of feuds wrapped up into this one. The teams consisted of Portia, Nicole, Saraya Knight, Mercedes Martinez and Lexie Fyfe (with Malia Hosaka on a stick) taking on Cheerleader Melissa, Allison Danger, Leva Bates, LuFisto and MsChif. The match itself took awhile to settle down as there was plenty of brawling on the outside first (LuFisto and Mercedes went after each other, drawing their feud from WSU and FF into a third promotion) but fittingly it came down to Saraya v Melissa and MsChif. The two originals beat the upstart but later we found out that Saraya had laid down willingly to avoid a beat down. Smart move but it also caused Bryce to call for Saraya to face Melissa on Volume 52. But that would happen Sunday...

I'd always wanted to see Lexie Fyfe wrestle in person but never thought it would happen. I'd started going to SHIMMER after her and Malia stopped wrestling there so I figured I had missed my chance. The shenanigans with Malia on a Stick were quick but highly entertaining, and Lexie is still one of the best in the ring. Very grateful she was chosen for the team, it may not look like much on paper but there was a charge in the crowd when her music hit. It was tremendous!

Since Paisans was overloaded due to their Halloween party, Saturday's afterparty took place at Michael Anthony's which was nice. Super crowded as usual but with so many rooms it was fine. Plus whoever was operating the music played good stuff - Gangnam Style was aired at least once which caused Saraya Knight to threaten to hurt anyone who did the dance infront of her. Naturally some did and chances are she followed through on her threat although I didn't see. Being a short person in a crowd hampers your view!

I had a much needed talk with Allison Danger outside, then went back in to chat with various people until the party died down and folks started to get back to their respective hotels. Sunday promised to be busy so nobody stayed as late as they could have which is understandable.

I missed SPARKLE on Sunday again but at least made it before the main show. Volume 51 was such a solid card, it makes it hard for me to pick one or two matches that I loved above the rest. Ryo Mizunami v LuFisto was a hard hitting Joshi bout that was so damn good. ReGeneration X handed Made in Sin their first loss and shot the former team into number one contendership. Courtney Rush went toe to toe with Mercedes and got the upset win that made everyone applaud. Ayako Hamada and Portia Perez, Kana and Athena, Nicole and Yumi - fantastic bouts that show just how great the next generation is becoming. But the main event was something special.

Kellie Skater main eventing

Due to Skater's win over Yumi the previous day, Hiroyo's rack of wins over the previous few volumes, and the fact that MsChif had eliminated two people in the SHIMVivor Series match on Saturday (whereas Melissa had only pinned Saraya at the last), Knight deemed those three worthy of a title match. The first ever four way elimination style match for the SHIMMER title was held as the main event for 51 and it catapulted Kellie Skater into the atmosphere. I cannot even do it justice how amazingly the crowd wanted her to win. Chif got a loud response, Hiroyo got a louder one but Tank's about blew the roof off and only got louder as it came down to her and Saraya. If she had won the reaction would have been equal to that when Melissa won the belt last year and that's the truth.

During intermission, I collected a few shirts and autographs and briefly spoke to Cherry Bomb, who was as sweet as she is on Twitter. I also got a lovely hug from Danger when I got my ReX shirt. It didn't feel as rushed this time, so when I saw that Kana had no one around her, I got up my nerve to purchase first a DVD when an autographed photo. Both times she held out her hands and at first I was confused but then I understood. I held out mine, which she grasped and gave me a small bow, saying "Thank you" - utterly gracious! I responded with a bow and a thank you as well. I've heard so many fans talk about her being approachable and nice but this was my first interaction with her. The reports are very true. For as deadly as she is in the ring, outside she is wonderful.

Volume 52 saw Angelus Layne graduate from SPARKLE to SHIMMER, a dream match between LuKana and Made in Sin (which left me wanting to see Kay go one on one with LuFisto and Kana), a damn fun partnership between Skater and Tomoka Nakagawa (they had paired up in Japan before, so the pairing made sense - Skater kept her face turn while Tomoka played the naughty heel; this promises to be a fun tag team), a helluva bout between Yumi and Ryo, the epic let down as ReGeneration X lost to the Canadian Ninjas (despite ReX dressed as ninjas; seriously, the disappointment was palpable), another fantastic match featuring Athena taking on another Joshi, this time Ayako Hamada, and finally the main event featuring Saraya and Melissa.

