February 26, 2025,
Large women’s wrestling conventions add additional dynamics that you can’t find at a typical women’s wrestling event.
First, the size and scope of the women who show up to compete is global and filled with the elite. Those conventions are a way of taking the temperature of where the industry is at during that era.
Arguably the greatest women’s wrestling convention of all time, by far, was Jackpin’s 2008 Convention. We were in attendance and it was spectacular. Life altering even. Some historic matches would take place there and we had a chance to meet some of the stars of that era.
Another aspect that speaks to the convention’s powerful scale were some of the matchups, never to be repeated.
One of them was Canada’s Neko vs America’s Lady Pro wrestler extraordinaire in Christie Ricci.
Some introductions are in order.
After being trained by Leilani Kai, Christie made her debut in June 2002, and began competing on the independent circuit.
That year, she was named Rookie of the Year by the Professional Girl Wrestling Association.
She won both the LLF Championship and the XWF Women's Championship, before being sidelined with a knee injury in 2004.
After her return, Christie continued to wrestle on the independent circuit, competing in All Pro Wrestling's first ChickFight tournament, and on October 8, 2005, she won the NWA World Women's Championship, which she held until January 2007.
She also appeared at Shimmer's first shows in November 2005. She later appeared for the Wrestlicious promotion as Glory and was the inaugural Wrestlicious Champion.
What an exemplary resume.
As impressive is as her wrestling is, it is scripted. The question we had as we saw her standing in the ring that day in San Diego was, how would she do in a fully competitive female submission wrestling match?
Well, you often only look as good as your opponent allows you to.
If it is a newbie or a jobber, even though new, you can still win.
That was not the case today.
Her opponent would be Canada’s Neko.
A little history here.
Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel was a French fashion designer and founder of the Chanel brand. She is the only fashion designer listed on Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century.
She astonished with her trademark suits and little black dresses, fashion designer Coco Chanel created timeless designs that will be popular forever.
She also was quoted as expressing something that made FCI think of the exciting but short lived career of the Canadian wrestling beauty Neko. Ms. Chanel stated, “In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.”
With her energetic skillful wrestling approach coupled with hair styles that made a powerful fashion statement, in a good way Neko was different. Cookie cutter personalities need not apply.
“I think every person has their own identity and beauty. Everyone being different is what is really beautiful. If we were all the same, it would be boring”....Tila Tequila
Her career began with the world renowned London Wrestling Studio.
Here is what the promotion had to say about her. “Neko challenges the mighty Dragon to a submissions only wrestling match. This is Neko’s first ever competitive wrestling match against another woman. We must give her kudos for choosing Dragon as her first opponent!”
Clearly Neko was a fast learner. We would follow her career and watch her jet into the land of the Goddesses of Fighting Style in Europe. Except for a grueling match with the blonde maiden Tina, Neko seemed to dominate. Very impressive.
We would later meet and have a nice conversation with Neko during this Jackpin 2008 Women’s Wrestling Convention at the Marriott Hotel in sunny San Diego. Her eyes were bright and danced with anticipation.
She had a private match against Devon where she had a chance to strut her stuff and then it was time to climb into the center ring to take on icons Christie Ricci from the lady pro wrestling world.
With that backdrop, are you ready to go ringside to one of the most memorable matches during the greatest women’s wrestling convention of all time?
Let’s do that now.
CHRISTIE RICCI VS NEKO
Great anticipation was married to blaring rock music as Christie was about to enter the ring. Having seen many of her wrestling matches on television, the princess from Nashville was more statuesque and gorgeous in person.
Soon the dynamic Neko would enter the ring as well.
The two beauties were brought together and shook hands.
Time to begin.
Christie was quite a bit taller than Neko so it would be in her best interest to hand fight from above and capture the headlock.
She doesn’t do that.
Instead, she falls back on her pro wrestling experience and submarines Neko who gladly accepts the gift and captures Christie from behind, locking her into a scissor. The Canadian girl clearly has a chance for a powerful rear naked choke but curiously doesn’t apply it. We must remember, this is back in 2008 and MMA was not popular yet or Neko simply did not know how to apply the hold.
