Sara Del Rey – Source: http://www.shimmerwomenathletes.tumblr.com
Thanks for having a peep at another great Ring of Honor based article here on The Real Mid Card. Steven will be back with the weekly reviews soon, but in the meantime, these topical features should hopefully do the trick. Enjoy reading.
Women of Honor
In this piece I will be looking at the role of women in Ring of Honor. Since it’s inception ROH has maintained strong links with the all women promotion SHIMMER, often ‘borrowing’ the top stars for use in angles as well as showcasing their skills in the ring. Over the years, such greats as Amazing Kong, Lacey and Sara Del Rey have been heavily involved in the company, in both the traditional wrestling role of valets as well as fan service.
SHIMMER crew shot – Source: http://www.wrestlegasm.com
Lacey is forever associated with Jimmy Jacobs, as well as the Age of the Fall. For years she was his manager and Jimmy loved her. However she didn’t love him back and used his affections to her advantage. More than anyone else, Lacey is responsible for the psychotic tendencies Jimmy has shown throughout his career.
Sara Del Rey is a true legend of wrestling. Throughout her career she has never fell into the stereotype laid out by bigger promotions. That stereotype being that women should look and wrestle a certain way (in other words, not like male wrestlers), or else they don’t belong in the ring. The simplest (and crassest) way to describe Sara in the ring is this: if Bryan Danielson had a vagina, he’d be Sara Del Rey. Kicks, suplexes and submission holds; she has it all.
Sara has also served in the more traditional role as the “Queen of Wrestling” to Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli’s King’s. During the lengthy and bloody feud with the Briscoe Brothers, Sara was right in the thick of it. Most memorably by kicking Mark Briscoe square in the nads and incurring the wrath of Papa Briscoe. In 2012 Sara left her ring career behind her to take up a job with WWE, working as the head trainer of female wrestlers at WWE’s developmental territory NXT. Under her watchful eye the next generation of “Divas” will learn the skills of the trade and I for one can’t wait until a few years pass and we can see the fruits of her labour.
Queen of Wrestling – Source: wwe-nxt-roster.wikia.com
Currently the most prominent woman in Ring of Honor is Maria Kanellis. The former WWE Diva is the valet/manager of Mike Bennett, as well as his real life girlfriend. In this role, the “First Lady of ROH” truly excels and pushes the limits of the valet role.
Maria – Source: http://www.womenofwrestling.org
While in most promotions, even in the heyday of the Attitude Era, you’d maybe see a peck on the cheek, Maria and Mike full on make out in the ring before (and even during) matches. The role is brilliant in this case as she’s an absolute heat magnet and she is very easy on the eye too.
Maria and Mike – Source: http://www.g9zwwe.blogspot.com
While Ring of Honor isn’t afraid or ashamed to use women purely as eye candy (the Hoopla Hotties can attest to that) they’re also not ashamed to showcase ‘proper’ wrestling. After all, it’s the ethos that the company was built on. There’s none of the hair pulling and weak “throws” that you’d typically see on WWE television. Women in ROH wrestle however they like and it’s led to some intense matches over the years.
Steven
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