6/19 WOMEN’S WRESTLING ARMY REPORT: The Hex vs. Willow Nightingale & Holidead for the NWA tag titles, Alex Gracia vs. Jody Threat, Gabby Ortiz vs. Queen Aminata

WWA EPISODE 3
JUNE 19, 2022
AIRED AT BRANDARMY.COM/WOMENSWRESTLINGARMY
REPORT BY HARLEY R. PAGEOT, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Commentary: Alyssa Marino, Lenny Leonard

Theme song

-Sit-down with Alex Gracia. She wants to show everyone you can do what you want to do by being yourself. After her high school graduation, she was voted one of the top 10 coolest people in San Antonio.

(1a) “THE PINK DREAM” ALEX GRACIA vs. “THE WILD CHILD” JODY THREAT

Lock-up with Threat forcing Gracia into the corner. Gracia caught Threat with a couple quick roll-ups for two. Threat with a handful of hair to the referee’s admonishment. Threat choked Gracia on the middle rope. Headscissors from Gracia. Forearm from Threat and back to choking her on the rope. Threat jawed with the ref and the crowd before going back to choking Gracia on the rope yet again. After doing so a fourth and fifth time, the referee finally had enough and called for the bell.

WINNER: Alex Gracia in 6:17 via disqualification.

-Gracia wasn’t thrilled about winning that way. Maria Kanellis-Bennett came out to address the situation. She asked Gracia if she wanted to continue. Jody did. Maria restarted the match under no DQ rules.

-An ad aired for WWA Begin Anywhere, which is happening July 8 & 9 in Chicago.

(1b) “THE PINK DREAM” ALEX GRACIA vs. “THE WILD CHILD” JODY THREAT – NO DISQUALIFICATION

We returned from commercial with the match in progress. Threat charged but Gracia low-bridged her to the floor. Gracia jumped off the apron but Threat caught her. Gracia slipped out and whipped her into the ring post. Gracia with a DDT on the concrete floor. She choked Threat with both hands and threw her back into the ring. Threat kicked out. Gracia choked Threat with her own hair. Facewash in the corner. Gracia went to the second rope but Threat pulled her off. German suplex for two. Threat shoved the ref to the match while commentary pointed out that he couldn’t disqualify her for that. Standing senton to Gracia.

Threat went under the ring for a pink steel chair. Michinoku Driver but Gracia kicked out. Threat set the chair in the ropes in the corner. Threat foolishly went for a spear. Gracia side-stepped and Threat went headfirst. Gracia with a chair shot to the back. STO onto the chair for the pin.

WINNER: Alex Gracia in 14:20.

(Pageot’s Perspective: I like the mix of finishes we’ve had thus far from WWA. It didn’t stick but theoretically we’ve established that matches could end via disqualification for slighter offenses than we might usually expect. I’m glad to have more established heels in the promotion and these two had a fluidity here that some of our previous matches have lacked. I still can’t believe Gracia hasn’t been picked up by WWE yet. She’s everything they’re looking for in their women except she already knows how to wrestle and has been seasoned in Stardom and other promotions.)

-Alisha Edwards was backstage with Queen Aminata. She’s from West Africa. She’d only met Gabby Ortiz once before and didn’t care about her.

(2) GABBY ORTIZ vs. QUEEN AMINATA

Ortiz took Aminata down with some chain wrestling. Aminata did the same and followed with some kicks. Slap to the chest of Ortiz. Ortiz tried to fire up but Aminata shut her down. Forearm to Ortiz’s midsection and another hard chop to the chest. Ortiz ran into a big boot. Aminata with a submission leglock. Ortiz went for a couple flash pins but Aminata kicked out. DDT from Ortiz. Sleeperhold but Aminata elbowed her way free. Facebuster from Ortiz for two. Aminata with a flatliner and the Juicy Hold (a leg submission where she batters you in the face with her leg at the same time?) for the tap out.

WINNER: Queen Aminata in 10:33.

(Pageot’s Perspective: With Aminata dominating 80% of the match, I expected Ortiz to pick up the win so a surprise finish here. These episodes from the first WWA taping are really about establishing our roster and a bit of a hierarchy. The Chicago episodes will arguably be more interesting as we presumably begin to see both people who won this time around lose for the first time and others go on undefeated streaks. Who will be the first people to dance around the main event picture? What types of stories can we tell with these different personalities?)

-Sit-down with Holidead. She’s teaming with Willow Nightingale. It wasn’t by choice and she wonders if it was a prank by management being forced to team with someone bubbly and full of energy, the opposite of her vibes.

-Sit-down with Willow Nightingale. She said Holidead is wild. They’ve worked together in the past to various degrees of success. They both bring the power, though.

-Sit-down with Allysin Kay and Marti Belle. They love tag team wrestling. They’re not each other’s first partners but they will be their last. Kay argued that all-women promotions are still very important in 2022. They both really established themselves in promotions like Shimmer and Shine. Not being just the token women’s match on an otherwise all-male card means you can’t rely on “the woman” as being your entire personality. It forces you to dig deeper.

(Pageot’s Perspective: A great point from the always-eloquent Kay and something you really see in places like Impact compared to a lot of other male-dominated promotions where the majority of the women fall back on the mean girl, cheerleader, and girlfriend sidekick stereotypes.)

(3) THE HEX (Allysin Kay & Marti Belle) vs. WILLOW NIGHTINGALE & HOLIDEAD – NWA WOMEN’S TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

Kay and Nightingale started. They traded pinkies up/thumbs up while Holidead grew annoyed on the apron. Nightingale admired Belle’s hair and requested the tag. Kay agreed but Holidead hit a blind tag on her side. Belle with some chops. Holidead with a headbutt. With Belle in a fireman’s carry, Holidead ran her headfirst into the turnbuckles. Kay made the tag and the champs double-teamed Holidead in the corner. Belle tagged back in, allowing Holidead to take over. Nightingale in. Holidead tried to lead her in heel tactics but Nightingale resisted.

Holidead pulled Kay off the apron and roughed her up on the floor. With Belle in fireman’s carry position, Nightingale accidentally swung Belle’s legs into Holidead’s face. Holidead tagged herself in. Face-plant from Belle to Holidead. Tag to Kay. Kay chucked Holidead around the ring. The Hex set up for a double team maneuver but Nightingale came in illegally to pounce Belle out of position. Things broke down. Nightingale tagged and hit a death valley driver to Belle. Holidead laid out Kay. All four women were down at 14:00.

The ref seemingly gave up on ejecting the illegal wrestlers as all four traded hands. Stereo spinebusters from the challengers. Kay ducked a kick from Nightingale and Holidead went down. Kay rolled up Nightingale for the pin.

WINNERS: The Hex in 15:22 to retain the NWA tag titles.

-The challengers bickered with each other as the champs celebrated up the ramp. Holidead seemed to forgive Nightingale, only to clothesline her and give her the boots. The Hex ran back to clear her from the ring. The babyfaces posed together to close the show.

(Pageot’s Perspective: Good match. Holidead’s the MPW Champion so it was expected that the one non-champion in the world would take the pin, though I thought we might get another time-limit draw as we approached the 15-minute mark. Turns out it was a 60-minute time limit. It was mentioned on our last episode that Holidead will be defending the MPW title in WWA at some point. Perhaps the outcome here will lead to Nightingale being that challenger?

A banner on the screen during The Hex’s post-match celebrations noted that this match was recorded before The Hex lost the tag titles on June 11. Considering I never hear anyone talk about the NWA anymore, I had no idea they weren’t still the champions. I believe this was the last of the WWA matches taped in Rhode Island so it’s unclear as yet when we can expect a fourth episode.)