She continues to ride Christie from behind. Neko applies semi-chokes but nothing to place Christie in any real trouble. The struggle continues for some time with no real threat of a submission, until it doesn’t.
Christie gets to her knees.
The audience applauds.
As they struggle, Christie in grappling with Neko’s wrists while the Canadian girl is applying the mostly ineffective floor to body scissor, which maintains an illusion of control but rarely threatens a real submission, as here, Christie is the larger girl and most likely will not be submitted this way.
Finally Christie breaks the hold as the audience applauds.
The two girls kick at one another to keep each other at bay until Christie vies for and achieves the top position and lets out a scream of triumph. Finally she is up top. Neko is lying flat on her back below. The Canadian talent had her chances if only she know how to apply a strong rear naked choke. She hinted at an arm bar, grabbing at Christie’s right arm, but it was from below and she couldn’t get much traction.
Now is Christie in control? Given her lack of fully competitive wrestling experience, what will she do with this new advantage?
Christie immediately leaps and falls backwards trapping Neko’s arm in a brutal arm bar and placing her legs across Neko’s chest as she pulls harshly on Neko’s left arm. It is over quick and Neko taps out.
Surprising.
Neko is supposed to be the one with more experience and yet, when she had the advantage, she did little with it. When the Lady Pro wrestler takes the advantage, she submits pronto.
Interesting.
Christie has clearly been trained in MMA.
1-0 for the champion Lady Pro (4:49).
Both beautiful ladies go back to their respective corners and stand. Christie hands Neko a bottle of water for a drink.
Time to engage.
Christie looks at Neko’s hands and wrists and start to hand fight. Then, once again, she surprises Neko with a leg trip and takes her down. The gorgeous Southern Belle leaps on top of Neko and is now sitting on her chest. Christie is all smiles, as the underdog, she appears to be really enjoying herself. That is a good sign. The Canadian star appears more serious, but less effective.
Neko tries bucking Christie off. Ride ‘em cowgirl as Christie goes with the flow similar to bull riding. She stays up top while Neko continues to try and buck her off.
Christie reveals her intentions as she slightly moves forward to smother Neko out. She has maneuvered Neko’s wrists downward to give herself better upper chest access. Neko does scissor Christie’s right leg to prevent a full mount.
Neko has temporarily staved off a submission.
Christie continues to fight from the sitting position, working Neko’s hands and wrists from above while Neko continues the floor to sitting scissors and Christie responds by driving her elbows into Neko’s shapely thighs.
They eventually settle on a position, with Christie sitting on top, wrangling with Neko’s wrists and the young Canadian girl trying to buck Christie off. This goes on for some time.
Finally Christie spins over Neko, cross body pin style.
Can she do anything productive with this?
Yes indeed.
The Lady Pro uses her body weight to keep Neko pressed down and then she brilliantly clasps Neko’s left wrist, locking and bending it backward. By Neko’s moans of pain, she is clearly in distress. Finally the pain is too much and Neko taps out.
The match is over.
Christie wins 2-0.
Coming in to this match, having watched Neko wrestle in Europe, we thought, given Christie’s entry in to the fully competitive female submission wrestling world that Neko would handily win this match.
This is why you play the games.
Christie is a fighter and she just doesn’t give up. We can understand why she has done so well as a Lady Pro.
There was a star studded international crowd attending that day in San Diego at Jackpin’s masterful convention. The combination of the magnitude of the event, Christies surprising quick mastery of MMA holds and Neko’s well-known stardom makes this match go down in women’s submission wrestling history as a classic.
~ ~ ~
OPENING PHOTO Pexels.com-Lucas-Fonseca-photo-credit fciwomenswrestling.com femcompetitor.com, fcielitecompetitor.com fciwomenswrestling2.com grapplinstars.com-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christie_Ricci
https://fciwomenswrestling.com/
