411’s Buy or Sell 5.05.07: First SHIMMER Champ, Adding Japanese and Mexican Talent and a SHIMMER Wrestling School!
Posted by Larry Csonka on 05.05.2007
Week FIVE features Matt Adamson and Ryan Byers going head to head in a SHIMMER spectacular!
Welcome one and all to WEEK FIVE of BUY or SELL. For those that missed the debut column, here is the explanation. BUY or SELL is very similar in nature to Fact or Fiction, as a matter of fact you could consider it Fact or Fiction's little brother. The main difference is that BUY or SELL will focus on the US Independent scene, Lucha Libre, Japanese Wrestling and basically anything that isn't mainstream wrestling, WWE and or TNA. This allows for these areas to get some more attention and for you, the reader, to learn even more about the sport of wrestling.
Week Five's Match-Up:
Puro expert and SHIMMER lover, he is Destiny's Matt Adamson vs. The Author of the Impact Crater and SHIMMER aficionado Ryan Byers!
Recent major injuries to Rebecca Knox, Mercedes Martinez, and LuFisto indicate that modern women's wrestlers work too physical of a style.
Ryan Byers: Sell. For those not familiar with the situation, all three of these women are currently out of action, with Knox having suffered damage to one of her cranial nerves, Martinez having been sidelined by shoulder surgery, and LuFisto announcing a sabbatical (and possible retirement) while dealing with years worth of damage to her back. Unfortunate as all of this may be, major injuries will always be a part of professional wrestling, whether the participants are male or female. Though it is true that three high profile SHIMMER competitors are sidelined right now, that is more indicative of the hardship wrestlers will always face in professional wrestling as opposed to anything problematic about the style chosen by these specific competitors. A brief comparative study proves this fact. SHIMMER currently has roughly twenty-five different women that currently can be considered a part of the promotion's roster. Of those twenty-five, only three are currently on the injured list. Meanwhile, a quick scan of the roster for WWE's Raw brand reveals that there are twenty-six full-time male wrestlers. The number on the shelf? Two. Similar numbers are present on Smackdown. So, with comparable injury rates, it is impossible to argue that the style of SHIMMER is too physical unless you want to argue that professional wrestling as a whole is too physical. I somehow doubt that the majority of people reading this would want to do that. I certainly wouldn't.
Matt Adamson: Sell. Byers really hit the nail on the head about the fact that it's more about what the wrestlers face just simply being wrestlers than a product of their style. I hate to compare the SHIMMER women with the WWE Divas, but I think it's relevant here. While it's absolutely true that the style that the SHIMMER women wrestle leans much more toward the realism of Strong Style than what is used by the WWE Divas, the Divas roster still is effected by having injured workers. These women in SHIMMER also have the unfortunate disadvantage in that they don't make as much money as the Divas, which in turn can make a difference when they seek medical care. There are a lot of different things to consider when injuries are involved, but I would never want to think that just because these women are trained to work a more realistic style, that they aren't properly trained to handle the load.
1 for 1.
Sara Del Rey is the best choice for SHIMMER to have as their first champion.
Ryan Byers: Buy. I've already talked to a few people about this one, and I have a feeling that I'm in the minority. However, I do not think that Sara Del Ray should be SHIMMER's first champion. (A champion that is being crowned during a tournament on June 1 and June 2 in Berwyn, IL. Buy your tickets now!) Death Rey has already had a phenomenal run in SHIMMER, amassing an unparalleled record of eight singles wins and only one loss. She is the company's "ace," and, at this point, next to nothing will stop the fans from seeing her as such. Simply put, she doesn't need the championship to maintain her top dog status. That's why it's better for the long-term booking of the promotion if she makes it to the finals and drops a close match to another upper-card wrestler that the fans will accept as champion. That way SDR can have a three to four show feud with the individual who edged her out for the title. The perfect choice for that role? Daizee Haze. The crowd appreciates her talents, and, though in storyline she's had a few setbacks (most recently being crushed by Amazing Kong), a strong performance in prior rounds of the tournament would make her in to an acceptable champion. Top that off with the fact that a series of matches between the two women would be nothing short of awesome, and you've got a pretty solid argument for Del Ray dropping the championship match.
