The Senatorial Office: Open for Business!!

[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.

---

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.

[One Thumb Up]
A fun, snappy show that moved along well even when the matches weren't at their best. This was in contrast to last week's TIPWF event where every match was good in a vacuum, but accumulated into a drawn out ordeal by halfway through the proceedings. Pacing is so important to a good wrestling show, and for a standard weekly event, you need it more than anything else. Good short matches leave you wanting more, bad short matches move out of the way and let the next one look better by comparison.

That said, the main event was a joke, the SHINY Series, though somewhat entertaining was about what you'd expect and the match quality was well below par here, so I recommend this one with reservation. If you seek anything out in particular, the Triple Plus showcase in the opener and the Gear-KIRA match stood out above the rest.
-Tom S. Hunter

Lightning Pro x Wacker Drive Revival: The Shiny Series - 5-17-2024
8:00 PM(CT) on Friday, May 17th at the Kyoto Central Gymnasium in Kyoto, Japan

Bonus Match
Jagannath Malik(UCSS) vs. Jeff(ENHANCE)

Amaron Ka Ahkaada's top prospect, the king of Indian Mud Wrestling, Jagannath Malik signed with the promotion close to a year ago, but Amaron founder Aishwarya Dhawan decided to send Malik stateside for the duration to train in the Office's heralded Dwight Gym. Malik has now signed a joint contract with UCSS and Amaron, and made his televised professional wrestling debut here against Jeff, cruising to an easy win with a counter rollup. Not an especially impressive win, but Malik was never in danger and for a pro debut, this was perfectly acceptable.

Bonus Match
Kaede Kinoshita vs. Leilani Auerbach

Strong showing for Leilani Auerbach, but once the Stardust Angel was able to put things together in the later phase of the match, things seemed inevitable leading into a spinning doctor bomb for a Kinoshita three count win.

Main Event
Ibrahim Rahman, Blair Taylor "Ringside Thunder" Laurence Holland(SWA) and Ricky Scott vs. Bemba's Royal Court(King Bemba, Yetunde Oya, Esther Musambi and Ali Ahmed Mehrmohammdi)

Shockingly short match with Ibrahim Rahman catching King Bemba with a grounded crucifix pin in just under five minutes. The Number One Ranked holder of the Victorious Medal couldn't be in a stronger place leading towards his defense at Mid Year Lariats against the now-humiliated King.

SWA Heavyweight Championship #1 Contender Bout
X-KIRA vs. Gary Gear

One of the better bouts of the evening and while the violent approach and gritty toughness of X-KIRA bolstered his chances, Gary Gear has been in great form and blasted his foe out with a Big Body Bomb for the pinfall victory to earn his chances against Laurence Holland.

Pure Gold(Kanjirin Tonorian, Mallory Spaulding and "Five Star" Kyle Anderson)(Phoenix Rising) vs. Eurocore(Gentleman Jem Gladstone, Grace Saxon and Top Tyr)

Decent match that strangely saw Pure Gold make next to no use out of their ace card, Mallory Spaulding, and instead, saw Tonorian and Anderson try to slug it out on their own against all three Eurocore members before Jem Gladstone put Kyle Anderson down with a rush of elbow strikes into the pin. A strong win for Eurocore heading into their future challenge for Pure Gold's Victorious Tag Medals in two on two action.

SHINY Series #3
"The Star of the Show" Naoka Takemura vs. Lucretia DeCavalcante

An ignominous and complete failure to wrap up the three match SHINY Series, with Lucretia DeCavalcante stomping the living daylights out of Naoka Takemura, a leaping Omerta curbstomp resulting in a brutal knockout.

SHINY Series #2
"Choke Artist" Akari Ikari vs. Eddie the Wire

The second match in the SHINY Series was a fairly straight forward win for Eddie the Wire, with Akari Ikari managing to survive one Wire Cutter near the end, only for a second one to lead to her three count defeat. Not a terrible showing for the young idol prospect against a legend of the game. The odds were looking bad for SHINYSHINY91 at this point...

SHINY Series #3
"Harajuku Spirit" Alice Yanagisawa vs. Tony the Rod

A persistent showing from the unorthodox Harajuku Spirit, Alice Yanagisawa, but Tony the Rod showed that he is still more than capable of keeping up with the younger talent after more than a quarter-century in the business and pinned his foe after a diving frog splash. A good try from Yanagisawa, who even now can be a handful for superior foes with her endless antics and contrarian approach in the ring.

