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DVD REVIEW: SHIMMER WOMEN'S WRESTLING VOLUME 12

 The Cynical DVD View

Shimmer Volume 12: Title Tournament

By Michael Campbell

-We open with a backstage promo from number one heel, Lacey. Above average Shimmer promo. Most of these ladies could still do with working on some catch phrases, and adding a little individuality to their mic work, but Lacey at least, accurately conveys her character, and doesn’t appear stuttery and nervous.

-Daizee Haze then cuts a similar promo, and she attempts said individual approach. Only It’s atrocious. I can’t imagine the all important male audiences find this anything other than laughable. What happened to baby faces with a desire to win? Daizee wants to sing, and smoke a spliff… great.

This is a non-tournament singles match. The crowd are behind Josie, who’s a bland face but is the local favourite. Alicia does her whiney, irritating college girl voice, and gains good heat. Josie garners a “Bobby Lashley” chant at one point. Really basic tests of strength to start, segues into a mixture of dull, repetitive spots, and stalling. Alicia has her hated villain character down, but it doesn’t make for a particularly interesting wrestling match. Towards the end, they play into Alicia’s previous victory over Ariel, when she appears to have Josie finished, but is caught attempting to hook the tights. Josie takes advantage of the shenanigans for a roll-up victory. Nice climax to match that was somewhat like a digestive biscuit. Nothing especially wrong with it, but nothing interesting about it whatsoever.

- Backstage, Sarah Stock cuts a somewhat awkward, stilted promo. Functional.

-Sara Del Rey cuts a promo, if it can be called that, which lasts about three seconds, and features Del Rey informing us, she will win by any means necessary. That’s it? Is this for real? Poor build-up to the Sarah/Sara encounter. Couldn’t she have talked about Stock’s reputation, and added a little colour to the clash?

-We are treated to some Lacey/Daizee Haze highlights from Shimmer Volume 1 (a very enjoyable bout). Nice to have these included, as it was long enough go that a reminder is much appreciated heading into this rematch.

This is the first Title Tournament Semi Finals match. Crowd react to these ladies as you would expect, and there’s a really good atmosphere at the outset of this. Fast paced opening, as Lacey tries to stall, but Haze is seen to not let up for a moment, taking the action to her opponent rather than letting The Minnesota Home Wrecking Crew member dictate the pace. Sadly for her, she misses a Yakuza kicks, and is dumped into the first row. Lacey then stretches Daizee across the guardrail in a brutal spot. Good, intense fight between these two. As Lacey takes control, she throws a really sweet chop or two, and genuinely looks impressive beating her foe down. She’s particular aggressive, throwing some really cool forearms. Can’t say I’m overly fond of the spot where she chokes her with her flower though! What they do succeed in doing, is varying the action, which is largely one-sided and traditional, but never less than absorbing, and throwing in the odd well-timed hope spot. Raven would be proud….

The two ladies also work some really good sequences, especially one that sees a double Irish-whip reversal, which segues into a great Russian Leg Sweep, and Lacey throws in a nice Muta Lock for good measure- my favourite submission hold. Daizee gets her comeback, which the crowd are really into, but Lacey scoops the clean win, following a superb finishing stretch.

Great encounter, possibly my fav of those I’ve seen between the two. Really puts Lacey over as a strong force for the final, without hurting Haze.

Here we go. Stock comes out first, in yet another different outfit. Although like the others, it looks good, she could really do with developing some consistency in her appearance. All her outfits are pretty different, and do nothing to inform us of her character. I also would like to see Del Rey alter her music from “The Final Countdown”. I get that she’s the franchise player, as Bryan Danielson is to ROH, and it does suit her, but still… it’s like.. Already taken! She also laughs and giggles with the referee before the match begins! What the hell! She’s supposed to be a serious character- just don’t do that! Especially not in the semi finals of a title tournament! Isn’t this supposed to be an important moment? It’s like she only manages to switch onto her character after the bell rings, which is awkward.

