Revolution Now

Imagine. Imagine having a dream. Imagine working your whole life for it. Now imagine you are told, time and again, you aren't "(fill-in-the-blank) enough."

Ever since I could remember, everything inside of me just wanted to fit in...

"You aren't tall enough."
"You aren't strong enough."
"You aren't 'built' enough."
"You will never succeed. Just give up. You aren't good enough."

Imagine transforming yourself, losing weight, changing your look, changing your style - but it still isn't 'enough."

I was never one for pretenders, everything I tried to be just wouldn't settle in...

Imagine feeling despair in your heart, and slowly, after years of hearing those words, believing that they are true. Imagine growing harder, hearing critical words from the peers you look up to most. "...Takes it too seriously.."

I get the feeling just because everything I touch isn't dark enough that this problem lies in me...

Now imagine taking a stand. Fighting back. Determined to become the best no matter what. Imagine striving for that goal and having it slip through your fingers, coming so close, only to be prevented by people who feel themselves to be better than you. Pinnacles of arrogance.

You don't scare me, although I'm small - I'm bulletproof and I'm ten feet tall...

Now imagine a chorus of voices swelling up in support, more and more building up until the momentum sweeps you away, propelling you towards your dream. Imagine that wave sweeping away all obstacles in it's path, until you are so close it is almost in your grasp...

You may think I'm talking about the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Daniel Bryan. While there are many similarities in their stories and their paths, the person I am speaking of has had major challenges to her health as well as obstacles to her goals. That's right, her. The person I am speaking of is the "Super Hardcore Anime", LuFisto.

Back in late 2012/Spring of 2013, LuFisto was engaged in a war between Mercedes Martinez and then-SHIMMER Champion, Saraya Knight. LuFi and Martinez had been battling in several promotions such as where the feud began (NCW Femmes Fatales), over to Mercedes' stomping ground in Women Superstars Uncensored, a brief skirmish in SHIMMER Women Athletes and back to Femmes Fatales where, in March 2013, LuFisto challenged Saraya Knight for the SHIMMER belt. She might have won, if not for Mercedes running in to clock her in the head with a chair, allowing Knight to get the win via referee stoppage. LuFi might have gotten her revenge, if not for an accident that shattered her kneecap at SHIMMER 53 the following week. This took her out of action until the Fall of 2013 - something that she discussed along with various other, personal topics in a podcast you can listen to here: http://ringbellesonline.com/2013/05/03/wow-podcast-56-with-lufisto/

Upon her return, she discovered something new about the new SHIMMER Champion, Cheerleader Melissa. Her old ally had become more arrogant, more dangerous, and more of a bully. After defeating Leva Bates to retain the belt, Melissa kept beating on the smaller woman until the recently retired Allison Danger tried to make the save. Unfortunately Melissa went after Danger's head, knowing full well about the stroke that forced her to retire, but before she could do any damage, LuFisto came out to run her off. This touched a nerve on the part of the Super Hardcore Anime: LuFi had suffered a stroke a few years ago, as well as heart problems, yet had been fortunate enough to heal and resume her career. She didn't take kindly to Melissa beating on one of her friends who was also a stroke victim. Martinez and LuFisto resumed their war, with LuFi getting a victory via Burning Hammer on Saturday. Sunday, Volume 60, saw her challenge Melissa for the SHIMMER belt, proclaiming she was going to stand up for everyone who had been a victim of the Cheerleader's vicious streak.

Unfortunately, the Canadian came up short in her quest. However, after the match, Mercedes ran in to double team LuFi until Kana made the save. During, Melissa had been busted open and was pouring blood down her face. This prevented Melissa from competing on Volume 61 - her own streak of wrestling on each SHIMMER volume came to an end, but she still made an appearance. Sixty one saw Mercedes and LuFisto go to battle once more in a Falls Count Anywhere match that took them all over the Eagles Club in one of the most brutal matches in the promotion's history. Towards the end, Melissa ran in and blasted LuFi with the SHIMMER belt, leading to Martinez hitting a Fisherman's Buster on a chair to get the three. It was a shock to see the two SHIMMER originals standing tall over the prone LuFisto as the boos rained down on the two arrogant women.

