SHIMMER Women Athletes – Volume 1 – 6th November 2005
I know, I know. I have TONS of stuff I should be reviewing before this. My ROH review collection is slowly being rebuilt (and I’m pleased to say I’ve recovered a fair amount of my archive), but I’m a long way behind on modern releases (with shows as far back as Glory By Honor 5 weekend still to be done). I’ve also got a bunch of puro and other tapes waiting. But I just really wanted to do this since I own most SHIMMER releases thus far and really enjoy the product. SHIMMER is a promotion run by veteran indy manager/commentator Dave Prazak. He wanted to prove that a US-based all-female wrestling company was possible, and in November 2005 he opened the doors of SHIMMER for the first time. They normally run long afternoon shows, taping two “volumes” at a time for DVD release. This was the very first show taped on November 6th (the day after the ROH Showdown In Motown/Vendetta double shot). He’s brought together a roster of the very best female workers the US has. Most you’ll recognise in truth, but rather than manage, or valet or anything like that – on SHIMMER shows you’ll see what they can do in the ring. Get ready to see a whole new side to girls like Lacey, Daizee Haze, Mercedes Martinez, Allison Danger and so on. We’re in Berwyn, IL…in what looks like somebody’s basement. Attendance is less than 100 people but the intimate setting means they make a decent amount of noise. Hosts are Dave Prazak and Allison Danger.
This is an easter egg on the DVD but it’s pretty easy to find. We’ll be kicking things off with a dark match.
DARK MATCH – Men’s Come As You Are Rumble
Since the female athletes are so often stuck wrestling dark matches on most independent shows, tonight it’s their turn to get some revenge. Various male athletes that are in attendance at this first ever SHIMMER taping will get the chance to show what they can do…in a dark match. It’s standard Royal Rumble, over the top rope rules…with all the entrants entering dressed how they like.
Bryce Benjamin and Dan Lawrence are first in. I have no idea who they are, but they’re wrestling in jeans. They do some basic stuff before the next entrant arrives. Matt Sydal is out next in jeans and a hoodie. Delirious next, and he appears from under the ring with a pillow and a blanket. Was he sleeping under there? He falls over as he’s running laps of the ring lol. Trik Davis comes in, and Sydal smothers both him and Delirious with Delirious’ blanket. Trik’s white socks are goofy as hell. Claudio Castagnoli comes in wearing a trademark disgusting suit. He grabs the blanket and takes a nap in the corner. Bryce Benjamin has been eliminated somewhere. Danny Daniels is next in, whilst drinking a beer. Castagnoli and Sydal go Van Dam/Sabu chair duelling…with a pillow. EUROPEAN UPPERCUT WITH A PILLOW! Brad Bradley is the next entrant. He’s a big guy you’ll see a lot in IWA-MS. He starts clobbering people with his shoe. Alex Shelley (dressed remarkably normally for him) makes his entrance…and leads to most of the entrants trying to choke each other in the corner. Austin Aries comes in next, apparently having been in the toilet. He is immediately eliminated and he goes right back to the bathroom. Lawrence has been eliminated too. Everyone decides to go after Bradley…and everybody falls to the floor and eliminates themselves. The last entrant is Jimmy Jacobs, and he simply has to walk into the ring to win it. This is over in 07:50.
Rating – N/A – I don’t really want to rate it since it’s not a match. But it is really hilarious…and great to see all the wrestlers having a good time, smiling in the ring and enjoying themselves.
Right…the show starts now, with a photo session featuring all the participants. Allison Danger thanks everyone for coming and promises that they will change people’s perspectives of women’s wrestling.
Tiana Ringer vs Shantelle Taylor
My first time seeing either of these two women. They’re both pretty small athletes. Ringer is in purple tights, Taylor in pink bootie shorts. Taylor is from Canada if that’s interesting to you. For those of you interested in how hot they are…Shantelle is smoking.
