AWBA: FF - Mad Maxine preview

Disclaimer: This is more of a warning than a disclaimer. See if you claim you like wrestling, you live within at least a 50 mile radius of the venue, and you don't have anything life-threatening or life-changing to attend to that night and you don't attend this show, I have no further words for you. This is going to host two of the top contenders for Match Of The Year, it is only going to set you back £10 and you can even buy the tickets in a pub. No excuses.

UPDATE: Fierce Females have made their previous two events available in their entirety, for free via YouTube. Check out the Coming Of Age Show here and then the Return Of The Queen Of Hardcore show here, to get yourself ready for Mad Maxine!

Fierce Females - Mad Maxine

Sunday 20th July - 7pm doors, 7.30pm showtime

Walkabout, 128 Renfield Street, Glasgow, G2 3AL

Tickets available via FierceFemales.co.uk or in person at Rufus T Firefly's, 207 Hope Street, Glasgow, G2 2UW - Priced at only £10 each!

FF Online - Facebook // Twitter // FierceFemales.co.uk

Before reading on, I insist you check out this brief history of Fierce Females, which should hopefully set the scene on where the company is at heading into Mad Maxine. With that said, it is time now to check out the matches announced so far for the event in July!

Kay Lee Ray (c) v Nikki Storm - Scottish Womens Championship

I remember distinctly the moment that cemented for me that where I wanted to be in the world was in the crowd at local wrestling. I couldn't tell you who else was in the ring at that moment, or why, but I can tell you what happened. Kay Lee Ray ran to ring, launched herself atop the turnbuckle, hit a hurricanrana-esque takedown, and slid right back out of the ring, all in one smooth motion. That single event tied me into the world of ICW and subsequently Fierce Females in one fell swoop.

If my love of Kay Lee Ray was instantaneous, Nikki Storm, or as she is sometimes known "Miss Nicola" Storm, was more of a slow-burner. Her attitude and allegiance with the Save Pro Wrestling movement initially had me miffed. I'm a fan of violence and, as Nikki has chastised me for on more than one occasion, a fan of swearing. Needless to say the difference of opinions had me against Nikki for a while.

All that changed one day when I saw a Nikki Storm promo and she did something small, but it clicked. A passerby passed by, and Nikki incorporated it into what she was saying. It was genius. From then on, I have appreciated Nikki more and more.

The day Kay Lee Ray won the title, I was made up for her. She seemed a fitting Champion for Scotland, and it's true. She has wrestled worldwide, displaying her wares for Shimmer, Shine and AIW. She's wrestled up and down the UK, taking on men and women alike. But she hasn't been the only one. Nikki Storm has wrestled in America, Japan, Spain, all over the UK, Canada, and been involved in mixed gender matches, once having taken on current TNA star Rockstar Spud for SWE.

But here we are. Glasgow. Home of the Fierce Females, home of Kay Lee Ray and home of Nikki Storm. KLR has been Champion for over a year now, and while there are many who feel Carmel, Viper or Bete Noire deserved the acclaim of being first ever Scottish Champion, I feel Kay Lee was the rightful owner of that belt. Was. I also feel her time is coming to an end and that Nikki Storm would be a perfect fit to take over that mantle. She has the voice, which followers of her Twitter will be well aware of, she certainly has the talents and she has the history, emerging victorious in the very first ever Fierce Females match back in 2012.

No matter who comes out on top, this will be an amazing opportunity to see two of the best (and in many people's eyes, the two best) wrestlers in Scotland right now. They have appeared for many companies and in many different matches, but I doubt neither would argue that this feels like a hometown derby, for the most prized possession right now in either's career.

The Glamour Gym (Carmel & Sara) v The Owens Twins (Kasey & Leah)
Tag Team Elimination Last Woman(s) Standing Match
Although the above is the championship match for the Fierce Females title, it could and will be argued by many that this is the true main event. I mentioned already that Kay Lee Ray and Nikki Storm are considered by many to be the two best wrestlers in Scotland. One woman who a lot of fans would claim is held in even higher regards is Carmel.


Carmel, despite all her evil actions and venomous words, has gathered herself quite a following in recent months, dubbed the Carmel Corner. There is a vocally large audience who believe Carmel should be getting touted as the face of female wrestling, and checking out any of her matches will quickly show you why. From the Last Woman Standing match against Kay Lee Ray at the very first Fierce Females show all the way to her nefarious victory over Kasey Owens in what was deemed in some quarters as Match Of The Night at the Fierce Females relaunch show in April, the full match of which is available to view here (won't let me host for some reason) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSPmr0vhvBE

Throughout her side for much of the past four years has been Sara, with the duo dubbed The Glamour Gym taking on all comers in promotions such as Pro-Wrestling: EVE. Although appearing in every one of Fierce Females original three events, Sara also tasted defeat in single's action at each one of those events, the last being at the hands of Leah Owens. Sara made sure to get her swift revenge with the relaunch, dismantling Lean in another match you can watch in full and for free here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTGPBZfJ1DU

The ending of Carmel's match was the straw that broke the camel's back it would seem, as later on in the show Carmel came out to cut a promo about how she should be the true #1 Contender to Kay Lee Ray's belt, or even the Champion, that she has been carrying the female division in the UK for too long. That she is the female division. The entire locker room showed their resolve and came out to challenge Carmel and Sara, forcing them to retreat. This was not forgotten.