The saying goes that you can't keep a good man down, and that goes for a good woman as well. At Femmes Fatales XIII, it was planned to be LuFisto and her protege Sweet Cherrie taking on Mercedes Martinez and her Montreal ally, Saraya Knight in a No Disqualification Anything Goes match. But plans change and instead of Saraya beside Mercedes it was none other than the SHIMMER Champion Cheerleader Melissa. All four did battle in Montreal which saw LuFisto put Mercedes through a table with a Death Valley Driver then get the victory over Melissa via Burning Hammer. A most satisfying result which may have been the final tipping point for the SHIMMER Powers That Be to announce LuFisto would get another shot at the belt. In April 2014, on their second iPPV, the two would go toe to toe again but this time there was an added stipulation: this would be a Best 2 Out of 3 Falls match. LuFisto immediately went into intense training to prepare herself physically and mentally for the challenge.

April 4th. New Orleans, Louisiana. Two legends of female wrestling put another notch in their history book. Like an orchestra that starts out softly only to build into a crescendo of symphony, so did the match start out slow as each woman went through a "feeling out" process. The two exchanged holds, not wanting to give the other an advantage, until LuFi managed to hit the Mangalizer for the first pinfall. However, due to confusion about the allotted rest time between pinfalls, Melissa caught LuFisto off guard with an Air Raid Crash to get the second pin. From there, both women went into overdrive as they brawled around ringside, each determined to be the victor. As we had seen in battles past, the Super Hardcore Anime may have had victory in her grasp...had not Melissa pulled referee Bryce Remsburg into harm's way, taking him out long enough for Mercedes to run in and blast LuFi with her Femmes Fatales title, allowing Melissa to sneak out another win.

This was the second time that saw LuFisto denied a win over her opponent thanks to outside interference. The second time that saw victory pulled from her fingers. The second time that the Two-Woman Power Trip worked together to beat down the woman that is determined to stop them no matter the cost. A woman that is fighting for the one who can't fight, for those who have been beaten and broken along the way. A woman who is fighting for justice, who is chasing a dream that she dared dream whilst going down this path. A woman who has been the victim of injustice, that has seen her dream denied through no fault of her own.

This weekend, we already know that LuFisto will finally have the backup she deserves - her tag team partner, Kana, will be by her side as they battle Cheerleader Melissa and Mercedes Martinez on the first SHIMMER volume to be taped Saturday, Volume 63. Yet, if they win with even odds, will we see LuFisto get justice? Will we see her get a fair chance at the gold belt that is currently around the waist of someone who has tarnished it with her actions?

I'm only a man with a candle to guide me...

Will a woman who has remained true to herself, despite all odds, despite all pressure to force her to change herself into something, someone she is not...will she be able to finally catch hold of her dream without losing herself in the process? Or will she give in to the temptation to behave as her opponents have and win at all costs?

I'm taking a stand to escape what's inside of me...

Everything comes down to this weekend. I feel we shall see the ultimate outcome of this war between two giants of wrestling in tiny Berwyn, Illinois. As for me, I shall be watching in the Eagles Club to bear witness to either the Super Hardcore Anime overcoming all odds and lifting the SHIMMER Women Athletes title over her head in final victory...or...

No. There is no other option. This weekend we must see justice done. We must see the underdog defy all odds. We must see LuFisto rise to the top of the mountain, head and belt held high. And we will urge her on with our own revolution. The "Yes Revolution"? Not quite. The Oui Revolution! Oui! Oui! Oui! WAR LUFISTO~!

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.

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!

What is a Dream?

