The Senatorial Office: Open for Business!!

Fast Eddie's Quick Picks: Mid Year Lariats and Legislators 2024
By "Fast" Eddie Edison

Sweet, sweet crunch, how I love you. Once again, sitting at the airport to write one of these after I wrapped up commentary for a Wrestling League Ultra show in Denver, and then I get to hop on over to DC to be at Lariats for the next few days. So once again, I'm late(and maybe a little drunk). But I always do my best work with my back against the wall, and since the whole point here is that we're not wasting each other's time, let's get right to it.



And there you have it, Mid-Year Lariats and Legislators '24, all the picks you wanted at the speed you need!

[Two Thumbs Up]
Night One: Near perfection, the opening night of Mid-Year Lariats didn't put a single foot wrong, brought the spectacle and the quality and left the fans wanting more. You had plenty of title changes, unpredictable moments and the matches maintained their quality all the way through. I would go into more detail, but I don't need to, just go watch this one if you have any love of professional wrestling, it's as close to the ideal show as you can get.
-Tom S. Hunter

RESULTS

Mid-Year Lariats and Legislators 2024 Night One - 7-5-2024
8:00 PM(CT) on Saturday, July 5th at the Will Rogers Entertainment Center in Washington DC

Bonus Match
Ichika Mori vs. Yuppie Nagai vs. Sampath Thakur vs. Beau Ramirez vs. Obadiah Calhoun vs. Aishwarya Dhawan vs. Mahima Gurung vs. Chiyoko Tano

A chaotic blast that featured members of the Office's three main feeder promotions on the indy scene, Tennessee's Green River Wrestling, India's Amaron Ka Ahkaada and Toyko's Triple Plus Joshi in an over the top royale. The match would come down to Green River champ Beau Ramirez, Triple Plus founder Kagura "Yuppie" Nagai and Amaron Ka Ahkaada standout and former PEWA Extreme Tag champ, Sampath Thakur. Ramirez came through in the end struggle, pinning Nagai with a rollup and used his fireman carry inside cradle, the Mancatcher to pin Thakur to emerge as the winner.

Main Event: Lightning Pro Victorious Tag Medal Championship Bout
Pure Gold(Mallory Spaulding and "Five Star" Kyle Anderson)(Phoenix Rising)(C) vs. Eurocore(Top Tyr and Grace Saxon)

Eurocore lived up to the investment that L-Pro put into their acquisition, giving Pure Gold one of the toughest challenges of their Victorious Tag Medal reign, but it was still not enough for the two, as Mallory Spaulding was able to catch Top Tyr in a scramble with a german suplex hold for the pin. Pure Gold remain some of the best champs in the Office with this win.

SWA Heavyweight Championship Bout
"Ringside Thunder" Laurence Holland(SWA)(C) with Dag Boomer(SWA) vs. Gary Gear with Adonis Avery Alexander and Diego Santana

A landmark moment in the history of the SWA, with Laurence Holland's three year reign finally brought to a close by Gary Gear. Gear was supported by Adonis Avery Alexander who showed up with his old teammate for the first time in months, as well as Diego Santana, a fellow foe of the Thunder Devils. The Muscle Machine brought his best game, utilizing his power early and frequently, and an Anabolic Bomb would lead to the three count, giving Gear the biggest win of his career and naming a new SWA Heavyweight Champion.

UCSS Tag Team Championship Bout
American Apex(Keith Van Horne and Lamont Aldren)(Wrestle Parade)(C) vs. Catch Club Canada(Eliza Faulkner(MWWC) and Mackenzie Bergeron)

A very, very good match that saw Catch Club Canada give American Apex a legitimate challenge, but the arguable best team in the world were able to successfully defend when Keith Van Horne landed his vaunted diagonal German Suplex hold on Eliza Faulkner.

SWA Prestige Championship Bout
Hakim Fields with Andronicus Turner, Jumbo Joseph Butt and Gemma Jo Butt vs. Bruno Ramos de Melo with "Big Banter" Rory Banner, Virgil De Boer and Sanem Becker

Without a doubt, this was the passing of a baton, the changing of the guard for the UCSS with Bruno Ramos de Melo defeating Hakim Fields for the SWA Prestige Championship in the second round by TKO stoppage with a flurry of twelve-six elbows from top guard. The BLADE Hunter has staked out his claim to the future of UCSS, all the more so considering Fields's exemplary reign with the Prestige title. Although the Sensei of the 52 Blocks has spent a relatively short career thus far in professional wrestling, having arrived late in the sport, Fields's fairly advanced age for a top level athlete may signal some significant choices coming up soon after a loss of this magnitude.

Preliminary Main Event: PEWA Extreme Tag Championship Bout
Hellbutchers(Cleaver(Rose Garden) and Demon Otsu(ZIP Japan))(C) vs. GPC and Hobo Harry

A nearly perfect Preliminary Main Event that saw GPC and Hobo Harry show no fear against two of the most malicious monsters in the business, and the latter would carry the team through large stretches, eventually traversing nearly half the length of the ring to land his vaunted Hobosault to pin Cleaver for the three count. GPC's mission to earn the PEWA Triple Crown started with a resounding success here, and the ageless Hobo Harry simply continues to pile on the plaudits for his decorated career.

