McXal's Reviews

After taking WrestleMania weekend by storm a week earlier, SHIMMER returns to their traditional stomping grounds and home building for a the traditional weekend of tapings. Cheerleader Melissa is back on the throne as SHIMMER Champion, and in the main event tonight defends that belt against fellow SHIMMER original Mercedes Martinez. The Tag Titles are on the line too, with the Global Green Gangsters challenging the Canadian NINJAs after the controversial conclusion to a four-team match including both of them last week in New Jersey. This card also has the grudge match between Serena Deeb and Jessicka Havok, Kana taking on Jessie McKay and a four-corner #1 contendership showdown between Madison Eagles, Courtney Rush, Saraya Knight and Athena. Dave Prazak and Portia Perez provide the commentary on action taped in Berwyn, IL.

In the week building up to this show it was announced that Allison Danger would be retiring after these tapings. It is another sad farewell to a SHIMMER original, but she opens the show with her tag partner Leva Bates and promises that they'll spend this final run of shows powering through all the other tag teams on the roster.

I was really impressed with Miss Natural's performances at the October 2012 tapings. She left the weekend with a strong 3-1 record, with her only loss coming against the now two-time SHIMMER Champion Melissa. Garrett made her SHIMMER debut at the same tapings and came away with a less-impressive 0-2 record but still gave a commendable account of herself. After strong showings in SHINE and other promotions, she is back here and in the hunt for her maiden win in the company.

A quick armdrag from Santana startles Patera, so she acts quickly with attempts to trap her opponent in the corner or slow her down with wrestling holds. But Garrett's agility is such that she is able to headstand out of a headscissors attempt to boot Natural in the face! Last Chancery applied - which Miss Natural has to pull the hair to escape. Patera emphatically shuts Santana down; drilling her with a sidewalk slam then aggressively stomping on the back and ribs. Garrett tries to crawl away, only for Heather to climb on top of her and deliver a series of vicious cross-face strikes. Santana tries to quicken the pace again...but this time she is injured and Natural is able to survive a crossbody before blasting her with a running forearm for 2. She scoops Garrett up and slams her against the turnbuckles, leaving her in the tree of woe position to do more damage to the injured midsection. Santana collapses to the floor...but then leapfrogs Natural as she charges to hang her in the ropes. Satellite headscissors follows, then a handspring elbow/bulldog combo. Shining Star Press wins it for Santana at 07:38

Rating - ** - This was almost entirely a continuation of what made these two stand out at the last tapings. Natural excelled as a no-thrills, solid and aggressive heel, Garrett was raw but such an obviously gifted athlete. They worked well as opponents since Patera held it together, allowing Santana to pull out a few flashier sequences around her. I could've done with more of an effort from Garrett to sell the midsection if I'm being really picky (since Heather obviously targeted it in preparation for her finisher, the Natural Disaster) - but that is a minor quibble in a brief seven minute opening match.

Amber Gertner checks in for an interview with Melanie Cruise. Amber calls tonight's match with Ayako Hamada the biggest of Melanie's career, but Cruise herself is more circumspect. She plans to make Hamada a 'stepping stone' on her way to greatness...

These two women were involved in the fracas at the end of V52's Saraya/Melissa Championship match. It was Rhia who handed her mentor Knight the championship belt which she used to knock her opponent out, and it was MsChif who came out to check on her long-time friend/rival Melissa. Now O'Reilly gets a big chance to prove herself in one of her biggest SHIMMER matches to date. Can she pull off an upset against a former SHIMMER Champion?

MsChif works O'Reilly to the canvas and mounts her for a series of early strikes. But Rhia is a robust and dangerous opponent and makes a real statement by dumping Chif on the deck then simply standing over her and repeatedly clubbing her down. She then starts choking and stretching the former champion in the ropes. It's so impressive that a section of the audience are cheering for her over MsChif, and Rhia maintains her momentum with a series of suplexes. It is a great strategy too; denying MsChif any space to get creative and quite literally crowding her out at all times whilst pummelling her to the ground. Chif is rattled, and misses the Panic Attack in the corner allowing O'Reilly to ground her again. MsChif manages to hit a capture facebuster...but even then O'Reilly is instantly back on her to deliver the Finlay Roll. Rhi-adjustment blocked, but as MsChif hooks up the Desecrater O'Reilly COUNTERS to a back suplex! Rhi-adjustment countered to the Desecrator! MsChif collapses on top of Rhia to win the match at 07:13

