Road tripping with Sassy Stephanie: A Glimpse into the Independent Wrestling Life

On Thursday, September 19th, I set off for the home of independent wrestler Sassy Stephanie. I would join her for the next two days as she traveled to two different states to wrestle for two different companies. I would be lucky enough to peer through the looking glass, as it were, and get a taste of "the life". Granted, I had been on road trips with a few wrestlers prior to this, but that was to Dreamwave, a promotion that garners a sizable crowd in a rather populated city. This time, my travels with Sass would take me, first on Friday, to Farmville, Virginia (yes, there really is a town by that name) for Bruiser Wrestling Federation. Second, on Saturday, we would head to Oil City, Pennsylvania for Darkhorse Championship Wrestling. I had never heard of either promotion but it turns out, according to Adam Lash, BWF has been around for close to fifteen years; whereas DCW had only had two shows prior to the one we would be at. Needless to say, this would be a far cry from the previous promotions I had been to.

I arrived at Sassy's about 8:30 at night. Her car was already packed up. She would be heading to bed soon since she had to be up at 3 a.m. to be at her non-wrestling job at 4 a.m. She said she would be leaving work at 9 a.m. so I needed to be up and ready to go by fifteen after. Unfortunately it took an age for me to get to sleep, but I was up at 8:30 and ready to leave when she got home. We threw some energy drinks and water into a cooler, got some snacks, put my stuff into her car and off we went.

The GPS said it would take a little over seven hours. I started off driving and the weather was nice fortunately. We headed south through Ohio, into West Virginia then into Virginia. Unfortunately, due to lack of sleep (and being an amateur at long driving), I only drove for about an hour and a half before having to switch off. Since Steph had left off drinking Pepsi, she had little to no caffeine in her system anymore. So when she started drinking a Mountain Dew energy drink, she was able to drive the rest of the way. I took about a two hour nap but managed to stay awake the rest of the time. The drive itself was lovely - very little traffic and the sun was out. As she drove, we talked about lots of things: wrestling, mutual friends, her wedding, our mothers...but mostly wrestling. It was fascinating hearing her stories over those two days, what she had gone through and what she hoped to achieve.

Farmville, Virginia~!

We arrived on time at the fair, about two hours before the 8 o'clock show was set to begin. As she drove up, Steph halted the car near a parking attendant. She told him she was a wrestler on the show and needed to know where to park. His response (an older, African American man) was telling, "*You're* a wrestler??" Then he laughed. Not harshly or for long, but the fact that this was the reaction she received was galling to me. Stephanie took it in stride, saying that yes, she was and needed to get to where she needed to go. He directed her around to a gate where a second attendant stopped. This man's response was to ask, who she was going to "beat up" tonight. Once we had parked, I said, "I take it you get that reaction a lot." She nodded. "All the time. I'm used to it." I thought this a shame, but at the same time, this was the reality of people in independent wrestling. Stephanie had made a name for herself in "bigger" companies such as Women Superstars Uncensored and SHIMMER Women Athletes but in places such as here (despite having competed in BWF against Kacee Carlisle prior to this show), she was an unknown. At least, to those who were strictly working with the fair that BWF was having their show at.

When we got out of the car and went up to the building, a few men were there to greet and direct us where to go. As we walked out from behind the backstage, passing the ring, I realized...this was a barn. Granted, the weekend before this I had been to Wrestling is Heart, which was also in a barn but it was more like a showcase area, large and rather spacious. This was much smaller, dirtier and...an actual barn. Dirt and hay were under our feet, and I could hear the soft mooing of cows and clucking of chickens nearby. Past the barn was the actual fair itself. This was a far cry from the Eagles Club or the Knights of Columbus Hall. However, it was what it was, and I followed Stephanie and the man guiding us to outside, in front of the barn. There were tables set up already. The one on the left hand side had WWE merchandise such as figures and shirts. The tables to the right were clear, and we were told we could use the one right next to the entrance. Sass quickly got her merch out and set up with an efficiency that was impressive. One of her newest shirts; stickers; trading cards; a program with a small biography about her; photos from WWE, TNA and various independent shows she had taken; old 8x10s; a binder filled with her newer 8x10s; and three bags filled with misc gear. One was marked at $100 as it was a complete set; the others were lower since it was only one piece and not a full set. I wondered at setting these items out - what casual fan would purchase something like that? I said nothing though, and listened as she wrote down the prices for everything and gave me various instructions. I was to be her "merch bitch" for these two days. I had hopes of selling several things for her as, since admission to the wrestling show was free if you paid to get into the fair, I worried that her booking fare wouldn't be worth the drive.

Despite my worries, I never discussed pay with her. That's one subject I feel is off limits, no matter how close of a friend I might be with any wrestler. It's something I never need to know about. By this point, there was an hour left until the show started, and Sass, after making sure I was fine and understood about prices, left to go get ready. The table I was at was right in the path of the setting sun, so for awhile I was sweating it out until it went down. The flyer for the show was on the wall above me. Reading over it, I noted that their main attraction, their star for today's show, was "The Patriot." 

