On Friday, August 2nd, Dreamwave Wrestling held its big event, “Uprising: Women’s Athletes 3.” The show saw some of the best women’s wrestlers do what they do better than anyone on the independent scene. The show was headlined by a huge main event which saw Maggie Lee put her Dreamwave Women’s Championship on the line against Megan Bayne.
However, the action only just began there. Despite some changes to the card due to injuries, we still saw a ton of incredible action. Rebecca J. Scott put her Uprising Alternative Championship on the line against Hyan, Alice Crowley and Shelly Benson went to war, Brooke Havok met Kylie Rae, and so much more. Check out the full recap and review below.
Brooke Havok vs. Kylie Rae
Winner: Kylie Rae
Kicking off the night, we saw Brooke Havok go one-on-one with Kylie Rae. Both women got a very warm welcome from the Dreamwave faithful. This is a great test for Havok who comes from the West Coast against one of the true benchmarks in Chicago’s independent wrestling scene, in Kylie Rae. Despite the very different vibes from each woman, they are very similar in the fact that they are always their authentic selves when they get inside the squared circle.
The match itself was an incredibly fun one. Both women were very evenly matched in this one. There was a lot of respect between both competitors, and it was easy to see during this entire match. Ultimately, Kylie Rae lands a crucifix pin on Havok to win the match. After the match, Rae extended a handshake but it was denied by Havok in a very interesting turn of events. This was an amazing way to kick off Uprising 3, and fingers crossed we get to see both of these women do this again soon.
Aminah Belmont vs. Ivy Malibu
Winner: Ivy Malibu
Aminah Belmont makes her way down to the ring next and she does not make friends with the Dreamwave faithful. Ivy Malibu makes her way down to the ring next and has the fans firmly in her corner. With the big shift in some of the top contenders in Uprising, a win for either of these competitors could do a very good job at putting them on the map. Belmont starts the match by trash talking but Malibu quickly shuts that down with taunting of her own.
When the action really gets underway, Belmont attacks Malibu from behind. However, Malibu quickly changes the tides of this match and forces Belmont to head to the back. Malibu stops her and the action is off. Belmont uses some heel tactics to target Malibu’s arm and controls a good portion of the match. However, Malibu uses her power to change momentum into her favor. Ultimately, after more great back-and-forth, Malibu puts Belmont away with her finisher. Malibu continues to look incredible in the ring, and Belmont looked fantastic in her own right. This was another very fun and solid match.
Janai Kai vs. Shazza McKenzie vs. J-Rod
Winner: J-Rod
Up next, we saw a little bit of a change in the card. What was originally supposed to be Janai Kai vs. Kylie Alexa and Shazza McKenzie vs. J-Rod, turned into a triple threat match which saw Janai Kai face bott Shazza McKenzie and J-Rod. This was still a terrific match all things considered. A win in this three way match could be pivotal in getting some Dreamwave gold around the victor’s waist. Spoiler alert: J-Rod, Kai, and McKenzie all had an amazing performance in this match.
Janai Kai continued to look as dangerous as ever, while J-Rod continued to show why she’s one of the most powerful women on the independent scene today. Ultimately, J-Rod lands a massive spear on Shazza McKenzie to pick up the win. This win for J-Rod certainly continues to cement her spot on the independent scene, and specifically the Dreamwave roster.
The Hale Twins vs. Alejandra Quintanilla & Airica Demia
Winners: The Hale Twins
Up next, we see some tag team action. Briar and Sage, The Hale Twins face off with Alejandra Quintanilla and Airica Demia. Despite the lack of tag team experience for Demia and Quintanilla, The Hale Twins still have to be careful here because Demia and Quintanilla can turn it on quick in the ring. Despite being fairly new to the scene, Demia and Quintanilla have accomplished a lot, and that should not be understated.
This was a great tag team match. The Hale Twins used some heel tactics to separate the team of Demia and Quintanilla, but this didn’t last too long. However, The Hale Twins distracted the referee and created some confusion to change the tides of the match into their favor. Ultimately, a code red puts the match away in favor of The Hale Twins, who remain undefeated. It’s always fun getting to see all four of these competitors in action, and tonight proved no different. The Hale Twins are changing the game for women’s tag team wrestling.
Dreamwave Alternative Championship match: Rebecca J. Scott (c) vs. Hyan
Winner: AND STILL Dreamwave Alternative Champion, Rebecca J. Scott
Up next, we see our first title match of the night. Rebecca J. Scott puts her Dreamwave Alternative Championship on the line against a very formidable challenger in Hyan. This was one of the more anticipated matches of the night, Hyan and Scott were sure to tear the house down and they delivered in a huge way. Scott is the inaugural Dreamwave Alternative Champion, and it’s very easy to see why.
