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The show opens with a promo from Lacey saying that she's had many matches with Daizee Haze and even though she's won most of them (cough cough), she somehow lost in the main event of Vol 1. But she's going to see Daizee tonight in the four way and even though Sara Del Rey and Mercedes Martinez are both involved, neither of them have a chance and Lacey is gunning for Daizee Haze.
Before our first match, we take a look back at Vol 1 when Team Blondage cheated to beat Cindy Rogers, leading to Cindy Rogers laying out a challenge to Krissy Vaine, leading us to...
Krissy Vaine vs Cindy Rogers
The introductions started with a funny moment where Krissy's on her way to the ring and she runs into Amber O'Neal apparently just getting to the building after a shopping spree, carrying several shopping bags and everything. That was funny, and it's a shame this team didn't last longer because they were really entertaining. Mat wrestling exchange to start, as Cindy takes Krissy down with an armdrag and they exchange several pinning combination. Cindy catches Krissy with a backslide for 2 and Krissy backs off. Krissy goes for a handshake and Cindy looks like she's going to go for it, but must have learned from a childhood spent watching Sting's career and takes Krissy down with a single leg instead, then catches her in an ankle lock. Krissy makes the ropes, so Cindy casually throws a series of punches instead. Krissy reverses a whip and Cindy goes into the corner hard and Krissy works her over with a series of chops and then Beels her across the ring. Krissy sits on Cindy's back and smacks her ass in a weird moment, then blatantly chokes her right in front of the referee. Krissy with a snap suplex, but plays to the crowd instead of going for the cover, and someone in the crowd calls her a ho. Ha. Krissy stands on Cindy's hair and pulls up on the wrists, which isn't as painful as it looks. Running legdrop from Krissy gets 2. Krissy whips Cindy into the corner but Cindy ducks a clothesline and gets a dropkick to the knee, then the Mr Perfect necksnap for 2. Krissy goes to the eyes and gets a side suplex for 2. Krissy rams Cindy into the turnbuckle and whips her across the ring, but Cindy gets the boot up on a charge and gets a second rope bulldog. Both girls get to their feet and they go punch for punch with Cindy coming out on top and then catching Krissy in a variation of the Royal Octopus hold. Russian Legsweep gets 2 for Cindy, followed by a butt butt and the running Prince Nana ass splash in the corner. Snapmare into the TCB and Krissy taps.
Winner: Cindy Rogers
This would turn out to be the last we'd see of Krissy Vaine in SHIMMER, as she would sign a developmental contract with WWE before the taping of Volume 3. A contract, I might add, that she later walked out on because it got in the way of her budding romance with another developmental wrestler who also walked out on his contract. Hey, I'm all for true happiness and all that, but what an opportunity down the toilet that others would have killed to get.
Lexie Fyfe vs Nikki Roxx
Nikki comes to the ring to Ballroom Blitz, which always makes me think of Wayne's World. Party on, Nikki! Lexie, in the meantime, enters to her crappy music of a car going vroom. The phone rings again as the match starts, distracting Nikki enough for Lexie to jump her from behind, but Nikki comes right back with a series of dropkicks to send Lexie to the floor. Lexie stalls and takes a full count before slowly re-entering the ring. Nikki takes Lexie down with a drop toehold and gets a headlock, but Lexie reverses to a hammerlock, then we go to the standard wristlock exchange until Nikki cartwheels her way out of Lexie's grasp. Nikki whips Lexie into the ropes and goes for a dropkick, but Lexie holds the ropes and Nikki goes down hard. Lexie is on her like a shark, pounding away and landing a hard legdrop for 2. Lexie Beels Nikki across the ring by the hair, then a series of hairmares...illegally, I might add, before locking Nikki into a full nelson using the legs. Nikki tries to bridge back and put Lexie's shoulders to the mat, but Lexie is in enough control to stay off her back. Nikki makes the ropes, so Lexie gets a pendulum surfboard before just dropping her facefirst on the mat. Lexie with a camel clutch and pulls the hair, and the ref makes her break the hold. Nikki comes off the ropes with a high crossbody for 2, but Lexie shuts her right back down with a series of vertical suplexes that get her a 2 count. Nikki gets to her feet and they start exchanging chops, but Lexie gets a facebuster for 2. Lexie works Nikki over in the corner with shoulderblocks and whips her across the ring, but Nikki moves and Lexie hits the corner hard. Now Nikki tries a cross corner whip and a charge, but Lexie gets the boot up and then flattens Nikki with a clothesline. Another facebuster from Lexie and she goes up to the second rope, but takes too long and Nikki moves out of the way of the legdrop. Nikki takes the opportunity to hit the Barbie Crusher and score a mild upset win.