Triple Plus Joshi Showcase
"Punky Artist" Ichika Mori(Triple Plus), Yuppie Nagai(Triple Plus), Yamikuro(Triple Plus) and "Mango Tourist" Mei-Ling Liu(Triple Plus) vs. Yuriko Masamune, "The Dreadnaught Chiyoko Tano(Triple Plus), Shino Ito and Yippy Urameshi

A very good opener that showcased current members of independent Triple Plus Joshi as well as export members currently on the L-Pro roster to celebrate the expanded connection between the promotions. Everyone had their moments here, with Office debut showings for +++ current champ, the heavily-tattooed Punky Artist, Ichika Mori and young Taiwanese prospect, the Mango Tourist, Mei-Ling Liu. Yuriko Matsumoto dominated stretches of the match, but in the end it would be Mei-Ling Liu who scored a huge win for her side by hitting Shino Ito with a back handspring roundhouse for the pinfall. A great start to the show that would end up being the best match of the night and a spot-on perfect introduction to Triple Plus for Senatorial Office audiences.

---

Match of the Night: Triple Plus Eight Person Tag
-The opening match was a great showcase for all eight participants and a competitive bout that set a high standard for the rest of the night.

Performance of the Night: Ibrahim Rahman
-A sub-five minute pin over his future challenger, King Bemba is an easy way to earn this award.

---

Injury Report

Naoka Takemura - Moderate Concussion (Three Month Medical Suspension)
-Stomped into unconsciousness by Lucretia DeCavalcante, Takemura will have to focus only on the pre-show SHINYSHINY91 concerts rather than competition for the next three months.

[One Thumb Up]
As my audience frequently reminds me, I am aware that I have a slight bias against UCSS, at least compared to the other Office feds. It's not the full-on raging hatred I have for 2000s era HHH, current day Jey Uso or XPW as a whole. But I do acknowledge that when it comes to my ratings, UCSS comes up shorter than the other feds in the Office. Therefore, when I do grant an overwhelmingly positive rating to one of these programs, I believe that is a significant statement.

This week's UCSS show had an outstanding flow, and for once, delivered upon the original promise of UCSS as an organization dedicated to the sporting side of the martial arts, as well as highlighting the burgeoning tag scene. Aside from Thiago Gracie's all-too-fast win and the underwhelming main event, there was much to enjoy here, with the bonus tag match delivering, the American Apex-Catch Club Canada singles bouts both providing some great competition and the Team Larry-Big Banter Brand match working as a quality bout as well as providing some significant narrative developments. Add in the sloppy, but fun debut of Djibril Ba, and you had a show that, while not quite at the Two Thumb level, was assuredly at One and a Half.

This is what UCSS should be on a regular basis, instead of seeing half the roster injured on a random show and a hyper fixation on the tag scene, we had a well-balanced program that entertained from bell to bell. That's worth my endorsement.
-Tom S. Hunter

RESULTS

UCSS: The Violent Invite - 5-24-2024
8:00 PM(CT) on Friday, May 24th at the Doors of Perception in Los Angeles, CA

Bonus Match
Special Forces(Mahima Gurung and Frank Van Sloan) vs. Battle Blossoms(Onosa'i Tagaloa and Sakura Ishigami with Manami Ishigami)

One of the absolute best matches of the night took place in the second bonus match as the Special Forces stepped up against the Battle Blossoms in an excellent tag showdown that eventually saw Mahima Gurung hit her running corner skewer Kukri Knee to pin Onosa'i Tagaloa.

Bonus Match: Djibril Ba Debut Match
Djibril Ba(TIPWF) vs. Neil(ENHANCE)

The Senegalese Batista, Djibril Ba was granted the chance to make his Senatorial Office debut here, and despite a plethora of sloppy moments, hit a spinning scrapbuster slam for the pinfall victory.

Main Event: SWA Prestige Championship Bout
Hakim Fields(C) vs. Jagannath Malik

Granted a debut title bout for his first ever UCSS match, Jagannath Malik was easily handled by Hakim Fields, who negated his clinchwork for much of the first ten minute round before closing out with the Hapa Elbows. A strong title defense for Fields and a competent debut for Malik, even if he will have to work hard to climb back up the ladder after his defeat.

Larry Washington(Realm of Wrestling), Lanna Ndi, Jumbo Joseph Butt and Gemma Jo Butt vs. Big Banter Brand(Sanem Becker, Virgil de Boer, Zin Win Aye and Bruno Ramos de Melo)

Originally the Big Banter Brand was going to bring out Rory Banner as the fourth member, but instead, it was announced that the BLADE Hunter, Bruno Ramos de Melo officially signed with the Brand, and stepped in for Banner. The match was a brutal back and forth fight that eventually ended up with the champ, Larry Washington pinning Virgil de Boer following a crushing uppercut to the head.