Apparently they both wrestle a lot in Canada, and they do look very familiar with each other. Taylor cartwheels as Ringer tries a waistlock. She drives knees into Tiana’s face as well. Ringer gets 2 by catching Shantelle in a sidewalk slam. That’s her cue to start working the back with knee drops. She works a camel clutch by pulling the hair. Ringer gets another 2 with a curb stomp. Taylor tries a suplex but Ringer is so flexible she can arch her back and kick over her own head. Backbreaker into an over the knee stretch by Tiana. Taylor hits the ropes only to run into a tilta-whirl backbreaker. Camel clutch again, as the crowd start getting behind Shantelle. She finally manages to drive some knees into the groin and put some moves together. A satellite headscissors and a messy looking jumping heel kick get Taylor a 2. BIG chop exchange ends with Ringer hitting a suplex. Taylor tries another comeback and gets booted in the face. She tries to get up top but Tiana catches her up there with vicious slaps. Shantelle recovers to hit a missile dropkick and get the win at 08:36.
Rating - ** - Good, competitive opening match. I got the feeling Tiana Ringer was a better worker. She was generally hitting everything with more cleanliness, and she basically ran the match with her work on the back. Not a whole lot of back selling going on by Shantelle but whatever. Finish was a little sudden too. But it was a physical opening contest and gave the crowd a good idea what to expect. If this one went on in the WWE we’d be applauding it, so I’ll give it the same credit here.
Team Blondage (Amber O’Neal and Krissy Vaine) come to the ring. They basically work hot, blonde, airhead heel roles, and cut a promo to demonstrate that, and generally wind the crowd up.
Team Blondage vs Cindy Rogers/Nikki Roxx
The Volume 1 & 2 tapings are the only time you’ll see Team Blondage in SHIMMER. One of them got signed by the WWE very soon after this. I’m assuming it’s the hotter one that looks like Torrie Wilson. The other looks kinda gross. Cindy Rogers and Nikki Roxx are fairly inexperienced and have never teamed before…although I think Cindy actually made it onto an ROH show sometime during 2005.
Vaine actually is the hot one. Team Blondage start on the floor and don’t really seem all that keen on wrestling. Then they get into an argument as to who actually has to start the match. ‘You Paris Hilton wannabes’ – fan. In the end Amber starts with Roxx. Amber appears to be wrestling in a mini-skirt. 5 minutes gone and nothing much has happened. Vaine gets the tag only for Rogers to drop toehold her on her face. In the end Blondage get the advantage by O’Neal getting in a cheapshot from the apron. Vaine chokes Nikki on the canvas as the blonds start dominating her. No wonder the WWE signed one of them…they both suck. They wrestle like every other WWE diva. Amber distracts the referee whilst Vaine chokes Nikki over the middle rope. O’Neal with a chinlock. A lot of TB’s offence has focused on Roxx’s neck. Krissy tags and gets 2 with a sidewalk slam. Camel clutch by Amber, with nostril stretching, then she goes to a sleeper hold. Roxx refuses to quit, but as she escapes their heads collide and both go down. Hot tag to Cindy who cleans house on both the blondes. Amber takes Roxx to the floor and throws her into the ringpost. She then grabs Krissy’s arms as Rogers goes for a slingshot sunset flip. Illegal double team pin gets Team Blondage a dodgy victory at 12:53.
Rating - * - There was some good heel work, and the use of traditional tag team formula was good. The problem was that none of these girls were really all that good. They all had the execution of the crappy divas you see on TV every week. So whilst it was entertaining, it never felt like a “good” match. I’m trying to rate these matches as I would for an all-male card. If men went out there and couldn’t hit clotheslines properly I’d knock down the rating. Same goes for these ladies.
Rain vs Ariel
These two I’m more familiar with. Rain has been on the independent circuit for a while. You’ll probably have seen her if you regularly purchase IWA-MS shows. She’s part of a regular tag team with Lacey, and has a similar kind of attitude to Lacey too. They’ll probably team together sometime in SHIMMER. Ariel you’ll recognise as the regular valet of the Christopher Street Connection. I’m interested to see what she’s like in the ring. I know Rain is pretty solid. Ariel immediately makes me like her twice as much by coming out to B*Witched ‘C’est La Vie’.
