Melina continues to impact women’s wrestling with her ring ability, image, and accomplishments through multiple promotions. At a virtual signing with the Asylum Wrestling Store, she discussed with fans her recent match with The Virtuosa, Deonna Purrazzo, at the all-women’s pay-per-view, NWA Empowerr. She discussed how much it meant to her and the happiness she felt with everything. She goes on to say she wishes the match was her last, hinting towards a future retirement. She gives the fans some fun facts about her favorite thanksgiving dishes and not celebrating Valentine’s Day. The five-time WWE Women’s Champion opened up about her time in WWE, which fans seemed to be quite interested in. She said: “It was great. There are the bad moments, and then there are the good moments – you know for me, it’s like okay, anything in life there’s going to be good and bad. I don’t want to dwell on the bad stuff.” She goes on to talk about appreciating the good stuff and the opportunities. She closes by calling the experience “a dream come true.” She discussed her release with WWE and her not being in it as much towards the end. She talks about not taking time off and the importance of controlling your mental and physical health. “As the heel that I was, I worked every house show, every live event, and the only time I had time off was when I was injured.” She talks about being fine after the release, having a sense of a weight being lifted and removed. She was asked about her feud with Beth Phoenix and discussed the struggles of being a babyface. She brought up working with Tamina and the similarity between Tamina and Phoenix. She said, “Tamina was great to work with because she’s way taller and way bigger than Beth Phoenix, so I’m surprised they never pushed her to that level and everything. But she was great to work with too.” She spoke about working with the other women and memorable moments with Natalya, Gail Kim, Trish, Michelle McCool, and Mickie James. With the history she has with Mickie James and Deonna Purrazzo, could we see Melina return to the Impact Zone shortly? Could we see her make a return to WWE and give fans a dream match with Sasha Banks? Time will only tell for the A-List Diva, and the fans will be waiting. #BethPhoenix #Tamina #MelinaPerez #NWA #WWE #Impact

Women’s Wrestling Talk catches up with Impact’s Mercedes Martinez to talk whether she will do a 75 min Iron Women Match Again, what it means to be in the business for 21 years and equal pay for women wrestlers. Hosts: TK Trinidad & Driune Santana #prowrestling #wrestlingrankings #womenswrestling #wrestlingpodcast #womenswrestlingtalk #Impact

Former two-time NXT Women’s Champion, Shayna Baszler, discusses her plans with WWE since the recent split with her former tag team partner Nia Jax. The duo became WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions for the first time last year at WWE Payback, defeating Sasha Banks and Bayley. Jax was recently released from WWE, leaving Baszler as a singles competitor. With the split, Baszler seems to have her sights at the top of the mountain, taking anyone out along the way. In a recent interview with SP3, Baszler opens up about her next moves in the ring. When asked if this was a new start for her, she said: “I mean, I’ve been on Raw the whole time I’ve been here. I’m not in a tag team now. So, going over to SmackDown, there’s a new locker room, a whole crop of new talent, and on top of like things personally in my career. I’ve been in a tag team for a while, so it’s a good way to look at it that it’s a restart.” She goes on to briefly discuss what is next for her on the main roster. She said, “The title is always a goal for anyone that is in this business. But I want to, as we talked about, it’s a restart. So I want to reestablish that it’s a dangerous time to be in the ring with me. I hadn’t been on a tag team before. Now that I’m stepping away from that, so to speak, it’s a good time to remind people what I’m about. And maybe even some people that didn’t see my NXT run to even introduce them to what I’ve been about.” She went on to discuss being allied with Sonya Deville and left a brief message to Rhea Ripley. Now, being recently drafted to the blue brand, Baszler seems to be waiting in line to push for her SmackDown’s Women’s Championship reign. As we approach Day 1 and Royal Rumble, the options are endless for the Queen of Spades. #ShaynaBaszler #WWE

