I thought I would add a match by match string of disconnected thoughts …
Vol. 15 matches
Amber O’Neal vs Eden Black - I just can’t say enough good things about Amber. She is my favorite heel. And her new look is jaw-dropping. A great start to the show and a very satisfying win for Eden.
Portia Perez + Nicole Matthews vs Lorelei Lee + Ashley Lane - these were two very good pairings; everybody worked together well. Of course all wanted to see how the “new girls” did and they did a very creditable job. Plus Nicole has some sweet elevation on that dropkick of hers! This was the first of many tag matches and, I hope, a harbinger of a tag tourney to come. Both these teams are keepers.
Jetta vs Serena Deeb - The other “new girl” Jetta made a very impressive debut, but not until later would we see the full package. Oh well, Serena seems to be the Allison Royal of SHIMMER … jobbing to a newbie! Don’t give up Serena!
Allison Danger vs Cindy Rogers - Allison and Cindy continue their feud in grand style. A good match, although they’ve had better, especially that two out of three falls match back in July.
MHWC vs Josie + Ariel - MHWC work together like a well-oiled machine. Clearly the team to beat in any future tourney. Josie and Ariel were both grand, but I don’t see them as a team. Josie and Serena perhaps; not sure who I’d team Ariel up with.
Cheerleader Melissa vs Alexa Thatcher - Alexa wowed everybody by keeping this from being a squash. Melissa of course is her usual juggernaut … she exudes power in a way that Sara doesn’t, even though she’s not as big as Sara.
The Experience vs MsChif + Daffney - The Experience is right up there with MHWC as a team that really gels. The “scream” theme has been used to good effect in the past, [MsChif and Melissa removing the ear plugs from Lexie and Malia's ears was absolutely hilarious], but it is getting old as far as I’m concerned … a little goes a long way.
Sarah Stock vs Daizee Haze - I have more blurry photos from this match than any other, it was so fast paced. Their match at the championships was the best of the show; this was best match of the show [both volumes] too! Kudos to both Sarah and Daizee for another awesome match.
Amazing Kong vs Sara del Rey - what’s amazing about Kong is not really her size, it’s her speed and agility. A very hard hitting match that had everybody on their feet. Some didn’t like the ending. I thought it was good … Amazing Kong is tough enough, but an Amazing Kong DENIED is just plain scary to contemplate!
Vol. 16 matches
Amber O’Neal vs Lorelei Lee - another winner of a match from Amber, this time with Lorelei. Lorelei made me laugh at the end when she sat up saying, “I won? I won? I really won?” Yes, indeed, Lorelei! Some naysayers had been critical of Lorelei, but she hit everything right in this match. A perfect foil for Amber’s antics.
Josie + Ariel vs Nicole Matthews + Portia Perez - another well done tag match, with Portia and Nicole really clicking as a team I thought. Top rope thingy with Ariel clotheslining Nicole as she sat on Josie’s shoulders … best move of the night! The SHIMMER crowd doesn’t do the “holy shit” chant … but it was warranted here.
Alexa Thatcher vs Ashley Lane - a nice, although short match, where Alexa got to show off her heart kick finisher. SWEET!
The Experience vs Serena Deeb + Allison Danger - The Experience may actually be better heels than the MHWC in that they showed sheer viciousness here, especially against Serena. Again, I think Serena would be better partnered with Josie, and Allison … well, I think she would best be partnered with Cindy Rogers! But we know that ain’t gonna happen!! 
Cindy Rogers vs Daffney - with that knee, should Daffney have gotten into the ring? Match seemed to be in slo-mo. Not BAD, mind you, just something seemed missing, which since I am a Cindy Rogers mark, is hard for me to say.
MHWC + Jetta vs Eden Black, MsChif + Daizee Haze - opening mayhem was long but fun, although it seemed to lose its focus after about 5 minutes. But once it got started, it was awesome. Jetta really shone, not being overshadowed by Lacey and Rain [which is as much of a credit to Lacey and Rain as it is to Jetta]. Jetta fit in like she had been around from day one. Little spot with her and Daizee facing each other on the mat had me in stitches. MHWC brought out goggles to protect against the green mist … so why no mist?
Amazing Kong vs Cheerleader Melissa - another high impact match with Kong. Melissa is one of the few you think can go toe to toe with Kong and she made a valiant effort!
Sara del Rey vs Sarah Stock - best match in this volume. These ladies’ ability to maintain suspense in a back and forth match is amazing.
The two best matches in my opinion have one thing in common … Sarah Stock. If it makes any sense, her ability is understated. She is no spot monkey, but is able to pull off a long, sustained battle that makes sense from start to finish. Sometimes wrestlers with more limited movesets end up doing the same things a couple times over just to fill a longish match; I never get that sense with Sarah. And of course I think she brings out the best in Daizee and Sara as well.
November 20th, 2007 at 6:38 am
Great pics , as usual, Wally. It was an early Christmas gift for all of us that you now have your own website where your perfect, high res pics can be enjoyed by so many!
The pics of the Melissa / Alexa match from this set were my favorites (it’s so tough to pick one match, but there you go!). Alexa seems to really be getting out there lately and looks great, though she still seems to be on the wrong side of squash matches on a regular basis, even though you wrote that this one wasn’t a squash. I guess the fact that she is still a newbie to the ring and her general appearance (very cute!) are the main reasons. I haven’t had the luxury yet of seeing any of her matches “in live action”, only seen pics. What do you think of her skills, having seen her a few times? Any comment on her strengths vs. weaknesses?
November 23rd, 2007 at 9:43 am
I wouldn’t say Alexa is a “newbie” … she has been wrestling for more than two years now. But she has been wrestling in New Jersey for the most part exclusively. Last year she won the NWS Womens’ J Cup Tournament, which you might say was a key point in her career. Now she has been wrestling outside of Jersey a good deal, obviously including SHIMMER, ROH, and now TNA. Everybody who is quliafied to have an opinion on these matters seems to agree that Alexa has really improved and grown as a wrestler, and does not seem to have exhausted her potential. She is not a high flyer, but she has a few signature moves that she does very well, like a hurricanrana and a heart kick [which is her finisher], and which you don’t see too many women doing. She also sells like nobody’s business. So Alexa seems to be doing well for herself and I think we will see more great things from her. You might also be interested to know that she has been feuding with Cindy Rogers recently and they have had some excellent matches together. One is featured in my WWWA album from Oct. 27th in Germantown, PA. Another one coming up in December.