The Senatorial Office: Open for Business!!

Alright, last night's stream completely botched up in the main event. I'm giving this another shot tonight after messing around with the router and some stuff, and this time around, I'm starting a half hour earlier with the main card at 7:30 PM Central Time, with the preshow a bit earlier than that, and the Felix Santana Jr-El Froggy Mask match has been moved to tonight's card as my connection wasn't cooperating when it came time for it last night.

My apologies to anyone who suffered through those issues last night, hopefully this one'll deliver a much better experience!

[One Thumb Down]
The first night of Lariats had zero chance of hitting two thumbs due to the postponement of the main event due to technical issues and the de facto main being a total mess for the same reason. Add in a number of unfortunate results and this one dropped below even a single thumb up. It stopped short of complete disaster with a few of the best matches of the two night event, so this goes up as one of those rare One Thumb Down events that I still recommend as essential viewing. Just brace yourself and hold your nose when you put it on.
-Tom S. Hunter

RESULTS

End Year Lariats and Legislators 2023: Night 1 - 12-28-2023
8:00 PM(CT) on Friday, December 28th at the Will Rogers Entertainment Center in Washington, DC

UCSS Tag Team Championship Bout
American Apex(Keith Van Horne and Lamont Aldren)(Wrestle Parade)(C) vs. The Limbtakers(Ruthless Nicole Alger and Candace Monroe(Phoenix Rising)

A very good match for the crowd assembled live, but for viewers at home, this ended up being an unmitigated debacle due to technical issues marring the broadcast, creating an unwatchable feed, resulting in the subsequent postponement of the Dominican Golden Championship bout for the scheduled main event. As it was, nobody can fault either American Apex or the Limbtakers for anything, as both teams performed admirably in a competitive bout, one that resulted in the Apex retaining their belts as Lamont Aldren impressively submitted the generally-unsubmittable Ruthless Nicole Alger with a high angle boston crab hold.

Legacy of CAWF
Ajax with Peak Performance(Daniel Ness and Dexa Jain) vs. The Hindu Sheik with Pay Day Enterprises(Sylvain "Pay Day" Mint, Shrieking Sheik and Elise Pichon)

The saving grace of the underwhelming Night One, with the two former faces of CAWF engaging in a brawl for the ages. The Hindu Sheik set the pace early on, only for Ajax to steal his own Ultimate Hindu Bomb in return, and a back and forth battle would ensue for nearly half an hour, inside and outside the ring, until Ajax was able to hit one definitive Himalayan Spear to defeat his great rival from the past. Incredible match that was one of the very best of the whole two night spectacle.

SWA Prestige Championship Bout
Soji Kanda(SWA)(C) with Takaya Hinomiya(SWA) vs. Eliza Faulkner(MWCC) with Mackenzie Bergeron

Eliza Faulkner already held a win over Soji Kanda entering into this bout, but was simply unable to pull the trigger early on, giving Kanda a sizable lead headed into the second and final round, where he was able to lock in a heel hook for the submission win to retain the Prestige title. Still, Faulkner's toughness was again unquestioned, taking incredible amounts of suplexes and head kicks without flinching.

Truly Terrific Tag Team Tournament Cup Finals Bout
Star Perfect(Ayako Miyamoto and Kaede Kinoshita) vs. Bitter Rivals(Ong Daengsri and Minerva Markovic)

The T5 Finals ended up being more competitive than the CCW, with Star Perfect taking their best shot, but the Bitter Rivals demonstrated great timing, skill and dogged determination to pull off the win. Ayako Miyamoto seemed to have created an insurmountable situation for the Rivals as she knocked out a non-legal Minerva Markovic with a seoi nage shoulder throw in a scramble, but Ong Daengsri saw this as the perfect opportunity to finally prove her superiority to her teammate by clocking Miyamoto with a back uppercut elbow to pin her in the Rivals's corner for the three count. An incredible win for the Rivals, but especially, for Ong Daengsri, who may never let Markovic live this one down.

Cruiserweights Can't Wait Cup Finals Bout
Phil Mercury vs. Masa Tokugawa

Fairly straightforward win in the CCW Finals, with Masa Tokugawa continuing his impressive revival as he followed through, landing his dreaded Apocalypse Knee to pin Phil Mercury and claim his prize.

Steel Stockade Grudge Match
Steve Phillips vs. Roland Chang Jr.

Baited into confrontation by the incessant jibes of Roland Chang Jr, Steve Phillips made a major tactical misstep in facing the boisterous brawler inside the Steel Stockade cage. Chang was simply the better man here, repeatedly stomping Phillips out to an almost uncomfortable degree before locking in a stalking sleeper hold to earn the submission win. Roland Junior's win here was strong enough to potentially rocket him into singles title contention in the near future, almost flawless performance on his behalf.

Mr. Moonsault with Lord Senton(Blue Thunder Pro) vs. King Bemba with Bemba's Royal Court(Esther Musambi and Yetunde Oya)

Mr. Moonsault gave a respectable effort here, but King Bemba finally put an end to his quest to vanquish the Royal Court, landing a death valley bomb to net the three count. Bemba will likely be in line for the Victorious Medal or the SWA Heavyweight title after this, while Marcus Xavier can now pursue the next phase of his career.

Preliminary Main Event
G.P. Christopher with the Destructive Alliance(Yuriko Masamune, Wrecker Yamamoto and Crusher Honda) vs. Ali Ahmed Mehrmohammdi with GRANDEUR(Thunder Fist(ZIP Japan), FENYANG and Psycho Witch(ZIP Japan))

Quality opening bout, as anyone could have expected with these two, but GPC was not going to let his former friend take a win in the Preliminary Main Event, and was able to get the pin after a Roninmaker ripcord lariat.

