We’re taking another trip to die Weiße Rose in Berlin, as Project Nova put on a women’s only card in March.
Quick Results
Heartbeat Girl pinned Baby Allison in 7:57 (**½)
Tayra Gates & Nicky Foxley pinned Gaya Glass & Celine in 10:28 (**)
Mila Michelle Smidt pinned Ava Everett in 11:49 (***¼)
Jessy Jay pinned Anita Vaughn in 11:16 to retain the NOVA Marty Shaw Cup (**¾)
Lina & Melanie Gray pinned Xara Grace & Michelle Green in 10:02 (**¾)
Kara submitted Laura di Matteo in 8:49 to retain the GWF Women’s Championship (***)
This is our second look at Project Nova – and their mid-March outing was a special one as it was an all-female show. From the opening shots, the Berlin venue looked packed, which is always good…
Heartbeat Girl vs. Baby Allison
There’s something about Heartbeat Girl that clicks as a show-opening act – the music definitely plays a hell of a part.
Heartbeat Girl went for a hug… Allison went for a lick instead, which was more than was bargained for at the start. Allison’s early side headlock takes Heartbeat Girl down to the mat, but headscissors break it up before Allison was taken down with a crucifix for a two-count. A spinning clothesline gets Heartbeat Girl a two-count, before things spilled out, with Allison throwing her foe into the side of the ring.
A Scorpion kick from Allison on the apron keeps her ahead, as did a half-and-half suplex, before a roll-up out of the corner almost nicked a win for Heartbeat Girl. Ground and pound from Allison puts her back in control, before she’d Matrix’d out of a second discus clothesline as Heartbeat Girl ate the proverbial you-know-what.
Allison doesn’t keep the lead for long though, falling to elbows and clotheslines before a running facebuster nearly won it for Heartbeat Girl. Heading up top, Allison caught Heartbeat Girl with a superplex, but Heartbeat Girl kicks out at two, cradling Allison in return for the popular win. That’s gotta go down as an upset, as we get a hug and lick afterwards… and I didn’t think that’d ever be in one of these reports. **½
Xara Grace was out next for a promo segment, where my German lets me down again. She calls out Melanie Gray, who was doing commentary… Mella obliges, and you’d think something would be up when Xara started heaping praise on her. You’d be right, because that praise was aimed at Lissy Lennox – who’s been wrestling in Germany since 2008. Gray introduces someone in response – Lina… which’d make you think we’re getting a tag match. Except Xara invited someone else to the party, not Lissy’s tag partner Toyah Moon, but instead a world traveller in Michelle Green.
Green – who’s dubbed herself the Money Making Machine – is told by Xara to address the crowd in German, because they don’t understand English, nor French. Anyway, “plans change” as Michelle’s invitation ended up being for a match, and that looks to be set for later tonight…
Gaya Glass & Celine vs. The Lunatiks (Nicky Foxley & Tayra Gates)
Gates and Foxley have changed their looks up since I last saw them – they’re rather inspired by Mad Max.
The Lunatiks are jumped at the bell as Glass and Gates start us off, with Gates getting taken into the corner for a handspring clothesline, ahead of a low dropkick from Celine. Foxley tags in, but Celine ducks under her and hits a bell clapper, then a jawbreaker, before a sliding Flatliner picked up a two-count.
Foxley picks up Celine, but gets shoved into the corner as Glass returned for her half of a double-team suplex. A hair pull from Foxley yanks Glass to the mat, before Gates tagged in and had Glass thrown into her for a spinebuster. Cue some shrill screams as Glass gets isolated by the Lunatiks, with a drop toe hold taking Glass into Gates’ knee.
Gates charges to clatter Celine on the apron, then head back to the other corner for double knees to Glass for a two-count. Sole Food from Glass looked to give her a break, but she’s dragged back to the Lunatik’s corner as Foxley threw her into the ropes for some choking. Gates got in on the act, as the Lunatiks kept exchanging frequent tags.
