411’s Buy or Sell 06.15.07: SHIMMER Tag Titles, Mickie Knuckles, the Next Breakout Star, and More!
Posted by Samuel Berman on 06.15.2007
The 411 staff discusses SHIMMER as Ryan Byers battles Brad Garoon!
Welcome everyone to WEEK ELEVEN of BUY or SELL. For those of you who haven't been with us since the beginning, here's the Reader's Digest version of what this column is all about. BUY or SELL is very much like 411's long-running Fact or Fiction column. The main difference is that BUY or SELL focuses on topics like the U.S. Independent scene, Lucha Libre, Japanese Wrestling and pretty much anything else that isn't mainstream wrestling, WWE and or TNA. This allows for these areas to get a bit more press and for you, our loyal readers, to learn even more about the sport of professional wrestling.
Week Eleven's Match-Up:
The Impact Crater's Ryan Byers vs. One-half of the ROH DVD Review Team Brad Garoon!
SHIMMER showcase matches on Ring of Honor shows do not help SHIMMER because the wrestlers are working a different style that ROH fans do not always appreciate.
Ryan Byers: SELL. I'm well aware that there are some folks in the ROH live crowds who don't take to SHIMMER matches seriously. In fact, there have been some chants and reactions that really surprise me, given that the Ring of Honor fans are supposed to be folks who appreciate good professional wrestling regardless of who the participants are and what style they're working. There's a percentage of the fanbase, though, that has been downright chauvinistic when the ladies are in the ring. As much as that angers and disappoints me, I think that the SHIMMER showcases should continue. Though there certainly is a percentage of the ROH fanbase that will never get in to legitimate women's wrestling, it cannot be denied that SHIMMER has taken a sizeable chunk of its audience from Ring of Honor, and I'm certain that trend will only continue when and if ROH gains new viewers. My only hope is that, in the future, a more diverse grounp of SHIMMER competitors get brought in for the ROH showcases so that instead of seeing the same rotation of Lacey, Sara Del Ray, Allison Danger, and Daizee Haze, the fans can be exposed to some of the SHIMMER talent that they won't be seeing in many other places, such as Nikki Roxx, Mercedes Martinez, or the newly acquired Sara Stock.
Brad Garoon : BUY . Like Ryan said, the supposedly enlightened ROH fans have been completely unreceptive to the SHIMMER showcases and in many cases offensive to the wrestlers in the ring. This is a problem that could go away, but a problem that won't go away is the fact that while these women put on quality matches in SHIMMER, they have yet to deliver a standout match on the ROH stage. This makes SHIMMER look below the ROH standard. While I have yet to see a truly classic match in SHIMMER, I have seen some very good matches, but when compared to some of the stuff ROH churns out the ladies look lost. Their style isn't conducive to the hard-hitting, high-flying style ROH puts out match after match. In their own environment these matches can be impressive, but when trotted out in front of fans who could care less between matches they want to see more they're being given a death sentence. Before shows is one thing, give the fans who are there live a chance to see them when the cameras aren't rolling for the DVD product. SHIMMER DVDs are sold at ROH shows, so those fans might pick up a SHIMMER show after seeing a match. But these SHIMMER showcase matches come off so poorly on DVD that they'd be better off on the cutting room floor.
0 for 1.
Sara Del Ray's first defense of the SHIMMER Title should be against Amazing Kong.
Ryan Byers : SELL . The first defense of the title will, in all likelihood, take place on the July 1 SHIMMER event in Florida, which will be taped for a DVD release. In addition to that, SHIMMER has another dual DVD taping tentatively scheduled for October in Berwyn, Illinois. Kong is a definite for the Florida show and at this point is highly probable for the October show. Though she has been one of the single most impressive competitors with the company and has been ridiculously dominant in kayfabe terms, I'd like to see her title shot built up a little bit more if she is going to be around for three more DVDs worth of footage. She's already beaten Nikki Roxx, MsChif, and Daizee Haze in singles competition. That does establish her as a title contender in my eyes. However, the eventual showdown with Del Ray could seem even more epic if she were fed somebody like Allison Danger on the Florida taping and then put over Cheerleader Melissa on during the first half of the fall taping. So Kong should definitely get herself a shot by the end of the year, but she shouldn't be Death Rey's first opponent.
