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SHIMMER Women Athletes returns to the Berwyn Eagles Club, 6309 26th Street, Berwyn, IL 60402 on Saturday & Sunday, April 10th & 11th, 2010 for another huge weekend of DVD tapings!

Volumes 29 & 30 of the SHIMMER DVD series will be filmed on Saturday, April 10th. Bell time is 2pm. Doors open at 1pm.

Volumes 31 & 32 of the SHIMMER DVD series will be filmed on Sunday, April 11th. Bell time is 1pm. Doors open at Noon.
Here are the 28 competitors already confirmed for participation in the April SHIMMER tapings…
1. SHIMMER Champion MsChif

“Your Soul’s Tormentor” MsChif captured the SHIMMER Championship on April 26, 2008 by defeating Sara Del Rey in the main event of Vol. 18. In the time since, she has been a marked woman, with all of the competitors on the roster gunning for her title, and the chance to boast of being the woman that put an end to the Reign of Torment. MsChif has successfully defended the SHIMMER Championship not only in SHIMMER, but also on cards promoted by Ring of Honor and Full Impact Pro. She has put away challengers Del Rey, Jetta, Mercedes Martinez, Rain, Daizee Haze, Ariel, Serena Deeb, Wesna Busic, LuFisto, Nikki Roxx, and became the first woman in SHIMMER history to pin Amazing Kong. MsChif faces a very difficult challenge come April, as she attempts to make it through four DVDs during the course of the weekend and walk away with the SHIMMER Championship still around her waist. Can the Reign of Torment make it to the two year mark, or will someone on the SHIMMER roster make history by becoming the 3rd SHIMMER Champion?

2. SHIMMER Tag Team Champion Portia Perez

Portia Perez returns to SHIMMER competition during April, after being forced to miss the Vols. 27 & 28 tapings due to being sidelined with the Swine Flu, or so she claimed. Allison Danger is one of those who questioned the validity of Portia’s illness, declaring that she was simply ducking another fight with Danger, and was afraid to be a fighting champion with her SHIMMER Tag Team Championship partner Nicole Matthews. In Portia’s absence, Nicole sent a message to Danger on Vol. 28 by cracking her in the head with one of the title belts, on Perez’s instructions. With the issue between Portia and Allison still unresolved, as well as the SHIMMER Tag Team Championship to be defended, Perez will be one frickin’ busy ninja come April 10th & 11th.
3. SHIMMER Tag Team Champion Nicole Matthews

Nicole Matthews is unquestionably one of the top rising stars in women’s professional wrestling today. She has been able to not only achieve success in the tag team ranks by becoming the 2nd SHIMMER Tag Team Champions as part of “The Canadian Ninjas” with partner Portia Perez, but has simultaneously become a breakout star in singles action as well. Nicole’s series of matches against Daizee Haze displayed her rapid development as a competitor, which then continued with a tough battle against Cheerleader Melissa. Both of the Ninjas have the task of making it through the April tapings as SHIMMER Tag Team Champions, while also maintaining their respective positions in the singles picture.
4. Cheerleader Melissa

Cheerleader Melissa is one of the rare few to have participated in every SHIMMER event to date, and is, without a doubt, one of the most skilled female wrestlers on the planet. Having achieved worldwide success in this industry, Melissa continues to show her dedication to SHIMMER, and the sport in general, by giving 110% every time she steps into the squared circle. After concluding a several year long rivalry with Wesna Busic in a very physical Knockout or Submission bout on Vol. 26, Melissa continued her winning ways at SHIMMER’s 4th Anniversary Celebration tapings. What is next on Melissa’s agenda?
5. “Dark Angel” Sarah Stock

“Dark Angel” Sarah Stock made an immediate impact in SHIMMER upon her dramatic arrival in June of 2007. Stock was the International Wildcard competitor in the SHIMMER Title Tournament, shocking many by defeating SHIMMER main event stars Cheerleader Melissa and MsChif during her first and second round bouts. Stock later fell to eventual tournament winner Sara Del Rey in the third round, just seconds before the expiration of the 20 minute time limit. Sarah had a memorable series of matches against Daizee Haze during subsequent outings, a hard fought 2 out of 3 falls rematch against Del Rey, and a classic rematch against Melissa. We’re anxious to see “Dark Angel” back in the SHIMMER ring on both of the 4/10 and 4/11 events. What is on Sarah’s agenda in SHIMMER during 2010? We’re ready to find out.