Winston-Salem, NC is prepping for one of the most comprehensive wrestling conventions we have ever seen. Family-friendly WrestleCade Revenge is a celebration of wrestling and sports entertainment from all eras. People dressed as their favorite wrestlers travel from all over the world to see their favorite wrestlers in action. There are over 38,000 people who have attended WrestleCade Revenge since 2012, making it a worldwide leader in three-day wrestling events. There will be a star-studded roster of wrestlers in attendance in 2021, as well as some spectacular shows to go with them. The event list is stacked from top to bottom, but there are three shows that fans of Women’s wrestling should keep their eye on. Friday. November 26, 2021, there is the 6th annual Showcase of Champions. More than a dozen independent wrestling promotions will be represented at The Showcase of Champions. The showcase will feature some of the best-unsigned wrestlers in the world. The best thing about this show is that every match is a championship match. On November 15, a massive mixed tag team match was announced. Teaming up with the Battleclub Pro Icon Champion Big Swole, Franchise Champion Mik Drake will take on IMPACT’s Savannah Evans and the Battleclub Pro 5 Points Champ, Steve Pena. In terms of the night’s most anticipated bout, this one is the highest on the list, and the meeting between Swole and Evans will be a treat to watch. credit: @battleclubpro The Wrestlecade Revenge Supershow will take place on November 27, 2021. The card is still being revealed, but the match to watch will be a three-way slugfest. Mercedes Martinez, Thunder Rosa, and Deonna Purrazzo will face off in a massive Triple Threat Match. Rounding out this jam-packed weekend is Ladies Night Out 11. Ivelisse, the current Ladies Night Out Champion, and Chelsea Green will go head-to-head for the title. This event will also feature Lady Frost and Alisha Edwards squaring off for the first time, along with the first meeting of Mercedes Martinez and Vipress. Additionally, Jennacide and Jamie Senegal will go head-to-head for the UCE Women’s Championship. Other matches and appearances are expected from: credit @titlematchnetwork Thunder Rosa vs KiLynn King Jordynne Grace vs Kiera Hogan Savannah Evans vs. WOAD Diamante Amber Nova Kenzie Paige Ella Envy Dream Girl Ellie Sahara Seven Missa Kate Even if you missed out on tickets, you could still watch the action live on TitleMatchNetwork.com because the shows are all streamed there. Here’s the link if you’re interested. #Indies #Wrestlecade

What makes something punk? Is it sleeveless denim jackets, nose piercings, and mohawks propped up by an obscene amount of gel? Is it a raw, grungy ferocity, furious, unrelenting energy? Or is it an unwavering anti-establishment mentality? A willingness to rage against the machine with unabashed bluntness, telling Nazi punks to f*** off. Many feds try to capture the essence of punk. Few embody the punk spirit as purley as EVE – Riot Grrrls of Wrestling. Imagine a dingy windowless underground pub, the rattle of the Central Line tube pulling away from Bethnal Green station in the distance. The air is thick with sweat, dozens of bodies are packed like sardines as they stand in awe at the performers on stage. The energy of EVE has as much in common with a Misfits or Minor Threat gig as it does a WWE or AEW. The parallels between EVE and punk are palpable. Both were born from a rebellious desire to be heard and appreciated, no longer content from being crushed under the boot of mainstream society. For the punk movement, this was jaded teens lost in the economic downturns of the 70s and 80s. For EVE it was the disparity between male and female wrestling. EVE was founded in 2010, during the dark days of women’s wrestling. The days of the Diva Search. A “Wrestlemania moment” was coming down to the ring with Kid Rock or a five-minute battle royal with the entire roster. EVE was born to prove that women weren’t a sideshow. They were wrestlers. Seeing this plastered on the wall is more than a subtle dig at WWE. Declaring themselves as the Riot Grrrls of Wrestling, a name that itself is tied to an underground feminist punk movement of the same name, EVE makes no effort to mask its social and political stances. They are as clear as their piledrive a fascist t-shirt or the Audre Lorde quote that adorns the ringside wall, “revolution is not a one-time event.” It is a philosophy the EVE wholeheartedly believes and has the receipts to prove it. Fighting for the rights of the oppressed is inherently punk, and EVE swings for the fences with its social and feminist agenda. They back Bloody Good Period who fights for free and accessible sanitary products for all women, as well as The Outside Project, an organization dedicated