BG Says: SHIMMER Women Athletes – Volume 12

Dave Prazak & Allison Danger take care of commentary as usual.

The show starts with Lacey cutting a backstage promo. She guarantees that she’ll be the first SHIMMER champion. She may not have beaten Haze when they wrestled in SHIMMER before but she blames that on the referee. Tonight she’s going to come out on top.

Haze sings a song about winning the SHIMMER title to the tune of her entrance music. The song was going along just fine until her weed reference screwed up the rhyme scheme. Just goes to show that pot doesn’t make everyone creative.

VS.
While not an official stipulation it is strongly implied that if Josie loses here she’ll lose her spot on the roster. They lock up and Alicia powers Josie to the corner. She does it again and chops Josie. Josie comes back with chops of her own. She hits an armdrag. She hits a really ugly facebuster. She hits a bodyslam for 2. Alicia bails. Back in the ring she hits a clothesline and a big boot in the corner. She hits another clothesline for 2. She chokes Josie. She hits a side slam for 2. Josie comes back with a hip check. They clothesline each other to the mat. Josie hits a clothesline and a back elbow. She hits a fisherman suplex for 2. Alicia goes to the eyes and hits the A-Bomb but the referee catches her pulling the tights. She argues with the referee allowing Josie gets a roll up out of nowhere for the win at 6:35. They looked competent at times but the match had its fair share of lost looking women.
Rating: *¼

Sarah Stock is ready to prove that she’s the only woman on the roster who deserves the title. She is going to show Sara Del Rey what a champion is made of.

Sara Del Rey fires her Death Rey. She’s going to win by any means necessary.

VS. [Semifinal Match]
Before the match clips of their main event match from Volume 1 is shown. Let’s hope this is as good as that was. Haze dodges a charge from Lacey and kicks her back. She works Lacey over in the corner. She hits a dropkick and Lacey bails. Haze follows her to the floor and chops her back. She whips Lacey into the barricade. She goes for a big boot but Lacey dodges it and throws Haze into the crowd. Haze tries to crawl under the barricade so Lacey ties her around it in a camel clutch. Back in the ring Lacey gets 2. She hits a knee to the back in the corner. She hits a back suplex for 2. She chokes Haze with Haze’s novelty flower. She throws Haze to the floor and follows her. Haze fights back so Lacey goes to the eyes. Lacey hits a bodyslam on the floor. Back in the ring Haze rolls through a bodyslam for 2. Lacey hits a clothesline. She misses a kick and Haze hits a cross body for 2. Lacey hits another clothesline and drives Haze’s head into the mat. She hits a clothesline in the corner. She hits a roundhouse kick for 2. She hits a side Russian legsweep for 2. She puts on a Mutalock but Haze gets to the ropes. She sets Haze up top but Haze fights her off and hits a dropkick. They trade strikes until Haze hits a running forearm. She hits a clothesline. She hits the Thesz press and slugs Lacey’s face. She hits a facebuster and a senton for 2. She gets a roll up for 2. She hits a German suplex for 2. She hits the heart punch. Lacey hits a clothesline and the lung blower. She hits the implant DDT for the win at 14:06. These two always deliver when given the time to do so, even if this wasn’t as dramatic as their first match against each other in SHIMMER.
Rating: ***¼