Winner: Nikki Roxx
Cheerleader Melissa & Tiana Ringer vs Ariel & Shantelle Taylor
Shantelle and Melissa start and spend like 20 minutes circling each other before finally tying up. Shantelle takes a side headlock but Melissa fires her off into the ropes, Shantelle comes back with three dropkicks to take Melissa off her feet, and a fourth puts Melissa to her back, giving Shantelle a 2 count. Shantelle with a bridging O'Connor roll for 2 and Melissa is starting to look a little frustrated. Both ladies tag out, and Tiana charges right at Ariel, but takes a drop toehold, allowing Ariel to get a wristlock. They do a nice little armdrag exchange but Ariel gets ahold of Tiana and takes her to the corner and tags in Shantelle, who lays in several chops to Tiana. Shantelle hits the ropes but Melissa grabs her hair from the outside, allowing Tiana to grab her and hit a full nelson flapjack. Melissa tags in and starts stomping away on Shantelle as she mocks the fans for cheering her. Melissa hangs Shantelle in the Tree Of Woe and tags in Tiana so they can both put the boots to Shantelle. Tiana goes for a cover but Ariel distracts the referee and Tiana doesn't even get a 1 count. Tiana keeps up the assault and then tags in Melissa, who lays in a pair of STIFF chops, then lifts her with ease and drives her into the mat with a hard bodyslam. Shantelle gets a surprise small package for 2, but Melissa escapes and takes Shantelle's head off with a clothesline. Tiana tags in and blatantly chokes Shantelle in front of the referee. Shantelle fights her way out of the heel corner and dives for the tag, but Tiana catches her just in time and dumps her back into the middle of the ring. Shantelle keeps fighting and comes off the ropes with a clothesline and both girls are down. Shantelle finally makes the hot tag and Ariel comes in and cleans house. Flying headscissors sends Melissa to the floor, then Ariel catches Tiana going up top and she and Shantelle go for a double team superplex, but Melissa comes in and slams both faces off the top rope as they're suplexing Tiana. It was one of those Tower Of Doom things you may have seen in ROH scramble matches. Ariel goes for the Dariel, but Melissa escapes and hits the Air Raid Crash for the win.
Winners: Cheerleader Melissa & Tiana Ringer
We now take a look back at clips of the Del Rey-Martinez match from Volume 1, and the flashback was so long I swear I rewatched half the match. After that, we go backstage to Sara Del Rey, saying that in the four way tonight, she's gunning for Mercedes Martinez. Martinez interrupts Sara's promo time to get in her face and say that tonight she's going to prove herself against Sara, Daizeee Haze, and Lacey.
Amber O'Neal vs Christie Ricci
Amber took a powder to the outside during introductions, so the announcer introduced her as "currently on the floor". I think the kids would say LOL at that. Amber with her usual stallfest to start, and when she finally gets in the ring, Ricci, who has like eight inches and thirty pounds on Amber, overpowers her and tosses her around like a ragdoll. Amber lures her into the corner and Tullys her into the turnbuckle, then chokes her over the ropes. Amber with a handful of hair then slams Christie facefirst into the mat. Amber with a camel clutch, but Christie easily gets to her feet and rams Amber...into the corner to break the hold. Amber quickly recovers and gets a bulldog, then rams Christie's face into the mat again. Amber with a side Russian legsweep for 2 as Dave pays the bills, then gets a standing Boston Crab, though not quite a Walls Of Jericho. Ricci powers out, so Amber goes back to the choke on the ropes. Amber goes for a vertical suplex, but Ricci gets an inside cradle, and then they roll clear around the ring with reversal after reversal. Ricci with a pair of tilt-a-whirl backbreakers for 2 and then comes off the second rope, but Amber gets the boot up. Ricci quickly recovers and hits a Northern Lights suplex and gets the three count, though Amber looks like she slightly botched the finish by trying to kick out during the winning pinfall. Still, match told a good big wrestler vs small wrestler story, as Amber's great at taking every shortcut available to get ahead.