Merriam Webster dictionary describes a "dream" as: a : a strongly desired goal or purpose <a dream of becoming president> as number four on the list of definitions. We all have dreams. Some are big dreams, some are small, but all are important to us, despite how they may look to others.

The Kings and Queen of Wrestling. Picture by Mike Mastrandrea

I can imagine how people reacted to when Sara Del Rey stated that working for World Wrestling Entertainment was a goal of hers. Actually, I can do more than that, I've read reactions online to when she's stated that. Everything from, "That's awesome, hope she makes it!" to "Why would they hire her? She's not a model and isn't attractive." Some reactions were far worse. It's ironic, no one ever said that she wouldn't make it because she wasn't a great wrestler. Her nickname "The Queen of Wrestling" may have come about from when she was partnered with The Kings of Wrestling, Claudio Castagnoli and Chris Hero, in Ring of Honor, but it's a nickname that truly defines her. She is the Queen, one of the best wrestlers in the world by far.

Sara made her debut in 2001 and never looked back. She mostly stayed on the west coast but then began to branch out. She was trained by some of the best in the business, such as the All Pro Wrestling boot camp where she was trained by Bryan Danielson, and in the New Japan Pro Wrestling Inoki Dojo. You want to talk about promotions? She's wrestled for promotions in Japan, Mexico, Canada, Australia and all over the United States...

All Pro Wrestling.
A to Z in Japan (formerly ARISON).
Impact Zone Wrestling (not to be confused with Total Impact Wrestling/Impact Wrestling).
Lucha Libre Femenil.
Big Time Wrestling.
Pro-Wrestling Iron.
Pro-Wrestling Guerrilla.
Alternative Wrestling Show.
Revolution X.
Independent Wrestling Association: Mid-South.
Ring of Honor.
SHIMMER Women Athletes.
ChickFight.
CHIKARA Pro.
All-American Wrestling.
WORLD-1.
Full Impact Pro.
New England Championship Wrestling World Women's Wrestling.
Pro-Wrestling Unplugged.
Jersey All Pro Wrestling.
Canadian Wrestling Revolution.
International Wrestling Cartel.
Pure Wrestling Assocation.
New Elite Wrestling.
Carolina Wrestling Association.
Pro-Wrestling Association of Queensland (Australia).
Squared Circle Wrestling.
Northern Championship Wrestling Femmes Fatales.
Real Championship Wrestling.
Anarchy Championship Wrestling.
Remix Pro.
Absolute Intense Wrestling.

I'm sure I'm missing some, but that's enough to drive home the point, which is that when promotions want a solid, dependable worker, they bring in Sara Del Rey, be her opponent man or woman. Her matches are always superb and she can bring out the best in anyone. She lives for the gym and for wrestling. You never hear a shred of gossip about her. People of both genders want to work with her. Whole divisions have been built on her hard work and dedication.

SHIMMER's First Champion

On the first volume of SHIMMER, her and Mercedes Martinez went to a 20 limit time draw and Allison Danger on commentary said that if someone wanted to know what female wrestling was all about, she would show them that match. I would as well. If someone wanted to know what females are capable of, I'd show them a Sara Del Rey match. She was SHIMMER's first champion, beating Lacey in a title tournament, and the first woman in the promotion to become a double champion when Courtney Rush won the tag team titles for them in March of 2012. She won the eighth Torneo Cibernetico in CHIKARA last year by being the last woman on her team to survive, and came close to winning the Grand Championship in the same promotion, only falling to Mike Quackenbush after a hard fought contest.

It is a bittersweet feeling for us fans - we hate to lose someone, especially when they are as good as the Queen. Her upcoming matches for AIW (against Hailey Hatred, someone she faced a few years ago at AIW and also in JAPW - it will be a vastly different match at Girls Night Out 7 considering how much both women have changed), CHIKARA (she faces current Grand Champion Eddie Kingston in a title match), Remix Pro (Sassy Stephie is challenging for her title there), and SHINE (a dream match - Jazz v Sara Del Rey is the main event for their very first show) will be well attended by fans who want to see her on her last rotation.