Sass was challenging again for Kacee Carlisle's NWA Women's Championship, and their match was the semi-main. As such, we would be there for a few hours. As I sat there, listening to the Patriot call everyone "bruther", watching the people pass by, some of them headed straight for the WWF table or were attracted by the man in the brightly colored mask. Eventually, after getting her gear on and filming a promo for her upcoming SHINE tag team wrestling match, Steph came back out to stand behind the table with me. Her and the Patriot chatted about the show, the local area, and various wrestling promotions. Later, she said that they had been on shows before and knew each other from there. He also knew about Lexi, Brandi Wine and SHINE Wrestling which amazed me. As the people passed by, she would call out to them, ask them to come and watch her wrestle Kacee and see the rest of the free wrestling. Most of them stopped to talk to the Patriot, but she had no problems engaging kids, parents, older people, all kinds. Some ventured over and looked at her gimmicks, but no one bought anything. She stayed until there was only a few minutes left before bell time, then both of them went to the back. Someone with the show stayed to sell Patriot's merch.

Perhaps I shouldn't have been surprised, but I was at the fact that not only did every seat and bleacher fill up inside the barn, but people stood outside, on the slight incline to watch the show. Other than Kacee, Sass and Patriot, I hadn't heard of any of the people on the show, so between that and not wanting to leave the table unattended, I didn't have much of a desire to watch it. One young man bought a program from me for a dollar. That was, unfortunately, the only thing I sold that night which was disheartening. Something I noticed over the few hours we were there stuck with me though.

I had quite a few people who eventually came out and mostly leafed through the binder of Sassy's 8x10s. Maybe it was the fact that, at SHIMMER, it wasn't unusual to see the women in various photoshoots in either their gear, bathing suits or other attire. It wasn't unusual, to me, to see them selling 8x10s of these shoots. However, I watched the people who flipped through the binders and looked at her various shots. The reactions made me angry inside - I saw barely concealed sneers, slight shakes of heads, and looks of disapproval and judgment. Most of these reactions came from middle aged or older women and a few older men. Younger women and men didn't react the same way. I chalked it up to a combination of conservative values (we were in Virginia, after all), jealousy, and maybe a backwards conception of female wrestlers overall. If these folks were expecting a woman in a one piece bathing suit from The Fabulous Moolah's era, or a cheesecake who was only good for photoshoots, they were going to be sadly mistaken on both accounts. If they stuck around to see her match, that was.

I swallowed my gut reaction and didn't say a word. Let them judge. If they didn't want to bother to look up who Steph was or what all she had accomplished in wrestling, that was their loss. I passed the time on my iPhone or reading a book I had remembered to bring along. Halfway through the show, the Patriot came back to man his table (he was in the main event), and it was then he asked me, "You're Stephanie's friend? I'm Tom." He extended a hand and I took it, introducing myself. He said that he had driven down from Philly (I believe) and had had to do the trip on his own since his friend couldn't come with him. It had been a long drive and his voice showed how tired he was. But he never hesitated to take a picture, sign an autograph or anything the fans asked. 

When it came time for Sassy's match, I came out and stood at the entrance of the barn. The ring was slightly elevated, so I had no trouble watching it. It was strange seeing Steph come out as a babyface, playing to the crowd as "Awake and Alive" blared over the loudspeaker. Everywhere else, she plays a bitchy heel to perfection. But the crowd responded well and during the match, I didn't hear any disrespectful remarks from anyone nearby, nor was anything inappropriate shouted. This was probably due to the kids being in attendance, but not even SHIMMER is free of douchebags despite being a company that has a reputation for strong female wrestling. It was also a far cry from the judgmental looks earlier. As Kacee made her entrance, the music was almost drowned out by the boos. I had to shake my head though - in wrestling, your entrance music is a vital part of your persona. Some people become inseparable from theirs (it's why Shawn Michaels continued to use "Sexy Boy" even after entering middle age and starting to bald). Kacee had chosen Metallica's "Ride the Lightning", which, for me, was already solidly associated with a Midwestern wrestler. Plus, in my opinion, it didn't fit her persona at all - much like Steph, she's very old school in her wrestling, not the type to pull out flashy moves or create an intense persona. But it was what it was.

The match that followed saw a lot of ground based moves, head locks, arm bars and only once did Sass go up top for a flying crossbody that got a great reaction from the crowd. When she hit a Japanese arm bar on Kacee, an older man near me remarked to his friend, "I ain't never seen a move like that!" It was a very basic, but undeniably solid match that engaged fans. The two worked well together, and I learned later that this was only their second time wrestling each other. Kacee kept the belt after hitting a DDT (I think), but Steph got a round of applause as the referee helped her to the back. It was when the bell rang that I packed up all her merch and put it back into the backpack. Not long after that, her bright red hair shielded by a hoodie, she came and got me, and we went to the back to say goodbye. I believe it was around 10:30 p.m. We had a little under five hour drive ahead of us to get to the hotel, and since she was amped up from the show, Sass said she would take the wheel. The GPS naturally took us a different way since we were going north, into Pennsylvania, and we would cross through Maryland at one point.

By this time, it was pitch black and I was shivering. Shorts might have been wise when the sun was high in the sky but up in the mountains at night it most assuredly was not. With the heater on, we began our way through the mountains once more, twisting and turning as the wind blew, making the trees sway, casting shadows that we drove through. However, we sang *N Sync, Steph voxed her fiancee Chris, and I recorded videos of us singing in the dark. It was fun and at points I could look up into a cloudless sky and see the stars. It was like salt scattered onto a piece of black construction paper. Beautiful! At one point, Steph halted the car beside a small building. Out in front, highlighted by lights, was a statue of a gigantic rooster. Of course we had to take pictures. It was then I realized that this is one of the perks - when else but traveling the back roads between small towns would you stumble across something as silly as this? Moments like these are memories.