VS. [Semifinal Match]
The crowd chants “let’s go Sara(h),” at the bell. Del Rey overpowers Stock to start. They knuckle up and Stock goes lucha all over Del Rey’s ass. She hits a springboard missile dropkick. Del Rey bails and Stock soaks in the cheers. Back in the ring Del Rey takes control. Stock hits an armdrag. She gets a takedown but Del Rey uses the head scissors to get some distance. They roll around on the mat trading attacks on the other’s legs. Del Rey puts on an armbar. Stock gets a headlock. Del Rey puts on a half crab. Stock tries to counter so Del Rey goes to the ropes. She puts on a standing leglock but Del Rey counters. Stock gets to the ropes. Stock hits an armdrag. Del Rey hits the body block and a senton for 2. She hits a legdrop, a headbutt and a kneedrop. She hits a butt splash for 2. She puts on a seated abdominal stretch. She sets Stock up top but Stock hops down and hits an armdrag. Del Rey hits a big boot for 2. She hits a northern lights suplex for 2. She hits a headbutt and slugs Stock down for 2. Stock gets a roll up for 2. Del Rey hits another big boot. She hits another but Stock blocks a third. Stock hits an enziguiri. She hits a pair of dropkicks. She climbs the ropes but falls off accidentally. Del Rey takes advantage and hits a hip check to the head. Stock hits a bulldog for 2. She puts on a modified STF but Del Rey gets to the ropes. Five minutes are left before the time limit expires and Lacey wins the belt by default. Del Rey hits a powerbomb for 2. She hits a Samoan drop for 2. She ties Stock in a knot but Stock gets to the ropes. Del Rey hits a bodyslam and climbs the ropes. She misses a moonsault and Stock gets 2. Del Rey puts on the Royal Butterfly hold but Stock blocks the slam. Del Rey hits a big boot. She hits a senton for 2. Stock gets a sunset flip for 2. Del Rey gets a roll up for 2. One minute remains. Del Rey blocks a roll up and pins Stock for 2. Stock gets a roll up for 2. Thirty seconds remain. Stock goes for a hurricanrana but Del Rey counters to a piledriver for the win at 19:52. This was without a doubt in my mind the best SHIMMER match to date. The way both women became desperate as the time limit drew near was fantastic. SHIMMER needs more Sarah Stock.
Rating: ***¾

VS. [No Disqualification Street Fight]
They show a clip of Rogers turning on Danger three Volumes ago. Clips of their match from Volume 10 are also shown. Rogers cheated to beat Danger in that one. Danger sneaks in from the crowd and attacks Rogers from behind to start the match. Both women are wearing street clothes. They brawl to the floor. Rogers throws Danger into the ring steps. She rams Danger’s legs into the steps. Danger whips Rogers into the barricade. Rogers shoves Danger into the post. She hits a shinbreaker against the barricade. She puts on a leg submission but Danger escapes by ramming her head into the post. Rogers puts on the ring post figure 4. I haven’t seen that in a while. Rogers stays on the leg, ramming it against the post. She hangs Danger in the Tree of Woe on the barricade and goes to the back to get a STOP sign. She props the sign on Danger’s face and hits a baseball slide. She hits a side Russian legsweep into the barricade. Danger uses weapons to regain control. Back in the ring she hits a clothesline. She sets up a chair but Rogers drops her onto it with a drop toehold. Rogers rams the chair into Danger’s knee repeatedly for 2. She shoves Danger to the floor and lays her on the ring steps. She gets a shovel from the back and swings it at Danger’s knee. In a cool and very real-feeling moment Danger hobbles over to the referee and collapses in his arms. Rogers drops her guard for a moment allowing Danger to hit the neckbreaker onto her knee. Not the smartest move ever there. Back in the ring they fight over the chain that Rogers brought to the ring. Danger ducks a chain-assisted clothesline and hits the STO for the win at 13:12. The brawl was very focused but as such sadly became monotonous. Still Danger put on a great show here, taking a hellacious beating and selling it brilliantly.
Rating: ***¼

After the match Rogers abuses Danger with the chain. Danger gets on the microphone. She says she proved that she didn’t need weapons to beat Rogers, only the support of the fans. She says if Rogers wants to use a chain she can do so in a Dog Collar Match.

