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WWA EPISODE 23: MAKING IT REIGN
NOVEMBER 23, 2022
AIRED ON PRO WRESTLING TV
REPORT BY HARLEY R. PAGEOT, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentary: Alyssa Marino, Sam Leterna
Laynie Luck stood outside the Berwyn Eagles Club in Berwyn, Illinois and noted how WWA was joining a shared history of women’s wrestling with their debut in the legendary venue.
-Opening theme.
-Our new commentary team checked in. Sam Leterna joins Alyssa Marino in the booth, replacing Lenny Leonard.
-Promo video on Billie Starkz. She’s only seventeen but she’s been killing it for a long time.
(1) BILLIE STARKZ vs. ALEX GRACIA vs. BLAIR ONYX vs. ALISHA EDWARDS
Onyx spider-walked toward her opponents. Edwards was creeped out but the other two booted Onyx off the apron. Onyx played the heavy, squashing all three of the smaller women in the corner. Onyx with a stereo submission to Edwards and Starkz. Lungblower from Gracia. Edwards bailed to the floor but Starkz caught all three women with a suicide dive. Starkz went up top but she temporarily lost her balance and Edwards tossed her off. Gory bomb from Starkz to Onyx. She went back up top but music started playing…
Starkz looked to the entrance but nobody came out. She managed to land a swanton onto Onyx for the pin regardless.
WINNER: Billie Starkz in 5:32.
(Pageot’s Perspective: And we’re back, for our first episode of original matches in over two months. This is the first episode from two days of tapings held in Berwyn Eagles Club, long established as the home to Shimmer, arguably the greatest women’s wrestling promotion in the history of America. With Alison Danger working backstage at WWA now and Shimmer not having ran an event in almost 13 months, this is a clear move from Maria Kanellis-Bennet and Bobby Cruise to cement WWA as the new top-tier women’s promotion.
Starkz picks up a win in her debut. Commentary clarified that it was Max The Impaler’s music that played but they never wound up appearing in this segment.)
-New backstage interviewer Gabby LaSpisa was with KiLynn King. King was also making her debut on this episode. She said she’s no stranger to her opponent tonight, Gia Scott. Armies need leaders to follow. They need Kings. Her statement starts with Scott.
-Missa Kate was backstage, carrying a duffel bag toward a staircase. Laynie Luck showed up and asked her what she was doing with Brooke Valentine’s bag. Kate insisted it was hers until Valentine herself showed up. Kate yelled “Distraction!”, threw the bag at Valentine, and ran off down the stairs. Luck and Valentine muttered about how sketchy that was.
-Promo video on the debuting Vita VonStarr. The Righteous is no more but she learned from them. She is the most unpredictable performer in all of women’s wrestling.
-LaSpisa was backstage with Allie Recks. Recks said she and VonStarr met last year at the Ring Of Honor women’s tournament. Recks wound up able to compete in that tournament due to a knee injury, whereas VonStarr willingly gave up her spot by interfering in Vincent Marseglia’s matches. Recks wondered how focused VonStarr really is on her own career.
(2) ALLIE RECKS vs. CCW CHAMPION VITA VONSTARR – NON-TITLE MATCH
Back and forth in the opening minutes. VonStarr got a bridging suplex but the ref took a while to get down to count the pin. Backslide from Recks. Big boot from VonStarr. Michinoku driver but Recks kicked out. Crossbody from Recks for two. Ground octopus from VonStarr. Tiger feint kick from Recks but VonStarr kicked out. Guillotine choke from VonStarr but she drove Recks into the corner to break it. VonStarr blocked a sliced bread attempt. Helter Skelter from VonStarr to Recks and the ref counted three despite Recks’ foot being in the ropes.
WINNER: Vita VonStarr in 8:22.
(Pageot’s Perspective: A night full of debuts, it would seem. This one had a lot of ROH baggage attached to it. I appreciate Kanellis wanting to continue things that she started to build over there but at this point the ROH women’s division feels like something that happened three years ago. I had to really rack my brain to remember what happened with VonStarr and that tournament. I’m not sure how many new WWA viewers would even know of The Righteous. We’re two for two with debuting wrestlers winning, which bodes well for KiLynn King.)
-LaSpisa was backstage with Allysin Kay and informed her that Ashley D’Amboise called her out for a match. Kay was flattered. These young girls always have something to prove. She just wished they understood that reputation is built over time via consistency and authenticity. One match can change a trajectory. That was the case with her and Mia Yim when Yim busted her nose open. She’s no one’s stepping stone, though.
-Cameras caught up with Billie Starkz near the bar. (Near the bar! Not at the bar! She’s 17.) Amy Rose was skulking around. She said that Max is hungry.
(3) KILYNN KING vs. GIA SCOTT
King with a body slam and leg drop early on. Scott slammed her to the mat by the hair and mocked the referee for warning her. Scott drove King into the corner with shoulder blocks. King slammed Scott onto the apron and they both fell to the floor. King with a pair of clotheslines and a palm strike. Cutter but Scott kicked out. Scott with a DDT and flatliner. German suplex from King. Codebreaker from Scott. King’s Landing for the pin.
WINNER: KiLynn King in 9:25.
(Pageot’s Perspective: And we are three for three with debuting wrestlers winning. Good match, good show overall. We’ve got some pieces setup for Starkz vs. Max and Valentine vs. Kate. Is there more to the Kate-Valentine story? A reason she was trying to steal her bag? Or is she just a creep? Why is Max targeting Starkz? I guess because she’s looking for fresh meat and the younger, the fresher. I was hopeful that the Max-LuFisto feud would be furthered at these tapings but the latter wound up missing the shows due to travel delays so we’ll have to wait to see if that gets reconciled next year. These shows were taped three weeks ago and wrestling moves at lightspeed so I don’t remember who we can expect to see going forward or which matches are in store. I look forward to being pleasantly surprised.)
-Next week: it’s Allysin Kay vs. Ashley D’Amboise.
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