Preshow Match: Angelita Serafines Debut Match
Stanford Bradley vs. Angelita Serafines

A surprise Office debut for the Exotico World Order's newest addition, one of the fastest rising names in all of Lucha Libre, Angelita Serafines. Angelita has split time between Mexico and in a number of Japanese feds including +++(Triple Plus) Joshi, MPW and even a memorable, significant guest run in New Centry Pro Wrestling's Ultra Junior League Classic. Angelita showed glimpses of incredible ability, clearly booked to humiliate Stanford Bradley, but the failed comic has become more than competent at pro wrestling after years of fumbling about, and after implementing an infuriating array of antics, Bradley scored a knockout win with his Mythbreaker piledriver. Not the best way to start the show, unless, for some inexplicable reason, you're a big fan of Stanford Bradley.

Notably, an irate Anthony Kalb would recommend Stanford Bradley to go get some more work in later on in the CASSANDRA promotion, only for that to end up with eight straight beatdown losses to avenge Serafines.

[Two Thumbs Up]
What a difference a smooth broadcast and a memorably great main event can make. Night One was a bittersweet disaster, a show that delivered some wonderful experiences, but also left you with a burning sensation when you used the restroom afterwards. This one offered redemption for the Office in its last show for 2023. Beyond any expectation, the main event ended up being a classic monster mash, no issues with athleticism and a definitive finish. The late additions in the Dominican Golden Championship match brought over from Night One's aborted main event and the surprise PEWA Extreme title bout boosted the show and about the only detraction I can think of was the ugly UCSS Openweight title match, but that was something we all saw coming before the show. All in all, one of the best nights the Office put on in 2023, and a show that I can thankfully endorse with no hesitation. This is Tom S. Hunter, and I'll see you all in the new year.
-Tom S. Hunter

End Year Lariats and Legislators 2023: Night 2 - 12-29-2023
8:00 PM(CT) on Friday, December 29th at the Will Rogers Entertainment Center in Washington DC

Main Event: Senatorial Office Number One Ranking Bout
N9NE(C) vs. Colossus Rhodes

This match had no right to be as good as it was. Many were expecting a torturous struggle more against depleted stamina than the well-paced battle of the behemoths that actually took place here. Perhaps it was the last minute choice for Midas Matthews and his entourage to watch the match from the gorilla position rather than to interfere at ringside. Maybe the six month wait was well-spent by both men as they trained harder than either ever had before for a match. Whatever the reason, N9NE and Rhodes fought the best match of their respective careers, brawling in and out of the ring, neither man ever letting a lack of breath keeping them from continuing the fight, both men hitting a number of powerful moves until Rhodes was finally able to spike N9NE on his head with the dreaded Colossal Crush ganso bomb, once again staking his claim to the top spot in the Office as a result.

Marshall vs. Sapo II: TIPWF Lone Star Heavyweight Championship Bout
Lance Marshall(AFW)(C) with the Marshall Sisters(Cassandra Marshall and Terra Marshall)(AFW) vs. El Hijo Del Sapo(Rose Garden) with the Anti-Phibian Alliance(Frog Buster(SWA) and Poison Froggy Mask)

The rematch between Sapo and Marshall was less competitive than the first time, with Lance Marshall inspired by his family's feud with the Anti-Phibian Alliance to absolutely beat the swamp water out of his foe, landing nearly every one of his signature moves before the reliable Cattle Drive earned him the three count for a straight forward defense of the TIPWF Lone Star Heavyweight Championship.

Victorious Medal Championship Bout
Ibrahim Rahman(C) with Technical Ecstacy(Blair Taylor and Valentina Verda) vs. ALEXANDER with Worldwide Conquest(Maximillian Francisco De La Cruz, Tarkhan The Mangler and Rumika Hashi)

A thriller of a match that did not let L-Pro fans down in the slightest, ALEXANDER doing his very best to put Ibrahim Rahman down from early on, ramping up the intensity to the point that Rahman hit a rare running plancha out of the ring at one point. Pin after pin from the Tunisian Nomad couldn't do the job, and a spinning tombstone from ALEXANDER could have done it, were Tarkhan not in the middle of arguing with the referee at that critical junction. Instead, Rahman executed a quick standing double leg takedown into a jackknife pin, pinning ALEXANDER to retain the Medal. A tremendous match, one of the best of the event and a great title defense for Rahman, who is clearly not just the best technician in the world, but one of the toughest champions around on top of it.

UCSS Openweight Championship Bout
"Fistic Deity" Larry Washington(Realm of Wrestling)(C) vs. Lanna Ndi vs. "Big Banter" Rory Banner vs. The Infamous Ewan Jacobs(SWA)

An absolute travesty of a match that saw Lanna Ndi knocked out with a series of knees out of a Thai plum from Rory Banner, and then Larry Washington was next to go after a sneaky double team from Banner knocking him down only for Ewan Jacobs to pounce into a series of back mount punches. The unthinkable was then taking place as Banner and Jacobs would determine the next Openweight champion between the two of them. An uppercut to the back of the head into another series of back mount punches would answer the question and unfortunately, the Infamous Ewan Jacobs had become the UCSS Openweight Champion. One can only wonder what is next in store for the promotion after this mess.

