Let's be honest, that's what it was. Three matches. However, I thought those matches would be:
*Bryan Danielson v Sheamus for the WHC
*Chris Jericho v CM Punk
*Undertaker v Triple H (Hell in a Cell)
Now, I'd made it clear that three matches was not worth $50 (and I later found out that they'd upped the price to $60 - bollocks to that!). Well, one of those matches, Danielson v Sheamus, was an 18 second affair so that was crossed out and the third match was The Rock v John Cena. Which, quite frankly, wasn't one I was all that interested in. Infact, I thought Punk v Jericho was closing the show until some twitterquaintances pointed out my error.
I'm really glad I didn't order it honestly. HITC and Punk/Jericho delivered but the rest was hardly the "Showcase of the Immortals" like it used to be. I said this before, but didn't Wrestlemania used to be reserved for the best of the best? The culmination of weeks/months of build up, of feuds that finally reached their peak at the show? Thanks to a friend of mine who sent me several of the old Wrestlemanias, I can compare between then and now. It does not feel the same at all. Maybe that's because of the changes in wrestling overall, but it lacked. There were several filler matches that didn't deserve a spot. I'm all for folks getting their "Wrestlemania payday" but when did it become about getting everyone possible crammed on the card?
Anyways, enough bitching. Lets get on with it.
Danielson v Sheamus. Out comes Sheamus. Out comes BD with AJ. BD gets AJ up on the apron to get a kiss from her. BD turns around into the Brogue Kick and gets pinned. 18 seconds. Absolute crap, I don't care what kind of story that comes out of this, bottom line is that there were people who paid to see that match and they got cheated. So did Danielson and Sheamus. Speaks volumes about how little WWE cares about the fans, or their wrestlers for that matter. Oh, I'm sorry, not wrestlers, *Superstars*.
Kane v Orton was better than it had any right to be, but it was, again, a slapped together feud just to get them on the show. Filler material. But interesting that Kane won.
Big Show v Cody Rhodes for the IC title. Strange to see a man who has won the WWE title before get so emotional about winning the IC title, but it was nice to see that it meant something to him. They did alright together and Show finally ends his losing streak at Wrestlemania. Personally I think he should've lost and have him face UT next year. Streak v Streak. (I'm joking. Mostly.)
Edit - Jon just informed me that Show had never won the IC title, so with that win last night, he is now a Grand Slam Champion, having won every title in the WWE. Which explains the emotion he showed. Congratulations Show!
Oh, the tag team titles were defended in a three way contest before the actual show, in a pre-show that was aired online. Why they didn't bump Kane v Orton and put the tag titles on the actual card is beyond me. Then again, the tag division is a joke. Much like the women's division. Oh, sorry, DIVAS Division. My bad. Speaking of which...
Giving credit where credit is due, kudos to Maria Menounos for working with cracked (or broken depending on who you read) ribs and I think foot injuries. Although it really made the match worse due to not being able to move a lot. Also kudos to Beth Phoenix for carrying three women - her shoulders and back probably hurt like hell today.
And that's all the good I can say about this match because otherwise it was crap. Not just crap, but crap that was deep fried in oil, basted with urine, stuffed with coconut and set inbetween two slices of charbroiled cow manure.
Kelly has been there since 2006 and she still cannot run the ropes. SIX YEARS AND SHE CANNOT RUN THE ROPES. But she can do a half assed Molly Go Round apparently. Eve was really off her game, she is normally decent in the ring. Not last night though. Beth did her best, but aside from some "Hoeski" chants at the start, not a single fuck was given by the crowd or by most of the at-home fans. In a better world, Maria would have come out with Kelly, announced her injury and say she found a replacement for herself. Out comes, best case scenario, Nattie. Worse case scenario, Alicia. But at least they would have made sense as replacements. And if Maria still wanted to be involved have her distract Beth or Eve to allow the faces to get the win.
But then again...it's the Divas. And we are programmed to not care. So, I don't. Moving on.
I was surprised that the HITC match was in the middle of the card. It zapped the crowd of a lot of their energy and they didn't really come back alive until towards the end of Punk v Jericho. Which is a shame considering that was the other best match on the show. Nonetheless, for me, Undertaker v Triple H was match of the night. And it would've lacked that spark if HBK hadn't been there.
I've often likened wrestling to a dance. When all the dancers know their moves, execute them flawlessly and radiate real passion and emotion, it can bring an audience to it's feet. So it was with their match. I poked fun at Shawn's reactions at the start but by the end, I was fully invested in his struggle. When Triple H started wailing away on Undertaker's back with the chair I winced and wished it would stop. Same for when the roles were reversed. But I did not want HBK to stop the match like Triple H was ordering him to. It pained me to see Undertaker begging him not to. The emotions were all so raw and real.
I thought it was over after the Superkick/Pedigree combo. Fortunately it wasn't and it played out so well, with Triple H mentally and physically deteriorating, coming to the realisation that he could not beat the Undertaker. I loved at the end when he mimicked Shawn, giving the DX chop, then crawling up Undertaker's legs until he grabbed him for the Tombstone.
After the match though, that got me to cry. Shawn extending his hand, Undertaker taking it, the hug between the two. I thought UT would leave but when he helped Shawn pull Hunter up and helped him up the ramp...when the three hugged, I cried. It was as if the curtain was pulled down and we weren't seeing Shawn, Hunter and the Undertaker. We saw Michael, Paul and Mark. Colleagues, co-workers, friends (maybe). The three that, even in the worst of times in the '90s, never left the WWF for greener pastures. The three that are the last links to the past.
If it really is the end of an era, then it's a fitting end for three souls who have walked such a long path together.
.......Although I'll be mourning the loss of the Undertaker's hair. He was my first wrestling crush and that died last night. A horrible, horrible death.
Anyways...
I'll be honest, I didn't see Team Johnny v Team Teddy because I was watching Diva-Dirt.com's alternative Wrestlemania match, which was Lufisto v Kalamity from Femmes Fatales VII last October. A superb match by two fantastic women and one of the best things about Wrestlemania overall. Although I did see Eve cost Ryder (and Team Teddy) the match. That would've been fine though, had she pulled off her shirt to reveal a "Team Johnny" shirt. Otherwise it just solidified her heel status. I guess? I don't know. I'm confused.
The crowd was still so spent that it didn't really rev back up for Jericho v Punk until the end. Which is unfortunate because it was the other great match of the night. And Punk went over clean, getting Jericho to tap out. See, Hunter? Others are capable of putting over younger talent. Why couldn't you? Anyways. Good to see Jericho still has it. And Punk was awesome as he always is. The right person won.
Rock v Cena closed the show. There were a bunch of unnecessary musical acts that introduced them both but I couldn't tell you who they were. I knew Puffy. Oh, I did know Flo Rider but meh. The match started fine, there was some nice technical work (Rock busting out some deep armdrags, which was cool), but Rock got really winded halfway through. It was noticeable, him huffing and puffing. The match was what it was, nothing decent or memorable in the long run. But neither of these two are known for their wrestling skills so it was obvious how it was going to be.
Rock winning sent the crowd home happy, and sets up an interesting dilemma - where does John Cena go from here? A lot of folks want him to turn heel and try to set up a rematch. Cena himself says he's against turning his character. True it would cost a lot of revenue in merch and hurt his standing with his fan base, but the Cena character itself is stale and in need of a change. Even a subtle change, more edginess, would be different.
We'll wait to see what happens. Regardless, I'm glad I didn't pay for this show. I haven't bought a WWE program in two years and that won't change any time soon.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Thursday, March 22, 2012
The Dark Knight of SHIMMER (March 17th & 18th tapings)
Come on, I had to use that title. Nothing else fit!
I have been home since Monday the 19th, and I put off this entry because I wanted to do SHIMMER and the women who wrestled on it justice. But I really don't know if I can. SHIMMER is always an experience. Always. But this time was different. There were several new faces replacing some established ones, and two major players who are on the sidelines due to injury were sorely missed (we love you Serena Deeb and Madison Eagles!). We saw story lines introduced, titles change hands and (as always) tremendous wrestling you probably can't see anywhere else outside of Berwyn.
This set of tapings also proved that a lot of assumptions made about SHIMMER were inaccurate. For instance, one of the main complaints about the company is the lack of story lines. In these volumes you'll find:
-The re-ignition of the feud between Sweet Saraya Knight and Cheerleader Melissa that has five years of history behind it. Not to mention Saraya's escalating level of violence over the four volumes. That in and of itself was a story line.
-The unlikely formation of the tag team of Courtney Rush and Sara Del Rey ("Queens of Winning"/"Death Rush"). Their partnership is quite the odd couple and should make for interesting unfolding over the next year or two.
-The determination of Kellie "Rate Tank" Skater to become more than a comedy act. Her 4 matches did much to showcase this, as well as the experience she picked up during her time in Japan. No more "open challenges" - this Tank is ready for battle.
-The moral struggle of Jessie McKay. After being threatened by Saraya to do whatever it took to pin Melissa, she had to choose between winning at all costs or remaining true to herself. It was a conflict that played out in her match against the champion, and one that many fans felt truly involved in. I know I did.
That's only a few I could name. Another criticism of the promotion was how predictable the title reigns are, mostly the main championship. Everyone expected Melissa to leave this weekend as the champion. Some probably thought Ayako Hamada and Ayumi Kurihara would also retain (I admit, I'm one of those people). This past weekend effectively proved there are never any guarantees. I can understand some fans' frustration (especially with Melissa losing the title so quickly) but if you can look past that, the title changes made sense. It wasn't "Vince Russo booking" as I heard someone in the crowd say after the show ended (when told about this remark, one SHIMMER woman said derisively, "Fuck Vince Russo." Sums it up.); there is reasoning and thought behind both title changes. I'll get to that though.
I can't do justice to the matches, so I won't try. Needless to say these are must-buy volumes when they come out. Instead I want to give my thoughts on the women, the story lines, the atmosphere - just the whole thing. I'll certainly talk about some of the matches, but as far as trying to give something like a top five or top ten or give them star ratings, forget about it. I never saw a 3 star match. They were all 4 and 5's in my opinion.
The Next Generation
We saw a few more fresh faces for these volumes. Some (such as Athena, Mia Yim, Davina Rose) had been at SHIMMER before while others (such as Veda Scott, Rhia O'Reilly, NY Knockout and Shazza McKenzie) were either making their presence known or debuting altogether. I want to start with one woman who really upped her game the entire weekend, only losing once - "The Wrestling Goddess" Athena.
Athena immediately resumed her feud with Mercedes Martinez on the first volume (number 45) and the match was stellar. The referee pretty much let it go, leading to some devastating spots and her getting the win with her "O Face". This finisher has to be seen to be believed. I'm not sure how it hasn't broken someone's neck yet, the way it's designed, but both Athena and her opponent always take care to make sure it's properly set up before hitting it. Her only loss came to one half of the Canadian Ninjas, Nicole Matthews on Volume 46. Number 47 had her pinning Sassy Stephie in a superb match, but her against Ray on number 48 was just as good as her versus Mercedes.
One criticism I'd heard from several folks about Athena was that she was great at spots but there wasn't much wrestling from her. I think some of that was dispelled by the great showing against Ray, which brought out a technical side to her that we hadn't seen before. In my view, it solidified her as well rounded and with the potential to become one of the best in the world. Charisma, skill, looks, personality - she has it all. I hope she gets the chance to work in Japan and learn from them as it would only increase her skill level.
Plus, all her matches were higher up on the card than before. Athena really elevated herself after this set of volumes and it shouldn't be long before she gets a title shot. We may well be seeing her as SHIMMER champion in the future.
Davina Rose and Mia Yim made an unlikely tag team which only saw each of them have one singles match over the weekend, but their partnership worked. (There were a lot of people paired up in tag teams due to the large roster, but by and large most of them worked well together.) Davina is still finding her personality but she makes a good babyface with her look and stature. Mia has come a long way since I first saw her at SPARKLE in September 2010. Her time in Japan served her well and both finally achieved their first win in SHIMMER when Mia hit her corkscrew moonsault on Mena. Davina's only singles match was against the fearsome Saraya Knight, which was mostly one-sided, whereas Mia faced Jessie McKay in her only singles that was highly competitive and evenly matched. She may have lost but she shined during it. Both ladies still have a ways to go, and more years to put under their belt, but they are well on their way to becoming solid, dependable wrestlers.
