{"id":139956,"date":"2022-05-22T17:59:14","date_gmt":"2022-05-22T22:59:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=139956"},"modified":"2022-05-22T17:59:14","modified_gmt":"2022-05-22T22:59:14","slug":"5-22-womens-wrestling-army-report-the-first-episode-from-maria-kanellis-bennett-and-bobby-cruises-new-all-women-promotion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2022\/05\/22\/5-22-womens-wrestling-army-report-the-first-episode-from-maria-kanellis-bennett-and-bobby-cruises-new-all-women-promotion\/","title":{"rendered":"5\/22 WOMEN\u2019S WRESTLING ARMY REPORT: The first episode from Maria Kanellis-Bennett and Bobby Cruise\u2019s new all-women promotion"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-1584178327\" class=\"pwtor-before-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><hr \/><b>SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... <\/b>\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?show_id=3076978&theme=light&playlist=false&playlist-continuous=false&autoplay=false&live-autoplay=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=false&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"140px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<hr \/><\/div><h3>WWA EPISODE 1: THE JOURNEY BEGINS<br \/>\nMAY 22, 2022<br \/>\nAIRED AT BRANDARMY.COM\/WOMENSWRESTLINGARMY<br \/>\nREPORT BY HARLEY R. PAGEOT, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR<\/h3>\n<p><em>Commentary: Alyssa Marino, Lenny Leonard<\/em><\/p>\n<p>We opened in the ring with Marino and Leonard. They welcomed us to the show and brought out \u201cThe First Lady Of Professional Wrestling\u201d Maria Kanellis-Bennett. She was dressed in a glittery pink blazer and boots, which matches the WWA branding. (The middle ring rope is pink with the top and bottom ropes black.) So many people have told her no through the years. But she\u2019s here today because of her time as a ditzy interviewer for WWE, because of shuffling from promotion to promotion, because of her husband, because of her kids. Tonight the journey begins.<\/p>\n<p>-Our opening theme song is \u201cSevin Sins\u201d, the title track from Maria\u2019s own 2010 EP.<\/p>\n<p>-\u201cThe Lucha Baddie\u201d Miranda Alize spoke to the camera in a sit-down. She\u2019s been wrestling ten years, she\u2019s 27 years old, and she\u2019s a physical therapist outside of wrestling. She came to this as a result of her tenure in ROH last year.<\/p>\n<p>-Sit-down with Laynie Luck. She admitted to being cautious about getting involved with a new promotion\u2019s first show but knowing it was Maria and Bobby Cruise told her everything she needed to know. She and Alize kind of came up together in Texas and wrestled a lot but it\u2019s been a while. Alize\u2019s never wrestled Lucha Laynie, though. Alize\u2019s knowledge might surpass hers but her heart doesn\u2019t.<\/p>\n<p><em>(Pageot\u2019s Perspective: I\u2019m thrilled to have promos from both competitors before the match. I believe I\u2019m pretty familiar with everyone on the card here but even with someone like Luck, who I\u2019ve seen wrestle many times in many different promotions, I don\u2019t know if I\u2019ve ever heard her speak before. It\u2019s just rare for so many indie shows to feature any mic work, be it in ring or backstage. These were much more shoot-style bios than traditional promos, though. Alize wasn\u2019t at all heelish and spoke pretty plainly about her past year. Luck put more of a kayfabe spin on it, trying to hint at a bit of kayfabe animosity between them. For a first episode, basic introductions are perfectly fine. I trust that going forward things will get more creative once there are stories to tell.)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>-Alize made her entrance first. Bobby Cruise is doing ring announcing and this one had a 15-minute time limit.<\/p>\n<p><strong>(1) \u201cTHE PARTY UNICORN\u201d LAYNIE LUCK vs. \u201cTHE LUCHA BADDIE\u201d MIRANDA ALIZE<\/strong><\/p><div id=\"pwtor-2791161655\" class=\"pwtor-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Some quick back and forth ended in a stalemate. Alize caught Luck with a punt kick to the gut. She hyped the crowd into clapping for her as she ran the ropes only to stop and slap Luck across the head instead. The games worked and the crowd immediately started getting behind Luck. Alize played to the fans and ate a boot. Step-up senton from Luck off the apron and into the ring. Alize raked the eyes. Basementrana but a light cover allowed Luck to kick out. Luck countered an arm drag attempt into a side slam. Luck with a second rope dropkick but Alize kicked out. Alize with a headscissor into the Miranda Rights crossface. Luck managed to roll over into a pin and went for a Laynie Lock STF. Alize bit herself free. German suplex from Luck. Draping DDT from Alize. Death Valley Party from Luck for a near-fall. Alize with a cutter and a Drive-By for the pin.<\/p>\n<p>WINNER: Miranda Alize in 9:28.<\/p>\n<p>-Alize blasted Luck with a few more shots and kicked her out of the ring. She heeled it up for the crowd on her way out.<\/p>\n<p><em>(Pageot\u2019s Perspective: First impressions. Production is solid. They even had a couple replays of significant moves during the course of the match, which you almost never see from promotions of this size. They went a decent length. We got a clear face and a clear heel. And the woman who went to the finals of the ROH Women\u2019s Championship tournament (before losing to Roxanne Perez) went over. All very positive signs for the fledgling promotion. The crowd is quite thin, which I had heard from a friend in attendance at the tapings, but that was likely always going to be a struggle for a first show from a new promotion with no matches announced in advance.)