Column of Honor: 11.27.10: Leheeoht Nasheem Cahvode

Posted by Ari Berenstein on 11.27.2010

Can Awesome Kong help Daizee Haze rebuild the Women of Honor? Plus reviews for SHIMMER Volume 30 and ROH Fade to Black, hatred for TruTV's antics, match announcements for the HDNet tapings and Final Battle 2010 and more!

For those wondering, the title for this week's column is Hebrew for "To Be The Women of Honor".

Welcome to the Column and a Happy Post-Thanksgiving to all of you out there. Hopefully you stuffed your turkeys and now your turkeys are stuffed. I celebrated the holiday with an annual dinner with many of my childhood family friends. We ate well, I got my butt-handed to me in video games by little kids and then I watched my New York Jets continue to win this season, so all-in-all, best thanksgiving of EVER.




=To Be The Women of Honor=





On Wednesday Ring of Honor announced that Awesome Kong had been added on to the talent roster for Final Battle on December 18th in New York City. She will team up with Daizee Haze against Sara Del Rey and a partner to be named in a tag team Women of Honor match. It will be the highest profile women's match for the promotion since Awesome Kong fought Sara Del Rey at Supercard of Honor V in New York during May of this year.

At that time Kong had just begun making her independent comeback in the wake of a series of incidents in TNA involving radio shock jock host Bubba the Love Sponge that resulted in Kong leaving the promotion and Bubba being fired. Kong, though she did get physical with Bubba after his derogatory remarks concerning Haiti and that country's tragic situation after the earthquake was looked at by wrestling fans as the more sympathetic of the two in those series of arguments. She received a Hero's Welcome for her return to ROH to fight Sara Del Rey. The two went on to have a brief but heated bout with both women maximizing their in-ring time and telling a terrific story of the battle-of-the-titans.

Del Rey would go on to win that match via cheating using Chris Hero's loaded elbow pad to knock Kong out. The two would have a subsequent rematch during the ROH event named Salvation that took place in Chicago this past July.

Alex Marvez published an article through Scripps News interviewing Daizee Haze on the same day ROH announced Kong's return to participate for the internet Pay Per View. According to that article, Daizee Haze has been put in charge of the Women of Honor branch of Ring of Honor. She has been given the chance of helping to increase the spotlight for those matches and programs, hopefully resulting in creating more respect and thus more business for any given ROH show.

Haze and Sara Del Rey went to a ten-minute draw on the HDNet show to further emphasize the potential of an expanded women's division in ROH. It was probably the longest ROH women's match in the short two-year history of the promotion on HDNet television. It was probably also the longest women's match in any of the top three national promotions (WWE, TNA and ROH) aside from the Mickie James vs. Tara match from last month's TNA Turning Point Pay Per View.

The confluence of developments—the Kong announcement, the Marvez interview and ten-minute HDNet draw—did shine more attention and intrigue for the future possibilities of the women's division in ROH. Could the Women of Honor become a viable draw for the promotion more than at any time in its near nine-year history? Pushing the women's division has been tried before, to mixed results. At one time, it looked as if ROH could have been able to create a solid foundation for women's wrestling as a draw for its events. However, time and again the booking failed the quality talent booked for the shows. Either the women weren't given enough time for their matches or there wasn't enough development of programs between wrestlers or there simply wasn't enough in terms of numbers to create a viable division that could stand-apart and be more than a supplement to a show.

As Haze admitted herself during the Marvez article, "'It's going to take a while to build to anything' … ‘You have to have some story behind it. You can't just throw a group out there and expect people to accept it and be open to it.'"

The handling of women in Ring of Honor storylines was not rosy or idyllic in the early years. Right from the first show, Ring of Honor upheld several negative female stereotypes and reinforced the prior usage of females in wrestling as either valets or props. There was Allison Danger, who before becoming the den-mother and support-system for the girls in SHIMMER Women's Athletes (ROH's sister company) portrayed the "fag hag" supporter of The Christopher Street Connection. In addition to Danger, there was Simply Luscious, a "floozy" who sided with Steve Corino. Becky Bayless played the air-headed, drug addled and implied woman of loose morals who partied with the spoiled-brat ravers of the Special K stable. Years later, Lacey would take over Special K, turning it into Lacey's Angels. She was the bitchy businesswoman who manipulated her way to the top. In storylines, she had flings with the wrestlers and used her sexuality to boss around Jimmy Jacobs, who had the schoolboy crush on her.

In short, there were very few positive female roles in the first three years of the promotion. Alexis LaRee (the future Mickie James in WWE and TNA) was the lone heroine standout who fought with honor and integrity. Yet even she was victimized, dosed by Special K and nearly taken advantage of. It was implied that Special K did more than that with Tony DeVito's daughter (although she was never shown onscreen) and that continued the war between Special K and The Carnage Crew.

After her role with The Christopher Street Connection, Allison Danger wound up joining The Prophecy as a cult follower of Christopher Daniels. When Daniels was put out of action, she became more goth-like and obsessed with violence and vengeance when Prophecy members BJ Whitmer and Dan Maff walked away from her. Danger would eventually become a popular fan favorite in the latter years of her run with ROH. However, when she was a heel, the fans often had a lot of derisive comments to say to her. They were encouraged when Maff and Whitmer insulted her with profanity and derogatory language.

The fans also demonstrated crude behavior when they lined up at ringside to hold up dollar bills during Lacey's entrance. Lacey would often take the bills and rip them up, yelling at the fans about their actions. It was great heel heat, but it didn't say much about the males in the audience. This was typical misogyny in a male-dominated audience encouraged by the male-dominated industry.

Women have been portrayed as vindictive manipulators such as Lacey in all major promotions (just look at Chelsea's desire for Hulk Hogan's Hall of Fame ring in TNA this year) they have also been portrayed as victims of abuses, like when Trish Stratus was forced to bark like a dog by Vince McMahon. In 2005 Prince Nana often used random women as his "footstools" for Ring of Honor shows, with Jimmy Rave stepping on their backs on his way into the ring. Jade Chung became the indentured servant of The Embassy, often humiliated and pulled around by Nana, until finally choosing to break free from his victimization. It was a great feel-good moment to see that expression of rebellion, but it was the outlier and not the norm in the early years of the promotion.