Veda Scott was a SPARKLER last October who made it onto Volume 44 in a losing effort against Taylor Made. This time she was in a few more matches and learned quite a bit from her opponents. I can't help but feel that Veda has all the traits to make it far in wrestling, although maybe that's personal bias speaking. So does Shazza McKenzie, a newcomer from Australia that made her SHIMMER debut. Both women are talented, enthusiastic, energetic, beautiful and eager to learn. They made for a random tag team but they had chemistry together and separately. Shazza wrestles in PWWA, alongside Madison Eagles, Kellie Skater and Jessie McKay. Seems like Australia is a breeding ground for greatness along with Canada.
KC Spinelli had been part of SPARKLE before but she hadn't really 'clicked' with me until this time around. She has a unique look with her hair and gear, and I thought she was Canadian since she mostly wrestles in ECCW, but it turns out she's from New Jersey. That detail made for a fun match between her and someone who made her SHIMMER debut from the west coast, the "New York Knockout" Nikki (although here she was announced as "New York Knockout", dropping the Nikki). Their New York v New Jersey thing in their match was hilarious. Spinelli competed in SPARKLE back in October 2011 so this was also her debut onto the main volumes as well. Nikki has had a heated rivalry on the west coast against Allison Danger, and apparently impressed enough to gain a spot. Like I said, Spinelli clicked with me and definitely stood out. So did Nikki, she has a great look, tall, athletic and her Brooklyn accent is ear-catching. Both women did well against their respective opponents and it was nice to see the new additions stand out.
I'm not sure if Irish import Rhia O'Reilly will return to SHIMMER but I daresay her presence would be welcome from now on. I first saw her in Pro-Wrestling EVE at their first show taping in the spring of 2010, and in the space of two years she has improved tremendously. She has a real presence, her wrestling has gotten better and since turning heel her character has caught fire. By a happy chance, St. Patrick's Day fell on the first day of taping and her match against Courtney Rush was hilarious and a great way for her to debut. Back in March 2011, Rhia had traveled over on her own dime to compete on SPARKLE. She had no guarantee that she would be on the main card, yet she still came. That takes real dedication and it payed off. If she continues to up her game, she could be another version of Rebecca Knox, SHIMMER's original foreign heel. Her outings at the EVE v Ice Ribbon shows in October 2011 and EVE's "No Man's Land" iPPV were great and I thoroughly enjoyed her matches against Rush, Shazza, and Taylor Made.
But whereas we had an influx of new blood, the SHIMMER mainstays continued to put on matches that were of the best quality. Some upped their game to new levels and some remained as awesome as they always are. Some ran solo and some formed unlikely partnerships that, while strange on paper, worked very well together. The Joshi contingent lost a few familiar faces but the new additions made up for those losses. There was a strong tag team presence throughout the weekend.
Tag Teams Replenish
Since becoming free from any obligations to TNA, Christina von Eerie returned and took up with an unlikely partner in MsChif. The Punk and Metal Connection teamed up on Volumes 47 and 48 after having good singles matches on 45 and 46. An interesting combination but I'm not sure if it will last beyond March. In her only singles match of the weekend, MsChif was specifically requested as an opponent by Jessie McKay, who wanted to earn a title shot by beating the former champion. Part of MsChif's appeal is her attire, and her gear in this instance was awesome. She sported a top hat and cane, and had the iconic artwork from "A Clockwork Orange" on the front and back of her shirt and pants. As a special bonus, whilst delivering a beating to the former Pink Lady, she began growling/singing "Singing in the Rain" - absolutely tremendous. Her tag match with Von Eerie against another interesting duo was chock full of comedy. It's a different direction for MsChif, who for years as been "Your Soul's Tormentor" - but even tormentors have a sense of humour.
That "interesting duo" I mentioned would be "The Oncoming Hatred" - Hailey Hatred and Kalamity. Champions in different promotions, they teamed up back in October in a losing effort to Melanie Cruise and Mena Libra in what people thought would be a one-time thing. Evidently they took notice that fans liked their combination, as each only had one singles match over the weekend, instead teaming together for their other three matches. Personally I loved the duo working as a team. They are both hard hitting, known for their strikes, and Kalamity can learn a lot from Hailey. Their win against another new tag team earned them a shot at the SHIMMER tag titles but they were unsuccessful. I'm a huge fan of both ladies and the more I can see them, the better! Hailey is a phenom and I'm incredibly happy we got her for all four tapings this time around. Kalamity is becoming more and more solid in the ring, and her character is a real departure from others in the promotion. Both are a pleasure to watch perform.
Plus, they were part of one of the absolute best matches of the weekend, in my humble view. The Oncoming Hatred faced a duo that, to my knowledge, had never partnered before anywhere. The World Famous Kana teamed with the Super Hardcore Anime Lufisto in a partnership of mutual respect and admiration. It made sense - in Kana's last match, Lufisto wrestled her and wound up losing. Yet whereas after facing Mia Yim, Sara Del Rey and Cheerleader Melissa, she refused to shake hands, this time she took Lufi's hand in a gesture of sportsmanship and respect. I'm not sure whose idea it was for them to team up but they made a tremendous tag team! Kana and Lufisto against Hailey Hatred and Kalamity. I'd absolutely wanted Lufisto to wrestle Hailey, but this match was beyond my wildest dreams.
It. Was. AWESOME. I tweeted that words failed me on how "f'n awesome" the match was and words STILL fail me. It has to be seen to be believed. Kana and Lufi were a superb team and I can only hope that they get a shot and win the SHIMMER tag straps. But not for awhile because the duo that currently hold said straps are one of the oddest pairings of the whole weekend...
It began with Sara pinning Leva Bates and continuing to assault her after the match. Enter the other half of ReGenerationX, Allison Danger, to make the save. Danger calls out Del Rey for her behaviour and tells her to find a tag partner, if she can - Del Rey has no friends. Death Rey scoffs, saying she has several hundreds of twitter followers. However the people she approaches (Melissa, Lacey - of all people! - Nicole) turn her down. Enter one Courtney Rush. She begs constantly to team with Del Rey, who shoots her down. In a twist involving SDR's weakness (gum), Rush tricks her into agreeing. Not only do they beat ReX...........on Volume 48 they win the tag team titles in a four way elimination match.
I'm not even going to try to describe what happened, either. It has to be seen to be fully appreciated. The dynamic of Rush and Del Rey is golden. It's been compared to Raven and Stevie Richards, which is a very good comparison. They have chemistry and Courtney's comedic timing was on point both days. Their skits were some of the funniest things over the weekend, and to say that them winning the straps was unexpected is an understatement! It's definitely going to be interesting to see where they go from here. Courtney has proven herself to be a total package as far as charisma, personality and skills go and I'm really happy to see her elevated. And the win makes Del Rey the first double crown (can't really say triple crown since there's only two belts in SHIMMER) champion. An extremely worthy woman to have been the first SHIMMER champion and now one half of the tag team champions.
I admit, I was disappointed when Ayumi Kurihara and Ayako Hamada lost the tag straps. I felt after changing hands three times in 2011 it would be nice for them to have a lengthy run. Maybe not as long as the Ninjas, but make it through a full set of tapings. However with "Death Rush's" win, I can let it go. HamaHara had a great set of matches, against the two debuting Joshi, Ray and Leon this past tapings; against Kalamity and Hailey; and in a dream match for the former, against Allison Danger and Leva Bates. (Not to mention their defenses over the weekend in October.) Elsewhere, Mena Libra and Melanie Cruise continue to form an imposing partnership as the bruisers of the company; and despite their singles runs, Portia Perez and Nicole Matthews have shown that they always have each other's backs and remain a dominant tag team as the Canadian Ninjas.
I have to put in a few words about ReGenerationX. Allison Danger is a vet and continues to show why she is an integral part of SHIMMER with her great matches leadership. When she took Leva Bates under her wing in March of last year, Leva's skill level in the ring has grown by leaps and bounds. She already had the personality and the charisma thanks to her love of all things geeky (seriously - X-Men, Doctor Who, Big Bang Theory, horror movies, comics, gaming - this girl is awesome!), but she was still slowly learning. Danger's tutelage has done wonders, but it's not a one-way partnership. Allison's role for awhile was taking younger rookies and gauging them when they came into the promotion. Now, thanks to teaming with Bates, she has reinvented herself and let her own geeky side out. Each time she wrestles she looks like she is having a ton of fun and it's fantastic to see her enjoying a renaissance of sorts in her career.
The Mainstays and New Joshi Faces
Due to a conflict in schedules, these tapings were missing two long-standing Joshis - Hiroyo Matsumoto and Tomoka Nakagawa. One who had made an impressive debut back in October, Yumi Ohka was also absent (if she was going to be there that is, she may not have been booked) due to the same show that had Tomoka and Hiroyo on it in Japan. However, we got two new Joshis that took SHIMMER by storm - Ray and Leon. Both are high-flying masked competitors that I had not seen before but they're on my radar now. Their matches were some of the best in the weekend, including their tag title match against Ayako and Ayumi. That match had a ton of near falls and a ton of action that you had to really keep up with! "That was awesome" was chanted by the crowd for almost five minutes after the match was over - a testament to how fantastic it was. Those two will definitely be welcomed back with open arms if they choose to come.
Kellie Skater made it clear at the onset that she was tired of being seen as a joke, and with her stellar matches over the weekend, I don't see how anyone can take her as a comedy act anymore. Sure she still has her entrance (being announced as having "muscles so big they make the Incredible Hulk GREEN WITH ENVY!"), but once in the ring, she was a machine. The time she spent in Japan (from December 2011 to March 2012) has only improved her. Kana's only solo match was against Skater, and even though Kellie lost, it was one of the best matches I had ever seen her in. I'm very much looking forward to seeing the new, serious Rate Tank carve out a path for herself.
Kana, Lufisto, Sara Del Rey, Jessie McKay, MsChif, Sassy Stephie (minus tag partner Nevaeh, but accompanied by Mademoiselle Rachelle, who makes a fitting valet for Steph) - they all continue to be awesome as they always are. Mercedes Martinez had some stellar matches over the weekend (although almost all the matches I saw were stellar, so this may be a moot point!), against Athena, and getting two big wins against Kana and Hailey Hatred. Some have criticized that her heel turn hasn't taken or gone nearly far enough. But I like the subtle arrogance that Mercedes is radiating - she's always been confident but now the confidence has been turned up to 50 on the volume meter. The way she brushes her shoulder towards each of her opponents after beating them shows her contempt. It suits her character very well.
Missing but not Forgotten
Noticeable by their absence were two SHIMMER mainstays - one, the former SHIMMER Champion Madison Eagles, the other the Deebious One Serena Deeb. Both were out due to injuries that have put them on the shelf for the time being, but both sent touching videos in their place that touched everyone in attendance at the Eagles Club.
Madison spoke of her knee injury and though she tried to be the menacing, brooding Eagles we know her to be (even referring to herself as "Your Living Nightmare"), there was real emotion with a ting of sadness and determination in her voice. She vowed to come back when she was fully healed so she could compete with the best, since, in her words, that's what SHIMMER has to offer, the best female wrestlers in the world. Knowing her determination, I have no doubt Madison will return to us - better than ever.
On the second day, SHIMMER kicked off with a message from Serena, who gave the same heartfelt comments as Madison had, but in more gentle, less menacing tones. She regretted not being in attendance, and gave her best wishes for all the women in the locker room. She gave a special shout out to her protege, Davina Rose, which had to mean a lot to both women. It was a touching way to start Sunday's tapings off (and I believe Serena's video is up on YouTube), bringing tears to many people's eyes including my own.
No matter what happens, I wish both women all the best for the future. They have given us fans so much of their lives they deserve to be happy and completely healthy.
Knightfall
Neither of the Canadian Ninjas could get the job done. Nor could Jessie McKay (who struggled against the temptation to take the easy way out during her title match against Melissa, and successfully remained true to herself). So the person who had put a bounty on Melissa did it herself.
After five years, 'Sweet' Saraya Knight had her revenge against the woman who severed her kneecap at Real Quality Wrestling. The woman who had potentially ended her career with that brutal injury. She even choreographed how she would do it - in each of her matches against Davina, Veda and Shazza, Saraya put them in the Knightmare (a variation of a Boston Crab), torking back on their knee, to the point where she was disqualified in her matches against Veda and Shazza for not breaking the hold. She targeted their knees, foreshadowing what was to come.
To make sure Melissa got the point, Saraya ambushed her backstage, going after Melissa's knee with a wooden cane. The prey was weakened and in the match, Saraya went for the kill. I'm sure everyone in the audience expected a six-pier brawl, as had happened during her title defenses against Nicole and Portia (each going into the audience and around the Club) but to our surprise, it was almost a straight wrestling match. No going to the outside, no interference, no foreign objects. Each woman felt instinctively that they needed to win by submission, and we saw each do their best to put as many painful holds on each other as possible.