<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>What\u2019s The Dish? with Lish<\/strong><br \/>\nAlisha Edwards was backstage with NWA Women\u2019s Tag Team Champions The Hex (Allysin Kay &amp; Marti Belle). Belle taught Edwards how to stand on a chair while posing for photos in order to properly show off your derri\u00e8re.<\/p>\n<p>-Sit-down with Big Swole. Big personality, swole mentality. She\u2019s a strike-based showman. She\u2019ll hit you and give you a show. She\u2019s all about inclusion and representation. Three years ago she faced Trish Adora for the first time and they\u2019ve had four matches in between. Tonight they\u2019re done.<\/p>\n<p>-Sit-down with Trish Adora. She put over Maria\u2019s genius and how huge it is for her to be here on this first show. It\u2019s refreshing to see a locker room full of people all gung-ho. Representation is so important. Seeing Jacqueline for the first time as a child changed everything for her and her brothers. If she can do that for someone else, that\u2019s everything. Her mom\u2019s thrift store mix-and-match style is what led her to dress the way she does.<\/p>\n<p><strong>(2) BIG SWOLE vs. \u201cTHE AFRO-PUNK\u201d TRISH ADORA<\/strong><\/p><div id=\"pwtor-2137467897\" class=\"pwtor-content-1 pwtor-entity-placement\"><!-- Tag ID: pwtorchcom_test_300x600 -->\r\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __300x600\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>In what was likely a purposeful move, the main event of the first Women\u2019s Wrestling Army show featured former army vs. former air force. \u201cBoth these women\u201d chant to start. They were evenly-matched in the opening minutes with nearly every other move being countered or blocked. At 7:30 they turned to exchanging strikes but Swole landed a dragonscrew leg whip. She clubbed Adora in the ropes to boos. Swole took control and targeted Adora\u2019s left knee. Adora landed three German suplexes but couldn\u2019t make a cover. Adora started to go after Swole\u2019s left elbow. Adora looked for cattle mutilation but couldn\u2019t hold the move due to her knee. She settled for a crossface instead. Swole rolled into a pin and Adora had to break. Adora jumped a kick and landed on her bad knee, allowing Swole to nail her with a headbutt. Lariat Tubman out of nowhere! Adora couldn\u2019t make the cover, though. Swole managed to crawl to the ropes. Sunset flip but Adora kicked out. Another headbutt from Swole staggered Adora. They both went for discus clotheslines, both connected, and both went down in the center of the ring. \u201cBoth these women\u201d chant again from the crowd. The referee started to count them both down. He got to nine but the ring bell cut him off. Cruise announced that the time limit had expired.<\/p>\n<p>DECISION: Time-limit draw in 15:00.<\/p>\n<p>-Handshake between the two.<\/p>\n<p><em>(Pageot\u2019s Perspective: Very good match, as expected, and I like that we\u2019ve established time-limit draws as a finish right off the bat. Sara Del Rey and Mercedes Martinez went to a time-limit draw on the first Shimmer show in 2005 and this almost feels like a call-back to that.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Marino and Leonard are good on commentary with Marino calling all the signature moves by name and Leonard providing background bios on everyone. The only thing maybe missing would be a wrestler who could put over the moves themselves or speak to their own personal experience in the ring with these women. Three-person booths often feel like overkill but adding someone like Veda Scott could be a boon here.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>When my co-host and I spoke with Maria for our podcast, <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/linktr.ee\/gritglitterpodcast\">Grit &amp; Glitter<\/a><em>, a couple weeks ago, she said that there will be a WWA Championship eventually but they don\u2019t want to rush into anything. Using these first few shows to establish a roster and introduce the wrestlers to people who aren\u2019t overly-familiar with the indies or who have possibly never even watched wrestling before is a solid move. WWA did a lot promising on this show without trying to radically reinvent anything. If it ends up being a Shimmer for the streaming age, it would be hard to be disappointed in that.)<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-1454345729\"><div id=\"pwtor-2801352034\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\nTHANK YOU FOR VISITING<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>WWA EPISODE 1: THE JOURNEY BEGINS MAY 22, 2022 AIRED AT BRANDARMY.COM\/WOMENSWRESTLINGARMY REPORT BY HARLEY R. PAGEOT, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR Commentary: Alyssa Marino, Lenny Leonard We opened in the ring with Marino and Leonard. They welcomed <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2022\/05\/22\/5-22-womens-wrestling-army-report-the-first-episode-from-maria-kanellis-bennett-and-bobby-cruises-new-all-women-promotion\/\" title=\"5\/22 WOMEN\u2019S WRESTLING ARMY REPORT: The first episode from Maria Kanellis-Bennett and Bobby Cruise\u2019s new all-women promotion\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":139957,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-139956","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tvshowsandevents"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2022\/05\/womenswrestlingarmy.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139956","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=139956"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139956\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":139958,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139956\/revisions\/139958"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/139957"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=139956"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=139956"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=139956"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}