Biggest cock I've ever come across.

As we drove, Stephanie told me about something that had happened during the match that she had never experienced before. Normally, she said, once she's out there in the ring she doesn't register faces or people in the crowd. She's in that "zone" that all wrestlers enter. However, when Kacee had her in a submission, she looked out and saw a kid that probably wasn't over seven years old. Their eyes met and although she couldn't hear him, she read his lips. "You can do it." Even when she had been a babyface prior in her career, she had never had that kind of connection with anyone. "He believed in me," she said, "I wanted to justify his belief in me. He may forget this in a week, but that's something I will remember for the rest of my life." I could tell by the look on her face and the tone of her voice that she was serious. This child had connected with her. It was still real to him. To that kid, and indeed to the rest of them that were at the show, everyone in the ring was larger than life. Wins and losses still mattered. The age old struggle of good versus bad still held a magic, to kids and adults alike. Food for thought for me.

Our rooster stop and a stop at Sheetz for gas and food (Sass was good enough to stop at a next door McDonalds for me) delayed us getting to the hotel in Bedford until around 3 a.m. She had booked us in a comfortable hotel. We had to be up by 8 and gone for the three hour drive in order to make it to Oil City by noon, when the promoter had wanted everyone to be there. We were out by 3:30 but I woke up at 7:30 to get a quick shower. Four hours of sleep! Steph got four and a half since she woke up at 8, but we were out by 8:30 on the road again (after another stop at Sheetz - their coffee is AMAZING!). I dozed off for awhile but switched with her again to make the final trek to a high school gym where the show was to take place. By this time it was raining steadily, which wasn't pleasant but it wasn't bad enough to impair driving. We made our way into the main building to the gym where the previous show had been held. When we peeked in, however, there was a girls basketball practice being held. By this time it was almost noon, so Steph and I decided to huddle down in a nearby hallway, her to take a nap while waiting to hear from the promoter as to where everyone was. As we waited, she started laughing, "The glamorous life of a professional wrestler," she remarked wryly. I couldn't help but laugh too.

We didn't have to wait long - it turned out they were in a separate building nearby. We packed up our stuff again, drove the short distance and got into the school quickly. As before, we were led into the gym and Sass quickly got her gimmicks set up at a table near the entrance where fans would be coming in. It was a prime spot, although M-Dogg Matt Cross had gotten the table right next to the entryway. He was someone who knew the value of choosing your place as to maximize the prospect of fans buying merch, she said, something that came with developing good instincts. Every dollar counted. I took a seat behind the table as she went to get changed and discuss things with the people she would be working with. I watched the ring being set up, noting that both men and women were pitching in, despite some of it being heavy work. I noted that Blk Jeez and the Latin Dragon from CZW were on the card as well as Kimber Lee, Missy Sampson (the DCW Women's Champion), Marti Belle and one of the green students from the CZW school, Samantha St. Paul. I thought it was interesting and kinda cool to see some of the more well-known independent names at this show that was, apparently, broadcast on a local television station. This was going to be taped for a future airing. It amazed me that a small promotion that was still brand new was on tv, although I had no idea how that worked. As bell time grew closer, fans started to trickle in and to my surprise there were fewer people here than had been at BWF last night. I asked Sass, who had come out in her gear to stand at the table, if there had been so few at the previous first show that she had been at (having been unable to make it to the second show). She replied that there had been more at the first. I thought this was a shame as the show looked to be a solid one. But beggars couldn't be choosers, and although it began a little behind schedule, the promoter came out to thank everyone who was there.

This time, despite fewer people stopping to look at what Stephanie had for sale, an older man with his grown daughter wanted to buy a t-shirt. The girl protested, wondering what "mom" would think. He bought one nonetheless and I thanked him with a smile. That turned out to, again, be the only sale I made but she was grateful for it. Small victories are better than none. Steph again had her ring-worn gear out for sale, and I asked her while in the car if it wouldn't be better to hold onto those until she got to SHIMMER in a few weeks as they would be more likely to sell to the wider fan base. She replied that there was always the chance that one of the fans at these smaller shows would buy it. She had the same nonchalance when I told her about the women who had turned their noses up at her photoshoots. "Sex sells. I'm never fully naked despite how it looks in some of those shots, and they sell. I'm appealing to those fans." A sound business strategy, rooted in common sense. Part of the reality of being a female wrestler.

I read more of my book until it came time for Sassy's matches, which I told her I would record on my phone. The first was a tag match. I noted one older woman who was taking pictures giving all the heels grief. Yet, before the show, during intermission, and afterwards she asked several people to pose for a photo with, I assumed, was her grandson. It was fun to see not just the kids but the adults get into it, mostly for the chance to get on television. The kids still believed it was real, but these adults were clearly in the know. There was no chance of a riot here if a babyface lost, unlike last night. The contrast between the two groups of fans was fascinating.

I really enjoyed Sassy's match against Missy - being that Sampson had the size and height advantage, Steph went for different types of submissions, trying to keep her grounded. The end came when she pulled out a submission I had never seen before, from her or anyone else. I won't describe it here as I'm sure she'll use it again in the near future, but she performed it well. Missy passed out instead of submitting, making Sassy Stephanie the new DCW Women's Champion. Fans were pissed, especially the older woman who got up and yelled that Steph had cheated. Sass got right in her face, asking how she had cheated when she had had a clean submission on. The woman retorted that she went to the outside, but Steph countered by saying that Missy had knocked her to the outside to start with. The older woman had no retort to that except by repeating she had cheated. Sass laughed at her and went to the back, belt firmly around her waist.