The few women's matches in the first three years were also less than impressive. Laree (James) was still green and didn't always have the best matches (despite being the most over woman on the roster). Sumie Sakai was brought in as a fan favorite international joshi talent who would challenge the American women, but her matches were also uneven and sometimes sloppy. Despite trying to establish itself as a premier brand of independent wrestling with some of the best emerging top male independent talents, Ring of Honor was not nearly at a par in terms of equality in usage and implementation with the females on the roster.

Interestingly, ROH's quality of women's matches during this era paled in comparison to those of WWE during the same time period. WWE from 2002 through 2006 was in a major renaissance era for women's wrestling, where they weren't just pinups like Sable or Sunny nor meek but classy valets such as Miss Elizabeth. No, these women were "wrestlers" first and everything else second. They had the ability to put on serious wrestling matches while still looking good (which of course, is also a goal of the men in a business where good looks play as huge a role as one's performance abilities) . WWE had the likes of Trish Stratus, Victoria, Molly Holly, Lita and others produced good-to-great wrestling efforts in the few key moments where they were given the spotlight. It is interesting to note that Stratus was a fitness model who started as someone who was just there to look good and support the men. However, she worked hard to improve her wrestling abilities until it was undeniable that she was one of, if not the best female wrestler on the WWE roster during that period of time. Of course, despite those talents, it did not stop WWE from portraying her at times to be a slut (such as during the Chris Jericho / Christian program in 2004) or a manipulative bitch.

TNA introduced its Knockouts Division during a time where women's wrestling in WWE was at an all-time low. The "Divas" era where the Divas Search participants were the majority of females on WWE roster had crippled the in-ring quality of women's matches in WWE. Therefore TNA wanted to provide the alternative, with great women's wrestling. From 2007 through mid-2009 that is exactly what happened, as TNA's top women such as Gail Kim, Amazing (Awesome) Kong and ODB forged the initial success of that division. Often those segments were the highest rated of any given episode of TNA iMPACT on SpikeTV. It was when TNA took a more active hand in booking the division that the perception and in-ring quality suffered. It became more about petty "girl" problems and girls acting or calling each other sluts and whores as opposed to showing the wrestling world they had cornered the market on great and relevant women's wrestling.

The major breakthrough for the Women of Honor in ROH occurred during the March 2006 Best in the World event in New York City. The Four Corner Survival match between Allison Danger, Lacey, Mercedes Martinez and Daizee Haze was a tour-de-force that nearly stole the show. Four of the best women on the independent scene wrestled an action-heavy match with the focus on winning. The match received tremendous response from fans in attendance as it happened and a standing ovation when it was over. It was a statement that women could provide great in-ring action for Ring of Honor. A month later at Better Than Our Best, the women continued to impress with a six-way bout between MsChif, Cheerleader Melissa, Allison Danger, Lacey, Rain and Daizee Haze. It was a sign that women's wrestling could earn the respect of the ROH fans. They did so, at least for a time.

There were highs and there were lulls in the women's division throughout the next several years. Ring of Honor would occasionally push the newly dubbed Women of Honor concept, but through exhibition matches or matches related to major angles involving the men and never really as a separate division with prestige on the line and a championship to fight over. There were also only a few "regular" women's wrestlers. While MsChif (until joining The Age of the Fall in 2008) or Awesome Kong would make special one-off appearances, aside from Danger (who bowed out post-Daniels' departure in 2007), it was only Del Rey, Haze and Lacey who were the constants of the division.

That led to a repetition of matches—Del Rey vs. Haze, Haze vs. Lacey, Del Rey vs. Lacey and then inevitably back to Del Rey vs. Haze. By mid-2007, ROH fans were growing tired of seeing the same combinations of wrestlers as the female special attraction matches. Del Ray vs. Haze at Rising Above 2007 was met with an apathetic response despite its quality and effort from both. The match not only had time, but depth as far as psychology and moves, which were all qualities ROH fans loved about the promotion. Both Sara Del Rey and Daizee Haze are accountable for some of the best women's matches in ROH history, such as Del Rey vs. MsChif from Rising Above 2008 PPV and Del Rey vs. Haze from Sixth Anniversary Show. However, the fans had simply seen it all already when it came to those two women during that match in 2007.

The counter to that thought is that maybe it's not a fair complaint to simply criticize Del Rey and Haze for their many matches. Even today, ROH uses rivalries and frequent pairings to tell a larger story about their wrestlers. Davey Richards and Roderick Strong have fought countless times just this year and they will be the main event of Final Battle 2010, but each match had a high degree of quality, added to the overall draw of the show in which it took place and proved to be worthwhile wrestling viewing. Del Rey versus Haze has been a female equivalent to that series, although perhaps not with the same high stakes.

Fast forward three years later to Ring of Honor in 2010. Del Rey and Haze are still the standard bearers. They are talented and able, but it does say something about ROH's ability to include and use other women that they remain the primary female roster members. It is true that ROH has booked plenty of other women this year to fight Del Rey and Haze, including Sassy Stephie, Jamilia Craft, Rachel Summerlynn and Nikki Roxx. However each of those women was brought in to lose to Del Rey and Haze. They did not end up becoming regular members of the roster (though each has found a home in SHIMMER). The lack of numbers and the corresponding lack of diversity in the ranks is a problem that ROH and Haze now have to face head-on. If they want the women's matches in the promotion to mean more than what they are right now, they need to use more women and find new feuds and conflicts to tell stories about both on house shows and on HDNet. That is what they need to do going forward in 2011.

Instead of regular ROH women's division in the promotion, color commentator Dave Prazak opened SHIMMER Women's Athletes. Based in the Chicago suburb of Berwyn, Illinois, SIHIMMER set out to be the ROH of women's wrestling—the focus on serious competition with few angles but those that happened were important to the overall direction of the company and a decided lack of concentration on beauty or breast size as the indicator of a woman's worth in the company.

Del Ray, Haze and Lacey were joined by some of the more prominent women of the independent scene at the time, including Cheerleader Melissa, MsChif and soon after the likes of Rebecca Knox (a talented young wrestler from Ireland who retired well before her apex due to injury) and Awesome Kong. There were also several names WWE and TNA fans would recognize today—Natalie (Natalya) Neidhart, Sereena Deeb (who wrestled as Sereena as part of the straight-edge society in WWE), Beth Phoenix (who was allowed to wrestle for SHIMMER while still working out in WWE developmental areas like Ohio Valley Wrestling) and Shantelle Taylor (Taylor Wilde in TNA). While Amber O'Neal and Krissy Vaine appeared in those first shows as the blonde bombshell heels that played the foil and the antithesis of the ideals of SHIMMER, they ended up not becoming the antagonistic presence that Christopher Daniels' Prophecy group played for ROH during the beginning.