It was a glorious match. Saraya had been in a downward spiral all weekend, becoming progressively more violent and out of control. She had struck fans (which, I know a lot of people had problems with, but there were only two and each provoked her and knew what was coming. One man took off his glasses and leaned forward even), cursed at them, threatened them and at one point, in a wildly weird twist, named two people on the SHIMMER forum calling them out for comments they had made. After being DQed in the two matches mentioned beforehand it had taken several referees and wrestlers to hold her down and carry her out by her arms and legs. It was like she was becoming a wild animal - yet there was a method to her madness.
She had a plan, she even foreshadowed it, and in the end it worked. When I say no one in the crowd expected Melissa to submit, I mean NO ONE expected it. After all, she's Cheerleader Melissa. The Terminator of SHIMMER. The woman who feels no pain and does not stop until she has pinned her opponent. The woman who has chased the SHIMMER title for over a year. Who had finally achieved her dream last October, pinning Madison Eagles after a hard, brutal match.
Only to be confronted by a vengeful demon from her past. Who returned a knee for a knee, crippled her and stole her dream, cheating her out of her title by grabbing the ropes for extra leverage. Until the Volume comes out, the picture can be painted by several photos that have been taken of the match and it's outcome.
Saraya with her hand held high. Grabbing the belt. Laughing maniacally as she walks around the ring. LICKING the belt as Melissa stares in disbelief. The shock and outrage of the fans (including one small brunette with her hand over her mouth, eyes wide).
It was one of the most astounding moments in SHIMMER's history.
As we approach Volume 50, I can't help but feel like we have entered a new chapter in the promotion's story. Fans are buzzing about this and will no doubt keep buzzing until the next four tapings. Melissa has vowed to get the title she worked so long and so hard to attain back. Will she? Or will the Demon from the United Kingdom hold sway?
One way or another...SHIMMER has entered the era of the Dark Knight. How long that era lasts remains to be seen.
In summation, this set of tapings feels like a new chapter, not just with Saraya's win, but with more story lines, more backstage videos, the women showing more to their characters, and other noticeable shifts. Against the odds SHIMMER has succeeded and thrived and now draws fans from all over the world. Whenever my passion for wrestling starts to wane, along comes this weekend and not only restores it but also increases it.
My thanks to Dave Prazak, Allison Danger, everyone involved backstage, the camera men, the referees, Joey Eastman, Kevin Harvey and last but DEFINITELY not least every woman who makes the trek to Berwyn, puts on her gear and gets in the ring for us fans. Each and every one of you is appreciated!
I have been home since Monday the 19th, and I put off this entry because I wanted to do SHIMMER and the women who wrestled on it justice. But I really don't know if I can. SHIMMER is always an experience. Always. But this time was different. There were several new faces replacing some established ones, and two major players who are on the sidelines due to injury were sorely missed (we love you Serena Deeb and Madison Eagles!). We saw story lines introduced, titles change hands and (as always) tremendous wrestling you probably can't see anywhere else outside of Berwyn.
This set of tapings also proved that a lot of assumptions made about SHIMMER were inaccurate. For instance, one of the main complaints about the company is the lack of story lines. In these volumes you'll find:
-The re-ignition of the feud between Sweet Saraya Knight and Cheerleader Melissa that has five years of history behind it. Not to mention Saraya's escalating level of violence over the four volumes. That in and of itself was a story line.
-The unlikely formation of the tag team of Courtney Rush and Sara Del Rey ("Queens of Winning"/"Death Rush"). Their partnership is quite the odd couple and should make for interesting unfolding over the next year or two.
-The determination of Kellie "Rate Tank" Skater to become more than a comedy act. Her 4 matches did much to showcase this, as well as the experience she picked up during her time in Japan. No more "open challenges" - this Tank is ready for battle.
-The moral struggle of Jessie McKay. After being threatened by Saraya to do whatever it took to pin Melissa, she had to choose between winning at all costs or remaining true to herself. It was a conflict that played out in her match against the champion, and one that many fans felt truly involved in. I know I did.
That's only a few I could name. Another criticism of the promotion was how predictable the title reigns are, mostly the main championship. Everyone expected Melissa to leave this weekend as the champion. Some probably thought Ayako Hamada and Ayumi Kurihara would also retain (I admit, I'm one of those people). This past weekend effectively proved there are never any guarantees. I can understand some fans' frustration (especially with Melissa losing the title so quickly) but if you can look past that, the title changes made sense. It wasn't "Vince Russo booking" as I heard someone in the crowd say after the show ended (when told about this remark, one SHIMMER woman said derisively, "Fuck Vince Russo." Sums it up.); there is reasoning and thought behind both title changes. I'll get to that though.
I can't do justice to the matches, so I won't try. Needless to say these are must-buy volumes when they come out. Instead I want to give my thoughts on the women, the story lines, the atmosphere - just the whole thing. I'll certainly talk about some of the matches, but as far as trying to give something like a top five or top ten or give them star ratings, forget about it. I never saw a 3 star match. They were all 4 and 5's in my opinion.
The Next Generation
We saw a few more fresh faces for these volumes. Some (such as Athena, Mia Yim, Davina Rose) had been at SHIMMER before while others (such as Veda Scott, Rhia O'Reilly, NY Knockout and Shazza McKenzie) were either making their presence known or debuting altogether. I want to start with one woman who really upped her game the entire weekend, only losing once - "The Wrestling Goddess" Athena.
Athena immediately resumed her feud with Mercedes Martinez on the first volume (number 45) and the match was stellar. The referee pretty much let it go, leading to some devastating spots and her getting the win with her "O Face". This finisher has to be seen to be believed. I'm not sure how it hasn't broken someone's neck yet, the way it's designed, but both Athena and her opponent always take care to make sure it's properly set up before hitting it. Her only loss came to one half of the Canadian Ninjas, Nicole Matthews on Volume 46. Number 47 had her pinning Sassy Stephie in a superb match, but her against Ray on number 48 was just as good as her versus Mercedes.
One criticism I'd heard from several folks about Athena was that she was great at spots but there wasn't much wrestling from her. I think some of that was dispelled by the great showing against Ray, which brought out a technical side to her that we hadn't seen before. In my view, it solidified her as well rounded and with the potential to become one of the best in the world. Charisma, skill, looks, personality - she has it all. I hope she gets the chance to work in Japan and learn from them as it would only increase her skill level.
Plus, all her matches were higher up on the card than before. Athena really elevated herself after this set of volumes and it shouldn't be long before she gets a title shot. We may well be seeing her as SHIMMER champion in the future.
Davina Rose and Mia Yim made an unlikely tag team which only saw each of them have one singles match over the weekend, but their partnership worked. (There were a lot of people paired up in tag teams due to the large roster, but by and large most of them worked well together.) Davina is still finding her personality but she makes a good babyface with her look and stature. Mia has come a long way since I first saw her at SPARKLE in September 2010. Her time in Japan served her well and both finally achieved their first win in SHIMMER when Mia hit her corkscrew moonsault on Mena. Davina's only singles match was against the fearsome Saraya Knight, which was mostly one-sided, whereas Mia faced Jessie McKay in her only singles that was highly competitive and evenly matched. She may have lost but she shined during it. Both ladies still have a ways to go, and more years to put under their belt, but they are well on their way to becoming solid, dependable wrestlers.
Veda Scott was a SPARKLER last October who made it onto Volume 44 in a losing effort against Taylor Made. This time she was in a few more matches and learned quite a bit from her opponents. I can't help but feel that Veda has all the traits to make it far in wrestling, although maybe that's personal bias speaking. So does Shazza McKenzie, a newcomer from Australia that made her SHIMMER debut. Both women are talented, enthusiastic, energetic, beautiful and eager to learn. They made for a random tag team but they had chemistry together and separately. Shazza wrestles in PWWA, alongside Madison Eagles, Kellie Skater and Jessie McKay. Seems like Australia is a breeding ground for greatness along with Canada.
KC Spinelli had been part of SPARKLE before but she hadn't really 'clicked' with me until this time around. She has a unique look with her hair and gear, and I thought she was Canadian since she mostly wrestles in ECCW, but it turns out she's from New Jersey. That detail made for a fun match between her and someone who made her SHIMMER debut from the west coast, the "New York Knockout" Nikki (although here she was announced as "New York Knockout", dropping the Nikki). Their New York v New Jersey thing in their match was hilarious. Spinelli competed in SPARKLE back in October 2011 so this was also her debut onto the main volumes as well. Nikki has had a heated rivalry on the west coast against Allison Danger, and apparently impressed enough to gain a spot. Like I said, Spinelli clicked with me and definitely stood out. So did Nikki, she has a great look, tall, athletic and her Brooklyn accent is ear-catching. Both women did well against their respective opponents and it was nice to see the new additions stand out.
I'm not sure if Irish import Rhia O'Reilly will return to SHIMMER but I daresay her presence would be welcome from now on. I first saw her in Pro-Wrestling EVE at their first show taping in the spring of 2010, and in the space of two years she has improved tremendously. She has a real presence, her wrestling has gotten better and since turning heel her character has caught fire. By a happy chance, St. Patrick's Day fell on the first day of taping and her match against Courtney Rush was hilarious and a great way for her to debut. Back in March 2011, Rhia had traveled over on her own dime to compete on SPARKLE. She had no guarantee that she would be on the main card, yet she still came. That takes real dedication and it payed off. If she continues to up her game, she could be another version of Rebecca Knox, SHIMMER's original foreign heel. Her outings at the EVE v Ice Ribbon shows in October 2011 and EVE's "No Man's Land" iPPV were great and I thoroughly enjoyed her matches against Rush, Shazza, and Taylor Made.
But whereas we had an influx of new blood, the SHIMMER mainstays continued to put on matches that were of the best quality. Some upped their game to new levels and some remained as awesome as they always are. Some ran solo and some formed unlikely partnerships that, while strange on paper, worked very well together. The Joshi contingent lost a few familiar faces but the new additions made up for those losses. There was a strong tag team presence throughout the weekend.
Tag Teams Replenish
Since becoming free from any obligations to TNA, Christina von Eerie returned and took up with an unlikely partner in MsChif. The Punk and Metal Connection teamed up on Volumes 47 and 48 after having good singles matches on 45 and 46. An interesting combination but I'm not sure if it will last beyond March. In her only singles match of the weekend, MsChif was specifically requested as an opponent by Jessie McKay, who wanted to earn a title shot by beating the former champion. Part of MsChif's appeal is her attire, and her gear in this instance was awesome. She sported a top hat and cane, and had the iconic artwork from "A Clockwork Orange" on the front and back of her shirt and pants. As a special bonus, whilst delivering a beating to the former Pink Lady, she began growling/singing "Singing in the Rain" - absolutely tremendous. Her tag match with Von Eerie against another interesting duo was chock full of comedy. It's a different direction for MsChif, who for years as been "Your Soul's Tormentor" - but even tormentors have a sense of humour.
That "interesting duo" I mentioned would be "The Oncoming Hatred" - Hailey Hatred and Kalamity. Champions in different promotions, they teamed up back in October in a losing effort to Melanie Cruise and Mena Libra in what people thought would be a one-time thing. Evidently they took notice that fans liked their combination, as each only had one singles match over the weekend, instead teaming together for their other three matches. Personally I loved the duo working as a team. They are both hard hitting, known for their strikes, and Kalamity can learn a lot from Hailey. Their win against another new tag team earned them a shot at the SHIMMER tag titles but they were unsuccessful. I'm a huge fan of both ladies and the more I can see them, the better! Hailey is a phenom and I'm incredibly happy we got her for all four tapings this time around. Kalamity is becoming more and more solid in the ring, and her character is a real departure from others in the promotion. Both are a pleasure to watch perform.
Plus, they were part of one of the absolute best matches of the weekend, in my humble view. The Oncoming Hatred faced a duo that, to my knowledge, had never partnered before anywhere. The World Famous Kana teamed with the Super Hardcore Anime Lufisto in a partnership of mutual respect and admiration. It made sense - in Kana's last match, Lufisto wrestled her and wound up losing. Yet whereas after facing Mia Yim, Sara Del Rey and Cheerleader Melissa, she refused to shake hands, this time she took Lufi's hand in a gesture of sportsmanship and respect. I'm not sure whose idea it was for them to team up but they made a tremendous tag team! Kana and Lufisto against Hailey Hatred and Kalamity. I'd absolutely wanted Lufisto to wrestle Hailey, but this match was beyond my wildest dreams.