The female referee for this match is CRAZY sexy. Rain acts all cocky and gets the taste slapped out of her mouth. Ariel chases her to the floor and rams her head into the ring apron. Back in the ring and Rain is finally able to get the advantage by choking Ariel on the ropes. Rain gets 2 with a neckbreaker over the knee. Ariel responds with a dropkick with Rain in a seated position. Rain with the hair camel clutch that we saw Team Blondage use so effectively. They trade chops in the corner until Rain hits a series of jumping knee strikes to the midsection. Ariel blocks a German by getting her feet on the ropes. She then blocks the Acid Rain with a victory roll for 2. Tornado DDT on Rain, and both girls are down. Big forearm duel on the canvas, followed by rolling snap suplexes from Ariel. Northern lights suplex gets 2. Rain gets 2 with a reverse DDT (the Rain Drop apparently). ACE CRUSHER nailed, and Ariel picks up the victory at 08:46. C’est La Vie Rain…
Rating - ** - Wow…Ariel was awesome. I was expecting her to be a pseudo-comedy worker like her former charges the Christopher Street Connection, but she was a terrific babyface. Dave Prazak and Allison Danger said she spends lots of time working in Mexico and Japan and it shows. She looked like the best talent on the show thus far. They weren’t given that much time but both women put together a well-worked match, with Rain providing a solid heel base for Ariel to work around. I can’t wait to see more of them.
Lexie Fyfe vs Christie Ricci
Ricci is another one I’ve never seen before. She’s wrestling in all red and is fairly tall actually. Fyfe is another veteran (debuting in August 1995) of the women’s wrestling scene. She’s older than most of the roster and a lot bigger. I’d expect her size and experience advantage will be a key factor in a lot of her matches.
Both of these women are powerful so they start by trading basic holds and testing each other for weaknesses. Fyfe escapes a rear chinlock with a really ugly jawbreaker. Ricci hits a few armdrags, then attempts a cross armbreaker. Lexie ends up breaking that by raking the eyes. Ricci tries a few chops in the corner but gets fingers in her eyes again. Fyfe applies a camel clutch with VICIOUS face clawing. Rolling suplexes on Ricci gets a 2. Lexie ties Christie in the ropes and stretches her out by pulling the hair – a fun heel act since she’d spent most of the match complaining about fictional hairpulls by Ricci. Christie catches her opponent on the top rope and pulls her down with a superplex. Team Blondage should watch how Ricci connects with a leaping clothesline. She goes for a Warrior Splash but dives into Fyfe’s knees. TKO by Lexie, and she wins at 08:24.
Rating - * - Really basic match. Lexie looked good as an old school heel but I think she needs better people to work with than Ricci in order to have great matches. Christie wasn’t exactly bad, but she seemed like the kind of girl who wanted to try more moves than she was really capable of (her attempt at a lucha armdrag was really laughable). Another really sudden finish too. It made sense…it just came a little quickly.
Cheerleader Melissa vs MsChif
The only place I’ve seen Melissa before is in ROH but she’s one of the most well-travelled women on the roster. She is really beautiful in my opinion, although not everyone agrees. MsChif is quite the character. She dresses like a Marilyn Manson groupie, with green highlights. And she screams…a lot. But she’s also insanely flexible and has a number of really unique moves. Watch this match as Melissa/MsChif is one of the defining feuds in early SHIMMER.