---

[Two Thumbs Up]
Night Two: There were some incredible moments on the second night, a number of great matches, but it was also a lot more varied with some ugly matches and some of the biggest spectacles and moments of the year, or even for the entirety of the Office's existence. Aside from the few frustrating matches(hello, Washington-Ndi), this was a landmark presentation that deserves every bit of the two thumbs status that I'm giving it. From a series of great title bouts to what could go down as the biggest return in the Office's history to the larger than life Eight Monster Royale, this was a less cohesive night than the first, but the impact will far outlast it overall. Absolutely essential viewing.
-Tom S. Hunter

RESULTS

Mid-Year Lariats and Legislators 2024 Night Two - 7-6-2024
8:00 PM(CT) on Saturday, July 6th at the Will Rogers Entertainment Center in Washington DC


Bonus Match
The EMP vs. Digital Dave Doolittle

After an atrocious rating for the superb Marshall-Ibara match, Digital Dave Doolittle was called out by the EMP, and the two put on a surprisingly decent bonus bout that still saw the EMP walk away the winner after a crushing corner hip attack.

Main Event: EIGHT MONSTER Battle Royale
Colossus Rhodes vs. N9NE vs. Ajax vs. Titas Butkus vs. Hyper Earth(Super NOVA) vs Binak Tonorian(Phoenix Rising) vs. Mad Bomber(ZIP Japan) vs. Odin Brockhouse(Butterfloor)

With King Bemba defeating Ibrahim Rahman, the Office-contracted entries in the match were given the added incentive of the Number One Ranking with a win here. The match waged for close to twenty minutes with Odin Brockhouse cutting open multiple entries and Mad Bomber would pin Binak Tonorian for the first elimination. Brockhouse would be the next to fall after a reverse chokeslam from Colossus Rhodes. The Bomber would then knock out Titas Butkus with a running powerbomb, again reminding people how fearsome he was in his ZIP prime. Following a long stretch, Colossus Rhodes was powerslammed by N9NE for his own elimination, and nearly directly after, Bomber would hit a powerbomb on N9NE for the pin.

This led to the final three, a ferocious struggle between the massive Hyper Earth, the destructive Mad Bomber and the explosive Ajax, with Hyper Earth eventually pinning the Bomber to a ferocious cheer from the crowd after his Epicenter earthquake drop. Ajax was sent out of the ring into the announcer table with a military press toss but after a heated struggle, the match re-entered the ring and the Man from the Mountains overcame his own towering obstacle with an otherworldly jumping bomb hold for the three count. All in all, the dream match of the monsters delivered far beyond any expectations could have possibly presented and ended up being one of the best all around spectacles in Office history.

Lightning Pro Victorious Medal Championship Bout
Ibrahim Rahman(C) with Blair Taylor and Valentina Verda(TIPWF) vs. King Bemba with Yetunde Oya, Esther Musambi and Ali Ahmed Mehrmohammdi

A shocking loss for Ibrahim Rahman after King Bemba bounced him off the corner into a Canadian backbreaker hold to claim the Victorious Medal. Bemba's frequent humiliations leading into this match may have fueled his powerful win, and once again, the Ugandan Destroyer stands on the top level of the Office.

TIPWF Lone Star Heavyweight Championship Bout
Lance Marshall(AFW)(C) vs. Lilou Ibara

A competent challenge from Lilou Ibara, but it was not enough to prevent her from suffering her first singles loss in the Office to Lance Marshall. With the AFW founder submitting Ibara with his Marshall Law high angle cloverleaf hold, Marshall again proved himself both a formidable champion across multiple promotions but also one of the best big man performers of the decade.

PEWA Extreme Championship Bout
Moustapha Ndour with Renate Barlowe(UCSS) and Demarcus Browning(Rose Garden) vs. PM Carnage with The EMP and Bingo Hall Betty

As with most big event Ndour matches. this was a wild fracas that frequently spilled out of the ring. PM Carnage took full advantage of this chaos and following a diving chair smash off the top, managed to pin his foe to earn the PEWA Extreme title. The New Mutants have now dethroned both the Warbringers to hold each of the PEWA's singles titles in a move that could well mark the beginning of the PEWA's new era.

UCSS Openweight Championship Bout
"Fistic Deity" Larry Washington(Realm of Wrestling)(C) vs. Lanna Ndi

In spite of an aggressive approach from Lanna Ndi, this was a fairly routine showing for the Fistic Deity who slugged his foe with a charging right hand to the back of the head for a knockout in round two.

