SHIMMER DVD Review Series
SHIMMER Vol. 15 DVD review
October 13, 2007
Berwyn, Ill.
By Anthony Beckingham, Women's Wrestling Specialist

Since my last review of Shimmer 14 was published, two more volumes of Shimmer have sold out indefinitely (13 and 14) but aside from one or two more blips, the rest of the collection is still in print for a while at least.

For Volume 15, Shimmer is back in the Eagles Club, which has started to frequently pack out with fans who fly in from across America and the world to attend the reputedly high-quality live experience and much talked about after parties.

Since the last taping, at ROH’s Death Before Dishonor V, Lacey beat Daizee Haze in a contendership match and Del Rey made her second successful title defense against Lacey the next evening. After three matches against Lacey, the Volume 14 match a real barnstormer, Del Rey can move forward as champion with a veritable dream match defending the title against Amazing Kong, WWE’s Kharma. There’s also a #1 Contender’s match between the two failed semi-finalists of the title tourney. Unlike the trend of recent shows, this one began in the ring.

(1) “The Jezebel” Eden Black (2-3) beat Amber O’Neal (2-8) at 9:43. Disappointing to see Black still opening the shows when she could break out. They started with a stare down, doing a sequence of one doing a move then backing off and then vice-versa. Black dragged O’Neal back in the ring by her hair but was kicked in the face and choked on the ropes. Black took some suplexes and a seated shoulder and leg lock before finding a rope break. O’Neal went to pull Black up after a clothesline reset but was yanked down into the Garden of Eden. She found rope break but Black blocked a punch and made her submit with the same move. These two didn’t click, but the end was explosive and popped the crowd. (*1/2)

(2) The Canadian Ninjas (Portia Perez & Nicole Matthews) (0-0) beat Lorelei Lee & Ashley Lane (0-0) 4:41. Portia worked the crowd touring the ring, but Matthews looked uncomfortable interacting. Prazak explained Lee’s loss record saw her drop out, but she petitioned for another chance. When the bell rang the crowd chanted it was past Perez’s bedtime due to her childlike looks. Lane (TNA’s Madison Rayne) was distracted by Perez, so Matthews took control. Lee’s brief hot tag showed she’s become worse. Thankfully Matthews took the spotlight with a terrific clothesline reversal into a Northern Lights suplex. Lane kicked out and hit an STO for what would have been a three count but Perez pulled the referee out. Perez raked Lane’s eyes then grabbed her tights for the win, despite not being legal. (*1/2)

(3) Jetta (0-0) beat Serena Deeb (4-4) at 9:52. The debuting Jetta from Coventry, England threatened a child on her way to the ring. Jetta tried to rebuke the USA chant with English football chant, “Who are ya?” Deeb kept control by wrenching Jetta’s wrist. After four minutes, Jetta ducked a clothesline and raked Deeb’s eyes then marched proudly around the ring with an ironic USA chant; she’s hilarious yet hateable. Danger drew comparisons to Lacey as Jetta bit Deeb’s hand. She ducked Deeb off the ropes and hit her finisher: a strangehold lungblower that she held onto for a straitjacket hold on the mat. She sat on Deeb’s back and wrenched the hold till Deeb gave up. (**)

Becky Bayless (Cookie in TNA) welcomed Allison Danger to the ring. Danger jaw-jacked with the crowd with trademark Corino (she Steve’s sister) wit. Bayless inaccurately recapped Danger’s lost matches so an audience member corrected her about the Street Fight, Dog Collar match, and Three Falls match. Danger said she wanted to focus on the future, specifically the new Shimmer Championship. Cindy Rogers came out at this point to dispute the fact then attacked Danger and stomped on her throat. After nine seconds a referee appeared and rang the bell.

(4) Allison Danger (5-8) beat Cindy Rogers (6-4) at 7:23. Danger rolled over on top of Rogers then brought her up to chop her. She whipped her away from the ropes then back to them, tripping her into the bottom rope. Rogers cleverly escaped outside but Danger kicked the back of her head into the barricade. The referee waved the ten count for this grudge match. Rogers dragged Danger around outside until they went back in and Rogers sidestepped a Shimmering Warlock. Rogers was thrown onto the second rope and took a neckbreaker but took a rope break. With an Old School Expulsion, she won the feud. (**)

After the ring entrances of the next match, Bayless interviewed Alexa Thatcher backstage talking about her healed foot. Thatcher called Alicia a coward, then said she looked forward to wrestling Cheerleader Melissa in the show. Doing it after ring entrances made it feel more immediate.

(5) The Minnesota Home Wrecking Crew (2-1) beat “Portuguese Princess” Ariel and Josie (0-1) at 11:03. Rain did a low grunting cheer in support of herself every time she bested Ariel in their test of strength. Ariel flipped her down and she was unable to kip up so she took a low dropkick to the face then scurried to tag Lacey. Josie looked to go for a Dominator but secured a Gory Special which Rain had to break up giving MHWC the advantage. Rain dropkicked Josie into the ropes then tripped her to set up Lacey’s elbow drop. Lacey secured a full nelson hold then tagged Rain in with her extended foot (is that legal?) and set up a Boston Crab and Camel Clutch. Lacey kept a half crab locked, while Rain yanked Ariel off the apron. Josie took the hot tag and cleaned house then set up a Hart Attack which gave enough time for Rain to recover, throw Josie out the ring and set up a Tomikaze (an assisted/raised Unprettier) to win. (***)

Backstage, Daffney talked in a high pitched voice, doing an impression of a dinosaur to mock The Experience. Her green and black harlequin outfit was apropos as she plays a good comic sidekick to the straight act of MsChif. She said now her knee was healed, she was ready for payback. MsChif interrupted her with a loud scream and Daffney used the classic, “Yeah, what she said” line.