Rating - *** - This might be my favourite Rhia performance in a SHIMMER ring so far. She's had other good matches, but for an individual display she was tremendous here. So many women have tried to dominate MsChif and work over her back without success, but the way O'Reilly attacked that strategy with real precision and gusto here made her completely believable. She was literally crowding the former Champion out, swarming and mauling her almost from minute one. It meant the match wasn't spectacular to watch, but from a strategic perspective it made such sense. MsChif is a veteran and was incredibly generous, giving Rhia a lot here. Even in victory her winning pinfall was a bedraggled, battered and desperate rather than emphatic or dominant. 

Athena is pumped for this show after defeating Hamada at Volume 53. She acknowledges that she is the only participant in the #1 contendership four-way never to have held SHIMMER gold but won't let anyone stop her tonight.

Both of these two made debuts a week ago in Secaucus, and impressed despite only getting relatively brief ring-time on SHIMMER's packed inaugural iPPV. Kimber is a CZW dojo graduate who made her way to SHIMMER to team with Cherry Bomb in a losing effort against the Veda Scott/Shazza McKenzie team. Evie's debut was more successful. The New Zealander may not have won her five-woman match at V53, but her dazzling spots and athleticism wowed SHIMMER's biggest ever crowd and anticipation is high for her first ever Eagles Club matches.

It is quickly apparent that Evie is the quicker of the two and Kimber smartly wants to grapple and wrestle with her rather than let her build up any speed. The second Evie does break free she instantly sprints into clotheslines and dropkicks which knock Lee out of the ring. PK FROM THE APRON gets Evie a 2-count! Monkey flip/neckbreaker combo scores as well, as the Kiwi continues to impress. She is known for her big kicks - but Kimber has that scouted. She absorbs a couple, but then grabs the leg as Evie tries another kick...using it to drag her to the ground and absolutely BATTER her with forearms! As we saw with O'Reilly in the previous match, she uses the ropes to her advantage and batters her opponent with short-range strikes to keep her down. She applies a Tarantula-esque hanging armbar and a brutal kick to the head upon the referee-enforced release of that illegal hold. KAIO KICK by Evie! KICK DUEL! RUNNING KICK BY EVIE gets 2! Split-legged jawbreaker by Lee, into a Buzzsaw Kick variant for her own nearfall. TTYL BY EVIE! She wins at 07:31

Rating - *** - If ever a match were to indicate the influence of SHIMMER and the pace at which the genesis and improvement in women's wrestling was taking place by 2013 then this was it. Kimber was only around two years into her career. Evie is in her first ever shows out of Australia/New Zealand. They were given seven minutes together and they absolutely tore into each other. This was excellent viewing; big strikes, exciting moves from both women, genuinely remarkable athleticism from both and a strong dynamic as opponents. It was a super little sprint of a match and a glimpse into the bright futures both of them have in SHIMMER. To be frank, 50 Volumes ago when SHIMMER started matches in this spot on the card just weren't doing things like this. This really caught me off guard with just how good it was.

Serena Deeb is angry at Jessicka Havok for ruining her SHIMMER comeback; a moment she'd been waiting eighteen months for. She is excited to back in Berwyn to extract her revenge tonight...

This is Yuu's first SHIMMER tour, and her first Berwyn appearance after debuting at V53 the previous week. She and Kalamity crossed paths briefly in the brisk five-woman bout on that card, with neither able to come out victorious (Christina Von Eerie left the winner in that one). This is another big match for Kalamity, who will be desperate to win a singles bout over one of the visiting Joshi contingent.