Matt Adamson: Sell. I've always appreciated a strong champion and that a championship reign is best used to showcase the top star in the company. I believe that person in SHIMMER is Sara Del Rey. While I understand where Byers is coming from, I'd like to think of things a little differently. I'd hope that SHIMMER wants to build their title into something strong and meaningful, and I think the best way to do that is to put it on somebody who many believe is almost unbeatable. When the time comes for her to drop the title, it's going to be a huge deal and whoever takes over as champion will gain instant credibility as a result. At some point down the road I'd like to hope that Daizee Haze is that woman, and I think her dethroning Del Rey would be even more impressive than her actually winning the title in the tournament. Either way, whatever SHIMMER brings us is likely to be awesome.
1 for 2.
SHIMMER should bring in more Japanese and Mexican talent to add to its roster.
Ryan Byers: Buy. Actually, I'm of the opinion that SHIMMER already has enough regular competitors on its roster, and Eden Black is present for our volume-to-volume dose of international flavor. However, I still think that it would be great to see a few more pieces of international talent brought in for one time only "showcase" matches. Though there are extra costs and logistical problems associated with this sort of booking, they can be reduced if the promotion would bring in talent who are already visiting the United States for other reasons. Given that various members of the roster already have experience working against talent from both Japan and Mexico, there would be the possibility for some excellent match ups, particularly if some of my favorites like Fabi Apache, Aja Kong, and Ayako Hamada could be tracked down. Hell, bring in Pimpinela Escarlata if you're really wanting to take a walk on the wild side.
Matt Adamson: Buy. The idea of Aja Kong in SHIMMER makes me salivate a little bit. I've always been a huge fan of joshi since I first discovered it over ten years ago. During the early part of this decade I followed GAEA closer than any company on this side of the Pacific Ocean. I suppose I'm coming at this with a lot of personal bias, because I'd personally like to see it, but that fact is that guys like me might do a little long distance traveling to see Sara Del Rey vs. Aja Kong. While it's absolutely not possible to make it that foreign talent become regulars with SHIMMER at this point in the promotions development, it would be great as a showcase match at a big show in the future. Just imagine, Sara Del Rey vs. Aja Kong for the SHIMMER World title. Doesn't that make you want to see it right now? Yeah, me too, and I'll travel a great distance to see it. Years from now I'd like to tell my grandkids how I walked through a blizzard in my bare feet uphill just to see two of the greatest wrestlers in the world lock up.
2 for 3.
SWITCH~!
SHIMMER running their first show in Florida this summer is a wise move and a sign of a larger national expansion.
Matt Adamson : Buy. The fact that SHIMMER has the unique distinction of being devoted to women's wrestling alone and the fact that it's actually very good wrestling by any standard should certainly indicate that expansion is a wise move. Whether or not this is a sign of a larger national expansion is a tad tricky though. Florida is an important place to run early on if you want to expand in the indie-wrestling scene, as are Philly, Chicago and New York. However, running a show in Florida isn't always indicative of expansion beyond just that one show. I believe SHIMMER is looking to expand as they really have a solid shot at becoming significant to the world of wrestling due to their unique position as women athletes only and the fact that they provide a quality in-ring product. They just need to make their way up to the Northwest and I'll be a happy guy. Yes, I'm dropping hints.
Ryan Byers: Sell. Well, if you've got two assertions made in the same statement and I can't agree with both of them, I'm going to have to sell it. Such is the case here. I agree that the Florida show is a great move for the company . . . even if I am a little bit disappointed that it will prevent me form attending the shows like I can do when they're in Berwyn. The company's relationship with FIP will provide them with a ready-made audience, and creating a presence in two different geographic areas will prevent one or the other from getting burnt out. However, I do not think that the expansion will go much further than this . . . at least not in the near future. As previously mentioned, the Florida show is in large part taking place because of the connections with FIP, similar to how SHIMMER partners with All-American Wrestling in the Chicago area. So, Matt, if you really want to see Allison Danger and company make their way in to Washington or Oregon, go ask Tim Flowers if he's still got his promoter's license and whether he has anything better to do with his time. (I'm guessing that the answers are "yes" and "no" respectively.)
2 for 4.
Allison Danger's exit from ROH will reduce the number of that company's fans who check out SHIMMER in the future.
Matt Adamson : Sell. I think SHIMMER is beyond the point of needing Ring of Honor to draw fans as many ROH fans are already aware of SHIMMER. They did a lot of good promotion early on with ROH and still have the ROH name attached to them. Besides that, ROH has been running SHIMMER matches at their shows as recently as last month and I'd imagine they will continue to do so without Danger on their roster. The success of SHIMMER is in the best interests of ROH. Not to mention they sell SHIMMER merchandise on the ROH website which would also indicate that many ROH fans will still associate SHIMMER and ROH together. I'd be more worried if SHIMMER lost Allison Danger as she is one of their draws and is a recognizable name to many indie-wrestling fans.
