WSU Final Chapter iPPV Review
January 22, 2011
ACE Arena Union City, New Jersey
By: Jose Marrero of Wrestleview.com
So I am a little late with it but as promised I did attend WSU’s Final Chapter IPPV show this past Saturday at the ACE Arena. This was my first WSU show ever although I admit having sampled some matches here and there over the years. I wasn’t as familiar with the talent as I would have liked to have been going to this show but it didn’t take me long to figure things out. I missed a lot of opportunities in the past to attend WSU live and well this was almost another missed opportunity as I had many issues thanks to the “fine” folks at NJ transit but I am glad I was able to make it. I’m going to say this now even though I have never attended WSU before I am pretty confident in saying this wasn’t the best that WSU could offer as it was really a one match show and everything else was used to bridge to the anniversary show but all in all I didn’t mind the show and even decided to bring my girlfriend who is not a wrestling fan to the show just to get a females perspective on an all woman’s wrestling show. So from time to time I may chime in with some of her thoughts as well. Let’s get into the review.
Again thanks to the folks at NJ Transit I was a bit late to this show and missed the opening promo which I found out later was basically the typical who will win type deal in which both Angel Orsini and Mercedes Martinez hyped up there ladder match showdown for later in the evening and hung up the WSU Championship and the WSU All Guts, No Glory Championships where they would remain throughout the show as a reminder of what was to come later. I’m sure it was a good deal reminding folks both in attendance and at home what was at stake.
We got the first match which was Niya vs. Athena. I believe Athena was debuting in WSU and Niya hasn’t really been around much either. This wasn’t a bad match it just took me a while to figure out who was the face and who was the heel but bear in mind I was a bit late and really just getting adjusted while this match was taking place so I really didn’t get to take it in the way I would’ve liked to. In my earlier report I misreported the outcome on this match that was due to the ring announcer not announcing the proper female and my back being against the screen as I was again getting adjusted during the introductions and missed the screen that did display the name of the person coming down. One thing that did bother me and distract me during the course of the match was Niya’s constant adjusting of her top. This is not to say I wanted a wardrobe malfunction to occur during the course of the match but it just seemed after every move or bump she stopped to adjust herself and well I’m not one to criticize anyone’s physique after all if anyone needs to get into shape or anything it’s myself but I do believe that while gear is expensive you have to be comfortable in your gear and it has to fit and be flattering to you. Some people may feel I am nitpicking on this a bit but if this was a WWE or TNA match that’s all anyone would mention and in those cases the wrestlers in question would probably be horrible. These are decent, solid athletes and I hate to see anything get taken away from a match that can be avoided. The finish came when Athena pinned Niya at around 10 minutes with a TKO. Crowd seemed to like it so I am going to say it was a good opener on account of that since it took me a while to really get into things since I was late and really only got maybe 70 percent of the match in.
Next we got a video package which I am sure was audible to the audience at home but wasn’t to the live fans in attendance consisting of Sassy Stephanie, Rick Cataldo, Amy Lee, Cindi Rogers, Brittney Savage and Alicia. I can’t really say what it was all about since there was no audio and to be honest I have to say it was infuriating since this was a part of the IPPV and I thought it kind of cooled the audience a bit every time they got cut off from the show in this way. I don’t know if it is always like this or if there were audio problems but I hope either way it gets corrected next time out.
Next match was The Boston Shore vs. Jennifer Cruz and Monique. I have never seen any of these women compete but I guess the gimmick was Jennifer Cruz is a serious wrestler and Monique is more of a showboat as she danced and pranced early on and Jennifer seemed annoyed by it. Early on I really enjoyed Lexxus of the Boston Shore as I felt she got good heat with the crowd but then I felt she lost me by acknowledging the live crowd with comments way too much. I have a theory about crowds like this. They like to be heard and acknowledged and part of the show but they are not and if you ignore them at times they basically learn to silence themselves and watch the show instead of trying to play “look at me” with the wrestlers. Lexxus is great but she played a little bit too much into the “look at me” aspect of some of the crowd, in her defense so did many of the other performers but she was the first and I am going to acknowledge her for it. I don’t know how that came across on the IPPV but there were times where I enjoyed that sort of thing and others where I thought it was a bit much. I can say that Jessica enjoyed all of it so maybe I am just in the minority on that. Heels basically got heat on Jennifer throughout much of the match which didn’t make much sense to me since Jennifer is the more bad ass personality on her team and I just feel that there could have been more sympathy if Monique played that role. Regardless Monique took the hot tag and came in and ran wild for a bit and was cut off and was pinned on a senton splash by Lexxus. The finish was rather abrupt as I just expected more. All I can really say is knowing what was to come later the right person was pinned but I just wish it was went about differently. The Boston Shore then proceeded to cut a promo mentioning how all they seem to do is win matches and called out Traci Brooks and April Hunter for the WSU Anniversary Show March 5th. While I wasn’t a big fan of the match itself I did like the promo as it sort of capped off the story of the match to me as this was nothing more than a feed for the Boston Shore as they prepare for bigger and better things going forward.