Winner: Christie Ricci
Rain vs Allison Danger
I found out the other day that Rain opened a new website for herself, so I went and checked it out and there's the usual wrestling stuff, but also a bunch of videos for sale of her having slumber parties and pillow fights, and I decided that even though it's a great way to squeeze money out of the marks, it's not the best way to get people to take you seriously as a wrestler. Don't get me wrong, she's a very attractive girl and all, but slumber parties and pillow fights? Allison, in the meantime, worked a dark match at the last batch of ROH TV tapings against Sara Del Rey, and this was the first time I'd seen her since she gave birth, and even though you could see the mommy weight on her, she still looked in better shape than most women I know. If anything, I think she looked better with the weight on her because I thought she started looking a little too skinny before her hiatus. Anyway, the usual chain wrestling starts the match until Rain gets a knee to the gut and starts choking Danger on the ropes, then starts biting her. Rain with a cross corner whip and follows her in with a pair of knees to the back. Rain sends Danger into the ropes and Danger comes back with a quick rollup for 2, but Rain puts her right back down with a clothesline. More choking and a rear chinlock for good measure, but Danger makes the ropes. Danger with a kick to the knee to chop Rain down, but Rain ducks the Shimmering Warlock and gets a really deep Boston Crab, but Danger makes the ropes. Danger powders out to the floor so Rain baseball slides into her, then picks her up in a bearhug and rams Danger's back into the ringpost. They head back in the ring, where Rain covers for a 2 count. Rain sends Danger into the corner and charges in, but Danger gets the boot up and comes out of the corner with a running knee and both girls are down. They make it back to their feet and start going toe-to-toe until Danger gets fired up and rolls over Rain with a pair of clotheslines and then a pair of vertical suplexes for 2. Rain elbows her way out of an STO attempt and gets a backbreaker for 2. Rain goes for a Fisherwoman's Buster, but Danger escapes and gets an O'Connor roll for 2. Rain goes for Acid Rain but Danger elbows her way out and locks Rain in a half crab, but Rain makes the ropes. Rain ducks a clothesline and hits the Raindrop for 2 then goes for Acid Rain again, but her knee gives out, so Danger dropkicks the knee and hits the Shimmering Warlock for the win.
Winner: Allison Danger
We go back for another flashback, this time of the Daizee Haze vs Lacey match that main evented Volume 1. Afterward, we go to the back for comments from Daizee who says that she may not be the biggest competitor in the main event match tonight, but she's going to solve her problems the way she always does: by smoking them to the dome. I gather that this is some sort of marijuana lingo, about which upstanding citizens like you and I should know nothing.
Beth Phoenix vs MsChif
MsChif starts off by screaming at Phoenix, who runs in terror to the floor. After taking a moment to compose herself, she climbs back in the ring and tries to make friends with MsChif, but MsChif bites her arm and takes Phoenix down, locking her in a weird inverted bow and arrow. Phoenix reverses to a crucifix for 2, but MsChif escapes and starts pounding away at Phoenix. MsChif takes a run at Phoenix, but Phoenix pulls down the ropes and MsChif goes sailing out to the floor. Phoenix goes out after her and slams her hard on the floor, then dives back into the ring and frantically tells the referee to count MsChif out. MsChif beats the count, so Phoenix starts putting the boots to her before hitting a salto for 2. Phoenix with a hairmare and then locks in a power nelson, MsChif escapes with a chinbreaker and gets a bodyscissors rollup for 2. Phoenix quickly regains control and takes MsChif down and hits a legdrop for 2. MsChif ducks a clothesline and hits a neckbreaker for 2, but Phoenix with a knee to the ribs and a backbreaker, then stretches MsChif over the knee. MsChif kicks her way out and gets a headscissors, but Phoenix simply rolls on top for her for 2. Phoenix with a pair of chops, but MsChif just stands there screaming at her and Phoenix tries to run away, but MsChif catches her and hits a rolling neckbreaker for 2, then a standing moonsault for 2. MsChif whips Phoenix into the corner and Phoenix comes out with a nice leapfrog into a rollup for 2. MsChif goes for the Desecrator, but Phoenix sweeps the legs (Johnny) and hits the Beth Valley Driver for the win.
Winner: Beth Phoenix
Four Way Elimination Match: Mercedes Martinez vs Lacey vs Sara Del Rey vs Daizee Haze
By now I've seen Sara, Lacey, and Daizee wrestle one another so many times that I've lost count, and I eventually got to the point where I questioned whether Gabe Sapolsky knew there were other female wrestlers in the world besides those three. The matchups were fairly fresh at this point though, at least to the non-Midwestern audience. Sara and Lacey start, but as they go to lock up, Lacey ducks under Sara and runs and tags in Mercedes, so it looks like we're going to get the rematch right away. Sara takes Mercedes to the corner and goes for a forearm, but Mercedes ducks out of the way, then she takes Sara to the corner and tries the same thing, but Sara ducks out of the way and tags in Daizee. Mercedes takes Daize down with some armdrags and then tags in Lacey, who puts on a wristlock and starts dropping elbows on Daizee's arm. Daizee escapes and tags in Sara, who lays in a headbutt and a kneedrop for 2. Lacey sends Sara facefirst into the corner and starts kicking away at Sara's back, then hits a running pair of knees and a lungblower for 2. Sara gets out of trouble with a headbutt and tags Daizee back in, but Lacey drop toeholds her across the bottom rope and then starts choking her on the ropes. Lacey tags in Sara who catches a kick from Daizee, but Daizee kicks her in the face with the other foot and sends Sara to the floor. Daizee goes up top and hits a dive to the floor on Sara, then tosses her back into the ring. Daizee tags in Mercedes, and she and Sara exchange pinning combinations without either of them getting a fall. Sara starts to get frustrated, so she tags out to Daizee, who comes in and tries a flying something, but Mercedes catches her in a wheelbarrow and drops her facefirst. Daizee comes off the ropes and tries a bulldog, but Mercedes tosses her off again and starts kicking her in the ribs. Lacey tags herself in and tries a fireman's carry on Daizee, but Daizee reverses to a crucifix for 2, so Lacey scurries over to the corner and tags Sara in. Sara works Daizee over with some heavy offense, and Lacey takes the opportunity to tag herself in and go after Daizee now that she's in a bad way. She tries a side suplex but Daizee reverses to a flying headscissors, and Lacey runs and tags Sara in yet again. Sara puts Daizee up top and gets a really nasty snapmare off the top, and Lacey tags herself in yet again, but falls victim to a series of facebreakers and a pair of Yakuza Kicks. Now Mercedes takes the opportunity and tags herself in off Daizee, and hits the Fisherman's Buster for 3 to eliminate Lacey.
Now we're down to three left, and it's Mercedes and Sara, and they go toe to toe in the middle of the ring. Sara comes out on top and goes for the Royal Butterfly, but Mercedes fights her way out and comes off the ropes with a big boot to the chest of Sara, but didn't see the blind tag Sara made to Daizee, who comes off the top with a dropkick, then hits a heart punch and Yakuza Kick to score a fall on Mercedes and eliminate her.
It's down to Sara and Daizee, and Sara does not look happy that she didn't get to eliminate Mercedes. Daizee gets a backslide for 2 and goes for another Yakuza Kick, but Sara ducks under and lifts Daizee up and powerbombs her hard for 2. Daizee comes out behind on a suplex and gets a rollup for 2, then hits a Yakuza Kick for another 2. Daizee with a bulldog on Sara then goes for another one, but Sara catches her in the Royal Butterfly and converts it to the powerslam for the win.
Winner: Sara Del Rey
Cheerleader Melissa is backstage saying that the win tonight was easy, but she's still thinking about MsChif, who she says got lucky on Volume 1. She's traveled all over the world and she has a reputation to uphold. She's going to get her rematch and when she does, she's going to beat MsChif.
We see clips from Lexie Fyfe vs Lorelei Lee from an FIP show in January 2006, as we are informed that Lorelei is coming to SHIMMER.
We go backstage again to Allison Danger, who announces the debut of Rebecca Knox from Ireland on Volume 3, and also informs us that she will be facing Rebecca in her debut match.
The Bottom Line
This was a lot like Volume 1 in that there was a good main event but no other real blowaway matches, but by the end of this DVD you started to get familiar with all the characters and begin to see some momentum building with storylines like Melissa-MsChif and Mercedes-Del Rey starting to get going. Nothing major happened on this show, though, so I can't go more than Mildly Recommended.
Thanks for reading, and I'll see everyone soon for Volume 3!
Stu Carapola can be reached at stupwinsider@yahoo.com.