6. Ayako Hamada

International superstar Ayako Hamada in many ways stole the show back at the SHIMMER 4th Anniversary Celebration in November of 2009. Hamada’s SHIMMER debut contest against Mercedes Martinez displayed Ayako’s technical wrestling proficiency, going hold for hold and strike for strike against one of SHIMMER’s most skilled. The second competitor to sign for a match against Hamada was Sara Del Rey, who perhaps got more than she bargained for when she opted to introduce a steel chair into the contest, causing the referee to throw the rulebook out the window and delcare the bout No DQ! Hamada and Del Rey battled all over the Eagles Club using everything they could get their hands on, and giving the fans in attendance what many of them called one of the wildest matches in company history. After Ayako’s second match at the “4th Anniversary Celebration” in November, the Berwyn crowd chanted, “Please come back!” They will get their wish on Sunday, 4/11, as Ayako Hamada will be back in!
  SHIMMER competition (she is unavailable for 4/10 due to a prior commitment).
7. Madison Eagles

Madison Eagles is one of the most skilled and impressive additions to the SHIMMER roster within the past two years. After her initial arrival during late 2008 along with tag team partner Jessie McKay as “The Pink Ladies,” Madison had two highly competitive singles outings during May of 2009 against Sara Del Rey and Mercedes Martinez. The matches were just a taste of what this nine year veteran of the sport brings to the squared circle. Lance Storm of http://www.stormwrestling.com/ wrote of the Madison Eagles vs. Sara Del Rey contest from Vol. 23 in an October 2009 web site commentary. “The best match I’ve seen on the DVD, so far, featured Sara Del Rey and Madison Eagles. I’ve met Sara a couple times doing ROH appearances so I’ve seen her work, but Madison Eagles I’d never even heard of before. This match blew me away. This match featured some of the best mat wrestling I’ve seen this side of Bryan Danielson. These girls were AWESOME, these girls can WRESLE. I CAN NOT praise this match or recommend this DVD enough.” After being sidelined from Vols. 25-28, Madison Eagles makes her much anticipated return to SHIMMER action on April 10th & 11th in Berwyn!
8. Jessie McKay

One of the newer SHIMMER athletes who really started to come into her own during 2009 is Jessie McKay. Unquestionably, Jessie’s breakout singles bout was her Vol. 25 match against Cheerleader Melissa, which caught the attention of everyone in attendance as she held her own against a main event level star in one-on-one competition, and nearly School Girl Crushed Melissa’s head into the front row. McKay had another strong outing against Sara Del Rey on Vol. 27, displaying her rapid progression as a professional wrestler. “Everybody’s Favorite Girlfriend” is determined to continue her climb up the SHIMMER ranks on April 10th & 11th.

Freelance star AYUMI KURIHARA, as well as S-Ovation Co. Ltd. talents HIROYO MATSUMOTO, MISAKI OHATA, and TOMOKA NAKAGAWA will make their United States debuts on events promoted by both SHIMMER and JAPW during the month of April 2010.
9. Ayumi Kurihara

AYUMI KURIHARA – Height: 5’5″ Weight: 126 lbs. Hometown: Mitaka-shi, Tokyo, Japan. Pro Debut: April 2005.
10. Hiroyo Matsumoto

HIROYO MATSUMOTO – Height: 5’5″ Weight: 154 lbs. Hometown: Hiratsuka City, Kanagawa, Japan. Pro Debut: July 2006.
11. Misaki Ohata

MISAKI OHATA – Height: 5’1″ Weight: 119 lbs. Hometown: Sendai City, Miyagi, Japan. Pro Debut: October 2006.
12. Tomoka Nakagawa

TOMOKA NAKAGAWA – Height: 5’1″ Weight: 128 lbs. Hometown: Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan. Pro Debut: January 2005.
13. Sara Del Rey

Former SHIMMER Champion Sara Del Rey was part of one of the most memorable matches in SHIMMER history at the “4th Anniversary Celebration” tapings against Ayako Hamada. Death Rey displayed during the course of that match just what she is capable of against one of the best world traveled stars to come out of Japan. Sara has yet to face any of the four additional joshi athletes who will be a part of the April SHIMMER events. Could she be looking to put her skills to the test against any of these rising stars from Japan?
14. Allison Danger