Landon Balls(Butterfloor) with Tom Balls(Butterfloor) vs. The Equalizer with Anwar Omar

The dreaded Balls Bros reportedly talked a mountain of trash before this match, but the Equalizer was able to dig deep back into his traveling bouncer experience to pull off a second round submission win with his leghook sleeper, the Cooldown.

Red Alert(Leona Sterling(Phoenix Rising) and Aoife Daley) vs. South African Alliance(Zulu Lionheart and Renate Barloe with Shaka Corbin(Rose Garden))

Wild struggle of a bout with Red Alert and the South African Alliance both fighting with a high level of intensity for the duration until Barlowe was able to catch Sterling with a running leglock for the submission win.

Zarya Rapier II(Typhoon Pro) vs. Lula Bufona

Strong showing from the Typhoon Pro veteran who submitted Lula Bufona in the third round with a rodeo stretch. Good match all around, and a credit to Rapier II for not letting Bufona's antics derail her focus.

Giulia Sanfilippo(Neutral Ground) vs. Thiago Gracie

Shades of Rumino Sato, Thiago Gracie hit a twenty-eight second flying armbar on one of the best shoot style performers in the entire scene for a shockingly fast win. Perhaps the best example of a fluke submission, were this from anyone other than the jujigatame-obsessed Gracie. Still, expect a future rematch, without a doubt.

Eliza Faulkner(MWWC) vs. Keith Van Horne(Wrestle Parade)

Another great technical matchup, one that went even harder than the Bergeron-Aldren match with Faulkner pushing Keith Van Horne for four rounds before KVH was able to scramble off the mat to land a karelin lift for the ten count. Make no mistake, this was one of Faulkner's best matches of her career, and this could have been one move away from a different result.

Mackenzie Bergeron vs. Lamont Aldren(Wrestle Parade)

Beautiful display of matwork and refined technique from two grappling geniuses as American Apex look at a future challenge for the UCSS tag belts from Catch Club Canada. Bergeron was in the mix for the entirety but Aldren was able to lock in a rear naked choke in the fourth round for the submission win.

---

Match of the Night: Falkner vs. Horne
-As good as Bergeron vs. Aldren and all the tag matches on the card were, this was good enough to have earned the clear top spot, a highly competitive technical showcase that made both competitors look like a million bucks afterwards.

Performance of the Night: Hakim Fields
-A confident, efficient win against a vaunted, dangerous foe that may not have entertained much, but only served to cement Hakim Fields as the SWA Prestige Champion.

[Two Thumbs Up]
The Office took a risk here with a change of pace and it paid off extremely well. The Newcomer Classic ran at a breakneck pace, raised the profile of a large number of participants and managed to maintain a high match quality across the board. The crowning of El Hijo Del Dodecahedron Jr. was as well-deserved as it was exciting to behold and Jagannath Malik did well to demonstrate his skills without overwhelming his more conventional foes, as UCSS talent often do in crossover settings. The Office has been spinning its wheels for the last few months and it was great to see something different that actually followed through on expectations.
-Tom S. Hunter

Golden Touch #33: The Newcomer Classic
8:00 PM(CT) on Friday, May 31st at the Beltway Hippodrome in Washington, DC

Bonus Match
Eternal Free Agents(Robin Nox(Phoenix Rising) and Atlas Stone) vs. Team Triple Plus(Ichika Mori and Mei-Ling Liu)

Originally, the Office meant to bring in Phoenix Rising shoot style prospect, Choloe Acevedo Leon, but travel plans fell through and instead, Robin Nox and Atlas Stone renewed their long term team of convienence to go up against two of Triple Plus's best in a match that saw Nox tap out Triple Plus champ, Ichika Mori with her Death Grip submission.

Bonus Match: Beau Ramirez Debut Match
Beau Ramirez with Obadiah Calhoun, Abednego Calhoun and Lucia Shikongo-Calhoun vs. Felix Santana III with Felix Santana Sr, Felix Santana Jr. and Ana Maria Santana

Amazing debut in the Senatorial Office for the Green River Wrestling champion, former NCAA freestyle star and former bounty hunter, Beau Ramirez as he took on an extremely harsh welcome to the organization by Felix Santana III. Both men went back and forth with a full entourage each at ringside, but Ramirez's mix of size and technical abiltiy carried him through, pinning his foe with a flash pin rollup for a great first win in the Office.