VS. VS. VS.
The crowd chants “3-on-1” in hopes that Black, Ariel and Roxx will all beat up on Perez. Perez goes to the floor and pulls Roxx out with her. Roxx chases Perez around the ring as Black and Ariel lock up as the legal women. Perez tags in for Ariel. Black hits leg kicks. Perez puts on a headlock. She gets a sunset flip for 2. Black kicks her back. Ariel tags in but Perez pokes her Roxx hits Perez with a cheap shot and Ariel hits her with clotheslines. Ariel hits a bodyslam for 2. Roxx and Black tag into the match. Roxx puts on a wristlock. Black counters the hold. Roxx tosses Black to the floor. Black slingshots the top rope into Roxx’s eyes. She misses a top rope crossbody. Roxx hits a clothesline. She hits the Polish Hammer. She hits an exploder for 2. Ariel and Perez tag into the match. Perez hits a neckbreaker for 2. She works over Ariel’s neck. She slams Ariel to the mat by her hair for 2. She hits a back elbow for 1 when Roxx shoves her down. Perez pokes Ariel’s eyes. Ariel counters a crossbody to a bodyslam. Roxx tags into the match. Nobody will tag in for Perez. Roxx hits Perez with clotheslines. She hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for 2. Ariel hits Perez with an ugly suicide dive. Roxx rolls Black up for 2. She hits the Barbie Crusher for the win at 9:06. The match was going along just fine until it fell apart for the finish.
Rating: **

VS.
They fight over a wristlock to start. Rain puts on a headlock. Deeb hits armdrags and a dropkick. Rain sends her to the floor. She follows her out and shoves her into the post. She whips Deeb into the steps. Back in the ring Rain gets 2. She hits a dropkick to the back for 2. She kicks Deeb’s head for 2. She hits a double kneedrop for 2. She hits a knee kick to the back. Deeb dodges a second attempt and gets a roll up for 2. Rain hits the Raindrop for 2. She hits an elbowdrop to the back for 2. Deeb gets a crucifix pin for 2. Rain hits a clothesline. She goes for the Acid Rain but Deeb blocks it. Deeb hits a kneelift. She hits a clothesline and a back elbow. She hits another clothesline. She hits a dropkick for 2. They trade strikes until Rain hits an ugly lung blower for 2. Deeb gets a roll up for 2. They rolls cradled around the ring but neither get a pin attempt. Rain helpfully strolls into position for a Deeb neckbreaker for 2. Rain comes back with the Acid Rain for the win at 9:56. When Rain had it together this was fine, but she looked lost more than once.
Rating: *¾

VS.
Hosaka and Fyfe are still undefeated as a team in SHIMMER. They take forever deciding who will start the match so MsChif and Daffney shriek annoyingly. Eventually Fyfe starts the match with MsChif. Fyfe puts on a wristlock but MsChif counters the hold. Hosaka tries to get involved but Melissa keeps that from happening. MsChif and Melissa put on stereo seated abdominal stretches. They pull out the earplugs that Fyfe and Hosaka were wearing and scream in their ears (with Daffney doing it for Melissa). MsChif puts Fyfe on the mat with a wristlock and screams in her other ear. Melissa tags in and stays on the arm. She hits an armbreaker for 2. She drives her knee into Fyfe’s arm. MsChif tags in and puts on a cross armbreaker. She hits a vertical suplex and holds on with the kimura. Melissa tags in and puts on a surfboard stretch. She grabs a wristlock and spins Fyfe to the mat. Fyfe gets to the ropes. Hosaka tags in and runs into a clothesline. That gets 2 for Melissa. Fyfe tags in and puts on the pendulum. She swings Melissa’s head into Hosaka’s boot for 2. Hosaka tags in and kicks Melissa’s chest. She hits a legdrop for 2. She puts on a camel clutch. Fyfe tags in and puts on a seated double chicken wing. Hosaka tags in and kicks Fyfe by mistake. MsChif tags in and pounds away on Hosaka. She gets a sunset flip for 2. They engage in a very slow and awkward pin attempt exchange. MsChif hits a headbutt. Fyfe rakes MsChif’s eyes against the top rope. Hosaka hits a leaping double chop. Fyfe tags in and pulls MsChif to the mat for 2. She hits a side slam for 2. Hosaka tags in and throws MsChif around by her hair. She hits a dropkick to the back for 2. Fyfe tags in and they put on a Boston crab/camel clutch combo until Melissa breaks it up. MsChif hits Fyfe with a side Russian legsweep. Melissa tags in and cleans house. She hits both opponents with Samoan drops. MsChif sets Hosaka up top and hits a second rope DVD. Hosaka is too close to the ropes, and both Hosaka and MsChif aren’t legal. MsChif and Melissa hit stereo Curb Stomps. Fyfe drives MsChif’s head into the mat and tags to Hosaka. Melissa keeps Fyfe and Hosaka from hitting their finisher. She hits Hosaka with the Air Raid Crash and MsChif hits the Lionsault for the win at 18:12. The earplug stuff was cute, Daffney’s voice was not. Billing Fyfe and Hosaka as the most experienced team on the roster doesn’t work for me as more than most they look like two women pretending to have a wrestling match. Hopefully this loss will mean less of them in the future. Luckily for the match and my sanity both MsChif and Melissa know what they are doing.
Rating: **¼