Yamagata comes out trying to grapple and wrestle her opponent, and convincingly dominates the opening exchanges. Kalamity bosses a test of strength, but when she tries to press her advantage with a choke Yuu sweeps her legs and puts her on the canvas again. Kalamity uses a barrage of kicks from all manner of positions to rattle Yuu...but the veteran is unflappable and responds by delivering a sneaky kick right into Kalamity's face. The Canadian keeps kicking though, before delivering a series of rolling neckbreakers as she starts to set her opponent up for her finishing move. RUNNING KICK out of the corner by Yamagata! Kalamity starts bludgeoning her with Vader-esque clubbing strikes, then scoops her up for the Kalamity Driver! She wins at 07:00

Rating - *** - Not the most aesthetically pleasing of matches, but it had a charming, rugged simplicity to it which I really liked. Yamagata is a smart, savvy veteran wrestler who looked like she had all the tricks to overcome the powerful but less-experienced Kalamity. And that is what made Kalamity's performance all the more impressive. Yuu really did feel like the better 'wrestler', but she was powerless to prevent Kalamity from bulldozing right over her. Kalamity's offence was ruthlessly simple...and ultimately extremely effective.

Mercedes Martinez crows about 'retiring' Ayumi Kurihara and sending her back to Japan in disgrace. Tonight she wants to make Cheerleader Melissa's second title reign even shorter than her first...

It's Allison Danger's last weekend as a wrestler on the SHIMMER roster, but as we heard earlier she and Leva have big plans to go out as Tag Team Champions. They're here this weekend to beat as many tag teams as possible, and begin with one of the newest teams on the roster. Veda and Shazza have teamed before, but are now concentrating on their work together and started brightly with a win over the Kimber Bombs in New Jersey last week.

Danger is given plenty of affection from the Berwyn fans as we build towards her last match, but she starts on the apron leaving Bates and McKenzie to trade holds through the opening two minutes. Veda hits a few armdrags and almost beats Leva even at this early stage after a flurry of kicks. Flipping neckbreaker by Bates...who is then joined by Allison to hit a 'Go Ninja Go' double elbow drop in honour of their TMNT-themed outfits for the match. Danger then THROTTLES Shazza with a drop-toehold into the bottom rope! Regeneration-X isolate the Australian, entertaining the crowd and having plenty of fun as they do. In the end Danger gets so over-confident she completely turns her back on Shazza to taunt Scott...and in doing so allows McKenzie to escape and make a hot tag. Leva and Veda work back and forth, with Danger and Shazza spilling in to join them soon after too. Axe Kick/Mind Trip combo on Bates...and that needs Allison to break the pin. Danger tags...and is rolled up by Veda for a shock pinfall at 09:27

Rating - * - This match wasn't for me. A lot of the action was carried by Leva, Veda and Shazza - all of whom are extremely likeable, charismatic and fun...but none of them are particularly polished or smooth to watch as yet. It meant some of the wrestling here was pretty clunky, and I'm not sure this is a match I'd have allocated almost ten minutes to. To end on a positive, I love the finish and the direction here. Having Allison Danger come into her last weekend wanting to beat all comers, but then make a pretty fatal error (letting McKenzie escape when Re-X were in control) and lose to a relative rookie like Scott is a genuinely interesting way to begin her final run of shows. Her dream of going out as Tag Champion looks dead already, so where does she go from here?

Jessicka Havok says she attacked Serena because she was fed up of hearing about Deeb's big comeback rather than people talking about how she's dominated every promotion she's been in for the last two years. She has finally arrived in SHIMMER and thinks it is her time now, not Serena's...

Volume 53 wasn't ideal for either of these women. Not only did Kana fail to win the Tag Titles, but she also saw her partner LuFisto sustain a serious knee injury which causes her to miss these tapings (although Kana does have Pegaboo at ringside with her). McKay made her return after missing the October 2012 taping, but immediately fell to defeat against her trainer Madison Eagles. These two future WWE superstars will both have their eyes on returning to winning ways here...