Main Event: Newcomer Classic Championship Bout
Jagannath Malik vs. El Hijo del Dodecahedron Jr.

A fitting finale to the tournament with El Hijo del Dodecahedron Jr. overcoming a strong threat from Jagannath Malik, pinning the Indian standout after a rope walk diving elbow drop to claim the Newcomer Classic trophy for his display case. Hijo Jr. has been claimed by many to be the best prospect in Office history and a win such as this is more fuel for those flames.

Newcomer Classic Semi Final
Buraee Mahishasura vs. El Hijo del Dodecahedron Jr.

Technical approach from Hijo Jr paid off here with the lucha super prospect working his way towards the finals, pinning Buraee Mahishasura after a high angle canadian destroyer.

Newcomer Classic Semi Final
Megalodon vs. Jagannath Malik

Superb match that saw the best from both competitor, Jagannath Malik showing some new skills as he fought his way to a hard-earned victory, pinning Megalodon with a death valley bomb.

Newcomer Classic Quarter Final (PEWA)
Buraee Mahishasura vs. Brickhouse Thelonious

Shockingly abrupt finish with Buraee wrecking Brickhouse with The Shaker, his brutal high intensity canadian backbreaker hold.

Newcomer Classic Quarter Final (TIPWF)
El Hijo del Dodecahedron Jr. vs. Angelina Serefines

Excellent display of lucha skills that culminated in a quintessential lucha finish as Hijo Jr. hit Serefines with a counter rollup for the pin to move along in the tournament.

Newcomer Classic Quarter Final (Lightning Pro)
Shino Ito vs. Megalodon

Strong win for Joebert Fabroa with the Bad Boy of the Filipino surf scene overcoming Shino Ito's arrogant approach to pin her with a high angle DDT in the middle of the ring.

Newcomer Classic Quarter Final (UCSS)
Jagannath Malik vs. Gemma Jo Butt

Nearly twenty minutes of a match that saw Gemma Jo put up a decent fight, often blocking Malik's attempts to finish the match off the mat, but her efforts came up short with Jagannath landing her own signature Shake Rattle and Roll combination to earn the pinfall victory, a surprising display of boxing prowess for the Indian traditional mud wrestling competitor.

---

Match of the Night: Beau Ramirez vs. Felix Santana III, Megalodon vs. Jagannath Malik
-The bonus match stepped up in a big way with Beau Ramirez making a near-perfect Office debut, but the Megalodon-Malik match was every bit as good and both deserve the award.

Performance of the Night: El Hijo Del Dodecahedron Jr.
-An undisputed choice, with Hijo Jr. winning three matches to take the Newcomer Classic.

---

Injury Report

Brickhouse Thelonious: Back Spasms - One Month Medical Suspension
-A brutal canadian backbreaker hold from Buraee Mahishasura wrenched Brickhouse's back out of place and the PEWA performer will miss a month to get back into shape.

[One Thumb Up]
A strong start to the Road to Mid-Year Lariats that featured two excellent matches in the main event and the Browns vs. Knight/Sentarl. There were some weird finishes, and the unannounced N9NE cameo was especially welcome, all in all, this was a good routine PEWA show, minus the random over the top gimmick matches. Especially recommended for PEWA fans and for anyone wanting to prep for Mid-Year Lariats, but a general wrestling fan should garner a good amount of enjoyment here, too.
-Tom S. Hunter

RESULTS

PEWA: The Road to Mid-Year Lariats '24 - 6-7-2024
8:00 PM(CT) on Friday, June 7th at the Halcyon Ballroom in Philadelphia, PA

Bonus Match
Hideo Kawabata(Realm of Wrestling) vs. "The Powerhouse" Luke Powers

A highly-motivated showing for the PEWA GOAT with Luke Powers pinning Hideo Kawabata with a pop-up Powersslam, a match between two great former champions that was over all too quickly.

Main Event: PEWA Ruler of the Road Championship Bout
Demarcus Browning(Rose Garden)(C) with Moustapha Ndour vs. The EMP with PM Carnage

Excellent battle for the toughest belt in wrestling to hold onto for any time, and while Demarcus Browning was in his usual fine form, the EMP stepped up to a level previously unseen, especially in a rare singles showing, managing to survive multiple Browning Busters and spinning brainbusters before hitting a running splash for the three count to win the Ruler of the Road. Potentially, this could be the first of two title wins for the New Mutants over the Warbringers with Moustapha Ndour defending the PEWA Extreme title at Mid-Year Lariats against PM Carnage in a month.