At the next show, Return Of The Queen Of Hardcore, The Glamour Gym were set to go up against The Owens Twins, however a severe injury to Kasey's leg caused Leah to seek out a replacement tag partner. Viper, who had previously fought on the card, made the assist, however they were no match for the Gym. Even with Kasey cheering on from ringside, Leah and Viper were soundly defeated by Carmel and Sara. What happened next can only be described as sheer brutality. Carmel and Sara took turns in destroying Leah, a broken Viper and Kasey, particularly targeting her damaged leg. Yet Kasey did not stay down. She rose up and issued this challenge to Carmel and Sara that resulted in this match.

Debuting separately (Kasey began at the end of 2010 while Leah started at the beginning of 2011), the Twins have nonetheless been nigh inseparable in the wrestling world. They have wrestled for a wide variety of companies in the UK, Japan and Spain, making their mark as a fun-loving, durable, ferocious tag team that are known for their never-say-die attitude. They were there at the first Fierce Females show, finding victory against April Davids and Lisa Fury, and teamed up with Sakura Lily at "Luke, Who's Yer Da?" to defeat Kirsty Loveign, Lisa Fury and Sara.

With history showing that The Owens Twins have the grit and determination to meet the challenge of Carmel and Sara on even ground, it remains to be seen what they can do when the fight is taken to an environment that Carmel and Sara are soundly more confident with. As The Glamour Gym are never shy from using any element of their surroundings to their advantage, The Owens Twins will have to dig deep into the well of their combined resolves to overcome this win-at-any-cost attitude. It is anybody's guess as to who will emerge victorious, or even leave the building in one piece. Which side will you choose?

Sammi Baynz v Viper
One of the things I love most about Fierce Females is that they never fail to show me new talent, whether it be a foreign star coming over that I've never seen before or an up and coming new wrestler making her debut.

Perhaps a big shock to some readers - I don't know a lot about the wrestling scenes outside of Glasgow, and I haven't got a huge amount of time and money to discover it all. So I rely on companies such as Fierce Females showing me the best of talent out there, and so far they have produced incredibly.

Here is what I do know about Sammi Baynz - she is a wrestler from England who has been grappling for almost a decade, trained by the parents of WWE's Paige, she represents the Bellatrix promotion as the reigning RQW European Women's Champion, has wrestled mostly in England, is coming off of a few months' break, is incredibly well respected and is making, I believe, her Scottish debut.

Viper is a wrestler we all should know about by now. She is perennially on the cusp of claiming the Fierce Females title, having tasted victory over Bete Noire in the first Fierce Females show, Viper then went on to the final of the tournament to crown the first ever Fierce Females champion, being narrowly defeated by Kay Lee Ray. Viper then had a chance to gain the title in an Elimination 3 Way Dance at XX: It's In Our DNA, outlasting ex-WWE & TNA star Amazing Kong before eventually succumbing to KLR.

Well known for her good nature and being a staunchly straight-line fan favourite, Viper overcame some preconceptions in that match by performing a death-defying dive from one of the higher levels of The Classic Grand. With such versatility, it is no wonder she is always in title contention.

With the relaunch of Fierce Females in April, Viper started us off strong by overcoming Debbie Sharpe in the first match, a Semi-Final of a #1 Contenders tournament. However, Viper was defeated in the final by Sammi Jayne. Rather than let the defeat get the better of her, Viper fully endorsed her victor and stood up for the whole Fierce Females roster in the ensuing post-match verbal attack from Carmel.

That integrity came back to hurt Viper at Return Of The Queen Of Hardcore, where although she gained a victory decision over Fiona Fraser, she was subjected to a brutal post-match beatdown and almost had her arm broken by Fraser. Despite this injury, Viper came out to aid Leah Owens against The Glamour Gym, but was again subject to destruction and a bitter defeat.

With a point to prove physically, and having asserted herself as a locker room leader, Viper is going into this one hoping to prove what Fierce Females is all about, and hopefully avoid another destructive dose of punishment.

Sweet Saraya v Bete Noire
Bete Noire is spoke about in the same terms as Viper. A great wrestler who has an interesting mix of styles, Bete and Viper have teamed up all around the country gaining several wins along the way. However, in singles competition, Bete has seemed to struggle at Fierce Females. Her friend Viper defeated her at the first ever event, Bete was then bested by Crazy Mary Dobson at Luke, Who's Yer Da? That match was an instant classic that showed Bete's extreme style along with her incredible in-ring abilities, however it was Dobson who got the victory and went on to be booked the next night in another instant classic versus Jack Jester and Jimmy Havoc at ICW. Bete followed this up with another defeat, at the hands of Ayesha Ray.