Dominican Golden Championship Bout
Felix Santana Jr. with the Santana Family(Felix Santana Sr., Ana Maria Santana and Felice Santana) vs. El Froggy Mask(C) with The Trio(The Mallard(MWCC) and Rodeo Angel)

Postponed from the first night of Lariats due to technical issues, the Dominican Golden Championship bout was every bit the action packed encounter that was expected between these two workrate icons. El Froggy Mask, after redefining the Dominican Golden Championship for the TIPWF era of the belt, finally found his match in the greatest champion the belt has seen in the last fifteen years in Felix Santana Jr. Felix Jr, having been seen as far past his prime at this point, especially after losing his hair in Warrior Pro, turned back the clock here, smartly using his foundational skills to control the match, surviving Froggy's best air attacks to hit a running DDT to score the three count and regain his long lost family title.

PEWA Extreme Championship Bout
Moustapha Ndour(C) with Demarcus Browning(Rose Garden) and Renate Barlowe vs. Killer King Jones with Bodybreaker Brown, Salvador Sosa and Brickhouse Thelonious

After the TIPWF Trios bout, a surprise announcement was made for a PEWA Extreme title challenge, with the ring announcer enthusiastically making the call:

Ring Announcer: His opponent is a man well known to PEWA audiences, he is the Grand High Lord of the Bloodbath, he is the Frequent Flier and Terror of the Carrabean, he is the Royal Menace of Eritrea, he is a true PEWA Original! HE IS THE PEWA RULER OF THE ROAD CHAMPION, THE, ONE, THE ONLY, KILLER KING JONES!

The current Ruler of the Road Champion has been on one of the best runs in the entire Office on his retirement tour, and as a thanks for his years of service to the promotion and to his current consistency, Killer King Jones received a shot at the champ. And while this impromptu match may have seemed to be a blatant upset, Jones made the absolute best of it, giving a valid fight to the champion, going toe to toe with Moustapha Ndour. The Warbringer dropped Jones on his head repeatedly, but the Royal Menace of Eritrea kept coming back for more, until finally, an Obliteration Machine would put him down for the three count. A worthy challenge for Ndour and a wonderful part of the extended sendoff for Jones, a great moment overall for the PEWA.

TIPWF Lone Star Trios Championship Bout
Rudo Army(Florencia Espinosa and Very Canadian(Megan Chabot and Canadian Grizzly) with Salvador Sosa)(C) vs. The Cogburn Ranch(Lil' Lariato and the Celebrated(Maxine Blaster and Toni Bolton) with Generalissimo Kool Q)

Hard fought battle between two of the TIPWF's best factions, but the Rudo Army would manage to keep their Trios belts with Canadian Grizzly stepping up in a big way to anchor his team, eventually paying Lil' Lariato back for an earlier singles defeat in the month with a Dungeon Sharpshooter to force the submission.

SWA Tag Team Championship Bout
Renacimiento(Leonardo Pascual and Oliver Espadas)(SWA)(C) vs. The Vanishing(Blade Saeba and Notorious)(SWA)

The end of an era was marked here as Blade Saeba pinned Leonardo Pascual with a shooting star press to bring Renacimiento's year plus long reign with the SWA Tag Team belts to a close. A good match between two quality teams.

Preliminary Main Event: Top of the Start
"Opening Attraction" Priya Mallaya(Phoenix Rising) with Kojiro Burai(Phoenix Rising) vs. G.P. Christopher with Reimi Makabe

This was Priya Mallaya's time to shine, managing to go toe to toe with GPC on his own turf, kissing him in front of his girlfriend, and landing a modified backdrop hold to get the three count. A great addition to the Opening Attraction's resume, and proof that Priya's popularity is well justified by her in ring performances.

Preshow Match
Kojiro Burai(Phoenix Rising) vs. "Showtime" Byron Worthy

As fast as the royale moved along, two more favorite guests of the Office were able to close out the preshow with Kojiro Burai and Byron Worthy entering into an absolute sprint of a match, both men wasting absolutely no time here, and Worthy was able to pin Burai with his Fast Break phoenixplex hold in only twelve minutes. Don't let the brief time deceive you, though, as this was very much closely waged and Burai was likely only a move away from a win at the time he was pinned.

Preshow Match: Senatorial Office Invitational Battle Royale
Raven Brighid(Blue Thunder Pro) vs. Hideo Kawabata(Realm of Wrestling) vs. Drake Elliot IV(Wrestle Parade) vs. Rikki Renegade(Neutral Ground) vs. Nakajima Sama(Rose Garden) vs. Seiko Kankyako(Typhoon Pro) vs. Robin Nox(Phoenix Rising) vs. Camilla Kidd(Independent)

A delightful, fast moving match that did well to kick things off for the preshow, with a notable exchange between Raven Brighid and Hideo Kawabata during the middle phase. Drake Elliott IV would submit Nakajima Sama to bring the match down to the last two against Kawabata, and would overcome the former PEWA Extreme champion with a flying leglock to take the win. The Dragon Prince remains as impressive as ever, enduring through such a diverse field of foes.

---

Match of the Event: N9NE vs. Colossus
-While there were a number of matches that could have fit the bill, including Ajax vs Hindu Sheik and Rahman vs. ALEXANDER, this was a case of an incredibly hyped bout going above and beyond to not just fulfill its promise, but far exceed it. Going forward, this should be seen as the template for main event super heavyweight wars to come.

Performance of the Event: Ibrahim Rahman, Colossus Rhodes
-Rahman did not just win an important title bout, but overcame interference from Worldwide Conquest and a hot start from ALEXANDER to do so. In addition, Colossus Rhodes must also receive the award for his massive main event win, and for claiming the Number One Ranking to do so.

