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~!

Of Fundraisers, Wish Lists and Judgmental People

On July 24th, LuFisto posted a link to her social media sites. It was to a site called GoFundMe.com and although the original message has been lost, the premise was this: she wished to move to Florida to live there on a permanent basis and work as a graphics designer (which is her non-wrestling job). Having put out feelers to companies in the state and getting encouraging responses for a job, she felt that as long as she had a job lined up, the process would be easier. That, combined with the fact that Florida has become a haven for female wrestling in particular over the past year, Lufi felt this would be the best direction to go in. However, she needed help to gather the funds to gain a Visa and move. After making her exasperation known about how much a U.S. Visa cost, fans responded offering help, and one helped her set up a page on GoFundMe. Several of the first donations came from fans on Twitter who had wanted to help originally. She then posted the link with a request for help. There were no threats, no intimidation, no pressure; it was a simple request from a woman who has put her body on the line for over fifteen years to her fans. No more, no less.

Fans responded. The goal was $2,000 and around the beginning of August, an anonymous fan donated $1,000. That, along with dozens of other donations, put her near her goal. Lufi posted this message around the 4th of August:

"Thanx to a very generous angel and all my fans who believe in this dream, I am now able to afford my US Visa. Some papers have already been sent to start the process. I only need to save more for the actual move, including bringing my loving cat. I'm so blessed to have you all. Sooooo grateful. I love you all! :)"

All seemed to be falling into place for the Super Hardcore Anime. However, 23 days ago, on August 12th, she posted the following message on the GoFundMe page:

"Dear fans and friends,

I thought I would give you an update on my US Visa. After a few discussions with an attorney, I've been looking at other VISA options. The one they were offering me can be lost at any time if the company who hires me has to let me go. It means that if I would lose my job, I lose my visa and would have to apply for a new one. I would lose your money and mine and would maybe have to go back to Canada if I can’t find something quickly. I think it would be irresponsible to do so, especially with the love and trust you are giving me by sponsoring this project. I’m looking at options where I could travel, stay for long periods and work easily when it comes to wrestling. 

Since it’s not the original project that was described here, please let me know if you want me to reimburse you (- the 5% GoFund takes on all donations) or send you the equivalent of your donation in LuFisto merchandise… Or I keep the money safe until I can get an appropriate VISA that will guarantee my presence in the States as often as I want to perform for you.

Please let me know what I should do with your donation. Want me to give it to charity? Keep your donation to invest in gear or anything else? Please let me know. I’ll keep you posted on the VISA options I get as soon as I have some news!

Thank you very much."

As is obvious, Lufi was up front with giving updates to those who donated, and for anyone who has attempted to apply for any kind of Visa, there's various pitfalls that come up along the way. Instead of trying to hide what was going on, or, worse, keep the money for herself, here she is wanting to know what the fans want her to do with their money. She encouraged everyone who gave to get in touch with her. Using her personal email account (not the GoFundMe account), she contacted every person who had donated. Some of them received their money back but told her it would be there if she needed it. Most told her to keep it and invest it either in another Visa option or purchase something for herself, telling her it was their way of saying thank you for all she had done for them. Finally, five days ago, on August 30th, LuFisto posted a final message on the website as well as on her Twitter, fan Facebook page and personal Facebook page:

"Dear friends,

Since this process seems to be taking forever and be so complicated after all – that this thing will fall through like all my other wrestling projects actually - I will close this page in the upcoming days.

I just want to say that I’m truly blessed to have such great fans like you who appreciate my work to the point of offering your help. I see a lot of wrestlers being helped for various reasons by you all and it’s just wonderful to notice such generosity and recognition for what we do. 

With that being said, having the greatest and most loyal fans on Earth comes at a cost it seems. Since this page has been opened by one of you and then managed by me, there has been so much negativity from wrestling peers… It seems anybody else can do it… But not LuFisto.

