Falcon's Joshi Blog: SHINE 6: Mia Yim Victorious in Return to USA

Tina San Antonio has Mia in a rack

Photo: SlamminLadies

Shine 6 in Ybor City, FL, was by most accounts the best SHINE event ever. That's fantastic news since they were recently recognized as the promotion of the year in 2012; it's good to see that they're not sitting on their laurels. Tonight was a night that saw Mia Yim return from three months in Japan to wrestle Tina San Antonio for the first time. Though it was absent the highspots that we often expect from Mia, it was solid none the less. Mia started with a barrage of kicks including a penalty kick on the apron a la Hayato. She also used her spider web and ended the match with a series of release German suplexes followed by one where she hung on and forced it into a bridge for the pin. Tina is not a small woman, so that sequence of moves demonstrated remarkable core strength in Mia. Her power should never be underestimated. Tina for her part proved a worthy opponent for Mia; she showed strong technical ability including a wicked surfboard that seemed to put painful strain on Mia's injured left knee. In the end, though, Mia was victorious. So far in 2013 Mia is 3-0 (1/4 REINAxWORLD victories over Aoi and Battle Royal) (1/11 SHINE 6 victory over Tina San Antonio). This is Mia's best start ever in wrestling.

Photos by SHINEwrestling

Mia takes a bow

drop kick

"Come and get me"

Setting up the Mexican surfboard hold

Damn! The surfboard is painful!

High impact from Tina San Antonio

Choke with the boot

Awesome German Suplex!

a beautiful bridge for the pin!

Mia with the win!

Another much hyped match that definitely delivered was Jessicka Havok v Reby Sky. This is such a mismatch on a number of levels that one wonders whether Reby can put up a believable fight. Well don't worry, she certainly did. Reby has been studious in her ring training and her technical ability matches most, if not all of the wrestlers in the SHINE lockerroom. She surprised everyone tonight with a massive plancha dive onto Jessicka on the outside. The move involved agility and quickness to climb the ropes from the apron and great amplitude in the dive. In the end Jessicka locked her up in the Rings of Saturn and Matt Hardy threw in the towel from ringside. Reby was spared. But no one in the Orpheum in Ybor City or watching on iPPV ca doubt Reby Sky's toughness and courage.

Reby looks petrified with fear

The maniacal eyes of Jessicka Havok

Jessicka isn't above biting the lovely Reby Sky

Jess relentlessly attacks Reby's arm

hostile warning to Matt Hardy

Jessicka for the cover . . . only 2!

Jessicka has Reby in the Rings of Saturn!

Brutality! Jessicka the sadist!

This woman is not in her right mind!

More vicious violence and Matt throws in the towel

Reby is saved by Matt's surrender

Jessicka blows a sardonic kiss at Matt Hardy

The "Holy Shit!" moment of the night: Reby's Plancha

The night ended with a pitched battle between Mercedes Martinez and Amazing Kong. Mercedes cheated to get the win -- hand on the ropes for the pin -- but that wasn't the end of the evening. Allysin Kay, Taylor Made, April Hunter, Ivelisse, and Rain all returned to the ring and put a beat down on the two main eventers and everyone else in the lockerroom who was stupid enough to come out an challenge them. In the end those five stood in the ring unchallenged -- the Valkyrie! A new stable/group has been formed that may take SHINE by storm. A fascinating, unpredictable way to end the evening.