---

Injury Report

Angelita Serefines - Neck Sprain (Two Month Medical Suspension)

Minerva Markovic - Dislocated Shoulder (Three Month Medical Suspension)

Lanna Ndi - Moderate Concussion (Three Month Medical Suspension)

N9NE - Fractured Neck (Six Month Medical Suspension)

---

The Senatorial Office returns to action in the new year with an Office Party that promises to feature at least one debut and the announcements for the post-Lariats roster update along with the usual on-the-fly booking that the Office Party events are best known for.


Office Party #22 - 1-12-2024
8:00 PM(CT) on Friday, January 12th at the Beltway Full Contact Martial Arts Center in Washington, DC

Stanford Bradley's Best of 2023 Match
??? vs. ???

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

Other Matches TBD

The PEWA returns to regular action with the long delayed Extreme Tag Championship defense with the Path of Anarchy taking on the dreaded Hellbutchers in the main event, Killer King Jones gets a relatively soft touch in the Unlucky Legend, Tracy Finn in a Ruler of the Road bout, and guests abound with Blue Thunder bringing a trio, the Pretty Pirates taking on the Hounds of Abaddon as well as several debuts with Buraee Mahishasura and Mr. Moonsault making their first trip to the Halcyon Ballroom as full fledged members of the PEWA roster.


PEWA: New Year, Old Blood - 1-19-24
8:00 PM(CT) on Friday, January 19th at the Halcyon Ballroom in Philadelphia, PA

Main Event: PEWA Extreme Tag Championship Bout
Path Of Anarchy(Gabriel Cruise(PWR) and Sampath Thakur)(C) vs. Hellbutchers(Cleaver(Rose Garden) and Demon Otsu(ZIP Japan))

PEWA Ruler of the Road Championship Bout
Killer King Jones(C) vs. Tracy Finn

PEWA Origials(Bodybreaker Brown, P-Dogg and Hobo Harry) vs. Blue Thunder Pros(Raven Brighid, Lord Senton and Venus Couture)(Blue Thunder Pro)

The Hindu Sheik with Sylvain "Pay Day" Mint and Elise Pichon vs. Demarcus Browning(Rose Garden) with Moustapha Ndour and Renate Barlowe

Hideo Kawabata(Realm of Wrestling) vs. Odin Brockhouse(Butterfloor)

Pretty Pirates GALeon Second Chapter(La Corsaria(Phoenix Rising) and Warsan Caaliyah Ali with Camilla Kidd(Indepenent) and Hinari(Rose Garden)) vs. Hounds of Abaddon(Garrison "Death" Rowe and Scarlett Rose with Skidmark and Big Clay Hurst)(Wrestle Parade)

Mr. Moonsault PEWA Debut
Mr. Moonsault vs. Melino Tupou

Neon Knights(Hila de Holy Diver and Supernaut with Holy Diver) vs. Diamond Records(Running Diamond Cutter Man and Floyd Zeppelin)

Wrestler of the Year 2023 Buraee Mahishasura Debut
Buraee Mahishasura with Stanford Bradley vs. Masked Maniac IV

[One Thumb Up]
This was a tough call. On one hand, I find that technical issues on the level that this faced in the main event and on deserve a thumb down by default. On the other hand, the Hindu Sheik vs. Demarcus Browning and Killer King Jones vs. Tracy Finn were so good that I can't turn my thumb down for what we saw before things went screwy. My advice? Watch everything up through the Finn match, it's a damn good show through there. Then turn it off. Go ahead later, try to wade through the rest if you're a PEWA fanatic, rage at the broadcast ruining two strong matches with important results, and then remember how good the rest was. This was a two thumb show that got dumped on because the Senatorial Office once again couldn't get its shit in order, and in a way, that made it all the worse.
-Tom S. Hunter

PEWA: New Year, Old Blood - 1-19-24
8:00 PM(CT) on Friday, January 19th at the Halcyon Ballroom in Philadelphia, PA

Bonus Match
Luke Powers with Jack Fury vs. X-KIRA with Tomas the Tiny Giant

Another match that was better live than remote, with Luke Powers debuting his Powersbomb '24, a gori special setup into a crucifix folding bomb, but after enduring a vicious X-Face hold from X-KIRA, the Powerhouse was able to close out with old faithful, the Powersbomb '05 torture rack bomb that has seen him through so many matches in his career. Luke Powers has claimed he wants one more run at the top of the PEWA, and a win like this should go a long way towards giving him that chance.

Main Event: PEWA Extreme Tag Championship Bout
Path Of Anarchy(Gabriel Cruise(PWR) and Sampath Thakur)(C) vs. Hellbutchers(Cleaver(Rose Garden) and Demon Otsu(ZIP Japan))

To the fans in the arena, this was apparently a good tag match and a worthy title bout. To the fans watching elsewhere on the Sentatorial Streaming Service, this was an exercise in frustration due to the technical issues. As it was, the Path of Anarchy fought well, but could not overcome the overwhelming force that the Hellbutchers presented and Demon Otsu was able to pin Gabriel Cruise with a toss up jumping bomb to claim the belts for his team. The Hellbutchers now stand on top of the PEWA tag division with a bloody iron fist.