Unlike last night, there was no rush to get things together after her match ended. Stephanie stayed until the show was over to help do local promos for television spots. She got everyone herded into the room where these were shot and made sure they were done before allowing the wrestlers to leave. In her own words, she was a bitch who made sure things got done. To me, this wasn't a bad thing - sometimes you have to be tough and firm to get a job accomplished, especially when some people are unwilling to do it without a push. It was a mark of how much the promoter relied on her to do behind the scenes work. After gathering up her gimmicks, I waited, watching some of the wrestlers interact with the fans that were slow to leave. I also watched both men and women take down the ring, admiring how there was little hesitation to do something that might not be the most glamorous thing but was essential to the process. I had no idea if these were wrestlers who were in training and paying their dues or if they had been hired from outside the promotion. Either way, they were efficient and uncomplaining.

By this time, Sass had joined me and it turned out that one of the fans who was in attendance was the host of a local radio station. He invited Steph to do some promos for his show as well as two advertisements for local area businesses. Since she had a track record of doing stuff on the radio and in front of a camera, she had developed a good, clear voice for these kinds of things so we followed the guy to the radio station after everything was done at the show. I have to admit, I was apprehensive about this. He was older and we were the only people in the small building. But nothing untoward happened, and I listened as Sass did the two ads and three promo spots, the latter three unscripted. She was a natural and the man thanked her profusely, giving her a few items for her willingness (a travel mug, knapsack, stickers with the radio station, and a stress hockey puck). After that we headed to a nearby bar and restaurant to eat with some of the folks from the show that were able to stick around.

Despite only knowing one or two people there, Steph was adept at making small talk while I ate and observed. A product of being in such a public business, you have to be outgoing to some degree, with fans and fellow workers alike. Perhaps she had always been this way. I wasn't sure how many of these guys and gals knew each other, or how well, but they all relaxed, talked and laughed in an easy way. At one point I was gently kidded by one of the guys sitting across from me about my lack of speaking. I blushed and attempted to make small talk but in large groups and especially around people in the business, I'm more likely to take a step back. I remained aware that I was a fan who was lucky enough to take a look behind the curtain.

It was nightfall and still raining when we left. Soaked again but that didn't matter much. We were both in good spirits - the fact that the drive from Oil City back to Stephanie's house was only two hours (the shortest distance we would drive over the two days) probably had something to do with this. Neither of us had difficulty staying awake, and as we drove back into Ohio she told me a few of the things that were in the area as well as some of the history, plus a few things about her mom and the high school she had attended. I offered a few stories of my mom and the high school I went to. It wasn't long before we were back at her house, I believe by 11:30 or somewhere around that time. We both crashed out, and the next day I drove back home...a five hour trip that took nine hours.

On the drive home, I found myself reflecting on what I had seen and experienced over the previous two days. I had never had any illusions about independent wrestling being some sort of glittering life. I knew it involved hard work and a dedication to wrestling that goes above and beyond what the average fan feels. You have to have a passion that motivates you to drive anywhere from 30 minutes to seven hours to perform in front of anywhere from 20 to 400 people for who knows what amount of money. You have to be willing to smile for fans, be accommodating when they ask for pictures or autographs, make small talk to try and sell an extra shirt for a few more dollars. You have to be ready to wrestle indoors or out, rain or shine, and make it through all types of weather to get to the show. You have to be able to show promoters you can do business in a professional manner, be at the venue on time, amendable to any sudden changes (while maintaining your own best interests), and work with people that you may or may not get on with. When the show is over, depending on your status in the promotion, you either tie up any loose ends, collect your pay and depart for the short or long drive home; or, you stay and help take down the ring, collect the chairs and clean up before leaving. Then you either set off for your next booking, which could take you on the road for another few hours or minutes, leaving you with the option to either sleep in your car somewhere or book a room in any kind of hotel to sleep for a precious few hours; or, you set off for your home, hoping to make it to your bed for any kind of sleep before getting up for your "real world" job.

Like I said, it's a hard life. But, it has it's rewards. Stephanie has no regrets. "I love what I do, and I have fun," she told me when I shared some of my observations after the trip was over. Indeed, she never complained about the driving, the people, the promotions, none of it. On the contrary, she was wide awake and ready for anything that could and did happen. The random things (such as running into the giant rooster and having the opportunity to record spots for a radio station) are part of what makes the independent wrestling life such a fascinating one. You never know what might happen on the next trip. The special things (such as connecting with one fan as they cheer for you during the match) are what make for lasting memories. The ability to touch a fan and bring them to their feet with cheers or boos isn't something that all wrestlers have. For those that do, that is part of why they choose to live this life. To create lasting memories, for themselves and for the fans, is something unique.

For my part, I loved it. I was captivated hearing the stories she had to share about her almost seven years in wrestling. I was fascinated by the places we went, the roads we drove, and the glimpses of small town life we caught. Especially up in the mountains of West Virginia and Virginia, the forests were beautiful. I found the people we came into contact with interesting, from the fans to the fellow wrestlers to the promoters. Sure, the drives were long, the weather was less than perfect on Saturday, and we got little sleep but I felt positively alive and thrilled to have been asked to come along. It's a life that, had I had a different body, I would have tried to live. As it is though, I was honored that Steph asked me to go with her. I have gained more of an insight into the life, and my respect for those who willingly go through the trials in order to live their passion has doubled. It only increases my determination to help support those that truly love what they do, and reward their dedication however I can, in small ways and large.

