Though this year’s SHE-1 struggled a little with short matches, some production botches and an unfortunate injury to Safire Reed, the sheer babyface charisma of Session Moth Martina is enough to push a good narrative throughout EVE’s first event of the year. Much like WWE’s 1998’s Deadly Games tournament, the story itself is greater than the sum of it’s individual match quality, though with only one clear tournament story it doesn’t match the sheer novelty of WWE’s effort. A show that probably needed one really excellent match, there are nonetheless fun highlights and it is a solid night of pro-wrestling, even if perhaps more was expected.
Pro Wrestling EVE’s She-1 2026 sees 8 competitors vow for the title of the Ace of Eve and a spot in the Main Event of Wrestle Queendom in March! Will Skye Smitson avenge last year? Will Abbie Cartwright shock the world? Only one way to find out!
| Pro Wrestling EVE: She-1 2026 Star Ratings | |
| Match / In Ring Promo | Result and Star Rating. |
| SHE-1 2026 Opening Match Abi Cartwright vs Debbie Keitel- SHE-1 Qualifying Match | Debbie Keitel by Pinfall via Midnight Espresso SQUASH- Less Than 5 Minutes |
| Debbie Keitel vs Anita Vaughan- SHE-1 Quarter Final | Anita Vaughan by Pinfall via Tiger Driver GOOD – 3.25 Stars |
| Emi Sakura vs Skye Smitson- SHE-1 Quarter Final | Skye Smitson by Submission via Bulldog Choke GREAT- 3.5 Stars |
| Alexxis Falcon vs Session Moth Martina- SHE-1 Quarter Final | Session Moth Martina by Pinfall via Roll-Up ABOVE AVERAGE- 2.75 Stars |
| Safire Reed vs Molly Spartan- SHE-1 Quarter Final | Molly Spartan via Stoppage Match Thrown Out- No Rating |
| Anita Vaughan vs Skye Smitson- SHE-1 Semi Final | Anita Vaughan by Pinfall via Exposed Turbuckle Whip ABOVE AVERAGE- 2.75 Stars |
| Rhio/Nightshade Promo | Hype promo for a match between the two women, which ends in a brawl GREAT- 3.5 Stars |
| Molly Spartan vs Session Moth Martina- SHE-1 Semi Final | Session Moth Martina by Pinfall via Roll-Up GOOD- 3 Stars |
| Anita Vaughan Promo | Anita challenges Session Moth Martina to go straight into the final with no rest to prove she is worthy GREAT- 3.5 Stars |
| Main Event Anita Vaughan vs Session Moth Martina- SHE-1 Final | Session Moth Martina by Pinfall via Jäger Bomb SQUASH- Less Than 5 Minutes |
Pro Wrestling EVE- SHE-1 2026 Highs
This year’s SHE-1 Climax was a lot more focused on the show-long story being told than the quality of the in-ring wrestling, and it resulted in a great underdog story being told in Session Moth Martina’s unlikely run to win the entire tournament. Beating Alexxis Falcon and Molly Spartan with roll-ups only to finally score a decisive victory over the cocky Vaughan was a superbly satisfying narrative and Martina is a superb underdog.
The best of the ring-action came for me in Emi Sakura and Skye Smitson’s novel first time ever contest in the quarter final. Their styles meshed very entertainingly and the snug action complemented both performers. Smitson always has amazing presentation and confidence and can match it with excellent ring-work.
It was exciting to see Debbie Keitel make her return from an excursion to DIANA in Japan, and I hope she can make a good impact on her return to EVE. Her match with Anita Vaughan was a solid showcase for both women, and hopefully it can be built upon in 2026.
The promo segments on the show also advanced the stories well, with Rhio and Nightshade furthering their story to set up a future match and Anita Vaughan perfectly placing herself as the arrogant foil to Martina. While short, these kept the plates spinning and left fans wanting more.
Pro Wrestling EVE- SHE-1 2026 Lows
The biggest down to this show was the unfortunate injury to Safire Reed. Happening just seconds into her quarter final match with Molly Spartan. Not only is it a horribly sad for Reed, but it ground the show to a sad halt for quite some time. If, as it appears this is indeed not a work, best wishes to Safire for a speedy recovery.
Though there were almost no outright bad matches on the card, a lack of time led to some matches suffering. Whilst the final’s short length was entirely justified given the story being told, other matches felt extremely underbaked. The clearest example of this was the semi final match between Vaughan and Smitson, which had a clearly vicious feud, a 20 minute time limit and some great chemistry. While it started well, it finished almost as quickly as it began with Vaughan knocking out Smitson on the turnbuckle and getting the win. This felt anticlimactic and not in keeping with expectation.
The production of the show recording, despite a good set, also struggled a little with commentary inaudible for the opening minutes and graphics not being consistent and coming in and out. While EVE is a lower budget production, for it to excel to the next level it needs to get a full grip on its recording to make it more easily watchable for viewers.
Summary-
Though this year’s SHE-1 struggled a little with short matches, some production botches and an unfortunate injury to Safire Reed, the sheer babyface charisma of Session Moth Martina is enough to push a good narrative throughout EVE’s first event of the year. Much like WWE’s 1998’s Deadly Games tournament, the story itself is greater than the sum of it’s individual match quality, though with only one clear tournament story it doesn’t match the sheer novelty of WWE’s effort. A show that probably needed one really excellent match, there are nonetheless fun highlights and it is a solid night of pro-wrestling, even if perhaps more was expected.
Matches- 0.5/1
Show Structure- 0.5/1
Atmosphere- 0.75/1
Storytelling- 0.75/1
Production/Theme- 0.5/1
Overall Rating- 3/5 Stars
Photo Credit- Pro Wrestling EVE- January 9th 2026
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