The Hellbutchers(Cleaver(Rose Garden) and Demon Otsu(ZIP Japan), Silent Death and the Headhunter vs. Pay Day Enterprises(Shrieking Sheik and Hindu Sheik), Ninja Smith and Tomas the Tiny Giant

Unsurprisingly, this was a violent mess, as befitting for the PEWA, with both sides brawling across the ring. Things would end abruptly, though, with Tomas stepping in and KOing Silent Death with a pendulum bomb.

"Cutter King" Satoshi Iguchi(ZIP Japan) vs. Running Diamond Cutter Man

A dream match proposed in a PEWA fan poll that was brought to reality with the Cutter King making a visit to Philly to take on the Running Diamond Cutter Man. Satoshi Iguchi showed no sign of any decline here, dominating the match and finishing Jose Marin with an avalanche cutter for the three count.

"The Fearsome Icon" Chiyoko Tano(Triple Plus Joshi) vs. "Tongan Deathmatch Princess" Melino Tupou

A violent slugfest between one of the PEWA's rising stars and an all-time great. Melino Tupou gave the Fearsome Icon her best shot but came up short with Chiyoko Tano eventually pinning her with a piledriver, a result that, while less than optimal for the Tongan Deathmatch Princess, could actually benefit her in the long run with the experience of having fearlessly challenged Tano.

Hija de Holy Diver with Holy Diver and Supernaut vs. Carla D'Antoni with Victor Van Banning

An incredibly fast moving bout that gave a big win once again for Hija de Holy Diver who managed to hit her improved diving headbutt, Falling From Grace to pin D'Antoni.

Mr. and Mrs. Brown(Bodybreaker Brown and Downtown Lucy Brown) vs. Kaelara Sentarl(Phoenix Rising) and Trinity Knight(Evergreen)

Great tag battle that saw Kaelara Sentarl head back on her multi-promotional tour after losing to Trinity Knight on Evergreen, and this time, she would team with her prior foe, with the two overcoming a capable threat from the PEWA President and a former PEWA Extreme champ. Bodybreaker's old school violence and Downtown Lucy's high flying attacks kept the Sentarl-Knight team on their back heel for long stretches of the match, but Trinity was able to find a win with less than three minutes to go until the forty-five minute time limit, submitting Lucy Brown with a flying armbar.

Bonus Match
Big Stan with Stanford Bradley vs. N9NE(Free Agent)

Directly after Big Stan shockingly KOed the Sewer Dragon, none other than the Mythical Monster, N9NE walked down to ringside in his street clothes, and for the first time in half a year, the bell would ring for the giant, and just under eight minutes later, it would ring again after N9Ne obliterated Big Stan with a thunderous lariat out of the corner.

Big Stan with Stanford Bradley vs. Sewer Dragon(Super NOVA)

A horrifying, terrible conclusion to this one, and amazingly, that had nothing to do with Sewer Dragon's disgusting hygene. Instead, in a weirdly fitting manner, Big Stan planted the Dragon with his version of the Wasteland slam, OutStanding. But before the foam headed mascot could walk away with his enormous victory, hold on....

Preliminary Main Event
GPC and Hobo Harry vs. Pay Day Enterprises(Sylvain "Pay Day" Mint and Elise Pichon)

With GPC looking to claim the complete PEWA triple crown, the Prodigal Prodigy decided to team up with his original mentor, Hobo Harry and paid the current contenders, Victor Van Banning and Carla D'Antoni a step-aside fee to take on the unenviable task of overcoming the dreaded Hellbutchers at Mid-Year Lariats for the PEWA Extreme Tag belts. In addition, revenge was in order for GPC after Elise Pichon had previously KOed his signifcant other, Reimi Makabe on her previous PEWA showing. With only one match to take care of prior business and bring his new team together for a title bout, GPC was locked in, showing great chemistry with Hobo and ended up pinning Pichon after the King's Landing in a quality opener.

---

Match of the Night: Browning vs. EMP, Mr. and Mrs. Brown vs. Knight/Sentarl
-The main event was a power packed battle that earned its plaudits while the Browns and the combined Phoenix Rising duo managed to take a forty-plus minute match and make it feel like it took up half that time.

Performance of the Night: The EMP
-The EMP's big win over Demarcus Browning for the Ruler of the Road was more than enough fuel to propel the New Mutant to this award.

