Headlined by a women’s royal rumble match, Women’s Wrestling Revolution took on mainstream wrestling’s exact offering to prove why their revolution is more than just a tagline. This event was held on January 28, 2018.
Beyond Wrestling Pre-Show
Matt Riddle vs AR Fox
Hot and heavy action to kick things off as Matt Riddle delivered a snap German suplex to AR fox followed by a series of gutwrench suplexes. This attack would only last for so long as AR Fox was able to recuperate and take to the air. This match was a complete sprint from beginning to end. Each sequence was a short burst of energy. The action was fast-paced and hard hitting with absolutely no wasted motion. There was virtually no down-time as they moved from spot to spot with such fluidity. These two went into business. Simply put, they came, tore shit up and left. Very short match but it was an adrenaline rush. ★★★
Brian Cage vs Josh Briggs
Going in to this match, I was expecting a hoss battle but it was quite surprising to see a more scientific approach be employed in the first few minutes. For the most part, Cage got the better of the exchanges but a high-impact sidewalk slam from Briggs halted this momentum. Despite this, neither man dominated for too long. Instead, they made good use of their spacing and looked for the right miscalculation or misstep to exploit. There was a sense of urgency to what they did as every move was followed by a pin attempt. Very competitive match. ★★★¼
Flip Gordon vs Brandon Watts
Brandon Watts has been stepping up his game as of late and Flip Gordon’s new attitude has revealed his hidden potential as a heel. Early on in the match, Watts caused Gordon much frustration with several pin attempts. This resulted in Flip relentlessly attacking Watts. This new side of Flip Gordon is a welcomed change. Rather than using his flips (no pun intended) to dazzle the crowd, he used them to tout his arrogance. Watts did a great job of fighting from underneath. He would always try to fight back and seize any opportunity to, but Flip was just on the ball in this match and he really made Watts earn his comeback. Really nice pacing. Watts came up with some clever ways into baiting Flip and there were some really nice counters near the end. Very compelling match. ★★★½
Jonathan Gresham vs Martin Stone
As you would expect, this was a technical showpiece from start to finish. Stone focused a lot of his attacks on Gresham’s arm and Gresham sold it well. You either appreciate this kind of match or you don’t. Everything was done with such fluidity- from the way they manipulated a limb to the way they escaped a hold, it was all breath taking to watch. I really could have done without the shenanigans near the end, but it is what it is. ★★★½
Main Show
Sonya Strong vs Jordynne Grace
These two had really good chemistry and fed off each other well. Sonya Strong controlled a significant portion of the match and she was relentless in her attacks. Grace had to dig really deep to muster some offense but Sonya spared no remorse in cutting off those attempts. Very strong work from Sonya Strong (no pun intended) and an incredible display of tenacity and resiliency from Grace. She was absolutely fired up in her comeback which made the closing moments even more exciting. Great start. ★★★½
Terra Callaway vs Kennedi Copeland
This was your typical big woman vs small woman match. It was essentially a cat and mouse game with Kennedi relying on speed and wit, while Calaway relied on strength and power. The work was solid but it felt a bit uninspiring at times. I’m not sure what this match did for either woman. ★★¼
Kasey Catal, Kris Stadtlander & Vanity vs Alexxis, Gilian Leigh & Taeler Hendrix
I wish I had better things to say but this was a complete train wreck. Very sloppy work from almost, if not, everyone involved. Lots of sloppiness and very awkward moments with painfully long delays in covering them up. At times, they just stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. The hot tag got botched which hurt it even more. Skippable. ½★
Solo Darling vs Willow Nightingale
This match was a complete 180 from what you would expect. The first ten seconds had its fair share of light-hearted moments, but business picked up on the flip of a switch. I absolutely adored this match and Solo Darling’s performance shocked the hell out of me. She showed off her technical ability and quite frankly it’s a side of her that I never knew existed. I always love watching the fun and lovable Solo Darling, but I want to see more of this version. These two really took it to each other whether it was on the mat or on their feet. This was a highly competitive match that was only brought down by the abrupt finish. A gem of a match and the sleeper hit of the night. ★★★¼
Lufisto vs Skylar
Going in to this match, I was expecting Lufisto to decimate Skylar. For a while it seemed that way, but Skylar fought back hard and she really brought it to Lufisto. What started off as an uneven contest turned 50/50 by the end. Skylar showed a lot of tenacity and she made everything look believable. There was a lot of heart to her performance and she proved that she could hold her own against a veteran ass-kicker like Lufisto. By the time they were approaching the finishing stretch, this match was rockin’ and rollin’ and the crowd was heavily invested. Awesome match. ★★★½
Holidead vs Delmi Exo
I found that this was a bit disjointed at times and they had difficulty establishing a rhythm. They traded big moves towards the end, but the work that preceded it didn’t warrant such a moment. The false finishes lacked drama and it felt like they were trying to force it to be epic. The story they were trying to convey was not the story they told. On a more positive note, I would say that it served as a showcase for their abilities and moves. ★★½
Faye Jackson vs Allie Recks
This was a short but supercharged adrenaline rush of a match. Recks used her speed to dance around her much larger competitor, but it was the strength and power of Jackson that change the tide of the match in an instant. However, not one to give up easily, Recks would exploit any opening she could find to swing the momentum in her favour. These moments presented the perfect opportunity for Stokeley Hathaway to interfere. The timing of the distractions heightened the drama and engagement levels of this match. The action was concise and well-plotted. Super fun match. ★★★
Team Adams (Deonna Purrazzo, Karen Q & Tasha Steelz) vs Davienne, Miranda Vionette & Mistress Belmont
Tag team wrestling action at its finest. Both teams worked like a well-oiled unit making use of quicks tags. They did everything as a team and fully utilized the advantages that such a match brings. Whether it be blind tags, double-team moves or just taking a minute to breathe- they used everything to their advantage. Everyone was on-cue for their spots which made the action flowed smoothly. They all matched each other’s intensity and when things broke down into a slugfest, it was an all-out war. Superb work from all competitors. ★★★¾
Joey Janela & Penelope Ford vs David Starr & Tessa Blanchard
My feelings are a bit mixed towards this match. On one hand the action is fine and work is solid but it just felt like it has been done to death at this point. I’m not sure where this feud could possibly go after the Fans Bring The Weapons match last month, but it seems as if they’re riding this out for some time again. As for the match, there were times where it felt a bit over-done and the continuous change in momentum made it feel like they were just going around in circles. By the time this was over, I’m not sure what exactly had been accomplished. It felt like they hit the restart button on a feud that already concluded. If you weren’t familiar with the rivalry, you would think that this match marked the beginning. ★★½
Revolutionary Rumble Match
Basically, everyone that was on the show (Starr and Janela being the exception, of course) was involved in the rumble. Deonna Purazzo and Skylar were the first two entrants and they started off with some chain wrestling to regain the crowd’s engagement and investment levels after a long intermission. Once the other competitors came out, it broke into your typical rumble affair. There were some moments where they were stalling for time and the bumps were few and far in between.
What gave this rumble a unique identity was the overarching storylines that had been developed throughout the night. Competitors were gunning after one another in attempt to avenge losses and the action was chaotic at times. The finishing stretch was wild, unpredictable and exciting with a well-deserved win from Jordynne Grace. If I had to guess, this is probably going to end up being the better of the two Womens’s Rumble matches on this night. ★★★
You can catch the replay of this event at Powerbomb TV
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