to helping vulnerable and homeless members of the LGBTIQ+ community. They seem to attach themselves to grassroots movements that directly affect the community’s support. But EVE’s actions are far from performative. Identity capitalism is rampant among corporations looking to cash in by projecting a pseudo-woke attitude. There is no need to harp on about it, no big promo package or social media post patting themselves on the back. EVE lets their actions do the talking. EVE’s desire to help others bleeds into their treatment of their performers. EVE’s most significant contribution to the wrestling industry is its push for unionization. Signing a deal with the performer trade union Equity back in 2019, EVE’s performers now have a dignity at work policy and the right to engage with union representatives. Speaking about the issue Equity declared “The work (wrestling) is precarious, often low paid, and physically demanding. Equity believes wrestlers have entitled to the same protections and entitlements that other professional performers experience at work, and it is our ambition to engage with promoters across the UK to achieve this.” This should come as no surprise with punk’s connection to the working class and the socialist movement. Unionization is common practice here in the UK. Still, apart from some recent rumblings from Andrew Yang and the wrestling legend of Hogan putting the kibosh on Jessie Venture’s push to form a union, it is a practice that has never been adopted. Not even AEW, a promotion that has perpetuated the idea of putting its wrestlers first, has not provided their roster with union representation. EVE cares about its performers. Believes that they are not pieces of meat to be treated like crap, forced to near kill themselves for little to no money. They offer a fundamental human right, an entitlement to come to work and be treated fairly, a guarantee that no other promotion can offer. Despite its contentious political nature and punk roots, EVE has a strong sense of community and inclusivity. If you fall in the pit, there is always someone there to pick you back up. EVE is no different. Live wrestling can be very intimidating, especially if you are a new fan. It’s real easy to have your night ruined by a smark standing next to you. EVE has a zero-tolerance policy to any harassment of fans or performers, so you can rest at ease about being judged. But what’s wrestling like? In short, excellent. Streaming a curated list of matches every week, You can catch EVE for free on YouTube. In a punk move, they have even run counter-programming against WWE’s Crown Jewel. This was my gateway into EVE. I had heard about the promotion while living in London but never got to check them out. There were a lot of familiar faces to welcome me, Kay Lee Ray, Piper Niven, Yuka Sakazaki, and Jordynne Grace. But what kept me watching was all the faces I didn’t know. Being a wrestling fan for over 20 years, you sometimes think you have seen it all. So when someone comes out of nowhere and surprises me, I mark out hard—watching Laura Di Matteo hold her own in a fatal-four-way with a host of soon to be WWE talent or Madison Eagles controlling the ring in what is arguably the best representation of a ‘ring general’ I have ever seen. EVE is a melting pot of all wrestling styles, strong, Joshi, or traditional. There is something for everyone. With COVID restrictions beginning to ease, after 18 months of turmoil, EVE is finally getting back into the swing of things. December 4th will see EVE return for another night of great wrestling. If you can’t catch it live, the show will be streaming live on YouTube if you want to get your first taste of this punk brand of wrestling. No other wrestling company epitomizes punk as well as EVE. Its rebelliousness, social advocacy, and working-class slant goes are the same tenants rooted in the punk revolution and its splintered subgenres. But the fight is not over. It never is. EVE’s unwavering spirit has been tested. The current landscape of the UK indie scene is bleak. Its snake-bitten underbelly was revealed during the Speaking Out campaign. A set that was already struggling in the wake of NXT UK hoovering up as much major talent as they can get their hands on. Predatory actions and a complete disregard for women have devastated the UK landscape. Yet EVE endures. Talent may move on, wrestling may wax and wane in its popularity, or you may be hit with a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic. Regardless, if EVE holds the spirit of punk in its heart and much like the genre that inspired it, EVE will continue to survive. #wrestlingblog #womenswrestling #womenswrestlingtalk #WWE #AEW

