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SHIMMER Vol. 16 DVD Review: Sarita vs. Del Rey for Shimmer Title, Kong (Kharma) vs. Melissa (Saeed), trios match, Madison Rayne, Serena, Daffney

Jun 9, 2011 - 12:52:29 PM
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By Anthony Beckingham, PWTorch women's specialist

My apologies for missing a few weeks of reviewing, but it seemed like women’s wrestling was in safe hands with Kharma running rampant in WWE. However, her departure is now the perfect time to return to high-quality, athletic competition in the form of Shimmer Women Athletes.

Ring of Honor has yet to comment on how the buy-out by Sinclair Group affects the ROH store stocking third-party DVDs such as Shimmer, but one thing is for sure that Vol. 15 and 17 are nearly sold out indefinitely. Given that women’s wrestling is a niche within a niche, Shimmer can’t afford the luxury of a bad DVD, but with the increasing number of talented performers and the lessening of more questionable wrestlers (this is Josie’s last volume and Lorelei Lee disappears soon too), Shimmer makes good on its obligation.

In this volume, it’s the battle of Sara vs. Sarah as the Dark Angel earned a shot at the Shimmer Title by defeating Daizee Haze previously, while WWE’s Kharma takes on her future manager (Cheerleader Melissa playing Raesha Saeed and Alissa Flash in TNA) while trying to continue her path of destruction. Also, Eden Black and Jetta’s long UK-based rivalry comes to America in a trios match, along with the other Shimmer regulars.

SHIMMER DVD Review Series
SHIMMER Vol. 16 DVD review
October 13, 2007
Berwyn, Ill.

Vol_16.jpg

The Canadian Ninjas Portia Perez and Nicole Matthews opened the show backstage promoting themselves alongside great Canadian teams like the Hart Foundation and Rougeau Brothers. They are both ones to watch, Perez has so much charisma and can get a lot of mileage from looking like a 15 year-old; Matthews looks like she’s trying too hard on the microphone but is graceful in the ring from her experience in ECCW.

(1) Lorelei Lee (1-4) beat Amber O’ Neal (2-9) at 9:44. O’Neal is a good jobber but is becoming stale. The Material Girl, as always, stalled for time to work the crowd. Lee added speed to the contest, she even tried a handspring crossbody from the ropes but it was too slow to look convincing. After plodding around the match was reset and Lee used an Oklahoma Roll to win. (*)

(2) “Portuguese Princess” Ariel & Josie (0-2) beat The Canadian Ninjas (Portia Perez & Nicole Matthews) (1-0) at 10:03. A USA chant broke out, probably against the Canucks rather than the Portuguese babyface. Ariel controlled Perez with bodyslams, then Josie used armdrags on Matthews. Perez attacked Ariel from the apron to let Matthews take control with a perfect dropkick followed by a kip-up. Ariel was kept in the corner by Matthews’s graceful moves and Perez’s bully tactics. Ariel caught Matthews and hit a body slam. The babyfaces set up a Hart Attack, Matthews attacked Ariel and reversed a suplex from the apron by turning it into a crossbody. Josie took care of Perez outside and came back in for a spinebuster/neckbreaker combination off the top rope to secure the pin. Josie looked more impressive in this limited role. (**)

Becky Bayless (Cookie in TNA) interviewed The Minnesota Home Wrecking Crew backstage who said they’d been watching tapes to recruit someone for their trios match. In an awkward Bayless for some reason suggested it was a sex tape in an awkward moment. Lacey revealed “the cream to our Oreo” in the shape of the English Jetta. Jetta made a crack about the USA’s emphasis on plastic surgery, like all the fake boobs the men in the crowd have.

(3) Alexa Thatcher (0-3) beat Ashley Lane (0-0) at 4:54. They started with a handshake and tied up in the ring before backing off and then trading arm drags. Thatcher gained the upper hand but couldn’t secure a pin; Lane (TNA's Madison Rayne) fought back but missed a crossbody. Thatcher delivered a stylish kick for a surprisingly quick win. (*1/2)

(4) The Experience (Lexie Fyfe & Malia Hosaka) (5-1) beat Allison Danger & Serena Deeb (0-0) at 11:56. Danger has started her AtoZ music remixed with Fire, it’s a cool dance song and one of the best indie entrance themes. Fyfe took Danger from a hammerlock into a full nelson but Danger weakened Fyfe’s knee to take control. Hosaka came in and Experience worked her leg to prevent her Spear. Hosaka lept on Fyfe’s shoulders to do an assisted splash but Deeb, channeling Ricky Morton, put her knees up. Danger, shouting “woman up” to Deeb, took the tag but The Experience took care of her too. Deeb made a blind tag and reversed a double-suplex on Danger to a stereo suplex on The Experience. Amidst the confusion, Deeb took a Gourdbuster and Fyfe slid out the ring for the referee’s count. (**1/2)

(5) Cindy Rogers (6-5) beat Daffney (0-1) at 5:38. A cheery Daffney stood in the corner for the fans cheers. Rogers refused to do the same and hit Daffney from behind. She threw Daffney into the ropes which damaged her previously injured knee as she fell out the ring. Daffney broke free of an inverted Sharpshooter and went to the corner, allowing a sunset flip pin attempt at the charging Rogers. Rogers kept Daffney on the mat, eventually securing the TCP to make her tap which meant Daffney was helped to the back. (**)

(6) MsChif & Daizee Haze & “The Jezebel” Eden Black (0-0) beat The International Home Wrecking Crew (Lacey & Rain & Jetta) (0-0) at 28:38. The face team came out with Haze’s toy flowers, even MsChif; that’s weirder than the GCW match where Haze and MsChif swapped outfits and the referee was drunk. IHWC spent four minutes time wasting with a three-way rock, paper, scissors match that prompted a pre-Lagana “we want wrestling” chant. They tried to tag each other all in at once and jointly scream down MsChif. MsChif no-sold it then screamed all three out of the ring. Nine minutes after the bell, MsChif and Lacey lock up to a rapturous cheer from the crowd. Lacey sat out of a bodyscissors and worked MsChif’s single leg.

