By Anthony Beckingham, Women's Wrestling Specialist

SHIMMER DVD Review Series
SHIMMER Vol. 6 DVD review
May 21, 2006
Berwyn, Ill.

Volume 6 began with a lengthy backstage promo by wrestler, co-founder, and commentator Allison Danger giving a recap of Rebecca Knox’s dirty tactics in her Shimmer matches, including her Irish jig. Danger was quite morose about that, apparently. Danger talked up North America’s first female Pure Wrestling Rules match and talked about training with Nigel McGuinness.

(1) Serena Deeb (0-1) beat Amber O’Neal (1-3) at 7:28. Good, short opener with some fast action. A replay of their previous match showed O’Neal winning by holding the tights. They rolled around in a collar-and-elbow tie-up, then went down to the mat. O’Neal threw Deeb into the corner and checked her nails to get heel heat. O’Neal began to work Deeb’s back and stopped a comeback with a thumb to the eyes. Deeb ducked her on the return and landed a Spear to reset the match. O’Neal hit a suplex, but Deeb held on to secure a winning inside cradle. (*1/2)

(2) The Experience (Lexie Fyfe & Malia Hosaka) & Amazing Kong (0-0) beat Ariel & Josie & Cindy Rogers (0-0) at 16:41. An okay trios match with no real story that felt more like a series of singles fights. Kong started for the heels and all the babyfaces were nervous, so much so they all tagged out. Rogers and Ariel tried a double-shoulder barrage on Kong, then Josie tried a crossbody. Kong dominated Ariel and then Hosaka worked her arm with a fujiwara. The tide turned and Hosaka took wrist holds from everyone until she stopped using her left arm. The Experience double teamed Josie, then Kong came in to throw her around. Josie crawled through Hosaka’s legs to get the tag and everyone came in. Kong threw Ariel and Rogers into the guardrails while Josie ate a Double Gordbuster (knocking the referee down in the process) and set Kong up for the Amazing Press for the win. (*)

(3) Nikki Roxx (2-2) beat Lorelei Lee (1-1) at 8:42. Roxx went straight in for a roll-up or two. Both showed their fast-paced styles by rolling out of arm and wrist holds. Lee took control, but did an awful handspring backflip elbow and just flopped into the corner as the crowd had fun with Nikki/rocks dueling chants. Roxx slowed things with larger moves, side-slamming and scooping Lee, but she looked frustrated when Lee kicked out. Lee reversed an Irish whip into a side leg sweep and took control, throwing Roxx about and then put her in a leg scissors hold while Prazak promoted Nattie Neidhart’s debut on the next volume. Roxx ducked an Irish whip, then landed a Northern Lights Suplex and the Barbie Crusher for the win. (**)

(4) Daizee Haze (2-3) beat Nikita (1-0) at 11:42. Both wrestlers played up dueling “let’s go” chants. They gradually started with neck holds and arm twists, then went to the mat with legscissor holds, but neither could find an advantage. The match was reset with a handshake, but Nikita attacked Haze from behind and became vicious. She stomped on Haze, then suplexed her. Haze made a comeback coming out of the corner with a twirling headscissors take down. Nikita caught her in a jumping huracanrana, put her in a Boston crab, and then moved around into the curb stomp. Haze reversed a throw into a faceplant to reset again and then built up speed. She tried two heart punches, but Nikita suplexed her. Haze hit a tornado bulldog out the corner, then tried a crucifix pin but had to settle for a roll through with a bridge. (**1/2)

(5) Rebecca Knox (2-1) beat Allison Danger (3-2) in a Pure Wrestling Rules match at 25:47. Knox’s feigned injury from Vol. 3 and her rope-held victories from Vol. 5 were shown, which led to the Pure Rules stipulation that only three rope breaks are allowed and after ropes are legal. Daffney appeared on commentary to replace Danger while the two wrestlers moved around the ring, working the crowd into frenzy before Danger blew her nose on an Irish flag. Knox used some illegal closed fists to reset the match at 11:00. Knox hit another closed fist and Danger retaliated, which the referee saw and penalized her one rope break. Knox is terrific at hiding her rule breaks from the official. Knox used her first rope break to free herself from Danger and went straight back to kicking Danger’s wounded leg, then put on a hold near the ropes to force Danger to use a break.

