On November 4th, the promising upcoming promotion, All Caribbean Wrestling had another blazing hot show, Mobay Bash, which was held in tropical Montego Bay, Jamaica. Women’s Wrestling Talk’s own Gerard Bonner was on commentary alongside Caprice Coleman to call this stacked card. After throughly enjoying this match, I think that it would be a disservice, to not the discuss the women’s matches for this event. Vanessa Kraven vs Savannah Evans In this match, that is certainly a testing of power and brute strength between Vanessa Kraven and Savannah Evans, we have ACW Women’s champion, Mazzerati at ringside; rooting on her pal Kraven. The fans are in for a surprise when Red Velvet comes out as the guest referee for this match. Definitely a good call for a match that needs a referee that won’t be intimidated by the giants in the ring. Both women start off this match sizing each other up and trying to knockout one another down, even Savannah picking Kraven up doesn’t work. Vanessa pulls off a very impressive Samoan drop, that puts the power in her hands. A crazy effective cannonball drop knocks the wind out of Savannah. However, it doesn’t completely take out the tough as steel Savannah. Both go blow for blow with each other and even hits each other with a boot to the face to knock both women off of their feet. Mazzerati tries to interfere and gets on the rope to hit Savannah, but accidentally hits Kraven instead and Savannah gets a quick pin to get the win. In the future, this may create dissension between Mazzerati and Kraven. Especially, considering the strong desire that Kraven has to hold that title. I’m very interested to see how their friendship looks after this loss for Vanessa Kraven. Cassandra Golden vs Mazzerati Cassandra getting that love right off the bat was cool to see. Certainly a fan favorite on the roster. The ACW women’s champion, Mazzerati doesn’t care about getting the fan’s approval, she has been able to hold that title for 300 days and she just wants to walk out of this match as champ. Cassandra is happy go lucky in general, but doesn’t allow herself to be taken advantage of in the square circle. She’s honestly mopping the floor with Mazzerati. Vanessa Kraven comes out to be at Mazzerati’s side, but realistically, to also observe how the champ does in this match. Mazzerati takes time out of the ring to gain her bearings and comes back strong. Using quick moves to take it to her bigger, taller opponent. Mazzerati bringing a bit of strong style maneuvers into this match was very impressive. Cassandra makes a comeback and has the fans on the edge of their seats. Will we see a new champ? Mazzerati pulls off a northern lights suplex that puts her back into the game. But doesn’t get the pin. A frustrated Mazzerati grabs her belt. This shows to be a grave mistake, as this gives Cassandra time to recover and pull off a spine buster to get a pin. Quite a shock to the fans, but it didn’t stop them from showing their excitement. Congratulations to the new women’s champion “The Golden One” Cassandra Golden! Be sure to check out everything that All Caribbean Wrestling has to offer on their Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@allcaribbeanwrestling And check out our interview with the creator of All Caribbean Wrestling JB Cool and AEW star Red Velvet!

As predicted after their tag team match against Masha Slamovich and Killer Kelly at Bound for Glory, Tasha and Deonna have some tension boiling over with the way that match ended. Questions arising over the few weeks for both women. For example, did Tasha actually hit Deonna by accident? Tasha asking herself if Deonna feels that she needed to cheat and if Steelz would stoop that low to screw over Purazzo. So these two ladies needed to settle the score in a singles match against one another. As both women entered the ring, we see a montage of photos that shows off this authentic friendship that they both have with one another that supersedes wrestling. It shows a bond that as a fan you don’t want to see broken. Tasha and Deonna regard each other professionally with shaking each others hands and getting a lock up to officially start the match. It was exciting to see a bit of catch wrestling on display by both women early on. You can see that they have studied one another so well, that it’s an uphill battle for either to get the upper hand. Tasha gets in her stride and starts to feel cocky as she gets a leg up. Even treating us for a moment to twerking in the middle of the ring. Deonna turns it around and twist Tasha into a pretzel and takes time to show off her twerking skills to the fans as well. The mood of the match turns serious when deadly strikes start to come into play. Both women wind up knocking each other out with a clothesline. Deonna takes over and puts on her signature Fujiwara bar, but Tasha flips it and gets her own submission in. However, Deonna reverses the submission and puts on the Fujiwara arm bar on Steelz again. Showing that both women did not come to play. Two cutters from Tasha derails Deonna enough for Tasha to pin her and get the win . At the end of the day, the nasty, ruthless, side of Tasha gave her the upper hand in this match. Will this match bring animosity and strife into Tasha and Deonna’s real life friendship? Will Deonna become bitter? With the lost at Bound for Glory, the loss against the Women’s champion Trinity last week in the UK and now against her friend in a singles match, you have to wonder where Deonna’s head will be next week.