One by one, everyone came in to make an artistic six-way submission. Jetta and Haze stayed in and after taking a figure-four Jetta complimented Haze’s work-rate by proffering a handshake. Naturally she yanked Haze to the corner to choke her. Lacey achieved a full nelson from Haze’s wheelbarrow then Rain went for a kneedrop. Haze flipped Lacey onto Rain’s knees and Black gave a leg drop. Black then monkey flipped Rain out of the corner and floated over into a pin, then after she kicked out gave the Garden of Eden. Black tagged Haze who took out all three Home Wreckers and tried pinning Jetta with a German. After a flurry of failed finishers, Haze reversed Jetta’s stranglehold into the Heart Punch and Yakuza Kick to win while the others were kept outside. (****)

(7) Amazing Kong (4-1) beat Cheerleader Melissa (7-5) at 8:56. Kong offered a handshake to her future manager but then threw Melissa into the corner. Kong no-sold strong forearms with a cackle, this was met with a slap and a low dropkick. Melissa modified an STO into an arm breaker, but Kong pulled Melissa outside. Melissa punched her way out of an Amazing Bomb, so Kong went for a chair but hit the ring post and the official photographer. Back inside, Melissa stopped a diving splash with a Frankensteiner then a dropkick; both were kicked out. Melissa used the turnbuckle assistance to hit a powerbomb and followed up with a double stop only for a rope break to prevent victory.

Melissa started setting up the Kudo Driver but Kong struggled free and hit her trademark moveset: backfists, a clothesline, the Amazing Bomb and the Amazing Press to win the match and seemingly dislodge boards from the ring. All the big spots were replayed after Prazak noted Melissa’s three-match winning streak ending reduced her chances of receiving a title shot. (***)

(8) Sara Del Rey (13-1-1) beat “Dark Angel” Sarah Stock (4-1) at 18:39 in a Best of Three Falls match in her fourth Shimmer Championship defense. After a few gentle tussles, Del Rey swiped Stock to the floor and trapped her arm. Stock used her lucha flexibility to change submissions and free herself from Del Rey’s pin attempt. Del Rey took a tumble into the ropes and walked off ankle pain outside. They traded simple holds before Del Rey locked in a bow-and-arrow hold while Prazak noted quickly tapping might be tactically wiser in the long run. After escaping, Stock built up pace to a backwards springboard off the ropes but Del Rey caught her on her shoulders. She dropped Stock into a wheelbarrow but Stock found a bulldog. Del Rey took control of the next wheelbarrow, though, and hit a whiplash-inducing German suplex for the first pin at 8:58.

Stock went out of the ring to sell the suplex during the interval - not included in the time. After the bell, Del Rey went straight to the attack with a suplex and into the corner. She repeatedly bodyslammed Stock, whose attempt to flip out and mount a comeback was stopped short with a big boot to the chest. Del Rey combined a Surfboard Stretch with a Camel Clutch until Stock found the rope. Stock struck Del Rey with some kicks and finally an enziguri which gave her the chance to hit a crossbody from the top and a creative roll-up to even the score at 15:50.

After Stock became only the second person to pin Del Rey in Shimmer they started the third fall by running at each other. Del Rey hit two big boots but Stock stalled her with chops before rolling her shoulders round for a tight pin. Del Rey took Stock off the turnbuckle into a Royal Butterfly which Stock somehow flipped out of and put on an arm bar. Del Rey latched her hands together to block the bar and stood up, but her attempt at a powerbomb turned into a sunset flip pin by Stock. Stock was too exhausted to lift Del Rey up for the Tiger Driver and they exchanged near falls. The two ran at each other, then Del Rey ducked a clothesline but kept her arm out to trip Stock over and find the third pin. (****)

Overall thoughts: 7.5 With the almost-half-hour trios match, this is a bit of an odd bag to review as a whole. First and foremost, the Shimmer Championship match is superb as Stock continues to show that effortless pace, flare, and star power that echoes Rebecca Knox's early contributions to Shimmer. Putting her against the technical powerhouse of Del Rey makes for a match every bit as good as it sounds and is probably why this volume sold out ahead of others. Melissa is probably the only wrestler aside from the champion who you could imagine taking it to Kong, and, boy, does she. The trios match is an odd one; it's very funny and entertaining but this serves to undermine its importance so high on the card. It does represent how much diverse entertainment Shimmer offers and why it's built up such a solid fan base of returning spectators over the years, but something was missing for me.

FYI: Volume 16 is sold out but individual matches can be bought on ClickWrestle.com. Other Shimmer DVDs can be found at ROHStore.com and more information can be found at ShimmerWrestling.com.


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