Women’s Wrestling Talk catches up with AEW Superstar, Leyla Hirsch about how she landed at AEW, which woman or man she wants to face next, Hana Kimura’s passing, which veteran of the wrestling industry gives the best advice and much more! #wrestlingblog #womenswrestling #wrestling #womenswrestlingtalk #WWE

Women’s Wrestling Talk catches up with legendary manager, Vickie Guerrero and talks differences between AEW & WWE, the advice Goldust gave her, who else she wants to manage at AEW, advice she had for Shaul Guerrero and much more! #prowrestling #VickieGuerrero #womenswrestling #womenswrestlingtalk

On this week’s episode of Ring of Honor TV on FITE TV, viewers were finally able to see Rok-C’s first title defense against an up incoming star in the business, former MCW champion Gia Scott. The prematch interviews showed a fiery Gia, who made it clear that she was not only worthy of the ROH Women’s title but that the absence of Gia the Women of Honor summer tournament was a slight from Maria Kanellis and that she is the best damn woman in that ring. ROk-C states that she knows that withholding the women’s title is a target on her back and is confident that she will come out strong in this title defense. After entering the ring, Gia immediately intimidates Rok-C, poking fun of the height distance between the two ladies. However, the champ brushes it off. Rock-C starts to lay on some effective headlocks early on. The sheer power that Gia has is impressive as she tries to wipe away every one of Rok-C’s attempted takedowns as if she was a gnat that she could pluck away. A hard shove to the turnbuckle and a side Russian leg sweep couldn’t take Rok-C out. Rock-C goes to submissions to try and take the win. It looked like Rok-c had Scoot out, but Gia hit a beautifully vicious spear to buy some time. A confident Scott takes a little too long to go in for the kill, but Rok-C pulls out one more submission hold and takes home the win. A stunned Gia Scott lays out on the mat devastated, and a victorious Rok-C retrieves her belt to bask in her success. Gia Scott may not have gotten the win, but she proved that she is a wrestler with the brawn, guts, confidence, power, and mic skills to make it far in this business. Rok-C proved in this match that her title win was not a fluke and that she is willing to take on all comers. Big or small. Newcomers or veterans in the game. Whenever competitors underestimate her, it always backfires. The champ plays it cool and then goes in for the last strike. Be sure to watch ROH Final Battle: End of an Era to see if Rok-C will defend her title against Willow Nightingale or Mandy Leon on December 11 on Honor Club or FITE TV. #ROH #RokC