Fans may joke about the frequent user of "brother" between wrestlers, but it reminds me of the lines from Shakespeare's "King Henry V":

"From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember'd;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother."

A huge thank you to Stephanie, I appreciated this so much! Get out there and support independent wrestling and independent wrestlers - they deserve it!

(Here is a link to her promo she shot in Farmville for the SHINE Wrestling iPPV. Order it on WWNLive.com, and catch it on September 27th!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_3DbPKEPhQ )

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:

AIW's Girls Night Out 7 and My Weekend with Sassy

Shenanigans! Courtney Rush v Veda Scott

This isn't going to be your 'traditional' review. Since this was only my fourth independent wrestling show, I'm going to write about my trip as well as the show itself. The whole thing was very fascinating, since I'd been invited to stay with a friend who was competing on the show: one Sassy Stephanie. She offered to let me stay at her house which was incredibly generous of her and as a result, I got a glimpse into the life of a professional wrestler. This is solely the view of a fan who is also a friend of some of the women, and by no means am I claiming to "be in the know" about the business or claiming to be part of the business. I have no "insider knowledge." I'm just a fan who now has a better appreciation of the life independent wrestlers live.

Thanks to something that came up right before I left, my departure was delayed and I didn't actually leave Louisville until 5 p.m. So I didn't get to Sassy's house until about 10 or 11p.m. Once I got there, she made pancakes for us (which was the first time I'd ever had home made pancakes instead of frozen - they were delicious!) and we watched some of the shows she had recorded during the week. Before I went to sleep she made me watch "A Christmas Story", a movie I had actually avoided for years. I couldn't tell you why. But since we were going to the Christmas Story house Saturday before the show, she forced me to watch it. No, seriously, I was tied to the couch with those little eye pincher things that kept my eyes open. It was torture! Kidding, I actually liked it. She also showed me her luggage that she had already packed for the weekend - since she had a show on Saturday and Sunday, she was prepared with one huge suitcase, a backpack for her gimmicks, plus video equipment. All in all it was a huge amount of stuff she needed for the shows. This wasn't unusual, Steph informed me. She had to be prepared with her outfits, makeup, regular clothing, plus merchandise like shirts, programs, photos, etc. She couldn't afford to forget anything.

Saturday she got me up at 10 so I could shower before we had to leave. "The Wrestling Goddess" Athena was flying in and Steph was picking her up from the airport. Before we left the house, Diana (Steph's best friend) came over as she would be going to the shows and helping with merchandise as well. All three of us piled into my mini-SUV and we got to the airport just as Athena arrived. I thought this was really cool and a true pleasure - I'd donated to the fundraiser to get Athena to Girls Night Out 7 and here I was getting to hang out with her.

Athena is not only a fantastic wrestler and a great personality but the woman behind the character is utterly hilarious. She had me in stitches the whole day! Even though she hadn't seen "A Christmas Story" either she knew enough about it to know about the items in the house that were interactive. When we got to the house, all of us took part in the various things, such as dressing up in the pink bunny suits, pleading for Ralphie's life whilst under the sink, posing with the Ryder BB gun and the leg lamp, and trying on the various hats that were worn in the movie. It was a lot of fun!

Sassy took us to Melt's, which had great food. During the whole time, I tried never to be a pest or ask too many questions - I remembered that I was Steph's friend but also a fan that was outside the business. Plus, I wagered Athena and her didn't get to hang out very much so I wanted to keep to the background as much as I could. From Melt's we went to the venue, and I got to see what happens during an independent show before it actually starts. I helped Steph set up her table and I helped her out with something else she wanted done during her match with Athena. (Right before we went into the house, she got a notification that Leah Von Dutch and Cherry Bomb weren't going to be at the show, so she would be wrestling Athena.) I talked to Veda and Mia before the show started but mostly kept to the side watching everyone set up and the women go through their paces in the ring.

Eventually the show got under way and I was treated to my first Absolute Intense Wrestling experience. The first match was Athena v Sassy Stephie, which, I thought, should have been higher on the card because of the caliber of the athletes. Nonetheless, the two had a great match, Sassy throwing in some great lines during it. When Athena hit her finisher, the "O Face", the crowd popped huge. She got a "please come back" chant afterwards, which was most deserved. Despite thinking they should've been higher on the card, it was a fantastic way to kick the show off.

Thunderkitty (left) v Trash Cassidy (right)

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

AIW's first female tag team match was next, and it was due to the lobbying of Annie Social's manager Sammy Geodollno that made this match happen in the first place. She recruited Nikki St. John (also making her AIW debut) to team with Annie and they faced off against Heidi Lovelace and the returning Angel Dust. Right off the bat, something was screwy as Heidi kept looking at her phone before the match, and the two times Angel tagged her in, Heidi would hit a move and tag back out, the last time being after Angel had taken a beating from Social and Nikki. The match was good, both teams worked well together. The reason for Heidi's actions became clear afterwards when she hit Angel with a sweet enziguri and joined up with the three. The new all-female stable is known as "The Social Network" and Sammy looks to be their mouth piece from now on.