---

Injury Report

Sewer Dragon (No available Information)
-Not only was Sewer Dragon's medical report unavailable due to his outside Super NOVA affiliation, but it was reported that the PEWA medical staff refused to check the Dragon without a hazmat suit, which was not on site.

Silent Death: Wind Knocked Out (No Medical Suspension)
-A big pendulum bomb from Tomas knocked Silent Death out of his match, but the violent ninja will not miss any time going forward.

[One Thumb Up]
What happens when you manage to maintain a reasonable to high match quality for a whole card, build up narratives in your booking and deliver on promises? I'm not sure what the Office did to fix some of its issues, but shows have been stepping up considerably as of late, with this TIPWF event being no exception. Of course, Felix-EFM was the standout match of the night, but it was far from the only worthwhile bout of the evening with Serefines-Oorja, Welsh Pizza-Sorpresa/Ba and the madness that was Phillips-Dodecahedron all working well. The main event ended somewhat abruptly, as did the surprise SWA tag title bout, but this was still a quality setup for the TIPWF's Mid-Year Lariats entries and even more importantly, was good enough that I wrote a whole review without resorting to my usual cynical snark.
-Tom S. Hunter

RESULTS

TIPWF: The Road to Mid-Year Lariats - 6-14-2024
8:00 PM(CT) on Friday, June 14th at the Stockade in Amarillo, TX

Bonus Match: SWA Tag Team Championship Bout
The Vanishing(Blade Saeba and Notorious)(SWA)(C) vs. The Trio(Rodeo Angel and El Froggy Mask with The Mallard(MWWC))

A surprise challenge for the SWA Tag Team belts was the capstone for the night, but this was a fairly routine defense for the Vanishing who turned back Rodeo Angel and El Froggy Mask, Notorious pinning the latter following a hefty elevated powerbomb.

Main Event: TIPWF Lone Star Trios Championship Bout
Rudo Army(El Hijo De Macchiato and Very Canadian(Canadian Grizzly and Megan Chabot))(C) vs. Whitesnake(Saburo Aoki Jr, Opaque and Corrina "Cobra" Schwall)

A good matchup that seemed to finish a bit too quickly with Canadian Grizzly spiking Cobra Schwall in a big melee to sneak away with the three count, defending the Trios belts for the Rudo Army.

Felix Santana Jr. vs. The Notorious EFM

Felix vs. Froggy(or EFM, currently) is a matchup that will go down in the annals of wrestling as one of the most reliable in the last two decades, the Dominican's equivalent to Flair-Steamboat or Dynamite Kid-Tiger Mask. This was no exception, with Felix Santana Jr. asking his best friend and greatest rival to prepare him for his mystery foe in his Dominican Golden Championship defense at Mid-Year Lariats. To no surprise, this one stole the show with ease, Notorious EFM looking as spry as ever, and Felix Jr. in the same great form that helped him regain and retain the belt that his family founded. While EFM pushed Felix for the whole bout, it would be a Santana victory as Felix landed a combination ending in a diving rana pin for the three count.

Unlikely Allies, Part Two
Lance Marshall(AFW) and Professor Mark Gizenga(Free Agent) vs. The PAC("Showtime" Byron Worthy(Warrior Pro) and Anthony Kalb)

In the second part of the Unlikely Allies series, Lance Marshall joined with Lilou Ibara's mentor, Kinshasa's own, Professor Mark Gizenga against the ever-dynamic Showtime Byron Worthy and the Senatorial Office Head of Operations, Anthony Kalb. Kalb, known for his reckless tendencies to throw himself headlong into needless physical challenges, was able to somehow land his self-lauded "best in the industry" drop toe hold into a running elbow drop on Marshall for the three count and a ridiculously major upset. Obviously, the champ's attention has been divided, and this was absolutely far from the best that Marshall has shown, but this still has to be a point of concern for the AFW boss's sizable fanbase.

Steve Phillips vs. Dodecahedron

A dream match between two expert grapplers that did not disappoint with the high volume of matwork, and moreso, with an absurdly spectacular, arguably unnecessary finish with Phillips maneuvering into his dreaded Nuclear Option ultimate finisher in a scramble, spiking Dodecahedron with the triple head drop into...the actual three count, the first time on an Office broadcast that the founder's supreme technique actually yielded a win.