Melissa charges out of her corner and clubs MsChif with a barrage of forearms. MsChif responds by screaming…a lot. She works Melissa’s arm and applies a really freaky stranglehold/hammerlock stretch. Cheerleader goes to the eyes, then scores with a back suplex. She then starts stomping on her opponent and disrespectfully slapping her. Next up she brings rope choking, and standing on the throat and face. Inverted cloverleaf applied with such tenacity that she makes MsChif KICK HER OWN HEAD! Holy Jack Evans! They botch a bodyscissors takedown but MsChif quickly recovers with a bridging camel clutch. But Chif gets involved in an argument with the referee which allows Melissa to get to her feet and start attacking the leg. She’s just giving the less-experienced pummelling here. MsChif thinks about a comeback to Cheerleader throws her to the floor. Outside now, she starts stretching Chif over the damn guardrail. That’s not enough, she repeatedly slams her back-first into the ringpost too. MsChif gets it together for a strike duel on the floor. Melissa comes back by applying a surfboard OVER THE GUARDRAIL! Back in the ring she looks for the Kudoh Driver (Cop Killa) but Chif manages to roll away. The green woman manages a really messy quebrada for 2. Melissa f*cking KILLS her in the corner with running dropkicks. But she goes to the well once too often and takes a drop toehold into the turnbuckles. She lies prone with her chin on the bottom turnbuckle, and MsChif comes off the ropes with repeated double stomps. She tries a rana but Melissa catches her with a SIT-OUT POWERBOMB for 2. Kudoh Driver…COUNTERED WITH THE DESECRATOR! That’s MsChif’s finisher and she scores a big win at 15:04.
Rating - *** - Easy MOTN thus far, as these two really tore into each other and beat the crap out of each other. From the bell the fans really wanted to cheer Melissa and get on MsChif as a heel…but Melissa was so awesome in her role of beating the crap out of Chif that within 10 minutes people were getting on her case and cheering for her opponent. If you’re looking for an idea of what SHIMMER is trying to be then check this match out. Two talented women pulling no punches and putting on a hard-hitting wrestling match.
Beth Phoenix vs Allison Danger
Danger is basically the poster-girl of SHIMMER. In my opinion she’s nowhere near the best wrestler on the roster but she works damn hard, is always improving and you can literally the see the dedication and desire for the SHIMMER concept to be a success oozing from her. Beth Phoenix is another girl who was signed up by the WWE shortly after these tapings. I don’t really watch WWE these days, but I think she’s already turned up on TV. She was in OVW by this point anyway.
Prazak is calling this match solo. They start a criss-cross, but Danger stops…leaving Phoenix to do it by herself until she runs out of breath. She’s also not athletic to nip-up out of a wristlock like Allison did to her. It’s all comedy making Beth look like a bit of a tool thus far. Finally Beth is able to trap Danger in the corner for a few open hand strikes. Allison comes back with chops in all three corners. Phoenix eventually gets tired of that and becomes the latest in a procession of wrestlers to cheat by using the eyes. She starts choking her opponent, and distracts the referee by kissing him. You didn’t misread that. With the referee still distracted she starts choking Allison with wrist tape. Beth continues using shortcuts like rope chokes, hair pulls and so on. Danger tries an Oklahoma roll out of nowhere and Phoenix is so pissed off by that she absolutely clobbers Danger. Allison escapes a cobra stretch and nails a swinging facebuster over the knee to leave both ladies down. Danger is first up and gets 2 with a neckbreaker on her knee. Beth Valley Driver countered into a small package. Allison wins in 10:43.
Rating - ** - A solid mix of comedy and wrestling on display here. Phoenix was charismatic enough to make the cheating work even though pretty much every match has featured a lot of the same stuff. It was a good match to establish Allison as one of the top names in the promotion, since it clearly defined her as both a babyface, and a talented wrestler which one must cheat against to overcome. I think this would’ve been better if it had gotten more time.
Mercedes Martinez vs Sara Del Rey
SHIMMER are promoting this as a bit of a women’s dream match. Basically, Martinez is acknowledged as one of the best female workers on the east coast, whilst Del Rey trained in the Inoki Dojo on the West Coast under a certain Bryan Danielson. She uses ‘The Final Countdown’ as her entrance theme and everything. This is the first time they’ve ever wrestled, and this match is generally known as the one that put SHIMMER on the map. Does it deserve the hype?