The manager with the Philly Swagger is looking to make a statement with her group. Sammy may be new to the managing scene but she looks to be someone to watch out for in the future. I had seen Angel on a previous GNO show DVD and thought she was a good worker. Although I don't care for Annie Social, I do admit her character is better than her wrestling. She's still just passable in the ring. Nikki I had seen in a SPARKLE match in March and had thought she was good; here, she worked well with Social as a partner and the other two women as opponents. Heidi looked good as well - overall, I look forward to seeing more out of all of them, especially the new stable, in the future.

Melanie Cruise v Kimber Lee looked like it was going to be a one-sided affair but Kimber actually got in some good looking offense and won with a roll up after Melanie missed a top rope leg drop. I've seen Cruise at SHIMMER and she's good for her size. This was my first time seeing Kimber, and after hearing so much about her, I can see why people are talking. She's one to watch going forward. (I realize I keep saying this was my first time seeing a lot of these girls, knowing most of them were booked on previous AIW shows. In my defense, I've only seen GNO 4 and didn't have time to watch the others before Saturday!)

Under Pondo Rules (which meant no DQ, no count outs, falls count anywhere) "Crazy" Mary Dobson fought Lil' Naughty, another woman making her AIW debut. I hadn't ever heard of 'Lil Naughty, but Dobson I'd seen a lot of hype for, mostly in conjunction with the hardcore style of wrestling. Which is the type of match that happened here. There must have been hundreds of thumb tacks that were spread out in the ring, some of which went into Dobson's own mouth as well as her head and other body parts. She got the pin after spreading some of the tacks onto Naughty's stomach, then doing a senton onto her. Dobson was bleeding heavily from the forehead after this match.

I'm going to be completely honest: I did not care for this match at all. I don't mind hardcore style matches as long as they have a purpose and a storyline behind them - for instance, WSU's feuds usually build up and climax with a match that has uncensored rules (i.e. no rules). This was two people with no prior history that I was aware of (which, if I'm wrong, I hope someone corrects me) put into a match that had no back story, hence no actual reason for a "Pondo Rules" stipulation. If you're into random hardcore matches, this would've been great for you, but I'm not. Dobson has competed in REINA in Japan, and it's no easy task to be invited to train and compete anywhere in Japan. I would have liked to see more of what she learned over there as far as in-ring skill goes. Apparently she is scheduled to go back to REINA soon, hopefully this will expand her repertoire and she can start easing out of the hardcore-style matches. It's an easy way to make a name for yourself, but given that she is only 18 years old, doing that type of match can take a toil on your body later in life. Just ask LuFisto. Plus, is it really wise to have thumb tacks shoved in your mouth? Some of them were bent, granted, but some were not.

On a side note, at some point, Mary flung a few tacks into the audience where I was sitting. That was rather unnecessary. I found one embedded in my shoe Monday before I went to work - definitely the most unique souvenir I've ever gotten from a wrestling show.

Veda setting up for the kill.

After this, however, was one of the matches that sold me on coming to GNO7 - Veda Scott, with her client in AIW Gregory Iron, versus the "Suplex Machine" Courtney Rush. I expected shenanigans in this match and I got them in spades. Not to mention damn good wrestling. Rush presented Veda with a note that she supposedly signed, stating that Veda would agree to not sue Rush if she suffered any injuries after being suplexed. When Veda examined the paper up close (as she wasn't wearing her glasses), Rush smacked her through the paper. It was on after that. I knew Scott was a heel everywhere except SHIMMER and SHINE, but this was the first time I'd seen her as a heel in person. She was devious, sneaky and absolutely aggressive. Her aggression and Courtney's high energy made for a fabulous mix and it confirmed what I knew as soon as the match was announced - they worked incredibly well together and made for a great bout. Veda pulled out the win thanks to Gregory Iron's repeated interference but Rush got a "please come back!" chant from the crowd. All in all, one of the best matches on the card.

Sara applies the Royal Butterfly on Hailey.

The match following was the other that sold me on attending, considering the news that has been making the rounds. In a return match (a sequel to the one they had on a previous GNO show), Hailey Hatred took on Sara Del Rey. I'm a huge fan of both ladies, and considering the news about Del Rey, this would likely be one of the last times I could see her in person. I knew these two would put on a doosy and they did just that. It was twenty minutes of hard hitting awesomeness. If this is truly Sara's "farewell tour" then it was altogether fitting that she faced Hatred at AIW. They did not disappoint me at all. It was a privilege to see them in person.

Between this match and the main event, there was an intermission where the women came out to sell their merchandise, take pictures and have a chat with the fans. During this time, I moved away from where I'd been sitting (behind the table where Steph had set up shop) and took the time to buy a Kings of Wrestling shirt from Del Rey (her line was massive!) and tell her how appreciative I was of her work and thank her for helping make female wrestling respectable again. She seemed really pleased by the compliment, and I meant it - she's one of the women I consider the originators of the revolution in female wrestling, who helped make it respectable and showed that women are every bit as good as men.

"My fave little volcano" - that's me!

I also chatted with Courtney and congratulated her on her match. Plus I got a signed picture of her with one of the best inscriptions: "To Jenn, my fave little volcano!" Mostly however I hung back to observe everyone interacting and to watch the cage being put together. It was coloured a light pink, which was a nice touch I thought, and really high. I'd never seen a cage match live, so I had no way of knowing if it was a higher cage than most, but it looked like it. One thing I noticed, all the women were polite and great with their fans, but they also doubled as their own saleswomen. Which, they have to in order to supplement the pay they get from the promoter for working the show. Sometimes that extra money can make all the difference in the world. The women can't rely on others to always be there to help promote them, they have to be their own best promoter and spokeswomen. At the same time, they never came off as needy or pushy, they struck the right balance with the fans.