We start off this episode with Eric Darkstorm showing off his tattoos and why they matter to him so much. You see the love that he has a love for his dog that passed away, God, guns, the Second Amendment and Haley J. As American as you can be with those tattoos, that’s for sure. Haley J is getting her makeup done as she’s talking to Eric before her WOW debut with her Mom Maria. We get a glimpse of the WOW locker room, as the women are getting their gear on. Maria gets prepped to do some interviews for WOW for fans to get to know her. Maria is very honest about who she was growing up and how teen pregnancy and wanting to provide for her kids, led her to sell drugs and land in jail. You can see that the distance from her daughter, because of her jail time still bothers Haley J. It’s a tough subject. But Maria has come a long way. She doesn’t make excuses for herself or run away from her past. I really respect that. Haley J is also candid about her past. How she was living in bad situations when her Mom was locked up. Usually, the people didn’t like her or they had too much going on to pay attention to her. This built up resentment. Haley J disagrees that she is a carbon copy of her Mom. Maria points out that her daughter is strong-minded and stubborn just like her. We usually never see the patterns in our personalities with our parents. Go figure. Eric is seen speaking to his friends at the barbershop and honestly bashing what Haley is doing at WOW and how she’s out of her element. I think that deep down, Eric wishes that he had the same opportunities and support system with his Mom. We get a glimpse of Eric’s early years in wrestling. He started at 16, went down the rough road with drug use and became a father early on. He feels that his home life and career developments didn’t happen all at the same time. In his opinion, women are being handed opportunities in the wrestling business now. You can see the anger and resentment oozing off of Eric. The question becomes, will he be able to handle Haley J’s rise in the wrestling world? He also feels that he does most things better than Haley J and that she needs to make more time for him. We check back in with Mahabali Shera who is nursing a dislocated shoulder. He sustained this injury during his match with James Storm. He’s trying to get better before his rematch with Storm in three weeks. He doesn’t want to tell his family. Which is hard when he’s on FaceTime with his Mom and his shoulder is in a sling. This shoulder injury does create a setback for Shera as Al Snow has been building him up for a year. This doesn’t put an end to the buildup, it just makes Al go into his memory bank and think of great ways to still build him up. Haley J returns home and is already met with a sour-faced Eric, who doesn’t want her to talk about her time in WOW. You can certainly say that Haley’s confidence was built up during her WOW experience. We cut to a business meeting between the creative team working on some ideas for the eventual match between Maria and Haley J. Maria is happy to have a hardcore match with her daughter, but Al is making it clear, that all of these plans are great, but if Haley isn’t around as much because she is taking bookings elsewhere, then this won’t be a possibility. Al wants to book this feud long-term, he wants things to make sense and have nuanced character development. Not just to show a gruesome death match. Death matches and Maria go hand in hand and she gets a kick out of it. In her early years in the business, she wanted to prove during the early 00s that she was tough and not a woman who could just deliver T&A like what was the norm in WWE at the time. Another meeting takes place with Al, Jessica, Doug Basham and Matt Jones. Matt wants to discuss an idea that he has. Immediately everyone else in the room starts to laugh. Matt hasn’t won them over as someone who has great ideas. Matt wants Al to feud with the OVW heel announcer Shannon Grigsby, which would soon lead to a wrestling match. Al doesn’t look too enthusiastic about it. At the heart of it, it seems like Matt wants to see Al wrestle again. At 59 years old, Al seems perfectly fine not wrestling. However, the wrestling business has a way of pulling you back in. Next, we see Matt and a few of the OVW wrestlers at the Lexington Acura car dealership to prepare for a show. They happen to be the biggest sponsor for OVW. The owner seems chill, yet eccentric. A perfect fit as a sponsor for a wrestling company. The wrestlers and Matt seem to be getting along and actually enjoying being around one another. Matt is starting to see that he should’ve come into OVW a bit more respectful of what the wrestlers do and the hard work that they put in to make an entertaining show. After a successful show at the dealership, you see Matt trying to make himself more approachable and even staying late to talk to the wrestlers and compliment their work. Eric and Haley J are arguing in front of Hooters about their relationship. Honestly, we saw this brewing. Eric makes it clear, that he just wants to be with Haley, not Hollywood Haley J. Not the character, but the real women. Haley J is pretty closed off to what Eric is saying and you can see the distance building with them both. Haley admits that she has trust issues and doesn’t know what to do about it. She knows that it severs the relationship, but doesn’t know how to fix it. Eric knows that there is a kind, sensitive girl inside of Haley, but she doesn’t want to share the side with him. Haley definitely has resentment toward her Mom, because she feels that her Mom is seen as the loving mother hen of the locker room in OVW, but she doesn’t give that kind of tender, loving care to her. Which you can see is bubbling over for Haley J and bleeding into the on-camera feud that she has with her Mom. Real emotions are coming out and Al Snow feels that Haley is losing control. Al can see the scars that both Maria and Haley J carry with their past experiences with one another. We get to see Maria’s mom as they look over pictures and talk about memories. Maria also came from a single-parent home when her Mom left her father when she was small. Maria stayed with her Dad, while her sister went with her Mom. She grew up rough and tough. Surrounded by boys. Watching wrestling from a young age. Her anger is still there and leaks over into her rough style in wrestling. Haley has issues with her biological Dad, she only references him as a sperm donor. Maria talks about how rough it was to take care of her children with zero help from her ex-husband once they divorced. During the time that Haley J’s Mom