Dominican Golden Championship Bout
Felix Santana Jr.(C) with Felix Santana Sr, Felix Santana III and Ana Maria Santana vs. Salvador Sosa with Killer King Jones(Free Agent), Florencia Espinoza and El Hijo de Macchiato


In what was inarguably the most shocking moment of the entirety of Mid-Year Lariats, Felix Santana Jr's mystery opponent turned out to be none other than the Rudo Army Commander, Salvador Sosa, competing in an Office ring for the first time since his dire injury suffered at the hands of Colossus Rhodes in November of 2021.




The match itself turned out to be one of the best of the entire night with Sosa looking a bit more deliberate than before but otherwise in superb form. Felix was no slouch himself, and fought like a mad dog to hold onto his belt but Salvador Sosa was not to be denied in his return and gained a dramatic, well-earned victory with his Falling Star diving swanton for the three count. It's rare in wrestling when something turns out as perfectly as Sosa's return, but this was truly a special moment in the history of the Senatorial Office.

Steve Phillips v. El Hijo Del Dodecahedron Jr.

The heavily hyped match between Phillips and Hijo del Dodecahedron Jr. did not live up to expectations as the Senator Emeritus was as ruthless as ever, dominating the match roundly before planting his foe with a Filibuster to score the pinfall win.

---

Match of the Event: Santana Jr. vs. Sosa, EIGHT MONSTER Royale
-An unbreakable tie for the first spot with the Salvador Sosa return match not just delivering shock and emotion, but an incredible, competitive bout all the way through, while the EIGHT MONSTER royale took eight of the most infamous lumbering powerhouses in the world and somehow ended up being one of the best quality bouts of the year.

Performance of the Event: Ajax, Salvador Sosa
-While Ajax was far and away the biggest winner of the whole event, beating seven other superheavyweight juggernauts and winning the Number One Ranking for the second time in his career, Sosa's perfectly executed return match and Dominican Golden Championship victory deserved recognition, and as such, both men share a part of both awards for the show.

---

Injury Report

Lanna Ndi - Moderate Concussion - Three Month Medical Suspension

Titas Butkus - Bruised Rib - One Month Medical Suspension

[One Thumb Up]
This was a close call, and when I first sat down to write my summary, I was going to rate this with a downward appendage. The show felt a bit disjointed and while there were a few quality matches, the outlier that was Powers-Tano ended up defining the entirety of the results, a match that went on far too long and dragged everything else down by the weight of its contribution. But then I decided to think some more about that match, and it truly did encapsulate the rest of the event. The first fifteen minutes or so of the match were some of the best of the whole night, two true greats throwing their best shot at the other. But then the match kept going on and on and on, and two exhausted veterans stopped landing their big moves. This was dreadful to endure and killed the crowd. But then, with both having nothing left in the tank, Tano went up top to try a last ditch effort and Powers used the last of his own energy to reverse, a tremendous finish that didn't entirely redeem the drudgery that led up to it, but did keep it from being an outright dud. Therefore, to sum up the whole event, you got some good stuff, some matches that went on far too long, and some memorable finishes. Watch it if you're a PEWA fan, if not, just check out the highlights.
-Tom S. Hunter

RESULTS

PEWA: The New Age - 7-26-2024
8:00 PM(CT) on Friday, July 26th at the Halcyon Ballroom in Philadelphia, PA

Bonus Match
Local Larry(Green River Wrestling) vs. Sewer Dragon(Super NOVA)

The Hometown Hero, Local Larry showed up for his first Office showing, and in spite of hailing from Muscle Shoals, AL by way of Waynesboro, TN's Green River Wrestling, and for his Office tenure, working out of Amarillo, TX for the TIPWF, would don a PEWA shirt and made a clear attempt to earn the support of Philly's finest as he took on the dreaded stench of Sewer Dragon. Amazingly, Larry endured some disgustingly brutal and brutally disgusting attacks from his foe to land the move he learned from his mentor, Jumpin' Jim Malone, the Jumpin' Knee Drop to pin the Dragon.

Main Event
The Warbringers(Demarcus Browning(Rose Garden) and Moustapha Ndour) and The Sheiks(The Hindu Sheik and Shrieking Sheik) vs. PEWA's Most Hated(Young Blood, Backyard Pyro, Headhunter and Zanca)

Appropriately wild brawl that saw the Hindu Sheik pin Young Blood clean with a diving cross body, a result that shocked the Halcyon Ballroom and may have finally knocked the PEWA's Most Hated down a peg, even with their temporary alliance with the Headhunter bolstering their ranks.

PEWA Ruler of the Road Championship Bout
The EMP with Bingo Hall Betty vs. Masked Maniac IV with Jasper Rhys(Neutral Ground)

Underestimate Masked Maniac IV at your own risk! The EMP showed little interest in a fast win, and paid the price for wasting time in the ring as the Maniac hit a slide through Maniac DDT to earn one of the biggest upsets in PEWA history and win the PEWA Ruler of the Road championship.