Yet, we are not truly losing her. She is moving to another stage in her career. We should be happy for her. Despite jaded and cynical fans reactions to this news, this is a dream for Sara. I'm of the mind that if you are a fan of someone, you follow and support them in all their decisions (except, you know, if they're harming themselves or other people). I know fans who stopped following Awesome Kong when she signed to WWE, which I found petty. A person doesn't stop being who they are or stop being capable of what they can do just because they sign to another company. Considering what all Sara has accomplished in her storied career, there was not much else to achieve on the independent scene. Wrestling Manami Toyota and Aja Kong (the latter her hero) in CHIKARA was achieved in 2010 and 2011 respectively. She has toured the world, wrestling in several countries. Really, what else is there left, aside from the CHIKARA Grand Championship?

It's a shame for Ring of Honor, considering she had just came back to the promotion to combat the so-called "First Lady of ROH" Maria. However, given their financial situation is up in the air, no one can blame her for choosing WWE. Lets face facts - the money is better in WWE. I'm sure they don't pay their Divas as well as their Superstars, but they don't need to take other bookings or second jobs, and if they are injured the company takes care of them. Plus, there is the obvious advantage of television exposure if she makes it out of FCW.

Do I believe this is the start of the rejuvenation of the women's division? To be very blunt, no. Considering at the moment that AJ is the only woman who is receiving any attention from the creative writers, and she isn't even the champion, it doesn't look good. Kharma is supposedly training for a return but who knows when that will be, even if it happens? Down in NXT/FCW things look good, the stand out being Britani "Paige" Knight who came in with a wealth of knowledge thanks to having been wrestling since she was 15 (18 when she was signed) and growing up in a family of wrestlers. Otherwise you have Ivelisse "Sofia Cortez" Velez who was Juliette the Huntress on the independents, and despite how it appeared on Tough Enough, she has looked great down in the developmental camp. Most recently you have Buggy Nova, who is apparently going under her real name of Natalie. She's a West Coast independent wrestler who competed for NWA Hollywood and Big Time Wrestling. She made her SPARKLE debut in October 2011 and was well received by fans. Her look is somewhat 'alternative' and is sure to make her stand out. However, just because there is a good crop in FCW/NXT does not translate to time and attention on RAW or Smackdown.

At the end of the day, however, this is about Sara Del Rey. This is about a woman who is crossing another achievement off of her list. This is about another woman proving those who said she wasn't "tv friendly" wrong. This is about another woman breaking barriers.

The Queen waves to her loyal subjects.

This is about a woman who had a dream and is going to see it come true. This is what matters in the end. I offer my wholehearted congratulations to her - you did it Sara! All the best for the future!

It's Time! It's Time! It's...Veda Time!

What time is it?

In wrestling, people say you have to have a combination of several things to really "make it." This is true for men and women. Aside from the obvious (wrestling skills), you have to be able to talk, engage a crowd, show plenty of personality and charisma and have that hunger, that spark. They have to be willing to travel wherever they can, whenever they can, for the experience, exposure and the age old "to pay their dues." Whether it's a dark match in front of 25 fans or a mid-card bout in front of 300, those that want to prove they really want it are willing to take what they can get in order to increase their knowledge and reputation.

Veda Scott with teacher Daizee Haze. May 2011

One woman that stands out as having that hunger and drive is Veda Scott. She is still a rookie (having had her first match in 2011) but no one can deny her willingness to travel, work hard and prove herself.