SHIMMER would become the place where good women's wrestling took place, delivering on a more frequent basis compared to WWE and TNA. Still, SHIMMER was and is a niche of a niche of a niche, and doesn't always receive the attention or the recognition due to its status. In addition, the reception of women's wrestling by ROH fans has varied, sometimes accepting, sometimes not. They can go crazy for a bad-ass like Kong or appreciate a Del Rey match, but sometimes they just don't care because its perceived as "women wrestling" and not "good wrestling", regardless of which gender is delivering the goods.

It's interesting to compare that perception to what is taking place in CHIKARA, where Del Rey and Haze (as heels) have joined the Bruderschaft Des Kruzes (BDK) heel stable. They are constantly booked to fight (and often dominate and win) against male competition. Since CHIKARA has consistently placed both women on a par with its male competitors, fans have accepted that premise and treat them as just as viable competitors. These women are now heat-magnets because they lie, cheat and steal their way to victories in addition to pushing down ANYONE in their path. In addition, men and women can fight against each other in CHIKARA, which has led to some of the most creative and intriguing situations in the CHIKARA vs. BDK angle.

A similar acceptability of men and women against each other in the ring has been present for a long time in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, where Candace LeRae often squares off against the men on the roster. That acceptance didn't come easy, as in storyline, she was put through many conflicts, including an abusive relationship with Human Tornado and unwanted advances from "Magnum" Joey Ryan. LaRae battled through those storyline conflicts and won over the fans by delivering on moments where they could get behind her kicking ass of those who wanted to keep her down. She became a more popular wrestler because of it, such that she is a regular presence against males even to this day and no one bats an eyelash because they know she can hang in the ring.

CHIKARA has hosted some of the best women's match in America this year, thanks to special guest appearances from Joshi legend Manami Toyota. Her matches against Haze and a tag effort with Mike Quackenbush against Del Rey and Claudio Castagnoli were not just real treats for her fans, but they stand up against the best of any independent promotion this year in terms of in-ring action, excitement and fan response. CHIKARA went out of their way to get Toyota to come to America and provide that extra attraction and it paid major dividends for them, leading to one of their best houses of the year with their debut in Brooklyn, New York.

It says something that CHIKARA landed Toyota and not Ring of Honor. In the future, ROH should consider bringing in the best women both locally and internationally in order to match up against Del Rey or Haze (and hopefully other regular members of the new roster). They have begun to do so by once again booking Kong for their shows, but where are even the other great North American workers such as Melissa, MsChif or the Canadian Ninjas of Portia Perez and Nicole Matthews?

Building a more solid and viable women's division in Ring of Honor is so important right now in some ways because of the need for variety in the face of a smaller roster. There is a core of top and marquee independent names that can draw the independent fans. However, ROH is dealing with a reduced roster in terms of sheer numbers and the first stages of incorporating younger and newer talent into these shows. As explored previously in earlier columns, those wrestlers at the top such as Davey Richards, Roderick Strong, Christopher Daniels and The Kings of Wrestling are more than capable of holding the weight of the upper card and main event scene. However, ROH could always use something more to demarcate their place on the independent scene.

Maybe it will be the Women of Honor that can provide that something extra to sell Ring of Honor shows. Maybe it won't. Regardless, there is an opportunity developing right now to elevate the women's division. There is an opportunity to fill vacancies left by a weaker era of women's wrestling in WWE and TNA. Nowadays, WWE's talent pool for women is average at best. They are weighed down once again by Divas search leftovers and bikini models that are brought in for their looks first and then taught to wrestle with the hope they "get" enough to pass-by. There are embers of hope in the likes of SHIMMER alumni Beth Phoenix and Natalya Neidhart, but there is just not enough depth to elevate the division right now beyond what it is currently, nor does it seem like there is the motivation by WWE to promote their Divas division beyond the current model and function.

Meanwhile, TNA is starting to regain some momentum through the inclusion of Mickie James and the return of Tara, but they continue to be dragged down by ludicrous storylines such as Miss Tessmacher (Brooke Adams in ECW) being forced to wrestle, Angelina Love seeing "Wynter" (Katie Lee Burchill) in a mirror and everyone calling each other by derogatory words that just reinforce the "slut / whore" archetypes.

Daizee Haze, ROH and its sister company SHIMMER has the chance to market its vision of women's wrestling and help to shift the direction and focus of that kind of wrestling back to a more serious and competitive-based idea. There is honor and valor in the attempt to accomplish such a feat, but past history in ROH itself and among wrestling fans and the booking suggests it won't be that easy.

---

As of 11/27/10


=ROH World Champion=
Roderick Strong

Champion since 09/11/2010 | 1 successful defenses
Glory By Honor IX defeated Tyler Black in New York, NY to win the championship.
Next Defense vs. Davey Richards in New York, NY on 12/18/10.


-Roderick Strong defeated Christopher Daniels in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada on 11/13/10.



=ROH World Tag Team Champions=
The Kings of Wrestling: Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli

Champions since 04/03/2010 | 7 successful defenses
The Big Bang defeated Jay & Mark Briscoe in Charlotte, NC to win the championship.
Next Defense vs. The American Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards) in Plymouth, MA on 12/17/10.


--Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli defeated Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin by DQ after The Briscoes interfered in New York, NY on 5/8/10
--Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli defeated Jay & Mark Briscoe in a No DQ Match in Toronto, Ontario on 6/19/10
-- Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli defeated Jay & Mark Briscoe in Philadelphia, PA on 8/21/10
--Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli defeated Jay & Mark Briscoe, The All-Night Express and Dark City Fight Club in Ultimate Endurance in Charlotte, NC on 08/28/10
--Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli defeated El Generico & Colt Cabana in Plymouth, MA on 09/10/10
--Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli defeated Christopher Daniels & Davey Richards in Dayton, OH on 10/15/10
-Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli defeated Kevin Steen & Steven Corino in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada on 11/13/10.