The early hold exchanges immediately look a class above anything else we’ve seen on the show so far. Del Rey looks like she’s got a slight edge as they work the mat, but Martinez shows her power by shoving Sara down with a shoulder tackle. Out of that they both decide to throw some BRUTAL forearms. Mercedes no-sells a suplex and gets straight back up to kick Del Rey in the chest. Sara gets 2 with a double underhook suplex. She props Martinez up in the ropes and drives both knees into the midsection. Martinez lifts her into a DVD over the knee for 2. She peppers Del Rey with knee strikes in the corner then hits a brainbuster. Del Rey comes back with hip attacks then a clubbing clothesline as Mercedes escapes her attempt at a powerbomb. After a modified abdominal stretch she tries the powerbomb again but still can’t connect. Mercedes scores with a spinebuster for 2. Sara escapes a surfboard so Martinez hits with a sick flurry of crossface strikes. Del Rey manages another 2 with a Polish Hammer. REPEATED Yakuza kicks but Martinez just keeps getting up. POWERBOMB NAILED for 2. Martinez rallies back to hit a GERMAN SUPLEX. She ties Del Rey in a knot then takes a few moments to catch her breath before burying a dropkick into the ribs. Sara hits her own German but it’s not good enough to win it. Martinez looks for the win with a series of roll-ups, and when that doesn’t work she uses a cradle suplex for another 2. DRAGON CLUTCH on Del Rey. When that doesn’t work Mercedes resorts to a plain old, dirty double fishhook. Front butterfly stretch WITH bodyscissors applied next and there are duelling ‘Tap’ and ‘No’ chants from the crowd. MORE STRIKES! BRING THE STIFFNESS! All of a sudden there’s only a minute left in the time limit. Del Rey goes for her finisher. The cradle butterfly stretch into a butterfly powerslam but no dice. Martinez recovers with the FISHERMAN BUSTER! That’s her finish, but the time limit expires on her so it’s a 20 minute time limit draw. I have the match clocked at 19:00…so either there’s some clipping or SHIMMER’S timekeeper is crap. Great match though…
Rating - **** - Maybe I’m overrating this a little, and maybe if men went out there and put on the same match I wouldn’t be so high on it, but what the hell. That was a hell of a battle, and definitely worth checking the DVD out for. The gulf in quality between these two and some of the other talents on the SHIMMER roster was really startling. Were there still some execution problems? Maybe, but these girls are big, strong, violent and they let it all hang out for almost 20 minutes there. Del Rey in particular looked a superb wrestler. Apparently she spends most of her time wrestling in Japan - it is VERY obvious. I think those hyping this as an MOTYC were way off the mark, but it’s probably the best US women’s match you’ve seen in a long, long time.
Lacey vs Daizee Haze
Following the last match these girls have the unenviable task of main eventing the first ever SHIMMER show. Regular ROH viewers will be familiar with them, but perhaps not familiar with their skills in the ring. Lacey is (well, I formed this opinion before I’d seen Sara wrestle in fairness), for my money, the best US female worker going. She’s a bit of an acquired taste, since her gimmick and heel work tends to annoy some people, but I think she oozes quality. Daizee, on the other hand, I think isn’t as good as people make her out to be. What she is, however, is a very solid babyface worker (and this is me saying this even though I don’t like her, and LOVED hating her when she was in The Embassy). Incidentally, this is the night after she turned on Matt Sydal and joined The Embassy at ROH Vendetta. She might cop some heat for that. Anyway, these girls have fought all over the country so it’s only natural that they’d bring the long-standing rivalry into SHIMMER Women Athletes.