Following this match, the New Mutants including Bingo Hall Betty would beat down the Maniac as Jasper Rhys retreated to the back. This was not the act of cowardice that it first appeared to be, and Rhys returned to the ring with the original Bingo Hall Mutants, Rampage Rage and Skullface Killah to not just even the odds, but turn them on their head. It now appears that the burgeoning ego of the New Mutants may have caught the attention of their mentors and a major confrontation seems inevitable now.

"Tongan Deathmatch Princess" Melino Tupou and Ninja Smith vs. Silent Death and Buraee Mahishasura

Decent match that would result in Ninja Smith somehow managing to put the massive Buraee Mahishasura in his own Shaker canadian backbreaker hold, but Buraee would find his revenge later by submitting Smith with a torture rack.

"The Powerhouse" Luke Powers with Jack Fury vs. "Fearsome Icon" Chiyoko Tano(Triple Plus) with Yuppie Nagai(Triple Plus)

For the first fifteen minutes of this bout, the unlikely dream match that was Powers-Tano lived up to its promise with both legends trading big moves and seemingly closing in on a spectacular finish. This would happen, but unfortunately, it would take another meandering fifteen to get to the point where Tano looked for an avalanche sheer drop brainbuster only for Powers to hit a superbomb off the top into a pin. As great as the good parts of this match were, the lesser were largely a reminder that the PEWA GOAT has sadly fallen from his once-untouchable pedestal, still not to be taken lightly, but no longer a step above the rest.

The Path of Anarchy(Sampath Thakur and Gabriel Cruise) vs. Pretty Pirates GALeon Second Chapter(La Corsaria(Phoenix Rising and Warsan Caaliah Ali)

A good match brought to a slightly early halt when Gabriel Cruise hit his Anarchy Reigns driver on La Corsaria, but the Scottish pirate may have actually broken her prosthetic boot on the landing rather than having suffered any serious injury.

Brickhouse Thelonious vs. Downtown Lucy Brown

Brickhouse Thelonious's diminished reputation after his disastrous match with Big Stan led to an abrupt halt to his momentum, but this match was easily the best in months for the high grade prospect, engaging in the best bout of the night with Downtown Lucy Brown. The action was well paced and exploded late with a spinebuster off the top to the outside from Brickhouse, multiple diving Downtown DDTs from Brown and a diving Eritrean brain chop leading to the three count from Thelonious. A quality showing from the former champion, Brown, and a much needed performance from Thelonious.

The Form Comes Home
The Form with Dr. Trace Gibson vs. Jumpin' Jim Malone with Jayne Payne

Federal Prisoner Y05116, better known simply as The Form has no record on any file, for fingerprints, DNA or any identification papers before she was arrested for a bloody rampage at a midwestern independent wrestling show, showing up midway through the event and indiscriminately attacking competitors, security, staff and fans before her arrest. Upon finding that The Form was scheduled to enter into a federal work release program through part-time member Dr. Trace Gibson, the PEWA campaigned to hire her for her time out of prison, with Gibson serving as her handler.

The Form performed roughly as expected against veteran Jumpin' Jim Malone, with the Railjumpers member even pulling out a surprising, rare diving knee drop of the top twice, but a brutal Deformer ganso bomb would lead to the pinfall victory for The Form.

Preliminary Main Event: The Decider
PM Carnage with Bingo Hall Betty vs. GPC with Reimi Makabe

A strong opening to the show that saw the new Extreme champ step up his game against arguably the biggest potential threat to his title, and while GPC would fight his way back into the match, PM Carnage would get the win after a big jumping powerbomb to earn a shot for the New Mutants at GPC and Hobo Harry's tag titles.

---

Match of the Night: Thelonious vs. Brown
-While the first half of Powers-Tano could have qualified, this was far and away the best of the night overall with some huge spots and a great pace.

Performance of the Night: Masked Maniac IV
-This was a close call with PM Carnage beating GPC in the opener, but Maniac's massive upset win to earn the Ruler of the Road was an undeniable pick for this award.

---

Injury Report

La Corsaria: Broken Leg (No Medical Suspension)
-A broken leg took Corsaria out of her match with an awkward landing off Gabriel Cruise's finisher, the Anarchy Reigns, but fortunately, this was Corsaria's prosthetic leg, and she will be able to swap out another without a problem.

---

Following the show, the New Mutants made a visit to PEWA President, Bodybreaker Brown's office.

The EMP: I want my rematch. Give me my rematch.

PM Carnage: He got screwed, his shoulder was up, watch that damn clip, you'll see it, Brown!

Bingo Hall Betty: It's true, I saw it, I was there.

Bodybreaker Brown: Hold up, now, you don't want to be running in here like this, stirring the shit, trust me, it doesn't end well for you if you run off at the mouth before you hear me out.

Carnage: Look, you saw how Lariats went down, you saw what I did to your golden boy GPC, we run this place now, and you better friggin listen up to us!

Bodybreaker: No, you listen to me! You don't call the shots!

EMP: You need us. We run this place because we stepped up when someone needed to.