Soon afterwards, at ICW's flagship Fear & Loathing show, Bete Noire suffered a horrible injury when she was struck on the forehead by the Fierce Females title belt. Footage of that injury can be seen here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aKCUZQD1Wk

This blow has left Bete a little unhinged. Coupled with an extended stint in Japan at the beginning of the year, the fresh start to Fierce Females seemed like it would bring a fresh start, and all-important victories, to Bete's career. Alas it was not to be, as Bete has bowed out at the start of both #1 Contender tournaments so far. A travesty of a record that does not fairly reflect Bete's abilities, a win against Sweet Saraya would surely reverse Noire's fortunes and elevate her to the higher echelon of female wrestlers.

Sweet Saraya is many things to female wrestling. A veteran of over two decades. An icon and inspiration. Mother to NXT's Paige. Trainer to many of the current UK talent. A champion in many countries including America and continental Europe. Has held titles for years, including a year-long stint as SHIMMER champion.

To say Saraya is a legend is putting it mildly. She is perhaps the most renown name in female wrestling. One single victory over such an icon will surely negate Bete's Fierce Females career so far. The only question is - will her attitude, tenacity, skills and variety be enough to overcome over two decades of experience and titles? This match may be the key to one woman's entire career, or a brick in the wall of another's legacy.

Sammi Jayne v Liberty
Sammi Jayne is a relative newcomer, having started her career at the tail-end of 2012. Fighting mostly out of SWE in Dundee, Sammi had a tag match at XX: It's In Our DNA which ended in a no contest, hardly the start of legends.

However, she has more than made up for it since the relaunch, winning the inaugural #1 Contender Tournament in April by besting both Bete Noire and Viper in the same night, an accomplishment anyone would be happy with. This earned Sammi a title shot at Return Of The Queen Of Hardcore in a match that surprised many as it made its way from the ring to the crowd and even ouside and on top of a car! Sammi Jayne may not have won the belt on the night, but she immediately placed herself in Main Event contention.

Standing in the way and hoping to stall the young woman's momentum is a lady with almost three times the experience in terms of years and matches. Fighting mostly out of Norfolk, England, Liberty has been steadily making a name for herself, a name which is fast becoming well-known outside of England. Having spent a bit of time in title contention herself, facing Sweet Saraya for the HEW Women's title away back in 2010, Liberty has gone on to claim the WAW British Ladies title (later renamed the WAWW British and currently the Bellatrix British Championship) winning it from Paige (then Britani Knight) and defending against Sweet Saraya, before eventually relinquishing to Rhia O'Reilly in a Best Two Out Of Three Falls match in September 2012, being beaten 2 falls to 1.

Liberty then spent six months building herself back up, before claiming the RQW Women's title and holding it for a further seven months before being bested by current champion Sammi Baynz. Five months later, Liberty was back on top, this time taking the Bellatrix World title, a belt she currently holds, and most recently venturing outside of the UK to taste victory at SWE Turbulence in Switzerland.

One woman is on the verge of being a champion, the other has proven herself as championship material and is on the verge of becoming a worldwide name. Both have a lot to prove in this match-up in what is a very important stage in each other's careers. Once again, Fierce Females has brought us an exciting match-up that neither lady can afford to lose.


JUST ANNOUNCED!

 
Penelope v Debbie Sharp
This article is already hella long, so I'll keep it short and sweet. Debbie Sharp made her first appearance for Fierce Females at the relaunch show Coming Of Age, unfortunately being defeated in the first match of the #1 Contendership tournament. She was able to advance at Return Of The Queen Of Hardcore, making it to the final by beating Courtney, before losing out to Nikki Storm. She will hope to follow that up with a victory here to signal another step forward in her career.

Penelope has been a WAW and Bellatrix mainstay since debuting at the tail-end of 2011, having worked her way up to a Bellatrix British Title match within 2 years, unfortunately being defeated in that contest by Erin Angel. Penelope would then challenge Saraya Knight for the IndyGurlz Australia Title in March of this year, but was unfortunately bested in that contest two. With several losses on the trot since then, Penelope will also be looking to gain the victory here if she wants to get back into title contention.

Fiona Fraser v Courtney
A rematch from Coming Of Age, where Courtney made her debut to defeat the formidable Fiona Fraser. With Fiona developing an ever more pronounced vindictive streak following her attack on Viper at Return Of The Queen Of Hardcore, Courtney had better keep her guard up and her wits about her if she hopes to repeat the feat and emerge victorious once more.

BREAKING NEWS (ABOUT BREAKING NECKS)
Fiona has some words for Courtney ahead of their rematch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGrCV6XC940


Summation
Crikey, how do I begin to sum that up? We have current champions, future champions, relative newcomers and established veterans. We have a title match, an insane anything goes match, several one on one battles that neither wrestler can afford to lose.

How can you look at that card and not be convinced that this is an event worth spending money on? For as little as £10, I urge anyone who can make the travel to do so and bear witness to an exciting night of pro wrestling.