PEWA Ruler of the Road Championship Bout
Killer King Jones(C) vs. Tracy Finn

It would be cliche to call this the biggest surprise of 2024 already, but this might yet be seen as the case six, or even twelve months in. Tracy Finn was seen as a soft touch, a break for Killer King Jones in his mandatory title defense here, on a run so impressive that it landed him a spot in the Office Top Five Rankings. Certainly, with both men retirement bound in a few months, Finn had this moment as a favor, himself, having done absolutely nothing to earn it in the last year. But sometimes, a person given an unlikely chance just somehow takes grasp of their opportunity in a way nobody could have foreseen. And that was exactly what happened here as Killer King Jones went about his usual business, and Tracy Finn dug deeper than he has ever dug in his twenty five years in the PEWA, enduring Jones's big moves, and brawling like his life counted upon it. Tracy Finn gave the best fight of his life in this match, and somehow, some way connected with a big rolling elbow, setting up his Finn-ishing Touch running elbow smash, connecting full force, and amazingly, the three count would follow.

Tracy Finn is the PEWA Ruler of the Road, a champion for the first time in his career, and the echoes of the Halcyon Ballroom following this moment may still be echoing out into the void. The most unlikely champion in Office history claimed his prize, and at least for one moment, evidence was presented in a dusty old Philadelphia bingo hall that indeed, miracles are possible.

PEWA Origials(Bodybreaker Brown, P-Dogg and Skurai) vs. Blue Thunder Pros(Raven Brighid, Lord Senton and Venus Couture)(Blue Thunder Pro)

Before the match, Hobo Harry was attacked in the back and rendered unable to compete. It was later revealed that his assailant was none other than his old rival, Dr. Trace Gibson, and instead, Skurai made a surprise return for the first time after his ignominious defeat against Silent Death to join the ranks of the PEWA Originals. As it was, the Originals and the Blue Thunder Pro guests engaged in a fun blood and guts battle, with Raven Brighid determined to show the world that Blue Thunder is again ready to rise up, and pinned P-Dogg with a huge diving leg drop at nearly forty minutes in.

The Hindu Sheik with Sylvain "Pay Day" Mint and Elise Pichon vs. Demarcus Browning(Rose Garden) with Moustapha Ndour and Renate Barlowe

An awesome display from two of the very best in the business, a vicious battle carried out from both sides, with tons of nearfalls and big exchanges that kept the results in question right up until the very end with Demarcus Browning finally hitting one last Browning Buster to score a well-earned three count heading into his big time title challenge in Phoenix Rising as he prepares to take on Firehawk Sentarl for the World Championship. No match could have better prepared him for such a monumental occasion, and the Hindu Sheik once again came up short with no regrets in a big match, with his bout against Ajax at Lariats and Legislators looming large in recent memory.

Hideo Kawabata(Realm of Wrestling) vs. Odin Brockhouse(Butterfloor)

Undoubtedly the weirdest match of the night, not so much because of Odin Brockhouse's presence, but because Hideo Kawabata was unusually subdued, losing the match to Brockhouse's signature beak biting hammerfist flurry, resulting in a very questionable stoppage.

Pretty Pirates GALeon Second Chapter(La Corsaria(Phoenix Rising) and Warsan Caaliyah Ali with Camilla Kidd(Indepenent) and Hinari(Rose Garden)) vs. Hounds of Abaddon(Garrison "Death" Rowe and Scarlett Rose with Skidmark and Big Clay Hurst)(Wrestle Parade)

A wild fracas of a match, barely constrained by its standard tag rules, and one that saw Garrison Rowe pinning La Corsaria with a diving Death Knee diving knee strike to the head, but before that, the action sprawled in and out of the ring, with both sides bringing full support at ringside to witness the chaos. Do not expect this to be the final time that the pirates and bikers square off in a PEWA ring.

Mr. Moonsault PEWA Debut
Mr. Moonsault vs. Melino Tupou

Confident PEWA debut for Marcus Xavier, as he withstood the considerable threat of the Tongan Deathmatch Princess, closing things out with a springboard moonsault off the corner for the three count.

Neon Knights(Hila de Holy Diver and Supernaut with Holy Diver) vs. Diamond Records(Running Diamond Cutter Man and Floyd Zeppelin)

An entertaining tag match that moved along well and absolutely showcased Floyd Zeppelin's abilities, perhaps his best showing to date in the PEWA as he carried the bulk of the action for Diamond Records and earned the win with his Dark Side of the Stairway double rotation corkscrew press, pinning Supernaut.

Wrestler of the Year 2023 Buraee Mahishasura Debut
Buraee Mahishasura with Stanford Bradley vs. Masked Maniac IV

One sided demolition job in Buraee's PEWA debut, running through Masked Maniac IV with ease, and pinning him after a big diving elbow drop off the top. Stanford Bradley demanded Mr. Judgement's presence as the referee here instead of Masked Maniac III, claiming bias as the reason, but it was doubtful that any official would have made any difference here.

---

Match of the Night: Killer King Jones vs. Tracy Finn, Hindu Sheik vs. Demarcus Browning
-Two awesome matches that each deserved this award in their own way, with Shiek-Browning being more of a conventional example of a MOTN candidate, intense and competitive all the way through without a clear winner until the bell, and Jones-Finn being an incredible surprise of a throwback brawl that brought the best out of two aged veterans, as much a surprise as it was a delight.

Performance of the Night: Tracy Finn
-To understand how monumental this accomplishment was, one must contemplate the role Tracy Finn played in the PEWA for the last five years, putting on two quality matches in that entire span, only contributing in a throwaway role early on cards, considered far too gone physically to be anything more than an amusing cameo. Then extrapolate that for the twenty years before that, back to 1999, when Finn already was seen as a jobber who let the game pass him by, a converted hockey enforcer who was always a bit befuddled, infamous for eating ketchup packets and getting lost in the Halcyon Ballroom.