Bodybreaker: You got slapped down by the Maniac, don't even begin to make me laugh, you want a rematch? Fine, you get it. But you want it, you get to run ten minutes with Brickhouse Thelonious before Maniac gets out there, you say you stepped up? Fine, then prove that you're the future, prove you can smack down the Brickhouse before you get that belt back. Then you and Carnage here take care of business against GPC and against my guy Hobo and we can talk about you two being the big shots.

Carnage: We're the best you've got, just don't forget it.

Bodybreaker: Oh yeah, one more thing, you manage to beat GPC and Harry, you got a week to get ready, because as soon as we're back here in the Halcyon, then you defend against the OGs, the real deal Bingo Hall Mutants!

EMP: That ain't right. Champs don't got to do that, we earn those belts, we get to pick our next...

Bodybreaker: You dumbasses don't pick nothin'! Want the belts? Be ready to defend them, quick and often! You want to stand with the legends, then you have to put in the work!

Carnage: We'll work, but we'll work on our terms, don't tell us to go up against those two boomer ass has beens, that's just dragging us down, breaking our vibe, that's not how you make a star shine! We'll show you the right way to go about this, we'll set the example, we'll get you the new fans you need to keep this going, just leave those busted wack grill heads in the past where they belong, let them go run the concession stand or something if you gotta keep them around! They don't get to come in and screw with our business and get anything out of it!

Bodybreaker: Motherlover, you in Philly, you're born and raised here, and you want to pull that shit? This is the city of hustle and grind, this is the PEWA, want your name to live on, then leave your blood in the ring! And way I hear it, you scared something fierce when it comes to the Bingo Hall Mutants!

EMP: We ain't scared!

Carnage: You call us scared? You think we fear them? Yeah, I guess we're scared, we're scared their nasty old fart stink's gonna rub off on us!

Betty: Yeah, they don't need that at all.

Bodybreaker: My call stands. Now get the hell out of my office before I grab my staple gun and bash you over the head with it!

[One Thumb Up]
A very good but not quite great program that had more enjoyable matches than not. What this did best was to provide a proper continuation to Mid-Year Lariats, giving us a new contender for the Lone Star title, a bounce back for Lilou Ibara, a challenger for the Golden Championship, and a likely team to take on the Trios champs. Nothing stood out enough to stick in the mind, but I liked it as it was happening, and that'll suffice for an upraised thumb.
-Tom S. Hunter

TIPWF: An Evening in Amarillo - 8-2-2024
8:00 PM(CT) on Friday, August 2nd at the Stockade in Amarillo, TX

Bonus Match
Lilou "The Beat" Ibara vs. Felice Santana

It was a bad sign for Felice Santana when she found that she could not outpace her foe in this one, and a dreaded ranabomb would put her away with ease. Lilou Ibara may not have been able to defeat Lance Marshall at Mid-Year Lariats but it is clear that The Beat is just beginning to resonate in the TIPWF.

Bonus Match
Venus Couture(QTWA) vs. El Hijo De Macchiato

QTWA's statuesque standout generally graces the PEWA ring on her visits to the Office but made a rare TIPWF appearance here against another fan favorite in the backbone of the Rudo Army, El Hijo de Macchiato in a match that far exceeded expectations, with Couture turning back Macchiato's high energy lariats and big backbreakers to score the win after a big high angle slam.

Main Event: TIPWF Lone Star Heavyweight Contender Bout
Roland Chang III vs. Hoss Hank Harcourt Hadley Jr. vs. Djibril Ba vs. Beau Ramirez

An even struggle until it wasn't as Beau Ramirez pinned Roland III right before the sixteen minute mark. Djibril Ba was next to fall at twenty six with a Badman Sleeper from 4H, only for Beau to immediately connect with a german suplex hold on the Cherokee farmboy to clinch the pinfall and the win, as well as a shot at Lance Marshall and his TIPWF Lone Star Heavyweight title. Green River's champ could well become a double champ before long after this quality showing.

Return of the Champ
Salvador Sosa and Felix Santana Jr. vs. Felix Santana III and Florencia Espinoza

The first TIPWF match for Salvador Sosa in years saw the Dominican Golden Champion team with the former champ, his arch rival and good friend, Felix Santana Jr. against their own proteges, and it was here where Felix III and Florencia Espinoza were able to rise up and prove themselves in a great match with Espinzoa scoring an incredible submission victory with a lungblower facelock combo on Sosa, earning a title shot for Felix III and herself for Sosa's Golden Championship.

TIPWF Old Guard Championship Bout
Wataru Nakajima(ZIP Japan)(C) vs. Dodecahedron

A credible challenge from the Twelve Sided Luchador, but for all of Dodecahedron's technical prowess, Wataru Nakajima is nigh on unparalleled in Old Guard competition and a Nakajima Special regalplex put Dodecahedron down for three.