Glass is held in a surfboard stretch as a running kick from Foxley led to a two-count, before another double-team suplex was countered into a DDT. Celine gets the hot tag in and tried to clear house, taking down Foxley with a ‘rana. Celine keeps on with forearms, knocking Foxley down for a thrust kick to the head for a two-count, while an Octopus stretch gets broken up as Foxley tagged in Gates… and turned defence into attack with a wacky double-team reverse DDT.
Celine tags out after taking a Codebreaker… Glass hits a reverse STO that forces Foxley in to break up the cover, as a Parade of Moves broke out, leading to a wacky double-team uranage for the win – despite commentary seemingly thinking it’d been countered. Add a little more urgency, there’s something in this Lunatiks pairing, but things felt a little plodding here. **
Ava Everett vs. Mila Michelle Smidt
Smidt’s gained a middle name since I last saw her, and was the unquestionable favourite here, thanks to Ava making sure the crowd wouldn’t cheer her.
Everett’s quickly diving into the ropes to break up Smidt’s offence, but a snapmare and a seated dropkick has Everett down ahead of a legdrop for a two-count. A poke to the eye as the referee was caught off guard allowed Everett in as she began to pull Smidt’s hair on the mat.
The pair exchange strikes, with Smidt having to fight through Everett’s gilet, only to get met with a cross chop and a clothesline in response. A huge forearm from Everett knocks Smidt through the ropes, before she took her French foe into the turnbuckles, while a snap DDT almost got Everett the win.
Smidt pushes on with forearms and chops of her own, before a poke to the eyes from Smidt, then a belly-to-belly suplex left Everett prone for a running flip neckbreaker. Everett’s folded in half with a release German suplex, taking her to the corner for a bicycle-ish kick for a near-fall.
On the apron, the pair trade forearms, with Everett breaking the count so she could keep throwing bombs… only to get caught with a headbutt. Smidt clotheslines her back into the ring, but Everett’s able to land a missile dropkick for a near-fall. The back-and-forth continues with Smidt coming close on a Northern Lights suplex, while Everett’s superkick was caught and turned into a Widow’s Peak. A running knee follows, and that’s enough for Smidt to get the win in a good outing that saw these two knock lumps out of each other. ***¼
NOVA Marty Shaw Cup: Jessy Jay (c) vs. Anita Vaughan
Vaughan was looking to win the cup on St. Patrick’s Day here, but would have to do so on enemy territory.
Vaughan powdered to the outside early as she looked to play keepaway with Jessy Jay… it led to a cheapshot as the referee was trying to separate the pair in the corner. Jessy manages to make inroads with mounted punches, then with clotheslines in the corner before Vaughan countered a springboard by hanging Jay up in the ropes.
Heading outside, Jay chops Vaughan into the crowd, prompting the Irishwoman to walk out on the match… only for Jessy to drag her back through the curtain. Back on the outside, Vaughan threw a drink over Jessy… then grabbed the mic and jabbed it into the champion. Problem was, Vaughan lost her focus and got caught by Jay back inside, only to go for the hair as someone tried to throw in a bit for Botchamania.
Jay’s quickly back on the defensive though, recovering with a roll-up after avoiding a kick from Vaughan. We’ve an enziguiri from Vaughan in return, who then went to the corner to rough up the champion, only for Jay to return with a Michinoku driver for a near-fall. The back-and-forth continues with Vaughan taking Jay out of the corner for a fallaway slam, following up with a Codebreaker and a roll-up… with the feet on the ropes to almost steal the win.
While Vaughan argued with the ref, Jay’s able to charge in with a spear… and that’s enough to get the win. **¾
Michelle Green & Xara Grace vs. Lina & Melanie Gray
Set up earlier on the show, this one got going with Gray and Grace… except Xara instantly tagged out to Michelle Green instead. Who then tagged Xara back in, and so forth. It’s one way to build annoyance!