It. Was. AWESOME. I tweeted that words failed me on how "f'n awesome" the match was and words STILL fail me. It has to be seen to be believed. Kana and Lufi were a superb team and I can only hope that they get a shot and win the SHIMMER tag straps. But not for awhile because the duo that currently hold said straps are one of the oddest pairings of the whole weekend...
It began with Sara pinning Leva Bates and continuing to assault her after the match. Enter the other half of ReGenerationX, Allison Danger, to make the save. Danger calls out Del Rey for her behaviour and tells her to find a tag partner, if she can - Del Rey has no friends. Death Rey scoffs, saying she has several hundreds of twitter followers. However the people she approaches (Melissa, Lacey - of all people! - Nicole) turn her down. Enter one Courtney Rush. She begs constantly to team with Del Rey, who shoots her down. In a twist involving SDR's weakness (gum), Rush tricks her into agreeing. Not only do they beat ReX...........on Volume 48 they win the tag team titles in a four way elimination match.
I'm not even going to try to describe what happened, either. It has to be seen to be fully appreciated. The dynamic of Rush and Del Rey is golden. It's been compared to Raven and Stevie Richards, which is a very good comparison. They have chemistry and Courtney's comedic timing was on point both days. Their skits were some of the funniest things over the weekend, and to say that them winning the straps was unexpected is an understatement! It's definitely going to be interesting to see where they go from here. Courtney has proven herself to be a total package as far as charisma, personality and skills go and I'm really happy to see her elevated. And the win makes Del Rey the first double crown (can't really say triple crown since there's only two belts in SHIMMER) champion. An extremely worthy woman to have been the first SHIMMER champion and now one half of the tag team champions.
I admit, I was disappointed when Ayumi Kurihara and Ayako Hamada lost the tag straps. I felt after changing hands three times in 2011 it would be nice for them to have a lengthy run. Maybe not as long as the Ninjas, but make it through a full set of tapings. However with "Death Rush's" win, I can let it go. HamaHara had a great set of matches, against the two debuting Joshi, Ray and Leon this past tapings; against Kalamity and Hailey; and in a dream match for the former, against Allison Danger and Leva Bates. (Not to mention their defenses over the weekend in October.) Elsewhere, Mena Libra and Melanie Cruise continue to form an imposing partnership as the bruisers of the company; and despite their singles runs, Portia Perez and Nicole Matthews have shown that they always have each other's backs and remain a dominant tag team as the Canadian Ninjas.
I have to put in a few words about ReGenerationX. Allison Danger is a vet and continues to show why she is an integral part of SHIMMER with her great matches leadership. When she took Leva Bates under her wing in March of last year, Leva's skill level in the ring has grown by leaps and bounds. She already had the personality and the charisma thanks to her love of all things geeky (seriously - X-Men, Doctor Who, Big Bang Theory, horror movies, comics, gaming - this girl is awesome!), but she was still slowly learning. Danger's tutelage has done wonders, but it's not a one-way partnership. Allison's role for awhile was taking younger rookies and gauging them when they came into the promotion. Now, thanks to teaming with Bates, she has reinvented herself and let her own geeky side out. Each time she wrestles she looks like she is having a ton of fun and it's fantastic to see her enjoying a renaissance of sorts in her career.
The Mainstays and New Joshi Faces
Due to a conflict in schedules, these tapings were missing two long-standing Joshis - Hiroyo Matsumoto and Tomoka Nakagawa. One who had made an impressive debut back in October, Yumi Ohka was also absent (if she was going to be there that is, she may not have been booked) due to the same show that had Tomoka and Hiroyo on it in Japan. However, we got two new Joshis that took SHIMMER by storm - Ray and Leon. Both are high-flying masked competitors that I had not seen before but they're on my radar now. Their matches were some of the best in the weekend, including their tag title match against Ayako and Ayumi. That match had a ton of near falls and a ton of action that you had to really keep up with! "That was awesome" was chanted by the crowd for almost five minutes after the match was over - a testament to how fantastic it was. Those two will definitely be welcomed back with open arms if they choose to come.
Kellie Skater made it clear at the onset that she was tired of being seen as a joke, and with her stellar matches over the weekend, I don't see how anyone can take her as a comedy act anymore. Sure she still has her entrance (being announced as having "muscles so big they make the Incredible Hulk GREEN WITH ENVY!"), but once in the ring, she was a machine. The time she spent in Japan (from December 2011 to March 2012) has only improved her. Kana's only solo match was against Skater, and even though Kellie lost, it was one of the best matches I had ever seen her in. I'm very much looking forward to seeing the new, serious Rate Tank carve out a path for herself.
Kana, Lufisto, Sara Del Rey, Jessie McKay, MsChif, Sassy Stephie (minus tag partner Nevaeh, but accompanied by Mademoiselle Rachelle, who makes a fitting valet for Steph) - they all continue to be awesome as they always are. Mercedes Martinez had some stellar matches over the weekend (although almost all the matches I saw were stellar, so this may be a moot point!), against Athena, and getting two big wins against Kana and Hailey Hatred. Some have criticized that her heel turn hasn't taken or gone nearly far enough. But I like the subtle arrogance that Mercedes is radiating - she's always been confident but now the confidence has been turned up to 50 on the volume meter. The way she brushes her shoulder towards each of her opponents after beating them shows her contempt. It suits her character very well.
Missing but not Forgotten
Noticeable by their absence were two SHIMMER mainstays - one, the former SHIMMER Champion Madison Eagles, the other the Deebious One Serena Deeb. Both were out due to injuries that have put them on the shelf for the time being, but both sent touching videos in their place that touched everyone in attendance at the Eagles Club.
Madison spoke of her knee injury and though she tried to be the menacing, brooding Eagles we know her to be (even referring to herself as "Your Living Nightmare"), there was real emotion with a ting of sadness and determination in her voice. She vowed to come back when she was fully healed so she could compete with the best, since, in her words, that's what SHIMMER has to offer, the best female wrestlers in the world. Knowing her determination, I have no doubt Madison will return to us - better than ever.
On the second day, SHIMMER kicked off with a message from Serena, who gave the same heartfelt comments as Madison had, but in more gentle, less menacing tones. She regretted not being in attendance, and gave her best wishes for all the women in the locker room. She gave a special shout out to her protege, Davina Rose, which had to mean a lot to both women. It was a touching way to start Sunday's tapings off (and I believe Serena's video is up on YouTube), bringing tears to many people's eyes including my own.
No matter what happens, I wish both women all the best for the future. They have given us fans so much of their lives they deserve to be happy and completely healthy.
Knightfall
Neither of the Canadian Ninjas could get the job done. Nor could Jessie McKay (who struggled against the temptation to take the easy way out during her title match against Melissa, and successfully remained true to herself). So the person who had put a bounty on Melissa did it herself.
After five years, 'Sweet' Saraya Knight had her revenge against the woman who severed her kneecap at Real Quality Wrestling. The woman who had potentially ended her career with that brutal injury. She even choreographed how she would do it - in each of her matches against Davina, Veda and Shazza, Saraya put them in the Knightmare (a variation of a Boston Crab), torking back on their knee, to the point where she was disqualified in her matches against Veda and Shazza for not breaking the hold. She targeted their knees, foreshadowing what was to come.
To make sure Melissa got the point, Saraya ambushed her backstage, going after Melissa's knee with a wooden cane. The prey was weakened and in the match, Saraya went for the kill. I'm sure everyone in the audience expected a six-pier brawl, as had happened during her title defenses against Nicole and Portia (each going into the audience and around the Club) but to our surprise, it was almost a straight wrestling match. No going to the outside, no interference, no foreign objects. Each woman felt instinctively that they needed to win by submission, and we saw each do their best to put as many painful holds on each other as possible.
It was a glorious match. Saraya had been in a downward spiral all weekend, becoming progressively more violent and out of control. She had struck fans (which, I know a lot of people had problems with, but there were only two and each provoked her and knew what was coming. One man took off his glasses and leaned forward even), cursed at them, threatened them and at one point, in a wildly weird twist, named two people on the SHIMMER forum calling them out for comments they had made. After being DQed in the two matches mentioned beforehand it had taken several referees and wrestlers to hold her down and carry her out by her arms and legs. It was like she was becoming a wild animal - yet there was a method to her madness.
She had a plan, she even foreshadowed it, and in the end it worked. When I say no one in the crowd expected Melissa to submit, I mean NO ONE expected it. After all, she's Cheerleader Melissa. The Terminator of SHIMMER. The woman who feels no pain and does not stop until she has pinned her opponent. The woman who has chased the SHIMMER title for over a year. Who had finally achieved her dream last October, pinning Madison Eagles after a hard, brutal match.
Only to be confronted by a vengeful demon from her past. Who returned a knee for a knee, crippled her and stole her dream, cheating her out of her title by grabbing the ropes for extra leverage. Until the Volume comes out, the picture can be painted by several photos that have been taken of the match and it's outcome.
Saraya with her hand held high. Grabbing the belt. Laughing maniacally as she walks around the ring. LICKING the belt as Melissa stares in disbelief. The shock and outrage of the fans (including one small brunette with her hand over her mouth, eyes wide).
It was one of the most astounding moments in SHIMMER's history.
As we approach Volume 50, I can't help but feel like we have entered a new chapter in the promotion's story. Fans are buzzing about this and will no doubt keep buzzing until the next four tapings. Melissa has vowed to get the title she worked so long and so hard to attain back. Will she? Or will the Demon from the United Kingdom hold sway?
One way or another...SHIMMER has entered the era of the Dark Knight. How long that era lasts remains to be seen.
In summation, this set of tapings feels like a new chapter, not just with Saraya's win, but with more story lines, more backstage videos, the women showing more to their characters, and other noticeable shifts. Against the odds SHIMMER has succeeded and thrived and now draws fans from all over the world. Whenever my passion for wrestling starts to wane, along comes this weekend and not only restores it but also increases it.
My thanks to Dave Prazak, Allison Danger, everyone involved backstage, the camera men, the referees, Joey Eastman, Kevin Harvey and last but DEFINITELY not least every woman who makes the trek to Berwyn, puts on her gear and gets in the ring for us fans. Each and every one of you is appreciated!
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
RAW Is....What, Exactly?
I could write this as a Ringbelles piece. But honestly, I don't have the patience to iron out a reasonable piece. Not when it's something like this.
We all know WWE isn't a great place to work if you are a woman or a minority. We can point to the hundreds upon hundreds of mistakes, outrageous storylines, and shocking depravity in the company's long history. We can tick off the names of people that Vince and Co. have done wrong by.
I get that. I truly do.
However, when WWE decided to go PG and present John Cena as it's superhero-type good guy who triumphs over all evil and align itself with an anti-bullying campaign ("Be a STAR"), the rules (supposedly) changed. Gone were the mud matches, the cursing, the other things that ruled WWE during the Attitude Era. In other words, a company that Linda McMahon could point to in her quest to become the senator from Connecticut and say, "Look how we've cleaned everything up! Nothing to be ashamed of here." Interestingly enough, it's rumoured that she will be running for office again in the near future.
Which is part of the reason why I'm so confused, disgusted and in disbelief at what happened on RAW 2/20. You've seen it by now, with Eve and John Cena in the ring and the 10 minutes he spent running her down. The storyline went like this:
Ryder likes Eve. Ryder tries to court Eve. Ryder & then Eve are targeted by Kane. Cena comes to Ryder and Eve's defense. Kane hurts Ryder (repeatedly). Eve cries, blames Cena for Ryder's pain due to his feud with Kane. Kane tries to kidnap Eve. Eve jumps out of ambulance into Cena's arms. Eve kisses him, Cena kisses her back. Ryder sees this, is hurt. Eve says it was a "heat of the moment" thing, wants to be friends with Ryder. Kane hurts Ryder again even more seriously this time. Eve cries, Cena gets angry. Cena defeats Kane in ambulance match. Eve tells the Bellas that her plan was to use Zack to further her career, now she's jumping to Cena. Tells this infront of a tv camera, and is caught by Cena. Cena spends 10 minutes in the ring degrading Eve infront of her, the crowd and a live television audience, encouraging them to yell "Hoski" at her while she cries.
So, essentially, to help Cena get cheered in his upcoming feud with the Rock, Eve is sacrificed because we are supposed to forget that just 7 days ago Cena kissed Eve back, even wrapping his arm around her. We are supposed to forget that he wasn't innocent in this thing.