McKay is happy to trade holds with Kana early on, presumably because it means she is safe from the usual onslaught of strikes from the 'World Famous' athlete. Unfortunately Kana is also a fearsome grappler though and pretty soon she has opened up an injury on Jessie's arm (and is then free to start throwing kicks too). McKay tries to drop bombs with her...and after barely escaping a Fujiwara Armbar attempt, Kana instead mounts her with an octopus stretch. SLAP by Jessie! She rocks Kana - and lands a couple of huge kicks of her own! Thesz Press gets 2, but McKay is still favouring her arm and soon walks right into a German suplex. Drop toehold/Buzzsaw Kick combo nailed too. Jessie has a glazed expression as if she is fighting purely on instinct now - but she does so smartly by going for a flurry of pinning combinations. NORTHERN LIGHTS BOMB by McKay! Boyfriend Stealer countered to an inverted DDT by Kana, then a spinning heel kick. A neckbreaker drops the Australian...but McKay gets back up for a SLAP DUEL! BIG BOOT gets 2 for McKay! BACK FIST! HEEL KICK! Boyfriend Stealer COUNTERED TO THE CROSS ARMBREAKER! Jessie taps at 07:06

Rating - *** - I really wish this one had more time, because what they produced here was very good. As with Kimber and Evie earlier, it felt like they knew they weren't going long so came out all guns blazing and really stormed through this feisty sprint of a match. It was an excellent showing for McKay who looked astonishingly at home trading strikes with Kana; her babyface charisma making her a sympathetic underdog in the face of an ass-kicking from the World Famous Joshi. 

Kellie Skater is in the back, and proudly affirms that 3G won't have to cheat like the Canadian NINJAs to win the Tag Titles tonight. Tomoka Nakagawa perhaps isn't as on board with following the rules though...

Not making the WrestleMania weekend show will have been a frustration for Cruise, but she looks to bounce back with a win over one of SHIMMER's top stars tonight. Last time she faced one of the Joshi contingent (Hiroyo Matsumoto back on V50) she produced one of her best performances in a SHIMMER ring too. Hamada is looking to rebound after losing to Athena in New Jersey.

Melanie's height means that she is able to throw around even opponents the calibre of Hamada, which she does so with great relish throughout the first minute. Portia makes a great point that Ayako is used to being able to bully her opponents, and huge chunks of her moveset are out of the equation against someone the size of Cruise too. Melanie wins a headbutt battle to demonstrate her superiority then starts choking her opponent in the ropes. Even when the pace quickens she is able to step across the ring and clip Hamada's momentum with a big clothesline. Ayako tries to get her on the canvas - grabbing an arm and dragging Melanie to the ground in an armbar. Finally Melanie's edge is dulled somewhat, which Hamada capitalises on by landing an enziguri then a spinning heel kick. But before she can come off the top Melanie simply picks her up and delivers a press slam! German suplex by Ayako...but she is so beaten up she simply collapses to the ground alongside her opponent momentarily. Huge missile dropkick nailed, and with most of her moves taken away Hamada realises she has no choice but to go upstairs again. This time Cruise intercepts her...only for Hamada to counter an attempted superplex INTO THE PYRAMID DRIVER! FOR 2! That was an awesome spot! MOONSAULT NAILED! Hamada wins at 07:26

Rating - *** - Hamada is so good. Not that Melanie didn't hold her end of the match up well, because she produced another solid showing. But my own perception was that the quality here was in how brilliantly Hamada worked a match around Cruise's usual routine and spots. The veteran played the situation superbly, selling how perplexing she found combating an opponent of Melanie's height and size. The way she kept going to the top because she felt she didn't have much else, but then BRILLIANTLY found a way to hit the Pyramid Driver without actually having to lift Cruise, was a real highlight for me. 

At Volume 53 we saw Havok crash Serena's emotional return to SHIMMER after months out with a serious head injury. She attacked Deeb during her comeback promo, then assaulted her again after their trios tag also involving Regeneration-X and Jessicka's new allies Nevaeh and Sassy Stephie. Now Deeb is making a long-awaited return to the Eagles Club and she wants payback...

This has the strongest babyface/heel crowd reactions from any SHIMMER audience in quite some time. The Berwyn fans are solidly behind Deeb and roar her on as she attacks Havok and gets the fight started during the introductions. FLYING TACKLE OFF THE APRON by Serena! Tornado monkey flip sends Jessicka to the outside again...but at last she gathers herself and lies in wait out there to shunt Serena right into the guardrails. Havok finally starts to use her pronounced size advantage and muscles Deeb around ringside pummelling her with strikes. When we finally return to the ring the pace has slowed to a crawl with Jessicka dominating the ailing Deeb. She loudly taunts her (and the crowd) whilst working a camel clutch, breaking only to pull her hair and splat her face into the canvas instead. Serena blocks Havok's chokeslam...and then crawls out of the way of a second rope leg drop attempt to leave them both on the mat. Jabs and a lariat by Deeb, at last firing up after minutes of punishment. Spear misses, so Serena scrambles up the ropes for a missile dropkick. Sassy Stephie and Mademoiselle Rochelle attempt a run in, but Deeb hits a SPEAR ON STEPHIE! With Deeb and the official both distracted by the interference, Jessicka is able to attack Deeb from behind then deliver a sit-out piledriver for the win at 09:22