Hyan and Scott truly left it all in the ring. This match lived up to the hype and then some. Hyan definitely had the strength, power, and height advantage, but Scott has remained the champion for the reason and should never be counted out. Ultimately, after an incredible match, Scott lands her finishing move on Hyan to win the match. Rebecca J. Scott’s reign has been beyond fun lately, and Hyan is destined for huge things. Highly recommend checking out this match.
Ashlyn Alexander (w/ Zeke Zshe) vs. Sierra
Winner: Sierra
Following that incredible championship bout, a single’s match is on tap between Ashlyn Alexander and Sierra. This marked Alexander’s debut for Uprising and she looked great in her debut. Her opponent, Sierra, started wrestling at 15 and is a nine-year pro, so her resume speaks for itself. This was a powerhouse match at its finest. Sierra and Alexander each are powerhouses in every sense of the word.
Sierra catches Alexander early on with a huge shoulder block taking her off her feet. However, thanks to a distraction from Zshe, Alexander gained the upper hand and controlled a good portion of this match. Alexander showed a lot in her debut for Uprising. However, Sierra was not to be outdone. After some more great back-and-forth action, ultimately, Sierra forces Alexander to tap to her judo choke submission hold. If you like powerhouse matches, this is the match for you. Highly recommend checking out Sierra and Alexander.
Nixi XS vs. Emily Jaye
Winner: Emily Jaye
Up next, the “Versace of Violence,” Nixi XS goes one-on-one with “The Stunna,” Emily Jaye. Jaye was last seen in tag team action back in the month of April, however, this is her first singles match for Uprising, so it should be interesting to see how she fairs. Nixi XS looks to take a cheap shot early one, but Jaye quickly has an answer for that. Nixi tries to have to much fun at the expense of Jaye, and it works for a little while.
Nixi XS controlled a good portion of this match. She got some great offense in and did a good job at grounding Jaye. Something interesting about Nixi XS is she has only been in the business for a year and a half. She looks like she has the confidence and charisma of someone who’s been in the business much longer. Jaye fires up and lands some big moves to get right back into the match. Ultimately, Jaye lands her finisher on Nixi to win the match. Both of these women have very bright futures in the business. Don’t sleep on either of them.
Alice Crowley vs. Shelly Benson
Winner: Shelly Benson
Following that match, things take a more serious and violent turn when Alice Crowley makes her way down to the ring for her upcoming match. At just 21 years old, Crowley is already a six-year pro. Her opponent, Shelly Benson, is certainly no slouch. The “Chicago Cowgirl,” Shelly Benson, has certainly made her mark felt all over the mid-west on the independent scene.
The match starts quick with Crowley attacking Benson from behind. However, Benson quickly takes the fight right back to Crowley and does not let up. This match was a fight in every sense of the word, from outside the ring to inside. Both women land their heaviest and hardest-hitting shots on each other. Ultimately, the match ends when Benson lands her finisher for the three-count.
Dreamwave Women’s Championship match: Maggie Lee (c) vs. Megan Bayne
Winner: AND STILL Dreamwave Women’s Champion, Maggie Lee
The main event of the show saw Maggie Lee put her Dreamwave Women’s Championship on the line against a very tough challenger, Megan Bayne. Lee makes her way down to the ring first and gets her championship entrance (WITH PYRO!!). Lee always has that confidence and aura about her, and she is truly the one to beat at Dreamwave. Unfortunately for Lee, her challenger has beat just about anyone and everyone who was lined up in front of her.
Bayne makes her way down to the ring next, and she’s sporting an eye patch. She got stabbed in the eye with a screwdriver at a recent GCW show. The match starts with a stare down between the two competitors. Bayne quickly lands a takedown on Lee, but Lee gets right back up. Lee slaps Bayne in the face and Bayne returns the favor with a slap and a scoop slam. The action truly gets underway from here on out. After some good back-and-forth, Lee lands a suplex on Bayne on the apron, which sends both women crashing and burning. However, Bayne definitely got the worst of it.
Bayne tries to fight back, to no avail as Lee lands a butt bump stopping Bayne right in her tracks. Bayne lands a huge exploder suplex and follows it up with one more to change the momentum of the match. After some more excellent back-and-forth action, Bayne landed the tombstone piledriver. Just as it looked like she had the match won, someone in a black hoodie came out to distract the referee. This allowed Lee to land a roll-up on Bayne and pin her for the victory. After the match, Bayne gets attacked by Missa Kate who is unveiled to be the person in the hoodie. Rebecca J. Scott makes the save and all hell breaks loose. It’s announced that Bayne and Scott versus Kate and Lee at Dreamwave’s recent event which took place this past Saturday. Stay tuned!
Overall, this was a fantastic event from top-to-bottom. I highly recommend checking out any Dreamwave or Uprising shows. This women’s division is on the very top of its game, and there’s no signs of it slowing down. This event can be streamed live on IWTV, and stay tuned to Dreamwave/Uprising socials to find out about future shows and events.
