SHIMMER – WOMEN ATHLETES returns to live action on Saturday and Sunday, May 2nd and 3rd, at the Berwyn Eagles Club, located at 6309 26th Street in Berwyn, IL, just outside Chicago. Volumes 23, 24, 25, and 26 of the SHIMMER DVD series will be filmed during the course of the largest weekend in SHIMMER company history!

Scheduled for SPARKLE (aka Dark) Matches are: Rachel Summerlyn, Sassy Stephie, Australian wrestler Kellie Skater and Belle Von Black

Scheduled to appear on the DVDs, but not booked in announced matches are: Jennifer Blake, Amber O’ Neal, Ariel, Melanie Cruise, Daffney, Malia Hosaka, Lexie Fyfe, and Jessie McKay.

The following matches have been announced for the Saturday May 2 SHIMMER taping.

SHIMMER Title Match: MsChif © vs. Serena Deeb
SHIMMER Tag Team Title “2 out of 3 Falls” Match : Ashley Lane and Nevaeh © vs. Rain and Jetta
NO DQ Street Fight: Allison Danger vs. Portia Perez
Mercedes Martinez vs. Amazing Kong
Madison Eagles vs. Sara Del Rey
Daizee Haze vs. Nicole Matthews
Cheerleader Melissa vs. “The Croatian Panther” Wesna Busic
Nikki Roxx vs. Cat Power

Apparantly Hulk Hogan’s comments comparing their ongoing divorse battle to O.J. Simpson’s murder trial has so scared Linda Hogan that she is planning on moving to California for fear of her life! Unfortunately, things aren’t all looking good for Hulk Hogan, as she had filed court documents in Pinellas County, Florida claiming she feels she’s in “imminent danger of becoming a victim” and needs an additional $8,200 a month from Hulk Hogan so can move “thousands of mailes away” from him. Linda is also asking for $24,000 for “advanced rent and secuity deposits” to make the move.

In an article in the Rolling Stones, Terry Bollea admits he was tempted to attack his wife “like O.J.” Hulk’s representative moved quickly to clarify the remarks, stating, “Hulk in no way condones the O.J. situation. As part of a larger conversation, he referred to it to exemplify his frustration with his own situation.”

- Former WWE diva Torrie Wilson issued the following message to www.T-Wilson.org:

“Hey guys and gals! In case you haven’t heard I am going to be on a new reality series on NBC entitled “I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!” I will definitely be testing my survival skills but am feeling confident. I met the cast members this week and have to say I am looking forward to this most likely life changing experience of surviving in the Costa Rican jungle! I really hope you tune in and vote for me in the month of June. It will be airing 4 days per week and parts of each show will be live! I will also be playing for a charity so it’s going to make me even more competitive than I already am! I will keep y’all posted….”

If you missed it, go and watch the three way cage match between Awesome Kong, Taylor Wilde and our new TNA Knockout Champion Angelina Love. Angelina was completely out at the end of the match and yet, still ’somehow’ managed to win! Seriously, it was an entertaining match and we’re happy for Angelina Love! There’s a rumour going around that Kong is being booked to be a babyface…we’d love to see how that will work.

Angelina blogged on her myspace,

Thank You’s and Updates!

First off, thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who wrote me to see if I was okay and to congratulate me on winning the TNA Knockouts Championship last night at Lockdown.

In an update, I did receive a concussion from Taylor Wilde’s top rope crossbody. Guess thats her payback for us cutting her hair! I caught her hip bone in my jaw and it knocked me clean out. Unfortunately, I dont even remember winning! When I watch it back, I’ll be able to try and put the pieces of my scrambled brains back together! and my jaw!

It was a hell of a match and being inside a cage with those two was like nothing I can explain. Two former TNA Knockout Champions took it to me but somehow I made it out alive (thanks to referee Rudy Charles for practically carrying me to the back afterwards!). Now its time to take this wonderful title to a whole new level…………….A BEAUTIFUL level!

Angelina Love as TNA Knockout Champion will NEVER disappoint!!

HOLLER!!!!