Rating - *** - The finish strongly suggests there is more to come from these two, and for that reason I actually really liked this as the next beat in a bigger story. Jessicka Havok has waited a LONG time to get into a SHIMMER ring at the Eagles Club. Last week she invaded their biggest show of the year as an outsider and launched a despicable attack on a beloved SHIMMER veteran. Now she comes to SHIMMER's house and she wrestled this match like she had a point to prove. She wasn't just out there trying to attack Serena's head and be done with it. She wanted to take her time, to work at a methodical pace and to enjoy her moment; relishing the spotlight to remind every single SHIMMER fan why she should have been here much sooner. With that purpose I thought this was a solid match with Serena doing a great job taking an absolute pasting from the newcomer. They have a better match in them I'm sure, and presumably will get another opportunity to prove that in the near future...

At SHIMMER 53 we saw these two lock horns as the final two teams in a four-way elimination match for the belts. On that night Kellie convinced Nakagawa not to cheat because she thinks 3G are good enough to beat the NINJAs by themselves...only for the champions to steal a win themselves by cheating instead. Once again tonight Skater has promised that 3G will fight clean, and vowed to defeat one of the most successful teams in SHIMMER history.

Even by their own standards, the champions seem particularly prickly during the introductions, which see Portia tear up a Joshi banner, spit on a 3G shirt and antagonise Bryce Remsburg so much he calls her 'the worst'. She starts with Skater, with the Australian targeting her shoulder which is taped after being injured in the four-way in New Jersey last week. They do a great job trading holds in a really fast-paced chain-wrestling exchange which goes all the way to a breathless stalemate (albeit with Perez still favouring her arm). Nakagawa and Matthews tag; and Tomoka forces the Canadian out of the ring after taking too long to break on a half crab. 3G seize control, knocking Portia off the apron and delivering a double bulldog to Nicole for 2. But the Ninjas are quick to return fire, landing a combo of kicks on Skater for their own nearfall. Nakagawa cheap-shots Portia in the back of the head though, and is wound up into an assisted wheelbarrow splash by her own partner. She then STANDS on the taped up shoulder! Every bump now sees Perez grunting and clutching her shoulder in pain, and it feels like it is going to be a long weekend for her already. She somehow lands a spinning heel kick on Kellie...but looks dazed afterwards and can do little more than collapse into a tag to Matthews. Nicole grabs the advantage by choking Skater in the corner, but when she allows Portia back in it is clear her partner is fighting almost entirely with one arm now. Springboard elbow by the Rate Tank! Tomoka cleans house on the champions, sending them both to the outside with a couple of vicious kicks. AND THE NINJAS WALK OUT! With smirks on their faces they walk out on the match, losing via count-out byt retaining their titles at 12:19

Rating - *** - Oh the chemistry between these teams is just electric. I had so much fun watching this that using a shady finish to set up a future bout for two consecutive matches on this card hasn't even bothered me. It is easy to fixate on the cheap finish, but the twelve minutes of wrestling that came before it were of serious quality. The back-and-forth between Portia and Skater at around the four minute mark was just sublime. 3G's attack in Portia's injured shoulder was enjoyable, and made even better by how intelligently Perez sold that injury. And bubbling beneath the surface of everything these four women do is such an edginess. It never feels far away from boiling over, from the rules being disregarded and from any one of them pulling out something dastardly or devious. I cannot wait for them to lock horns again.

Two-time SHIMMER Champion Cheerleader Melissa plans to keep the belt around her waist for a long time to come...

