By Anthony Beckingham, Women's Wrestling Specialist

SHIMMER DVD Review Series
SHIMMER Vol. 5 DVD review
May 21, 2006
Berwyn, Ill.

The show began with Daizee Haze responding to Rebecca Knox’s challenge for the promotion’s first Best of Three Falls match. This must have been used for advertising as she dropped the name, date, and place like an old-style promo. While she was talking, they showed some footage of Knox provoking the crowd, which is better than just staring at one person. Before the show started, some highlights were shown of Haze versus Portia Perez in the dark match, lovingly referred to as Sparkle matches. After Haze won, Knox came out and gave her a vicious release German suplex then worked the crowd on the mic with some lame Snoop Dogg “-izzle”s.

(1) Rain (1-3) beat Lorelei Lee (1-0) at 9:19. Prazak and Danger discussed the pair’s losses contrasting in singles and tag competition, and Rain’s tag partner Lacey. They also mentioned Shantelle Taylor’s WWE developmental contract. Of course, she ended up in TNA as Taylor Wilde. Lee used a headlock and springboarded off the ropes to slam Rain down. Rain tried to slow things down with a headscissor hold, but had better luck with a chinbreaker. Rain took control, wrestling well but was just dirty enough with kicks in the corner to keep the crowd behind Lee. They reset the match with a double crossbody. Lee tried the Three Amigos, but only managed two. She went for a moonsault but Rain caught her in an Electric Chair for the Acid Rain bridging pin. (*1/2)

Footage was shown of a Shimmer six-way match at ROH’s Supercard of Honor I, where MsChif stole a pin on Rain after green-misting the dominant Cheerleader Melissa.

(2) MsChif (1-3) beat Cindy Rogers (2-0) at 7:57. MsChif has improved her outfit, going from baggy black with a strip of green to tight, bright green top, and black trousers. Outfits in women’s wrestling make the characters stand out much more effectively; men take note. MsChif still won’t let the referee check her, but the crowd loved her for it. Fast-paced, back and forth chain wrestling to begin with until Rogers grounded Chif in a crucifix hold. A submission fest followed - one hold flowing seamlessly into another, not all of which I could identify, and neither took a clear advantage. After seven minutes of superb submissions, they turned to arm strikes and MsChif landed the Desecrator DDT to win. (**1/2)

Backstage, Nikita (later WWE’s Katie Lea Burchill and TNA’s Winter) gave a generic and dull promo about taking on Lacey, who should not mess with the English girl.

(3) Amber O’Neal (0-3) beat Serena Deeb (0-0) at 8:14. Fun fact: Shimmer needed a late replacement on the card and C.M. Punk recommended Deeb to Prazak years ahead of shaving her head for the Straight Edge Society. Deeb made an instant connection with the crowd and outwrestled O’Neal, who had to resort to a test of strength. Never accept a test of strength. Deeb was gulled into a face slap, but evened the score with a bunch of fast-paced pin attempts. O’Neal hit a side leg sweep, floated over into a pin, and shoved Deeb’s face around. Serena picked up babyface steam, gearing up the crowd running around then hit her spear, but O’Neal rope breaked. They reversed pins back and forth until O’Neal used the tights to pin Deeb. (**)

(4) The Experience (Lexie Fyfe & Malia Hosaka) (1-0) beat “Portuguese Princess” Ariel & Josie (0-0) at 11:56. Okay action, but Josie was a weak link here despite Ariel’s fiery fight and Hosaka’s sleekness. Hosaka sold anger of Ariel’s music – who hates B*Witched? Her crowd-bating is cheesy, but it always works. Ariel sought quick pins to begin causing The Experience to exchange tags. Hosaka demanded Josie (an OVW regular, TNA’s Sojourner Bolt) which led to a sloppy double hip toss. Josie followed up with some weak-looking kicks, but thankfully Ariel tagged in and hit some strong dropkicks. Hosaka was in fine form and displayed that extra flare with her roundhouse strikes that put over her experience. Josie took the hot tag, but Fyfe stymied it with a thumb to the eyes. Both double pins were kicked out of, then Ariel missed a second rope move and took a double suplex slam for the pin. (*)

