7/31 WOMEN’S WRESTLING ARMY REPORT: Holidead vs. Jordan Blade for the Mission Pro Wrestling Championship, Trish Adora vs. Cosmic

WWA EPISODE 7
JULY 31, 2022
AIRED AT BRANDARMY.COM/WOMENSWRESTLINGARMY
REPORT BY HARLEY R. PAGEOT, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Commentary: Alyssa Marino, Lenny Leonard

Opening theme.

-Trish Adora was backstage. It’s not about how many times you fall down, it’s how many times you get back up.

-Adora made her entrance in the venue. Her opponent was already in the ring.

(1) “THE AFRO-PUNK” TRISH ADORA vs. COSMIC

Cosmic turned down a handshake from Adora. Adora stretched her in an air raid crash position. Roll-up but Cosmic kicked out. Cosmic with a penalty kick and a slap to the face. Adora with a judo throw and a slice. Cosmic bailed to ringside. Adora continued to dominate. Cosmic kicked out of a crucifix pin. Adora went for Lariat Tubman, there was an abrupt camera cut, and suddenly Adora was rolling up Cosmic for the pin.

WINNER: Trish Adora in 5:29.

(Pageot’s Perspective: There were a lot of awkward camera cuts in that one, which I chalked up to an off-night for the crew at first, but that big one at the end now makes me think they were intentional throughout in order to try to cover up for Cosmic, who has only been wrestling for one year. Either way, I’m not sure I’d have booked the Pan Afrikan world champion to go five minutes against someone so green. It was hardly a dominant performance for Adora or a real establishing of her move set to new viewers and she’s facing Deonna Purrazzo next week in the main event.)

-Alisha Edwards was backstage with Missa Kate. Edwards asked the Chicagoan about deep dish pizza and her go-to hot dog toppings.

-A clip aired from Beyond The Belles of Marino, Will Washington, and Maria Kanellis-Bennett talking. Kanellis mentioned that WWA started with ex-Ring Of Honor talent and how ROH doesn’t currently have a consistent home. They’re also about highlighting new and fresh talent from today and letting girls like that get used to doing interviews and promos and stories. She put over Allison Danger joining the team behind the scenes while photos showed “Coach” chatting with Queen Aminata and other women. Kanellis herself views Danger as a mentor.

-Sit-down promo from Jordan Blade. She got into wrestling at age twelve when some friends turned on SmackDown and she saw Rey Mysterio. She’s been a single mother since December when her wife was deployed to Iraq. She put over their community of friends to helping them balance their careers and family. No matter what you give her, she’ll outsmart you. She acknowledged that a lot of the women on this roster are better than her but she’s here to get better. She’s very proud to be a black, queer, masculine-presenting woman.

(2) HOLIDEAD vs. JORDAN BLADE – MPW CHAMPIONSHIP

Holidead caught Blade with an elbow to the jaw out of the gate. Test of strength. Blade took her down and went for the knee but Holidead grabbed the ropes. Takedown and Blade scruffed the champ. Holidead with a body slam and pair of leg drops. She pulled Blade across the apron and clubbed her across the chest before dropping another leg drop. Blade dodged a boot and Holidead caught her leg around the ring post. Blade snapped it around the post.

In the ring, Blade went right after Holidead’s left knee. They traded chops. Holidead wanted a cross arm breaker but Blade made the rope break. Bridging stretch to Holidead’s leg. Back body drop from the champ and another leg drop. Double stomp from Blade to the midsection out of nowhere. Spinebuster from Holidead and both were down.

Headbutt from Holidead. Samoan drop for two. Holidead looked to run the ropes but Blade grabbed her from behind in a rear naked choke. Holidead flipped over into a pin but Blade kicked out. Fisherman’s suplex but the champ kicked out. STF from Holidead. Rope break. Bridging German suplex from Blade. Kick out. Blade tried to roll backwards into an ankle lock but Holidead avoided it and hit Darkness Falls for the pin.

WINNER: Holidead in 12:49 to retain the MPW title.

-Handshake from the champ and a bow from the challenger.

(Pageot’s Perspective: Really nice match, one of the best WWA has presented so far and maybe my personal favorite. Holidead becomes the first woman to wrestle three matches in WWA and joins Queen Aminata as the only women with two singles victories. Marino name-dropped Blade’s tag partner Eel O’Neal during the match. Can we get Kings Of The District vs. The Hex in a WWA ring? Kanellis mentioned that she’d be open to presenting mixed gender matches when we talked to her on Grit & Glitter back in May.

The show closed with a little video narrated by Marino hyping next week’s main event with some sneak previews of the action. Really well done and really beneficial to creating buzz for the show, episode to episode. A great new addition.)

-Next week: it’s Deonna Purrazzo vs. Trish Adora.