On this week’s episode of AEW Dark: Elevation, fans of the Afropunk Trish Adora were in for a treat. Currently, Adora is the reigning F1ght Club Pro Wrestling Pan-African World Diaspora Champion and last tonight she stood in an AEW ring set to face off with Riho in her first appearance for the company. Adora looked as cool as a cucumber as she locked up with Riho. Hard blows started to be thrown out, with Trish briefly getting the best of her opponent. To Adora’s dismay, when Trish tried to pin her down, Riho just eased out of the lock-up and wore a cocky smile. Dare I say that this fired her up a bit. Trish shows a display of strength by slamming Riho and throwing some forearms in the corner. Paul Wight and Mark Henry, we’re very impressed with Trish’s feats of strength on commentary. Riho recovered and decided to take a flight going to the top rope to stomp on Trish’s abdomen to take the victory. I can’t say that I’m surprised by Trish Adora losing. It was her debut, but I believe that four more minutes could’ve shown off both women even more. However, Trish was able to showcase her phenomenal technical skills and brute strength. The pairing between Riho and Adora was perfect, and I would LOVE to see them do more together. Adora’s match could be a soft opening for her and a tease for what’s to come in her possibly doing more in AEW. There was massive support for The Pan Afrikan World Diaspora champion online and on Black Twitter as Trish made her AEW debut. Adora’s star has been rising as she has been having a summer and fall that revivals most indie performers. Trish has held the Pan Afrikan World Diaspora championship since February 2020. Every match she has to defend the title has drawn a lot of attention and views for many indie promotions that stream these main event matches. Not to mention Trish had a fantastic article written about her recently from the Washington Post, which donned her the new superhero for this generation. As well as ranking #18 in PWI’s Women’s Top 150 2021 list & was ranked #44 on the Top 500 2021 list. With Trish’s huge approval ratings for her matches in the Ring of Honor women’s tournament this summer and her ongoing appearances with the company, this makes her a massive draw for the developing AEW women’s division over this next year. If you’re like me and can’t get enough of Trish Adora, be sure to check out the Women’s Wrestling Talk’s in-depth top five countdowns of Trish Adora’s best moments in her career thus far. #AEW #Riho #TrishAdora

Host Ayla Fox keeps you up to date on all women’s wrestling social media buzz . . . This week: Lisa Marie, Mia Yim, 1st champion, Kiera Hogan epiphany, Russian Crush on Fira, Wresle Bae, and Daphanie 3 brands

Rhea Ripley and Tegan Nox began their WWE careers around the same time. In 2017, both Ripley and Nox were preparing to be a part of the first-ever Mae Young Classic Tournament. However, Nox wasn’t able to compete due to her first torn ACL right before the tournament. When the tournament returned the following year, Nox wrestled against Ripley in the quarter-finals match, yet she tore her ACL once again. Last week, Nox was named one of WWE releases after being drafted to Monday Night Raw. Ripley had a lot of positive comments to say about “the girl with the shiniest wizard.” “Tegan is someone I hold very, very dear to my heart. I know that I might have been a bit harsh on social media after the whole injury in the Mae Young Classic, but that whole time that I was posting those, I did feel awful because she did help me through a lot,” said Ripley. “Tegan, she doesn’t understand how much I appreciate her and what she’s done for me. But there was a time at the Performance Center where my name was on the list to get fired, and I’d only been there for a year. I don’t know why my name was on the list, and I guess people didn’t like me at the time. It is what it is – I changed their mind! But I was on the chopping block, and I had a PC live match in front of all our peers, and it was against Tegan.” “One of the guys found out I was on that list, and he told her – he didn’t tell me because he knew I’d freak out – but he told her and was like ‘look, you’ve got to make Rhea look good because this might be her last match here otherwise.’ And that’s exactly what she did. Even though it was in front of our peers – and that’s the terrifying time to have a match – she made me look like an absolute star. She took everything of mine and made me look so incredible that it got my name taken off that list. And that was just one of the times!” Currently, Ripley is one-half of the Women’s Tag Team Champions with Nikki A.S.H. She is the first and only woman thus far to hold both the NXT UK and NXT Women’s Championships. Ripley continued to express her gratitude for Nox as she recalls their experience in the Mae Young Classic and shared how upset she was to found out that her friend not with her in WWE to have another match on screen together. Rhea Ripley vs. Tegan Nox – Mae Young Classic 2018 “The other time was in the Mae Young Classic. She got injured, and I really wish it didn’t happen, but if that didn’t happen, honestly – even though it sucked for her and I wish it didn’t happen – that skyrocketed my career because no one believed in me before then,” the former RAW Women’s Champion said. But because that happened, I was forced to go into that match with Io [Shirai], and we pulled off such a fantastic match people had to book me. They knew that I was a rising star. So, she not only helped me on purpose, but she helped me by accident as well. I love Tegan so much, and I’m so upset that she’s not here with me, and I wish that we finally got to have another match on TV because it never got to happen.” “I felt so bad. After it happened and she got her surgery – her second surgery because she’d already done her other knee – after she’d got the surgery, I took my dog over to her house because I knew that she loved dogs, and I just let her play with my pup. I’m sorry, pet my dog!” Tegan Nox revealed that she wasn’t injured before her release, but here at Women’s Wrestling Talk, we hope to be the shiniest wizard soon. #RheaRipley #TeganNox #WWE

Survivor Series is one of my favorite PPVs out of the big four. Every year, this PPV elevates to a new level of brand supremacy. However, this year seems to be highly different. The traditional way of qualifying for a spot on the five-on-five tag match did not happen the way it does typically would. This year, WWE announced who would be representing Team Raw and Team Smackdown via Twitter—beginning with Team Raw: Bianca Belair, Women’s Tag Team Champion Rhea Ripley, Liv Morgan, Carmella, and Queen Zelina. WWE continued to announce Team Smackdown Women’s team: Sasha Banks, Shayna Baszler, Shotzi, Natalya, and Aliyah. Unfortunately, Aliyah was cut from Team Smackdown after winning a six-woman tag match between her other teammates and Naomi. Earlier this week, WWE announced Aliyah would be replaced by none other than the former NXT UK Women’s Champion, Toni Storm. In previous years, Team Raw has reigned supreme over Smackdown, but I have a feeling this year could go either way. Predictions could be challenging based on the build-up for the five-on-five women’s match. So, I gather three of WWT’s excellent writers to share their thoughts on which team will win and the sole survivor(s). Five vs. Five Women’s Match Driune: Team Raw / Bianca Belair & Rhea Ripley Team Raw will win, in my opinion, because of Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley. These women are no stranger to being a part of Survivor Series when they represented NXT in 2019. These two powerhouse women will carry their team to victory. Samuel: Team Raw / Liv Morgan I do believe that the likely duo of Carmella and Zelina Vega will cause huge problems on that team, with their egos getting the best of the other three women on the team. However, I do believe that Team Raw will remain undefeated in the survivor series as Team Smackdown consists of Sasha Banks, Shotzi, Shayna, Toni Storm & Natalya. With the way this team has been shown on Smackdown, their egos could get their best as Sasha Banks and Shotzi are the team’s most prominent hot heads. Liv Morgan will be the sole survivor for Team Raw for the simple fact that they are building her up and capitalizing on an opportunity that they have missed numerous times to do correctly. Nickie: Team Smackdown / Natalya & Shayna Let me start and say that Natalya is the true leader of this team. I know that Sasha Banks would love to believe she is but is she? Let’s be honest here; Banks has more to worry about when she attacked her teammate, Shotzi, after their match this past Friday. Honestly, Natalya is the one you want on your team. She is the B.O.A.T. and will lead SmackDown to their victory with the help of former 2-time NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler. Meka: Team Raw / Bianca Belair Team Raw has won the last few years in a row, and I hope they pull through again. It may sound cliché, and some would scream that it is overkill, but I predict Team Raw to pull through with the