was locked up, and she and her brother went from house to house, she was emotionally, verbally and physically abused. Haley wasn’t allowed to speak to her Mom on the phone during her stint in prison. That loss of contact and parental guidance certainly did a number on her. After her Mom was released, Haley still didn’t get her mom back. Maria immediately started pursuing wrestling and Haley J still didn’t get the attention that she needed. There is a bit of a disconnect on Maria’s part as to why Haley would become an angry teen and want to leave her house at 16. Maria is not taking responsibility for why Haley would feel unloved in that environment. Over those years, Haley grew a tough exterior and didn’t trust very many people. We sadly hear about the traumatic experience of Haley being raped when she was 15. So all of this can easily show you, why the character of Hollyhood Haley J is a safe place. A security blanket for the 23-year-old. The build-up for this first blood match commences, as we see Haley J and Maria looking for weapons for their match hours before happening. As the thumb tack comes out, you can tell that Haley is nervous about this match. Even throwing up a few minutes before she has to go through the curtain. This match isn’t for the faint of heart and these women are showing why. Maria comes into the match reluctant to fight her daughter, even when Haley J pushes her. It takes a hard slap in the face to bring down the walls for Maria to push her daughter down on the mat. Haley J delivers all of the blows and Maria holds her hands behind her back. Haley uses a trash bin, chair, a cord and a studded bat that’s covered in thumbtacks. Maria takes it and still won’t hit her daughter. Haley pours out thumbtacks from a popcorn container to the ring mat and something snaps in Maria to finally fight back and hit Haley with the top of the trash bin. Blood is pouring from so many parts of Maria’s body. Many fans in attendance can barely look at the match. Al Snow makes it clear that he just wants the match to end as he looks on in the back. Haley J marvels at her handy work and smears the blood on Maria’s head onto her hand. Maria gets payback and suplexes Haley onto the thumbtacks twice. Haley gets the last laugh though, when she spears Maria into a table that is in the corner of the ring. We get a three count that deems Haley J as the winner. In a weird way, the excessive use of violence in this match was probably cathartic for this mother and daughter. Both women hug at the end, to the cheers of the crowd. This was a tale of redemption for Hollyhood Haley J in OVW from a trouble heel to a remorseful daughter. Also, a form of redemption for Maria. A young mother who messed up in the past. This experience probably helped Haley J discover that her Mom did her best and made mistakes and that they still have time to make things right. What did you think of the episode? If you enjoy WWT content, you can donate to the site here. You can also visit our Merch store You can listen to all of our podcasts by following us on Spotify and subscribing to our YouTube Channel, or any of your favourite podcast platforms. Follow us on Twitter: @wwtalkpod

On October 27, New Japan held a press conference for the Fighting Spirit Unleashed event in Las Vegas. The renaissance woman Hyan was ready to make her NJPW strong debut against the dominant champion Giulia. Hyan has a lot of respect for Giulia and wanted the fans to expect a hard-hitting match that she knew wouldn’t be easy. This is also a dream match for the challenger who wanted to face Giulia for a bit. During the press conference, Giulia made it clear that everyone loves her and she’s excited to have this match. She stated that this was an honour to have this match in Las Vegas. She also joked that her English is that of a junior high school student, so she had to make notes. She proceeds to read from her notes in English. Giulia says that she doesn’t know much about Hyan other than she’s very nice. Also on October 28th, it will be her pro wrestling debut anniversary. It’s clear that Giulia is going to be a global champion, so she wants to be able to communicate with her fans worldwide. Very cool moment leading into this match. Pan to Saturday night in Las Vegas, and Hyan and Giulia are all set to go. Both women came out to a very enthusiastic crowd. The champ gets a great reception as she dons the Strong Women’s title around her waist. Hyan came into this match knowing that she was an underdog. Clearing having to prove herself. Giulia obtained this title in July, from Willow Nightingale and doesn’t plan on losing it. A lockup starts this match. Hyan had a bit of momentum starting out, but a chop to the chest, in the corner, quickly helps to turn the table and gives the champ the advantage. An octopus submission hold helps to cement that Giulia is in charge. Hyan tries to make a comeback and goes blow for blow with Giulia. A headlock possibly spells the end for Hyan, but she’s able to get to the ropes. Even diving out of the ring to take out the champ temporarily. The double under hook body slams off of the top rope, incapacitates both Hyan and Giulia, as the crowd cheers on this phenomenal match. A second round of hard slaps commences, with the Renaissance woman Hyan getting the upper hand. However, not a win, as she attempts a pin. Giulia recovers and pulls off an impressive German suplex. A swift spear from Hyan gets the crowd on the edge of their seats but doesn’t secure a win. The northern lights bomb finisher from Giulia locks in the win for her. Giulia walks out of this PPV as champ. A huge sign of respect is shown when Giulia shakes the hand of Hyan and takes a moment to absorb her win and the excitement from the crowd. A solid championship match, that has also put a lens on Hyan and her future attempts to possibly challenge for the title. Giulia is a wanted woman though, because she went backstage to conduct her post-match interview and was confronted by Trish Adora for her chance to get that Strong Women’s championship. Competition for this title is heating up, but Giulia seems up for the challenge. Check out the replay of the Fighting Spirit Unleashed PPV on https://njpwworld.com/