VS. [Tournament Finals/SHIMMER Championship Match]
Lacey goes for the implant DDT early but Del Rey goes to the ropes. She tries again but Del Rey counters to a roll up for 2. Del Rey puts on a half crab. She puts on a cravat and hits knees to the face. She sits on Lacey’s chest for 2. She puts on a wristlock but Lacey gets to the ropes. She puts on a chinlock. Lacey counters to a guillotine choke. Del Rey escapes and puts on a Boston crab. Lacey goes to the arm to escape. They trade holds on the mat until Del Rey goes to the ropes. Lacey trips Del Rey and puts on a Boston crab. Del Rey gets to the ropes. She gets a roll up for 2. She hits a hip check to the head. She hits a gutwrench suplex for 2. She hits a kneedrop to the back. She hits a forearm in the corner. Lacey hits a neckbreaker over the middle rope. They fight to the floor where Lacey whips Del Rey into the barricade. Back in the ring Lacey gets 2. She puts on a camel clutch. Del Rey comes back with butt thrusts in the corner. Lacey slams her to the mat by her hair. She does it again, this time from the second rope for 2. She hits a neckbreaker and holds on with a butterfly hold. She hits the Code Breaker for 2. She hits a drop toehold and puts on an inverted bow and arrow. Del Rey gets to the ropes. Lacey kicks her back repeatedly. She hits a running knee kick to the back for 2. She goes to the eyes. She puts on a stranglehold and hits a neckbreaker. She keeps the hold on with a bridge. She hits an elbowdrop to the back for 2. Del Rey comes back with a kick to the chest. She hits a forearm and a Samoan drop for 2. She hits a delayed vertical suplex for 2. She hits eight big boots for 2. She goes for a butt splash but Lacey pulls the referee into the way. Rain runs out and hits Del Rey with the Raindrop, getting 2 for Lacey. Danger leaves the broadcast booth and along with Nikki Roxx chases Rain to the back. Lacey hits Del Rey with the lung blower for 2. They block each other’s finishers. They fight over a backslide until Del Rey hits the Royal Butterfly. She hits a piledriver for the win and the title at 19:35. Hearing the crowd erupt the second Del Rey grabbed the Royal Butterfly was great. This was pretty much the only time it made sense for Del Rey to be dominated by Lacey, as her match against Stock was much more punishing than Lacey’s against Haze. I could have done without the interference but it logically leads into a Dangerous Angels vs. Minnesota Home-Wrecking Crew feud.
Rating: ***½

The 411:  This was a SHIMMER super show in every sense. All three tournament matches were good, with Del Rey/Stock coming out as the best match in SHIMMER to date. Other highlights were a great brawl between Rogers and Danger and the ever annoying Experience getting their first loss. The first champion being crowned is just about as important as it gets for a company, so this is a must-own for any SHIMMER fan. Make sure to check out The Cool Kids' Table.

Final Score:  8.0   [ Very Good ]