shimmer54

I have to say that after watching Shimmer 54, these reviews are going to be tough to write. By virtue of running only eight or nine shows a year, the company is limited in what they can do. Long-term storylines are extremely difficult, and in order to have a healthy roster with some room for new talent, that means having 10-11 matches on every card. I am on the side of efficient wrestling shows that peak around the 2:30-2:45 mark. However, given the context of Shimmer and trying to always find the best talent in women’s wrestling and balancing that with running four shows in one weekend, I understand the difficulty surrounding the weekend and the balance that needs to be struck.

One of the great positives I think Shimmer has going is their credibility. They are the premiere women’s wrestling brand in North America. Period. I’ve watched enough Shine, WSU, and AIW to know that Shimmer is the absolute best from an in-ring and production standpoint. Their ability to use the Joshi women and integrate them with the best females in the states is a proven formula which has worked for years. And because they only run a limited amount of shows, the risk of burning out is lessened. You know what you’re getting when you watch a Shimmer show, and that’s not a bad thing.

I mentioned the balance before, and this is probably a good time to actually start talking about the show itself. Generally, the first four or five matches of any Shimmer card, while perhaps carrying later significance if one of the women elevates herself into the main event scene or shifts up the card from one weekend to the next, are not all that consequential in the moment. To open Volume 54, Santana Garrett picked up her first singles win in defeating Miss Natural. Solid way to start the show. Garrett is one of the more talented women on the scene, and I think her athleticism stands out in the world of women’s wrestling. Natural is solid and has an interesting personality but actually seems to fit in more with the other company that runs in the Eagles Club.

MsChif is a former Shimmer champion, but one of the hallmark of these cards is the ability to have main event level wrestlers take on some lower card workers without feeling like they’re taking a step back. This strikes me as a huge strength of the promotion and not something always done easily. Rhia O’Reilly had made her presence at Shimmer 52’s main event as she helped Saraya Knight defeat Cheerleader Melissa. This was O’Reilly’s comeuppance as she lost to the Desecrator in an okay match that was a bit of a step down from the opener. I’ve been pretty meh on a lot of MsChif’s 2013 work.

Both Evie and Kimber Lee had made their debut a week earlier at Volume 53 in Secaucus. Evie was in a five way match while Lee was in a tag. Evie picked up her first victory in the states (she traveled from New Zealand) in another okay match that saw a similar dynamic to the first match. The athletic babyface used her speed and flashiness to overcome the heel. Both of these women will be talked about a great deal in years to come, particularly Lee  who even in two short years has proven to be able to handle herself in the ring and on the microphone.

Yuu Yamagata was yet another Joshi making her debut in the Berwyn Eagles. She wrestled Kalamity and lost. Based on the commentary and some of the post-match conversation, they’re building toward a Kalamity title challenge. This was a good win for Kalamity to position her for a title challenge. These two matched up slightly in a five way one week earlier, and with more time, I think these two could have delivered a better match. Lots of heavy strikes and the first match where both wrestlers really dropped some bombs. Kalamityville Horror (great move name by the way) was good enough for the victory.

The idea behind Regeneration-X against Veda Scott and Shazza McKenzie was basically a number one contender’s match for the tag team titles. Scott and McKenzie won a match a week earlier. Allison Danger had said before this weekend that this was to be her last weekend of in-ring competition. Scott and McKenzie came away with the win. Scott rolled Danger up for the win. McKenzie is someone who has gotten significantly better as I’ve seen her progress. Bates isn’t  a great athlete, but she makes up for it with a spunkiness and connection with the fans. I surprisingly enjoyed this match more than any other on the show  up to this point mostly because they played the babyface versus babyface dynamic well. Solid basic tag match but nothing spectacular. Also, everyone hugged after the match.

Even though the next match only went seven minutes, Kana and Jessie McKay packed a lot of punch into it. In a way, I think McKay’s looks will lead people to underestimate how good she can be in the ring, but don’t kid yourself. She’s as good as many of the Americans and is perfectly competent alongside the Joshis. Her character has also struck me as a bit odd too since she’s “everyone’s favorite girlfriend” which I guess gives her a wholesome quality but her finisher is the “Boyfriend Stealer.” An interesting name to be sure but how a bit counter to her name… I’m putting way too much thought into this. Anyway, Kana got a clean submission victory over McKay with a cross armbreaker. I’m a pretty big Kana mark since I first saw her in Chikara, so this was an easy sell for me.

Of all the Joshis, Ayako Hamada is probably my favorite because of her skills and the fact that I’ve been watching her longer than almost any other female wrestler. Her match  was undoubtedly the biggest match of Melanie Cruise’s career in Shimmer competition, and she’s another wrestler who seems to get significantly better every time I see her. Ever since she’s shifted away from some lesser wrestling companies, I think her position has only increased. I think a tour of Japan and framing her as an Aja Kong/Vader type would make her even stronger. This was another good but not great match mostly because it went seven minutes.