AJ Mendez (formally known as AJ Lee) is one of the most memorable women's wrestlers of all time. She is an amazing example of what it means to fight for the life you want. Coming from humble beginnings in New Jersey, young April Mendez dealt with a tough upbringing but found refuge in video games, comic books and professional wrestling. This passion led her to become an early wrestling star in New Jersey and she would then go on to WWE to become an FCW Divas Champion and a 3-time Divas Champion on the main roster. After years of shattering glass ceilings, breaking hearts and capturing our imaginations, she retired in 2015. In the years since her exit from in-ring competition, she has become a New York Times best-selling author and actress. After returning to wrestling as an executive producer and colour commentator for WOW-Women of Wrestling in 2021, Mendez announced via social media that her contract with WOW is "winding down" and that she hopes to "come back and play with them in the future." With this announcement, her viral in-ring scene from the Starz Original series 'Heels' and her chiselled physique, the wrestling community embraced the notion of AJ making her way back to an athletic career. Where would she begin her new journey? What women of our modern era would step up to face AJ's veteran status? And what championships would she collect to solidify her dominance? What if AJ Mendez came back to the Squared Circle? Future WOW World Champion or General Manager? The wrestling world was floored when our resident geek goddess returned to us in 2021 in the form of an executive producer and colour commentator for the rebooted WOW-Women of Wrestling show that premiered last year. Since then, the all-women's promotion has enjoyed success with rising ratings, live tapings at the Belasco Theater and more exposure for the greatest wrestling talent in the world. AJ Mendez was a huge part of the charm of WOW Superheroes as the knowledgeable colour commentator between WOW co-owner David Mclane and play-by-play extraordinaire Stephen Dickey. But what if AJ's WOW contract was a multi-year one and she decided to make a return to the ring there? Since we have all seen that Mendez still has great wrestling chops, how amazing would it be if AJ made a shocking return and challenged the WOW World Championship? Or what if she created a tag team with the likes of Chantilly Chella, Foxxy Fierce or Jennifer Florez? Her skills would be refreshing to see next to the rising stars of women's wrestling today! Or what if AJ served as a general manager of WOW? All one has to do is rewind the clock eleven years to remember her experience as the WWE Raw general manager. Though it can be argued that she was in a different place then, it was still amazing to see a woman in a place of power in wrestling with her power suits and Chuck Taylors. If she were the GM of WOW, Mendez would lay down the law and stop a lot of the underhanded tactics from the likes of Las Bandidas and BK Rhythm. There could also be more stipulations in matches with her at the helm of WOW. AJ Mendez has given a lot to WOW with her presence and the second season will definitely miss her, but it is nice to think about what more she could have done. A Return to WWE? Hmmm... In 2015, Mendez retired from wrestling and left WWE after triumphant wins at that year's Wrestlemania with Saraya (FKA Paige) against The Bella Twins and her final match on the Raw After. Though this broke a lot of hearts, it never stopped the wrestling community from fantasizing about AJ Lee's return. Since she's been gone, WWE's women's division has evolved by leaps and bounds with a Royal Rumble, Money in the Bank, two Wrestlemania main events and a complete rebrand as Superstars instead of Divas. But can you even imagine how the crowd at the first women's Royal Rumble would have erupted if Mendez had come back as a surprise entrant? If she had a stand-off with Mercedes Mone' (FKA Sasha Banks) and that led to an iconic wrestling feud? Or if AJ had a tiff with her lifelong idol and Hall of Famer Lita? But let's bring it to the present day. What if AJ came to Smackdown and challenged The EST of WWE Bianca Belair and questioned her grit? Would Mendez become the fourth member of Damage CTRL? Or would she take her talents to Monday Night Raw and get in the face of of Becky Lynch or Trish Stratus? She might hunger for gold and challenge Rhea Ripley for the Women's World Championship or become Chelsea Green's new tag team partner. Back on the blue brand, she could align or feud with the Latino World Order's Zelina Vega and add more growth to her solo career. Or how would the wrestling community react if she went back to her stomping grounds at NXT and caused mayhem to the women who are trying to make their way to the top like Gigi Dolin, Tiffany Stratton, Thea Hail, Lash Legend, Kelani Jordan and more! AJ was a pillar of NXT's former iteration Florida Championship Wrestling and enjoyed success there as a Queen of FCW champion before going to the main roster, so her presence at the black and gold brand would be a gorgeous full-circle moment for her career. It is pretty safe to say that AJ Mendez would have a big playing field if she were to return to WWE. IMPACT Wrestling: A New Journey AJ Mendez has a history in two major wrestling promotions and attached her name with incredible projects, but do you know a place where she has not cast her iconic shadow? IMPACT! Wrestling. A promotion that has maintained its place in wrestling history in spite of various obstacles, IMPACT has found its groove by leaning into its strengths, one of them being its Knockouts division. They have shown their respect and admiration for the power of women in wrestling from how they book their athletes to valuing their intelligence as leaders backstage. Doesn't that sound like the perfect environment for a returning legend like AJ Mendez? She could have a fresh start as a producer, a tag team manager with Gail Kim or a brand-spanking new Knockout! A feud with current Knockouts World champion Trinity would be magical as they did cross paths at FCW, or they could pit her against the highly accomplished Deonna Purrazzo. Mendez could also fare well against Gisele Shaw and another icon in the form of Mickie James. Her presence would be billed as one of the most important signings in IMPACT'S herstory, and it would give her a new wrestling chapter. Rising as a woman of colour in a male-dominated business can be daunting, but AJ Mendez has proven that with a lot of passion, grit, fire and vulnerability, you can make your dreams come true. Watching her succeed and advocate for women's wrestling has been a privilege. Witnessing her gift for words take shape into art is inspiring. Though she has not explicitly said that she would return to the ring full-time, it is always good for the mind to imagine the possibilities of what would happen if she did. As most wrestling fans say, "No one ever really stays retired." AJ's love bit us, and we just cannot get cured.