Being called a low-life, asshole and piece of shit by some of my “fellow Quebec wrestlers”… Well, I really don’t need this. After 16 years of trying too hard, I’m just tired of this BS. I’m not going to let pathetic people destroy what is left of me. Being reminded constantly that I will never make it because I’m too old and not pretty is enough negativity coming from wrestling already. These people are not worth my time or energy. 

Therefore, I need to close this page since they are using it as a mockery.

I did contact you all personally already concerning your donation so if you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me at lufisto@lufisto.com anytime you want.

I love you and thank you all for the love and support. You are definitely the main reason why I’m still wrestling…

LuFisto"

Now, I'm not sure what other Quebec wrestlers have been calling Lufi these names but I do know of one wrestler in particular who has been vocal on Twitter. Not just now but in the past, he has singled out Lufi for no apparent reason. He's Canadian, from Montreal but wrestles various places (such as the now-defunct International Wrestling Syndicate and CHIKARA; as well as C*4, Wrestling is, BattleArts, Smash Wrestling and NSPW). I'm speaking of Shane Matthews, one half of the tag team 3.0. If you don't know who he is, I'll wait while you Google him. Just make sure you include the term "wrestler" or else you'll get other results.

On August 29th, the day before LuFisto posted the final message, Shane tweeted this:

(Read from the bottom up.) He wrote, "The people that gave da Lufisto money to pay for her American work visa and move, did you get your money back? What a joke. Scum." Stephane Bruyere (Alchi091), the promoter of NCW Femmes Fatales and a friend of Lufi's responded that the answer was yes, that people could see this on her Facebook page and that she contacted everyone. Lufi kept each and every email to show proof of her correspondence with everyone who donated. Shane responded, "Good. How do you not research this before asking people for their money? I don't understand." Stephane replied that it was supposed to be easier; that she had all the paperwork with her but they kept asking for more. Apparently this good-sense answer wasn't acceptable to Matthews, as he went on to tweet, "Children go to school without breakfast an are hungry all day... But Lufisto needs money to move an Scott Hall needs a new hip. Sorry kids."

As I pointed out earlier, this is not the first time Matthews has taken fire at LuFisto. Fans of hers will remember that back at WrestleCon in New Jersey, Lufi went up to the top rope for a moonsault. Instead of hitting the assembled group of wrestlers below, she crashed to the floor and for several minutes lay perfectly still. I was sitting front row when this happened and she landed literally footsteps away from me. It was without a doubt the scariest thing I had ever witnessed in person. I thought she was dead. The relief I felt when she got to her feet was overwhelming and not only did she stand up - she got in the ring and executed a burning hammer on another opponent before her and Kana were eliminated from the match. It wasn't until days later that she found out she had shattered her kneecap. Fans of wrestlers know how physically tough you have to be to get into the ring, but how many of them would be able to get back up and finish your part in a match after your kneecap has virtually exploded? Not many of them. I doubt Shane Matthews would, personally.

On her website, regarding the accident, she wrote:

"Last Saturday during the Shimmer 53 event at WrestleCon, I attempted a moonsault from the top rope to the outside, a maneuver I have done before successfully. Whether it was because of miscommunication, bad timing, or miscalculation, I landed very hard on the floor. I tried to turn myself in mid-air but it was just too late.

Despite wearing knee pads, both of my knees took most of the impact, a fall of about 15 feet, right on the concrete. I lay on the floor for about a minute and decided to get up, get in the ring and finish what I had to do. Already as I had Taylor Made on my shoulders for the Burning Hammer, I knew something was wrong."

You can also hear LuFisto explain what happened when she spoke to the people at Ringbellesonline.com here: http://ringbellesonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/episode56.mp3

Which is why his tweets on April 16th, just ten days after this horrific accident, were particularly nasty, unnecessary, and seemed to be an attempt to shit-stir.

"My favorite part of girl wrestling, is when there is 7 girls to catch a moonsault, yet the broad somehow misses all of them...."

"...Then the next day blames all the girls on Facebook an asks her fans to buy her gifts off amazon. That's my favorite."

"Keep it coming ladies! This is great stuff. Don't stop, please."