Allison Danger, who recently celebrated the first birthday of her daughter Kendall, is still in search of a measure of revenge against the individual who threatened her well being and that of her child just over a year ago, Portia Perez. With Perez absent from the “4th Anniversary Celebration” tapings with a suspect “H1N1 doctor’s note” excuse, Danger settled for doing battle against Portia’s tag team partner Nicole Matthews. Danger’s night concluded with Matthews smacking Danger in the head with one of the SHIMMER Tag Team Championship belts. Matthews later declared that she did it at Portia’s request. With both Ninjas back in Berwyn on April 10th & 11th, Danger has the opportunity to meet Perez face to face once again.
15. Daizee Haze

SHIMMER trainer Daizee Haze returns to active competition as a wrestler in SHIMMER action on April 10th & 11th, after serving in a troubleshooting referee capacity at our last set of tapings due to injury. The Haze has stated that she is hungry to get back into the mix against the top stars SHIMMER has to offer, with a particular interest in the joshi side of the locker room in April.
16. Mercedes Martinez

“The Latina Sensation” Mercedes Martinez is one of the women who truly put SHIMMER on the map during 2005 with her series of matches against Sara Del Rey. She has since gone on to have tremendous bouts against the likes of Cheerleader Melissa, MsChif, Amazing Kong, Serena Deeb, and Ayako Hamada, showing why she is considered one of the top female athletes worldwide. Though Mercedes has had opportunites at the SHIMMER Championship in the past, she has yet to achieve her goal of becoming the #1 woman in SHIMMER competition. Could April be Mercedes’ time to capture the gold? She must position herself for another title shot first in order to do so.
17. Kellie Skater

Bacchus Marsh, Australia’s “Rate Tank” Kellie Skater made her arrival in SHIMMER during 2009 and immediately took the microphone and proclaimed to everyone who would listen that she is indestructible. Despite her relatively small frame in comparison to some of the more powerful athletes on the SHIMMER roster, Skater’s warped frame of mind has earned her some very tough opponents thus far during her SHIMMER tenure, including LuFisto and Cheerleader Melissa. Come April 10th & 11th, The Rate Tank looks to add more wins to her SHIMMER record, amdist an ever-growing roster of talent from around the globe.
18. Jamilia Craft

“Jumping” Jamilia Craft is the youngest graduate of the SHIMMER Wrestling Academy. Under the instruction of SHIMMER trainer Daizee Haze, Jamilia has been training regularly alongside the men at the Ring of Honor facility in Bristol, PA to prepare herself for active competition. Craft put in a strong showing during a recent non-title bout against SHIMMER Champion MsChif at the debut event for Pro Wrestling RESPECT in Burlington, NJ. On April 10th & 11th, Jamilia’s hard work and dedication pays off, as she officially becomes a part of the SHIMMER roster.
19. Nikki Roxx

Boston native Nikki Roxx is an athlete who climbed the ranks in SHIMMER from opening match status to the main event level. Bouts against such competitors as Amazing Kong, Lacey, Malia Hosaka, and Sara Del Rey helped establish Nikki as a rising star during SHIMMER’s first two years. After a brief hiatus to focus on competition elsewhere, Roxx returned to SHIMMER during mid-2008 better than ever, and in many ways has become a locker room leader and role model for the younger athletes on the roster. As part of SHIMMER’s “4th Anniversary Celebration” tapings, Nikki had two tough challenges in singles outings against MsChif and Wesna Busic. On April 10th & 11th, Nikki looks to not only continue to make her presence felt in the singles picture, but also to become more of a threat in the tag team division.

20. Ariel

“The Portuguese Princess” Ariel was one of the original eighteen women who helped launch SHIMMER during the winter of 2005. In the years that followed, Ariel gained enough momentum to put her into SHIMMER Title contention in late 2008. Ariel scored key victories against the likes of Amazing Kong (via DQ), Nikki Roxx, and Cheerleader Melissa to propel her to a title shot. During 2009, Ariel and Roxx formed a tag team based on their rich history as both friends and rivals on the New England wrestling scene. The team proved to be successful, as the pair handed The Experience a rare tag team loss during their last tag team outing. Both Ariel and Nikki have made it known within the SHIMMER ranks that they intend to continue their winning ways as a combination during 2010.
21. Daffney

“The Scream Queen” Daffney underwent a bit of a transformation at the SHIMMER “4th Anniversary Celebration” tapings. Though everyone always knew there was a dark side to Daffney, ever since her arrival in SHIMMER, she had always displayed a more playful personality, despite the numerous injuries which plagued her progress within the SHIMMER ranks. As the tag team partner of Rachel Summerlyn on Vol. 27, Daffney made the baffling decision to walk out on their match and abandon Rachel. When Summerlyn asked for an explanation on Vol. 28, Daffney belittled her former protege on the microphone and proceeded to viciously attack her, requiring several referees to pull her away. On 4/11 in Berwyn, Daffney will be in action (she is unable to appear on 4/10 due to a prior commitment).
22. Rachel Summerlyn

