Bout One Features Re-Match of Last Year’s Title Tilt

by Hells LaBelle

This weekend begins another journey into the world of Women’s Flat Track Roller Derby here in St. Louis with the Arch Rival Rollergirls. I’m particularly excited about this season because the league enters this year with more unknowns than any other season that I have worked with these athletes. My how the landscape has changed in the turn of just one year on the calendar!

With so many faces on all three local teams that have bid farewell to playing the sport of roller derby, new faces have arrived on the scene to show the area fanbase what they can do.

This is definitely the case with the M-80’s, who lost a small army of players like The Seige, Jawbreaker, Shanghai Lily, Trixie, Riddle Lynn, Roxy, Buns, Dani, Frau, and Overland. Some see this as the Demolition of a once-proven Dynasty…

Others (like me) see it as an opportunity. You see, with all the talent that exists in the list of names I just rattled off, there had to be support players. Players that were new to the sport, learning their craft, and taking as much from these leaders as they could. Players that were needed in practices to challenge the team leaders and keep them sharp as well. Players that unfortunately had to sit and watch during pivotal times in bouts because they may not have been ready or as skilled as the veterans.

Well, ready or not… their time is now. I know every one of them believes they have what it takes to step into the spotlight and show the league exactly what they are made of. And if you’ve seen Jack U. Up, Josie, Cherry or Smack skate, you know they are ready.

Nikki Vixxen

Ana Warpath

The M-80’s don’t lack leadership by any stretch. Nikki Vixen and Ana Warpath are proven blockers in the league that really know how to lay out a big hit when the team needs one to get fired up. Joanie Rollmoan has won the “Fearless Leader” award at the ARRG banquet multiple times. She trains all the “newbies,” and continues to be one of the most respected, not to mention talented, players in the league. Enya Nightmare, despite knee surgery that put her on the shelf for a while, has come back over the course of a year and evolved into a determined leader, and a smarter player. Keligula is a co-captain on the Travel Team, a skater that stood out in her rookie season, and is one of the fastest jammers in ARRG.

So don’t let the 10-skater roster fool you… The M-80’s are still loaded. Not to mention blood-thirsty, after seeing their hopes at a three-peat dashed by the Stunt Devils.

Which brings me to their opponent on Saturday night, the Stunt Devils. Their problem is exactly the opposite of the M-80’s. They aren’t seeing their numbers dwindle, they’re seeing their roster expand. Not only do they have younger players that continue to improve with every season, but they’ve drafted more talented players for this year’s roster. Their depth is exactly the problem that team captains want to have.

Mayor Francis Slayer

Starry Starry Fight

Led by Mayor Francis Slayer and Starry Starry Fight (two of the best in the business), the Stunts also boast the leadership of the league MVP (and leading scorer), Artemischief, former co-captain of the undefeated St. Lunachix, Miss Lippy, and one of the most notorious skaters in the entire league (who is a former Stunt Captain herself) Grave Danger. We also cannot look past the most “cerebral” member of ARRG, Bertha Venus. I know she will look for some more time on the track this season and is ready to impress.

What impresses me about this Stunt Devil team is how all their younger players stepped up their game to a new level last season. When given more time on the floor, players like Danikka Doom, Deathica Steele, South City Shiner, and Smarty McFly (who really broke onto the scene last year) answered the bell and came out swinging. All the ladies I mentioned benefited from Travel Team playing time (either on the A or B-teams), which made their endurance and track vision exponentially better.

The damage of retirement was minimal in the sense that while their former team captain will not be skating with them anymore. Crime Minister is a bench coach for the Stunts. So her knowledge and experience in this league is still a presence on the Stunt Devil bench. Peppy Longlegs and the Pro-Agonist are tough losses, as both skaters had turned a corner last season and were showing real signs of becoming impact players. And the absence of Reyna and Dawn in the pack will be noticeable. But the new class of ladies in purple is ready to join a roster of champions.

Now we get to see their first round draft pick, Domme E. Nation, in action. I caught a glimpse of her in St. Lunachix action last season, and let me tell ya, she was a fast learner and is ready to block some girls this year. Cookies N. Cream, Le Faetal, Whip Scream and Beretta Michaels are all getting more experience with Travel Team practices and should mesh into the roster nicely.

But what about the rivalry that these two teams have shown? Last season, both of these teams scored over 100 points against one another in winning AND losing efforts. The Stunts took their victory under the brightest lights… the lights of the ARRG Championship. The Stunt Devils became the first team to hold the official ARRG trophy that doesn’t wear Red. They ended the run of M-80’s championships (put an end to thoughts of a threepeat).

The M-80’s want their trophy back. That journey begins Saturday.

The Stunt Devils want to prove to the league and their fans that their Championship last season was not a fluke. That journey begins Saturday.

The Smashinistas will be our hostess team, but will really be there scouting the heck out of both of these teams. They want a taste of their first championship, and I will have much more to write about them before the next bout… That journey begins Saturday.

This season will be a long and unpredictable journey… not to mention a bumping freakin’ ride…

I’ll see you there.

Hells LaBelle and The Grand Poobah are bout announcers for the 2010 season of the Arch Rival Roller Girls.  Check back here in this area on Mondays for the latest in ARRG News and information.

This entry was posted on Monday, January 4th, 2010 at 6:35 am and is filed under Bouts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.