While there was not a women’s show on The Collective this year, we did get an amazing show from TJPW and a lot of great women’s matches on cards from Thursday through Saturday for WrestleMania Weekend. Some people cemented themselves as top wrestlers in the independent scene, like Sandra Moone, Dark Sheik, and Alice Crawley.
An Independent Wrestling HOFer made her return to what made her famous. While others hoped to get their name more well known across the country. Some impressive showings from Johnnie Robbie, Haley Dylan and Abigail Warren are sure to have them on more shows in the future.
Here are some of my favorite women’s independent wrestling matches from WrestleMania weekend.
LuFisto vs. Mickie Knuckles – ICW No Holds Barred 44
The top independent match of the weekend, at least in my opinion, did not happen in LA, but on the other side of the country in NJ. This was a match that a lot of people were looking forward to, since these are two of the best female deathmatch wrestlers in history and set the stage for people like Sawyer Wreck and Kasey Kirk to dominate the deathmatch scene today.
Many of us went into this match with a little trepidation, due to the fact that LuFisto had not had a deathmatch since 2007, but when they were setting up the ring there were a lot of weapons around it. LuFisto had never been in the chains before but seemed right at home using her surroundings and the weapons. Within the first few minutes of the match LuFisto has blood streaming down her face, however this does not slow her down at all and she spears Mickie through a door. Mickie answers by hitting a suplex putting LuFisto through a pane of glass. The legend LuFisto keeps coming back, as she hits Mickie with a water jug to the head and then puts Mickie’s head on a chair and hits it with another chair. LuFisto covers Mickie and gets the win. After the match the two deathmatch icons, and two of the most influential female wrestlers embrace.
Inner City Championship Match: Delilah Doom (c) vs. Heather Monroe vs. Johnnie Robbie – Santino Brothers “California Love”
These three competitors have a history and are no strangers to each other. Heather Monroe is the veteran in the match and uses that knowledge to try to isolate both of her opponents, but Robbie uses her youthful aggression to take out Heather and Delilah. Robbie is very impressive in this match, showing her quickness, her strength and ring savvy for someone that is so young. Heather and Delilah put their focus on Robbie, but Robbie hits a Code Breaker off the ropes on Delilah. They are all on the mat and exchange strikes with Delilah getting the advantage. She then hits stunners and a *69 on both opponents, then hits dives on each opponent. They get back in the ring and Delilah hits them both with a dropkick from the top. Robbie gives Doom a spinning neck breaker, then a suplex on Monroe, but is not able to get a pin. We then get a really cool sequence where Robbie and Monroe are battling in the corner and Doom comes from behind and gives them a superplex. Monroe is the first one to get up and slams Robbie onto Doom. She tries to pin both of her opponents, but they kick out. Robbie and Doom battle on the turnbuckle and Doom gets the advantage. Doom hits Sparkle Motion from the top and pins Robbie for the win.
International Princess Championship: Rika Tatsumi (c) vs. Billie Starkz – TJPW “Live in Los Angeles”
One of the top young independent stars in the US, Billie Starkz challenges Rika Tatsumi for the International Princess Championship. Rika is a grand slam champion in TJPW and Billie has already made two trips to Japan and she has not even graduated high school yet. Rika gets the early advantage, but Billie comes back with a series of stiff kicks and a knee to the back of the head. Tatsumi gets the advantage back with a hip attack and locks Billie in a Figure Four. Tatsumi hits another hip attack and comes off the second rope, but Billie catches her and tosses Tatsumi over her head with a suplex. Billie hits a spin kick and goes to the top rope, but Tatsumi avoids her and puts Billie’s bunny head on her, so that Billie can’t see and hits her with a Dragon Leg Screw and a hip attack. Tatsumi then hits a Twist of Fate and a hip attack from the top rope for the win.
Alice Crowley vs. Hailey Dylan vs. Johnnie Robbie – Circle 6 “Vinnie Massaro’s Pro Wrestling Combine”
A lot of people were only focused on The Collective shows in LA, but Circle 6 had some very good matches and entertaining segments on their shows. They had a punk rock, DIY vibe to them that I really liked. Alice Crowley was the woman that they were really focusing on with these shows and they showed what a true star she has become. Not only did Al have this match, but she also won the Rager Rumble and had a very hard-hitting match with Vinnie Massaro. Johnnie Robbie was coming off her impressive performance at “California Love” at The Collective and looked to use that momentum. Hailey Dylan was very impressive in this match and also in the Combine Rumble, where her and Johnnie Robbie has some great exchanges. In this match Big Al had the size advantage over both of her opponents, so they tried to use their quickness and athleticism. At one point Hailey Dylan took down both of her opponents with a double Sliced Bread. Alice takes out Robbie with a short arm clothesline, then focuses on Dylan. She takes Dylan to the mat with a judo throw, then a knee to the head for the win.