"Here is da pic."

I asked LuFisto, and this is not a "work" or an attempt to generate any sort of feud between herself and Matthews. This has nothing to do with anything wrestling-related. Which begs the question: why would one half of a semi-well known tag team attack one of the best wrestlers in Canada today? Sure, I could tweet and ask him what's up, but more than likely I would get a snarky answer in reply. Matthews is mostly well known on Twitter for being a sexist asshole who takes great joy in riling up fans of female wrestling as well as females in general. I have had people tell me that this is his character and it's an act; however, in the promotion that he was arguably most well known for being in, CHIKARA, it never showed up in any of his promos or segments. Although I have not seen the match in question, in May of 2012 at "Aniversario: A Horse of Another Color", he teamed with Sara Del Rey, Jigsaw and Green Ant to defeat Eddie Kingston, Saturyne, Scott Parker and Soldier Ant. If he spoke out against teaming with Sara Del Rey, or wrestling Saturyne, it did not make it online. 3.0 had various skirmishes with Daizee Haze and Del Rey when they were part of the BDK, but again there was nothing about Matthews' character being unwilling to fight a woman or thinking that it was somehow beneath him.

To tell the truth, I know very little about Shane Matthews. I wasn't particularly interested in 3.0 when I started getting into CHIKARA a few years ago; and after seeing some of his tweets prior to his attacks on LuFisto, I had no desire to support him as a fan. Recently, they became tag team champions in a promotion Lufi has worked for before, North Shore Pro Wrestling. If the name rings a bell, it's probably because she made headlines by winning the NSPW Championship on December 8th, 2012. She was the first woman to win their most prestigious belt, a belt that had previously only been held by men. It was due to her injury at WrestleCon that she had to forfeit the belt. Coincidentally, in the beginning of August, 3.0 won the NSPW Tag Team Titles. Could it be professional jealousy that has sparked Shane's targeting of Lufi? That's pure speculation on my part, but there have always been men in all areas of life who feel jealous when a woman achieves more than they do. Wrestling, with it's abundance of egos and jostling for spots, is no different especially given the bias that women continue to deal with.

LuFisto has done nothing wrong, nothing to deserve such abuse from one of her fellow Quebecers. Indeed, this speaks to a deeper thread of judgement on wrestlers (mostly female, but there are a few men out there) who seek fan support for various reasons. Matthews also took aim at Scott Hall, who recently asked for, and received, enough donations to get his hip replaced. Now, there has been more criticism of Hall for asking for support, due to the fact that his problems with addiction have been well documented. One can safely assume that the money he made in WCW and WWF went towards fueling these addictions, leaving him without a safety net when he bottomed out. If not for Diamond Dallas Page, Hall might very well have died. His health is likely still precarious - however, enough fans were willing to give him a second chance and lend a helping hand in the Bad Guy's hour of need. The same situation occurred with Jake "The Snake" Roberts needing donations to cover his shoulder surgery. Most recently, the Necro Butcher needed help for a surgery, which LuFisto donated to and spread the word on her social media sites. God forbid that one day Shane Matthews might need a surgery but lack the funds to cover it.

Instead of seeing this as a positive sign of people's willingness to be generous, Matthews looks down on it. He also has been vocal about the fact that many female wrestlers have Amazon wish lists (tying that in with his stab at LuFisto above). In this instance, he isn't alone. There are several people who are outspoken about various women electing to make and promote their Wish Lists. Fans, fellow wrestlers and other people in the business say it makes the women in question look cheap or greedy; or that these women are trying to take advantage of fans.

Let me tell you how I see it. The majority of male and female wrestlers won't be able to make a full time living solely from wrestling. Let us be realistic here. No matter how good or deserving or hard working they are, they will not see anything like "WWE Money" in their life time. (There's no such thing as "TNA Money".) These men and women bust their ass, driving across state lines to wrestle for anywhere from 20 to 100+ people, for God only knows how much money, and most don't get the recognition, respect or pay that they deserve. They most likely will never be able to afford the finer things in life. Therefore, if I, or any other fan, sees fit to buy them a book, a DVD, a Playstation game or a goddamn iPhone, we will do so.