Unlikely Allies, Part One
Lilou Ibara and the Marshall Family(Cassandra Marshall and Terra Marshall)(AFW) vs. The PAC(Kevin Fitsharris and ARENA(Rena LeBlanc and Arisa Hashimoto))

The first of two Unlikely Allies bout saw upcoming TIPWF Lone Star Heavyweight challenger, Lilou Ibara team with champion Lance Marshall's sisters up against the PAC. It was a successful alliance, with Cassandra especially anchoring the team and submitting Kevin Fitsharris with a high angle Texas Cloverleaf.

The Mallard(MWWC) vs. "Buttered Toast Man" Rory Burton(Butterfloor)

Quality contest between two faces of their franchise that saw the Mallard claim the win with a victory roll pin.

Beau Ramirez TIPWF Debut Match
Green River Wrestling(Beau Ramirez and the Calhoun Bros(Abednego Calhoun and Obadiah Calhoun) with Lucia Shikongo-Calhoun) vs. Team Hard Work(The Everyman, Rin Jokusato(Typhoon Pro) and Fuyuki Takenaka(Typhoon Pro))

Beau Ramirez made his TIPWF roster debut with a humbling result in this trios bout as Rin Jokusato tapped him out with the Funk classic, a well-applied spinning toe hold.

Angelita Serefines vs. Saur Oorja

A well-paced contest that showed off the expansive skillsets of both participants, with Saur Oorja maintaining his intensity all the way through, but it would be Angelita Serefines walking away with the win after an elevated headscissor stinkface into a thunderous running big boot for the three count. The EWO's newest addition may have had a rough start in the TIWPF, but Serefines is now looking to rapidly climb the rankings with showings like this.

Welsh Pizza(Jasper Rhys(Neutral Ground) and Masked Maniac IV(PEWA)) vs. Djibril Ba and Luchador Sorpresa

While Welsh Pizza's unlikely win streak finally came to an end here against the duo of the Senegalese Batista, Djibril Ba and the ever-mysterious Luchador Sorpresa, they still raised their stock with some exceptionally good teamwork for the duration of the bout. Djibril Ba's TIPWF roster debut was much smoother than his initial cameo showing in UCSS, hitting some huge lariats, connecting with the Batista Bomb and pinning Jasper Rhys with a spinning scrapbuster slam. Outstanding opening bout that received the highest honors from Dave Doolittle.

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Match of the Night: Felix vs. Froggy
-A tale as old as time, Felix Santana Jr and The Notorious EFM again steal the show, the most reliable matchup in all of wrestling, even after all these years.

Performance of the Night: Steve Phillips
-While defeating Dodecahedron was not a Performance earning victory, doing so with the Nuclear Option was a moment worth celebrating, and as such, the Office's founder nets his award for the night's work.

[One Thumb Up]

I have the reputation of being a cynical old bastard, and I'm going to do my best to reinforce it here as much as possible. The run-in to Lariats has produced a consistent run of competently produced shows and frankly, I'm bored. The thing is, True Wrestling Fans worth their salt have an abnormal love of complaining and moaning over the product they obsessively follow and I am admittedly no different. This show brought strong match quality, even in some unexpected matchups, it set the table nicely for L-Pro's Lariats matchups and the Worldwide Conquest drama was top notch. The show itself entertained me when I watched it, but writing this review bored me to tears without being able to unleash my wrath. Don't let that stop you from getting your joy here, it's an essential program worth your time, the Ueda-Scott, Team Rahman-Team Bemba, Hirose-Mugisha and Mori-Tiger matches all stood out. My jaded self might yearn for that sweet serotonin obtained from ripping on an inferior effort, but for relatively well-adjusted wrestling fans out there, you can celebrate for now. Now bring on UCSS, please let me down like I know you can...

-Tom S. Hunter





RESULTS



Lightning Pro x Wacker Drive Revival: Road to Mid-Year Lariats 2024 - 6-21-2024

8:00 PM(CT) on Friday, June 21st at Wacker Drive Revival in Chicago, IL



Bonus Match

Takayuki Ueda vs. Ricky Scott



One of the absolute best of the night, both men in top form, leading to a competitive bout that went down to the wire, Takayuki Ueda hitting his Mana Bauer style Uedaplex II for the pinfall to scrape out a win over a game Ricky Scott.



Main Event

Technical Ecstacy(Ibrahim Rahman and Blair Taylor) and Peak Performance(Ajax and Dexa Jain) vs. Bemba's Royal Court(Yetunde Oya and Ali Ahmed Mehrmohammdi) and the D-Team(Titas Butkus and Iceberg)



Excellent main event that made the most out of its star studded lineup, and would see Iceberg pin Ajax after a jackhammer.