Ryan Byers: Sell. As has been mentioned by Dave Prazak on the SHIMMER forums, Danger may be gone from ROH as a regular member of the roster, but she will still be back for SHIMMER showcase matches periodically. So, though she's "gone," she's not going to be forgotten. Also, those showcase matches will continue whether Danger is there or not, providing yet more exposure for the company. The only real problem is that we're no longer going to have the Canadian-born grappler hocking her SHIMMER DVDs at the ROH shows' merchandise tables, which many Ring of Honor fans can tell you was the highlight of many an intermission. Even still, ROH has recently picked up Sara Del Ray as a regular member of their roster, plus Lacey and Daizee Haze are still involved in their respective slots in Sapolsky-land. Though one "Woman of Honor" is gone, several still remain.
3 for 5.
SHIMMER should open its own wrestling school.
Matt Adamson : Buy. I think this is a fantastic idea. Not only would it allow for them to utilize the talent for their promotion, but it would also allow them to teach women how to wrestle well. I can't imaging it's terribly easy for men to teach women how to wrestle, but I can imagine that with a roster as talented as SHIMMER's that somebody could teach those women how to become the best in the world. I think a unity among women wrestling is a good thing and I think an all women's wrestling school is just the ticket to increase that unity and shape the future of women's wrestling. In addition, it would increase revenue a little bit for them to use to bring talent over from Japan or to run shows more frequently. They could also use those additional funds to expand geographically to places like Portland, Oregon.
Ryan Byers: Sell. …at least for right now. If SHIMMER is still around in five to ten years, this will be a fine idea. However, at this point, I don't think that there is anybody on the roster who is suited to be a good trainer for such a school. Don't get me wrong, the vast majority of the women who work for the company are great wrestlers. Yet, at this point in time, the majority of them are thirty or younger and still learning about the craft themselves. I think that a trainer should have at least a decade of experience behind her before she takes on the task of teaching others how to wrestle. Usually the results are not good when relatively inexperienced wrestlers train others, and I don't see anything in SHIMMER that would make much of a difference in this situation. Though the company does have two veterans on the roster – namely Lexie Fyfe and Malia Hosaka – their style of wrestling differs a good deal from the type that is popular at the top of SHIMMER's cards these days. So, in the event that the company does want to open a school, I think that it should be a project for the long-term as opposed to the short-term.
3 for 6!
BONUS~!
ROH signing a PPV/VOD Distribution Deals to bring ROH into 50 Million Households is very positive business move for the promotion..
Ryan Byers: Buy. …tentatively. There aren't yet enough details out there about this deal for me to determine that it's a positive for ROH, though, from what is available, it sounds like it is. Some people will probably be wondering how increased exposure for the company can possibly be a bad thing, but those same people have forgotten the lessons taught to us by ECW just a few years ago. The question I want answered is what exactly ROH's obligations are as a part of this agreement. Do they just need to provide the same sort of content that they've been providing for DVDs? Do they need to up their production values? Are they required to run larger venues? Do they have to spend money on more "major league" looking sets or "name" talent? Do the pay per view companies want to have some say as it relates to the shows' content? If the answers to any of those questions are yes, then we've got a problem. When ECW got TV, everybody hailed it as a major victory, but they wound up having to pour so much money in to making sure that their product was up to the standards of the network that they ultimately spent themselves in to oblivion. I fear that a similar situation may befall ROH. However, if the agreement does not require them to "upgrade" their current production at all or makes the PPV companies responsible for all such upgrades, then Ring of Honor should only be benefited by this agreement.
Matt Adamson: Buy. I also look at this tentatively. It's both a really great opportunity and a situation where I worry they may end up burying themselves much like ECW did. However, like Byers said, If they are able to maintain the same content they currently have, and any increased costs for production fall on the PPV company then this could be a very good thing. ROH is a quality product and most people who check it out are quick to see that. Of course the obvious fear is that the increased fanbase will dumb down the product by reacting to things without knowing the company's history. However, ROH has likely put themselves in a position to avoid this as it is a Pay Per View deal and people are indeed going to have to pay to see the shows. This should maintain the same fanbase for a while as people learn and become familiar with the company which in turn will likely allow the shows to maintain the same feel they have right now. I know ROH will be my first choice for my PPV buck each month they run.
The Fifth edition of BUY or SELL finishes at 4 for 7. Stay tuned for next week when two new men will go head to head with a whole new set of topics.
