One of the few "problems" with the explosion of footage becoming available in the last few years is that I find it remarkably easy to end up with more wrestling than I can watch. For example, this show, which I paid actual money for three years ago, then left it sat on my hard drive unwatched. Decided maybe it was time to give it a go.
Sumie Sakai vs Lexia Avery
Fair opener. Avery has a considerable size advantage over
Sukai, but seems afraid to really commit, both with her weak strikes and with
some of her bumping. Sakai is experienced enough to compensate for this, and
adds some nice little touches to the match. Loved her going for a Boston Crab
by holding Avery’s legs, letting the ref count a pin and Avery to lift her
shoulder, then going with that movement to turn the larger opponent over. I’ll
give Avery credit, her good moves look impressive, with a nice side slam and a
meaty looking kerb stomp, and I dug her viciously kicking the rope as Sakai
lies over it. Sumie has move painful looking chops, almost like she’s trying to
convince Avery to lay them in more. The end sees Avery try an Air Raid Crash,
but Sakai rolls through and locks a tight cradle to win.
Nina Monet vs Davienne
Good early impressions, as Monet really locks in her
headlocks tightly. Davienne takes control with an awkward looking shoulderblock
(how awkward? I didn’t realise what had happened until the commentator decided
that was what had happened), but makes up for it with a decent stomachbreaker.
Monet has a nasty streak, locking Davienne in a submission and kicking her in
the back of the head. Short match sees Lexia Avery interfere and distract
Davienne, allowing Monet to hit a side Russian legsweep and a leaping DDT to
win.
Nikki Addams & Dickie Rodz vs Nyla the Destroyer &
Aja Perera
Intergender match here, as Addams and Rodz challenge the
massive Nyla to a 2-on-1 match, only for Perera to come out to even the sides.
Rodz being the only male doesn’t unbalance the teams as he’s pretty much
portrayed as a goof and he’s not much bigger than Nyla. Because the match is
basically building up to Nyla getting in the ring, we get heat worked on Perera
pretty much from the get go. Perera gets a few moments, hitting a boot as
Addams tries a top rope nothing from the top rope. Addams hits a lovely top
rope Eat Defeat as compensation. The build up to the hot tag leads to a few awkward
moments like Perera getting a chance to tag, going to her corner, then deciding
to go back on offence again. Nyla does eventually get in, blitzing Rodz with
clotheslines, then planting him with a powerbomb from the corner for the win.
La Rosa Negra vs Hania the Howling Huntress
Two out of three fall match here, and it felt like two
decent-good wrestlers being hamstrung by overbooking. The work both do looks
really good. Negra in particular impresses, seems to have good instincts. For
example, at one point she goes for the three amigos, but she adds a punch to
the stomach between suplexes to keep Hania weak. Hania hits a few nice combos,
lovely legsweep into a low dropkick, and she gets great height on a flip
senton. Negra sells really nicely too, flying like a ragdoll on Hania’s offence,
and getting into the right position to take offence in a natural manner. The
problem comes with the booking, which sees Negra’s entourage interfering in
clumsy ways. She’s joined by JGeorge and a towering lady called Natalie, and
they seem to fail to understand that you want to interfere behind the refs
back. At one point, Natalie gets on the apron and kicks Hania in full view of
the ref, who has to awkwardly turn away and pretend he didn’t just see it. Even
the commentator has to clumsily explain it as the ref somehow not spotting it.
Later, Natalie just gets in the ring, runs the ropes in a manner the referee
couldn’t miss, then tries a suicide dive that spectacularly misses both JGeorge
and Hania. You know the booking is failing when the crowd are chanting “This
ref sucks” instead of the heat going to the heels. In the end, with each
wrestler having a fall apiece, JGeorge gets in, accidentally hits Negra with a
superkick and Hania hits a leaping reverse DDT for the win. Good wrestling in a
poor match.
Ashley America vs Little Jeanne
Curious to see WCW alum Jeanne appear on this show.
Cagematch tells me she didn’t wrestle for 6 years, then came back to wrestle on
this card. Very quick stuff here, America (who is the heel, which you wouldn’t
guess from her name) jumps Jeanne before the bell, but is unable to maintain
any control. Jeanne hits a nice clothesline, works a bodyscissors nicely,
whilst America only gets in a few basic moves. Ashley tries a deathlock, but
Jeanne elbows free and hits a second-rope suplex to win. This was fine.
Kacee Carlisle vs Jessie Brooks
This is for Carlisle’s Queen of Valkyrie title. Really liked
the presentation here, as they managed to make a match between two ladies I don’t
know into a real big match atmosphere. Julius Smokes is accompanying Brooks,
and his rapidfire motormouth persona contrasts nicely with her stoic silence,
making her look like a badass. This is turn carries over to Carlisle, because
her refusal to back down, getting in Brooks’ face mean that she too comes
across as a tough lady. The match? Really good, neither seem afraid to lay in
the shots, as they exchange blows with an audible thud. Brooks hits a series of
lovely running forearms in the corner. Nice submissions interspersed too, loved
the Camel Clutch that Brooks locks in, really nasty angle and she holds a tight
chinlock at the time too. Neither lets up the intensity either, and I liked
Carlisle resorting to an eyepoke just to get a moment of control. The end is
the only disappointment. Brooks climbs to the second rope to hit vicious knees
to the back of Carlisle’s head (which looks great), sending Kacee into a tree
of woe on the outside of the ring. Brooks lays in some shots, only for Carlisle
to just hit a double-arm DDT, draped from the top rope, to win. Just felt like
it came from nowhere. Overall, a good match.
Fred Yehi vs Dickie Rodz
Well, this was odd. A match not advertised that seems to
being fought after the show with no audience (bar a load of wrestlers
surrounding the ring like lumberjacks), with no commentary and you can even see
the ring announcer in the background putting his coat on and heading off for
the night. So, this seems to be a practise match, but it’s still fought with
some intensity. Rodz comes off far better here, and Yehi looks terrific. They
work a decent mat section before turning the heat up. Loved the headbutts that
Yehi hits. Rodz hits a nice back suplex, but Yehi starts bridging out of pins
and breaks a second back suplex with a big elbow to the head. Yehi gets the win
with a sudden exploder, a running flatliner and the Koji Clutch for the victory.
Nice little curio here.
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