When we finally got going, Gray grabbed a side headlock on Green, but was forced to break in the ropes as Green returned the favour. An armdrag from Gray rocks Green, as did a kick to the side of the head, before a running Finlay roll earned a two-count. Lina’s in to add to the pressure with a knee drop, only for Lissy Lennox to trip Lina in the ropes… in full view of the ref.
Xara Grace tags in amid all that, adding a diving crossbody for a two-count, before she raked Lina’s eye against the rope. Lina fought back with a dropkick, only to get charged into the corner by Grace, who followed up with a splash as Green held Lina in the buckles. Michelle’s in next for a splash of her own, then a back suplex for a two-count, before Grace snuck in some kicks through the ropes.
Green’s chinlock keeps Lina grounded… Lina escapes to hit a neckbreaker, but doesn’t go for the cover, instead opting to tag out as we reach Gray and Grace. Grace is tripped as Gray’s back senton lands… Mella follows up with a dropkick to the back of Grace for a two-count, before she rolled Grace into a Cloverleaf.
Green runs in to break it up though, before Lissy Lennox again got caught interfering. This time, her choking on Gray gets her ejected. Lissy drags her feet, eventually leaving as Grace picked up Gray… and got met with a series of forearms. A roll-up got Gray a near-fall, before Grace pushed Gray into the corner… Lina tags in and heads up top as Gray went for the Cloverleaf again.
Gray manages to cut-off Green’s break-up, heading outside with her as Lina hit a crossbody off the top for a near-fall on Grace. Lina’s able to follow it up with a DDT, and that’s enough to put away the self-styled “Queen of Nova” after a decent match that finally saw Grace get some comeuppance. **¾
GWF Women’s Championship: Laura di Matteo vs. Kara (c)
Add Laura di Matteo to the “it’s been a while since I’ve seen her” list, but that’s mostly because I’m way behind on my EVE. Meanwhile, Kara’s getting booed, so I guess her alignment from the GWF is sticking around here.
Kara attacked di Mattteo from behind during the introductions – credit to the ring announcer for staying in the ring to get her job done before the ref started things. Shoulder charges from Kara played to the audience chanting for a title change, as di Matteo managed to find a way back in with a bunch of armdrags.
A dropkick has Kara down, as did a sliding clothesline, but Kara’s able to throw di Matteo into the corner. Kara chokes di Matteo in the ropes, then went to rip off a turnbuckle… but the referee stops her as a palm strike knocked the challenger back down. Kara’s clothesline gets her a two-count, before she ducked an enziguiri from di Matteo. Kara’s chinlock is fought out of, as the Italian tripped up Kara for a dropkick that almost won it.
Ground and pound from Kara puts her back in the driving seat, before Kara went and ripped off a turnbuckle. A ringside attendant goes to put the pad back on, but they need cable ties or something, so he drops down to the floor as an enziguiri from di Matteo found its mark. Di Matteo pushes on with clotheslines, then dropkicked away Kara’s knee as a short DDT landed for a near-fall.
Di Matteo scoots into the ropes to force a break on a crossface, returning with a superkick and a face buster for a near-fall. Kara pleads with the referee to fix the corner she’d broken earlier… and the misdirection allows Kara to go for an eye rake, then a Samoan drop… which nearly got the win. From the kickout, Kara goes to a crossface, and that’s enough for the submission. I’d have liked this to have gone a few minutes longer, given it was meant to be Laura di Matteo challenging for a title she had stripped from her during the pandemic, but this was a pretty solid main event that solidified Kara’s reign. ***
It says a lot of Nova that the vast majority of this card could be considered regulars on this show – as opposed to being folks flown in to “make up the numbers” in one way or another. With other promotions in Germany starting to add more all-female shows (or in the case of Stuttgart’s FURY, all-female promotions), it’ll be interested to see where these one-off shows stand in a year or two’s time on the back of these extra shots.