A graduate of the Ring of Honor school, she was a student of Daizee Haze and it was fitting that her first match was at Horizon Wrestling Alliance in Maryland against her teacher, Haze. It was May 15th, 2011 and here is that match:

Since then, Veda has worked mainly in the New England and East Coast region, wrestling both men and women. A match that really got her noticed was at Absolute Intense Wrestling in Cleveland, Ohio. She made her debut there in July 2011 for the "Girls Night Out 4" show wrestling Cherry Bomb. During the match, she took an insane bump that you have to see to believe. (The DVD is available through http://shop.aiwrestling.com or http://www.smarkmarkvideo.com - well worth the purchase!) Elsewhere in 2011, she wrestled at Beyond Wrestling, Carolina Wrestling Federation Mid-Atlantic, NWA New England Championship Wrestling, and in October made her debut for SHIMMER Women Athletes, first in a dark match then on Volume 44 wrestling Taylor Made. This was her first trip to the mid-west, outside of where she normally wrestled, but it was not to be her last.

Veda Scott: Better than you.

Most places she had worked for prior to SHIMMER wanted her to work as a heel, which she shows great aptitude for. Over the past year, Veda has improved on the subtle characteristics that help cement her character. For instance, her facial expressions. She shows such disdain for the crowd and her opponents that you can't help but boo her. She tilts her nose in the air, a slight sneer on her lips and looks down on everyone from behind her glasses - Veda Scott is better than you. You know that is exactly what she's thinking.


However, in SHIMMER, she got to play a babyface which was a nice change for her. Her quirky, energetic self was on full display, first in the pre-show SPARKLE match that had her teaming with Su Yung and Kimberly Maddox to take on She Nay Nay, Buggy Nova and 'Bonesaw' Jessie Brooks. Having attended this set of SHIMMER tapings, I thought all six women did well but only Veda made it onto the main taping, in a losing effort to Taylor Made on Volume 44. One of the highlights of the October weekend for me was when she came out and went around, slapping hands with the fans before her match, when she saw me (and mind you, we'd only talked via Twitter, not met in person before) she gave me a HUGE hug! It tickled me to death quite honestly. She may have lost to Taylor but she did well. Apparently I'm not the only one who thought this as she was booked for the March 2012 SHIMMER tapings.


Speaking of 2012, this year has really been a busy one for Miss Scott. AIW booked her for their next Girls Night Out shows, numbers 5 and 6, where she defeated Kimber Lee and took a loss to the Queen of Wrestling, Sara Del Rey. Before the latter match, she took to YouTube and spoke about facing Del Rey in one of the most hilarious promos I've ever watched:

And back tracking just for a minute to 2011, Veda wrestled Gabby Gilbert (TAFKA Roxie Cotton) for World Xtreme Wrestling C4 but before the match, Gabby had her on as a guest on her show "Gabbin' with Gabby." Watching the two interact was a huge contrast, showing the bright, bubbly, hyper Gabby and the wary, disdainful Veda. The fact that Scott had grown into her heel character was very obvious in this video:

Back to 2012, Veda was almost everywhere you looked. AIW, NWA Force One Relaunch 3.0, 2CW, SHIMMER (where she tagged with her international BFF Shazza McKenzie in probably the most energetic tag team on planet Earth; plus got her first win in a match against the scariest woman alive, Saraya Knight, after Saraya refused to release the submission and the referee reversed the decision, giving Veda the win), Pro-Wrestling Syndicate (which also featured Vader on the same show - one wonders if they met face to face), and IndyGurlz just to mention a few.

The fearless interviewer.

When she wasn't wrestling, Veda was hired by Ring of Honor as a backstage interviewer. This set off some criticism, of ROH and of her. Some fans wondered why ROH didn't set up a new Women of Honor division and have Veda wrestle in it. Other people were far more nasty and suspicious, wondering why a woman with so little experience got a "cushy backstage job." The typical stuff women in wrestling get when they get a position others feel they don't deserve for one reason or another. The comments left on the YouTube videos posted wherein she would interview someone or host a show for ROH were horrid and undeservingly harsh. Apparently fans felt she should automatically be the perfect interviewer. Nonetheless, ROH showed confidence in her and kept her on in that role. Veda has settled into it as well, becoming more comfortable on screen talking.