The time limit for SHIMMER main events jumps to 60 minutes. Lacey has an obvious size advantage and dominates the opening sequence…then screams at everyone for approval. They show some real technical prowess as they trade holds around the arm. Haze works a wristlock and Lacey needs a handful of hair to escape that, then bails to kill some time on the floor. 5 minutes gone, and Lacey has spent most of them yelling. She makes a cool reference to her team with Rain as she does the same “laugh at her smaller opponent” by challenging her to a test of strength trick that Rain tried with Ariel earlier. Daizee continues to work the arm, but gets a little too keen which allows Lacey to ram her into the turnbuckles. I’m impressed as Lacey works the same rope-choking schtick that we’ve seen a bundle before tonight, but with twice as much intensity as anyone else. Haze nails a satellite headscissors and Lacey roll to the floor again. This time Daizee thinks about a dive to the floor, and Lacey is on the apron right away to shove Haze back down to the canvas. Lacey takes control, but again she gets too complacent and eats a few blows from the Haze. Sidewalk slam leaves Daizee flat on the mat for 2. Lacey runs into a reverse elbow in the corner, but she comes back by ROLLING into a volley of mounted forearms. Her offence is concentrated on Haze’s back now, exemplified by the application of a Boston crab. In between moves Lacey repeatedly lands stomps to the back and mixes in all forms of choke as well. She sticks Daizee in the corner then mullers her with a running knee to the back. RUSSIAN LEG SWEEP INTO THE TURNBUCKLES! She’s still not done in the corner, and slaps on a RINGPOST bow and arrow stretch. Repeated forearms to the back, then a sweet looking reverse heel kick score a 2 for Lacey, before she goes to a more orthodox bow and arrow to continue the spinal damage. Daizee tries your classic underdog babyface crossbody, but Lacey catches her for a slam into the turnbuckles. The Haze is stuck in a tree of woe, and Lacey takes advantage by pulling on the neck to stretch the back again. But Haze manages to get a foot free and kick Lacey in the head. SWINGING STUNNER out of the corner! Both women down as we’re approaching 20 minutes. They get back to their feet to tee off on each other with forearms. Daizee gets the better of that, then gets 2 with a running Yakuza kick. She tries to climb the ropes but Lacey is up and crotches her (‘right in the girl bits’ – Allison Danger). ELEVATED swinging neckbreaker gets 2. Lacey blocks the Heart Punch and nails her TKO…for 2! HEART PUNCH! MIND TRIP! DAIZEE WINS! 22:20 is your time.
Rating - **** - Hell yeah…that f’n ruled. I mean, I know I’m a real fan of Lacey’s work, but that was really a really terrific match. How did Martinez/Del Rey come away with so much praise and this one slip right under the radar? The babyface/heel dynamic of this match works so well, since Lacey is incredible at getting everyone in the building to hate her, whilst Daizee is great at playing the sympathetic babyface absorbing a ton of punishment. Throw in some awesome and focused body part work by Lacey, which was well sold too and really, I think THIS would be the showstealer. Oh, and SHIMMER needs to book Lacey vs Sara Del Rey to go 20+. That’d so be the best American women’s match…ever.
Allison Danger cuts a retrospective promo saying that tonight they’ve proven that American Joshi is possible. And that’s the end of the show. Although there’s a bonus dark match from ROH. Ironically, it’s Lacey/Del Rey. They’re flanked by the rest of the SHIMMER roster (faces in red, heels in black). It’s a decent 10 minute match, but you know they’d rock with more time and a better crowd.
Tape Rating - ** - It’s a relatively low rating, but I really enjoyed my first SHIMMER experience. It’s not all perfect. Some of the matches really weren’t that great (the Team Blondage tag and Fyfe/Ricci), and it’s an entire show of women’s wrestling – meaning it does get a little repetitive. But nothing is DUD bad, and you’re getting an entire roster of women busting their ass and looking absolutely desperate to prove themselves and show they can carry a whole show by themselves. Both the top line matches really deliver, so if you want to take a look at what serious US female wrestling looks like – check out a SHIMMER DVD.
Top 3 Matches
3) MsChif vs Cheerleader Melissa (***)
2) Mercedes Martinez vs Sara Del Rey (****)
1) Daizee Haze vs Lacey (****)