(6) Cheerleader Melissa (7-4) beat Alexa Thatcher (10-9) at 10:19. What seemed like a one-sided match cooked into a well-timed comeback with a perfect crescendo. Melissa has thankfully navigated past her awful fringe haircut and showed she means business by shoulder barging Thatcher down. After a break Thatcher took hold of Melissa’s arm and the two babyfaces played for strength. Thatcher tried a hurracanrana but was left hanging as Melissa held on and secured a liontamer stretch, then added torque and knelt on Thatcher’s head. Thatcher went outside for a break, maybe not realizing Melissa would follow her and throw her into the steps.

Melissa went for the Kudo Driver but Thatcher flipped over; she then reversed a suplex into a roll-up. Melissa tried the Driver again but Thatcher kept her down and hit a good bulldog. Thatcher reversed a clothesline into a German suplex to reset the match. Thatcher climbed out of a Samoan Drop and tried another German, but Melissa found the Kudo Driver half-set up and hit the move for only the second time for the win. Thatcher stayed bent double to sell the moves power as referees rolled her out of the ring, protecting her neck. (***1/2)

(7) The Experience (Lexie Fyfe & Malia Hosaka) (4-1) beat The Scream Queens (MsChif & Daffney) (0-0) at 11:16. They showed Daffney’s knee being beaten in Volume 14 and MsChif coming out to save her manager. The Experience checked each other seeing as the referee won’t check their opponents who scream him off, to the crowd’s delight. Hosaka went straight for Daffney’s knee who fought back with chops. MsChif screamed Hosaka out of the ring and locked up with Fyfe. Fyfe began to work Daffney’s knee as she was isolated. They really took it to her, using holds before just angrily stomping as Daffney sold it with major sympathy. She eventually ducked a kick and Fyfe kicked Hosaka.

MsChif came in with a series of power moves to the downed Experience. They tried the Gourdbuster but MsChif reversed into a double DDT. Daffney limped in to take care of Hosaka as Fyfe used the pendulum to knock MsChif’s head into the turnbuckle. A double Gourdbuster to Daffney secured the pin. (***)

(8) “Dark Angel” Sarah Stock (3-1) beat Daizee Haze (8-7) at 18:55 in a #1 Contender match. Stock (Sarita in TNA) was in a black outfit with cool, ‘80s raised shoulders. After quickly reversing ground holds, they started running around the ring. Stock became tough, almost being a heel, as she was so hungry for her title shot. Haze hit two sloppy hurracanranas and Stock took some time out. Haze went to jump outside and Stock jumped up to kick her back into the ring. Stock put Haze in a torture rack and stood up, but Haze jumped out of it while selling the pain.

After a long time, Haze mounted a comeback and hit the Heart Punch and Yakuza Kick but Stock rolled out. Haze went up top and this time landed the crossbody with some air. Haze tried to clothesline Stock off the apron, but Stock grabbed on and lept over the rope and secured a backdrop. Haze armdragged Stock out of a Tiger Driver, but found herself wheelbarrow whipped into the turnbuckle. Haze then found the Heart Punch again and went for the Mind Trip snapmare, but Stock kicked her legs up and pulled Haze down into the pin. (****)

Stock gave a backstage promo straight after the match, quite worn out but still with lots of energy as she said the next match’s result was almost immaterial as she would win the title in the next volume whether the champion was Del Rey or Kong.

(9) Sara Del Rey (12-1-1) beat Amazing Kong (4-0) at 16:34 by knockout in her third Shimmer Championship defesce. The champion ran straight at Kong with a dropkick. Kong no sold a few kicks until a low dropkick took her off her feet. Del Rey slid her out the ring then landed a suicide dive and ran back in the ring, posing. Prazak mentioned Kong missed the title tourney due to commitments in Japan and would have been a favorite as Kong climbed back in and laughed off Del Rey’s strikes.

Outside, Del Rey took advantage, throwing Kong into the barricade and kicking her against the steps. Kong rope breaked out of a running senton, then hit a backfist, she caught Del Rey’s crossbody and slammed her down. Kong failed an Amazing Bomb and was kicked into the corner. Kong no sold headbutts and slapped her right back then went for the Implant Buster but mostly slammed Del Rey’s head. Instead of a pin, Kong went for the Amazing Press that Del Rey rolled away from. Kong stood up and hit a backfist but Del Rey ducked the second and hit a sudden German suplex to reset the match and pop the crowd.

Kong tried another spinning backfist but Del Rey ducked and while doing a spinkick. She followed up with her third attempt at the Royal Butterfly and landed it with the suplex which just looked amazing. She went to cover Kong but was hit with an arrant backfist. The referee began counting a double down as both tried climbing up the ropes with Del Rey making it just in time to give Kong her first Shimmer loss. (****)

After a myriad of replays of all the amazing spots in the match, Kong was shown backstage nursing her head with an icepack telling Del Rey she won on a technicality and never pinned her. Barely taking a breath, Kong built her promo to saying she was gonna wear the belt around her waist real soon.

Overall thoughts: (8.0). Shimmer was back on track with this volume after getting some necessary evils out of the way - e.g. the tournament and being on the road. The undercard has once again drifted down but the final two matches were both high quality in different ways, one being a breathtaking sprint and the other a heavy hitter. In the middle of the volume were some solid showings from the usual suspects and some more debuts and returns creates new match ups; Jetta and Matthews are both promising talents, the former for her charisma and the latter for her workrate. The Danger/Rogers feuded ended on a short note which is probably for the best, the match was going in the right direction but the Street Fight was the peak.

FYI: Volume 15 is available at ROHStore.com along with all other in-print Shimmer DVDs. Individual matches can be bought on ClickWrestle.com and more information can be found at ShimmerWrestling.com

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