Kanjirin Tonorian(Phoenix Rising) with Pure Gold("Five Star" Kyle Anderson and Mallory Spaulding)(Phoenix Rising) vs. Gentleman Jem Gladstone with Eurocore(Top Tyr and Grace Saxon)



An aggressive showing for the Gentleman, who did not allow Kanjirin Tonorian to unleash his unstoppable late match power, repeatedly going for his River Thames Undertow submission to eventually get the tapout win.



Thunder Devils("Ringside Thunder" Laurence Holland and Dag Boomer)(SWA) vs. Gary Gear(Free Agent) and Diego Santana



Originally the Muscle Machines were to face the Thunder Devils in a preview match of Gear's challenge for Holland's SWA title, but Adonis Avery Alexander did not make the trip to Chicago, and instead was replaced by a man with a grudge against Dag Boomer and his own legitimate claim on a SWA title shot, Diego Santana. Santana and Gear were a competent team for the most part, but would lose with Boomer pinning Santana after a double team Boomer Bomb.



L-Pro Dojo Double Graduation Bout

Francesco Hirose with The Outlaw Sam Hall, Maximillian Francesco De La Cruz and Rimi Kondo vs. Innocent Mugisha with Nishimura Endo, Rumika Hashi and Stakhonovite Warrior



The second chapter of the Worldwide Conquest evolution took place in this double Dojo graduation bout, as Francesco Hirose joined up with the Conquest as he promised, and Rimi Kondo added to the ranks. Likewise, Innocent Mugisha signed with the Endo Shogunate, who were at ringside, including a worse for wear Rumika Hashi. The match itself was tremendous, one of the best of the show, with both men showing new skills to match their new attire and Hirose would eventually win with a diving missile dropkick for the pinfall.



Ichiko Mori(Triple Plus) vs. Bebop Tiger



A far better match than anyone was expecting as Ichika Mori was able to go toe to toe with Eiji "Jay" Sato, negating his vast experience with her dogged determination, but in the end, it would be the Bebop Tiger walking away with the win after his Birdland Special arm trapping german suplex scored the three count.



Ghost of a Chance(Seiko Kankyako(Typhoon Pro) and Yamikuro(Triple Plus)) vs. Yippy Urameshi and Shino Ito



Impressive match from the former Triple Plus rivals, with Urameshi and Ito avoiding the antics of Ghost of a Chance and Urameshi hitting Seiko Kankyako with her running grounded forearm smash known as Yippy Skippy for the three count.



"Mango Tourist" Mei-Ling Liu(Triple Plus) vs. "Total MDK" Taylor Ngyuen



A fast moving match as expected, but the experience of Taylor Ngyuen gave the NBNF dynamo an advantage, hitting her running flip kick rush into a running crossbody for the pinfall.



Tornado Elimination

Worldwide Conquest(ALEXANDER, Tarkhan the Mangler and Walid Alizadeh) vs. The Endo Shogunate(Nishimura Endo, Rumika Hashi and Stakhonovite Warrior)



Originally, this was booked to be a fairly routine four on four matchup with Worldwide Conquest with a mystery member up against NBNF. When the mystery member was announced to be former UCSS star, Walid Alizadeh, Nishimura Endo's issues with the direction of the faction came to a head, with ALEXANDER, Tarkhan and Walid attacking the former Victorious Medal holder as NBNF ran off. Before long, Rumika Hashi and Stakhonovite Warrior hit the ring to support Endo and an elimination match was born.



The match itself ended up being a violent, if one-sided affair with Alizadeh instantly providing an impact for the Conquest, pinning the Stakhonovite with a powerbomb, KOing Hashi with the same move and pinning Endo with a grounded cradle. Worldwide Conquest's refresh had began, as had the start of the Endo Shogunate, and both factions were far from done for the night.



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Match of the Night: Hirose-Mugisha, Ueda-Scott

-The double graduation bout was a heightened experience due to the situation, but Ueda-Scott may have been an even more competitive match in the bonus slot, both worthy of the honors here, with the main event just a step behind.



Performance of the Night: Gentleman Jem Gladstone, Walid Alizahdeh

-Gladstone's determined win over Kanjirin Tonorian and Alizadeh's dominant role in his L-Pro and Worldwide Conquest debut gave two UCSS alumni the PotN award.



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Injury Report



Rumika Hashi: Bruised Rib (One Month Medical Suspension)

-A powerbomb from Walid Alizadeh took Hashi out of her match, but she was still back up on her feet later in the night and from the looks of things, might be more than ready to get back in the fight against medical advice to support her new faction, the Endo Shogunate.