At 17:00, Danger finally used her second break and Knox went for a T-Bone suplex and other strikes but couldn’t find the pin. Danger slowly fought back and hit an STO to make Knox use her second break before they went outside to use the special 20 count. They went back inside and Danger used her last break to escape a Muta Lock but Knox began using the now-legal ropes for extra leverage in a seated sleeper. At 24:00, Knox used her final break on the awesome stretch plum choke. After a return to big move strikes, Danger went for a crossbody and Knox rolled her through to win. (***1/2)

(6) Minnesota Home Wrecking Crew (Lacey & Rain) (0-0) beat Sara Del Rey & Mercedes Martinez (0-0) at 15:48. MHWC already had massive heat coming off their IWA:Mid-South run. Del Rey threw both Rain and then Lacey around. The Home Wreckers tagged often to keep themselves refreshed against the might of Del Rey. Eventually Del Rey was isolated and Lacey kept her in the three corners with brutal strikes. The Minnesotans used a double-team Japanese armdrag followed by a double STO, then Lacey locked Del Rey in a full nelson. After ten minutes of isolation, Del Rey took Rain’s leg while being kneed and powerbombed her out of the corner. Martinez took the tag and spinebustered Rain. She tried to work on Lacey, but Rain dragged out Del Rey, then the MHWC hit a facebreaker and backbreaker combo on Martinez. Del Rey came in but her kick to Lacey hit Martinez, who then took an Implant DDT. After the match, Martinez took the microphone and belatedly accepted Del Rey’s rematch offer. (***)

(7) MsChif (2-3) beat Cheerleader Melissa (3-1) in a Last Woman Standing match at 20:26. Extensive replays of their meetings thus far, including in Ring of Honor, were shown before the match to give this match the credence it earned. Melissa attacked MsChif as she came through the ropes and they went straight outside and though the guardrail. Melissa was down for five as MsChif told her to stay down, but she came straight back with a rough forearm. I cannot overstate enough how good a brawler Melissa is, where most women’s punches don’t convince me. After more brawling, they went inside the ring where Melissa failed once again to hit the Kudo Driver as MsChif landed the Code Green mounted sunset flip powerbomb (similar to WWE’s Melina, 2008).

After a seven count, Melissa failed an inverted cloverleaf, but settled for a loose Lion Tamer. In a "wow" moment, she sat back on it and MsChif was bent in a way no one should be able to. Back outside, MsChif wrapped Melissa’s limbs around each leg of an upturned chair and sat down for a rest. Back in the ring, Melissa tried a Kudo Driver on a chair, but MsChif hit the Desecrator DDT and then hit a running knee to Melissa’s face in the corner while screaming Delirious’s name, her ally and training buddy. Melissa took another Desecrator and this time onto the chair letting MsChif get up at eight while Melissa stayed down well after the ten to sell the match. (****)

After the proper show, Roxx talked backstage about giving Kong a run for her money in Vol 5. and wanting to be in the main event. Prazak announced that the Del Rey-Martinez third match would have to wait as Del Rey was already signed to wrestle Nattie Neidhart while Martinez will face “Hardcore Anime” LuFisto on the next volume.

Knox signed off the show backstage, boasting that she can win in any stipulation thrown at her as clean as a whistle. Alas, she was scheduled for a 60-minute Iron Woman match with Haze at Vol. 7, but she suffered damage to her cranial nerve in German Stampede Wrestling in November 2006 and took a year-and-a-half to recover. Although she was slated to return to Shimmer at Vol 17. in April 2008, she had one return match in Ireland and for probably the obvious reasons decided to retire from wrestling.

The DVD also comes with a Shimmer attraction match at AAW the night before Vol. 7 between LuFisto and Josie where the latter showed improvement and the Canadian hardcore wrestler showed she can do more than take bumps. Also the Dangerous Angels (Del Rey & Danger) took on Melissa and Neidhart in a lengthy tag match to bump up the bang for your buck.

Overall thoughts: 7.5 The division between the main event and undercard was lessened on this convincing volume worth seeing for re-matches of enthralling feuds, but none of them are quite as good as previous meetings. Aside from the blasé trios match, which at least had the fun of Kong, every match was solid with no sloppiness. Even though the re-matches weren’t as good, I could watch Melissa and MsChif wrestle each other forever.

Production-wise, the lighting was a little off on this volume, but it didn't impede the show. With Neidhart and LuFisto set to debut, Shimmer continues to grow and the quality that Shimmer is forced to uphold as a very niche product drives it from strength to strength.

FYI: Volume 4 is sadly 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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