This is for #1 contendership to the SHIMMER Title, the winner getting a shot later at this taping. There is a huge ovation for former champion Madison Eagles, making her Berwyn return after more than a year away. She isn't the only former champion either, with Saraya looking to instantly earn herself another showdown with Melissa after losing in the Steel Cage just a week ago. Athena and Knight shared a memorable championship main event at V49, where the Wrestling Goddess pushed Saraya to the very limit proving beyond doubt that she belonged in the main event picture. That leaves Courtney Rush as the outsider. She is a former Tag Champion, now looking to work her way into the main event scene after producing a string of solid singles bouts at the last Eagles Club tapings.

Athena and Courtney start with a respectful handshake. Rush starts intelligently, refusing to let Athena use her athleticism and tossing her around with a powerful suplex. Madison tags and DUMPS Rush with an STO for 2. She then bails, forcibly tagging in Knight before Courtney can get any retribution. Saraya pokes Rush in the eyes with such force that she basically falls into a tag to Athena...and the former champ quickly goes to work dragging Athena around by the hair too. Athena quickens the pace and lands a springboard crossbody for 2, but is soon smeared into the mat by Knight again and can't get up before Eagles is all over her as well. She tries another crossbody - but Madison watched that spot just seconds earlier and easily dodges it causing her to wipe out on the canvas. Saraya tags and takes another turn tossing Athena around by the hair, before planting a dropkick into her 'lower abdomen' (with a cheap swipe and Rush for good measure). The former champions trust Courtney to continue their work in isolating Athena...and promptly regret it as Athena hits a handspring elbow in the corner. Anklelock on Rush...which Saraya quickly breaks with a cheap-shot from behind. Rush hits a T-bone suplex for 2, as Athena continues to suffer with the match ticking past ten minutes. Eagles chases Athena up the ropes...but Athena shoves her away AND HITS THE O-FACE ON RUSH! Knight and Eagles of course dive in to break the pinfall there! They clear the ring and come face to face for the first time, and the Eagles Club erupts at the prospect of the former champions locking horns for the first time. Eagles initially overpowers Knight, so Saraya straight up THROTTLES her in the corner! The ref eventually has to separate them...so Saraya SLAPS THE REF! Athena and Rush are actually legal at this juncture - and they both look incredibly fatigued as Madison stomps through them. DOUBLE YAKUZA KICK by Eagles! Double dropkick by Athena and Rush in response! Madison decks Athena with a kick on the top rope, then levels her with a HANGING DDT! Whilst Saraya does the same thing to Rush from the apron to the floor! Saraya throws a nasty kick and Madison's previously-injured knee, before locking Athena in the Bridal Rocking Horse (although Saraya still isn't legal). HELL BOUND by Eagles! But Rush is legal! She throws Madison to the floor then hits the SKYWARD SUPLEX on Athena! Courtney is the #1 contender at 15:55

Rating - *** - Structurally this wasn't particularly innovative. Therefore what made this enjoyable was the personalities and skills of the competitors involved. Saraya being a relentless dickhead to everyone else was an absolute joy to watch. The brief interactions between Eagles and Knight were measured and meaningful. Rush and Athena both excelled as plucky, strong-willed and talented young stars looking to ascend up the card to the same level as the other two in the match with them. Each of the four women did a wonderful job embodying their motivations, insecurities and weaknesses throughout the match meaning they didn't need the most compelling or technical of stories - the fun to be had here was watching these big personalities orbit around and bounce off each other. 

This match should need no introduction to long-time SHIMMER fans. These two founding members of the roster have produced countless classics throughout SHIMMER's 50+ shows, and it must be a huge point of contention to Mercedes that she has not been able to follow in the footsteps of her contemporaries like Melissa and Del Rey in becoming SHIMMER Champion. The only other singles match between them came five years ago at V19 and it was Mercedes who was victorious on that night. 

