Here we go. I was even mentioned by name for this one. For those of you who might be new to this, each and every week without a major wrestling pay per view the At Odds with Wrestling podcast hosts assign classic wrestling events for each other to watch. Classic is an interesting choice of words here. This week Adam picked an event from the Women’s Extreme Wrestling promotion. Booty Assault is a collection of matches from the organization. Matches that took place everywhere from the historic ECW Arena all the way to Froggy’s bar and grill. This company started 20 years ago and is definitely a snapshot of its time. Matches range from potential to embarrassing. Nothing is “good”. Sometimes it’s sad and pathetic. But then there are a few women who are paying their dues and trying anything to get noticed that provide bright spots to this. I’m torn between being lecherous as expected or providing a mature reaction. This will probably be a mix of both. 

We start with some Nu Metal music over clips of the action we will see tonight. The opening match might be at the ECW Arena but it’s so damn dark I can barely see the wrestlers in the ring. The commentators are terrible and that is a theme that continues throughout the show, despite there being multiple commentating teams throughout the event. 

ODB vs Christie Ricci.

ODB has not yet found herself. I loved the character during her TNA Impact run and she’s not quite there yet. Some confidence, experience, and enhancements are yet to be seen here. But there’s a passion. She’s trying her best. Ricci isn’t bad but again it doesn’t feel like she’s put everything together yet. “ODB looks good when she cleans herself up.” Honestly, yeah. I know she has a certain gimmick but she hung with the rest of the Knockouts during that golden era. That said, this match is barely above GLOW standards. The crowd sucks too, which is draining any energy the girls are creating out of the room. Ricci hits a backdrop into the pin. The sound and video are horribly off for this match too. All in all a great start to this program. 

BJ the referee comes out and shows off her thong whale tail. This was a golden era. The low rise jeans and high rise thongs. Minding your own business and suddenly notice a flash of color out of the corner of your eyes. Vivid memories of this era while I was working and in college. Hey, word is low rise jeans are back! And tattoo artists are saying this new generation are getting tramp stamps. Everything comes around again. 

Back to wrestling. 

Amanda Storm (with The Smoke) vs Alexis Laree.

The commentator does not hide his opinions. Sure, Amanda is a bit rough around the edges. Now, I didn’t look up when each of these matches took place but if Amanda and ODB were on the same show together, I think ODB borrowed a lot from Amanda. Take what Storm is doing here and combine it with ODB in the first match and you have the TNA version of her. Alexis comes out and she must be brand new to wrestling here. She’s in her gym gear. The passion and fire is already there though. Crazy to see a Hall of Fame career start on this exploitation show. Alexis does a split and hits Smoke in the nuts. Smoke is doing a bad impression of The Rock but that’s not the worst thing he’ll do on this show. The commentator is trying to make sexual jokes but it doesn’t work. BJ comes out and she’s overly sexual at first. However, once the match starts she takes her referring work seriously. Amanda and Alexis aren’t being sexual. So the commentator just sounds perverted instead of even a bit funny. Alexis hits Amanda with a chair but Storm no sells it and starts to destroy Laree. Smoke pushes Alexis off the top rope but Amanda has no idea how to capitalize on this. Amanda comes off the top and crashes. The commentator mentions BJ counting both women down; “if you can’t get up by 10 she’ll call the whole thing off!” That’s what foreplay is for. I’ve never had a woman or a referee or a woman referee pull out the stop watch. Alexis jumps off the top to the floor and takes out both Amanda and Smoke. Alexis hits an inverted DDT for the win. Again, there’s potential on this show but that’s about it. 

April Hunter vs Barbie.

I’m aware of April Hunter for many reasons but this is my first time seeing Barbie. Wait, Barbie is Rhaka Khan?! I haven’t thought of her in what, over 15 years? The referee for the match is Isis and I don’t think the Isis referee for the next match is the same woman. This Isis seems lost at first and then overly excited. She might actually know what she’s doing a bit. Barbie has an absurd amount of faith in her shorts. I’m shocked they stayed on and covered her for the duration of this match. Barbie isn’t bad here. Indian deathlock. Nice jump split leg drop that Nikita Lyons is using now. Meanwhile, I’m wondering how April had the career that she did. I mean, I can guess. In a way she’s a pioneer for the OnlyFans and Patreon era of today. April misses a move, Barbie gets a schoolgirl roll up for the pin. April tries to attack Barbie after the match but Isis separates them. 

Lady Storm vs GI Ho (WEW Champion)

I think this is the new GI Ho, not the original. I’m not that worried about it though and won’t be looking up the details. GI Ho has her own original music though. She also has the biggest lifts in her boots and I’m impressed she can move in those things. We have another scantily clad referee, which again is called Isis but the curves are different. Oh, GI Ho is from Fort Dix. Of course she is. Well, at least the water was safe to drink at that Fort. This is a nice looking bar by the way. I hope we see more of it. Isis thoroughly, and I mean thoroughly, checks for foreign objects. 

What happened? The show suddenly jumps and both women are fighting in the crowd. Do I see a sign on the wall for something called GLOOW? This is actually a fun brawl throughout the restaurant with plenty of ridiculous things used as weapons. GI Ho gets dumped behind the bar. The commentators keep getting worse and I long for the respectful play by play commentary of the ICP on Strangle-Mania. The fight makes its way back to the ring and GI Ho gingerly jumps off of the middle rope to the floor. Again, what’s happening? Apparently Isis counts the pin on the floor and GI Ho is the winner. Alright, sure. I have to admit, GI Ho is looking good after this fight. Suddenly two men, Smoke and Sound Guy come out and jump GI Ho. I guess they’re anti-Ho or something. It’s honestly uncomfortable watching them beat up a woman and get such glee out of it. It doesn’t feel like part of the show, it feels like a booker creating a legal excuse and pass for him to beat up a woman. Thankfully, Tai “Killer” Weed and Psycho Bitch come out to make the save. This sets up:

Tai Weed and Psycho Bitch vs Smoke and Sound Guy. 

The Sound Guy smokes throughout the match and my assumptions and allegations grow stronger. Tai has an incredible amount of faith in that thong. Thankfully this is pre Google cell phones with amazing cameras. Oh, we have another time jump! Psycho no sells a chair shot. All four are fighting outside of the ring. The fight goes outside of the bar and into the parking lot. You can tell how much the fans are enjoying the action when no one goes outside to watch the action. Back inside and Sound Guy throws a TV down which barely misses Tai. Psycho shocks everyone with a handspring elbow into the corner. Tai goes for a cover on the floor. GI Ho returns from her earlier beat down and splashes Smoke from the top. Psycho Bitch makes the pin on Smoke. Tai grabs beers for the victorious ladies. We get our copyright and a quick implied kiss between Tai and GI Ho. Then on the YouTube account that I watched this on, 5 minutes of nothing before the person’s PPV feed ended. 

GLOW proved there’s a market for sexy over the top women’s wrestling. Impact Knockouts and WWE Evolution proved there’s a big market for strong women wrestling. Hell even XPW showed there’s an overlap market for porn and wrestling. Yet somehow WEW is none of it. It’s not quite X and not quite Y and somehow also not in between the two. It feels like it is serving too many masters. It’s impossible to be a serious wrestling show and sleaze. Honestly, I think I would have preferred the show if they did choose a direction. All that said, there was some future talent on this show. No matter how small or how ridiculous the wrestling show is, you never know who you’ll see early in their career.