victory once again, with Bianca standing as the sole survivor. I think it will come down to Sasha and Bianca as the last two, hinting at the unfinished business between the two, with Belair bringing the win home for the Red brand. Becky Lynch Vs. Charlotte Where do I begin with Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair? The Man vs. The Queen. The Raw Women’s Champion vs. The Smackdown Women’s Champion. These two started in NXT and created a friendship like no other. Everyone knew that Lynch and Flair were the best of friends inside and outside of the ring. Whether they were tagging or feuding with each other, their story changed the narrative of women’s wrestling. We could go all night about the history of Flair and Lynch and their real-life issues, but one question lingers. Who will be standing tall after Survivor Series? Will The Queen be dethroned, or will Big Time Becks be exiting stage left? Driune: Undecided For me, I am always in the middle when it comes to these two. I honestly do not know who will win. However, I will go with Charlotte Flair because I believe this will put zip on Lynch’s lips from all of the trash-talking she has been doing behind closed doors. Nevertheless, with Lynch not losing a match in a year or two, Big Time Becks could easily win this match by default. Personally, Survivor Series has been wrapped around this fued, and I would like for their match to be the main event. Their match has been the most talked-about since they title change after the WWE Draft. As of right now, my prediction is at a standstill on these two. Samuel: Charlotte Flair I believe this match could go either way, but Charlotte Flair will win because she is the queen. She has carried this storyline until Survivor Series and knows what is at stake. The only thing Becky Lynch will be saying is “U.H., OH” as she taps out to the figure 8. Nickie: Becky Lynch As much as I love Charlotte Flair, I believe Becky Lynch needs this win more than anything right now. From the video package given on SmackDown this past Friday, it is pretty evident that Flair is at the top of her game. Honestly, I would love to see Flair pick up the win here. However, many forget that Becky has not lost a match in over two and a half years. Meka: Becky Lynch My prediction for this match is going against the grain for me. Although I would prefer Charlotte to come out of this one the winner, I feel like we will get Lynch going over tonight. Becky would benefit immensely from the win, and WWE wants to prove that Becks is, indeed, big time. Be sure to check out WWE Survivor Series after-show on youtube to see who predicted correctly. #SashaBanks #Carmella #ToniStorm #QueenZelina #Shotzi #RheaRipley #CharlotteFlair #ShaynaBaszler #BeckyLynch #BiancaBelair #SmackDown #Raw #LivMorgan #Natalya

Shayna Baszler spoke with Sportskeeda Wrestling’s Sid Pullar III ahead of WWE Survivor Series 2021. The Queen of Spades seeks payback towards one half of the Women’s Tag Team Champions, Rhea Ripley. The former 2x NXT Women’s champion has a score to settle with Ripley and is looking to destroy her at Survivor Series later tonight. “Well, obviously, Rhea Ripley and I have a score to settle. At least in my mind. Just from back from NXT. That is some business I would like to get back. Honestly, when you look at both brands, all the members on each team are very viable competitors. So not to say that I am not going to be on the lookout or willing to tear limbs off of anyone, but for sure, I got to have that. Whether it is [at] Survivor Series or somewhere else. I have got to get that back.” Baszler is no stranger to holding a record at Survivor Series when NXT invaded Raw and Smackdown in 2019 and completely dominated in every match. “I am undefeated at Survivor Series, you know. My team always wins. So, I always look forward to Survivor Series. Every pay-per-view is something that we all look forward to. However, in particular, why am I not looking forward to breaking some limbs off of some people? I have got a lot more choices at Survivor Series pay-per-views.” Shayna Baszler will participate in her third Survivor Series appearance on Team Smackdown with Sasha Banks, Shotzi, Natalya, and Toni Storm. In contrast, Rhea Ripley is a part of Team Raw, including Bianca Belair, Liv Morgan, Carmella, and Queen Zelina in a traditional five-on-five Women’s Survivor Series Elimination Match. Survivor Series is set for today at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The event will be live on Peacock in the US and WWE Network everywhere else. #RheaRipley #ShaynaBaszler #SurvivorSeries