Brad Garoon : SELL . I like Ryan's train of thought, but here's how I'd like to see it go down. Kong takes on Del Ray in a non-title match on the first half of the Florida tapings. She beats Del Ray down like she has all the other ladies she's faced in SHIMMER, except this time she gets a tad overzealous and knocks Del Ray loopy with a powerbomb, winning the match and putting Sara's health in question. On the second half Del Ray makes her first title defense against Lacey in a rematch of the tournament finals. Lacey preys on Del Ray's weakened condition but Del Ray squeaks out the victory. Now you have legitimate heat between Del Ray and Kong and a nice little storyline to go along with the new title reign. Plus the matches should be fantastic as I see Del Ray and Kong as the two most talented women on the roster. The best part about that scenario is it makes the already pretty dominant Del Ray look more threatened in title matches.
1 for 2.
Now that the SHIMMER singles title has been established, Tag Team Titles should be added to the company at their next taping in Berwyn, Illinois.
Ryan Byers : SELL . SHIMMER waited a year and a half before it created its singles championship. Why? Because the company wanted to make sure that there was an established roster that fans were familiar with before they pulled the trigger on the title. Now that there is a brand new singles champion, the focus of the company should be on building up that belt, not detracting from it with more new championships. With smart booking, SHIMMER can easily get one to two years worth of mileage out of its singles title being the company's major draw before another championship is necessary to freshen things up a bit. Besides, much as the singles roster needed to be established in the eyes of the fans before a singles title could be created, a tag team roster would need just as much build up. There are only two true teams in the company right now, namely the Minnesota Homewrecking Crew and the Experience. Cheerleader Melissa and MsChif are arguably a third, and, though both of the Dangerous Angels are in the company, they have yet to team up for an "official" SHIMMER match. Even assuming that all of the members of those teams would dedicate themselves fully to a tag division, four teams wouldn't be enough to make the division work. At least another year of build would be required to establish the three to four additional teams necessary to make the division in to something that could be taken seriously.
Brad Garoon : SELL . Ryan hit it all on the head. Although I happen to think SHIMMER waited a bit to long to bring in a singles title (the DVDs feel a little directionless around Volume 6), I do agree that they need time to establish Del Ray as a credible champion and establish the belt as something worth going after. Likewise, as Byers said there are at best four teams in the company, and Del Ray's ever revolving partner situation hardly makes matters more concrete. If SHIMMER is interested in creating a tag division there needs to be better tag feuds. Throw Lacey & Rain into a long-term feud with MsChif and Melissa, have the Experience constantly bother a new team of Danger and Knox (since Del Ray should be focused on the singles belt right now). There are plenty of ways SHIMMER can go about it, but before they do they need to establish more teams and give the singles title a chance to shine.
2 for 3.
SWITCH~!
SHIMMER should bring in Mickie Knuckles of IWA Mid-South fame.
Brad Garoon : SELL . I'm just not a fan of Mr. Knuckles. I think she's been over-pushed in IWA and I think her style is the pits. For any positive she might bring the company I think SHIMMER would be better off investing in former WWE talents, and that's saying something. The roster is good as it is, and if SHIMMER needs a tough broad to scare the smaller girls then the Amazing Kong has proven she's up to the challenge. 0IWA fans might cry foul, but that's how I feel about it. Not to mention she beat up my boy Jake Ziegler when he refereed for her and MsChif in IWA. Since I've got his back she gets vetoed.
Ryan Byers : BUY . I'm not a huge IWA Mid-South fan. In fact, I'm generally going to steer away from any company that puts on deathmatches, no matter how many Ted Petty Invitationals they crank out for their other shows. However, I've seen Mickie in other indy promotions wrestling straight up, no frills bouts against other female opponents, and she's pulled out a few entertaining contests. I enjoy watching Knuckles every time that she steps in to the ring, because she really looks like she's having the time of her life out there, and, when it appears a wrestler is having fun, I'm generally having fun as well. Granted, there are a couple of things that I would like to see Mickie do before she comes to SHIMMER (getting real gear would be at the top of that list), but I think that she could be a fine addition to the undercard of the roster, even if not quite ready to main event. The only thing preventing her debut right now is that the SHIMMER roster is absolutely STACKED after their recent additions of Sara Stock and Alicia, so this would have to be a little while down the road.