Starting in the 80s, we started to see the importance of phenomenal talent competing for the European and intercontinental titles. This was a benchmark for athletes in WWE, to predict the next big stars in the company. However, it also showcased legendary European and Canadian wrestlers such as Pat Paterson, Bret Hart, British Bulldog, Owen Hart, Willian Regal, and Edge to name a few. As a kid, I often wondered if there could be an African or African American Championship that could’ve ushered in a crop of talented black wrestlers from around the world who would be pushed to become superstars. Then I grew up, and I saw that that wouldn’t be a possibility in major promotions. My fandom after that soon turned to indie wrestling, where I would get a glimpse of what I wanted to see. Outside of wrestling, my love for researching the vast cultures of the African diaspora around the world grew in my twenties. Including being enamoured with the Afropunk musical and artistic culture in New Jersey and New York. I hoped that this black subculture could be reflected in wrestling. Then Trish Adora came along. Trish Adora was a beacon, a light in my vision to see the pro wrestling world reflect what I felt was missing. To hear that Trish Adora’s historic, three-and-a-half-year Pan Afrikan World Diaspora title run came to a close two weeks ago, was a bit shocking, yet understandable. She accomplished so much. 1,388 days as a champion is no small feat. Adora has adorned that title with style and grace and with a constant Pan-African mindset. Which is to build up and uplift other phenomenal black wrestlers as you rise. It only makes sense to take a look at her unmatched title reign. What pride Trish Adora brought to DC during her title reign: When Trish Adora really found her voice in wrestling, she returned to her hometown of DC after cutting her teeth in Florida and California, with a mission to bring great wrestling to a city with a rich African-American history and show what black wrestlers have to offer in this generation. Trish Adora’s friend from the army started F1ght Club Pro Wrestling in 2019 and Trish Adora became the inaugural Pan Afrikan World Diaspora Champion after she won a tournament in February. 15, 2020. A month later, the pandemic started. This could’ve broken another champion, but it didn’t break her. She worked on showcasing herself in the best possible way within the COVID restrictions at the time and even got to the point during her reign, that the Pan Afrikan World Diaspora title was recognized as a world championship by PWI and Adora was placed 44th on PWI’s top 500 wrestlers list in 2021. The input that Trish Adora had in developing this title: In the Southplex mini-documentary (which is available on YouTube) Adora talks about the great detail that went into the development of the Pan Afrikan World Diaspora Championship belt and her involvement with the look of it. It is the most impressive belt that I have ever seen and tugs at my heartstrings every time that I see it because of the beautiful African patterns on the edges, the five plates on it and the map of Africa smack dap in the middle of it. Trish held this belt with pride and always made me feel that it was not just a title, but a part of her. Only similar to the pride that I saw Nick Aldis have for the Ten Pounds of Gold. Memorable title defenses that Trish Adora had: The matches that a champ has, determine how strong their title reign was and Trish certainly has some bangers over the past three and a half years. If I tried to list them all, then we would be here forever, so here are just a few of Trish Adora’s title defences. Trish Adora vs Queen Aminata : GCW This was a dream match for me because Trish Adora and Queen Aminata happen to be some of the best women’s wrestlers on the planet right now and truly embody the representation that I love seeing with black female wrestlers. This was a perfect challenge that I wanted to see competing for this Pan Afrikan World Diaspora Championship. Chocolate City DC and Guinea are being represented in this matchup. Trish Adora vs Lee Moriarty: Battle Club Pro The chemistry between Trish Adora and Lee Moriarty is unmatched and great for the viewers. They stay on each other and have done their homework on one another so is hard for either to get a leg up on one another. It’s truly two wrestling intellects playing chess. Trish Adora vs Darius Carter :F1ght Club Pro Wrestling This last fighter standing match showed off the endurance and wealth of wrestling styles that both Trish and Darius possess. A recent title defence that I recommend. Trish Adora vs Jazz Black Girl Magik PPV I think it's safe to say that every black woman that laces up a pair of boots list Jazz as a hero, and also someone that they would want to face off against. Well, Trish got that opportunity when she was able to face off against Jazz at a Black Girl Magik PPV that is made to showcase dream matches for black women in wrestling. How could this not be perfect? Trish Adora defending her title in the UK A year ago, Trish Adora was able to prove that her Pan African World Diaspora Championship was a world title when she went across the pond to defend her championship against Mercedes Blaze. A black female British wrestler is on the rise. Trish Adora vs Darius Lockhart I would be remiss to not bring up one of the best challengers for the Pan Afrikan championship against Darius Lockhart. Outside of Trish Adora, the pan afrikan mentality of having something for us, by us, runs through the veins of Lockhart. Not only is he one the best talkers in the business, a modern renaissance man, and a revolutionary, but he is also a whiz in the ring. It was a no-brainer to have these two collide during Trish’s reign. Trish Adora’s Washington Post article: A superhero for a new generation. The headline read. Trish Adora, an independent wrestler was getting a feature story on her impact on wrestling fans for this generation. This article posted in 2021 declared that Adora was the woman to watch in wrestling moving forward. But most importantly, her impact on young wrestling fans is felt right now. She is so uniquely made that she captures the youth in a way that a Marvel superhero would. Talk about making an impact. How wrestling fans started to see more African pride displayed among other wrestlers after Trish Adora: Currently, in AEW we see The Embassy proudly showcasing Prince Nana and Kaun as real-life royalty from Ghana and Cameroon. We see Kofi Kingston being more public about his Ghanaian roots. I believe that a lot of that newfound pride and push by major wrestling companies to highlight the African lineage of a lot of African American and Caribbean wrestlers is due to Trish Adora helping to set that tone in 2019. Also, the respect that fans and other promotions like ROH had for the Pan Afrikan World Diaspora title. What is your favourite Trisha Adora match?

