Background: At SHIMMER Volume 21, Madison Eagles and Jessie McKay debuted in SHIMMER as the Pink Ladies in a losing effort against The Canadian Ninjas (Portia Perez & Nicole Matthews). Twelve Volumes later, Jessie McKay was doing everything to break out as a title contender while her mentor and former partner took over SHIMMER by becoming the SHIMMER champion by beating MsChif. Jessie accomplished her goal of gaining a SHIMMER title shot after defeating Nicole Matthews, Sara Del Rey, and Ayako Hamada on back-to-back Volumes.
SHIMMER Volume 35
September 12, 2010
Berwyn, IL
SHIMMER title: Madison Eagles (c) vs. Jessie McKay
After trying to get the crowd on her side, Madison shot for a takedown. Jessie did a great job countering Eagles’ grappling, but found herself stuck on the mat more often than not. It wasn’t until Eagles made the mistake of whipping McKay into the ropes did things turn around for the challenger. Following a head scissors and a couple of arm drags, McKay thought she had Eagles in trouble by twisting the champ’s left arm. Eagles countered McKay’s arm lock, whipping her into the ropes. McKay went to the well once too many times as Eagles countered her head scissors attempt with a power bomb. McKay rolled to the floor, looking to Irish whip McKay into the guardrails. Jessie reversed the whip at the last second, sending the champ back first against the steel. Jessie was fired up as she rushed the stunned champion. At the last second, Madison moved, causing McKay to double knee the guardrails.
The champion used the referee’s count to her advantage as she took her time between breaks to slam and whip Jessie’s now injured legs against the steel railings. Jessie was hobbling on her left leg following the assault on the floor, but valiantly kicked out of Eagles’ follow up pin attempt in the ring, and refused to tap in the stretch muffler. Surfboard stomp by Eagles didn’t get her the victory, but did bring a smile to her face. Countering a shin breaker, Jessie went for the Schoolgirl Crush. Madison caught the incoming foot, using it to swing Jessie forward, face first against the mat.
The fans were behind McKay as she saved herself by grabbing the bottom rope to stop a Texas cloverleaf. Once again, McKay turned a lifting maneuver by Madison into the Octopus stretch. In a great show of strength and ingenuity, Madison turned the submission against McKay by slipping McKay into the stretch muffler again. With McKay’s legs tied, Madison used her own leg to crossface McKay. Somehow, Jessie made it to the ropes before the pain became too much to bear. As Madison took her time in grabbing McKay, Jessie went for broke, unleashing the codebreaker out of nowhere to down the champ.
Jessie somehow made it to a knee, but got kicked in the ribs and legs for her trouble. Using the ropes, Madison was twisting McKay’s left leg in all sorts of wrong ways. With McKay holding onto the ropes to prevent Madison from taking her across the ring, Eagles leapt up, sunset flipping the challenger. McKay rolled through the pinning combination, connecting with double knees before Eagles could move from her seated position. Jessie was throwing elbows to set up a successful Schoolgirl Crush. The leg based attack knocked Eagles over the top rope. Jessie jumped off the apron, drilling Madison with a hurricarana on the floor!
Rolling Madison back in, Jessie gained a two count. Eagles stopped the Boyfriend Stealer, going for a brain buster. Jessie kneed her way to freedom, locking Eagles in a standing guillotine choke. Eagles stopped the submission by powering Jessie over her head with a northern lights suplex. Eagles kept a grip of Jessie’s head, brain busting her … for a two count!
Placing Jessie on the top rope, Madison couldn’t complete whatever she had in mind when McKay tornado DDT’ed her for another two count. The women were jockeying for a high impact maneuver, and Jessie hit one with Code Pink. Eagles kicked out right before the three count, ducking the Schoolgirl Crush seconds later to clothesline Jessie. Madison scaled the ropes for something when McKay powered off the mat, slamming the champ to the mat. McKay hobbled toward the corner Eagles was just in, climbing the turnbuckles. Jessie took a moment to look at her adorning fans. Before McKay’s focus could return to the ring, Madison kicked her upside the head. With Jessie stunned, Eagles dragged Jessie off the top rope before executing Hell Bound in one swift motion. Madison hastily made the cover, pinning her former protégé.
Winner: Madison Eagles (19:58)
Is It A Classic: In the same vein as Austin Aries vs. Alex Shelley from ROH’s original “Manhattan Mayhem”, this event featured two women who were once friends break away from each other, with one becoming champion out of nowhere and the other working her way to a title shot. With the SHIMMER audience captivated in her story, everyone hoped to not only see Jessie McKay face her old partner for the gold, but also trump her. It was truly a coming of age tale before the first bell rang. And when that bell sounded, the story progressed even further with a story that showed the toughness of McKay, the calculating mind of the champ, and how they are two of the best in SHIMMER. Eagles and McKay used a simple story to craft a masterpiece – just like Aries and Shelley did all those years ago.