AEW Dark Women’s Matches Straight off the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, AEW Dark brings us another action-packed episode of their weekly Youtube show. We are treated to four women’s matches! Kilynn King vs. Renee Michelle, La Rosa Negra vs. Sky Blue, Riyo Mizunami vs. Dani Jordyn, and Julia Hart vs. Nikita Knight. Kilynn King vs. Renee Michelle In this episode, Ohio Native Kilynn King and one-half of the hell-on-heels tag team, Renee Michelle, battled it out. Renee watched Kilynn enter the ring as a cat would a mouse while draped on the ropes with her legs crossed. Both women tried to test their strength by locking up but saw that it was pointless and decided to talk trash to each other instead. Kilynn tries to lock up again, but Michelle mushes her in the face, to.. you know. Show how much of a professional she is. This tactic works and gets this match into full gear. Renee throws some elbows, yells at the referee(which Taz, who is on commentary, is in full support), and even throws in some choking with her boot to King’s neck. The battle of the kicks was underway soon after, but eventually, Michelle ended that. A brutal German suplex puts Kilynn back into the game. She pins Renee but can’t get the win. So, she tries her finisher, the kingdom falls, and she gets the success she wants. King promptly kicks Renee Michelle out of the ring and smirks as her hand is lifted. La Rosa Negra vs Skye Blue No one was more excited than me to see La Rosa Negra’s debut. La Rosa was ready to bring that fire in her sparkly orange ring gear as Skye Blue came into the ring with a bright smile. Rosa wiped that smile off with a few hard blows, and a spine buster showed that she was there to go to work. Skye Blue goes to the ropes to use some fast high flying moves and back leg kicks to slow down her opponent. A belly-to-belly doesn’t win Skye, but a modified flat liner has LA Rosa Negra seeing stars. This was a very, very short match. I wasn’t expecting La Rosa to win in her debut match, but I believe that both women deserved a least four more minutes to show what they could do. Riyo Mizunami vs Dani Jordyn Dani Jordyn starts this match playing mind games by breaking out her ‘burn book,’ as she calls it, and shows that she has a page for Riyo. This works to take away Riyo’s attention, and Dani works to get a pin. This does not work as planned, and Riyo gains control and brings some brutal chops to Riho in the corner. There is no doubt that Mizunami has a size and power advantage as she quickly lays in a leg drop and a power slam to get the win. Riyo poses with the referee while putting on her shades to show she didn’t even break a sweat. I’m very impressed with Riyo, and I think she should be seen as a threat on the women’s roster for the upcoming year. ‘Legit’ Leyla Hirsch vs. Sahara Seven The other half of the Hell on Hells tag team, Sahara Seven, takes on the technically savvy Leyla Hirsch. Hirsch immediately comes into the match and wants to get Sahara down on the mat. Sahara decides to use her brute force and a little eye-gouging to get control. Sahara is wise to use her size to scoop up Hirsch easily. However, the ever-so-quick Leyla gets out of the grasp of Seven and lays on her signature arm submission, and that is bye-bye for Sahara. Julia Hart vs. Nikita Knight Nikita Knight and Julia Hart don’t waste time at the beginning of this match to put some arm locks. Julia plays victim for a minute on the ropes to get some breathing room from Nikita. Hart uses that time to take over and breaks out an impressive standing moonsault. The former two-time national cheerleader uses her agility and flexibility to her advantage. Surprisingly, after this moonsault, Julia doesn’t quickly go for the pin. She takes time to pose and hear the crowd cheer. This was, of course, not the smartest thing to do because Nikita gains all of her faculties, picks Hart up, and drops her directly on her head. Julia appears fine but still favors her head for a few minutes. Hart doesn’t skip a beat though, after that tough blow, she was able to deliver a standing split, jawbreaker, and finally a bulldog to take home the win. I love that AEW Dark and Elevation allows more women to be showcased and gives more viewers worldwide access to their weekly programming, but the time for these matches needs to be a little longer. Be sure to check out another episode of AEW Dark next Tuesday at 7 pm. #AEW #AEWDark