Jessicka Havok wasn’t allowed in Shimmer for years thanks to some chicanery on the part of WSU’s owner. Now that an actual adult is running the promotion, Havok, who is a personal favorite of mine, is finally free to pursue opportunities with the number one women’s company in North America. Instead of being introduced in the undercard, she was part of a huge six man tag in Secaucus and then wrestled Serena Deeb in one of the most anticipated matches of Shimmer 54. The idea is that Havok wanted to make an immediate impact and attacked someone who had just returned for a serious concussion. This was a perfect way to reintroduce Deeb and introduce Havok. With Havok’s strong style as a heel, she plays well to the babyface Deeb coming off a concussion. Lots of good stories to tell. Havok came away with the victory thanks to some distractions from Mademmoiselle Rochelle and Sassy Stephie. Havok dropped Deeb on her head with a version of the Michinoku Driver, but this finish screamed “THIS FEUD MUST CONTINUE!” A good first match and I’m confident their next match will be an improvement.

The tag title match between Kellie Skater/Tomoko Nakagawa against Portia Perez/Nicole Mathews was going along swimmingly until the Canadian Ninjas decided to take a count-out and basically gave up on the match. Given this was the first of four shows over the weekend, I sort of see where the story is leading, but it was kind of an eye roller given the match (and the show) finally seemed to be hitting a second gear when the match just sort of ended out of nowhere.

Shimmer next took four of their main event wrestlers and put them in a number one contender’s match where the winner would wrestler either Cheerleader Melissa or Mercedes Martinez on Volume 55. Courtney Rush pinned Athena after a Skyward suplex in a match that also involved two former Shimmer champions, Madison Eagles and Saraya Knight. After Athena’s huge win over Hamada, I was a bit disappointed she drew the short straw and lost. At least Athena only lost after taking all of her opponents’ finisher, and at least Rush has certainly proved her worth. This was a decent enough four way that at times felt more like a tag match. Eagles and Knight were the heels (duh) with Rush and Athena babyfaces. Knight’s character is what carries her in matches as she can get any crowd to despise her with a pre-match promo or a patented low dropkick. A worthwhile showcase of four very different styles. Even though Eagles was out for quite some time, she has been re-integrated back onto the roster extremely well.

Part of me is always happen when the main event is the best match of the show. Given the two competitors it’s no surprise Cheerleader Melissa versus Mercedes Martinez was right around the ***1/2 mark. These two are originals and have had major successes across the world. This was a good match that built up to quite the flurry as each was able to counter the other and even try to steal the other’s finisher. Even though this went 20 minutes, there wasn’t much of a feeling out process as they immediately began dropping hard strikes.  There were also a number of submission holds before going into the false finishes. A very enjoyable match to end the show.

Shimmer 54 did not contain mind numbing stupidity or a lot of questionable booking decisions. None of the matches were actively bad, and the main event really capped off the show in a positive fashion. I would recommend this show but with the caveat that nothing on here could be construed as must watch. Still a solid show.

Grade: B

Taped from Berwyn, Illinois

Commentators: Dave Prazak and Portia Perez

-Santana Garrett defeats Miss Natural by pinfall after the Shining Star Press/7:40/**3/4

-MsChif defeats Rhia O’Reilly by pinfall with the Desecrator/7:15/**

. -Evie defeats Kimber Lee by pinfall after the TTYL./7:31/**1/2

-Kalamity defeats Yuu Yamagata by pinfall after the Kalamityville Horror/7:09/**1/2

-Veda Scott and Shazza McKenzie defeats Regeneration-X (Allison Danger and Leva Bates). Scott pins Danger with a roll-up/9:30/***

-Kana (w/Pegaboo) defeats Jessie McKay by submission with a cross armbreaker/7:07/***

-Ayako Hamada defeats Melanie Cruise by pinfall after a moonsault/7:37/***

-Jessicka Havok defeats Serena Deeb with a modified Michinoku Driver/9:25/***

-Shimmer Tag Team Titles:  3G (Kellie Skater and Tomoka Nakagawa) defeat the Canadian Ninjas (Portia Perez and Nicole Mathews) by count-out/11:36/***

Four Way Number One Contender’s Match: Courtney Rush defeats Athena, Saraya Knight, and Madison Eagles. Rush pins Athena after a skyward suplex /15:56/***1/4

Shimmer Championship: Cheerleader Melissa defeats Mercedes Martinez by pinfall after an Air Raid Crash in her first defense of the Shimmer Championship/20:11/***1/2

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One thought on “Shimmer 54 DVD Review”
  1. Unfortunately, Kalamity retired not long after this, for reasons she refused to divulge.

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