I was absolutely certain that Melissa was going to win the belt. So much so I wasn't fully invested in it, it just seemed obvious. However, to my complete surprise, after Melissa hit the Air Raid Crash, the Ninjas ran to ringside for the distraction and who else but Rhia O'Reilly hopped the barricade (RIGHT BY ME, one minute she wasn't there and the next she was leaping past me - I think I yelled, "Rhia?!"), slid the SHIMMER belt in so Saraya could knock out Melissa and get the pin.

I started laughing like a loon. Legit. I had been so certain that Melissa would win the belt back and bring the feud to a conclusion that when I realized what had happened, I was so relieved I laughed. It was absolutely brilliant. For Volume 53, which will be part of WrestleCon, a cage match between the two has been booked, and that's a brilliant way of furthering things (or ending the feud if the case may be). But for my part, this was a fantastic way to conclude the volume. Kudos to the masterminds behind the finish!

The afterparty at Paisans was fun, and it was hilarious that just as Portia and Nicole walked in, Stevie Nicks' "Edge of Seventeen" started playing. I'm not sure if that was a planned thing or coincidence but either way it was funny. The poor Ninjas were immediately rushed by fans at the entrance so that it took awhile for them to get into the place properly, but they were all class taking pictures with fans. All the women were gracious as always and I loved getting to catch up with friends. I chatted with Nicole and Puente for a bit towards the end. Nicole is always fun to talk to, she's genuinely friendly and has a sharp wit. And David Puente is a big ol' sweetheart!

I wanted to share some thoughts on people that I got to see for the first time in person, and also on those who stood out to me. If I don't write about you, please don't take it personally - there isn't a wrestler in SHIMMER that I don't respect, but if I wrote about everyone this would take even longer to write and to read! First off, those I saw in person for the first time. Almost all of these ladies I had seen on previous shows and was a fan of, but there's something special about seeing them on DVD/iPPV and seeing them live.

KICK~! LuKana v Made in Sin

Allysin Kay. WSU had been the first place I had seen Kay, then AIW and SHINE. WSU featured her more brutal side, which was entertaining, but once I saw her wrestling skill in the other two promotions I became a fan. She has a striking look and a ton of ability, so I was curious to see if she would go solo in SHIMMER, or be aligned with her Midwest Milita tag partner Stephanie or her Made in Sin partner Taylor Made. It was the latter and although it was here that they suffered their first losses as a team, they fit in perfectly and showed they could go toe to toe with the best (as in their match against LuFisto and Kana).

Technically I'm bending the rules with her as I saw her at AIW Girls Night Out 7 but I get a better feel for people by seeing them several times over the course of a weekend of tapings. I would seriously love to see Kay in some singles matches next time, however. Her against opponents such as Athena, Lufi, Kana and Hiroyo would be awesome I'd wager. Allysin is only going to get better as time goes on and as she wrestles more places and opponents. Even in defeat she gains experience. Plus, after seeing her hanging gogoplata off the top of a cage, she has serious potential to become a submission specialist. Although if she prefers to keep using her machete, that's fine as well! (Trying to not get hurt here...)

Cherry Bomb. When Bomb was announced I literally did a small dance. I was hugely impressed by her work in Femmes Fatales, AIW, and Japan (on the Joshi4Hope DVD in 2010), and I knew she had been on SPARKLE twice. She made it onto the volumes and I was hugely impressed with her in the fourway against Christina Von Eerie, Ryo Mizunami and Kalamity. Her exchanges with Ryo were excellent and although she started exhibiting heel mannerisms during the match, some of the audience (including myself) still cheered her. Cherry made a great heel for Davina Rose to play off of on Sunday, and I think it suits her better than being a babyface. I got to chat with her for afew minutes on Sunday and got an autograph as well. That was the only chance I got to talk to her that weekend or at Femmes Fatales, but it was enough to just have met her. I do hope she will now be featured on SHIMMER going forward as long as schedules allow. She's a fresh face with a lot of talent and could easily make a strong impact.

Miss Natural. I first saw this lady on SHIMMER Volumes 21 and 22 and after watching her two matches, she screamed "Ric Flair" to me. Four years later, I wondered if she would fit in and if she had improved. I need not have worried - Natural has gotten even better and is a solid fit for the roster. She still reminds me of Ric Flair, even more than before. No it isn't because of the robe she wears to the ring, either. Her mannerisms, her swagger and her technical style all have flashes of him. She went 3-1 over the weekend, only losing to Cheerleader Melissa after a match where Natural gave as good as she got and almost had the pin a few times. Her fisherman neckbreaker is a stiff finisher that works great for her, suiting her style. Plus, she is the only woman I know to use Tom Jones as her theme song - that's a win in my book. I know she's had a long running feud with MsChif in another promotion, perhaps they could further it in SHIMMER, but at any rate Miss Natural made me even more of a fan after the weekend.