El Hijo Del Dodecahedron Jr. vs. Luchador Sorpresa

Following his one sided loss to Steve Phillips at Mid Year Lariats, Hijo Jr. took on the unknown fighter, Luchador Sorpresa and looked more like his usual scintillating self in a strong performance with a three count win following a high angle destroyer.

Dynasty Cyclones(Layla Al Amin(Phoenix Rising), La Relampaga(Phoenix Rising) and Esi Dogboe) vs. Whitesnake(Corrina "Cobra" Schwall, Opaque and Saburo Aoki Jr.)

Heading into a World Championship bout against the Final Boss himself, Firehawk Sentarl in her home promotion, Layla Al-Amin should have been focused here merely on staying sharp and avoiding injury at all costs. Instead, the Cairo Cyclone carried her team to a big win over one of the hottest trios in the TIPWF, landing a sunset bomb on Corrina Schwall for the pin. Dynasty Cyclones could well be the next challengers after this strong victory.

Sam Horne(Butterfloor) vs. The Mallard(MWWC)

Excellent battle that saw the Mallard overcome Sam Horne's roughhouse tactics to win with a brilliant poison rana into a crossface hold for the submission win.

Local Larry TIPWF Debut
Local Larry vs. Poison Froggy Mask

Local Larry's first match in his new home of the TIPWF was not met with a warm welcome by the ever-bitter Poison Froggy Mask. After a quality struggle, a Poison Froggy Splash would lead to the pinfall win for the venomous amphibian, giving Larry a disappointing conclusion on an otherwise quality first impression for Amarillo.

Cogburn Ranch(The Celebrated(Maxine Blaster and Toni Bolton), Lil Lariato and Generalissimo Kool Q) vs. Exotico World Order(Valentina Verda, Vice Versa, Martina Martinez and Angelita Serefines)

Well paced opener with an absurdly goofy finish with Angelita Serefines submitting Lil' Lariato with a series of hard spanks.

---

Match of the Night: Sosa/Santana vs. Santana/Espinoza, Couture vs. Macchiato
-The tag match was both the most significant and the best all around match of the night, but Couture-Macchiato had a brutal intensity and infectious energy to it that had to be recognized as well.

Performance of the Night: Beau Ramirez
-A dominating win over three other young powerhouses gave Ramirez the clear edge for the Performance award.

[One Thumb Up]
This was more like a half-thumb up, as a lot of the matches didn't really leave an impression one way or another, but Ueda-Hirose was a great match and Megalodon-Mr. Underrated delivered as bonus bouts generally do. The disaster that was the Peak Performance-Royal Court match dragged things down a bit in the main event, and while some may be celebrating Worldwide Conquest's bullying of the Syndicate, I for one warn the fans to be careful what you wish for, should the Conquest end up being even more of a problem than the steady, professional Syndicate have been. A worthy watch for the L-Pro die hards, a pick and choose night for everyone else
-Tom S. Hunter

RESULTS

Lightning Pro x Wacker Drive Revival: Lightning Strikes in Osaka - 8-9-2024
8:00 PM(CT) on Friday, August 9th at Sporting Hall in Osaka, Japan


Bonus Match
"Mr. Underrated" Alan Wright(Rose Garden) vs. Megalodon

The bonus match often steals the show, and with a surprise showing from the Rose Garden's beloved Mr. Underrated, Alan Wright, he and Joebert Fabroa, Megalodon nearly did so here with a wild bout that delivered everything that one would have hoped for in an added extra. Wright has not been seen in some time but showed no signs of rust, putting the Filipino prospect away with a superkick into a standing moonsault after a brilliant performance from both men.

Main Event
Peak Performance(Ajax, Dexa Jain and Daniel Ness) vs. Bemba's Royal Court(FENYANG, Esther Musambi and Ali Ahmed Mehrmohammdi with King Bemba)

With Ajax holding the Number One Ranking and King Bemba standing as the Victorious Medal Holder, the two have been set on a collision course after Mid-Year Lariats. To much criticism, Bemba only participated at ringside for this one, and his machinations unfortunately played out perfectly with his backbreaking assassin, Esther Musambi managing to stop Ajax with a powerbomb backbreaker, ending the match and significantly weakening the Man from the Mountains in a move that could endanger the future match between him and Bemba.

Ricky Scott vs. Iceberg

A credible showing from the former Stanford Bradley Jr, but Iceberg was not to be denied, and after he regained his bearings, a series of thunderous jackhammers and spears closed things out, with one final spear leading to the pin.

Conquest for the Gold: Prove It Match for The Loop
The Syndicate(Mr. Cobra(SWA) and The Goodfellas(Eddie the Wire and Tony the Rod) with Lucretia DeCavalcante) vs. Worldwide Conquest(ALEXANDER, Tarkhan the Mangler and Walid Alizadeh with Maximillian Francesco De La Cruz)

Could the changing of the guard be nigh? Worldwide Conquest took their three best to earn a shot at The Loop and did just that with a crushing win over The Syndicate, perhaps the best that anyone has managed in years against the dominant faction, Tarkhan the Mangler pinning Eddie the Wire after a uraken, but just as importantly, ALEXANDER Gordian Dropped Mr. Cobra out of the match, knocking the SWA legend out and raising some serious questions for the upcoming challenge. Can Cobra regain his health in time? Can the Syndicate find a way to survive against what could be the strongest faction in L-Pro history?