=ROH Television Champion=
Eddie Edwards

Champion since 03/05/2010 | 8 successful defenses
ROH on HDNet defeated Davey Richards (tournament final) in Philadelphia, PA to win the championship.
Next Defense vs. Christopher Daniels in Louisville, KY on 12/10/10.


--Eddie Edwards defeated Colt Cabana in Philadelphia, PA on 3/6/10
--Eddie Edwards defeated Petey Williams in Mississauga, Ontario on 3/20/10
--Eddie Edwards defeated Kenny King in Philadelphia, PA on 8/20/10
--Eddie Edwards defeated Rhett Titus in Philadelphia, PA on 8/21/10
--Eddie Edwards defeated Erick Stevens in Plymouth, MA on 9/10/10
--Eddie Edwards defeated Shawn Daivari in New York, NY on 9/11/10
--Eddie Edwards defeated The Necro Butcher in Philadelphia, PA on 10/1/10
--Eddie Edwards defeated Colt Cabana in Philadelphia, PA on 10/2/10





Of course, Corino claiming the Kentucky wrestling commission would not allow them on the December HDNet tapings is a perfect cover to give to both men and protect the results of the "Mask versus Career" match between Steen and Generico at Final Battle 2010. Should Steen lose that night, he wouldn't be able to appear on HDNet in 2011 and that is when most if not all of the episodes taped in Louisville will air. This was a solid enough newswire otherwise, although in this one I noticed a few amateurish camera blocking problems when being set to record the promos. Truth's promo begins with Michael Elgin's elbow cutting into the frame, while Eddie Edwards' ice bag almost comically sticks out over his jaw. Both promos were great with the content and tone though. Elgin to me looks like a younger, black-haired Shane Douglas. Edwards makes the reasonable case that Davey Richards supported him during this tournament and that both know if they have to fight each other, that's what they'll do because they're fighting champions. To me, the surprise promo of this video wire is actually from Andy "Right Leg" Ridge, who showed us his battle scars from matches against Homicide and Mark Briscoe and impresses upon us that they showed him respect because they saw in his eyes that he was a warrior. That was a good little underdog promo. On the other hand, even though Kenny King had a great little "go-to" in his promo about the ANX's future title shot ("Now youse can't leave"), the promo was hurt because Titus had some severe timing problems. He wanted to jump in with his own words and the body language and open mouth that occurred repeatedly weakened the effect. Even though King was on a roll, ROH should have stopped and re-taped it.

---

Some ROH news bits for this week:

-Kenny Omega's two matches for Final Battle weekend have been announced and ROH has delivered with some major attractions here. First Omega fights ROH World Champion Roderick Strong in Plymouth on December 17th. Then he will be pitted against ROH Television Champion Eddie Edwards the next night in New York for Final Battle 2010. ROH has stated both matches will be non-title, with the reasoning that Omega's lengthy absence from the promotion put him out of direct contention for the title. However, if he is able to defeat either man then he will immediately be in contention for a title shot in 2011 in that division. Okay, I can buy into that reasoning. It makes sense and it keeps the idea of earning a title shot viable as ROH seemingly moves forward after dropping the Pick-Six ranking system. I would have a minor quibble with Edwards not putting the title on the line though as one would expect him to defend on a major internet Pay Per View show. Regardless, both of these matches are well within Omega's wheelhouse by pitting him against similarly athletic and technical opponents. Its good usage of his return, gives Plymouth another upper card / main event style battle to complement the Wolves vs. Kings title match, while the Omega / Edwards match continues to help fill-out an increasingly stacked Final Battle 2010 card.

-More new matches announced this week include several for the ROH HDNet television tapings in Louisville, KY: Homicide will wrestle Claudio Castagnoli on December 9th. That's not only a new pairing, but an intriguing one as well with the smaller but still dangerous Homicide against the bigger man.

Christopher Daniels against Chris Hero will also take place on December 9th.

Meanwhile Eddie Edwards has been cleared to wrestle that weekend and will defend the TV Title against Christopher Daniels on December 10th. Daniels and Edwards combined for a great little battle during Supercard of Honor V that should not be missed. It's not so hard to believe they will deliver again next week.

-In newswire storyline developments, Homicide has expressed anger and disappointment at not receiving an ROH World Title shot in New York for Final Battle 2010 despite his claim upon returning that would happen AND going undefeated thus far in his return. According to the newswire, he wants the best ROH can find for that night. Also in kayfabe developments, The Briscoes have been working on training their father for the six-man tag bout at Final Battle 2010 when they match up against The Kings of Wrestling and manager Shane Hagadorn.

Also of note is that Lance and Harlem Bravado may be getting a heel turn and some defining personality traits going forward. A few weeks back I wrote in my review of Tag Wars 2010 of my hope that would occur. Check out this newswire blurb for the subtle but present developments: Lance and Harlem Bravado recently squared off against Kyle O'Reilly and Adam Cole in an impressive match in Mississauga, Ontario and were surprised at the crowd reaction they received. "My grandma always told me that people up North lack manners and sophistication. My brother and I are polite young men who don't deserve to be criticized," said a smiling and gracious Lance Bravado. The Bravado Brothers have officially signed to appear in Louisville, KY on 12/9 and 12/10 and plan to bring their reverent and courteous attitudes with them to the Bluegrass State.

Did you see it? "smiling and gracious", "reverent and courteous". This could be good.

-"The Prodigy" Mike Bennett with coach "Brutal" Bob Evans will debut in an in-ring segment on this week's upcoming ROH on HDNet show. They will also debut on the house shows on December 17th in Plymouth (though at this time they are not booked for NYC). I remain cautiously pessimistic about how this new gimmick will shake out in the future, but am still giving it a chance.

-TJ Perkins has been added to the Plymouth and Final Battle 2010 shows, which is interesting because he hasn't been around in a while though he has been booked for ROH in years past and he has spent much of his time with Sapolsky booked ventures such as EVOLVE and DGUSA . I believe TJP was wrestling for WWE developmental league FCW as well sometime last year.