Santana Garrett. Santana was best known to me from her matches at SHINE where she was putting on decent matches each month, but I knew she worked other places in Florida. However, after seeing her in person there's an infectious energy that's made me a fan. She's a natural babyface, has a great look and shows a real flair for athletics (her handspring moonsault is almost flawless). She connected with the crowd very easily. Santana has a lot of potential and is off to a great start as we can follow her progress at SHINE each month. Here's hoping she continues to improve.

Ryo Mizunami. Like many of the previous Joshi that had come to SHIMMER, I didn't know anything about Ryo, and when she was announced I admit my initial response was disappointment. I'd been hoping for Mio Shirai or Syuri or, as an outside chance, Tsukasa Fujimoto. However, after hearing a bit about her from others, I figured going in with an open mind as I had for the others was the best thing to do. Sure enough, Ryo won me over like all the other Joshis had. She has a power based style that reminds me of Bull Nakano (the guillotine leg drop from the top rope might have something to do with this also). However, she is a bit less serious than Nakano, making gun signs with her hands before executing a move, which was very entertaining. Ryo fit in very well and the crowds wound up loving her. So did I, she would definitely be welcomed back in the future.

Angelus Layne. From SPARKLE on Saturday to SHIMMER on Sunday, Angelus made her debut on Volume 52 in a losing effort to KC Spinelli. However, she did get the win against Sweet Cherrie on SPARKLE so it balances out. I believe during her outings at SPARKLE in March she was a face, but here she was a tremendous heel. Angelus has some of the best facial expressions in wrestling and it's a great touch you don't see sometimes from others. Wrestling is acting to some degree after all, and this lady emotes very well. Hopefully she will be back to SHIMMER and continue to improve. I asked her if she would be willing to give her thoughts on her SHIMMER debut and she wrote this in reply:

"Debuting at SHIMMER on Volume 52 was the BIGGEST moment in my entire wrestling career. When I started wrestling, I made it a goal to be on a SHIMMER DVD. The first goal was to get invited to be on SPARKLE. That happened in March 2012. I was thrilled for just that… but I still wanted more. When I was invited back to SPARKLE for the October 2012 tapings, I was still excited, but I secretly hoped that I would get moved up to main show. After SPARKLing on the Saturday tapings, I sat in the back with friends and watched the DVD tapings. When I left the Berwyn Eagles Club that night, I left knowing that nothing would be the same. I had been told, prior to leaving, that I would be debuting on SHIMMER Volume 52. I was ECSTATIC. At dinner that night with a few of the other SHIMMER girls, I asked the question, “If I debut on DVD tomorrow, what am I supposed to do next? Like, that’s my goal and I’m achieving it!” Clearly I was in a state of shock and joy. Their response was simply, “Keep going! Get as high on the DVDs as you can!” And that’s what I plan on doing. It was a thrill and an honor to open Volume 52 against KC Spinelli. Although I lost, I had the time of my life and I cannot wait until the next set of tapings to continue being a part of the SHIMMER family!"

Now a word about a few people that stood out...

Rhia O'Reilly. Oh really? O'Reilly! One of the catchphrases of the weekend without a doubt. Rhia has gone from being a spunky babyface who paid her own way to be on SPARKLE in March of 2011 to being a key villainess in October 2012. The transformation has been amazing - in a year, the Fighting Irish has become a mouthy, aggressive badass who backs up her talk in the ring. There's a few fans who can't help but applaud her (including myself), but she has no trouble getting the majority riled up. Her first match was against Cheerleader Melissa and she went toe to toe with the Terminator, proving how far she's come in the ring. At the end of Volume 52, after she helped Saraya retain the title, when Melissa got on the mic and said, "Really?" some of the audience replied, "O'Reilly!" - which provoked an irritated Melissa to snap, "Oh shut up." That was hilarious, and a testament to the impact Rhia has made. She's made herself part of SHIMMER and I can't wait to see her back in 2013. Very proud and happy of how far she's come!