WWE has come back to the city that never sleeps where they came to play in the BK for two days! The Barclays has been the home to many WWE events, but this was my first major PPV at WWE, and in the borough, I was born in. Walking up to the Barclay’s, the energy from the crowd was good. I spotted Booker T and Jerry Lawler outside. Inside, people were chanting catchphrases and talking. It was exciting. My seats were terrific, and the food was pretty solid. Though, it could’ve been that I was super hungry. I was ready for the night to begin. Matches: Shinsuke Nakamura (Intercontinental champion) vs. Damian Priest (United States champion) Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura The first match of the night was part of the preshow. Nakamura came out with Rick Boogs. An entrance that gets me pumped up every single time. Pat McAfee’s energy was infectious, and I found myself super happy about this match. Damian started the match aggressively, which led to him taking control pretty quickly. Nakamura was able to hit a spinning heel kick. The crowd cheered for this. During this match, Rock Boogs played guitar, which I loved. Damian did not like that and broke Rick’s guitar. Another thing the crowd reacted well to this too. He hit Rick and then Nakamura, which led to a DQ. While I would’ve loved a different ending, this match was great. I thought it should’ve been on the main card. Becky Lynch (Raw Women’s champion) vs. Charlotte Flair (SmackDown Women’s champion) Winner: Becky Lynch Both women came out looking super gorgeous and ready to right. Right away, Charlotte hit Becky with a right hand and pushed her into a ring corner. Becky did a Disarm-Her, and they went for a rope break. Both women throughout this match were aggressive. The Queen and Big Time Becks beat each other up with many blunt force attacks and hard-hitting strikes. The fans cheered with Becky and booed Charlotte. Charlotte tried to win with a roll-up by holding the ropes, and the referee caught her. Becky did the same thing and won the match. Usually, I’m not a fan of roll-up wins in general, but this was a fantastic match—one of the best of the night. Team Raw (Kevin Owens, Austin Theory, Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, and Bobby Lashley) vs. Team SmackDown (Jeff Hardy, Sheamus, Drew McIntyre, Xavier Woods, and, Happy Corbin) Winner: Team Raw- Seth Rollins, Sole Survivor Team SmackDown seemed to work well early. Finn eliminated Corbin with a Coup De Grace. Kevin left the match and out of the ring, getting a count-out after arguing with Seth Rollins. There were good moments throughout the match. My favorite part was the standoff between Jeff Hardy and Seth Rollins. Jeff did a beautiful Swanton that had me screaming from my seat. Jeff countered a Stomp with a Twist of Fate. However, in the end, Seth did get a stomp in and won the match, much to my dismay. 25 Years of The Rock Battle Royal Winner: Omos This was a fun battle royal celebrating The Rock, who made his WWE debut at Survivor Series 25 years ago. Cesaro had many great spots during this. There were funny moments like R-Truth using pizza to tempt Otis. However, Omos, who also delivered eliminations early ultimately, was the winner. Once the match ended, The Street Profits beat up AJ Styles and threw pizza into the audience. RK-Bro (Raw Tag Team Champions) vs. The Usos (SmackDown Tag Team Champions) Winner: RK-Bro This was a fun match, and The Usos always entertained me. Plus, the team of Randy and Matt has been one I’ve enjoyed so far. Matt came in, and while he did well, The Usos dominated while he was in the ring. The Usos are more fast-paced in the ring, and Randy countered that by slowing the pace down. Randy ended the match with a blind tag and turned the splash into an RKO. Women’s 5-on-5 Survivor Series Elimination Match Team Raw (Liv Morgan, Carmella, Zelina Vega, Rhea Ripley, and Bianca Belair) vs. Team SmackDown (Toni Storm, Shotzi, Shayna Baszler, Natalya, and Sasha Banks) Winner: Team Raw- Bianca Belair, Sole Survivor Carmella was the first to be eliminated from this match after Toni used a roll-up. The beef between Shotzi and Sasha showed throughout the match, both women not being good teammates. We got a peek into a Bianca and Sasha showdown, showing both women doing their thing in the ring. This was a moment I was excited about. Toni eliminated Zelina, but then she was eliminated by Liv. Liv then was eliminated by Sasha and Shotzi. Bianca was down for a bit, and Team SmackDown eliminated Rhea. This left the four members of Smackdown against Bianca. However, they went after Sasha, which caused her to be counted out. Bianca then took put Natalya with a roll-up, Shayna, and then it was down to Shotzi. Bianca beat her with a K.O.D. and won. Though I wasn’t a fan of Sasha being counted out, this match showcased Bianca’s greatness. Big E (WWE champion) vs. Roman Reigns (Universal champion) Winner: Roman Reigns Excitement coursed through me as both men made their way to the ring. I love Big E, and many know I’m one of Roman’s biggest fans. Roman took control of the match right away, especially after Big E missed a splash from the ring apron. Roman worked over Big E, but Big E did an Irish whip that sent Roman into the steel steps after a near fall. There was back and forth, and the crowd was definitely into this match. Roman did one final Superman punch to win the match. This was the match of the night for me, but Becky and Charlotte’s was a close second. Host, Katrina at Survivor Series Cons: I wanted Jeff Hardy to take that win for the men’s team match, but that may be my bias speaking. I wish I could see Noami on the match card as she is such a great performer. I also didn’t appreciate the crowd trying to hijack the show during the women’s team matches for Raw and Smackdown. It was disrespectful to all the women in the ring. Overall, Monday Night Raw was victorious! A great PPV from the WWE. I’m glad I got to experience this in person and be at the Barclays. #SashaBanks #Carmella #ToniStorm #WWESmackDown #bige #QueenZelina #BarclaysCenter #Shotzi #RheaRipley #CharlotteFlair #ShaynaBaszler #RomanReigns #WWERAW #ZelinaVega #BeckyLynch #BiancaBelair #SmackDown #Raw #WWE #SurvivorSeries #Natalya

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