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Gotham Girls Roller Derby flaunts itself as the number one roller derby league in the nation. Saturday night's bout between the Manhattan Mayhem and the Bronx Gridlock cemented that claim.

In front of a standing-room-only crowd, the two undefeated teams met for the first time this season. The Mayhem were riding high after their win over the Queens of Pain on June 13, 2009, and the Gridlock were eager to extend their winning streak after they pounded the Brooklyn Bombshells on July 11, 2009.

It is obvious that Gotham City's finest skaters are talented. The Gotham Girls manage to stay upright as they fly around the Hunter College Sportsplex derby track, jockeying for position with other skaters. They shrug off flying elbows and nasty hip checks and continue their merry way around the track, entertaining the crowd with each lap. And this is only the warm-up!

It is also easy to see by the way that the audience responds to the women that they are talented entertainers. The Gotham Girls demonstrated their showmanship from the beginning of the bout. The Bronx Gridlock skated onto the track during their introduction to Billy Ocean's "Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car." Wearing taxi cab yellow and black uniforms, the Gridlock brought the crowd to their feet as they rounded the track and each team member was introduced by name.

Not to be outdone by the Gridlock, the Manhattan Mayhem brought their own theatrics to the track. The Mayhem skated slowly out from their locker room in a chain-gang-like fashion. In single file, they skated around the track until Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" unexpectedly began to play from the loud speaker. The Mayhem broke ranks and gathered speed, assuring the crowd that they were here to do more than pound rocks.

The highlight of the Mayhem's entrance occurred when team captain, Sweet Sherry Pie, moonwalked her way across the track in a tribute to the King of Pop.

The teams cleared the track, gathered at their respective benches and prepared for the bout.

The chaos of a roller derby bout is divided into two 30-minute halves. Within the halves, there are organized "jams" that can last up to two minutes. At the beginning of each jam, five players from each team line up behind two lines on the track. Four players from each team line up behind the first line and the remaining skaters from each team line up behind the second line.

The two skaters behind the second line are called "jammers." Jammers score points for their team by weaving their way through the pack of skaters in front of them. Once they make their way through the pack for the first time, the jammers receive points for every opposing player they pass as they travel around the track.

Saturday night's bout pitted two of the best Gotham Girls jammers against one another. Bonnie Thunders of the Bronx Gridlock took on Em Dash of the Manhattan Mayhem. Em Dash set the Gotham Girls Roller Derby single game scoring record in a bout earlier this year against the Brooklyn Bombshells. She tallied 81 points for the Mayhem, surpassing Bonnie Thunders' previous record of 72 points.

Em Dash struck quickly for the Mayhem on Saturday night, scoring early and often in the first jam as she dashed through the Gridlock blockers. The Mayhem held onto the lead for only a few fleeting minutes before the Gridlock, behind all-star jammer Bonnie Thunders captured the lead and held on to defeat the Mayhem by a score of 99 - 75.

Bonnie Thunders made most of the headlines on Saturday night. She repeatedly broke through the Mayhem defenders and led all scorers with 56 points. She ousted Em Dash in the head-to-head battle of all-star jammers and earned MVP honors for the Gridlock. Em Dash mustered only 39 points in a losing effort.

The Gotham Girls return to the track on September 26, 2009 when the Brooklyn Bombshells take on the Queens of Pain at the Hunter College Sportsplex.