=SHIMMER Volume 30 DVD Thoughts=


SHIMMER Volume 30 is a must-buy for any fan of women's professional wrestling. After three-matches (Leva Bates vs. Malia Hosaka, Rachel Summerlynn & Jessica James vs. Melanie Cruise & Annie Social, LuFisto vs. Cat Power) I was impressed already by the effort given from the undercard. Five matches in (Mercedes Martinez vs. Kellie Skater, Ayumi Kurihara vs. Nikki Roxx) and it was on pace to have a fantastic show. Eight matches in (Misaki Ohata & Jamilia Craft vs. Tomoka Nakagawa & Daizee Haze, Jessie McKay vs. Nicole Matthews, Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Sara Del Rey) and it was already there. By the conclusion of the feature bouts and main event (Last Woman Standing: Allison Danger vs. Portia Perez, a number one contender's bout between Cheerleader Melissa and Madison Eagles, SHIMMER Title match: MsChif vs. Sara Stock a.k.a. Sarita) this was the best top-to-bottom and all-around SHIMMER volume in the four-year history of the promotion. Now, the show didn't have the very best of match from any SHIMMER show that I've seen in the past year (Sara Del Rey vs. Ayako Hamada from SHIMMER Volume 28, which took place at the end of 2009 but which I didn't see until 2010), but without a doubt it had the greatest consistent level-of-quality per match for a SHIMMER show, going all the way back to probably the SHIMMER Title tournament shows (Volumes 12 & 13).

There are quite a few new names on this DVD, some of them from Japan, but even if one doesn't know who these women are by name recognition, by the end of the DVD it will be hard to forget them. The three Joshi wrestlers (the lanky and athletic Kurihama, the cute and charming Ohata and the short but bruising Nakagawa) who performed on the last DVD are back and are now beginning to be incorporated more thoroughly into feuds and angles. They are joined by the tough and imposing Hiroyo Matsumoto, who is portrayed and proves to be quite the match for SHIMMER's powerhouse heel in Del Rey. All four wrestlers bring a higher quality of effort and performance that is well beyond their experience level in Japan. Interestingly enough, I think their presence actually motivates those who they match up against to wrestle a higher-quality, more marquee-worthy bout. To be fair though, the higher level of effort seen by all on the roster for this show starts right with the first bout, which featured the main-show bout of Leva Bates who really brings it against longtime veteran Malia Hosaka. From there it's an increasing line of quality straight through to the main event, with everyone on the roster trying to better the previous matches….and succeeding.

The two major stories of this DVD are setting up Madison Eagles as a major player in the SHIMMER promotion (and MsChif's next challenger for the SHIMMER Title) as well as concluding the near two-year long issue between Allison Danger and Portia Perez. The latter complete a very intense and palpably personal issue that was based on Portia's lack of respect for Danger. Portia even went so far as to insult Danger when she was pregnant about her yet-to-be-born child, not to mention attacking her while still carrying. The insults and violence only escalated, with Danger mostly on the losing end of the equation. Perez did her best to avoid any official matches against Danger after returning to action in the months after giving birth, putting her tag partner and co-champion Nicole Matthews in the way and going so far as to claim she was a victim of Swine Flu. Finally it was down to just her and Danger in this match, which was as physical and as dramatic as expected. Danger dragged Portia and beat her up all over the building and Portia did her best to steal the win out from under Danger. However, Allison would not be denied, as Jennifer Blake returning to SHIMMER to stop an attack from Matthews gave her a window of opportunity. Danger used her powerful trademark moves like the STO and the Old School Expulsion on Perez, the back of her head and neck landing on a chair inside the ring. It was enough to gain the three-count.

The crowd came to their feet in support of Danger, who was crying in cathartic expression of relief and satisfaction. It was an emotional outpouring that was very much understood after being haunted by Perez's antagonism for so long. Danger finally had her measure of justice.

As for Madison Eagles, this DVD went a long way towards making me buy into her as a (future) champion. Eagles has been in the business for eight years plus, which certainly means she's proven herself, but I had plenty of doubts as to whether or not she should unseat MsChif at this time. I just didn't see her as being built up enough on the last DVD for her return that she could so easily and so quickly work her way to the top of the promotion. However, the trick was in her change in personality from a sporting and competitive performer to a sarcastic and condescending cheat who would do anything to win. That change began subtly on the last DVD but here was more overt and plainly visible. Therefore, I was able to more easily digest the knowledge of her climbing to the top. What sealed it for me was her mocking of the SHIMMER fans around ringside and the way she cheated to win the match against Melissa (which was actually the best I had seen of Eagles in a match on any SHIMMER show). I think she can be a fine heel SHIMMER Champion.

Other Volume 30 Highlights: Leva Bates nearly left me snow-blind with her New-Wave inspired checkerboard outfit. Her steampunk style goggles are also a nice accoutrement. It all adds to a perky, happy-go-lucky character (at least I think that's her character, to be honest I can't be sure). I like what I saw of that and of her in-ring abilities. Jessica James is both a generic name and unfortunately close to the nomenclature for an "adult film star", which does the wrestler a disservice. This was also my first time seeing James and she provided a fun and complementary pairing with Rachel Summerlynn, who is improving and more enjoyable to watch with every show. I'm not sure why the issue with Daffney from previous DVDs wasn't followed up on (note: I checked and in fact, they have a match on Volume 31), but she serves her purpose well here as the face foil to the heel tandem of Cruise and Social. Lufisto and Cat Power have a real good back-and-forth battle and Cat gets to show some smarts by avoiding the Burning Hammer several times before ultimately falling to it. There's something to be done with Cat Power given her unique character and continual efforts at working and improving herself. Kellie Skater had her best match in SHIMMER thus far. I haven't been all too into her, but that was a hell of an effort (and a butt kicking she took) against Martinez, who chopped her chest until it was raw and red. I mean, some of these chops were comparable to the power of Roderick Strong's barrages. Martinez showed no let-up, to the delight of the fans in attendance. The Rate-Tank may have very well proven her indestructibility on this night. Well, except that she lost thanks to an onslaught of offense from Martinez. Kurihara and Roxx is a good face versus face battle with lots of technical exchanges in the early going and then Ayumi overwhelming Roxx with her offense (she has an awesome codebreaker variant and a nice northern lights). She takes a variation of the Barbie Crusher for two and maneuvering out of another one late in the match, eventually winning with a tight roll-up too well-executed to kick-out. Daizee Haze's heel turn was immediate but completely convincing, with a quite understandable outrage as to her own student (Craft) telling her what to do. Well, except that Craft was asking her to stop attacking Ohata out of being a spoiled sport. What I like about Haze's heel act here and in SHIMMER is that it has been multi-faceted: she can play the "don't hit me, I'm a girl" card against the males of CHIKARA, while being the outrageous and vicious villain here. Ohata and Craft were the quite the sympathetic babyface team, until the end of the match where Craft gets the hot tag and summarily loses to a Tiger Suplex from Haze. The student has NOT surpassed the teacher in this example. Jessie McKay continues to win me over with her cuteness and by being able to stand up to more imposing opponents and keep on fighting. Nicole Matthews is also super impressive and once again shines in a singles match. In some ways she reminds me of Lacey when she was really starting to cook with her heel act. Though Matsumoto is not as physically imposing as Awesome Kong, she is able to withstand Del Rey's offense and return fire. They also match up evenly in the strength department. That immediately legitimizes her in front of a new audience. MsChif gets the her next defense of the title against Sara Stock and while they were a bit sloppy in the early going they turned it around and really amped up the drama with the nearfalls. Viewers were shown clips of their match several years ago where Sara Stock had her number and here she almost did it again. However, MsChif was able to survive and adapt, slipping into the Desecrator DDT and getting a well-deserved win. This was a well-done main event title match to close the DVD. Of course, that means MsChif defends her title against Madison Eagles on the next show.