2 for 4.
Sara Del Ray vs. Mercedes Martinez on SHIMMER Volume 1 is still the best match to have been put out on DVD by the company.
Brad Garoon : BUY . At this point I've reviewed every SHIMMER DVD through Volume 7 (the missing Volume 3 coming your way very soon and Volume 8 as soon as I receive it in my mailbox). In doing so the highest rating I've given a match is ***½. That star rating went to the aforementioned Del Rey/Martinez match, the Haze/Lacey match on the same night, Haze vs. Knox from Volume 4, a Del Rey vs. Martinez rematch from Volume 5 and Knox vs. Danger in a Pure Wrestling Rules match from Volume 6 (nothing in my upcoming Volume 3 review hit ***½). Of those matches the first Del Rey vs. Martinez match from Volume 1 stands out, as it probably would have been rated higher with a decisive finish. I'm still waiting in anticipation for that first **** match out of SHIMMER on DVD. And for those of you who are curious and don't read my reviews, I think the MsChif/Melissa series was the most overrated of the DVD collection so far.
Ryan Byers : BUY . I don't have snowflakes to go back to, but, like Brad, I've watched all of the DVDs except for the recently released Volume 8. (And I'm slowly working my way through the opening matches of that one. Hooray for Lorelei Lee.) I would without a doubt still rank Del Ray/Martinez I as the company's finest hour in-ring, finish or no finish. It was still hard-hitting, eye opening, and told a heck of a little story if you're willing to pay attention to detail. Even though it was fine as well, the rematch between the two didn't quite reach those same heights, nor has anything else from the company. I have a feeling that by this point in the promotion's history we would have had a match or two that beat out Del Ray/Martinez if Rebecca Knox hadn't gone down with her head injury. She was quite good and improving by leaps and bounds with every appearance, so I can only imagine what she would have been capable of in a blowoff match for a big feud in which she had worked with her opponent several times previously. And, as an aside, I'm going to have to disagree with Brad's comments on the MsChif/Melissa feud. I think that their blowoff match on Volume 6 really WAS a huge disappointment, no better than most SHIMMER midcard matches. However, the Volume 1 encounter was quite good for its position on the card, and, though it was far from a traditional wrestling match, their Volume 4 encounter was quite entertaining (though arguably a bit over the top at points) due to the innovative spots that they ladies were able to come up with. I don't know that I could've rated it highly on a star scale, but I was highly entertained the entire time.
3 for 5.
Serena Deeb is the next breakout star of SHIMMER.
Brad Garoon : SELL . I say Sell mostly because I don't think Roxx has broken out yet and I think that's still coming. Two main events do not a breakout star make. So she didn't get to the semi-finals in the tournament, she's still the most talented woman on the lower half of the card and her trial series should continue. Should she and Del Rey continue to feud with the Minnesota Home-Wrecking Crew or should Roxx have a singles feud with quality matches against Lacey then we can call her a breakout star. Deeb is very capable but she'll have to wait in line behind Roxx and probably Cindy Rogers, who seems to be getting a lot of attention from her feud with Danger.
Ryan Byers : SELL . Like Brad said, Rogers and Roxx are still on the rise, though I find myself questioning exactly how far that the company is going to go with Nikki now that she's lost to Del Ray and got bounced in the second round of the title tournament. (Granted, that doesn't mean it's the end of the world for her career, but I would have guessed that she would have at least gotten an easier road to the final four.) Serena is relatively inexperienced, but she's coming along quite well for a woman of her age, as everybody will be able to see when Volume 9 is released in a couple of weeks and her lengthy singles match against Lacey is available to the masses. The other thing to consider when it comes to making Deeb in to a "star" is that she's currently doing the bulk of her work with OVW. She doesn't have a WWE developmental contract, and, for all we know, she'll never get one. However, as long as she remains in OVW under the watchful eyes of WWE staff, there's always a possibility that developmental deal will come, at which point she'd be almost immediately pulled from all future SHIMMER tapings. So, for that reason alone, I'd be surprised to see her make her way up the card without some assurance that she wouldn't bolt and cause plans to be rearranged.
4 for 6!
The eleventh edition of BUY or SELL finishes at 4 for 6. Stay tuned for next week when two new men will go head to head with a whole new set of topics.