Also, in May, Scott started hosting the CHIKARA reports, talking about the upcoming iPPV in June "Chikarasaurus Rex: How to Hatch a Dinosaur." No one knows why she was chosen to do this, but it was an excellent opportunity to grow her mic skills. As a bonus, she and Billy Kumohara hosted the pre-show for the iPPV. She seized those opportunities and made the most of them, earning praise for her hard work and determination. Who knows, in the future we may possibly see her step into the ring at CHIKARA.

In addition to her wrestling responsibilities, Veda has been very public about the fact she is going to college to become a lawyer. Perhaps that's why I've been amazed at her from the beginning. Getting into wrestling and growing your character and skills is hard enough, but couple that with law school? That's no mean feat. In May, she graduated from law school and is set to take the Bar Exam in July. A few days after another promotion she will be debuting for, in fact. How's that for devotion?

Von Eerie silences Scott. Credit texasanarchy.com

In February, Veda took part in a tournament for 2CW called "Girls Grand Prix." She didn't win, unable to get past Rachel Summerlyn in the first round, but she must have made an impression because Veda was announced for another tournament, one with a higher profile. Anarchy Championship Wrestling has a tournament each June in Texas called "Queen of Queens" and this year Veda was invited to compete in it. Again, she didn't make it past her first round opponent (this time Christina Von Eerie), but from all accounts she did well and got a "Please come back!" chant from the crowd. The report from the show says she tried to interview Christina prior to the match while in the ring. As you can see from the picture, the Punk Princess wasn't interested in talking. Someone who was at the show told me that during intermission, Veda set up a bank shaped like a cat that she had bought before the show and was hawking her wares, saying she needed to feed Teddy, her cat. The fans there embraced her, as they have everywhere else and it was another successful debut for another promotion in yet another state.

The sister promotion of SHIMMER, called SHINE Wrestling, announced Veda as one of the workers for their first ever show on iPPV on July 21st. This roster is one of the more interesting ones as you have a mix of veterans such as Sara Del Rey, Mercedes Martinez, Rain, Nikki Roxx and one woman that has re-emerged this past year on the wrestling scene - Jazz; and you have a mix of rookies such as Veda herself, plus Reby Sky, Su Yung, Kimberly, and Leva Bates. Personally I think this is an excellent opportunity for the ones who are still new to wrestling to learn from a great mixture of veterans, plus get exposure on a live iPPV. I'm looking forward to seeing who Veda faces, not to mention the rest of the show.

Just this previous Monday, the call went out that Angelus Layne was injured and would not be able to make her debut at nCw Femmes Fatales this Saturday. The replacement turned out to be - you guessed it - Veda Scott. Although she had traveled with ROH to Canada previously, this will be her wrestling debut in another country. How cool is that? She will be facing Mary Lee Rose. She better take care, Mary will be accompanied by one of the most devious managers in the business, one Mademoiselle Rachelle. This is a huge opportunity for her to impress Stephane and Lufisto, as it could lead to more bookings for her there in the future.

Veda Scott has had quite the rookie year. Sometimes it is hard to remember that it has indeed only been a full year since her first match, it seems she has wrestled almost everywhere. But if you talk to her, you will discover she is the most down to earth, humble woman there is. She takes none of her opportunities for granted, has no airs about her, and is always appreciative for what she has gotten. I've heard fans compare her to AJ in WWE but that's ridiculous. She is her own character, not a knock off or a rip off.

Veda and Teddy - so cute!

Hard working. Dependable. Likable. Energetic. Strong. Devoted. Passionate. Determined. These are all words that are appropriate to describe Veda Scott. It has been a hell of a year for the red headed rookie and I look forward to following her journey wherever it leads. Good luck Veda! 

.....Plus she loves cats. How can you not like a woman who loves cats?