White Hot(Keiko Maeda(Phoenix Rising) and Rei Hasegawa) vs. Shino Ito and Yippy Urameshi

The Triple Plus duo scored a significant upstart over their seasoned foes with Yippy Urameshi showing an extremely aggressive side in the match, submitting Rei Hasegawa with a brutal multi-part stretch for the submission win.

Takayuki Ueda vs. Francesco Hirose

Phenomenal match between two of the best of the younger generation, with neither able to overcome with their equally potent lariats or the rest of their potent arsenals, but Ueda managed to come out ahead with a classic counter rollup to score the pinfall over Worldwide Conquest's upstart fighting spirit fashionista.

Worldwide Conquest vs. Endo Shogunate
Worldwide Conquest(The Outlaw, Sam Hall, Rimi Kondo and Maximillian Francesco De La Cruz) vs. Endo Shogunate(Rumika Hashi, Innocent Mugisha and Stakhonovite Warrior)


This match originally included Francesco Hirose on the Worldwide Conquest side and the Endo Shogunate had attempted to recruit super prospect Takayuki Ueda to assist on theirs, with Rumika Hashi penciling in Ueda on the team when she submitted it to management. However, Ueda himself was not on the same page, making a brief statement:

Ueda: (Translated from Japanese)<The only flag I will fly is the orange flag, I wish no ill will on the Shogunate, but I stand on my own.>

As such, with Ueda out, Hirose also exited the match, looking to take him on separately while the match went on as a three on three tag. What did follow was a competent entry with the Endo Shogunate landing multiple falls in ill-placed spots, some vicious brawling on the outside, especially between De La Cruz and Mugisha. It would be Innocent Mugisha who would clinch the match, pinning Sam Hall with less than five minutes to go with a cartwheel clutch, giving the Endo Shogunate a much needed boost against the "B Squad" of their rivals.

Rin Jokusato(Typhoon Pro) vs. Blair Taylor

Startlingly fast flash pin fest that saw a number of Windex spit counters from Jokusato but Taylor was able to get the pin in under ten with her Peaceful Resolution technical combination fall.

Kojj Sawada with Kengo Tamura vs. "Mango Tourist" Mei-Ling Liu(Triple Plus) with Kagura "Yuppie" Nagai(Triple Plus)

The Rookie Killer, Koji Sawada wanted to ensure that the youngest Triple Plus Joshi guest, Taiwan's Mango Tourist, Mei-Ling Liu would pay her just dues before going anywhere in L-Pro. Instead, Sawada found himself troubled by Liu's blinding speed and tricky style, and while he landed a few Grumpy Man Powerbombs and his missile dropkick, his obsession behind finishing with the Sawada Lock boston crab found him countered time and time again. Instead, Liu was able to score the massive upset pin after a diving stomp off the top, leaving Sawada seething in the ring afterwards.

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Match of the Night: Takayuki Ueda vs. Francesco Hirose, Wright-Megalodon
-Not a stunning night in terms of match quality all around, but Ueda-Hirose easily would have stood out even on a stacked event, two of L-Pro's finest young stars illuminating the ring with a fiercely fought, skillful display. Additionally, Alan Wright and Megalodon lived up to the usual Office Bonus Match reputation by providing a great go-home match that sprawled in and out of the ring with a non-stop frenzy.

Performance of the Night: Esther Musambi, ALEXANDER
-Two high profile knockout wins were inflicted by Musambi and ALEXANDER, the former taking out the Number One Ranked Ajax and the former destroying the enforcer of the dominant team in Office history with ease.

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Injury Report

Mr. Cobra: Bruised Collarbone - One Month Medical Suspension

Ajax: Cracked Rib - Two Month Medical Suspension

[One Thumb Down]
If I were fair, I'd throw that thumb upward, as this was a decent program for someone who wanted this sort of thing. But I'm a crochety old bastard of a critic and UCSS tends to be extremely hit or miss by my standards and I'm rating this the way I see it. As often is the case, far too many abrupt matches and injuries to make this a good wrestling show, and the big downer in the main event did no favors even for the legit UCSS faithful. This could have been worse...but it also could have been much better.
-Tom S. Hunter

RESULTS

UCSS: Quest For The Quest - 8-16-2024
8:00 PM(CT) on Friday, August 16th at the Doors of Perception in Los Angeles, CA

Bonus Match
Ewan Jacobs(SWA) and the Big Banter Brand("Big Banter" Rory Banner, Zin Win Aye and Sanem Becker) vs. Apocalyptic Warriors(Masa Tokugawa and Ai Tanaka) and The Limbtakers(Candace Monroe(Phoenix Rising) and Ruthless Nicole Alger)

With the show having expected to have run fast, a big eight person tag between the Infamous/Big Banter alliance up against the Apocalyptic Warriors/Limbtakers was set to close things out as the bonus bout, a decent enough close that reminded fans that Rory Banner is not just banter with the English fighter finishing Masa Tokugawa with a flurry of elbows from back mount.

