Here for the second of four shows with what would be SHIMMER 115. My fortune continued as Shotzi (Blackheart) signed my balls! To read my review of SHIMMER 114 click here.
Intermission was great. Got to check around and get some good merch. Cheerleader Melissa was doing a purge and had a deal where if you bought four pictures they’d be $5 each.
Hawlee Cromwell vs. Rookie Jenna Lynn
Official SHIMMER volume debut here for Jenna Lynn (Cromwell has appeared as Hawlee Layne on Volume 96). It’s a short match and Jenna wins without even using her power-up. For the little bit it lasted, it was nice.
Ruby Raze vs. Nevaeh
Nevaeh’s got her normal music this volume instead of Jessicka’s like the last volume at SHIMMER 115. Short match, but hard-hitting. Ruby Raze gets the victory with a spear. After the match she annihilates Nevaeh with another spear and Havok runs out to the rescue. Ruby has Nevaeh in a full Nelson and Havok tells her she better not do anything or Havok will beat the shit out of her. Ruby has some presence – she may have a Havok-like future.
Shazza McKenzie vs. Jody Threat
Jody is another making her SHIMMER debut, an Ontario wrestler who is immediately striking to the eye at SHIMMER 115. She has a good look and nice gear – and that’s half the battle to getting the crowd to wonder about you. Jody is also working real well with Shazza here, so she’s got some chops in the ring. She also has a skateboard that she tries to bring into play, but the referee stops her. Threat definitely tried to hold a delayed vertical suplex longer than she was physically able to. Shazza wins with a splits stunner. Not a bad match.
Blue Nation (Jessica Troy and Charli Evans) vs. The Bird and the Bee (Solo Darling and Willow Nightingale)
Willow is back! This is a really good tag match. Blue Nation are very likeable, but they know how to turn in the heat and be hateworthy. Willow and Solo do great work as the faces here, but Blue Nation’s heel tactics are too much to overcome. Jessica Troy submits Willow with a Fujiwara armbar after they manage to take Solo out of the equation.
Veda Scott vs. Rhia O’Reilly (Interim Heart of SHIMMER qualifying match)
I think Rhia’s heel turn hasn’t made it here yet. She says she’s good here so we can cheer her. This match is solid, and Veda manages to hold her own and have the bulk of the offense. She kicks out of a curb stomp, and the story here is that while Veda may have control most of the match, Rhia keeps hitting the bigger moves. That’s what keeps her in the game. Veda does get A big fisherman suplex from the second rope. Veda says she thought Rhia quit and that she can’t be the heart of Shimmer. O’Reilly wins following a double-arm DDT.
So our three way is set for tomorrow’s Interim Heart of Shimmer title match: Rhia O’Reilly vs. Hyan vs. Kris Statlander in an elimination match.
Priscilla Kelly vs. Zoe Skye
Zoe comes complete with new music. She’s not about to let Priscilla engage in her shenanigans. This match really establishes Priscilla as a heel in Shimmer. She’s constantly taunting Zoe and saying her fans don’t care, and she wins by rolling through a cross body and pulling the tights. Good, if short, match.
Lady Frost vs. Thunderkitty
“I hate cats and I hate old people” – Lady Frost. This match is pretty solid. Frost has shown a lot of improvement since I first saw her last year, and Thunderkitty is always fun. SHIMMER still does the three-arm drops with sleepers, and that’s how Thunderkitty wins. I don’t recall the last time I saw that actually work.
Kimber Lee vs. Saraya Knight
Brutal start from Saraya at SHIMMER 115. Kimber comes back with a foreign object if some kind that she repeatedly uses, and this just kisses Saraya off. Low kick and more brutality. Saray bites Kimber and then both trade low kicks. Kimber pulls the surprise victory by gutshotting Saraya with the foreign object in the corner then stacking her up and using the ropes for leverage. Most fun brawl I’ve seen in a while.
Holidead vs Shotzi Blackheart
Holidead chooses to approach this match as sending Shotzi away in a body bag as a farewell. It’s entertaining trash talk. There are a couple of awkward moments, but the action picks up as they get used to each other. Holidead will not stop mentioning Shotzi’s balls. Holidead reaches the ropes to escape cattle mutilation. She hits a Michinoku Driver for two before getting caught with a tornado DDT and the Back Lagoon. Shotzi wins.
Shotzi cuts a promo after the match, saying she wants her final matches to be meaningful. She’s on a win streak, and she wants to leave on top of the mountain. So she’s challenging Nicole Savoy for the Shimmer Title. Lexie Fyfe comes out and says she’s getting a title shot tomorrow. Shotzi cannot take a title with her if she wins, so if Shotzi wins there will be a spring tournament for the vacant title. Kimber comes out and says she’s been here 6 years and she deserves a shot after taking down two of the biggest names in Shimmer. Next comes Priscilla Kelly. She points out her match at the Summit and how she’s been so underestimated that she’s only now getting to be here. She’s undefeated, so she wants a shot. Lexie says we’re having a four-way elimination match for the title to main event Volume 116.
The OGs of SHIMMER (Cheerleader Melissa and Mercedes Martinez) (c) vs. Sea Stars (Delmi Exo and Ashley Vox) for the SHIMMER Tag Team Championship
I’m sorry. I didn’t take any notes about the early part of this match because it was too good. Mercedes held a stalling brainbuster for a full minute. Delmi broke up a pin from a top rope curb stomp. Assisted senton to Mercedes and the Sea Stars are our new SHIMMER Tag Team champions!
Nicole Savoy (c) vs. Kellyanne for the SHIMMER Championship
Off to a good start this one. Kellyanne tried to weasel her way out with claims of being “extremely hurt” while still being clearly functional at SHIMMER 115. The action spills outside and they take some hard hits at the barricade, both rolling back into the ring at a count of 9. Kellyanne spits in Savoy’s face then German suplexes her. Savoy fires back with one of her own, then rolls her into the Savolock. Kellyanne manages to get a rope break by her teeth, literally. She almost steals a win off a roll up, but Savoy kicks out. Savoy retains with a bridging half-and-half suplex. Really good match.
Final thoughts
So looking forward to Volumes 116-117, we have a few matches ahead of us. Also announced for 116 is Ruby Raze vs. Jessicka Havok. The show was very good, but not as consistently as I felt 114 was. I do think the World and Tag title matches were among the best of the card, but my match of the night goes to Kimber vs. Saraya. It was brutal and fun and just absolutely surprising.