Jim is blogging! For his first blog, Jim went on to explain the difference between a ‘writer’ and a ‘booker.’ Very detailed information from Jim, here. You can read the whole article at www.jimcornette.com. This is very interesting stuff.

‘For years, the head of the creative team has been Stephanie McMahon, the boss’ daughter. While an intelligent, college-educated woman, her credentials qualifying her to be the head “writer” of a wrestling promotion remain the three words “the boss’ daughter.” Her knowledge of wrestling history, especially of how her father put the territories out of business, is nil, as evidenced by her testimony before Congress. Her experience as a performer has been limited to what she wrote for herself. It’s not her fault entirely, as until she came to work at the WWE after college, she attended the matches sporadically, and certainly no one was going to teach the boss’ daughter anything that might be politically imprudent. Her husband, Triple H, a student of the game, is certainly not going to rock his marriage boat, and much more important to him, his position as the heir to the throne, by telling her any of the negative effects her father has had on the pro wrestling industry in general while building his personal empire.

‘So Stephanie, as head of creative, hires people like her.Young people with college degrees in writing, many with experience writing scripted television, comedy shows in particular, with little or no respect for wrestling, and little if any experience performing ANYTHING. As a matter of fact, being a fan of wrestling is not even a requirement for the job, and God forbid if you DO admit to being a wrestling fan, and having watched any other wrestling besides WWE, you will at best be viewed as a “mark” and your days numbered.

‘These sitcom writers and comic book/video game enthusiasts don’t apply for WWE jobs out of a lifelong love of wrestling, they do it to add to their resumes for the day they can get jobs in “real” TV and feed their dreams of winning an Emmy. They write things to amuse themselves and/or Vince, because seemingly 80% or better of “sports entertainment” has to be funny, usually involving stripper pillow fights, fart jokes, crossdressers, fat oily guys, inside jokes only a small portion of the audience understand, and midgets. When the fans who actually watch wrestling because they like it don’t enjoy this crap, they are called “smart marks”, “spoiled”, and mocked and made fun of for not being “with the program”, because in the WWE the customer is NEVER right.

‘While the WWE employs some of the greatest in-ring talent of the past as agents, like Arn Anderson, Ricky Steamboat and others, not only do they not have a hand in actually writing the shows, but they know better than to ruffle feathers by giving their true opinions, so they are forced to sit in muzzled silence while one of the writers sacrifices his dignity with gusto by slathering oil on his repulsive, 300 pound frame and parades about in a G-String, taking up time that could be used to get a hardworking young wrestler over. They know that Vince and his minions love to embarass and humiliate his loyal wrestling staff on TV if they step up with a dissenting opinion. It’s no wonder that Michael Hayes, the last remaining person out of the revolving door staff of “writers” who has actually BEEN a pro wrestler, has had public issues with alcohol. After watching these amateur Shakespeares barge into the front door of my profession, wipe their feet on the rug, and turn the business into a clown show resembling the Harlem Globetrotters on acid, I feel like taking up a Mexican black tar heroin habit.

‘In this process, all the individuality has been taken from the talent. As the RAW script which was recently leaked on the internet shows, every word, every bit of business, even every gesture is scripted and only the upper echelon of talent has the liberty of any improvisation. Wrestling has been homogenized, pasteurized, and “sanitized for your protection” like a cellophane wrapper on a toilet seat at a cheap motel. The “writers” have become so absorbed in self-aggrandizement that every page of the detailed script is headed with “You are watching the longest-running weekly episodic television show in history”, as if they are on the level of Gunsmoke, Bonanza or I Love Lucy. I don’t recall Marshall Dillon spouting bad jokes like a standup comic in the Poconos, or Fred Mertz giving Ricky Ricardo a piledriver.

‘If the material succeeds, the creative team pats itself on the back. If it fails, they blame the wrestlers, saddled with silly gimmicks and lame scripts they don’t have the power to refuse, for not being able to “draw money”. If stars of the past like Dick Murdoch, the Sheik, Abdullah the Butcher, or even Dusty Rhodes, were to come along today, they couldn’t even get jobs in developmental because they don’t fit the cookie-cutter mold of what “stars” are supposed to look like. They would sound the same as everyone else because they wouldn’t have the power to “go into business for themselves” and get themselves over with their unique personalities.