These two have known each other a long time and share a tense handshake before launching into battle! Melissa lands a couple of big early lariats, driving the challenger out of the ring to regroup. The champ tries to drag her back in by the hair, only for Martinez to guillotine her against the ropes and pull her out for a brawl outside. Mercedes clings desperately to the guardrails to prevent Melissa from suplexing her on the floor, then turns the tables by tackling her violently against the same barricades. She then stomps on Melissa's ribs, perhaps looking to open up an early injury on the champion. BODY SLAM ON THE FLOOR by Melissa! That is enough to convince the Latina Sensation she wants to take the fight back into the ring - which she does so with another series of stomps into the ribs and back. She hangs Melissa in the ropes and looks to stomp on her some more...only for Cheerleader to counter into a violent headscissors choke! She is literally choking the fight out of the challenger...albeit only momentarily before Martinez causes her to crash down onto her injured midsection again with the Three Amigas for 2. Melissa makes a desperate lunge for the Air Raid Clash but clearly can't get Mercedes up, so instead looks to submit her with a Trailer Hitch. Mercedes has had knee problems in the past too, and Melissa is out to exploit those it seems; dragon screwing the leg and locking in a kneebar. It leaves Mercedes visibly limping, but still still determined to attack Melissa's back and midsection. Brass City Sleeper applied (well before it was ever called that), but Melissa has enough power left in her and counters out with an inverted DDT for 2. Kondo Clutch applied by the champion, looking to further exacerbate that leg injury. COUNTERED to the Regal Stretch by Martinez! SAMOAN DROP by Melissa! Both women look incredibly worn out and stagger around the ring wildly trying to gather their bearings after that. Mercedes blocks the Curb Stomp to hit a BACK DROP DRIVER! NO SOLD! GERMAN SUPLEX BY MELISSA! BOTH WOMEN DOWN! Cheerleader is up first and makes an uncharacteristic trip to the top rope. She MISSES a missile dropkick. CURB STOMP BY MARTINEZ! BULL RUN NAILED! BUT MELISSA IS IN THE ROPES! Martinez is devastated and tries to finish it off with the Musclebuster Bull Run variant. COUNTERED TO A FISHMERMAN BUSTER BY MELISSA! FOR 2! Kudoh Driver blocked...Bull Run blocked! AIR RAID CRASH BY MELISSA! She retains at 20:10

Rating - **** - It won't be a surprise to anyone that I loved this. Two of my favourite wrestlers given twenty minutes to deliver a top quality championship main event was always going to be right up my street. There was something decidedly 'old SHIMMER' about this. The two are veterans from the very earliest shows, and emptied the tanks in an incredibly hard-working, gimmick-free wrestling match of the highest order. It was the perfect match to launch Melissa's second reign as champion as an old foe pushed her to the very limit in multiple ways. Mercedes tried to brawl with Melissa on the floor, she tried to injure the ribs, and when that didn't work she even resorted to stealing Melissa's moves. But Cheerleader Melissa stood up to this sternest of tests, even surviving the Bull Run on her way to a successful title defence. She marches on to a scheduled defence with Courtney Rush. But it is a devastating loss for Mercedes, who after eight years in SHIMMER is still searching for the championship victory which has eluded her for so long.

Tape Rating - *** - This is a really under-rated SHIMMER Volume. In a way it is one of the most inessential of the entire DVD series. No match really becomes 'must see', and we actually get several bouts on this show which are more interested in setting up future matches down the line rather than delivering the highest possible quality here and now on Volume 54. But against that backdrop there is a remarkable consistency to this one. Aside from the disappointing Regeneration-X tag this is SUCH a solid top-to-bottom show, boasting a midcard absolutely bursting with a vibrant energy and workrate from this wildly talented and eclectic roster. Kimber Lee vs Evie threatened to steal the show. Yamagata and Kalamity beat the sh*t out of each other, as do Kana and Jessie McKay. Rhia O'Reilly produces her finest performance in a SHIMMER ring to date. Ayako Hamada delivers an absolute masterclass in her bout with Melanie Cruise. Even bouts like Havok/Deeb and NINJAs/3G - which whiff on a clean finish in favour of setting up future encounters - have so much to like. And just when you fear this show might be an easy pass, out come the SHIMMER OG's in the main event; reliable and exceptional as they have ALWAYS been throughout SHIMMER's 54 show existence in a gripping, technical and hard-fought championship main event. Do not sleep on V54 - it really will surprise you.

3) Courtney Rush vs Athena vs Saraya Knight vs Madison Eagles (***)

2) Evie vs Kimber Lee (***)

1) Cheerleader Melissa vs Mercedes Martinez (****)