2013 really is a great time to be alive. What we used to have to read about in Apter mags and maybe find from tape traders we can actually view with our own eyes. A women’s wrestling show that took place in a bar in Scotland I am able to watch from my Man Cave in Fort Worth, Texas. I’m not one to do play-by-plays or great detailed recaps. This is kind of my thoughts on the matches and experience as a whole.
Miss Nicola Storm vs. Fiona Frazer
I watched this match several times before I realized this was Nikki Storm. Storm’s ring presence and heel persona were excellent. I liked Fiona’s look and crowd reaction. Storm wrestled in slacks and a button down shirt. I have no problem with it as long as she doesn’t look like a chick in a rural indy who doesn’t have gear. There was the good European wrestling that we get from the Regals and the Finlays. I didn’t see a lot out of Fraser, but she served as a nice showcase for Storm. It was a nice opener.
Bete Noire vs. Viper
I was not that impressed with Viper’s look or name, but when she started working it was something altogether different. As the match started, I began to see Viper’s toughness. Both ladies hit each other. Hard. This was not a very fast-paced match. It was slow & methodical. Viper pretty much mugged her for the entire match with Noire selling like crazy. Viper reminded me a lot of a cross between Vader and Amy Lee. (Before she hunts me down to kill me, she reminds me a lot of him in his dominating presence.) I found myself being drawn into the match as it went on. It grew on me.
Holly Racamora vs. Rhia O’Reilly
I am familiar with Rhia’s work through SHIMMER so I was happy to see her on this DVD. I knew I was going to like her work here. Rocamora came off to me as a surprise. She reminded me of Cheerleader Melissa a bit. I know I’ve tried to make this mostly about the ladies’ work, but I did think Holly was very easy on the eyes. The match had a nice crescendo of intensity. My favorite part about Rhia’s style is that she looks like it hurts. I really feel like in Racamora there is some really nice potential.
Sara vs. Erin Angel
Sara had a nice physique, wasn’t too well-covered and had good crowd interaction. I also like Angel’s look, like a 1996 Sunny. The match started off energetic and high-paced. The match was decent and it had some nice back-and-forth, but what was there that really stood out from every other match? No slight to the ladies and their work. It just seemed like filler.
Lisa Fury & April Davids vs. The Owen Twins
Davids reminded me a lot of a Japanese wrestler in hair and overall appearance, just not nationality. Fury had a really nice look. She knew how to work the entrance and the crowd. The Twins had a really nice reaction. Davids and Fury worked really well as a heel tag team. You know it’s good when a wrestler rips out a woman’s hair extensions. The Owen Twins did fine in their work but the non-siblings were pretty excellent.
Kirsty Loveign vs. Sakura Lilly
I was impressed by Kirsty’s entrance. She did the little things well. Lilly’s entrance was proceeded by a young woman with a breastless corset and pasties. Because I go to wrestling shows to watch burlesque dancers with pasties. (<—- sarcasm intended) But it lead to Lilly’s entrance. She has an amazing fluidity and ring presence. Lilly had really great, in-character chops. There is such fluidity and commitment to her character in her work. My apologies to Ms. Loveign. She did a really good job with her part of the match. I was just rather mesmerized by Lilly and her overall abilities.
Kaylee Ray vs. Carmel Jacobs
Yeah, Kaylee Ray has the look and make of a star. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that Captain Kirk had just beamed down and this was the native he would fall in love with on this planet. There was no technical fluidity to this match. It was a Last Man Standing Brawl. We had a major brawl into the crowd that included a rana onto the concrete (Ouch!). Jacobs won me over with her work. She wrestles like shes in the main event. There were thumbtacks! Not a lot of women outside of Crazy Mary use thumbtacks in matches. An excellent Last Woman Standing Match, and I probably would have given it a standing ovation had I been there.
All in all… If you are getting tired of North American wrestling, this is a nice breath of fresh air. Most of the women will be new to the average North American viewer, with the exception of O’Reilly and those who have heard of Storm. Every wrestler seemed to have a unique feature. There were some wrestlers that really stood out like Racamora, Lilly & Jacobs. Their ring announcer was enthusiastic and had a lot of fire. I also feel like they laid a very nice foundation for what their company was about.
The product is far from flawless. Maybe it’s a cultural thing, but I did not get the burlesque entertainment. If I were a wrestler who’d worked my tail off to make it where I was, I don’t know if I’d want burlesque wrestlers being used in between matches. Again, it’s not that big of a thing here in the states.
My 4 year old point at my DVD’s and call this one “Scottish SHIMMER.” (All wrestling to her is “SHIMMER,” regardless of company.) The funny thing is that this promotion is anything else but SHIMMER. I would like to see what this company can do in the future.