Others have put it far better than me, such as Lee in this week's Ringbelles Roundup (http://ringbellesonline.com/2012/02/21/ringbelles-roundup-21-february-2012/), Cageside Seats (http://www.cagesideseats.com/2012/2/21/2815080/on-eve-john-cena-bullying-and-the-problem-with-misogyny-in-the-wwe), Rae with Wrestlegasm (http://thegasm.tumblr.com/post/18036148183/goodnight).
(And I've tried to get those links to work, but apparently Blogger doesn't like me. Copy and paste, they're worth the read.)
The point isn't that WWE have done far worse things (because we know, they have). The point isn't that women are supposed to be up in arms about this just because we're women (because every woman will see this differently, and that's fair enough - I'm not judging them).
The point is that in this PG era, WWE has set itself on a higher level. They are touting the fact they are partners in an anti-bullying campaign, they are a family friendly company, and we should bring our kids to the events. If I had a daughter, I sure wouldn't let her watch this, nor would I bring her to a show. I would feel uncomfortable exposing her to a man who is supposed to be a role model for young kids degrading a woman in front of the world.
And to be fair, I wouldn't be comfortable exposing her to the Rock due to his repeated use of anti-gay slurs.
Besides, if you think about it long enough, this could have gone another way to turn Eve heel. Why not the traditional way (if you have to, as overplayed as it is), where Eve is attracted to Cena, tries to court Cena, Cena rejects her politely, Eve wants revenge and partners with someone to help take him out. You keep Cena face and a hero for the kids, you give Eve a badly needed heel turn and get a couple of mixed tag matches out of it since Cena would need someone to tag with (Kelly? Alicia?). Sure, Eve would still come out of it looking bad, but we most likely wouldn't have gotten the slut-shaming promo that we got last night.
The crux of it is having your role model, wearing a "Rise Against Hate" t-shirt no less, shaming a woman. It's misogynistic and it's an example of hypocrisy. Or I should say, ANOTHER example of hypocrisy.
If you are a female and you don't see anything wrong with this, then that's your right. I'm not judging you, nor am I saying that every female should be against this just because you're a woman.
I'm saying that this is another example of WWE's hypocrisy and is another reason why it's been two years since I've spent any money on anything WWE-related. The last PPV I bought was the one where HBK was retired by UT. Otherwise I've attended no shows, bought no merchandise, don't want to watch it on tv (and give them ratings) and don't buy their PPVs. If I want to see something, I YouTube it or I stream it - and yeah, I stream their PPVs. I save my money for promotions that need it and have earned it.
Plus, John Cena is in a position where he could refuse to do or say something and creative would back down. You can't tell me he isn't. He is their go-to man, has been for a few years now, and you don't get to that spot and not accumulate some influence. You don't. Cena has a rep for being a truly nice, decent man who does a ton of charity work with my favourite charity, the Make a Wish Foundation, and has busted his ass over the years. He's gotten a lot of respect and a lot of leeway with the company.
Plus he is intelligent. You can't tell me he didn't see the problem with this scenario. If he had a problem with it, that's something we may never know. But he's not stupid. It's disappointing to think that he had no qualms about going through with this, knowing that his young fans would be watching and taking it in.
It continues the image of women in wrestling being objects to taunt, degrade and bully. By their top star, no less.
And as I'm writing this, the whole CM Punk/Chris Brown thing may or may not be being talked about on WWE television. I thought that perhaps it was something Punk was doing on his own initiative and was willing to give props to Punk. But if this turns out to be a publicity thing for Wrestlemania or another time and they are planning to have Brown on one of their shows...
Well. I honestly don't know what I would say to that.
No, I do know what I would say. To all of us who are disgusted with WWE, put your money back in your wallet. Stop supporting them. If you don't want to support other promotions (because if you love wrestling, then I promise you, there is a promotion out there in the world that you will love IF you look for it - there is THAT much diversity out there), then put the money towards a charity. How about a charity that works with women who are domestic violence survivors? Or a charity that works with abused children?
Change the channel and refuse to come back until WWE makes real changes and sticks with them. Call them out - tweet, facebook, write, email, whatever. If you feel that strongly, then speak out. Don't remain silent. Silence is acceptance.
If you don't like it, if it makes you uncomfortable, don't accept it. Period.
We all know WWE isn't a great place to work if you are a woman or a minority. We can point to the hundreds upon hundreds of mistakes, outrageous storylines, and shocking depravity in the company's long history. We can tick off the names of people that Vince and Co. have done wrong by.
I get that. I truly do.
However, when WWE decided to go PG and present John Cena as it's superhero-type good guy who triumphs over all evil and align itself with an anti-bullying campaign ("Be a STAR"), the rules (supposedly) changed. Gone were the mud matches, the cursing, the other things that ruled WWE during the Attitude Era. In other words, a company that Linda McMahon could point to in her quest to become the senator from Connecticut and say, "Look how we've cleaned everything up! Nothing to be ashamed of here." Interestingly enough, it's rumoured that she will be running for office again in the near future.
Which is part of the reason why I'm so confused, disgusted and in disbelief at what happened on RAW 2/20. You've seen it by now, with Eve and John Cena in the ring and the 10 minutes he spent running her down. The storyline went like this:
Ryder likes Eve. Ryder tries to court Eve. Ryder & then Eve are targeted by Kane. Cena comes to Ryder and Eve's defense. Kane hurts Ryder (repeatedly). Eve cries, blames Cena for Ryder's pain due to his feud with Kane. Kane tries to kidnap Eve. Eve jumps out of ambulance into Cena's arms. Eve kisses him, Cena kisses her back. Ryder sees this, is hurt. Eve says it was a "heat of the moment" thing, wants to be friends with Ryder. Kane hurts Ryder again even more seriously this time. Eve cries, Cena gets angry. Cena defeats Kane in ambulance match. Eve tells the Bellas that her plan was to use Zack to further her career, now she's jumping to Cena. Tells this infront of a tv camera, and is caught by Cena. Cena spends 10 minutes in the ring degrading Eve infront of her, the crowd and a live television audience, encouraging them to yell "Hoski" at her while she cries.
So, essentially, to help Cena get cheered in his upcoming feud with the Rock, Eve is sacrificed because we are supposed to forget that just 7 days ago Cena kissed Eve back, even wrapping his arm around her. We are supposed to forget that he wasn't innocent in this thing.
Others have put it far better than me, such as Lee in this week's Ringbelles Roundup (http://ringbellesonline.com/2012/02/21/ringbelles-roundup-21-february-2012/), Cageside Seats (http://www.cagesideseats.com/2012/2/21/2815080/on-eve-john-cena-bullying-and-the-problem-with-misogyny-in-the-wwe), Rae with Wrestlegasm (http://thegasm.tumblr.com/post/18036148183/goodnight).
(And I've tried to get those links to work, but apparently Blogger doesn't like me. Copy and paste, they're worth the read.)
The point isn't that WWE have done far worse things (because we know, they have). The point isn't that women are supposed to be up in arms about this just because we're women (because every woman will see this differently, and that's fair enough - I'm not judging them).
The point is that in this PG era, WWE has set itself on a higher level. They are touting the fact they are partners in an anti-bullying campaign, they are a family friendly company, and we should bring our kids to the events. If I had a daughter, I sure wouldn't let her watch this, nor would I bring her to a show. I would feel uncomfortable exposing her to a man who is supposed to be a role model for young kids degrading a woman in front of the world.
And to be fair, I wouldn't be comfortable exposing her to the Rock due to his repeated use of anti-gay slurs.
Besides, if you think about it long enough, this could have gone another way to turn Eve heel. Why not the traditional way (if you have to, as overplayed as it is), where Eve is attracted to Cena, tries to court Cena, Cena rejects her politely, Eve wants revenge and partners with someone to help take him out. You keep Cena face and a hero for the kids, you give Eve a badly needed heel turn and get a couple of mixed tag matches out of it since Cena would need someone to tag with (Kelly? Alicia?). Sure, Eve would still come out of it looking bad, but we most likely wouldn't have gotten the slut-shaming promo that we got last night.
The crux of it is having your role model, wearing a "Rise Against Hate" t-shirt no less, shaming a woman. It's misogynistic and it's an example of hypocrisy. Or I should say, ANOTHER example of hypocrisy.
If you are a female and you don't see anything wrong with this, then that's your right. I'm not judging you, nor am I saying that every female should be against this just because you're a woman.
I'm saying that this is another example of WWE's hypocrisy and is another reason why it's been two years since I've spent any money on anything WWE-related. The last PPV I bought was the one where HBK was retired by UT. Otherwise I've attended no shows, bought no merchandise, don't want to watch it on tv (and give them ratings) and don't buy their PPVs. If I want to see something, I YouTube it or I stream it - and yeah, I stream their PPVs. I save my money for promotions that need it and have earned it.
Plus, John Cena is in a position where he could refuse to do or say something and creative would back down. You can't tell me he isn't. He is their go-to man, has been for a few years now, and you don't get to that spot and not accumulate some influence. You don't. Cena has a rep for being a truly nice, decent man who does a ton of charity work with my favourite charity, the Make a Wish Foundation, and has busted his ass over the years. He's gotten a lot of respect and a lot of leeway with the company.
Plus he is intelligent. You can't tell me he didn't see the problem with this scenario. If he had a problem with it, that's something we may never know. But he's not stupid. It's disappointing to think that he had no qualms about going through with this, knowing that his young fans would be watching and taking it in.
It continues the image of women in wrestling being objects to taunt, degrade and bully. By their top star, no less.
And as I'm writing this, the whole CM Punk/Chris Brown thing may or may not be being talked about on WWE television. I thought that perhaps it was something Punk was doing on his own initiative and was willing to give props to Punk. But if this turns out to be a publicity thing for Wrestlemania or another time and they are planning to have Brown on one of their shows...
Well. I honestly don't know what I would say to that.
No, I do know what I would say. To all of us who are disgusted with WWE, put your money back in your wallet. Stop supporting them. If you don't want to support other promotions (because if you love wrestling, then I promise you, there is a promotion out there in the world that you will love IF you look for it - there is THAT much diversity out there), then put the money towards a charity. How about a charity that works with women who are domestic violence survivors? Or a charity that works with abused children?
Change the channel and refuse to come back until WWE makes real changes and sticks with them. Call them out - tweet, facebook, write, email, whatever. If you feel that strongly, then speak out. Don't remain silent. Silence is acceptance.
If you don't like it, if it makes you uncomfortable, don't accept it. Period.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Thoughts on Pro-Wrestling EVE iPPV "No Mans Land"
Warning: There be spoilers ahead!
On February 18th, Pro-Wrestling EVE presented the first European internet Pay Per View entitled "No Mans Land." It was hosted by Diva-Dirt.com and the company that did the tech work was iMediaLibrary. I believe it was iMediaLibrary's first time doing an iPPV, which would account for the technical difficulties that occurred during the first half of the show.
It was 9.99 pounds, which equated to $16.03 in American money. Worth every penny in my opinion. The following isn't so much a professional review as my thoughts and feelings.
The show started late due to technical difficulties but that was to be expected. I heard a bit of complaining about it, but if you ordered it, you could either stick it out until the second half (which was MUCH better quality wise) or watched the replay. Either way you should get your money's worth. I know I did.
Every woman worked their heart out. They knew they were live to anyone in the world who chose to order it, and not one woman half assed it or "phoned it in" - they knew they were being given the ball and they ran with it. There was not a bad match on the show, period. Everyone looked like gold.
The commentary was a bit hard to hear, but to be honest, a lot of shows I watch I tune out the commentary unless it's a boring match and I hope the commentary can improve it. Since I wasn't bored, I admittedly tuned it out. When I buy the DVD though I'll make sure to listen, if only for Mean Girls quotes!
The place was well lit, meaning you could see the front row crowd, the stage and the ring. It's an intimate setting that I prefer personally over huge places - you feel more into the action and closer to the athletes. Camera work was good, a few strange spots (crowd shots when there was action in the ring) but nothing that couldn't be overlooked. No mic problems, you could hear the promos and the taunting in the ring. The only thing was during the first half the connection was a bit laggy and when a match would pick up, it would pause. But that problem evaporated for the most part in the second half of the show. It was disappointing that we didn't get to see the bonus matches, but Dann has said those will be put up for free at some point, so there's no issue there.
The booking was a bit confusing in some points. Nikki Storm should have gotten at least one clean win, preferably over Kay Lee Ray considering Ray was injured. Heel Viper versus Heel Storm was strange but I'm not someone who minds face v face or heel v heel matches sometimes. Having the Blossom Twins v the Glamour Gym so soon was also strange but with the Gym stealing the win, it sets the stage for a further rivalry that will grow even hotter with the addition of EVE Tag Team Titles. Nothing that detracted from the show honestly.
