Support women's sports and SHARE this story with your friends!

Gotham Girls Roller Derby started on relatively unsure footing - and in some people's minds, the league's future took a sharp turn north after the transfer of Fisti Cuffs and Endless Justin from Tucson, AZ (then the number 2 league in the USA.) Fisti was the triple threat phenom with a seeming endless supply of energy, and Justin was not only one of the most able trainers in the USA, but a "hands on" referee, second in seniority only to TXRG's famed Quicksilver.

Of course, many hours were invested by many skaters and crew, there's no doubt about that, and by 2007's Eastern Regional Tournament hosted by Ohio Rollergirls of Columbus, Gotham proved its credentials on the track, and Buster Cheatin gained national recognition as a coach who can deliver.

As with any sports program, performance leads to expectations which lead to letdowns - and Kansas City was only to happy to oblige by eliminating Gotham in round one of the 2007 WFTDA Championships.

Many might crumble after such a letdown, but Gotham answered with an 18 bout winning streak which included their second regional championship trophy and the first championship trophy. The streak was finally broken by Philly at the 2009 Regional tournament in Raleigh, NC by one point in what will remain one of the most exciting bouts ever played.

The 2009 WFTDA Championships featured a swing to the West and the emergence of Oly as Champion and instant rival. It didn't seem that way in the original meeting as Oly defeated Gotham by 31 in a relatively low scoring bout.

Once again, Gotham dusted themselves off and went on a ten bout winning rampage, losing the 2010 trophy in Chicago to the eventual champions, Rocky Mountain.

In 2011, Gotham is on a yet-to-be-broken win streak of 15 bouts, and their efforts once again earned them two trophies: The Eastern Regional Championship and the WFTDA Championship.

I hope this preface to the interviews with Fisti, Donna, Buster, and Justin will give you a glimpse of the dedication, humility, and class that the Gotham dynasty projects. If they never repeat as champions, they will have done enough to cement their star in roller derby's walk of fame, but don't kid yourself, Gotham is going to be a force on the track for a long long time. 

Support women's sports and SHARE this story with your friends!

• Roller Derby
• Sports

This post is related to an event on our Calendar:

• 2011 WFTDA Championships

This article was written by a WomenTalkSports.com contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own women's sports content.

View Zeeev's Full Profile