(5) Allison Danger (3-1) beat Cheerleader Melissa (2-1) at 9:45. The ending of Melissa and Chif’s phenomenal last match was shown. The match started with a slow feeling-out process, which conveyed these two as heavy hitters. After a few throw downs, the two engaged in a forearm duel until Danger went down. Melissa was as brutal as ever and snapped Danger’s legs to the mat. Melissa tried the Kudo Driver, but Danger put her down into a pin; she still can’t execute it. Melissa took control by brute force with strikes, but once she locked in the Texas Cloverleaf, MsChif ran out and pulled Danger to the rope. While they verbally sparred, Danger took an inside cradle for the win. Straight after the match, Melissa and MsChif brawled like mad; five referees couldn’t hold them apart and when some of the wrestlers had it under control, MsChif ran through them all. (**1/2)

(6) Amazing Kong (0-0) beat Nikki Roxx (2-1) at (10:44). As far as I know, this was Kong’s first U.S. match in three years after making it big in Japan. Her reputation preceded her as the fans chanted “please don’t die” to Roxx. Roxx tried to show some fight, but was hit with a big splash in the middle and I thought it was over in 70 seconds. Kong dragged her out and smashed her into the steps. Back in the ring, Roxx received a big swing and chinlock at once. Roxx threw herself into Kong and took her off her feet and capitalized with a figure-four leglock. It did nothing to Kong, who backfisted Roxx. Kong went for a powerbomb and just threw her down. Kong ran at Roxx, who sidestepped her and Kong ended up outside. Roxx tried a top rope hurracanrana, but Kong sort of reversed it into a powerbomb. The double underhook Implant Buster didn’t put Roxx away, but a sit-out powerbomb did. (**1/2)

(7) Nikita (0-0) beat Lacey (0-2) at 14:54. Nikita’s FWA/ROH reputation preceded her, as the crowd chanted her name enthusiastically; it’s amazing what diving from the top tier of a theater can do. Lacey began the match by complaining about pictures of her being taken. Nikita did a few snapmare and kick combinations, but Lacey held her own with a rolling dragon sleeper. Nikita sprang out of nowhere with a curb stomp on Lacey – infringement on Melissa. That and a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker saw Lacey run for cover again. When Lacey returned, she began to work Nikita’s shoulder with some leg holds and hanging it on the rope. Nikita tried to give Lacey a monkey flip, but Lacey dropped Nikita down onto the turnbuckle in a move that would’ve hurt both of them. Nikita picked up momentum and hit a second rope dropkick and a Samoan drop. Lacey fought straight back with a dragon sleeper. Lacey hit a nice arm-trap reverse DDT, but Nikita won with her uranage back-breaker. (***)

(8) Rebecca Knox (1-1) beat Daizee Haze (2-2) in a two-out-of-three falls match at 25:38. The end of their last match was shown before Knox came out to massive heat aided by her screeching. They stalled to begin, playing to the crowd. After Knox mocked Haze’s dancing, Haze did some faux Irish jigs. The crowd chanted “you got served,” so Knox did some proper Irish ceilidh dancing, but it didn’t win her any fans. Somehow, unlike WWE, Shimmer managed to make this dance contest build heat while being funny.

Knox and Haze traded mat submissions back and forth then after five minutes morphed them into pin attempts too. There’s far too much to detail but the smoothness and innovation is to be commended. Haze took a ropebreak on a reverse figure-four, but Knox went straight back to her leg. They stood up and did some running moves, mixing them up with submissions still. Knox had a straightjacket that Haze reversed out of and into her own. Knox escaped to the floor and Haze did a suicide dive. The fight turned scrappy with vicious kicks and Haze being thrown into the guardrail. Back in the ring, Knox missed a top rope leg drop and Haze missed a dropkick. They reversed each other’s finisher twice before Haze finally hit a Heart Punch and Yakuza Kick for the first fall at 17:22.