This weekend on Saturday, October 21st, we will see Trinity and Mickie James face off for the Knockouts World Championship. As they appeared in tag team action on the go-home show this Thursday, we saw two self-proclaimed sisters come together to take it to Gisele Shaw and Savannah Evans. However, will the love and admiration still be there when they are standing on opposite sides of the ring in Chicago? Even with the sisterhood that we see amongst the women in their main event tag match, Mickie and Trinity also had the chance to pick apart and examine each other's wrestling styles and patterns during this bout. Mickie James’s eyes have never left that title since her return. James went so far as to try to hold on to the belt when Trinity was trying to exit the ring after their tag match. During the pre-match interview, Mickie was making it clear that the best woman will win, with a victorious smirk on her face. There was no mistake that both women feel that they will come out on top this weekend. Mickie wants what she lost. She wants a sixth title reign. Trinity is still in the infancy of her title reign and I don’t think that she sees this coming to an end. I predict that we will see another side of Trinity that we haven’t quite yet. The glow will be put to the side and a fierce lioness will claw and scratch to keep what’s hers. That hardcore country brawn and strength of Mickie James will be on full display and honestly will turn this match into an all-out barn burner on one of the biggest shows of the year for Impact, Bound for Glory. Be sure to watch Bound for Glory on Fite TV or YouTube on October 21, at 8 p.m. EST. While you wait for this dream match between Mickie James and Trinity, check out this week's tag team match between Trinity/ Mickie James vs Gisele Shaw/Savannah Evans Order Bound for Glory on Fite TV: https://www.fite.tv/watch/bound-for-g... Watch Bound for Glory on Youtube: • IMPACT Bound For Glory | LIVE October... Also, check out WWT Live where we give our predictions:

Pro Wrestling Illustrated just dropped its annual rankings, and it's got the world buzzing about where each superstar checked in. One new wrinkle in this year's list is its addition of 100 superstars, from previously ranking 150. Each year PWI, starting in September, evaluates wrestlers for their rankings based on five criteria: In-Ring Achievement - Wins and losses, championships, and tournaments won Influence - Visibility and prestige within a promotion and/or the industry Technical Ability - Quality of moves, matches, and ring psychology Competition - Success against the most varied and highest-quality opponents Activity - Minimum of 10 singles matches total One thing is for certain, and that is women's wrestling is booming, as the PWI featured talent from promotions all over. The top 10 in particular had two WWE talents, 3 talents from AEW and ROH, 2 talents from Stardom, two talents from Impact, and 1 talent from NWA. With so much awesome women's wrestling in the past year, there could only be one at the top, and that award went to Rhea Ripley who's been on a tear all year. Debates over number one will ensue until the next rankings arise, however, Ripley is arguably the biggest star in the biggest promotion when it comes to Women's Wrestling. From winning the Royal Rumble to her crowning victory over Charlotte at Wrestlemania only tell a partial tale. Her fingerprints are all over the most dominant faction in WWE, the Judgement Day, and she's a pivotal factor in each member's success. Couple that with her fan support being tangible judging by merchandise sales. The "Eradicator" is in a much-deserved spot, while the top 10 is rounded out by phenomenal performers: 1) Rhea Ripley 2) Giulia 3) Bianca Belair 4) Jamie Hayter 5) Tam Nakano 6) Athena 7) Deonna Purrazzo 8) Willow Nightingale 9) Kamille 10) Jordynne Grace This year's PWI 250 also has historical context as it's the first time in a decade that none of the four horsewomen are featured in the top 10. Charlotte Flair checked in at 21, while Becky Lynch was at 29, and Bayley ranked at number 41. Mercedes Mone did not make this year's ranking, as she did not meet the minimum criteria for matches. These four women being outside of the top 10 can signal an official changing of the guard as a new day dawns upon women's wrestling. Check out our show: What are your thoughts on the PWI 250? Did they get it right? Should anyone be ranked higher? Which first-timer will improve next year? Let us know in the comments!