Rachel Summerlyn has unfinished business with her former mentor come April. Last time in front of the Berwyn crowd, Daffney told Rachel that when she took her under her wing prior to Rachel’s debut in SHIMMER, “All you knew was thumbtacks and light tubes.” She said that Summerlyn asked her to teach her how to wrestle. “I tried… but I guess I didn’t do a good job,” Daffney added before viciously assaulting Rachel. Daffney offered the parting words of, “You’ll always be a rookie,” before returning to the locker room. Summerlyn left the ring in dismay, and certainly has a score to settle with Daffney in April. Rachel will be on both the April 10th and April 11th events.
23. Tenille

Australia’s Tenille has spent the past year traveling back and forth between her homeland, Canada, and the United States, while gaining valuable ring experience every step of the way. A graduate of Storm Wrestling Academy in Calgary, Tenille had her hands full with the International Home Wrecking Crew in a series of matches during 2009, as well as being on the opposite side of bouts with veteran Malia Hosaka. Tenille has achieved recent success in the Vancouver area, and looks to do the same in SHIMMER action on April 10th & 11th in Berwyn.
24. Melanie Cruise

The six foot tall Melanie Cruise is an athlete with worlds of potential. Though still in the early stages of her career, this young rising star has the size and strength to be a dominant force in professional wrestling. During 2009, Cruise was recruited by Annie Social, who paired Melanie with “The Croatian Panther” Wesna Busic, confident that Wesna’s instruction would mold Cruise into a dangerous threat. On the heels of two victories at the “4th Anniversary Celebration” tapings, we will soon find out what Melanie has in store for the women on the SHIMMER roster in April.
25. Annie Social

Annie Social made her way to SHIMMER with the goal of making money. Despite being a wrestler herself, Social chose to enter SHIMMER in a managerial role, in an effort to achieve success while not getting her own hands dirty. Annie signed both Melanie Cruise and Wesna Busic to management contracts, and guided Wesna to the victories that earned her a SHIMMER title shot. Along the way, Social drew the ire of virutally every person in the Berwyn Eagles Club, and became one of the most hated women ever to step through the curtain. More importantly, she became a thorn in the side of Cheerleader Melissa, who laid Social out with the Air Raid Crash on Vol. 26. After being absent from ringside for her wrestlers on 27 and 28, and with Wesna now sidelined indefinitely with injuries, Annie Social has made it known that she will become a physical presence once again in April. Social has stated that she will not only return to the side of her charge Melanie Cruise, but when the time is right, has no problem stepping into the SHIMMER ring to mix it up as a wrestler as well.
26. Nevaeh

Former SHIMMER Tag Team Champion Nevaeh will face a new challenge in her SHIMMER tenure on April 10th & 11th. Ever since her Vol. 17 SHIMMER debut match, Nevaeh has been a part of the tag team scene. That devotion to tag team wrestling paid off when she became 1/2 of the inaugural SHIMMER Tag Team Champions. Come April, with usual partner Ashley Lane absent due to other obligations, we will see how Nevaeh fares as a singles competitor in SHIMMER for the very first time.
27. Malia Hosaka

Malia Hosaka has enjoyed great success as a tag team wrestler as well, along with partner Lexie Fyfe. Though Lexie has been M.I.A. as of late, she was there in spirit (on a stick) at the SHIMMER “4th Anniversary Celebration” tapings, as Malia competed solo. Will we see Lexie (in either human or cardboard form) back at Malia’s side in April, or will Hosaka show what her unmatched ring experience can do for her singles career once again?
28. Cat Power

Cat Power is an athlete with her sites set on the top of the card. At our last set of tapings, Cat avenged the loss suffered during her Vol. 18 SHIMMER debut, and gave a main event level star quite a fight, all in an effort to display that she is a force to be reckoned with. On April 10th & 11th, Cat Power tries to claw even higher up the SHIMMER ranks.
To secure your tickets online right now by PayPal, visit the link below.

http://shimmerwomen.webs.com/apriltickets.html
There will be after party shenanigans on both nights after the matches have concluded. The after party will be at 39TEN Loungs, 3910 S. Harlem Avenue, in Lyons, IL. There is no cover.