Now then...the matches. Oh the matches. When I say there wasn't a bad match on the card, if you disagree, I will refund you the money you paid, be it for the iPPV or the ticket either one. I liked every one of them, and there aren't many promotions/shows I can say that about. Instead of dissecting each match, I'm going to give some thoughts about each of the women involved in the show.
Hannah & Holly Blossom. I haven't seen their ChickFight work, so the only thing I had seen was their work in Ohio Valley Wrestling. They were the best women on the roster at OVW, so I was eager to see how they would do against women with a bit more experience. A feud with the Glamour Gym was inevitable. I was highly impressed with their work, first Hannah against Nikki Storm, Holly against Sara Marie Taylor, and then both women against Sara and Carmel Jacob. They have a distinctive look and give EVE another tag team for the division.
Sara Marie Taylor & Carmel Jacob, the Glamour Gym. I hadn't seen these two since the first EVE shows in 2010, but it looks like they have improved leaps and bounds. Carmel faced Kay Lee Ray and given the fact that the two have faced each other numerous times, that match was one of the stand outs of the show. Marie is a tremendous heel and has the "prettier than you" gimmick down pat, from the hair brush to the hair spray. These two were hilarious...and I'm pretty sure Sara's shorts stole the show for many guys out there.
Alpha Female. Powerful. Intimidating. Terrifying. Alpha is all these things and more. Her look, her power, her determination, all of it combines to make up one ferocious woman. She did not disappoint in her match against Jenny Sjodin. It was power versus skill. Alpha will continue to be a force to be reckoned with in the future.
Viper. I'd never seen her before, but she was decent for a woman of her size and stature. It was a good move putting her into a threeway against Kirsty Love and Janey Britannico, it gave her two smaller opponents to dominate.
Kirsty Love. Another lady I had not seen before, but had heard a lot of good things after the EVE v ICE shows. Her personality is awesome, she is charismatic and bubbly, extremely outgoing and engages the crowds easily. Plus, she had one of the strangest and most interesting billings I'd ever heard - she was announced as being Elvis, alive, kicking and had a sex change. Definitely unique! Looking forward to seeing more of her in the future.
Janey Britannico. This lady has gone from being the mousey-looking assistant to the Glamour Gym, to Super Janey B, and finally to the masked Janey Britannico. Admittedly I'm not sure why the last change happened, but even if there was no reason it's still refreshing to see someone constantly reinventing themselves as a character. It makes her stand out from the pack. She did well in the three way and I'm interested to see how she continues to progress.
Nikki Storm. I adore her Scottish accent, let me say that right now. When I saw her on the first EVE show, she stood out and in between then and now she has become even better in the ring and a full flown mouthy heel. She's great at getting the crowd riled up. She changed gear for all of her matches, which was a nice touch. Her versus Jenny Sjodin and/or Alpha Female will be excellent to watch.
Kay Lee Ray. Her match against Carmel was the first time I had actually seen her wrestle. I had heard a lot of great things and she did not disappoint. Her look, her athleticism, and her move set makes her stand out from the pack. (Personally I'm partial to redheads. Biased!) And I'd never seen a female do a Swanton Bomb as their finisher so that was particularly impressive. I am very interested in watching her career progress. As I said, her v Carmel was one of the highlights of the whole show. Kay Lee was fun to watch!
Rhia O'Reilly. O Really? O'Reilly! I've seen this graduate of the Storm Academy on the first EVE show, come to the SHIMMER pre-show SPARKLE (on her own dime no less, Dave Prazak didn't fly her over or pay her hotel costs - she did) in April 2011, and now I've seen her live on iPPV. Here she took on April Davids in a quarter final match in the Queen of the Ring tournament and to say she has improved would be a vast understatement. She is very self confident as a heel, her wrestling has gotten stronger, and she is coming into her own. I'm very proud of how far she's come - she is definitely one to keep your eye on. I thought her match against April was one of the best on the card. Plus, she's also a redhead.
April Davids. This woman is one of the very best Britain has to offer. I first saw her on the debut EVE DVD in 2010 and was impressed with her then. At the iPPV, her match against Rhia was one of the best on the show. She is so determined, so intense, and I thought for sure she would be a finalist in the Queen of the Ring tournament. Her time in Japan has served her well, and I can't wait to see her on the Ice Ribbon DVDs as well as her work in the future. Absolutely brilliant woman.
Jenny Sjodin. This lady is a warrior. I was impressed the first time I saw her, on the first EVE show in 2010 taking on April Davids in a Catch Division match. I'd never seen that style of match, and those two blew me away. Jenny has only grown better and more intense over the past two years, and she was fully a match for Alpha Female. A lot of folks were sure that Alpha would dominate the smaller Sjodin, but Jenny not only held her own, she gave a fight that showed she was every bit Alpha's equal. It was strength versus skill, and Jenny's skill was at 110% that night. Only after both women went through a table was the match stopped and counted as a draw, neither woman able to gain a clear win. The ending was clearly designed to get people frustrated and wanting to see a rematch with a decisive winner. It worked - the two are set for a rematch which is sure to be every bit as good as this one was. Jenny is an amazing champion for EVE, she is strong, intelligent, tenacious and intense. Her bout against Alpha proved she can take on anyone, no matter how strong or intimidating. My hat's off to her.
Overall, the show was phenomenal. Like I said, every woman gave their all and it showed. EVE continues to provide great matches and I can only hope that many people worldwide shelled out the money to see them on iPPV. If you aren't satisfied with what you see on television, trust me - this was a cheap and better alternative. Congratulations to Dann & Emily Read, everyone involved backstage and all the women who wrestled, and thank you for an incredible show! And thank you to Diva-Dirt for hosting it!
On February 18th, Pro-Wrestling EVE presented the first European internet Pay Per View entitled "No Mans Land." It was hosted by Diva-Dirt.com and the company that did the tech work was iMediaLibrary. I believe it was iMediaLibrary's first time doing an iPPV, which would account for the technical difficulties that occurred during the first half of the show.
It was 9.99 pounds, which equated to $16.03 in American money. Worth every penny in my opinion. The following isn't so much a professional review as my thoughts and feelings.
The show started late due to technical difficulties but that was to be expected. I heard a bit of complaining about it, but if you ordered it, you could either stick it out until the second half (which was MUCH better quality wise) or watched the replay. Either way you should get your money's worth. I know I did.
Every woman worked their heart out. They knew they were live to anyone in the world who chose to order it, and not one woman half assed it or "phoned it in" - they knew they were being given the ball and they ran with it. There was not a bad match on the show, period. Everyone looked like gold.
The commentary was a bit hard to hear, but to be honest, a lot of shows I watch I tune out the commentary unless it's a boring match and I hope the commentary can improve it. Since I wasn't bored, I admittedly tuned it out. When I buy the DVD though I'll make sure to listen, if only for Mean Girls quotes!
The place was well lit, meaning you could see the front row crowd, the stage and the ring. It's an intimate setting that I prefer personally over huge places - you feel more into the action and closer to the athletes. Camera work was good, a few strange spots (crowd shots when there was action in the ring) but nothing that couldn't be overlooked. No mic problems, you could hear the promos and the taunting in the ring. The only thing was during the first half the connection was a bit laggy and when a match would pick up, it would pause. But that problem evaporated for the most part in the second half of the show. It was disappointing that we didn't get to see the bonus matches, but Dann has said those will be put up for free at some point, so there's no issue there.
The booking was a bit confusing in some points. Nikki Storm should have gotten at least one clean win, preferably over Kay Lee Ray considering Ray was injured. Heel Viper versus Heel Storm was strange but I'm not someone who minds face v face or heel v heel matches sometimes. Having the Blossom Twins v the Glamour Gym so soon was also strange but with the Gym stealing the win, it sets the stage for a further rivalry that will grow even hotter with the addition of EVE Tag Team Titles. Nothing that detracted from the show honestly.
Now then...the matches. Oh the matches. When I say there wasn't a bad match on the card, if you disagree, I will refund you the money you paid, be it for the iPPV or the ticket either one. I liked every one of them, and there aren't many promotions/shows I can say that about. Instead of dissecting each match, I'm going to give some thoughts about each of the women involved in the show.
Hannah & Holly Blossom. I haven't seen their ChickFight work, so the only thing I had seen was their work in Ohio Valley Wrestling. They were the best women on the roster at OVW, so I was eager to see how they would do against women with a bit more experience. A feud with the Glamour Gym was inevitable. I was highly impressed with their work, first Hannah against Nikki Storm, Holly against Sara Marie Taylor, and then both women against Sara and Carmel Jacob. They have a distinctive look and give EVE another tag team for the division.
Sara Marie Taylor & Carmel Jacob, the Glamour Gym. I hadn't seen these two since the first EVE shows in 2010, but it looks like they have improved leaps and bounds. Carmel faced Kay Lee Ray and given the fact that the two have faced each other numerous times, that match was one of the stand outs of the show. Marie is a tremendous heel and has the "prettier than you" gimmick down pat, from the hair brush to the hair spray. These two were hilarious...and I'm pretty sure Sara's shorts stole the show for many guys out there.
Alpha Female. Powerful. Intimidating. Terrifying. Alpha is all these things and more. Her look, her power, her determination, all of it combines to make up one ferocious woman. She did not disappoint in her match against Jenny Sjodin. It was power versus skill. Alpha will continue to be a force to be reckoned with in the future.
Viper. I'd never seen her before, but she was decent for a woman of her size and stature. It was a good move putting her into a threeway against Kirsty Love and Janey Britannico, it gave her two smaller opponents to dominate.
Kirsty Love. Another lady I had not seen before, but had heard a lot of good things after the EVE v ICE shows. Her personality is awesome, she is charismatic and bubbly, extremely outgoing and engages the crowds easily. Plus, she had one of the strangest and most interesting billings I'd ever heard - she was announced as being Elvis, alive, kicking and had a sex change. Definitely unique! Looking forward to seeing more of her in the future.
Janey Britannico. This lady has gone from being the mousey-looking assistant to the Glamour Gym, to Super Janey B, and finally to the masked Janey Britannico. Admittedly I'm not sure why the last change happened, but even if there was no reason it's still refreshing to see someone constantly reinventing themselves as a character. It makes her stand out from the pack. She did well in the three way and I'm interested to see how she continues to progress.
Nikki Storm. I adore her Scottish accent, let me say that right now. When I saw her on the first EVE show, she stood out and in between then and now she has become even better in the ring and a full flown mouthy heel. She's great at getting the crowd riled up. She changed gear for all of her matches, which was a nice touch. Her versus Jenny Sjodin and/or Alpha Female will be excellent to watch.
Kay Lee Ray. Her match against Carmel was the first time I had actually seen her wrestle. I had heard a lot of great things and she did not disappoint. Her look, her athleticism, and her move set makes her stand out from the pack. (Personally I'm partial to redheads. Biased!) And I'd never seen a female do a Swanton Bomb as their finisher so that was particularly impressive. I am very interested in watching her career progress. As I said, her v Carmel was one of the highlights of the whole show. Kay Lee was fun to watch!
Rhia O'Reilly. O Really? O'Reilly! I've seen this graduate of the Storm Academy on the first EVE show, come to the SHIMMER pre-show SPARKLE (on her own dime no less, Dave Prazak didn't fly her over or pay her hotel costs - she did) in April 2011, and now I've seen her live on iPPV. Here she took on April Davids in a quarter final match in the Queen of the Ring tournament and to say she has improved would be a vast understatement. She is very self confident as a heel, her wrestling has gotten stronger, and she is coming into her own. I'm very proud of how far she's come - she is definitely one to keep your eye on. I thought her match against April was one of the best on the card. Plus, she's also a redhead.
April Davids. This woman is one of the very best Britain has to offer. I first saw her on the debut EVE DVD in 2010 and was impressed with her then. At the iPPV, her match against Rhia was one of the best on the show. She is so determined, so intense, and I thought for sure she would be a finalist in the Queen of the Ring tournament. Her time in Japan has served her well, and I can't wait to see her on the Ice Ribbon DVDs as well as her work in the future. Absolutely brilliant woman.