Volume 30 Lowlights: Unfortunately, as much as I admire and appreciate her efforts in the ring (and have called for ROH to book her on shows), this DVD featured an exceedingly poor promo from Cheerleader Melissa (which also included less than stellar support from Eagles, Stock and MsChif) that helped to set up the show's two main events. She was quiet and stumbling over words, almost lost in the "performance" of being Cheerleader Melissa and tripping up on what she wanted to say. It was a very simple promo as well, as all she really had to say was that she wanted a title shot, but it just came out as a mess. MsChif did what she could to explain what was going to happen. This is the second show in a row with a horrible backstage interview from Melissa and it's difficult to explain why that is the case. During her time in TNA as Raeesha Saeed she cut fair to solid promos in that character. It has to be said that talking as "Cheerleader Melissa" is her weak spot. She is a monster in that ring and I'd watch any of her matches in a heartbeat, but she needs to improve her promos.

Overall Decision: Once in a while there is a SHIMMER show that needs to be seen not just by the niche fans who regularly purchase these shows but by the larger ROH and independent fan base. This is one of those shows. Anyone who enjoys wrestling in the style done by the current top male-oriented indies such as ROH and PWG will enjoy this show as a sterling example of great wrestling. I'll repeat again what I wrote to begin this review: SHIMMER Volume 30 is the best all-around show in the promotion's history. There is just no way that anyone who buys this DVD won't be satisfied with their purchase by the end of the show.




=ROH Fade to Black DVD Thoughts=

This is ROH's debut in Plymouth, Massachusetts from September 10th, 2010, just one night before Glory By Honor IX internet Pay Per View. Tyler Black is still the ROH World Champion on this show. Video quality is REALLY good and although the white glare occasionally shows on some handhelds (mostly during the top two matches) it's not nearly as present as during some previous DVDs. The static camera is fantastic and the colors translate well to the television screen.

It opens up with a promo from ROH TV Title Champion Eddie Edwards, filmed outside and near a marina of some sort—a very cool scene. Edwards tells Prince Nana and The Embassy he's going to go through his "Embassy Weekend" and come out the champion. That leads to a match between Edwards and challenger Erick Stevens from DAH EM BAH SEE. Gee I wonder who wins, the guy who is on a major push or the guy who is no longer on the roster? Nana thinks its Stevens, but I'd bet a gold boat he's wrong.

This is an action-packed opener with both men opening up their offense and working a nice big-man / small-man style, although Stevens isn't so big these days so it's really "slightly bigger man / slightly smaller man". Edwards is very over in his hometown area and consequently Stevens is the recipient of many off-color chants throughout the match, which may be the most heat he has received from the fans in ages. Nana gets in a funny dig at Edwards on the outside, referring to him as "Jannetty"—and if you don't get that reference you haven't been a wrestling fan for very long. Edwards' chops are close to rivaling Strong at this point. Edwards comes back with a jumping flying knee after a long heat segment. A heated chop exchange leads to the full comeback with a hooking closeline, spine kick and flying dive to the outside. Edwards flying dropkick recalls the height Danielson gets on his own. Some very heated close calls follow on both sides (it pays to be in front of a hometown crowd). Beautiful looking exchanges too, with a fantastic superkick from Edwards and a terrific TKO and closeline from Stevens. Edwards gets a GREAT counter hurricanrana off the Gut Wrench and he finishes soon after by countering the Ghanarea to the backslide for three.

Grizzly Redwood and Brutally Bald Bob Evans (no entrance for either) is interrupted by "a fan" that "tries to attack Grizzly" and "is run off by security". What-the-hell. That guy was so obviously a plant that he should have just worn a shirt with a picture of an actual plant on it. That allows Evans to get a backbreaker on the apron for the heat. Yeah, so not planned to happen at all. Grizzly gets a comeback and this match goes on far longer than expected or desired. Grizzly wins with a rollup.

All of this Tru TV fan / security bull is so unnecessary and unneeded—it just makes ROH fans look ridiculous. Why insult the paying customer by falsely representing the fan base? Besides, the fans are more likely to write a blog complaining about a wrestler than actually attack one in person.

Austin Aries versus Kyle O'Reilly in a "Do or Die" match. Aries has Taeler Hendrix with him and threatens to go in the ring "all night long". I have to say, O'Reilly looks like he's a five o'clock shadow away from looking like a homicidal maniac. Aries basically brushes off O'Reilly and says he's going to treat this as an exhibition match. For a while it's exactly that as Aries is easily able to negotiate his opponent. O"Reilly makes a very inspired comeback including an Ole dropkick on the outside and unleashing some of what has become a trademark-his vicious Davey-Richards inspired kicks. A pop-up running Tornado DDT also works. O'Reilly gets to look good here in the middle of the match and the fans are very accepting of it. He misses a dive and that allows Aries to hit the IED dropkick and the brainbuster, but O'Reilly KICKS OUT. Fans like that one, but Aries hates the kid's gumption, gets the punt and the Last Chancery for the submission win. Good stuff and it shows O'Reilly's potential. Taeler gets in a little one-over on O'Reilly for good measure and accompanies Aries to the back. Hopefully they'll find something for her to do in the future, as I don't recall any reports having her accompany ANX in recent shows.