We got another video with no audio showing The Belle’s Saints at a fan appreciation gathering that was done earlier in the week at Billy Hurricane’s in NYC. It seemed like a lot of fun but again that feeling was lost with no audio for the live crowd. I will say I think things like this are a great idea and if I wasn’t busy I may have been tempted to attend myself and I am not even someone who imbibes with alcohol. I’m sure this won’t be the last gathering of its kind for WSU and I encourage anyone in the NYC area who may be on the fence to check out one of these gatherings next time and it may help you make up your mind, if not there was an open bar for an hour so you can get your drink on.
We had a triple threat match that featured Amy Lee, Latasha and one half of the WSU Tag Team Champion’s Belle’s Saints Tina San Antonio. Amy Lee probably got one of the better reactions of anyone as she is very over with the WSU crowd and I have to say a very charismatic performer. Story of this match is all three of these women are tag team wrestlers and while they will be having a triple threat match with each other there partners will also compete later in the evening in another triple threat match. Ever hear the one about the Ant and the Elephant? That was pretty much this match except you throw in two Ants in Latasha and Tina and well they proceeded to annoy but not really do much to Amy Lee as they both pretty much were beaten up most of the match. When they did get heat on Amy they argued over who would pin her but never really mixed it up which I hated since that is the spot you always wait for in a triple threat. Amy would recover take Latasha out of action and chokeslam and splash Tina for the win in about 8 minutes.
We had the debuting Allysin Kay taking on Jamilia Craft. I’m not going to lie I’ve never seen any of these women compete but I was a bit intrigued by Craft only because I don’t see too many masked woman compete in US wrestling and I figured I was getting a luchadore type match here. That wasn’t the case and I guess the mark in me was a bit disappointed as I was really hoping for that but it was a decent back and forth match as long as it lasted which was about five minutes and then Craft won with a Belly to Belly Suplex. I was able to be a bit more forgiving to this match when I saw that in the post match Craft was pearl harbored by Jennifer Cruz who mentioned she will see Craft at the Anniversary Show. I guess that means Cruz is a heel which made me question her placement in the earlier match or maybe she is a tweener, I don’t know but I was happy to see that things were taking place to build to the bigger Anniversary show.
We had a Jessica Havok video package from the WSU inasectv spots that are done in Canada. I’m sure this was effective for the fans viewing the IPPV but I can’t stress enough how I felt it cooled off the live crowd every time it happened.
We had the other triple threat match of the evening this time consisting of Cindi Rogers, Jana and the other half of the WSU Tag Team Champions Belle’s Saints Marti Belle. This wasn’t as long as the other match and I didn’t like it as much either. The heels early on got heat on Cindi Rogers who while she came out looking like a tough smart ass babyface was shouting “No, No, No” everytime offense was on her and didn’t come across as a babyface fighting the odds. Unlike the first match the heels did get to mix it up a bit and the finish came at around 6 minutes with Jana who spent probably 3 of the 6 minutes of this match outside of the ring tapping out Marti Belle with a front guillotine which I understand she calls the Jana Vice. Cindi attacked Jana after the match and well I found that pretty confusing since there was nothing unclean about the finish which led to everyone’s tag team partner coming out to save their partners. Amy Lee grabbed the microphone and out of all the things she said the one that stood out the most was “We came and we .ed them all” Did she miss the part where her partner was basically begging off for the beginning of this match and lost the match clean? Jana was quick to point out that she also has tapped out Cindi in the past so she basically put over the fact that someone from her team now holds victories over both teams in matches and Marti Belle the issued a challenge for another triple threat match consisting of all three teams in “Uncensored” rules for the anniversary show which Jana messed up the date on and said March 3rd and was quickly corrected. Not a bad way to hype up the title match but I thought the Belle’s Saints should have won at least one of these matches and maybe someone from the Cindi Rogers/Amy Lee side should have made the challenge for an “Uncensored” match. Regardless I expect the title match to be a fun match and in spite of all my criticism am looking forward to it believe it or not.
