The IWF Shieldmaiden: A Revolution For Women's Wrestling

[Katherine Lockheart]

THE IWF SHIELDMAIDEN:
A REVOLUTION FOR WOMEN'S WRESTLING

By Katherine Lockheart

The significance of Legacy 2015 cannot be overstated. It was one of, if not the most significant Pay-Per-View event in the entire history of the Imperial Wrestling Federation. Significant not only as the last chapter in what will now be nostalgically remembered as the Origin Era, but also because it officially marked the end of not one, but two Championships that were considered by at least some to be the under-represented highlights of that era - the IWF Tag Team Championships and the IWF Ruby Championship.


Whilst IWF currently has no plans to reinstate the IWF Tag Team Championships, we found out this past Monday on the first Sacrifice of the Immortal Era, that the new Head of the Diamonds Division, Kathleen Conway does indeed have some big plans to revitalise the state of the competition for young women who have until now struggled to find a foothold among the other more established names in the company.


At Sacrifice, Kathy Conway gave an impassioned speech to the watching world where she proudly proclaimed the birth of a new breed of competition in the Diamonds Division, the competition not between precious gems but proud warriors, and thus six of the brightest but most under-utilised women in this company have been given the opportunity to claim immortality for themselves at the next live Pay-Per-View special event, Extreme Endurance.


This annual event is usually headlined by a fierce competition between two men for the coveted Man Of Steel Championship, a fact that did not deter Kathy Conway from trying to up the ante and raise the stakes just a little bit higher this year by announcing what she called the next evolution of the traditional Man Of Steel Match and that for the first time ever, six women would compete in a Maiden Of Steel Elimination Match and that the last warrior standing would be crowned the first IWF Shieldmaiden.

Under the rules of the contest, there are no pin falls or disqualifications, and competitors can only be eliminated via submission or failure to answer a ten count, all within the unforgiving confines of a steel cage. 

Emma Danielson has the raw power and brute strength advantage, whilst Mercedes Vargas and Crystal Hilton bring years of experience with them. Kayla Richards brings with her a bloodline with an established pedigree as she looks to prove that she is so much more than simply Amber Richards' younger sister, but perhaps the most fascinating dynamic of all in the match is brought by The Garcia Twins, who have a clear numbers advantage in an environment where it should be every woman for herself.


As Kathy Conway stated in her announcement, being the IWF Shieldmaiden is about so much more than simply holding a Championship in the traditional sense, and following the announcement, the following details about the rules and incentives governing the title were officially released in a statement to the press:

The IWF Shieldmaiden will be a fighting champion and as such will be eligible to challenge anybody to a match for her title on any IWF broadcast alongside her obligatory monthly title defence, however if she should lose her title in a match she arranged personally she will be ineligible for another shot at the belt for two months. The IWF Shieldmaiden will also be rewarded with a tier of incentives for her performances and successes as champion.  

If a Diamond manages to complete two successful months or four successful title defences she will be granted the opportunity to select the stipulation for each of her successive title defences until she loses her positions as the IWF Shieldmaiden. 

If a Diamond manages to complete three successful months or six successful title defences she will be granted an automatic opportunity are the IWF Diamonds Championship once she loses her position as the IWF Shieldmaiden. 

If a Diamond manages to complete four successful months or eight successful title defences she will be granted the opportunity to select the stipulation for her shot at the IWF Diamonds Championship once she loses her position as the IWF Shieldmaiden. 

It is clear that the company wants to move in a new direction, one which highlights the prestige and privileges of being a Champion in the Imperial Wrestling Federation, and all the current indications seem to point to a renewed sense of pride in female athletes who put their body on the line for our entertainment, being just as dedicated in their profession as their male counterparts, and for that reason alone, the move is a most welcome, if long overdue one.


Who will be the first ever IWF Shieldmaiden? Find out at Extreme Endurance on Sunday, September 27th 2015, live only on Pay-Per-View.



WATCH KATHY CONWAY ANNOUNCE THE IWF SHIELDMAIDEN