Necro Butcher & Shawn Daivari versus Kevin Steen & Steve Corino in a First Blood match. The storyline was that ROH put this match together but it was made first blood as a way for Steen and Corino to prepare for the double chain match the next night in NYC. Easy way to win-just hit Necro or Corino in the forehead. Nana wants to back out of the match stipulation and wants to call it off, but Steen has no such compunctions, insulting the good Prince and claims how much he loves to taste blood. OH NO STEEN IS A VAMPIRE! Don't invite him into your house for dinner. Well, not because he likes the taste of blood, but because he'll eat all of your food. Yes, that was a fat joke. I sunk pretty low there. I apologize. Anyway, Steen talks too much so Necro decides to go on the attack and the match is on.

Corino licks the ball peen ring bell. EWWWWW dude, Tetanus! Enjoy your time in the emergency room. People are brawling all over and being Irish whipped into the ringside table propped up on the turnbuckle corner outside. The ring mats are all being turned over and Corino is sandwiched and cornered on top of them all. Necro keeps stomping on it from like four feet above Corino and it looks great and gets great crowd reaction but I just don't see how on earth that could possibly hurt or cause one to suspend disbelief enough to buy into it. Steen does a much better job of that with his superkick and then BITING Daivari.

Steen and Necro fight over a weapon in the ring while Corino and Daivari are on the floor. There's eye gouging, thumbs to the nether-region, choking, chains and finally, Corino breaks a beer bottle (with the beer flying all over the place) and rams the jagged edge right into Necro to draw some massive first blood. A short but spirited effort (and relatively safe aside from the beer bottle which was the finish) and even though it was heel versus heel the fans were way into it and that's about all you can ask for.

All-Night Express squash Matt Taven and Sid Reeves. Taven gets the ladies screaming and apparently has a pretty-boy gimmick going (and the body to work with it) along with an MTV-inspired logo on his tights. Maybe he can double with Rhett Titus after the show. Reeves is a bigger and stockier guy but nothing else really stands out. Taven badly blows a springboard and the fans let him know about it. Titus keeps it going so that the fans don't harp on it more than necessary. Taven executes properly a springboard senton to make up for the first mistake. Reeves tags in and is dominated. Taven gets a comeback sequence, but Reeves freezes on his comeback, which looks awful. ANX win with the simultaneous usage of the Muff Driver and Royal Flush spinning uranage (which Kevin Kelly AGAIN mistakenly calls as "The Coronation", which is King's variation of the Burning Hammer) for the three-count. Awful match per ROH standards and none of that is the fault of King or Titus.

Roderick Strong takes on the soon-to-be "Prodigy", Mike Bennett. These two worked well against each other during a six-man tag on HDNet a few months back so this one could have potential. Despite being positioned as a heel, Strong is OVER with the Plymouth fan base, in part I'd imagine because fans know he is the uncrowned ROH World Champion as of the next night in NYC. Truth Martini is also not at ringside, which gives the fans one less reason to boo him.

This is a very standard Roderick Strong match-solid mat wrestling, good strikes and rapid-fire combinations at the end. Good (but not in any way spectacular) wrestling in the ROH style. However, it's nothing you haven't seen before. Bennett didn't do anything to standout, which is a disappointment, at least to me. He came across as a Roderick Strong of six years ago, with generic "wrestler" look albeit a better build and without the awesome chops or backbreakers. Strong wins with his double knee gutbuster and a sitting superkick for the three. The superkick was a non-verbal message to Tyler Black about their title match at Glory By Honor IX.

Right now ROH needs the final two matches to deliver big time or else this will be one of the most superfluous and below-average shows of the year.

Up next is the ROH World Tag Team Title defense from champions The Kings of Wrestling against El Generico and Colt Cabana. Both are happy-go-lucky tonight, presumably because this is a huge chance to win the belts. KOW theme song continues to be awesome. They even synchronize a pose together, which was quite amusing. Cabana feels up Paul Turner, keep it on the DL Colt or people will start talking…

So this is more like it. Both teams are up for a competitive bout and provide quite a few moments where the fans bite on the possibility of a title change. Colt brings some great rolling pin packages and sunset flips throughout and Generico is on the ball as usual with his lucha offense and flip dives. There are also several newer double teams from Generico and Cabana, including a unique crossbody / sunset flip combo late in the match that is a very believable near fall.

The Kings control with their power offense, concentrating most of the time on Generico. Hero's short powerbomb to stop a potential tag looks appropriately nasty and vicious. Generico finally does scramble out past both men for that hot tag. Hero continues the trend started by Steve Corino in Buffalo of opponents shouting out "Boom Boom" to Cabana and paying for it, in this case with the butt-butt to the head. Stop shouting that out! Speaking of Corino, he and Steen are out to pester Generico in the wake of their upcoming match and it proves to be a temporary, but not fatal distraction. Cabana and Generico quickly get back on track, but then Generico is dealt with and kept on the outside, leading to an awesome simultaneous impact rolling elbow / European uppercut for the win. The Kings retain in a very good match and Shane Hagadorn (talking to the hand-held camera on the outside) calls out Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team.

Finally in the main event, ROH World Champion Tyler Black went up against Christopher Daniels in a non-title affair that goes the distance, a thirty-minute draw that is super-heated, packed with both great wrestling and a compelling story and unlike some time-limit draws felt like it just flew by.

Tyler Black was such a great heel here and had the fans reacting against him every step of the way. Just a small sample of his greatness: his wide-eyed reaction to the fans' chants of "NXT" and "future jobber"; becoming more and more exasperated when Daniels kept beating him to the punch; ducking to the outside and kicking the barricade in frustration; threatening to leave and mockingly slapping the fans' hands; his cheating tactics late in the match that made them hate him even more; his refusal to wrestle anymore and essentially denigrating Christopher Daniels' presence in the ring at the same time. It was amazing just to hear him talk down to Daniels as if he was a rookie and not the veteran wrestler.