‘The matches themselves, the very basis of how wrestling sells tickets, are minimized in importance because, from bell to bell, the matches are the one thing that’s hardest for the “writers” to control. The overwritten, overproduced skits take precedent because, as the old saying goes, if the “writers” ever walked into an athlete’s locker room, they’d be whistling “Stranger in Paradise.” The passion and emotion has been drained from the promos, as instead of colorful personalities speaking their own words from the heart, the talent recite memorized promos handed to them in a script, so everyone sounds the same. Credibility has been sacrificed as instead of two men fighting over a championship or personal issue easily understood and believed by the viewer, they are mired into an overwritten, convoluted soap opera that is obviously contrived. Injury rates soar as people who have never been in a match come up with ridiculously complicated stipulations and gimmick-laden bouts that are impossible to perform safely, all the while knowing THEY’LL never have to risk their necks actually executing the ****.

‘I’m Jim Cornette, and that’s my opinion.’

This should catch your attention women wrestling fans! Angelina Love has defeated both Awesome Kong and Taylor Wilde in a six-sides-of-steel cage match to become the TNA Knockout Champion! The Knockouts were booked for two matches this year: Awesome Kong versus Angelina Love versus Taylor Wilde and Madison Rayne versus Sojo Bolt versus Daffney versus ODB!

Awesome Kong (c) vs. Angelina Love vs. Taylor Wilde
Six Sides Of Steel: TNA Knockouts Women’s Championship

Angelina Love comes out first with Velvet Sky. Don West says they have the two greatest butts he’s seen in one place at one time. Here comes Taylor Wilde. Awesome Kong, comes out last with Raisha Saeed. She looks furious as she gets in the ring. Kong goes to work on Angelina Love first. Taylor Wilde follows up on her. They didn’t change the ring canvas with all the blood on it. Kong takes out Love as her and Wilde work together. After a brief moment of working together, Kong drops Wilde down to the mat. Kong goes back to Angelina. Knife edge chop from Kong on Angelina. Kong picks Angelina up but Angelina counters out of a sitdown splash. Love and Wilde work together. Angelina gets a two count, Wilde pulls her off and gets a two count. Angelina and Wilde get in each other’s face. Wilde is able to pin Love for a two count. Love reverses and gets a two count followed by a clothesline. Kong picks Taylor Wilde above her head and flings her into the steel. Love works on the legs of Kong, trying to trip her up. Kong picks Love up and slams her hard to the mat.

Giant Swing from Kong onto Angelina Love. Kong steps on Love’s hair while lifting her up. Kong throws Angelina down to the mat. She then tosses Wilde down. The crowd is dead. Kong hits a chokeslam on Love. Kong climbs to the top rope. Kong goes off with a somersault splash! She misses but my gosh that was awesome! Angelina Love gets a two count, Wilde makes the save. Now Wilde and Love work together as Kong is down. Now Love starts to tie Kong’s hair to the cage. Velvet Sky helps her from the outside. Saeed chases Sky around the ring. Wilde goes off the top rope with a cross-body block onto Love for a two count. Kong’s hair is tied to the cage. Wilde applies a submission hold on Love. Kong kicks Wilde down as she goes over to check on Kong. Love pins Wilde after the kick for the three count.

Winner & new TNA Knockout Women’s Champion – Angelina Love

Kong is furious as Saeed tries to untie her hair from the cage. Love celebrates in the ring.