Then after you take all that in, look to January 19th, 2024, knowing that Tracy Finn was given a shot at the Ruler of the Road to pad out Killer King Jones's run, giving him a so-called guaranteed win on his own retirement run, giving Finn himself a nostalgic moment on his own way out, and then for the Unlucky Legend to rise up in the biggest moment of his entire career, right on the precipice of its own conclusion is a moment reminiscent of the improbable conclusion of Robert Redford's baseball classic, The Natural. Tracy Finn won a championship for the first time in his career, for the first time in over a quarter century and for that, nobody else comes close to winning the POTN award for this one.

---

Late in the show, three matches were announced for the upcoming PEWA 25 event, which should now take place some time around April or May. With Hobo Harry's attack at the hands of Dr. Trace Gibson, the two will face off one more time in an Insanitarium match. The Goodfellas, PEWA Originals still in top form in L-Pro as part of the Syndicate will return for one night to go up against their old archrivals in the Bingo Hall Mutants. Finally, while Jack Fury will continue on in tag matches, he will make his final singles bout appearance in the PEWA as he goes up against his good friend and tag partner in Luke Powers in a match that will see two of the greatest champions in PEWA history squaring off one more time.

[One Thumb Up]
I can't complain about a show that had no major mishaps and put on a servicable night of action. There were about three or four MOTN contenders, and nothing stood out as offensively awful, so this one goes firmly on my recommend list. It's good wrestling, with Texan brawling, lucha action, exotico antics and some really good tag stuff. You want more, go find another promotion.
-Tom S. Hunter

REVIEW

TIPWF: The Rodeo Royale - 1-26-2024
8:00 PM(CT) on January 26th at the Stockade in Amarillo, TX

Bonus Match
Rena LeBlanc with Arisa Hashimoto vs. Vice Versa with Angelita Serefines

A fun little bonus that saw Vice Versa hit Rena LeBlanc with about twenty atomic drops, before the Louisianan member of ARENA turned the tides with her big stomping boots, hitting a fameasser to score the pinfall.

Main Event: Rodeo Royale - Over The Top TIPWF Lone Star Heavyweight Title Contendership Bout
(Lance Marshall picks his opponent from the field if he wins.)
Lance Marshall(AFW) vs. The New Humanity Esteban Vargas vs. The Everyman vs. Valentina Verda vs. Roland Chang Jr. vs. The Mallard(MCCW) vs. "Showtime" Byron Worthy(Warrior Pro) vs. Hoss Hank Harcourt Hadley Jr.

A big mess of a match in the best of ways, that unsurprisingly saw the champ ejected first, reconfirming that Phoenix Rising talent other than Blake Dynamite cannot succeed in outside royales. Things would come down to 4H, New Humanity and unfortunately, Roland Chang Jr, but thankfully, the Hoss was able to pin Chang after Esteban Vargas hit an avalanche shiranui, and 4H himself hit his Hossbreaker jumping argentine backbreaker, bringing it down to two. While Hoss gave his best at this point, it was not enough, as Vargas managed to survive a series of backbreakers, instead landing a triple moonsault press out of the corner to gain the pin and the win. Lance Marshall will now be set to face Estevan Vargas as his next challenger, a match that most agree is one of the better outcomes this match could have seen.

Dominican Golden Championship Prove It Bout
Felix Santana Jr. vs. Drumstick(Wrestle Parade)

Many people believe that Felix Santana Jr. is the unheralded Office Workrate GOAT, and matches like this, even at this point in his long career, are proof that the third generation star still has plenty left in the tank, going hold for hold with a motivated Drumstick. At one point, the Spiciest Luchadora sent Santana flying out of the ring with a blistering shout, following up with a dive, and worked his arms over on the outside with a double chickenwing, but eventually Felix would overcome the successive submissions of his avian adversary and catch her with the classical Santana Special for the three. A wonderful match that delivered everything anyone would have hoped for here.

Double Tag Contender Opportunity
(Winning team can choose either the TIPWF Lone Star Trios belts, or the SWA Tag Team Championship to pursue.)
The Calhoun Bros(Obadiah Calhoun and Abednego Calhoun with Lucia Shikongo-Calhoun) vs. The Trio(Rodeo Angel and El Froggy Mask with The Mallard)

To nobody's surprise, the Calhouns and two thirds of The Trio engaged in an entertaining contest, with a clutch finish from Obadiah Calhoun, pinning El Froggy Mask at just the right moment with his torpedo splash for the win. The Calhouns immediately announced that they will be challenging for the SWA Tag Team titles, taking on The Vanishing at a future date.

El Hijo de Dodecahedron Jr. with Team 12(Dodecahderon, Notorious EFM and Margarita Morales) vs. Felix Santana III with the Santana Family(Felix Santana Sr, Ana Maria Santana and Felice Santana)

Absolutely spectacular demonstration of physical ability and potential from Hijo de Dodecahedron Jr in his first official TIPWF match, but it was not enough to overcome a determined Felix Santana III, who landed relentless suplexes in and out of the ring, culminating in his Rolling Wave Suplex combination for the three count. Even so, it was easy to see why Hijo Jr. is seen as the best overall prospect in the entire Office, and why he has already formed an impressive stable of veteran supporters in the original Dodecahedron, the Sultry Assassin Margarita Morales and the Notorious EFM, the group now known as Team 12.

Nadia Teye(Realm of Wrestling) vs. Esi Dogboe

Fast moving match between two athletic ladies, but it would be the experience of Esi Dogboe prevailing as she pinned Nadia Teye with an inverted pedigree for the win.