Jenny Sjodin. This lady is a warrior. I was impressed the first time I saw her, on the first EVE show in 2010 taking on April Davids in a Catch Division match. I'd never seen that style of match, and those two blew me away. Jenny has only grown better and more intense over the past two years, and she was fully a match for Alpha Female. A lot of folks were sure that Alpha would dominate the smaller Sjodin, but Jenny not only held her own, she gave a fight that showed she was every bit Alpha's equal. It was strength versus skill, and Jenny's skill was at 110% that night. Only after both women went through a table was the match stopped and counted as a draw, neither woman able to gain a clear win. The ending was clearly designed to get people frustrated and wanting to see a rematch with a decisive winner. It worked - the two are set for a rematch which is sure to be every bit as good as this one was. Jenny is an amazing champion for EVE, she is strong, intelligent, tenacious and intense. Her bout against Alpha proved she can take on anyone, no matter how strong or intimidating. My hat's off to her.
Overall, the show was phenomenal. Like I said, every woman gave their all and it showed. EVE continues to provide great matches and I can only hope that many people worldwide shelled out the money to see them on iPPV. If you aren't satisfied with what you see on television, trust me - this was a cheap and better alternative. Congratulations to Dann & Emily Read, everyone involved backstage and all the women who wrestled, and thank you for an incredible show! And thank you to Diva-Dirt for hosting it!
Friday, January 27, 2012
Random Thoughts
These are some of the random thoughts that go through my head. Most often I tweet them but here I figure I'll expand on them.
*While I recognise her role and place in wrestling history, I really don't care for or like Miss Elizabeth's character. Some have characterised her as the "first Diva" (although more put that on Sunny including Sunny herself but honestly - is that really something you'd want to be known for in wrestling?), but she's not even that to me. Savage brought her in after a bunch of people had been wanting to manage him, saying he'd found her but she never managed him, not in the way that Heenan, Jimmy Hart, Mr. Fuji, etc were managers. She was just a valet, and a shadow of a valet at that.
Before he turned face, Macho Man berated her, terrorised her, and basically was the abusive spouse that he was rumoured to be behind the scenes (not going to go into that, as I don't know all the details). She was weepy, cringing and basically the damsel in distress 24/7. Which, that was her role and she played it to a T. But good grief, it got tiring. I greatly preferred Queen Sherri and King Macho because Sherri wasn't afraid to get in there and go after Savage's opponents.
However, I do understand her role as a foil for Macho Man. She's just too passive for my tastes. When she came to Randy's aid and clobbered Sherri, that's the first time I cheered for her. I suppose it's the era I grew up in but I don't want women in wrestling to be passive wallflowers. And that's what Elizabeth was, to me. That said, I hope that one day her and Savage will be inducted into the Hall of Fame together.
*Jimmy Hart is the absolute worst manager, ever. He's annoying but not in the "get heat" way (at least, he doesn't get heat from me) - he's "Michael Cole" annoying. Which isn't good. I find his voice annoying, his mannerisms annoying and his outfits horrid. True, he gets in there and does what a manager should do, help his clients win, but damn. ANNOYING.
*When did Wrestlemania stop being the "Grandest Stage of them All" and start being the "Stage Where Every Tom, Dick and Harry Gets On the Card"? Granted, I've not seen them all, and I'm not as good of a historian as other fans, didn't it used to be that there were fewer matches, and the ones that got on were ones that had build and backstory and such? Or am I completely wrong? When the 12-man (I think) tag match was announced for this year's Wrestlemania to determine who gets to be General Manager (or whatever the reason for having it is), I thought, "Wow. That's a great way to shove everyone who doesn't have a match onto the card for one big cluster fuck." For all the talk of "Wrestlemania Moments" and "Grandest Stage" and people working their "whole lives" to wrestle on the show...trying to find a way to shoehorn everyone on the roster onto the card doesn't make it feel special. It makes it feel ordinary, and even lackluster. I appreciate the roster wanting to get that Wrestlemania payday, but when you have too many matches, some of them have to be cut shorter to make room for others, and then no one gets the chance to shine.
I could be wrong though, and it was always this way. I'm hoping someone can inform me either way.
*Watching Ric Flair in the 80's and late 90's makes me sad to see how far downhill he has gone now. I understand needing money, but surely he could have stayed with WWE as an agent or something else behind the scenes. The sendoff they gave him was unparalleled. Even HBK's was much more humble, possibly due to his request. But I do wish he would leave TNA totally. Perhaps after being inducted into the Hall of Fame twice he will.
*I finished watching a four disc DVD set that Steve burned for me. It featured matches involving the Kliq (HBK, Scott, Kevin, Sean and HHH) and a bit of discussion at the end about the "Curtain Call" incident. Steve's attention to detail is tremendous, he took matches from their original tape or DVD and combined them with matches that were from recent WWE compilations and put them in chronological order. I didn't know some of the stuff that had happened, and I hadn't seen most of the matches, which were awesome. Of the five, I think Kevin was the most limited. He had mic skills and charisma, but if he wasn't wrestling someone who could carry him, it showed. The others were all great in the ring.
Steve has been wonderful enough to burn me a ton of DVDs that are catching me up on my wrestling history. I didn't think I'd be into some of the stuff from the 80's or early 90's, but I am. Flair, Bret Hart, Davey Boy Smith, Savage, Steamboat - I'm convinced that Savage and Steamboat never had a bad match. This isn't news to a lot of people but it is to me. I'm an amateur historian as it is, so whenever I get into something new I like to learn the history behind it. Wrestling has been no different, and it's fascinating to watch something from 20 years ago the same day as I watch something that's current. Makes it clearer what has changed from then to now. I'm currently making my way through a Macho Man set, and still have the year 1997 that he's burned of PPVs and highlights from RAWs.
I can't thank him enough for making all these for me! It's been fantastic learning what I've missed and didn't know about! Between him and Lee, I've gotten a lot of knowledge in the past year alone. Definitely a good thing.
*While I recognise her role and place in wrestling history, I really don't care for or like Miss Elizabeth's character. Some have characterised her as the "first Diva" (although more put that on Sunny including Sunny herself but honestly - is that really something you'd want to be known for in wrestling?), but she's not even that to me. Savage brought her in after a bunch of people had been wanting to manage him, saying he'd found her but she never managed him, not in the way that Heenan, Jimmy Hart, Mr. Fuji, etc were managers. She was just a valet, and a shadow of a valet at that.
Before he turned face, Macho Man berated her, terrorised her, and basically was the abusive spouse that he was rumoured to be behind the scenes (not going to go into that, as I don't know all the details). She was weepy, cringing and basically the damsel in distress 24/7. Which, that was her role and she played it to a T. But good grief, it got tiring. I greatly preferred Queen Sherri and King Macho because Sherri wasn't afraid to get in there and go after Savage's opponents.
However, I do understand her role as a foil for Macho Man. She's just too passive for my tastes. When she came to Randy's aid and clobbered Sherri, that's the first time I cheered for her. I suppose it's the era I grew up in but I don't want women in wrestling to be passive wallflowers. And that's what Elizabeth was, to me. That said, I hope that one day her and Savage will be inducted into the Hall of Fame together.
*Jimmy Hart is the absolute worst manager, ever. He's annoying but not in the "get heat" way (at least, he doesn't get heat from me) - he's "Michael Cole" annoying. Which isn't good. I find his voice annoying, his mannerisms annoying and his outfits horrid. True, he gets in there and does what a manager should do, help his clients win, but damn. ANNOYING.
*When did Wrestlemania stop being the "Grandest Stage of them All" and start being the "Stage Where Every Tom, Dick and Harry Gets On the Card"? Granted, I've not seen them all, and I'm not as good of a historian as other fans, didn't it used to be that there were fewer matches, and the ones that got on were ones that had build and backstory and such? Or am I completely wrong? When the 12-man (I think) tag match was announced for this year's Wrestlemania to determine who gets to be General Manager (or whatever the reason for having it is), I thought, "Wow. That's a great way to shove everyone who doesn't have a match onto the card for one big cluster fuck." For all the talk of "Wrestlemania Moments" and "Grandest Stage" and people working their "whole lives" to wrestle on the show...trying to find a way to shoehorn everyone on the roster onto the card doesn't make it feel special. It makes it feel ordinary, and even lackluster. I appreciate the roster wanting to get that Wrestlemania payday, but when you have too many matches, some of them have to be cut shorter to make room for others, and then no one gets the chance to shine.
I could be wrong though, and it was always this way. I'm hoping someone can inform me either way.
*Watching Ric Flair in the 80's and late 90's makes me sad to see how far downhill he has gone now. I understand needing money, but surely he could have stayed with WWE as an agent or something else behind the scenes. The sendoff they gave him was unparalleled. Even HBK's was much more humble, possibly due to his request. But I do wish he would leave TNA totally. Perhaps after being inducted into the Hall of Fame twice he will.
*I finished watching a four disc DVD set that Steve burned for me. It featured matches involving the Kliq (HBK, Scott, Kevin, Sean and HHH) and a bit of discussion at the end about the "Curtain Call" incident. Steve's attention to detail is tremendous, he took matches from their original tape or DVD and combined them with matches that were from recent WWE compilations and put them in chronological order. I didn't know some of the stuff that had happened, and I hadn't seen most of the matches, which were awesome. Of the five, I think Kevin was the most limited. He had mic skills and charisma, but if he wasn't wrestling someone who could carry him, it showed. The others were all great in the ring.
Steve has been wonderful enough to burn me a ton of DVDs that are catching me up on my wrestling history. I didn't think I'd be into some of the stuff from the 80's or early 90's, but I am. Flair, Bret Hart, Davey Boy Smith, Savage, Steamboat - I'm convinced that Savage and Steamboat never had a bad match. This isn't news to a lot of people but it is to me. I'm an amateur historian as it is, so whenever I get into something new I like to learn the history behind it. Wrestling has been no different, and it's fascinating to watch something from 20 years ago the same day as I watch something that's current. Makes it clearer what has changed from then to now. I'm currently making my way through a Macho Man set, and still have the year 1997 that he's burned of PPVs and highlights from RAWs.
I can't thank him enough for making all these for me! It's been fantastic learning what I've missed and didn't know about! Between him and Lee, I've gotten a lot of knowledge in the past year alone. Definitely a good thing.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Thoughts on The Survivor Series Anthology 1992 - 1996
I'm finishing up SS '96 and truly the changes the WWF went through during this time period are striking. In 1992 you had Hulk Hogan sitting out of the company due to the steroid allegations that were coming to light; goofy gimmicks such as The Natural Disasters, Nailz, Kamala and The Headshrinkers; and two men who were struggling to make their mark as smaller guys among the powerhouses - namely, Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart. In a twist of irony, this anthology has them facing each other for the WWF title at SS '92 in the main event (Bret was champion while HBK was Inter-Continental Champion). I say ironic, given what happened at SS '97. But this was Bret's first pay per view title defense after winning it from Ric Flair in an untelevised match on Superstars. This SS also had your big names such as Flair, Mr. Perfect, Undertaker and Randy Savage.
Fast forward to SS '96 and you have HBK as your champion, Bret Hart feuding with a fiery, brash upstart named Stone Cold Steve Austin, Undertaker and Mankind tearing the hell out of each other - much more violent, much more 'real' things mixed in with the vestieges of the "family friendly" product of the early to mid 90's. There were still goofy gimmicks galore - The Godwinns, Crush, Flash Funk and arguably the stupidest of all, the fake Diesel and the fake Razor Ramon. (Which, hearing Jim Ross wonder outloud why the Madison Square Garden crowd was booing Razor, made me face palm. By this point, Razor {Scott Hall} and Diesel {Kevin Nash} were running wild in WCW alongside Hulk Hogan as the New World Order - the two fakes weren't fooling anyone in the Garden.)
Plus, who's stupid idea was it to put Barry Windham in a gimmicked name/identity? This guy was an original Horseman, yet he came into the WWF as "The Stalker." Give me a break!
I could feel the shift as I went from one disc to the next and by 1996 the Attitude Era was ready to bust out in full force. There was more violence, more aggression, more sexuality and even Bret Hart, who was the ultimate family friendly babyface, showed far more aggression first in '95 against Diesel but even moreso against Austin in '96. The times were changing. The lines were starting to blur between heel and babyface - despite Austin being the heel and Bret being the face, people were starting to cheer Austin. Same with Sid when it was him v Shawn (although HBK's pop clearly outdid Sid's).
I marvel at how they kept Undertaker's character fresh and interesting. Going from a silent, supernatural zombie, to a mortician, to a force of nature, to betrayed and tormented by Paul Bearer and Mankind.
I also marvel at how Shawn Michaels went to an egotistical, narcisstic heel who was hated by men and women (but also desired by both), to a strong, persistent, underdog babyface who still oozed sexuality but also portrayed as coming from humble beginnings to achieve his boyhood dream of becoming WWF Champion. The addition of his mentor and trainer, Jose Lothario helped in this transition. Hearing his ovation at The Garden when he came out for his match against Psycho Sid was interesting - and seeing him prance and grind, his raw sexuality fully on display, hearing the screams of the women, I could fully understand it. He looked amazing in the mid '90s.