Wrestling fans were in for a treat a week ago as we had not one, but two jam-packed events to sink our teeth into. Both promise amazing announcements and for the first 30 minutes to be commercial-free. Such a dilemma to be in. A dilemma that 90s kids know all about during the Monday Night Wars. Especially when you don’t know which show to tune into first. NXT and AEW were certainly neck and neck with viewership last night. NXT was able to lock in 921,000 viewers while AEW Dynamite brought in 609,000. There certainly were must-see moments from both promotions. A great night for wrestling fans in general and whether you are a diehard WWE or AEW fan, you must admit that we are living in a great era for wrestling. Let’s take a look at last night's action. NXT has been bringing some dream matches and stand-out rookies on their roster to the forefront over the past few weeks. However, this jam-packed, star-studded night, has wrestlers from all of the WWE brands and some amazing matches including the women’s roster. Asuka vs Roxanne Perez This women’s match starts in such an exciting way. With Shotzi coming out on her tank to be on commentary during this match. Shotzi also announces that she will be hosting Halloween Havoc. The in-ring action is really fast-paced and Roxanne has to keep up with Asuka. Roxanne starts to make a comeback and even makes a dive out to Asuka to turn things around for herself. But several backhand fists and kicks take out the former NXT champion Perez. The crowd chants welcome back to Asuka as she disappears into the night. Dani Palmer vs Lola Vice In this quarterfinal match for the women’s breakout tournament, we see Lola Vice and Dani Palmer compete. Both women come into this match confident as they lock up and try to feel each other out. Dani Palmer is the first to get a submission in, but Lola quickly recovers. These ladies are quick as lighting as they counter each other's holds and kicks it’s really hard to tell who will get the win. After pulling off a crossbody from the top rope, Palmer gets the upper hand. Palmer gets a bit cocky and Lola delivers a brutal kick to the side of Palmer’s head to get the win. Lola advances in the tournament. Jade Cargill’s first NXT appearance Reminiscent of the '90s Attitude Era, when a mysterious limousine would pull up, we see this same thing, when a mysterious car pulls up halfway into this week’s episode of NXT. Who comes out? None other than Jade. Draped in an all-pink attire, with superstar written all over her. As Shawn Michaels greets her. Jade Cargill is getting the five-star treatment from all brands in WWE. On a special edition of AEW Dynamite, on a Tuesday for that matter, we see a jam-packed card and some great moments for women on this episode. Timeless Toni Storm Lover’s Lament Segment We start out with Act 1, as viewers we can only assume that the timeless star is preparing for a scene in her dressing room. You feel that they are in a time machine as it looks like she is preparing for a silent film in this segment and is on a wild goose chase that's filled with action and twists and turns. In Act 2 of Toni Storm, we see a glittery Toni Storm getting ready for a different kind of scene. As she is giving the camera her sexiest, most flirtatious looks. Then she seems to be shooing away this invisible man, dismissing his advances. Then she’s back to flirting and even crawling on the table to get closer and whisper I love you to the camera. She is told that she is needed on set and scrambles to gather her belongings. Toni is diving deeper and deeper into this timeless starlet role and we can’t help to enjoy watching. Saraya vs Hikaru Shida This women’s heavyweight title match is definitely worthy of being on this title Tuesday episode. Shida took out Ruby Riot two weeks ago to get this title shot. Saraya comes out as the reigning and defending champion who doesn’t doubt for a minute, that she will have to part with that title. Saraya starts this match by calling Hikaru a loser, but it doesn’t affect Shida in the least bit. Shida throws some blows that ignite Saraya to return the favour with punches that should take anyone out. However, Shida isn’t just any competitor, she still has a champion spirit. Saraya throws a fit and takes a break at ringside. Maybe second-guessing belittling the former champ Shida. A masked person comes out to attack Shida, but Shida removes the mask to reveal Ruby underneath. Shida uses the spray that Ruby is on her instead and in an interesting turn of events, Toni Storm comes out and attacks and even chases Ruby out of the arena. This chaos at ringside doesn’t phase Saraya. She actually gets the upper hand. Rapid fire knees, taunting the fans, ripping signs and skipping around the ring by Saraya causes the fans to root for Shida. Hikaru gets her mojo back and takes it to Saraya, even delivering an effective missile drop from the top rope and a German suplex off of the apron. Saraya favours her neck, which we know was once badly injured. Saraya is still in the game though and plants Shida right on the top of her crown with a powerbomb. Even reverting to cheating by using the spray brought to ringside by Ruby behind the ref's back to get the win. It doesn’t give the champ the win. To everyone’s surprise. The falcon arrow from Shida, a pull-up pin from Saraya, and then a reverse pull-up pin from Shida helps her to get the win and become the new AEW women’s heavyweight champion. The look of pure shock on Saraya’s face is priceless. Hikaru Shida is now a three-time champ.