Mia kicked the shit outta Allysin.

As a thank you for me buying their lunch, Athena let me pick from the DVDs she had for sale and offered a discount on her "Team Athena" shirt which I thought was generous of her. I picked up the "Best of Athena Volume 2" seeing as I had Volume 1 already. Then it was time for the cage match and let me say that any cage matches I see in the future will have to try their very best to measure up to this one. Mia Yim and Allysin Kay's rivalry had grown since GNO5, after Yim broke Kay's nose, and Kay wanted to beat Mia without any interference from Flexor Industries, so what better way to keep things one on one than by putting them into a cage?

This match was utterly amazing. It kept fans on the edge of their seat by utilizing the cage just enough to make the spots mean something without overdoing it. Both wrestled extremely well, took risks and gave fans something special. The end came when both were at the top of the cage and Kay had Mia locked in a reverse jujigatame while dangling over the side. It was an incredible finish which had me praying for both women's safety. They earned a standing ovation from the crowd, one they fully deserved.

Scariest. Woman. Alive.

A few words about both women, this was the second time I'd seen Allysin Kay live, the first time being at SPARKLE. I thought she did well then, and given that in WSU there's more of a focus on her as a destructive force than on her wrestling skills, I was looking forward to seeing what she would do here. I'm convinced now that there is a lot of depth to Kay - not only does she have the character, the attitude and the charisma down pat, but she has a range in her that I've seen with Stephanie as well. Both can do the brawling, beat down style that we've seen in WSU, but both are also great when it comes to technical wrestling. It's tremendous to see another woman that is capable of having all types of skills.

Choke out on the top of the cage!

Mia Yim is a woman whose career I've followed since her SPARKLE debut in September 2010. She was still a rookie at that time but her progress since then has been simply amazing. She has several stints in Japan under her belt, which helped sharpen and broaden her skills, and has made an impact in several promotions such as Combat Zone Wrestling (taking part in the first intergender TLC match against Greg Excellent which she won), SHIMMER, Anarchy Championship Wrestling, Ring of Honor (granted, more as Prince Nana's valet than a wrestler but still, it's big considering ROH has a television show), and AIW. It is remarkable how much she has grown as a character and a wrestler, yet she remains the sweet, down to earth, unpretentious woman I met two years ago. Every time I see her, she gets better and better and I always make it a point to tell her how proud I am of her. Plus, she just recently graduated from college, like Steph, and being a student as well as a wrestler is no easy task. The sky is the limit for Mia.

Me, Courtney Rush and Sara Del Rey. Thank you.

After the show, I watched as the wrestlers (male and female) helped take apart the cage, the ring, the guard rails and everything else related to the show. Some fans stuck around to chat with a few of the wrestlers, but most cleared out allowing the women time to breathe and talk with each other. For most, they would be on the road again in hours, going on little sleep to get to the next destination for a show (such as Steph and Athena, who had an early flight back to Texas for an ACW show on Sunday). Yet they still took the time to talk to catch up. I talked with Veda and complimented her on the match with Courtney, and then was fortunate enough to get a photo with both Del Rey and Rush - a picture I will treasure.

Last notes on the show itself: overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my first AIW show. The majority of the matches were great, everyone worked hard to put on a great show, everyone from the wrestlers to the behind the scenes people were friendly, and the atmosphere was good. The audio was clear for the ring announcer and other in-house announcements, the building was a good, open space and there was enough room it felt like.

The only drawbacks I saw were how quiet the crowd was. A lot of women got no reaction at times, despite them doing their best to engage the crowd. They popped at times and the last three matches got good to great reactions, but on the whole it was quieter than I expected. One thing that was both a plus and a minus was the fact that some of the male talent were in the audience trying to make noise and get the crowd going. I was impressed by this, as it showed that the guys wanted to help the women succeed and make the show even better. However, with any audience, there is always that "one guy" who has to make inappropriate remarks. This time, it was someone who sat in front of me. I thought from the way he interacted with others that he was part of the AIW roster, but the owner informed me that only two male workers were at the show and both were sitting by the front door. My apologies for the false information!

Overall, I highly recommend buying Girls Night Out 7 and attending an AIW show at one point. You won't be disappointed.

After the show we drove through the rain to a nearby Dennys, where we were joined by some of the crew and wrestlers. I stayed quiet mostly, laughing at the stories being shared and watching the shared camaraderie. Despite being tired, everyone looked like they were in good spirits - well, everyone except for the hostess who had to accomodate a large number of people at a late hour.

We drove Athena to the nearby hotel and dropped her off. She reached around the seat to give me a hug and a thank you for driving her, which was no trouble at all. If anything, it was awesome to spend the day with her. It's cool for me to know that the wrestlers I'm fans of are also genuinely nice people, and I believe Athena is just that. After that, we headed back to Steph's house and along the way, two frogs tried to kill themselves by hopping into the middle of the road. I'm swerving (in the rain) to try and avoid them and Steph says, "Just hit them! If they want to die then so be it!" I'm like, no! I don't want to be a frog killer! She says, "Just think of it like a live edition of Frogger." I laughed so hard I had to stop at a stop sign and wait until I could breathe before we could go on!