Why? Because it is our money, for one. For two, because we feel that the wrestlers we buy for deserve it. For all the reasons I mentioned before, but mostly because for us, it's a way to say "thank you." We say thank you by buying a ticket, buying merchandise, supporting by spreading the word about them via social media, driving hours to watch a show that they are on and giving constructive feedback when they ask for it. But sometimes, we wish to say thank you in a more personal, direct way. Most of us don't expect anything in return (and if a fan does expect something in return from a wrestler, their motives are obviously skewed.), but some wrestlers (such as LuFisto) respond with an autographed picture and a personal thank you.

Do some wrestlers abuse wish lists? Absolutely. Any instrument has the potential to be used for positive or negative. Does that make the object itself a bad thing? Not necessarily. I have an Amazon wish list. I promote it around my birthday and Christmas. I have one because it's the best and easiest way for my family and friends to know what to get me. That's the reason I assume most wrestlers make one, only include "fans" in there as well. I have seen fans ask wrestlers if they have one and encourage them to make one if they don't. I myself have encouraged a few male wrestlers to create one and they did so. That's right, it isn't just women in wrestling who have them, there are men as well. So to automatically assume it's only women is inaccurate. Some wrestlers have fun with theirs: I was told that Kevin Steen had power tools on his. Frankly, I'm surprised he doesn't have various zoo stuffed animals on it. Some zoo enthusiast! (Kidding, obviously.)

At the end of the day though, it's our money and we are not being pressured into spending it. We are not being cajoled or threatened or bullied. Often times we ask how we can show our support. Some wrestlers ask for donations to different charities, which is a wonderful gesture. Off the top of my head, whenever someone asks Veda Scott if she has a wish list, she says no and offers the name of a charity that we can support in her name instead. She doesn't put down anyone who opts to have a wish list, however. Neither do several others who want fans to show support in that way. It makes me wonder why others, like Matthews, cannot take the high road as well.

Going back to the beginning of this, I wrote this post to set out the story of LuFisto and her GoFundMe project. As has been pointed out, she neither begged, pleaded nor threatened any of her fans to donate; people donated out of good faith. And in good faith, Lufi kept everyone informed of the proceedings. When an unexpected road bump emerged, she was quick to update us and ask for anyone who had donated to contact her and let her know what to do with their money. True, there was a portion that GoFundMe kept, but it was minimal. She offered refunds or compensation through her own merchandise.  The negativity and the increasing obstacles made her decide to shut down the project. However, even AFTER making her decision known to shut it down, she received money from a fan with the following message:

"I will give you what I want, when I want to show gratitude for putting your body on the line for us for so many years. Assholes like Shane Matthews and other Quebec wrestlers who put you down because WE want to sponsor you AND NOT THEM can go fuck themselves. Here's something so you can get yourself a massage or a new gear... And THANK YOU for years of sacrifices for US."

The fact that Lufi has such a strong fan base is staggering. I wonder if Shane Matthews inspires the same loyalty, respect and generosity from his fans? Probably not. Lufi has been nothing but open and honest about this whole process. She didn't have to be. She could have easily lied and said things were progressing nicely as far as the Visa went, and took the money and spent it on clothes or what not.

But she didn't. LuFisto was honorable and respectful of us fans, direct and honest. This is the way she has always been throughout her career, taking the high road, despite the fact that others, taking the low road, may have gone farther in their careers than she has. She has kept her values and morals intact. Perhaps it is because of this that her fans are so steadfast. We see her struggles, sympathize with her pain, and rejoice in her triumphs. Maybe we see some of her in ourselves we deal with our own individual struggles.

I believe in LuFisto. I believe in a lot of men and women who have chosen this hard life that has so few tangible rewards and can bring a lot of pain and hardship to mind, body and spirit. This, the gifts, the support - all of these are my way of saying thank you...and I believe in you.

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!