Formerly known as Cameron in WWE, Ariane Andrew has been a major player in the overall discussion of women that a lot of wrestling fans have wanted to see make a comeback. Ariane is not only returning to wrestling but taking an executive role backstage. In September, it was announced that Andrew would be starting a new promotion in West Hollywood, California, Pound Town Wrestling. The main focus of this “luxury” indie promotion is to have story-driven programs as opposed to spot-focused bouts, frequently associated with Indie wrestling. As well as providing a party-like atmosphere with a live DJ, bottle service and VIP seating. The first live event took place on October 12 and turned heads. Especially, after Ariane took off her business suit and laced up the wrestling boots to face off against Sonny Kiss. Without giving too much away, because this October 12th event will be available on PPV on October 19th, Ariane starts off the match pretty much in control, showing off the fact she is not the same wrestler that she was with only three months of wrestling training in WWE. She goes blow for blow with Sonny and even pulls out a hurricanrana early on. The crowd is lit and split between Sonny and Ariane. This was a proper showcase that showed off Ariane’s improvement in the ring. However, it was also refreshing being reminded of how impressive Sonny Kiss is and what a loss that was on the AEW roster. Suplexes, bronco busters and a split for a pin were all on display for this debut main event match. Sonny Kiss vs Ariane Andrew. Women's Wrestling Talk exclusive footage of Sonny Kiss vs Ariane Andrew This surprise in-ring appearance from Ariane starts to make you become a fantasy booker in your head and think of the possibilities of what she could do in other promotions. Let’s dive deep into this line of thinking and go over these prospects. Impact: With one-half of the Funkadactyls, Trinity at the head of the knockouts division, it makes you think what a reunion with Ariane would be like. Maybe Trinity can revisit her feud with Gisele Shaw and Savannah Evans as the odds can finally be even for a tag team match. Or in a shocking twist of events, have Ariane join forces with the quintessential diva, Gisele Shaw and take it to Trinity. Ariane has had to take crap and hear comparisons to Trinity. Trinity is seen as the ultimate athlete, while Ariane hasn’t had that confidence from the fans. So to see that frustration bubble over to her real-life friend and biggest confidant would honestly be amazing. There are so many talented women and storylines in Impact wrestling, the possibilities are endless. NXT: It always feels good to make a name for yourself and return to a company that you had your first start in. It allows you to have that track record highlighted and admired by the new talent on the roster. Ariane famously left the main roster to go to developmental in NXT to get better. So why not return to NXT and face off against these phenomenal athletes on the roster and revamp her career like Mandy Rose did? Someone like Lola Vice or Jakara Jackson would have that same spiciness that Ariane has and make some great TV moments. MLW: I think Ariane’s great mics skills and a keen eye for upcoming talent would be greatly used as a manager in MLW. Similar to the likes of Salina de La Renta. She can collect talent like Thanos with the gems and even butt heads with Salina. Even this collision among managers climaxes with a tournament to determine who has the best clients. MLW respects and sees the importance of managers and valets and Ariane would fit great in that locker room. AEW: AEW is not the best with having a wealth of women’s matches on the card, but there is room for managers and I think that would be a strategic way for Ariane to make it up to the upper crest of the AEW locker room. Possibly seeing Ariane manage Kiera Hogan and push her client to get more opportunities would be great. WWE: Since the inception of Smackdown it has always been seen as the secondary show, but nine times out of ten, has the best talent and segments out of both rosters. Possibly due to the chip on the shoulder of Smackdown talent not being seen as the red-headed stepchild in WWE. Ariane would probably have the same chip and rise to the occasion. Bayley would be the one that I think could bring something out of Ariane that she wasn’t expecting. Bayley was part of a group of women who wanted to change the landscape of women’s wrestling in WWE. Who more than likely played a role in Ariane wanting to go to developmental to work on her in-ring skills. So Ariane would feel that she has a lot to prove. Especially because she was a part of that last crop of Divas in the company. Asuka would be a nightmare that still taunts her as probably one of the hardest matches that she had in her short stint in NXT. Maybe if Ariane returned to NXT, she would want to prove that she could have a rematch with Asuka and avoid those deadly strikes. WOW Ariane would be a natural fit in WOW with the over-the-top, campy personalities in WOW. The all-female atmosphere would be a haven for a girl’s girl like Ariane. The LA vibe would be perfect for a California girl like Andrew. ROH Ring of Honor has been doing a phenomenal job of giving women a great amount of TV time. Also, a great amount of time to develop proper stories. This might sound far-fetched for some, but Ariane facing off against the World Women’s champion Athena would make sense to me. Think about it. Athena is currently an unbeatable champ, someone who left the financial safety of WWE to challenge herself to some of the best women’s wrestlers in the world. To also prove what she knew all along. Which is that she is a force to be reckoned with. Ariane knew that with training she could become a good wrestler. However, facing off against someone like Athena could be an uphill battle. Some things could prove to be too hard at first, but her resilience can win the crowd over, and her determination to continue to challenge the champ can bring her the thing that she’s wanted for a long time. The fans acceptance of her as a wrestler. NWA NWA prides itself on upholding old-school wrestling and traditions from the territory days of wrestling. Respect for pro wrestling is a must-have on the rosters in NWA, I think it would be appropriate to see Ariane, who doesn’t have the brawler style face off against the women’s TV title champion Max the Impaler. These two are such opposites that it would humanize Ariane to fans who want to see her earn her stripes in the ring. That even if Ariane was able to last a few minutes in a match with Max that would give her street cred. The clear position of light vs pure darkness in the potential feud would be money. Especially with utilizing Max’s manager James Mitchell to play mind games on Ariane throughout this feud. I could go on with the booking, but you get the picture. This is one of the best times in the history of women's wrestling, so the possibilities are endless. With wrestling fans having a pick of the litter for wrestling content, why not feel like you’re a part of VIP and watch Pound Town Wrestling on PPV this Thursday, October 19th? Some wrestlers that you can expect to see are Zeda Zhang, Mazzerati, Alex Garcia and Sonny Kiss. Follow Pound Town Wrestling on social media to stay up to date! Pound Town Wrestling Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poundtownwrestling/ Pound Town Wrestling Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThisisPTW Ariane Andrew instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arianeandrew Check out our interview with Ariane Andrew below: