WOW Women of Wrestling Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction, Highlights from Premiere
WOW Women of Wrestling made its return to television after a long hiatus and produced a show that looked to plant the seeds for the matches and stories that will define it in the weeks and months to come.
Headlined by an in-ring appearance by world champion The Beast, the show introduced fans to what they can expect from the promotion, owned by Lakers owner and president Jeanie Buss and GLOW (Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling) creator David McLane.
Completely different from any other wrestling show on television in all the best ways possible, the first broadcast was a fun exercise in character work and establishing stories whose individual match grades are not reflective of the overall quality of the production.
What went down and who emerged from the night's four matches victoriously?
Find out now with this recap of the premiere episode.
For WWE Divas champion AJ Mendez joined McLane and Stephen Dickey on commentary for the night's action, which kicked off with a WOW Tag Team Championship Tournament match pitting The Tonga Twins (Kaoz and Kona) against Chantilly Chella and Randy Rah Rah.
The twins dominated the match, shrugging off an early onslaught by Chella before downing her and working her over in their corner. A hot tag to Rah Rah sparked a comeback for the babyfaces but a missed moonsault by the cheerleader proved their downfall.
Three running hip attacks and a Samoan Drop/neckbreaker combination earned The Tonga Twins the win and advancement in the tournament to crown the first WOW tag champions.
It was apparent from the opening bell that this WOW is unlike its predecessors. Sure, the gimmicky characters are still there, but the in-ring offering is lightyears beyond that of the previous incarnation of WOW or even the iconic GLOW.
Booking Ray Lyn, a veteran of the indies, as Chella and letting her bring the work early on was a great call. Rah Rah had some good energy late and the twins look like an unstoppable force and the clear favorites to win the tournament, even without having seen the other teams in the competition.
This was a great start to the show and set the tone for the rest of the episode.
Result
The Tonga Twins defeated Chella and Rah Rah
Grade
C+
Top Moments
Olympic-caliber synchronized swimmer-turned-boxer Kandi Krush documented her story prior to the night's next match, which saw her battle the smartass, whistle-blowing Coach Campanelli.
Campanelli worked over the hands of her opponent, looking to take her greatest weapons away from her. It worked, momentarily, but a TKO from Krush forced a stunned Campanelli to drape her foot over the bottom rope to break up the pin.
Seconds later, the boxer blasted her opponent with a right hand to score the win.
It was very clear that Krush is poised to be one of the biggest young stars on the show. She had the video package treatment and was presented like a star, both during her entrance and on commentary.
With that said, she is green. Really green. It was apparent that she is new to wrestling on more than one occasion. The good news is that the effort was there and she did not appear to be lost, which is a huge step for someone that has not been an in-ring performer for an abundant amount of time.
Whether Campanelli had experience or not, she appeared to be much more comfortable in front of the crowd. She also had better timing and a clear understanding of the story being told. She stood out as a hidden gem of the episode.
As a match, it was not particularly great. As an introduction to Krush, it was well executed and gives the audience someone they can relate to moving forward.
Result
Krush defeated Campanelli
Grade
C-
Top Moments
Rapper BK Rhythm controlled the opening moments of her match with Vivian Rivera but quickly found herself on the defensive, outwrestled by a better competitor.
Rivera tried for an armbar late but countered into a rollup to score the upset win over Rhythm.
Other than Chella earlier in the show, Rivera looked like the most comfortable and confident in-ring performer on the show to this point. It was interesting to see her get the win in that she did not have the character that others on the show did, nor did she get the video package treatment that Rhythm did prior to the match.
She came from out of nowhere to score the win but considering McLane mentioned on commentary her fandom of Eddie Guerrero and AJ Mendez, it gives her a certain level of credibility that others can not attain just from gimmicky personae.
The match was too short to amount to much from an in-ring perspective but do not be surprised if Rivera hangs around the WOW title picture as a potential dark horse candidate to win the gold in the future.
Result
Rivera defeated Rhythm
Grade
C
Top Moments
WOW world champion The Beast, a black belt in krav maga and EMT away from the ring, battled newcomer Adriana Gambino in the main event of this premiere episode.
The match was a one-sided demonstration of physical dominance by the impressive champion. Beast looked the part, demolishing the overmatched Gambino and putting her away with the powerbomb for the short, decisive victory.
After the match, Reina Del Rey hit the ring and delivered a German suplex to the victor, establishing herself as the next challenger to the champ.
There will be some who argue that the main event should be more competitive but Beast is clearly the centerpiece of the promotion and highlighting her in that spot was the right call. She looked unstoppable, a total badass and someone who it will take considerable talent to knock off her pedestal.
Is she the most polished wrestler? No, but she does not have to be. She has the look, the intensity and the aggression to set herself apart from everyone else on the roster and is the right choice to carry the newly relaunched promotion forward.
Result
Beast defeated Gambino
Grade
C
Top Moments
