[One Thumb Down]
Not a bad match on the show, and each one of the matches was entertaining enough on its own, but a show is judged as a whole. This one dragged on collectively in spite of the Office's attempt at shortening programs in general with almost every match going on longer than usual. Am I being unfair here? Very much so. I'm a curmudgeon of curmudgeons and since I was in the nitpicking mode when I watched this, a downward thumb is the result this one gets, even with the admittedly fun concept it sported and overall decent match quality.
-Tom S. Hunter
RESULTS
TIPWF: Unlikely Alliances - 5-10-2024
8:00 PM(CT) on Friday, May 10th at the Stockade in Amarillo, TX
Main Event
Lance Marshall(AFW) and Lilou Ibara vs. Steve Phillips and El Hijo del Dodecahedron Jr.
Off the suggestion of El Hijo del Dodecahedron Jr, Steve Phillips and the luchador both wrestled in their formal wear for this one, and amazingly, the gesture seemed to lead to an impressive team cohesion for the otherwise mismatched duo. In the end, Phillips handed Lilou Ibara the first loss of her Office career, pinning her after a Filibuster. An argument seemed to flare up afterwards between Ibara and her partner for the match, the champion Lance Marshall.
TIPWF Old Guard Championship Bout
Wataru Nakajima(ZIP Japan)(C) vs. Felix Santana Sr.
One of the better matches of the night, unsurprisingly, with Felix Santana Sr. giving Wataru Nakajima everything he could handle, but the Patriarch was able to raise his own level as the match went along, eventually pinning the head of the Santana family with his Nakajima Special leg trapping backdrop hold.
Angelita Serefines and Abominog II vs. Saburo Aoki Jr. and Princesa Torbellina
The angel of the Exotico World Order and the demon of Team 12 ended up working as a great team here, handing Saburo Aoki Jr his first TIPWF loss, with Angelita Serefines pinning him following a rope run diving knee drop.
The Everyman vs. Zhenka Streltsov(Butterfloor)
Zhenka Streltsov was in fine form here, surprisingly showing impressive elusiveness to dodge the Everyman's Workman's Compensation running boot, and scored a brutal power slap knockout for the win. Big win for Butterfloor's heavy handed striker that could open up a plethora of opportunties in the Office.
Team Work(Rin Jokusato and Fuyuki Takenaka)(Typhoon Pro) and ARENA(Rena LeBlanc and Arisa Hashimoto) vs. The Chang Family(Annie Chang and Roland Chang III) and The Trio(The Mallard(MWWC) and Rodeo Angel)
A big mess of a match, but not in a bad way, with Roland Chang III able to pin Rena LeBlanc after a throwing high angle Wrangler Bomb.
Mohammad Ramses with Nefertiri vs. Abednego Calhoun with Obadiah Calhoun and Lucia Shikongo-Calhoun
Abdenego Calhoun demonstrated that he can get the job done in singles action as well as in tag work by beating Mohammad Ramses in a drawn out bout that concluded with a diving bulldog out of the corner for the pin.
Canadian Grizzly and Felix Santana III vs. Marcos Angulo and Saur Oorja
The first Unlikely Alliance match of the night delivered pure action as Felix III and Canadian Grizzly meshed well, giving the fourth generation Santana a chance to pin Saur Oorja with his o'connor style german suplex, the Tidal Suplex hold. Lots of fun exchanges in this one.
Dodecahedron vs. "Showtime" Byron Worthy(Warrior Pro)
A great technical performance from both sides, a delight for mat mavens for the duration, with incredible scrambles, top notch clinch work from Worthy and creative submissions from Dodecahedron, although the finish left much to be desired as the lucha legend was able to win with a fairly simple wristlock out of an armdrag.
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Match of the Night: Nakajima vs. Santana Sr.
-A good well-paced match that once again demonstrated that the Old Guard division is often capable of stealing the show.
Performance of the Night: Steve Phillips and El Hilo del Dodecahedron Jr.
-The major win in the main event for the Office founder and TIPWF top prospect may have put a wrinkle in the upcoming TIPWF Lone Star Heavyweight title bout, but it certainly did put a loss in Lilou Ibara's records for the first time.