I remember my first reaction to Sara Del Rey’s imminent WWE signing was a huge smile. That simple act sums up this development perfectly.
As the case usually is, the first time I heard of Sara Del Rey was via internet word of mouth. She was amazing, she was the best, she was going to be the next big thing without an awful back tattoo. After a little research, a little YouTubing, and a DVD segment that wasn’t skipped, I came to one very obvious conclusion:
Man, she WAS good!
Fast forward to the second DVD taping of SHIMMER: Women Athletes. This was my first venture to the hallowed halls of the Berwyn Eagles Club and it was very much The Death Rey Show. Mind you, this was before the days of an entire weekend of SHIMnanigans. The fact that she ended up working four matches that day was really impressive. While her web match with Loralei Lee was no Flair/Steamboat encounter, it was something that the SHIMMER office thought enough of to be the very first thing they used to promote the company online.
Sara was the obvious choice for the first SHIMMER Champion.
The pride of SHIMMER.
Traveling the world defending her title for nearly a year, she was the walking showcase of what SHIMMER wanted to be. Not to discredit MsChif, Cheerleader Melissa, Madison Eagles, or anyone else that ever competed in a SHIMMER ring, but a very large part of what SHIMMER has become is thanks to Sara Del Rey.
In a much broader sense, a lot of credit must be given for Sara’s crossover appeal as well. When you really look at it, Sara Del Rey is the only woman to be featured prominently in all of the “major” independents.
In a company that has really never featured a woman, Sara was a feature of Ring of Honor for quite some time. Her role as the muscle of Sweet N’ Sour Incorporated/Bobby Dempsey abuser was pulled off so well it even turned a gay man straight!
True story.
A friend and I were sitting front row at a Ring of Honor show in Chicago Ridge, IL. Said friend was so impressed with her thighs during a savage beating that he decided not only did he want some, but he went up to her at the merchandise table and asked her out for drinks after the show.
Hi Big Mary. How ya doin’?
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Her high conversion rate and role with the Kings of Wrestling aside, Sara Del Rey has cemented herself as a big name draw all cross the world of independents. A main event title match against CHIKARA Grand Champion Eddie Kingston on July 28th highlights this makeshift “farewell tour.” She’s also going to be featured in the main event of Shine 1 against former ECW and WWE talent Jazz on July 20th.
Back in March, Sara made her debut for my beloved AAW promotion in Berwyn. She was part of the special “SHIMMER Showcase” six woman tag match. Honestly, it was a good match. Nothing really of note, but a good match. The main storyline focus was to kickstart a feud between MsChif and Danny Daniels…but guess who was front and center on the DVD cover and spine?
Sara Del Rey is immensely talented. That’s why she’s been a draw everywhere she’s been. From AAW, to NCW Femme Fatales, to SHIMMER, and beyond. It takes a special talent to pull all of this off and this is one we won’t see again for a good long time.
The main concern voiced seems to be the WWE not using Sara “right.” What does that even mean? Yes, the days of Sara Del Rey and her twenty minute matches are probably a thing of the past. But that doesn’t make her any less talented. Yeah, Mimi Beardsley the wrestling florist or whatever the WWE decides her character should be is going to be nowhere near as awesome as Death Rey: Queen of Wrestling but this distraction shouldn’t cause you to overlook the true beauty of this. We, the fans, are going to watch someone accomplish a life long goal and live out their dream.
There is a long legacy that Sara Del Rey leaves behind from her pre-WWE days. We have years and years of classic matches that will hold up for a long time to sit back and appreciate. All of that hard work got her to where she is now. Take some time to enjoy and appreciate the big picture: she finally made it.
Here’s to you, Queen. Berwyn won’t be the same without you, but you earned it!
/p