Whereas I think Scott Hall had skill, Nash and Sid were those who were only as good as the people they faced. Good characters, good charisma, good promos but put them in there against someone that couldn't work and it fell to pieces. Austin, however, surprised me. I've been accustomed to seeing his work from 1999 onwards, so the fact he could be very technical in the ring as opposed to just out and out brawling shocked me. I enjoyed the hell out of him v Bret Hart and although I couldn't understand why Bret chose Austin to induct him into the Hall of Fame before, I sure do now. It was also surreal, seeing the past versus the present in this match and the feud overall.
I can't help but wonder at the changes, and seeing HBK in Bret's position and knowing what happens in '97. But normally wrestling doesn't have very many happy endings, and in this case I'm very glad both men have resolved things and are now friends.
I actually bought this anthology (and the one before it) because each had a year that had female teams in SS-style matches. I know, silly to buy a package for one thing, but both turned out to be good purchases since I've enjoyed watching more than just the female matches. However, I couldn't pass up the chance to see legends such as Aja Kong, Kyoko Inoue, and Lioness Asuka. The match was shorter than I would've liked, yet compared to what we get from the "Divas" today it was stellar and given more time. The exchange between Alundra Blayze (aka Madusa) and Aja was great and I do wish they could have had a proper program. I've heard rumours that some of the boys around that time didn't like being upstaged by Alundra and the other Joshis, which is what led to the end of the women's division after the former left. I can fully believe that. Alundra versus Bull Nakano or Lex Luger versus Tatanka? No contest in my eyes.
The very end of Sid v HBK highlighted the change clearly. Sid hit Shawn with a camera after hitting Jose with the same camera - and the crowd cheered. Some didn't, admittedly, but if it had been maybe just a year or two ago, that would've equated Sid as a full fledged heel. But in 1996, it only got him applause and the crowd really did go nuts when he won the belt. He played to the crowd, bumping fists around the ring and was even pulled into a hug which he returned. For me, this really brought home how times were changing in the WWF. You could start having faces with rougher edges, tweeners, anti-heroes - the lines were starting to blur.
The Attitude Era was coming.
I enjoyed this anthology more than the first, mostly because I knew more of the people therein, and a lot of the matches were faster paced. Even though I bought it for one match on one disc, I got a lot more entertainment out of the whole thing. A worthwhile purchase.
Matches I enjoyed:
*Ric Flair & Razor Ramon v Mr. Perfect & Randy Savage (1992). Great backstory to this which shows how they were able to turn Perfect so quickly so he could fill the fired Warrior's spot as Savage's partner.
*Bret Hart v Shawn Michaels, WWF Title (1992).
*Razor Ramon/Randy Savage/Marty Jannetty/1-2-3 Kid v Irwin R. Schyster/Diesel/Rick Martel/Adam Bomb (1993).
*Shawn Michaels/Diesel/Jeff Jarrett/Owen Hart/Jim Neidhart v Razor Ramon/1-2-3 Kid/British Bulldog/The Headshrinkers (1994).
*Jerry Lawler/Cheesy/Sleazy/Queasy v Doink/Dink/Wink/Pink (1994). This was a lot more enjoyable than I had originally thought it would be. Lawler's teammates turning against him and teaming up with the clowns was funny. Other people I've talked to have the opinion that Doink was a good wrestler in an originally creepy gimmick, who then turned face and was never really taken seriously. I agree.
*Undertaker v Yokozuna, casket match (1994). The addition of Chuck Norris was a nice touch. He got as loud a pop as their most popular wrestlers.
*Alundra Blayze/Kyoko Inoue/Sakie Hasegawa/Chaparita Asari v Bertha Faye/Aja Kong/Tomoko Watanabe/Lioness Asuka (1995). If it exposed at least one person to Joshi, it was worthwhile.
*Owen Hart/Yokozuna/Dean Douglas/Razor Ramon v British Bulldog/Psycho Sid/Ahmed Johnson/Shawn Michaels, Wild Card match (1995). This match basically mixed babyfaces and heels and it worked really well with the various conflicts adding to it.
*Diesel v Bret Hart, WWF Championship (1995). I don't know if it started here, but between Bret in '94 and here, he showed a lot more aggression in his character and wrestling style, which suited the match with Nash.
*Bret Hart v Steve Austin (1996).
*Shawn Michaels v Sycho Sid (1996).
Fast forward to SS '96 and you have HBK as your champion, Bret Hart feuding with a fiery, brash upstart named Stone Cold Steve Austin, Undertaker and Mankind tearing the hell out of each other - much more violent, much more 'real' things mixed in with the vestieges of the "family friendly" product of the early to mid 90's. There were still goofy gimmicks galore - The Godwinns, Crush, Flash Funk and arguably the stupidest of all, the fake Diesel and the fake Razor Ramon. (Which, hearing Jim Ross wonder outloud why the Madison Square Garden crowd was booing Razor, made me face palm. By this point, Razor {Scott Hall} and Diesel {Kevin Nash} were running wild in WCW alongside Hulk Hogan as the New World Order - the two fakes weren't fooling anyone in the Garden.)
Plus, who's stupid idea was it to put Barry Windham in a gimmicked name/identity? This guy was an original Horseman, yet he came into the WWF as "The Stalker." Give me a break!
I could feel the shift as I went from one disc to the next and by 1996 the Attitude Era was ready to bust out in full force. There was more violence, more aggression, more sexuality and even Bret Hart, who was the ultimate family friendly babyface, showed far more aggression first in '95 against Diesel but even moreso against Austin in '96. The times were changing. The lines were starting to blur between heel and babyface - despite Austin being the heel and Bret being the face, people were starting to cheer Austin. Same with Sid when it was him v Shawn (although HBK's pop clearly outdid Sid's).
I marvel at how they kept Undertaker's character fresh and interesting. Going from a silent, supernatural zombie, to a mortician, to a force of nature, to betrayed and tormented by Paul Bearer and Mankind.
I also marvel at how Shawn Michaels went to an egotistical, narcisstic heel who was hated by men and women (but also desired by both), to a strong, persistent, underdog babyface who still oozed sexuality but also portrayed as coming from humble beginnings to achieve his boyhood dream of becoming WWF Champion. The addition of his mentor and trainer, Jose Lothario helped in this transition. Hearing his ovation at The Garden when he came out for his match against Psycho Sid was interesting - and seeing him prance and grind, his raw sexuality fully on display, hearing the screams of the women, I could fully understand it. He looked amazing in the mid '90s.
Whereas I think Scott Hall had skill, Nash and Sid were those who were only as good as the people they faced. Good characters, good charisma, good promos but put them in there against someone that couldn't work and it fell to pieces. Austin, however, surprised me. I've been accustomed to seeing his work from 1999 onwards, so the fact he could be very technical in the ring as opposed to just out and out brawling shocked me. I enjoyed the hell out of him v Bret Hart and although I couldn't understand why Bret chose Austin to induct him into the Hall of Fame before, I sure do now. It was also surreal, seeing the past versus the present in this match and the feud overall.
I can't help but wonder at the changes, and seeing HBK in Bret's position and knowing what happens in '97. But normally wrestling doesn't have very many happy endings, and in this case I'm very glad both men have resolved things and are now friends.
I actually bought this anthology (and the one before it) because each had a year that had female teams in SS-style matches. I know, silly to buy a package for one thing, but both turned out to be good purchases since I've enjoyed watching more than just the female matches. However, I couldn't pass up the chance to see legends such as Aja Kong, Kyoko Inoue, and Lioness Asuka. The match was shorter than I would've liked, yet compared to what we get from the "Divas" today it was stellar and given more time. The exchange between Alundra Blayze (aka Madusa) and Aja was great and I do wish they could have had a proper program. I've heard rumours that some of the boys around that time didn't like being upstaged by Alundra and the other Joshis, which is what led to the end of the women's division after the former left. I can fully believe that. Alundra versus Bull Nakano or Lex Luger versus Tatanka? No contest in my eyes.
The very end of Sid v HBK highlighted the change clearly. Sid hit Shawn with a camera after hitting Jose with the same camera - and the crowd cheered. Some didn't, admittedly, but if it had been maybe just a year or two ago, that would've equated Sid as a full fledged heel. But in 1996, it only got him applause and the crowd really did go nuts when he won the belt. He played to the crowd, bumping fists around the ring and was even pulled into a hug which he returned. For me, this really brought home how times were changing in the WWF. You could start having faces with rougher edges, tweeners, anti-heroes - the lines were starting to blur.
The Attitude Era was coming.
I enjoyed this anthology more than the first, mostly because I knew more of the people therein, and a lot of the matches were faster paced. Even though I bought it for one match on one disc, I got a lot more entertainment out of the whole thing. A worthwhile purchase.
Matches I enjoyed:
*Ric Flair & Razor Ramon v Mr. Perfect & Randy Savage (1992). Great backstory to this which shows how they were able to turn Perfect so quickly so he could fill the fired Warrior's spot as Savage's partner.
*Bret Hart v Shawn Michaels, WWF Title (1992).
*Razor Ramon/Randy Savage/Marty Jannetty/1-2-3 Kid v Irwin R. Schyster/Diesel/Rick Martel/Adam Bomb (1993).
*Shawn Michaels/Diesel/Jeff Jarrett/Owen Hart/Jim Neidhart v Razor Ramon/1-2-3 Kid/British Bulldog/The Headshrinkers (1994).
*Jerry Lawler/Cheesy/Sleazy/Queasy v Doink/Dink/Wink/Pink (1994). This was a lot more enjoyable than I had originally thought it would be. Lawler's teammates turning against him and teaming up with the clowns was funny. Other people I've talked to have the opinion that Doink was a good wrestler in an originally creepy gimmick, who then turned face and was never really taken seriously. I agree.
*Undertaker v Yokozuna, casket match (1994). The addition of Chuck Norris was a nice touch. He got as loud a pop as their most popular wrestlers.
*Alundra Blayze/Kyoko Inoue/Sakie Hasegawa/Chaparita Asari v Bertha Faye/Aja Kong/Tomoko Watanabe/Lioness Asuka (1995). If it exposed at least one person to Joshi, it was worthwhile.
*Owen Hart/Yokozuna/Dean Douglas/Razor Ramon v British Bulldog/Psycho Sid/Ahmed Johnson/Shawn Michaels, Wild Card match (1995). This match basically mixed babyfaces and heels and it worked really well with the various conflicts adding to it.
*Diesel v Bret Hart, WWF Championship (1995). I don't know if it started here, but between Bret in '94 and here, he showed a lot more aggression in his character and wrestling style, which suited the match with Nash.
*Bret Hart v Steve Austin (1996).
*Shawn Michaels v Sycho Sid (1996).
Introduction.
My name's Jennifer and I love professional wrestling. I've been a fan for 13 years and have grown from being a fan of only WWF (now WWE) to being a fan of almost all of it. Old WWF, WCW, NWA, AWA, Japan, UK, etc. I favour female wrestling moreso nowadays, SHIMMER, NCW Femmes Fatales, Chikara, Anarchy Championship Wrestling, etc.
I used to write about wrestling in my personal blog but nowadays it seems almost everyone has a wrestling blog. So I figured...why not me too? This won't really be too organised, I figure I'll put my thoughts on whatever I'm watching (DVD, tv-wise, etc.), whatever I'm into at the moment, various rants and praise and what have you.
I contribute to a female wrestling website called ringbellesonline.com and that's where most of my writings are at the moment. This blog is more scattered and also a place that I can write about anything outside of female wrestling.
Incase you're wondering, the html "The Dangerous Queen" is a reference to one of the best wrestlers ever - Akira Hokuto. If you've not heard of her, Google her immediately. She is a true legend not just in Japan but world wide.
So there you have it. Read and enjoy.
I used to write about wrestling in my personal blog but nowadays it seems almost everyone has a wrestling blog. So I figured...why not me too? This won't really be too organised, I figure I'll put my thoughts on whatever I'm watching (DVD, tv-wise, etc.), whatever I'm into at the moment, various rants and praise and what have you.
I contribute to a female wrestling website called ringbellesonline.com and that's where most of my writings are at the moment. This blog is more scattered and also a place that I can write about anything outside of female wrestling.
Incase you're wondering, the html "The Dangerous Queen" is a reference to one of the best wrestlers ever - Akira Hokuto. If you've not heard of her, Google her immediately. She is a true legend not just in Japan but world wide.
So there you have it. Read and enjoy.
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