So I couldn’t help myself here at SHIMMER 117. I got more merchandise during intermission – I had to get a selfie with the new champ and make my best friend jealous. I also figured I’d get an 8×10 from Rhia as well since she was so amused by my arm tattoo at the afterparty last night. Also, I got to snap a picture of my turnbuckle pad.
I just need to hunt down Jordynne Grace, Nicole Matthews, LuFisto, KC Spinelli, and Delilah Doom to get the signature collection complete.
Match 1: Marti Belle vs. Bel Pierce
There are some occasional high points of banter here, but not a lot for the wrestling. It’s a match, that’s for sure, but not a lot about it that’s particularly standout in any way. Marti wins with a pedigree.
Match 2: Jody Threat vs. Brittany Blake
Jody took a page from Mercedes and did a 30-second stalling suplex walking around the ring. This is a fun match, and both give a lot to make it good. Brittany Blake wins with a kneebar or something (couldn’t see from my seat).
Match 3: Veda Scott vs. Laynie Luck
Veda is so confused that we’ve randomly decided to cheer her. It’s Laynie’s SHIMMER debut, and Veda is getting one of the loudest chants of the weekend. She fakes out the handshake to try and get her heat back, as she comments next on how clean she is being about the wristlock. What’s really great about Laynie is how well she incorporates her gimmick into her wrestling. Veda wins with a thrust kick to a thunderous and confusing ovation. Then she and Laynie dabbed together. I think we maybe turned her face.
Match 4: Sea Stars (Delmi Exo and Ashley Vox) (c) vs. The Bird and the Bee (Willow Nightingale and Solo Darling) for the SHIMMER Tag Team Championship
This match is really good. Solo and Willow work a bit more heel, a bit more vicious. It really works for them, as they rag doll the Sea Stars for a good bit. The Sea Stars retain with the assisted senton to Solo. There’s some checking on Solo, and it looks like she might have got the wind knocked out of her. She gets up after a minute and both teams celebrate a good match.
Match 5: Saraya Knight vs. Davienne
The crowd chants “run for your life” to Skylar. Saraya says she can beat both of them. Saraya absolutely brutalizes Davienne to the great approval of the crowd. Saraya offers a free shot and Davienne gets about a minute of offense from it. Skylar tries to interfere on Davienne’s behalf but it just angers Saraya. Saraya wins with the Bridled Rockinghorse.
Match 6: Allysin Kay vs. Rhia O’Reilly
AK has her head on a stick to judge us, while Rhia has a unicorn horn from her merch stand. There’s a debate, after AK calls out the horn as a weapon, whether AK and AK-on-a-stick count as two competitors and which is the real AK. After the initial shenanigans, they get down to business and it’s good heat building by AK that propels the match. They brawl out of the ring and Rhia emerges in control. She hits a curb stomp for two. AK eventually gets Rhia in a position where she can just elbow her head until she wins by TKO.
Match 7: Elayna Black vs. Skylar vs. Nevaeh vs. Cheerleader Melissa vs. Kris Statlander vs. Shazza McKenzie in a six-way scramble
Four out, two in, so Kris challenges the referee. She and Skylar start and go for a bit of shenanigans. Then in come Shazza and Elayna, with Elayna presenting Shazza a card. Someone in the audience asks if it’s a Hot Topic coupon and Nevaeh loves that comment. Nevaeh and Melissa are next in. After a bunch of spam and the referee losing control, Shazza wins with a top rope splits stunner to Elayna Black.
Match 8: Hyan (c) vs. Holidead for the Interim Heart of SHIMMER Championship
Hyan does not like the I-word at all and wants it not to be said. Holidead is all about telling Hyan it’s okay to be interim champ, and nearly every other word out of her mouth is “interim.” This is a really good, hard-hitting match and Hyan gets such good heat throughout thanks to Holidead encouraging the interim chants. Hyan is really good at close kickouts. Holidead goes for the double underhook facebuster but Hyan escapes and hits a glam slam for the victory.
Match 9: Blue Nation (Charli Evans and Jessica Troy) vs. #SwoleFamily (Big Swole and Little Swole Nicole Savoy)
Once again, the crowd has decided it loves the heels and Blue Nation are our favorites, though we don’t dislike #SwoleFamily either. There are dueling chants for both teams for the first minute and a half of the match, and Blue Nation is almost as befuddled as Veda was. As we settle into the actual match, it’s pretty good work. Blue Nation are doing their heel stuff and the crowd is just loving them. Birthday chops for Nicole Savoy right before she gets the hot tag to Big Swole. Everyone is down and Blue Nation makes a comeback and almost pin Savoy. Eventually Big Swole hits a discus forearm into a half-Nelson suplex from Savoy to Charli to win.
Match 10: Mercedes Martinez with Cheerleader Melissa vs. Zoe Skye
Martinez attacks early and keeps up the pressure. Melissa’s interference is so much more in this match, as she even sprays Zoe with beer. Zoe tries to make a comeback, but Mercedes is just too on top of her. Melissa keeps interfering, swinging Zoe into the barricade. The referee asks if Zoe wants to give up repeatedly, and the story here is a showcase of her guts. Bizarrely, it feels like Melissa has had more offense than Mercedes. Mercedes hits a top rope ushigaroshi for two. Zoe manages to overcome Melissa and hit a top rope Meteora to pin Mercedes. Great match.
Match 11: Kimber Lee (c) vs. Jessica Havok for the SHIMMER Championship
The action spills outside early and they just brawl wildly through the early part of the match. Somebody got suplexed on the floor and I think it was Kimber. Havok then powerbombs her and applies a Boston Crab. Kimber fires back with a remora Rhia and a flying head scissors from the top. Havok calls for a tombstone from the second, but Kimber shoves her off and Swanton bombs her for the win.
Final thoughts
Another really strong volume. This weekend, in terms of overall quality for all four shows, might be the best SHIMMER weekend I’ve been to yet. The match of the volume has got to go to the tag team championship match, but it’s close with Blue Nation vs. #SwoleFamily. The unexpected apparent face turn of Veda by the crowd was delightful.
This is also the last of the four-volume weekends for SHIMMER. Recently, SHIMMER announced on Facebook that they would be cutting back to just one volume on Saturday and one on Sunday for future weekends beginning in the Spring. Part of the motivation is to reduce costs for the promotion – it will save them a lot on booking fees (as each volume counts as a booking).
It will also reduce wear and tear on the wrestlers by having them wrestle fewer matches in the weekend (with the hope of better matches and fewer injuries) and also be less exhausting for fans. Another bonus for fans is SHIMMER will be lowering ticket prices since tickets will no longer be covering two shows. In some ways, I very much look forward to less exhausting SHIMMER weekends in the future.