Sun and Moon(Saur Oorja and Moonman) vs. Princesa Torbellina and Colision

Excellent match that earned a Digital Dave Hundo and saw the best out of a new team, as Torbellina and Colsiion fit together perfectly, the Princesa managing to defeat Saur Oorja with her Hipercicion destino variation for the pin. Still, a great showing for Sun and Moon even in defeat, and both teams did nothing but raise their stock here.

The Triumph of the Bean
String Bean(ENHANCE) with La Belleza(ENHANCE) and Jennie Medici(ENHANCE) vs. "Mixed Martial Exotico" Martina Martinez with Angelita Serafines and Vice Versa

Apparently, this was intended on the Bean's side as a classical Roman Triumph, but Martina Martinez issued a memento mori on steroids to the delusional jobber, jobbing him out with extreme prejudice and humiliation with a top mount triangle submission, the Triangulo Inquieto sealing the deal.

Whitesnake(Corrina "Cobra" Schwall, Opaque and Saburo Aoki Jr.) vs. Tranquilo Revolution(Humberto Ortega, Sarita Jean Watkins and Misterio Guerrero)

A fairly even match until Saburo Aoki Jr. justified his transfer to the TIPWF by putting Ortega down for a KO loss with his Swift Blade slingblade variation. This could move Whitesnake ahead into a contender role in the Trios division, with another win possibly getting them a shot.

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Match of the Night: Sun and Moon vs. Clase Cinco, Felix Jr. vs Drumstick
-There could have been a third on this list with the Calhouns-Trio match, but as it was, both of these bouts did their job and then some to entertain and demonstrate the TIPWF's competitive fire that has been reignited under Cowboy Johnston's stewardship.

Performance of the Night: Esteban Vargas
-The New Humanity earned a title bout by outlasting seven others including the current champ, and makes for an easy choice here.

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Injury Report

Humberto Ortega: Whiplash (One Month Medicial Suspension)
-A slingblade from Saburo Aoki Jr put Ortega down, and will keep him on the bench for a month.

[One Thumb Up]
This was good, even really good at points, but if I called this a great show, then I'm going into Meltzer territory and assigning shows a three or four or eight thumbs up in the future. That's stupid. And while I might do some dumb things at times, I try to avoid intentional stupidity. So you did get some strong tag action here, including the great Star Perfect-Destructive Duo bout. We also had a worthwhile main event, and some nice doses of mutual contempt that could draw out some future feuds. Past that, nothing here really seemed outright essential and as such, I'd call it a recommended, not requisite watch.
-Tom S. Hunter

RESULTS

Lightning Pro x Wacker Drive Revival: Lightning Strikes in Kyoto - 2-2-2024
8:00 PM(CT) on February 2nd at the Kyoto Central Gymnasium in Kyoto, Japan

Bonus Match
Blair Taylor with Ibrahim Rahman vs. Akari Ikari with Hoon Hwangbo

SHINYSHINY91's Choke Artist, Akari Ikari is noted as a skillful mat technician, trained from a very young age by her JSDF father in submission grappling just as her mother coached her in classical singing lessons. Her relative inexperience showed here, though, and Blair Taylor demonstrated that Ikari is currently a few levels below her, easily handling the idol performer by scrambling one step ahead of her on the mat in some impressive exchanges and pinning her with her multiple combination flash pin, the aptly named Peaceful Resolution.

Main Event: Victorious Medal Number One Contendership Bout
Ajax with Peak Performance(Dexa Jain and Daniel Ness) vs. King Bemba with the Royal Court(Yetunde Oya and Esther Musambi)

A match that lived up to hopes but did not necessarily exceed them, Ajax gassing early but recovering, Bemba tanking absurd amounts of damage to keep going, multiple outside excursions, some instrumental interference from Yetunde Oya saving things for the Ugandan Destroyer at several points, and finally, a death valley bomb on a chair to give Bemba the win and a shot at Ibrahim Rahman's Victorious Medal. Still, some might say that Ajax had the match dead to rights without Oya stepping in and state that a future rematch should be in the books.

Victorious Medal Tag Team Number One Contendership Bout
Star Perfect(Ayako Miyamoto and Kaede Kinoshita) vs. The Destructive Duo(Crusher Honda and Wrecker Yamamoto)

A match that entirely lived up to hopes with both teams bringing a spirited effort to the proceedings, fighting as much if not more outside the ring than in it. Star Perfect gave as good as they got, with Ayako Miyamoto showing scary explosiveness on her seoi nages and German suplexes against her larger foes, but the Duo were able, unlike many others, to endure, and eventually, after much give and take, Crusher Honda shocked the Kyoto Central Gymnasium crowd with a rare slingshot crossbody on Miyamoto to earn the three count. The Duo will go on to face Pure Gold, but with Honda having to pull off one of the rarest moves in her toolkit to do so, there is no doubt that Star Perfect are not going to linger far away from the titles even after this close defeat. In any case, this was a standout match that should go down as one of the better of the year thus far.

Mr. Cobra(SWA) with the Syndicate(Eddie the Wire, Tony the Rod and Lucretia DeCalvacante) vs. Titas Butkus with the D-Team(Frank McMichaelson, Daunte Thomas and Astrid Johannson)

The turning of the tide? The harbinger of a new era? However you might want to classify this, Titas Butkus's first match on the L-Pro roster marked a sea change with the Lithuanian Bull absolutely obliterating Mr. Cobra in a way that the SWA mainstay has never been beaten before, slamming him out of the ring and then pinning him in the squared circle with another Bull Crush sitdown press slam. Cobra has been the Syndicate's weapon in the past, using his ruthless focus to break down top names from challengers, but for once, Cobra more than met his match.