We then had Brittney Savage and Rick Cataldo vs. Alicia and Sassy Stephanie. I got to say I really enjoyed this match as I think it takes legit skill for a man like Rick Cataldo to work with females in the manner that he does. I also have to say I enjoyed Brittney Savage a lot in my first time watching her perform and have heard rumors of WWE being interested in her for Tough Enough and hope they come to fruition as I think she is a very pretty girl who can work. I’d like to see Rick get a deal as her second too but WWE unfortunately has given up on managers and Rick’s gimmick is probably not considered PG. Anyway unlike the other matches this one got some good time on it as it went about 15 minutes and consisted of not just one but two hot tags. The finish to the match came when Stephanie (who Jessica remarked to me during the course of the match looks a lot like Lacey from Rock of Love fame. Just thought I would throw that in) hit her kiss my sass finish on Cataldo for the win. Afterwards we got more promo work as Stephanie told Savage that she would be coming for her title (Savage is the WSU Spirit Champion) at the Anniversary Show on March 5th (I want to say I keep repeating the date only because every person who cut a promo did which I thought was great). Alicia then cut her own promo mentioning how she will be taking on Jazz of WWE fame at that same show and also mentioned her winning a match at the last show (Alicia vs. Roxxi II available now) in which she was awarded the opportunity to challenge for any title at any time. She mentioned how she can challenge the winner of the Stephanie/Savage match and that this match also proved that she could challenge the tag team champions and be successful and of course put over challenging for the WSU title. It was your typical Money in the Bank style promo putting all champions on notice.
Next we had an “Uncensored” rules match between Nikki Roxx and Jessica Havok. Nikki Roxx for those who think the name may be familiar competed in TNA as Roxxi and is a former WSU Champion. This was a very physical match and one of my favorites on the show as they worked a stiff style that I am not used to seeing women compete in and it caught my attention. It went out of the ring and right by yours truly who was treated to Roxxi taking Jessica’s soda and hitting Havok with it as well as them basically beating each other up 2 inches away from me. Jessica being Jessica and really only being to one other indy show now is a Roxxi fan and well that’s not a bad thing. Finish came at around 14 minutes as Havok hit the Kudo Driver on Roxxi for the win. Afterwards Havok cut a promo on Rain (Formerly TNA’s Peyton Banks) for the Anniversary Show and also claimed she would be WSU Champion soon. I want to just mention something about Roxxi before I move on to the main event. One of the things you notice on the independent level when someone has TV time on their resume they get really finicky about doing jobs. I’ve probably seen or heard about Roxxi win as much as lose on the independents and she loses nothing while doing it and seems to elevate the person she is in the ring with everytime out. I came away from this match looking forward to Roxxi’s next match and looking forward to Havok’s showdown with Rain. A very good match.
We had an announcement promoting the Anniversary Show on March 5th which will be broadcast on gofightlive.tv on IPPV and will also feature the WSU Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The inductees are as follows:
Luna Vachon will be inducted post humously by her former partner Amy Lee.
April Hunter will be inducted by Nikki Roxx.
Ivory will be inducted by Jazz.
Last time I was ever at an induction show on an independent level was at a JAPW Anniversary show and for the most part was bored by it. I’m pretty sure that won’t be the case this time.