The in-ring storyline was that Daniels would be able to out-wrestle Black with his technical ability and athleticism but Black went the low road through "cheatery" to try to win. After being humiliated by Daniels' arm drags and running leg lines, Black took the mic (and the fans hated this) and he stated that he came to the realization he didn't need to wrestle this match. He thanked everyone for coming and said goodnight. Daniels took this opportunity to run out through the crowd and to the back. Black didn't see where Daniels went and just as he asked out loud where he was out he came from the stage, cut Black off from leaving and went back on the attack. THAT was a cool moment and a true babyface action that lets the fans get behind a guy (not that it was any problem here as most of the fans were all over Black). Daniels drug Black all over the ringside and beat up the guy on each side so that the fans could see (and hear) the damage being done to that no-good s.o.b.

However, Daniels went one step too far in pressing the advantage and took a tumble over the top turnbuckle and out of the ring down to the hardwood floor. Kevin Kelly called this a "ten foot drop", which is about as preposterous a statement coming out of his mouth as it is from Michael Cole on any given WWE show. Black suplexed Daniels on the floor, leading to a count-out tease. Daniels made his way back in at nineteen. Around this time the commentary track became hard to hear, as audio levels for both Kelly and Prazak somehow were lowered and / or muffled. It doesn't help the commentary levels but it certainly adds to the match when Black gives Daniels (and by proxy all the fans) the "You Can't See Me" taunt and applies the STF. Everyone gets all in an uproar because of that. The actual crossface part of the STF isn't applied, but Daniels still struggles to the ropes and then when the move is broken sell the knee, which is a very smart touch because not only was that the only real body part worked on but Daniels already has the knee brace on to help add to the sell.

Around this time Black makes a rare stumble off a springboard (can't tell whether it was intentional to add heat to his actions or a true slip-and-fall). The crowd chants the expected as the match slows up just enough so that it's noticeable, but ultimately both recover and move on just fine. That moment actual plays a nice but subtle addition later on when Black is prepping another springboard and a fan tells him he's going to mess it up again. Black challenges him and the fan can be heard saying "and I'm going to laugh when it happens." That's kind of mean, actually. Well, Black executes the springboard jump but lands right into the downward spiral and Koji Clutch. The fans go absolutely ballistic and with good reason. Black is in the middle of the ring and a tap is possible. Daniels adds a brilliant touch by trapping Black's arm just as he is about to reach grabbing-distance of the ropes. Black has to work extra hard to get there, but he does break the hold.

Daniels tries the BME but Black rolls through and Daniels lands on the feet (STICKS THE LANDING). Black roars back with his top of the line offense, including the Pele, tree of woe dropkick and the coast-tocoast springboard dropkick (he's fine on that one as well). He gets an awesome judo switch out of the uranage somewhere around here as well. Black slaps a stunned Daniels right in the face and calls him a "b**ch" (OH SNAP). BUCKLEBOMB, SUPERKICK! A dramatic two-count there. Black preps but as always misses the Phoenix Splash. Daniels rolls out of a God's Last Gift attempt and is able to use The Angels' Wings! That looked really good thanks to the spacing between the two and the timing of the move. Two-count and Black slips out to the outside. Back inside, an exchange of holds leads to Daniels getting the right position for The Last Rites! AWESOME. That move is rarely done by Daniels these days. Wouldn't you know it, the bells rings just as he connects with it to signal the thirty-minute time limit. The crowd isn't happy about it but I really like that finish because Daniels had the advantage and probable win, were it not for time expiring.

Daniels very enthusiastically implores Black to show he still has some honor left in him and to give him and the fans five more minutes. As stated, Black declines, insults Daniels and the fans in Plymouth and looks to leave…UNTIL Roderick Strong comes running down to attack him. A brief exchange between all three sees Strong inadvertently nail Daniels, but Daniels stops Black from doing damage to his next challenger with a flying enziguiri. Black and Strong inform each other they will see the other one the next night in New York. Meanwhile, Daniels informs Strong he will confront him for the first title shot should he defeat Black. That closes the show as Daniels poses for the fans in the ring.

I thought the world of this match, the slip from Black aside. Plenty of in-ring action, great heat from the fans and Black being a great heel wanting to stick it to the fans.

So obviously, this is a two-match show as the semi-main and main come through. In addition, the Edwards-Stevens match was solid and Aries versus O'Reilly was a fun but probably too-short take on the "veteran versus rookie" style bout. It also helped that Plymouth was a super enthusiastic crowd that cheered for the wrestlers, booed the heels and were supportive throughout the show for the action, even for the ones that were far from good. In fact, there plenty of matches that just flat-out sucked. The newer wrestlers other than O'Reilly failed to impress and didn't look good at all. Matt Taven has some charisma going for him but is very rough and not ready for the main show. Neither is Sid Reeves or Bob Evans (at least as a wrestler) ready. Grizzly vs. Brutal Bob was indeed brutal and the TruTV fake fan stuff makes my blood boil for its insulting nature to the ROH fans and uselessness in having anything to do with pushing the wrestlers or storylines. Even Mike Bennett, who is about to be the recipient of a push on HDNet was basic and generic in the match against Strong. I expected far more from him and didn't get it. Ultimately, this is the sort of show where you have to wade through the iffy parts to get to the greatness, but that quality content leaves one satisfied.

In addition to the main show, there are three bonus matches on the first disc and five more on the second, essentially creating a "Best of Tyler Black" DVD. Some of Black's best matches from throughout his career are included: his final match against Danielson from HDNet as well as the 2008 New Horizons bout where the ring broke; his tag title win with Jimmy Jacobs against the Briscoes at Final Battle 2007; his star-making performance with Nigel McGuinness at Take No Prisoners; the Steen & Generico vs. Age of the Fall tag title bout from Driven (consistently hailed as one of the best ROH tag title matches in the history of the promotion) and the four-way elimination match for the ROH World Title at Death Before Dishonor VI, which was my 2008 ROH Match of the Year. These are all great-to-excellent matches and career-defining efforts for Black in ROH.

Fade to Black is difficult to recommend if fans already have the best-of material, as the Black vs. Daniels match is really the only must-see of the new matches. However, this one is probably a must-buy for those looking for a compendium of Black's matches from the last few years. In that respect, one would view this first-and-foremost as a Tyler Black DVD with a bonus ROH show included and not the other way around.

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BROOKLYN!
--Ari--