Kasey Kirk vs. LuFisto – ICW NHB 45
Kasey starts the match by spitting in the deathmatch legend’s face and that was not a smart move. Kasey gets a chair with light tubes on it to the back for her disrespect. LuFisto seems a step ahead of Kasey and gives her a face wash of light tubes. LuFisto has a face full of blood, but doesn’t lose control of the match. Kasey got busted open with a back fist from LuFisto, but then gives LuFisto a suplex through a pane of glass. Kasey goes to the top platform, but LuFisto gets up and gives her a fisherman’s suplex through light tubes. LuFisto seems to have the advantage, but Brandon Kirk throws something in her eyes and Kasey rolls her up for the win.
Hyper Misao and Trish Adora vs. Raku and Yuki Aino – TJPW “Live in Los Angeles”
Hyper Misao is the superhero that protects love and peace and before the match starts she gives Trish a mask and makes her an honorary super hero. The two superheroes worked very well together in the early parts of the match until Misao tried to spray Raku, but missed and hit Trish. This gave Raku the opportunity to hit Misao with her pillow. She then puts both opponents to sleep and goes for the pin, but the superheroes wake up just in time. Trish lays some hard shots into Aino when she comes into the match, but Aino answers with a suplex. Raku and Aino use some good double team maneuvers on Misao, but Misao sprays her opponents with whatever is in her can and comes off the top rope, hitting Raku and getting the win.
Dulce Tormenta vs. Sexy Star – GCW Gringo Loco’s The Wrld on Lucha
These are two wrestlers that I was not extremely familiar with before the match, but they were very impressive. They exchange topes and take the fight to the outside of the ring. Sexy Star set up a door in the corner of the ring. She tries to spear Dulce through the door, but it doesn’t break, so she tries again, this time putting Dulce through the door with a Death Valley Driver. Sexy Star spreads some thumbtacks on the ring mat, but her plan backfires as Dulce powerbombs her onto the tacks. They exchange strikes, then exchange suplexes. Sexy Star hits a big knee, then a double underhook face buster, but only gets a two count. Dulce hits the three amigos then a spinning package piledriver for the win.
Sandra Moone vs. Steph De Lander – GCW EFFY’s Big Gay Brunch 6
De Lander has been a menace since she has come back to the US and teamed up with Matt Cardona. She calls herself “the baddest bitch on the indies” and gets on the mic before the match and says that the show sold out because she is on it. The crowd is clearly behind Sandra and she gets the early advantage until SDL throws her to the outside of the ring. Sandra gets some chops on SDL, but SDL takes back control of the match by throwing Moone into the ring post. SDL is a lot more powerful, but Moone tries to use her quickness. SDL is constantly trash talking Sandra and flipping off the crowd. Sandra hits SDL with a back suplex and elbow to the back of the head, but is not able to put SDL away. She then goes to the top rope, but is met with a big boot from SDL. The always resilient Moone keeps fighting back and hits a drop kick from the top rope. SDL used her power to pick up Sandra Moone and slam her headfirst to the mat to pick up the victory.
Kenzie Paige vs. Sandra Moone – GCW Jimmy Lloyd’s Generation F
This is a match between one of the best young women on the west coast against one of the best in the east. The match starts out very fast paced and even, until Kenzie knocks Sandra to the outside and hits a dive on her. Kenzie gets the match back in the ring and locks Sandra in an STF. They exchange some fierce strikes and neither combatant is holding anything back. Sandra hits Kenzie with a nasty looking gut wrench power bomb for the win.
Janai Kai vs. Brooke Havok vs. Sandra Moone – GCW “Emo Fight”
Janai starts the match sitting in the corner with her hood up, seemingly not interested in the match at all. Brooke and Sandra try to team up on Kai, but Kai just returns to sitting and the crowd chants “sit forever.” Janai decides that she wants to do something and hits Brooke with a Scorpion Death Drop. The three combatants exchange shots and Sandra gives Kai a Blue Thunder Bomb. Brooke hits a DDT on Sandra, but Kai very lethargically breaks up the pin. The crowd is clearly behind Kai. Brooke hits Moone with a PTSD, but Moone rolls out of the ring. Kai lays some kicks into Brooke and puts her to sleep with a Dragon Sleeper while looking at her phone and picks up the victory. Janai Kai takes a post-match selfie to celebrate the win.
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