We had a hype up video for the main event and here we go the main attraction as we had WSU Champion Mercedes Martinez taking on WSU All Guts, No Glory Champion Angel Orsini in a ladder match to unify the titles. I can’t recall if I have ever seen a ladder match with women competing before but I am sure if I did this one probably put it to shame. My only real complaints about the match is that for 25 minutes not once did anyone actually try to climb the ladder and win the match which made me feel that the title wasn’t as important as the feud which may have been fine except when the match was over there was a promo in which Angel declared the feud wasn’t about hatred but about taking it to another level. Which I interpreted as doing cool spots. I don’t know if it was mentioned on the telecast but I do know that Angel Orsini was the previous WSU Champion 2 years ago who lost to Mercedes Martinez and to me that should have been the story of the match and probably would have made not trying to win for 25 minutes more acceptable to me. Another thing that really bugged me and I hope this was shot better for the IPPV was that it seemed that all the reach spots for the title in the match were timed horribly and I felt that both competitors did a horrible job of getting there in time to cut the other person off and left that person sort of stalling while all they had to do was climb another rung to win the title. Still with all that being said it was probably one of the top 3 women’s matches I have ever seen as they both worked very hard and did many things I am not accustomed to seeing women do such as a spear off the middle rope by Orsini to knock Mercedes off the hook that was holding the titles which really looked painful for Mercedes as the ladder swung back around and cracked her right in the mouth. A Mic Check off the top of the ladder, Side Effect off the ladder and a death defying insane splash from the top rope to the outside ladder propped by the guardrail by Mercedes Martinez were all maneuvers that would make their male counterparts proud. We had some outside the ring action which again came near yours truly on two occasions as I was treated to a more intimate view of the action. The finish came at around 40 minutes when Mercedes hit her fishermans buster off the ladder and then propped the ladder on top of Orsini to climb and unify the titles. Crowd was very into this match and well it was a good match as I said easily one of the top 3 women’s matches I have ever seen and the best women’s match I have ever seen live and in person. Mercedes was really dinged up a bit but embraced her challenger and then grabbed a microphone putting over the brutality of the match and put over Orsini as a credible champion in spite of how she was WSU All Guts, No Glory Champion (Orsini created the title and declared herself champion) and goes onto say she can get a rematch whenever she wants. Angel then grabs the microphone and says the comment I mentioned earlier about this not being about hatred but about two women going to another level and seeing how far they could take it. Mercedes then mentions Serena Deeb (Former WWE Diva and member of CM Punks Straight Edge Society) cutting her hair at a prior show and hypes up that match for the anniversary show. Alicia then comes out and points out that the women now in the ring are “the 3 Icons of WSU” and teases cashing in her contract that lets her challenge for any title at any time. She puts over the match but lets them know that on March 5th she is cashing in and plans on becoming champion.
This pretty much ends the show. I’ve never seen WSU in its entirety and have never really watch SHIMMER or anything of that sort so Women’s wrestling isn’t really my niche but I did enjoy this show for what it was and have no qualms about possibly attending again in the future and wouldn’t rule out attending the Anniversary show if I have the opportunity to do so. Even though it was in fact a one match show I thought the other matches did a good job of putting over the right people and hyping up the bigger more important matches for the bigger more important show. The anniversary show is basically WSU’s equivalent to Wrestlemania and I thought they did a good job of not blowing there load and saving something for that show and if you look at the lineup after this show it’s a good show to look forward to. Don’t just take my word for it check it out:
WSU World Title Match
(c) Mercedes Martinez vs. Serena Deeb
WSU Spirit Title Match
(c) Brittney Savage w/Rick Cataldo vs. Sassy Stephanie
WSU Tag Team Title Match
Uncensored Rules
(c) Belle Saints vs. Amy Lee/Cindy Rogers vs. Soul Sisters
Alicia vs. Jazz
Jessicka Havok vs Rain
April Hunter & ??? vs. The Boston Shore (I’m not sure why it isn’t Traci Brooks since that was what was mentioned on the IPPV)
Jennifer Cruz vs. Jamilia Craft
Nikki Roxx vs. Niya
Kristin Astara vs. Allisyn Kay
Monique vs. Brittney Force
Factor in the fact that Alicia is promising to cash in and could go after any title and you have a very interesting night. Plus when you also take into account that there is going to be a Hall of Fame ceremony that I believe will be included on the IPPV and it’s not a bad buy for the 15 bucks that these shows are going for on the internet. It should also be mentioned that those who preorder these shows get them for 10 so for 10 bucks you can get all of this. I don’t think that’s a bad buy at all. As for anyone looking to attend live and in person there will also be a 2 hour meet and greet that will be included with the ticket price to the event which I believe is 20 bucks if you get your tickets in advance.
I guess I should mention some of Jessica’s thoughts on the show which I find interesting since she is such a casual fan that she couldn’t even remember anyone’s name outside of Alicia who she is familiar with and Nikki Roxx. I think Jessica was a bit fish out of water since although she never watches wrestling seriously she does catch a glimpse of WWE and TNA and whatever I happen to be watching and the women of WSU are not to be confused with the Divas or Knockouts in their appearance but there work really won Jessica over and while I hated the crowd acknowledgement she loved it. All I have heard about for the past 2 days is if I am going to get to review the show when it comes out on DVD only because she liked it so much she wants to see it again. I don’t know about that but I do plan on reviewing the previous 2 shows (Alicia vs. Roxxi II and WSU Breaking Barriers) in the upcoming installments of “The Eye Gouge” and I am sure she will probably try to sit with me when I do that. So while I am not really into the women’s wrestling genre I guess my girlfriend now is and it’s my belief that anytime you can convert an outsider into any kind of fan that’s a positive and overall that’s what this WSU show was to me. It was nothing spectacular but definitely a positive step in the right direction and I look forward to seeing more of it down the line but until then I am out.