After a minute break they resumed with forearms and chops. Knox lost her cool and went mad with strikes then did a running schoolboy pin, but held onto the rope for leverage at 21:58.

The third fall began with Haze putting Knox in a Tree of Woe and taking a running knee to her ripped stomach. Knox was thrown into the corner but springboarded into a dropkick. She then morphed a spinning toe hold into a leg-locked cloverleaf. Knox ducked a Yakuza kick then stood up to take Haze on her shoulders, but Haze rolled through. Knox put Haze in a leg lock then used the rope for leverage, Haze’s shoulders went to the mat and she could only lift up twice before succumbing to a rope-aided pin. (****)

Danger left commentary and ran to ringside calling out Knox for being pinned clean twice by Haze and pinning Haze twice dirty. She told Knox that Haze and her were Women of Honor and in ROH they had a Pure Title where only three rope breaks are allowed. Logical booking leading to suitable stipulations, what kind of craziness is this(?). Highlights were shown of the Volume 1 time limit draw and then Del Rey challenging an absent Martinez.

(9) Sara Del Rey (3-0-1) beat Mercedes Martinez (0-1-1) in a No Time Limit match at 21:57. The two shook hands to begin and would not give an inch to the other with a collar/elbow grapple. Both feinted and dodged the other. They locked in a test of strength, this time with no foul play, but neither budged. They both hit some big moves but neither was phased. They traded some holds before ending up in a figure-four where Del Rey headbutted Martinez while in control. At 6:00, the match was reset and Danger noted that both were pacing themselves. Del Rey attempted a surfboard stretch but Martinez blocked somehow. The match picked up some pace and they both hit running boots to the other. Del Rey tried to reverse an Irish whip to the corner with a crossbody, but Martinez dropkicked her as she came out. Del Rey attempted the Royal Butterfly lock but was back body dropped and took some rough punches. Martinez then followed up with a reverse brainbuster that made me wince.

Del Rey hit a German suplex, but Martinez’s shoulders weren’t down so the referee couldn’t count. Del Rey then stopped Martinez on the turnbuckle and hit a superpowerslam. Martinez tried to take a break on the outside but Del Rey hit a rare suicide dive. In the ring Del Rey still couldn’t lock in the Royal Butterfly and her determination allowed Martinez to ground her with a leg scissor choke. Suddenly, Del Rey rolled her over for a pin and held her down which was a bit anticlimactic. After the match Del Rey said Martinez could have a rematch anytime she wanted and they hug. (***1/2)

Backstage, The Experience talked up their undefeated strike and said they'll teach anyone what being a pro wrestler is all about. Dave Prazak also announced that Melissa and MsChif have agreed to a Last Woman Standing match. Martinez was about to answer Del Rey’s re-match challenge when Lacey called her out for having repetitive matches. Lacey accused Martinez of being scared and Martinez laughed, so Lacey challenged her and Del Rey to take on The Minnesota Home Wrecking Crew.

Overall Rating: 7.5 For the first time, there seemed to be a division between the upper and lower skilled wrestlers in Shimmer. This isn’t exactly a bad thing as on the top there is some real quality and variety that takes up more than half the show. The lengthening of the final few matches gives you more bang for your buck, though not everyone knows how to build slowly. The DVD lasted longer than the previous four efforts and it came with a brief Sparkle tryout match with Portia Perez on top of it. Strangely, if there were fewer matches the rating would probably be higher as when it’s good, it’s very very good and when it’s bad it’s still quite enjoyable.

FYI: Volume 5 is sold out indefinitely, but volumes occasionally crop up from the wrestlers to be sold on the ShimmerWrestling.com forum or on eBay. Individual matches can be bought on ClickWrestle.com and all in-print Shimmer Volumes can be found at ROHStore.com.

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