Kellie Skater. 2012 has been her year. The Rate Tank has gone from her deubt in May 2009 as a comedy figure doing open challenges that she invariably loses to being a main eventer and one of the most cheered women on the roster in October 2012. She had a great set of tapings in March where her match with Kana was one of the best from that weekend, and perception started to change. Whether it was planned to make her a face (the little touches that made her a bad guy such as drinking the "supplements" and the cheap shots weren't there in her first match against Leva Bates), or whether it happened because the fans refused to boo her after her first match I don't know and don't much care honestly. Skater ended the weekend with a ton of support and it is just awesome to watch her become a star. Her time in Japan only made her better and more focused. If she had won the match against Saraya Knight for the title, I believe the reaction would have equaled that of when Melissa won the belt last year. If her tag team with Tomoka Nakagawa continues ("3G - Global Green Gangsters") then we could be looking at future tag team champions. Either way, Kellie Skater was on fire with her match against Yumi Ohka and then in the four way for the SHIMMER title. Her being the second Aussie to capture that belt isn't out of the question after establishing herself as well as she has. Congratulations Tank, you deserve everything you're getting!

Sassy Stephanie and Mademoiselle Rachelle

Sassy Stephanie. This woman is one of the most under-rated wrestlers in SHIMMER. She has had great matches against some of the best out there, such as Sara Del Rey, Hailey Hatred, and Rain among others, and she continues to prove she belongs there with them. Her matches against Hiroyo and Kalamity were awesome. Her pairing up with Mademoiselle Rachelle puts two of the most devious women together in a formidable partnership. Here's hoping for higher profile matches in the future for Steph, she has the total packaging to be a force in SHIMMER.

Davina Rose. Much like KC Spinelli last year, I didn't "get" Davina. She debuted in October 2011 and was known as Serena's protege, even getting involved in the feud between Deeb and Portia, but beyond that that was it. Then she was paired with Mia Yim in March of this year and kinda lost in the shuffle, but these tapings she hooked me. I see a lot of Serena in her style, and even her arm drags remind me of Deeb. If Serena has to truly hang up the boots, then Davina will continue to make her proud. Her personality continues to develop as does her in-ring ability, and this time out she picked up her first two singles wins, against Rhia and and Cherry Bomb. I'm looking forward to seeing how great she becomes.

"Just Another Hussy!" Athena v Kana

 Athena. Dear Lord, this woman is amazing. Her matches on both days were off the charts astounding as she went toe to toe with not only the SHIMMER champ Saraya, but also had phenomenal matches against Tomoka, Kana and Ayako Hamada. 2012 has been one of her best years yet, showing she not only has the personality, charisma, swagger and look to be a star, she can also look right at home with Joshi women and veterans such as Mercedes Martinez. Athena is by far one of the most well-rounded wrestlers today and despite a leg injury costing her the match against Ayako Hamada, it was still awesome. I hope she has the opportunity to train in Japan at some point, it would only boost her skills - which are already at a high level. I love watching Athena wrestle, her versus Kana was one of the best of the weekend. She wasn't even phased, calling the other woman "just another hussy" - tremendous!

LuFisto. It's no secret Lufi is one of my heroes and a wrestler I have the utmost respect for. But she was simply on fire this weekend and I'm so happy she was part of the main event on Volume 50. She may not have been there from the first volume on, but she has become an integral part of SHIMMER. Her and Kana got a shot at the tag titles on 49 and while I really wanted them to win...I want Lufi to win the SHIMMER title even more. That would be an epic moment, and her outings this weekend prove she deserves a shot. She pinned veteran Lexie Fyfe in the SHIMVivor Series and the only reason Portia got the best of her was the distraction by Mercedes. This and the loss of LuKana to the Ninjas were the only losses she suffered - LuKana handed Made in Sin their second loss after she hit the Burning Hammer on Taylor Made, and she had one of the best matches I've ever seen against Ryo Mizunami. Twice I got to see the Burning Hammer! Loved seeing that in person. If anyone thinks Lufi has slowed down or gotten rusty, trust me - watch her and Ryo go at it, balls to the wall and see if you still think the same way. It was a pleasure to get to see her two weekends in a row - she never, ever disappoints.

