Becky Lynch Celebrates 20 Years of SHIMMER – Becky Lynch, the current WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion, recently took a moment to honor SHIMMER Wrestling, the all-women’s promotion that helped shape her early career. Through an Instagram post on Thursday, Lynch shared a heartfelt message and a throwback photo from her rookie days in the Chicago-based promotion, which officially marks its 20th anniversary this year.
“Happy 20th anniversary SHIMMER,” Lynch wrote. “A very special company and a special time in my life. They gave this punk teenage gal a chance and a platform and I’ll always be grateful.”
Before rising to global stardom as one of WWE’s top stars, Lynch — then known as Rebecca Knox — was among the many wrestlers who honed their craft in SHIMMER. The promotion, founded by Dave Prazak in 2005, became one of the most influential platforms for women’s professional wrestling, offering opportunities to performers at a time when major promotions offered limited visibility for female athletes.
To commemorate SHIMMER’s 20-year milestone, Prazak issued a detailed statement reflecting on the company’s history, its struggles, and its impact.
“Twenty years ago today, SHIMMER debuted,” Prazak wrote on the official SHIMMER Wrestling website. “It’s wild to think that today marks twenty years since we first gathered in Berwyn, Illinois to present our vision of an ideal women’s professional wrestling product.”
He went on to explain that SHIMMER’s goal was always to provide a space where female talent could grow, learn, and perform. While Prazak admitted to making mistakes along the way — such as long shows, a large roster, and slow video releases — he emphasized the promotion’s success in giving women a platform to shine long before the streaming era.
“We didn’t make any money as a wrestling promotion,” Prazak noted. “In that respect, the promotion was a failure. But we did succeed in providing a stage for those who desperately needed one at the time.”
Prazak compared SHIMMER’s environment to the legendary Memphis wrestling territory, a place where everyone seemed to pass through at some point in their career. Many of SHIMMER’s alumni — including Lynch, Bayley, Asuka, and others — went on to achieve global recognition.
He revealed that the locker room knew the promotion’s final show took place on October 31, 2021, though no public farewell was held. “I never wanted to be the guy trying to sell sympathy tickets for a ‘final show,’” Prazak explained.
Closing his statement with a message of gratitude, Prazak thanked everyone who contributed to SHIMMER’s legacy: “Thank you to all of the wrestlers and staff who gave their blood, sweat, and tears to SHIMMER during the years we were around. Every piece of the puzzle was essential.”
He ended simply, “Shimmer, sparkle… while you can.”
Becky Lynch Celebrates 20 Years of SHIMMER
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