Main Event: Quest For The Best Qualifier
Hakim Fields vs. Jack Stacey(SWA)

In the leadup to this match, it was revealed that Hakim Fields had already contemplated retirement after his SWA Prestige title loss at Lariats to Bruno Ramos de Melo, and had to be convinced to give things one more chance here in this qualifier against MMA export and fellow prior Prestige champion, Jack Stacey. Unfortunately, while Fields gave a strong effort, the heartbreaking result was a third round armbar(this was likely one of Thiago Gracie's favorite UCSS events ever with all the jujigatame wins) victory for Stacey, giving the Brazilian the final ticket into the Quest for the Best royale. However, this also could have likely been the final UCSS showing for one of the greatest performers in the promotion's history.

Quest For The Best Qualifier
Dangerous Nicholas Alger vs. Virgil De Boer

The Dangerous One actually seemed the better fighter for much of this encounter, but his age caught up with him as the match endured and Virgil de Boer is one person that should never be faced without the full ability to defend oneself, mercilessly taking advantage with a flurry of stomps to earn the TKO finish at the start of the third round, gaining his shot at the Quest.

Sterling vs. Caldwell II
Leona Sterling(Phoenix Rising) vs. Virginia Caldwell(Phoenix Rising)

Unsurprisingly one of the best of the night came from a Phoenix Rising rematch, with the two having first fought a standard rules format bout in their home promotion, that time with Sterling emerging victorious. Virginia Caldwell gave the Scottish standout everything she could handle here, but again fell in defeat in the waning seconds of the third round to Sterling's dreaded guillotine submission.

Quest For The Best Qualifier
Jagannath Malik vs. Zulu Lionheart

A decent attempt from Lionheart, but Jagannath Malik was able to control the match before hitting a second round rolling fireman carry clutch for the three count, earning his shot in the Quest.

Bunch'a Amateurs(Zak Hayes and Cody Sheppard)(Butterfloor) and Hannes Lefeuvre(Butterfloor) vs. Catch Club Canada(Eliza Faulkner(MWWC) and Mackenzie Bergeron) and Canadian Grizzly(TIPWF)

The Rudo Army's Canadian Grizzly ended up being Catch Club Canada's guest partner for this match, but even the Dungeon lineage of Grizzly could not thwart the ultimate spoilers from Butterfloor with Hannes Lefeuvre submitting Mackenzie Bergeron with an armbar, dodging a rolling leglock attempt before locking it in.

Quest For The Best Qualifier
Aline Richelieu vs. Jamie Tomasi

A battle of attrition for Tomasi, who endured the long ranged kicks of Richelieu for three rounds before hitting the classic Thiago Gracie BJJ jujigatame out of bottom guard for the third round submission, becoming the second entry for the Quest.

Quest For The Best Qualifier
Aoife Daley vs. Gang Wong

The Irish Firecracker is officially back in contention, knocking out Gang Wong with a first round right hand to punch her ticket into the Quest for the Best.

Khatia Lomidze Debut Bout
Khatia Lomidze vs. Rikki Renegade(Neutral Ground) with Count Savage

Dressing surprisingly stylishly for her UCSS debut, Georgian Freestyle mat wizard, Khatia Lomidze overcame the tricky tactics of Rikki Renegade to score a cradle win out of a scramble in the third round. A quality introduction to a potential top level grappler for the future of UCSS.

Bonus Match
Special Forces(Frank Van Sloan and Mahima Gurung) vs. Agile Warriors(Onika Santos and Anatoly Shkuro)

This one opened up with an added tag bout, with UCSS management realizing the Quest for the Best qualifiers could run fast and both teams were enjoyable here until Onika Santos clobbered Mahima Gurung with a handstand kick for the knockout win. Santos is primed and ready to enter the Pan African Cup on the upcoming Tour and this win likely boosted her seeding in the tournament.

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Match of the Night: Sterling-Caldwell
-Not a great night for overall match quality, but this one delivered with a fairly competitive pace for the duration and some good exchanges between the two Phoenix Rising stars.

Performance of the Night: Jack Stacey
-A definitive, potentially career-ending defeat for Hakim Fields at Stacey's hands netted the Brazilian this award.

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Injury Report

Mahima Gurung: Moderate Concussion (Three Week Medical Suspension)
-A brutal handstand kick from Onika Santos stopped the Gurka Warrior and will keep her out of competition for the foreseeable future.

Gang Wong: Mild Concussion (Two Week Medical Suspension)
-A swift punch from Aoife Daley put the Shaolin Superstar down for the count, but did not seem to leave much lasting damage, with the proper rest period adhered to.