ODB vs. Madison Rayne vs. Daffney vs. Sojo Bolt
Six Sides Of Steel: Queen Of The Cage Match

Madison Rayne is out first followed by Sojournor Bolt. Daffney is out next looking as freakish as ever followed by ODB with Cody Deaner. The bell rings and we’re underway. Sojo and ODB are working in one corner, Daffney and Madison Rayne in the other. Daffney its an early counter on Sojo but Rayne makes the save. Sojo and Rayne double team ODB. ODB lands a double clothesline on them. Daffney jumps on ODB’s back but ODB counters and slams her to the mat. ODB gets taken out by Rayne and is double teamed by Sojourner Bolt. Crowd is dead as Sojo takes out ODB. Sojo and Rayne catapult ODB into the steel. Now Daffney goes to work on ODB but gets taken out by Sojo. Sojo works with ODB but Daffney pulls her off and hits a swinging neckbreaker. Daffney climbs to the middle rope and goes off with an elbow shot on Madison Rayne, she misses. Deaner pours ODB’s some of her flask into her mouth. ODB gets fired up and cleans house with clotheslines.

ODB hits a splash on Madison and Sojournor in the corner. Side slam by ODB on Rayne for a two count. Sojo kicks ODB in the face and goes for the cover. Double sledge from behind from Dafney. Dafney takes out Sojo but Madison Rayne goes to work on her. ODB cleans house again and stalks Sojo. She spits from her flask in Sojo’s face. She hits a powerslam and pins Bolt for the three count.

Winner – ODB

(thanks, wrestlingnewsworld.com)

There are two books three way matches for the Knockouts at this year’s TNA Lockdown. So, let’s see what’s going on in the land of the Knockout. We have heels versus heels as the Beautiful People, with Madison Rayne as a new Beautiful Person, are on a ’shear’ trying to cut everyone’s hair.

After watching WWE Diva matches with Gail Kim hoping for signes of life in the much-buried Diva division, watching the Knockouts- and especially that wonderful crowd they fight in front of- is a breath of fresh air.

Dawn Marie continues to promote awareness for the plight of aging wrestlers. Pro Wrestling illustrated ran an article recently on Wrestlers Rescue. The article gives more background into how Wrestlers Rescue came about. So, what can be done to help our childhood heroes live in comfort when their glory days are behind them? It seems poor treatment for those who inspired us to have to struggle to get by. Here’s an excerpt:

What are wrestlers to do after their athleticism fades and the spotlight dims? Some veterans – due to income mismanagement during their money-making prime or unforeseen circumstances – end up draining the last drop out of whatever’s left of their name recognition by making indy appearances, sometimes actually wrestling, long after they should have adopted an easier lifestyle.

Former wrestler Dawn Marie said that reality hit her “like a ton of bricks” when she watched former WWF champion The Iron Sheik being wheeled to a restroom during a fan convention in Chicago. She has also befriended ex-WWF champion Superstar Graham, who went bankrupt while undergoing a liver transplant. “This is absolutely insant that this is happening,” she told the Long Island Press. “And nobody’s speaking up. Nobody’s doing anything. Nothing’s changing.”

Dawn Marie, who is a real estate closer in her post-wrestling career, launched Wrestlers Rescue, a program designed to help wrestlers after their prime. She estimated it would take about five years before the program reached full effectiveness. First, the goal would be to raise awareness for ex-wrestlers still suffering from injuries. Second, active wrestlers would gain access to financial services that would help them plan for their futures. Third, active and retired wrestlers would be able to purchase health insurance for themselves and their families at a group rate.

The former SmackDown and ECW diva noted she would love to gain the cooperation of WWE chairman Vince McMahon and TNA president Dixie Carter in the effort. “Whether that means a lot of help or a little bit of help, everything is welcome,” she said. “I’m not here to create controversy; I’m not here to create bad press. I’m here to raise awareness for people who need help in the later season of life.”

“You fight like hell to get a career, if you’re fortunate enough to be one of the chosen few to have a career. And then, as you’re on your way down, you filter out and you go back to where you started on the indies to ride out your fame and name. And then, 10, 15, 20, 30 years down the road, your body starts feeling the damages that were done during your fame.” (Dawn Marie, diagnosing what she calls an “epidemic” in pro wrestling)

Madison Rayne looks smoking hot in her bikini and yeah…that’s Lacy Von Erich in a green bikini at the end of the clip. Ashley Lane did some work for Wrestlicious before being hired by TNA.