Match itself starts out hot, showcasing Stock’s lucha work, and placing Del Rey as the more conservative of the two, having to play it safe somewhat, surprised by the speed of her foe. The first two minutes are miles better than the entire Josie/Alicia bout. Back and forth mat-work ensues, as the crowd really come alive, and applaud during the many standoffs- which come across naturally, and not forced- a balance that is usually upset in Indy wrestling. Stock narrowly dominates the submission stuff, but Del Rey is the first of the two to gain a serious flurry of offence. She takes over, with Stock punctuating her disadvantage with Mexican style hope-spots. They’re obviously more concerned with having a great match, than worrying about Del Rey coming across as heellish- which she often does anyway. It’s a good decision, because Stock has the more appropriate moveset for an exciting comeback, and if Del Rey wins, she’ll be cheered against Lacey anyway. Unfortunately, whilst attempting a kick off the top turnbuckle, Stock falls off the ropes, upsetting the flow. The two recover though, and don’t lose the crowd, following with some really crisp, exciting stuff, including most of Del Rey’s trademark spots. The announcer reveals one-minute of the twenty minute time-limit remain, which has the crowd on the edge of their seats. The finish arrives when Stock shoots for a hurracanrana, but Del Rey catches her, in a Styles-Clash position, and tosses her into a reverse sit-down piledriver. Excellent finish to a really fine match, the best of the tournament at this stage. Del Rey looks exhausted afterwards, whilst the fans chant “please come back” to Stock. What a fantastic showing for her throughout the weekend. Stock versus Kong would be just mouth-watering stuff. Meanwhile, Shimmer have done a superior job of establishing Lacey and Del Rey heading into the final, which now feels like a really big event.

-They show some build-up to Cindy Rogers versus Alison Danger, a feud based on Rogers’ turning on her friend, and subsequently defeating her in a nefariously tainted fashion. This hasn’t enthralled me as such, but it feels more significant placed on a show where other grudges are based on a title, allowing this one a little individuality to stand out, whereas before it was a little lost in the mix.

Cindy has different entrance music yet again, and this one is more fitting than before, hopefully she sticks with it. Both girls wear jeans- the universal indictor that there are no rules. Danger attacks her former mate right off the bat, and they brawl around the outside. Cindy gains some momentum, and works the knee, but in a villainous, street-fight style. Great action here, with Rogers really coming into her own, and Danger proving to be a sympathetic underdog. Some of the spots are pretty inventive, and generally fairly hardcore. One moment, see’s Rogers utilise a variation on Bret Hart’s old figure-four around the ring-post. Without resorting to a vast array of foreign objects, they successfully venture into some strong territory here, which is genuinely exciting. When they do use items- it heightens the brutality though, which is the point in the first place. Particularly of note, is when Rogers retrieves a shovel, and batters Danger’s knee , although they perhaps don’t sell it for as long as they could have done. The finale incorporates a chain, although the STO that wins it for Danger is sloppy. But it’s nice that Danger’s victory, which evens up the feud, is swift, and lucky, putting over her skill, without diminishing Rogers awesome aggression. Excellent, stiff, battle this, which benefits from being surrounded by much good, straight wrestling.

Afterwards, Alison is beat-down with the chain, and referees all move to check on her. She then challenges her to a dog-collar match, which should be great. Three great matches on the trot.

Black gets a tremendous response from the fans. Portia moves around throughout her entrance as if she’s Dave Batista, even though she looks about nine. Roxx falls over on her way into the ring, though humours the moment. She’s a really, sincerely likable girl, and also quite hot, with a dorky sense of humour, that makes it even more bizarre how she is booked in TNA. Playing to her strengths, eh?

The fans chant “three-on-one”, to the detriment of Perez, who starts on the outside (huh?), beating on Roxx. Clumsy, hectic beginning. Danger returns to the commentary booth, as they say, as she talks knee injuries with Prazak, but they don’t dwell on the issue, returning to the match- something WWE announcing has always struggled with. The four-way picks up steam when Nikki and Eden Black are in the squared circle together, and they build up to Roxx encountering Portia, who dodges her as much as possible. Roxx ends up pinning Black in a somewhat abrupt and predictable finish. Decent four-way action, although it was disappointing how little multi-person interaction there was, especially towards the end.

Rain also has new-fangled entrance music, which is, like Cindy Rogers’, a significant improvement. Prazak talks about Serena’s disappointment about missing the title tournament, which is just as well, because she barely mentioned it in her promo the previous night. Rain has the crowd all over her, as usual, as she beats down Serena for a sustained period. Usual Rain action, including a devastating looking double knee to Deeb in the corner. Solid action, and there’s a nicely stiff chop exchange towards the end, in addition to one of those silly multiple-reversals-of-an-inside-cradle sequences. Works well here though, as Rain sells the impact. She gains the victory with her “Acid Rain” finisher.

Solid, involving enough tussle between the two, and a surprising, but much-needed singles victory for Rain.

I still think Melissa looks a little uncomfortable in this role. “the Experience” are apparently wearing earplugs, to avoid having to listen to their opponents screaming. Something we all could benefit from every so often, as this is noisy, and tough to follow stuff. The babyface tandem are the dominant force here, gaining much advantage over Fyfe and Hosaka. When Hosaka takes control over Melissa, Daffney’s squealing increases to the point where it seems to test the crowd’s patience. Mschif though, is way over, and the best grappling occurs when she ties up with Hosaka, although all four work very well together. Mschif manages to hit her Second rope Death Valley Driver on Hosaka, who is too close to the ropes for the three count. Melissa and her both hit impressive simultaneous Curb stomps. The babyfaces pick up the win when Mschif hit’s a perfect Quebrada, following a messy few minutes of convoluted action.

This was generally a pretty good match, with Mschif easily impressing the most, as she generally does every time she steps into the ring. I question having “The Experience” undefeated streak end at this point, but at least it was to another permanent team.

I would have liked to have seen some sort of bonus build-up/highlight package prior to this main event, however, the tournament has been so consistently good that it stands as a very minor quibble. The Shimmer belt itself is an incredibly pretty looking strap. As much as I love Sara, she’s sill too laid back for my liking, even here, though the crowd are firmly behind her. The fans are well up for this bout from the beginning, which unfolds at a deliberate pace, and some mental jousting between the two combatants. Nice, simple grappling and submission holds provide the meat of the early stages of this match, during which Lacey surprisingly holds her own. They manage to have Sara, who is somewhat domineering in technique, and thus, risks being unsympathetic, remain on the side of the angels, by coming across as intelligent, contrasting with Lacey being more cunning and sly. She works brilliantly, knowing when to throw in those necessary shortcuts to maintain her heat, without being overtly weaker or inferior to Del Rey. There’s a nice moment where Sara uses her power to force herself into a Butterfly lock position, but Lacey is able to cling on to her, and hit a Lung blower. This match is helped no end by the good booking heading into it, which helped ensure Lacey is a credible threat, and not just an obstacle for Sara. Late in the encounter, Sara hit’s a series of eight consecutive running big boots, and here, finally, shows that fire, that passion that occasionally she doesn’t communicate. Groovy sequence too. Lacey manages to avoid defeat though, and pulls the referee into the line of fire, enabling Rain to run in, and sink Del Rey with an inverted DDT. Bah.. Really unnecessary twist. Alison Danger and Nikki Roxx both appear, and take care of Rain, whilst the battle continues. Lacey hit’s a lung blower, but only get a two-count, which pops the crowd. Lacey goes for her impact DDT, but it’s countered into a butterfly lock attempt, which is countered, then she attempts it again, but Sara counters. Lacey goes for a backslide, but Sara uses her strength to guide Lacey into the butterfly lock position, finally latching it on, before chucking over with the power slam. Impressive, fluid few moments, that has the bulk of the audience on their feet. Sara finishes Lacey with a piledriver, to become the first ever Shimmer Champion. 

Great match, that couldn’t quite follow Del Rey/Stock, but was still impressive and very enjoyable in it’s own right. I was really irritated that after all the impressive build-up with Lacey, who had a breakthrough tournament, and arrived for the final as a serious contender, to be undermined b the run-in. At least however, it fitted in with her character- although they could easily have went with the interference in a rematch. Soiled a little, but not spoiled, and with the right, happy ending.

Overall, this is a really cleverly paced, and built up card, which offers a great variety in both format and ring-style. Now, having watched both parts of the tourney, I would still maintain, that while the first half was great for Shimmer fans, and a good show in it’s own right which enhances the tournament overall, it’s by no means necessary to see it, to fully enjoy Shimmer Volume 12. This release stands alone as a must-see purchase. There is literally something to cater for everyone, on the undercard, which managed to advance things really quite brilliantly with Rogers and Alison Danger. After the rather miserable opener, which would have been better cut to a bonus extra, the show did not falter at all. The tournament bouts were all excellent, and the best of the overall show, with Sarah Stock’s battle with Del Rey being the best of the bunch. Hopefully Stock one day becomes a regular fixture in this promotion. Outside of the competition, the Street-fight was excellent, and the four-way, and tag matches, while not memorable, provided some crucial variety from the tournament format, enhancing the show overall. A GREAT starting point for non-followers, and an essential part of your collection if you’re in anyway interested in women’s wrestling.

Now, as I’m a fan of Shimmer in general, but just don’t get to talk about it anywhere near as often as I’d like, I thought I’d add a little extra to my reviews of their DVDs. Hence, the Top ten Shimmer athletes ranks, for the sake of discussion. My list will be based largely on performances, and match quality, but will also factor in place on cards, how over a lady is with the live crowd, storylines, and future prospects. For example, Sara Del Rey is ranked at number one this time round, not just because she produced two great matches on night, but because she emerged as the champion. If Lacey had won the belt, she’d probably have taken the top spot, based on her individual advancement and growth as a performer throughout the tournament. If you’ve any thoughts on this, or disagree with the choices, please get in touch to tell me why!

Tops the list thanks to winning the Shimmer Title, but also because she was already the most consistent main-eventer on the roster, even beforehand. Continues to have show-stealers every time she works, but as others add more depth to their characters, she could find herself drop a little in the rankings. Still, a fantastic performer, and Shimmer’s most popular babyface, but I fear she treads the line of sympathy a little too finely.

Along with Sarah Stock, she was the most impressive athlete in the title tournament as a whole, and on the second night, contested two of the best three outings. She also possesses one of the most believable, convincing characters of everyone on the roster. Her promos are also probably the finest in Shimmer, and she is easily the most over heel, and an invaluable asset to both the tag and singles ranks, automatically elevating the status of every bout she’s in.

Continues to show match-carrying personality, that dwarfs that of her tag partner. Ring-work is always amongst the best in the company, and she oozes feud-potential. Like Lacey, she’s an important contributor to both tag and singles divisions.

Was absent from the past two shows, but her presence is ominous as a threat to whomever tops the bill, and now, new Champion Sara Del Rey. Amazing worker, whose appearances in Shimmer have forced everyone else to up their game.

Heel turn is really starting to catch on, and her match with Alison Danger on Volume 12 was dazzling. Dog Collar rematch should be great, and if she wins the feud, could be a potential opponent for Del Rey.

Something of a sentimental favourite in the title tournament, she continually remains over, and popular, having fine outings against almost everyone. I’ve never been a fan of her trippy, dope-loving personality, she at least has a distinguishable personality.

Increasingly confident and impressive, as something of a geeky babyface alternative to Daizee Haze. Placed in a four-way on volume 12 to give her the win that positions her as on the upper tiers of the mid-card.

The feud with Rogers in which she’s currently embroiled in is seemingly designed to get her opponent over rather than herself. Danger is in the odd spot of being perceived as one of Shimmer’s veterans, but is never positioned really in the limelight, but able to contribute invaluable work wherever she is placed. Thus she’s in the process of getting Rogers over, and doing a great job. A fresh feud should push her back into contendership eventually though.

One of the most solid, reliable women on the roster, who is another wrestler operating well in both singles and tag action. Was extremely impressive in her tag match on volume twelve, though maybe a little less so in her awkward bout with Haze the previous night.

Had an absolutely incredible title tournament , and would be placed higher if she was considered a regular performer, but alas, she was just a guest star.

Thanks for taking the time to read this wacky review/rant/gibberish. I would hope it had at least as much depth as Aldo Montoya’s jockstrap, and the entertainment value of Shawn Michaels‘ hairline. If you have any comments, I welcome and encourage all feedback. please get in touch at bazilalfonso@hotmail.com Until bell-time, thanks again.