Veda Scott. After her two weeks in Japan, I was curious to see how she might have changed. Unfortunately I got to Saturday's tapings just in time to see her and Shazza lose, and considering I love them as a tag team, that was disappointing. However, she did great against Miss Natural, but her match against Tomoka Nakagawa on Volume 51 was the one that impressed me the most. Tomoka's gremlin antics played up nicely against Veda's hyper determination. I believe this was her first time wrestling a Joshi and to me she did great. There is still plenty of room to grow and improve, as she is still a rookie (which is hard to remember sometimes), but Veda has a willingness and a desire to work hard to get where she wants to be. Her match against Tomoka showed just how much potential she has. Who knows - in a year or two we could be seeing her face off against Kana or Hamada. That will be epic, but for now I'm proud of how far she's come. The best is yet to come for her.


Lastly, a few words about others that made for a great set of tapings..

Anyone who thinks Leva Bates didn't deserve to be in the main event of Volume 50 should take a look at how much she has grown and improved over the last few years. She made her SHIMMER debut on Volume 30 against Malia Hosaka on April 10th, 2010 and she herself would admit it wasn't a good match. At that point she had only been wrestling since 2007 and hadn't wrestled much outside of Florida (I believe - I might be wrong about this). Since then, she has wrestled not only for SHIMMER but also for WSU, AIW and has been an integral part of SHINE since it's beginning. I'd argue that working with Allison Danger and forming a tag team has helped her grow as Danger is a veteran and willing to work with those who want to improve and contribute. Leva isn't the same wrestler she was in 2010 - she has worked hard to become as strong of a wrestler as she is a character and that should be applauded. She could have kept relying on her status as "the cosplay girl" but she didn't. Leva deserved to be in the main event and had her and Danger won the tag straps on Volume 52 it would have been the icing on the cake. I think it's just a matter of time until they do win the belts but until then she will keep working to improve. Another example of hard work paying off.

Gojira! Matsumoto! Destroy!

Hiroyo Matsumoto wearing the Gojira mask was GOLD. I laughed myself silly! Loved all the matches she had, especially when she incorporated the mask into them. It was hilarious when we started chanting, "GO-JI-RA! GO-JI-RA!" Hiroyo shushed us and then said, "No! I Hiroyo!" - so we started a chant for her instead which made her happy! Truly she does live happy.

The Ninjas competed in only one singles match each but they were doozies - Portia wrestled Hamada, and Nicole wrestled Yumi. Both of them did outstandingly - maybe next time we can see them take on Kana in singles? Two of the best in SHIMMER as a tag team or solo, it was a great weekend for both.

Yumi Ohka made her return and I was extremely happy about this as she captivated me in her debut last year. Tall, beautiful, graceful and very lethal with her kicks, Yumi reminds me of a lioness. Her matches against Nicole, Skater and especially against Ryo were amazing. Also, her entrance is one of the most unique I've ever seen. Perfectly choreographed.

The Oncoming Storm

Kalamity was magnificent and it's a testament to LuFisto's training, and her desire to learn, that she looked completely at home against the likes of Ayako Hamada. It was one of her best matches to date. Her against Sassy Stephie was also good, and her interactions with Rachelle were highly entertaining. Kalamity's star continues to rise everywhere she goes.

KC Spinelli's energy is infectious. She is gorgeous, her look and multi-colored hair set her apart, but so does her attitude. She is plain fun to watch, whether it's mouthing off to her opponent or hitting the Eye of the Hurricane. Spinelli has also now been ECCW Women's Champion for a year, congratulations to her! Looking forward to seeing where she goes in the future, she has all the tools to become an international star.

Tomoka Nakagawa is adorable. Didn't realize how much I had missed her until she wasn't on the last tapings. So glad the Green Gremlin is back!

I'm not sure what happened between March and October, but Melanie Cruise impressed the hell out of me. Whether it was because she faced Hiroyo in her first match (it's very hard for anyone to have a bad match against Lady Destroyer), or whether it's because she's feeling more secure in herself and her training - whatever the reason, I liked both her matches. Cruise has a lot of potential with a good look to her. I'm very interested to see how she progresses from here.

Su Yung graduated from SPARKLE last year to SHIMMER this year and what a difference a year makes. Being released from FCW may have been the best thing for her, as she has competed not only in SHIMMER but has been a mainstay in SHINE, wrestled in ACW, Slammin Ladies and NWA Ring Warriors. Su has gained a ton of experience and looked right at home on the main roster. She's come a long way since 2008 wrestling sporadically in the Southern states - now she has a large fan base and has developed into an experienced wrestler. There is still a ton of potential for growth, and I hope she continues to seize every opportunity she gets.

Ayako Hamada and Kana had one of the all time best matches I've ever seen on Volume 50. These two set the bar for excellence high every time, and every time they outdo themselves. It's a pleasure and an honor to see them wrestle in person.