Queen's Rangers(Valerie May and Phil Mercury) vs. NBNF(X-Treme Kid and Gray Thomas with Emerald Santiago and Taylor Nguyen)

A new look for the Queen's Rangers could not spur them onto a win over NBNF, who went with the new lineup of the X-Treme Kid and Gray Thomas, making sure to draw blood(remember, NBNF originally stood for No Blood, No Fun), and while Mercury stole the Triple XXX-Treme Stunner at one point, the Kid turned the move back on the Superstar Showman to score the three count. A surprisingly intense tag match that may have asked more questions than it answered.

Diego Santana with the Thunder Devils(Laurence Holland and Dag Boomer)(SWA) vs. Koji Sawada with Kengo Tamura

With Diego already holding one submission win over Koji Sawada in tag action, this was a chance for him to step up and claim a level of momentum previously unseen in his well-traveled career. For Sawada, this was a window for pure vengeance, the irritable Rookie Killer infuriated with Santana's prior ability to neutralize his mat game. And yet, this is once again what happened, as Diego blocked the Sawada Lock and used his superior speed and diverse skillset to keep Sawada off balance long enough to land a leg hook Diego Driver for the pin.

Directly afterwards, the Thunder Devils, who had supported Santana in his corner congratulated him and SWA Heavyweight Champion Laurence Holland invited him to serve as his next challenger for the title, an offer readily accepted by Santana.

GRANDEUR(FENYANG, Thunder Fist(ZIP Japan) and Wataru Nakajima(ZIP Japan) with Ali Ahmed Mehrmohammdi) vs. L-Pro Main Army(Kosuke "Choppu" Arai, Innocent Mugisha and Takayuki Ueda with Super Grey Machine)

The L-Pro Main Army seemed a bit off balance for much of this match, other than the repeated and extended confrontations between the two legendary anchors in Kosuke Arai and GRANDEUR's Wataru Nakajima. The Patriarch and Choppu were merciless in their meetings, and the current TIPWF Old Guard Champion may have done enough damage to open Arai up for a big rainmaker lariat from Thunder Fist to lead to the pinfall.

Megalodon Debut Match
Megalodon vs. Francesco Hirose

Suriago City's Joebert Fabroa, the badboy of the Filipino surfing scene is best known by the name of Megalodon, a force both on the waves and beyond. Suspended multiple times for his hot running temper, Fabroa's well-honed fists and excellent core balance allowed him to make a fairly seamless transition into professional wrestling, and has become the latest signing for L-Pro, jumping right onto the main roster. In his debut, he took on a fellow novice to the game in the Dojo's Francesco Hirose and immediately showed why he was able to make the jump, showing exceptional charisma, blistering punches and a natural feel for the ring, eventually winning by pinfall with a brutal inverted tomoe nage head drop that he calls Over the Top.

Alice Yanagisawa with SHINYSHINY91(Reimi Makabe, Akari Ikari and Hoon Hwangbo) vs. Keiko Maeda(Phoenix Rising) with White Hot(Rei Hasegawa and Yuki Okamura)

The playful antics and colorful Harajuku fashion of Alice Yanagisawa seemed to especially grate on Keiko Maeda, who turned in an efficient, no-nonsense shift here, pinning her SHINYSHINY91 foe in a second under ten minutes with a big cross powerbomb hold. Of note here, the new SHINYSHINY91 manager, Hoon Hwangbo made his first Office showing in the group's corner. Hwangbo, known in some circles as the "K-Pop Klopp" has been known for his ability to quickly manage artists and groups to their full potential in the Korean market and beyond, and was requested by SHINYSHINY91 founder Reimi Makabe to assist with taking her group to the next level in terms of marketing, musical direction, and even in the ring, with Hwangbo also noted for his skills in Hapkido.

Preliminary Main Event
G.P. Christopher vs. Ricky Scott

Ricky Scott did well in his first match on the Lightning Pro roster to show his ability and ambition, attempting to beat GPC in a Preliminary Main Event. There were many moments that it looked close, with Scott attempting the submission with his Stanford Recliner and physically dominating stretches of the proceedings. Christopher, though, would raise his own intensity level to match, coming close to a pin with his Destiny Driver and Roninmaker, and finally, a diving splash off the top would land a three count and served to remind even one as audacious as Scott that GPC is still the King of the Openers.

Special Preshow Bout
Jasper Rhys(Neutral Ground) vs. Masked Maniac IV(PEWA)

In a special preshow bout, the ultimate underdog, Jasper Rhys put the PEWA's Masked Maniac IV in an unfamiliar position, with the Maniac for once being the larger man in the fight. He did not seem comfortable with the role reversal and Rhys was able to use his own considerable speed to work his way to a win, pinning the Maniac with a classic magistral cradle.

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Match of the Night: Star Perfect vs. Destructive Duo
-A well balanced bout with some frenzied chaos mixed in, all four competitors looking in fine form, and Honda using an ultra rare move to win. As good as many of the other matches on the card were, this one was the only one to truly deserve the award.

Performance of the Night: Titas Butkus
-While King Bemba's win over Ajax was big, and the Destructive Duo earned a shot as well with their win, Butkus did something that nobody has ever seen in the Office and entirely trounced the legendary hardcore brawler, Mr. Cobra, and for that, he earns his spot in the awards.