Forever Forward Fridays

Kimber Lee VS Shazza McKenzie - RISE 7/7/2018

JJZ: So I watched a 30 minute no DQ match with Kimber Lee before this. At the start I thought I hit the lottery. I knew I was going with it. 10 minutes in I was like it's really good. 20 minutes in I thought to myself, I like it. 30 minutes in I thought, I don't like it. After going through such a disappointment I wanted just a good basic jawn with solid storytelling. So here we are. I don't recall seeing Shazza McKenzie before. She was good. Shazza knew how to work the crowd and get over a full story in 10 minutes. Kimber Lee is such a pro. Her polish shines no matter what the stage. The finish put me over for this one. Enjoy baby.

CJD: I can relate to that journey with the half hour match so much. So frustrating when you love the foundation of what they've built. But this match was good! I did think Kimber played it a little too big for how small of a match it was. I love how emotive she is normally but I didn't think this match needed it quite so much. That said, she did everything she could to make you leave this thinking Shazza was every bit as good as her. And McKenzie to her credit was right there every step of the way. As you said this was a very complete 10 minute match that felt like it'd slot perfectly into an hour block of TV. Good pick even if it was an alternate.

Forever Forward Fridays

LuFisto VS Kimber Lee - Women Wrestling Revolution 4/10/2016

CJD: I've watched a lot of LuFisto matches for PIF at this point. But I've yet to see a bad one. The dynamic here is so different than last week's as Kimber Lee clearly has LuFisto's respect but still has so much to earn. I loved how big they made this match feel, how hard Kimber Lee had to work for what she got, how they took a generic crowd brawl and made it organic and awesome, and how they brought things home. LuFisto just carries herself like everything matters, she projects such a big presence. And Lee was right there with her standing her ground and then some.

JJZ: So before we started Play It Forward I didn't even know who LuFisto was. Now I think I can confidently say she is a top 20 all time women's wrestler. She has such spectacular fundamentals. She does the little things so well. And getting to see her work with such a baby faced Kimber Lee was such a treat. I'm a big fan of the Princess also and I'm pretty sure this is the earliest match I've seen of her. The dynamic between the two played out great and they both didn't hold back at all. Kimber proving herself to the old Lioness. The vet showing the younger wrestler how it's done. Just good shit. Loved the finish, totally believable.

Princess And The Pauper

Kimber Lee (c) VS Heidi Lovelace - CHIKARA Grand Championship 3/19/2016

JJZ: So I actually tried to avoid playing this match because I thought it was low hanging fruit. But then I figured that would be ignorant to what these ladies did to get to this point and to what they did in the ring. If you had to list the top true Indy promotions in the states Chikara would have to be on that list, so the fact that two women are wrestling for they top title can't be ignored or under appreciated. Their banter during the match adds such a nice story in the ring. There is no real heel in this match but Heidi comes out super aggressive and stiff setting the tone of the match. Lee has no problem taking the future Ruby Riot to suplex kingdom. Both wrestlers dig down deep during this match leaving the other to wonder what they need to do to walk out as champion. I'm a little embarrassed I haven't watched more of these two since they were clearly built to wrestle each other.

CJD: This match is an emotional roller coaster. Quack's vision for pro wrestling isn't for everyone but give him credit where it's due, he has a vision that is uniquely his, and he's been executing it for decades with limited resources and talent. As you said, a true indy through and through. And give these ladies even more credit, as they delivered a main event title match that nobody in that crowd could go home unhappy with, and a match that was a few years ahead of its time for the US. Suplex Kingdom felt like a bit of overkill to me but once again Quack pulls a page out of his creative playbook to keep the focus on the importance of the match rather than the moves being executed. I loved the personal edge Heidi brought to the table and her selling was top notch. Post match tugged on my heart strings. Heck of a match JJZ!

Crazy Like AR Fox

AR Fox VS Kimber Lee - Beyond Wrestling 3/23/2014

CJD: If you're like me you were wondering when and how we'd get here. I'm not a fan of intergender wrestling. But I understand that we're in an era, on the US indies especially, where it's accepted and to an extent necessary. And I don't want PIF to exclusively be a boy's club, so I've been keeping my eye out for chances to cross this bridge. This seemed like as any. This was such a great heel performance from Fox, who is nothing if not unpredictable and captivating. Lee hung right in there and delivered on an equally high level as a babyface who you couldn't help but root to kick this living shit out of her opponent. There are some rough moments in this one, some pro wrestling at its finest booking choices, and man does that ref eat shit! But at the end of the day I dare you not to enjoy this ride. Beyond Wrestling delivers once again.

JJZ: Finally we are here! I've tried several times to break into women's wrestling and couldn't find anything of note. This is why Beyond is one of the best indies in the states. I always loved the secret show idea with the intimate venue. Really wish I knew if there was any backstory going into this match. Fox is playing such a good shit heel. Lee is pulling so much sympathy from the little crowd. I believe there is another first in PIF history in this match which caught me a little off guard in a good way. You got a little bit of indy sloppy joe but then they make up for it with a stiff drink on the side. You defiantly charted some new ground here baby cakes. Really excited to explore the roads we have found ourselves in front of.

CJD: Chickenshit all the way. I've said it before but I really love when we get to see two sides of the coin for a wrestler from week to week. Fox was so effective as a face last week but even better here as a heel for my money.

JJZ: And they did such a good job of building up to the point when Lee loses it. One hell of a receipt for all those kicks to the face.