The Canadian NINJAs

Nicole Matthews and Portia Perez started teaming up in 2007. They unsuccessfully challenged the inaugural SHIMMER Tag Team Champions, Ashley Lane and Nevaeh, at Volume 22. The Canadian NINJAs finally beat them to become the promotion’s second Tag Team Champions in March of 2009 at Volume 26.

Matthews and Perez became stalwarts for the new division, holding the titles for nearly two years. The Seven Star Sister, Hiroyo Matsumoto and Misaki Ohata, ultimately ended their 692-day reign at Volume 37 on Mar. 26, 2011.

After they failed to regain the titles twice, the Canadian NINJAs won a Number One Contender’s Match at NCW Femmes Fatales IX in the following summer. They defeated The Queens of Winning, Courtney Rush and Sara Del Rey, at the same event to become the first—and only—two-time SHIMMER Tag Team Champions.

Matthews and Perez held the titles for 281 days, giving them a combined reign of 973 days. SHIMMER has become a staple for women’s tag team wrestling. With that in mind, the Canadian NINJAs two tenures with the tag titles lead the way in the division’s formative years.

Today, several well-known indie wrestlers and big-name stars like Ruby Riott, Dakota Kai, and Tessa Blanchard have held the titles. It’s a testament to the work Matthews and Perez did to put them on the map.