Shazza McKenzie and Courtney Rush are not only completely hilarious to watch, they are bursting with positive energy and unlimited potential. Seeing Rush step out of Del Rey's shadow and embrace herself fully was magical. She looked right at home against Ryo and Hiroyo, and the Eagles Club exploded when she beat Mercedes Martinez - no mean feat. Rush is coming into her own and the transformation over the last two years has been astounding. Meanwhile Shazza is a ball of energy, just plain fun to watch as a wrestler and a character. I adore her tag team with Veda, but on her own Shaz Mac is another impressive import from Australia - the country is overloaded with talent. Australia's Resident Cheerleader brings her own unique personality with her, and now it's hard to imagine a SHIMMER without her. Madison Eagles should be proud of Shazza and Skater both.

Despite not seeing SPARKLE, I was familiar with most of the ones that competed on there. Sweet Cherrie is another trainee of LuFisto's and I believe she is on the right path to becoming truly great. She has that 'something' that makes it hard not to cheer for her. Heidi Lovelace is the current OVW Champion, and she has improved massively since I first saw her in her AIW debut against Mary Dobson. I'm enjoying watching her progress, Heidi has an abundance of potential. Thunderkitty is another I first saw at AIW and her 'old fashioned' gimmick caught my attention. She had a great match against Heidi in September at Insanity Pro, so I'm sorry I missed her SPARKLE matches. However, I am confident she will be on the tapings at some point. Nikki St. John stood out at SPARKLE in March, and I saw her in a tag team with Annie Social at AIW. Another one to watch, as is December. Finally, Pink Flash Kira and Angie Skye are two I hadn't seen before, but seeing as I was at Femmes Fatales X the following weekend, I'll save my impressions for that blog.

Now, a word about the SHIMMER Champion, Saraya Knight. When she and Britani made their debuts in March 2011, my immediate impression of the elder Knight was that she was a force of nature. Over a year later and my assessment stands. This time she didn't hit any fans, but she wreaked havok on just about everyone at ringside and was only barely restrained at times from going into the crowds. Saraya remains as scary as ever - but there was a marked change between March and now. It's as if by winning the belt, taking something that precious away from Melissa, she has obtained a measure of vengeance against her worst enemy. Indeed, if you know the history between the two, it's hard to see Melissa as the righteous person in this. She almost retired Saraya completely and never showed remorse for it. It's poetic justice that years later, after holding the prize she had worked so hard to obtain, someone from her past shows up and takes it away. Saraya is a force of nature with a cause, a direction, a focus. I have a feeling the steel cage match in March will not be the last we see between these two. Recruiting the Ninjas and her own protege to aid in keeping the belt was a master stroke.

Stepping outside for a minute though, last March Saraya said something to me I've not forgotten. She told me, "Sometimes it's good to be scared." It is. Long time wrestling fans sometimes say that it doesn't feel 'real' anymore. While I disagree largely, I see their point. Violence and riots used to erupt, and Bobby Heenan was so hated he was once shot at. While we don't need to go THAT far, people who can evoke a response on that scale, positive or negative, are rare. Saraya is one of those that legitimately scares me. When she flips that switch on, it is on and if you provoke her, you pay the price. She isn't the sweet, soft-spoken mum then - she is the cold blooded tornado that destroys everything in her path. This fear of her is real, and I've never been scared of a wrestler before until her. I love it.

A Work of Art

And on a personal note, as I wrote here about my reaction to her WAWW Calendar (http://thedangerousqueen.blogspot.com/2012/07/wrestling.html ), I mentioned that I might pick up one of her calendars if there were any left. There were and after the Saturday shows I took a look at it. Saraya was right - they were tastefully done and beautifully shot. The women are all beautiful, posed just right to avoid showing any intimate body parts, and all of them look completely comfortable. I repeat my apology to her - I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions and speaking out of turn. The calendar is a lovely work of art, and I'm happy to have bought one.

I know I've used it a lot, but the keyword for this set of tapings is "potential." It felt like we were seeing a new generation of women coming in and starting to evolve and grow in front of us. I am immensely excited for the future of wrestling - seeing so many rising stars, how could I not be? All in all, it was a privilege and a pleasure to be in Berwyn for the historic Volume 50, but also to watch so many women coming into their own as top tier stars. A very special weekend that makes me proud to be a wrestling fan. My thanks to everyone again - here's to fifty more volumes!