By the time we got back to the house and settled in, it was 2 a.m. We had to be up early again to head out, as Steph had another show to do in Marietta, Ohio. When she invited me to stay with her, she said I could go with her to Remix Pro which I accepted. She was set to wrestle Sara Del Rey for her Remix Pro women's title, and I wasn't going to pass up that match since I had liked the one they had had at Girls Night Out 4. We were out the door early again Sunday to drive over to a friend's house who was also going to pick them up. Due to traffic issues, we got there in time for the show but too late for Steph to set up shop at her table. Fortunately Diana took care of that so she could sell her stuff at intermission.

The crowd was very different for Remix than AIW. For instance, there were a lot of children which helped generate a lot of crowd noise, plus there were several mentally handicapped people. Everyone was into the show and it was fun to see how seriously fans still take it. Steph played a heel to Del Rey's face and when she won the title, it got a mixed reaction. However, once they shook hands, most people started cheering for Sassy. So you can imagine the surprise on people's faces when Hailey appeared to challenge for the belt. The match was set for later in the show (the bout before the main event in fact), so Steph was able to come out as champion for intermission.

Steph looks good in gold.

It was during intermission that I observed how it can take a toil on wrestlers when interacting with fans. It helps if you're good with people, like Sassy is, and I asked her if she was naturally good with people or if it was something that came over time. She had worked in a doctor's office previously, where she had learned to interact and handle people with all sorts of disabilities. It made me smile several times seeing how great she was with the kids and the people with handicaps. She never shied away from a hug or from talking to anyone who came up to her. So many of them congratulated her on the title win and hoped that she would retain against Hailey.


Despite being a heel, when Hailey won the belt, a lot of the crowd was disappointed. I studied the audience and saw that, while Hatred got a large reaction when she pinned Steph, quite a few people looked sad and surprised. I could identify - I was one of them. It made no sense to take a local belt and put it on a lady who was heading back to Japan in a few days. Most Remix fans would most likely not see any of the title defenses (if it was defended over there at all), and how would it make the belt anymore prestigious than it would having a champion that lives in Ohio? It makes no sense to me as a fan. While I don't blame Hailey like a lot of people do, I felt (and still feel) Sass deserved better. This mistake is on Remix. I've read that some fans felt Hailey should have refused to do it. Perhaps, but if you follow that logic, it leads to asking why Steph didn't refuse to do the show period. I didn't ask her this, as it's not my place - instead I admire her willingness to go through with it. It shows her professionalism in the face of a foolish decision by the promotion. Nonetheless, it was a taste of the politics I had heard so much about in wrestling.

I didn't like it.

Hailey and I, sweet woman.

After the show, before Steph came out (I swear, I think she's one of the last people to leave any show she is at!), I chatted with Hailey who was glad to see me. I finally got my picture with her and was able to wish her safe travels when she went back to Japan. I saw Del Rey, but seeing as how before the show started, fans got a chance to have a picture with her and the Remix Pro Champion Facade, and I had partaken (she smiled when she saw me and said, "Long time no see!"), I wasn't going to bother her further. Instead I waited with Diana until Steph came out. She managed to sell a few more pictures, and thanked the fans who expressed their disappointment with her loss.

Finally it was time to leave and it was here we had to separate. Her, Diana and her friends were going back to their town and I was heading home. It was about 8pm-ish and the sun was on it's way down. I hugged Diana and Sassy, and thanked her again for her hospitality and the whole experience.

Somehow...my GPS thought the best way to get me home was take me from Marietta down into West Virginia and hang a right at Charlestown. This included driving through buckets of rain which, combined with night time, wasn't a great mix at all. Fortunately I was a lot more awake than I had been earlier (poor Diana who rode with me on the way to get the limo was subjected to me almost falling asleep at points and swerving the car) but good God it was a long drive! Didn't get home until 1 a.m. I fell in my bed like I'd been away for five years.

On the way home, however, I got to thinking. I reflected on what I had seen and experienced over the weekend. I thought about the long travel the men and women in independent wrestling do in addition to being college students and/or having jobs outside of wrestling. I thought about how they had to make sure they packed everything they would need, including plenty of merch. I thought about how they had to put on their best faces for the fans, even when they were tired or hungry. I thought about how they had to put up with the political bullshit and try to remain a professional so as to not disappoint the fans who had paid money to see them. I thought about the pay they got which was not nearly as much as they deserved. I thought about how critical it was to sell as much merchandise as possible at every show.

I realised that I had had no clue how hard this life really is. The travel alone had worn me out, and I'd not even done half as much as other women do. Combine that with the pressures and the stress of the other factors I mentioned above and it's a wonder that anyone gets into wrestling. Some do it to get to WWE, but others are content with remaining outside the mainstream. It makes me appreciate the ones that are in there, giving it all they have, putting up with all the baggage that comes with the job. They must truly have a passion for wrestling - otherwise, why would anyone remain in it at the independent level? There's little money and no fame beyond a small group of fans. Love for the sport is what drive the women and men here.

As a fan, all I can say is with all my heart thank you. Thank you for not giving up in the face of all you have to go through. Thank you for putting your heart and soul into what you do. Thank you very much - I appreciate it more than words could ever say.

A special thank you to Sassy Stephanie, for allowing me to write this, as well as for her hospitality and her trust. It means more than you'll ever know. If at least one person has a greater appreciation for the life of an independent wrestler after reading this, then I have accomplished something.

Support the promotions that respect female wrestling and give them a platform to perform on as athletes. Support the women that bust their asses for us. They deserve it.