It feels so good to be back! With 2023 in our rearview mirror, we look to build off an incredible campaign at Love Pro Wrestling. What better way to do that than run the biggest show at the biggest venue we have ever run? That place is none other than Rogers Place in Edmonton, home of the Oil Kings. Love Pro Wrestling will be the first independent wrestling show to run Rogers Place, ever. Let that sink in for a second – the rich history of Canadian professional wrestling and we are the first ones to run the venue outside of WWE and AEW. What a way to kick off 2024!
This evening is going to be unlike anything I’ve ever seen before as LPW will be running during an Oil Kings hockey game. “Hey, Pluggo, how do they plan on doing that?” you may be asking. Well, good thing I’m here to explain it and break down this stacked five-match card!
At 3 p.m. when the doors open, we will be treated to a Triple Threat showdown as TY Jackson, Jared Rodgers and Reid Matthews square off.
Talk about a fun triple-threat match. This will feature LPW guys who all look to make a huge splash to kick off the new year. TY, aka the People’s Champion, had an up and down ‘23 when he pinned the LPW Grand Champion at the time, Zoe Sager, only to see the call reversed. Then he clawed his way back into a title match, only to have his brother in the RADz, Larry Woods, sign the contract and take the spot, ultimately becoming the 3rd ever LPW Grand Champion. Throughout all his setbacks, Jackson has remained a team player and supportive of his team’s decisions. So you know TY, hungrier than ever, is looking to get off on the right foot with a big win.
What can I say about the Wily Veteran that hasn’t already been said before many. Jared Roger’s has easily cemented himself as the future of LPW. He’s a crowd favorite every time he steps foot in a ring. The question for the rookie Rogers is will Rogers Place become his house or will the over 7,000 in attendance be too much of a distraction for him. I got to think the ladder. Roger’s was built for this and people will leave realizing why his one of the most popular talents in LPW.
The Thickness, Reid Matthews spent most of the year as Zoe Sager’s muscle and helping her keep the LPW Grand Championship for most of 2023. That all said, you have to think Reid is ready to set his sights on his own gold, and if you don’t believe me, check out his LPW Show interview with JPJ. While he maintains helping Zoe is priority one, don’t mistake his loyalty for weakness. He knows where his bread is buttered, and he is always, and I mean always, a threat in any match he’s part of.
My prediction for this opening match is TY Jackson. I think the heart of TY and the need to start strong to get back to the Grand Championship will be the difference-maker here.
Also during the doors after the Triple Threat, we have a Tag Team Contest as The RADz, Rich King and Larry Woods take on Se7en’s Jack Pride and Marz The Specialist.
This longstanding rivalry adds another chapter to its story. If you thought Se7en effectively getting the RADz manager, Ben Ooman, kicked out of LPW would be the end of it, you thought wrong. I know the RADz haven’t forgotten what happened and honestly, neither has Se7en: they will remind you every time you talk to them. The pieces are seemingly in place for Jack Pride and Marz to continue the rise of Se7en in LPW. For Rich and Larry, they have had a couple of months to recover and refocus their efforts. If you ask them, the RADz are ready to get back to what they do best, which is touching tips, shaking hips, and winning championships. A win here could help them get back to the Tag Titles, but will Larry’s obsession with Michael Ricard Blais and the Clandestine Society become too much of a distraction? Will Se7en continue to prevail over their most hated rivals?
My prediction: I think the RADz sneak out a win here and get started on the right foot. That said, it won’t be easy or pretty, but a win is a win.
At 3:45 p.m., ahead of the puck dropping for some Oil Kings hockey, we have a Tag Team Championship Match featuring Ride or Die(c) vs Para Lira.
If you ask Para Lira, they will tell you Ride Or Die is simply holding the tag titles, as they will not recognize them as actual champions. If you ask Ride or Die, LPW hasn’t done anything with the Tag Titles since they debuted them. There is a lot of animosity in this highly anticipated rematch.
There’s a new attitude for Taryn From Accounting & Steven Crowe after interjecting themselves into the Tag Title Match at LPW 21 and MRB winning the Grand Championship over Larry Woods and vowing to bring much-needed salvation back to LPW. Will this new vision of dominance pay off?
Para Lira isn’t the most liked tag team in LPW, and for good reason, as they did whatever it took to keep those title belts around their waists, as Berat Gorani explained on For Exposure. What makes them different from Ride or Die is at least they have the decency to say what they plan to do to your face rather than back-door and scheme their way to the top.
So now I’m tasked with picking between two of the absolute best Tag Teams LPW has to offer in this grudge match. Sorry, Berat, you know you’re my guy, but I always Ride or Die.
During the 1st Intermission, it’s Travis Williams(c) vs Zoe Sager for the LPW Challenge Championship.
The Professional, Travis Williams, has been on an absolute tear across the independent wrestling world over the last few months and looks to continue his winning ways against an old foe in Sager.
Zoë Sager had a banner year in 2023, which included over a 200-day reign as LPW Grand Champion. She looks to regain some gold after her loss at LPW 20 to Larry Woods.
If anyone has the advantage heading into this tilt, it’s Sager. She is incredibly talented and always seems to find a way to win, especially with Reid Matthews in her corner. She beat the Professional at LPW 18 during her Grand Championship run. Is that victory enough to help her gain her first Challenge Championship, or is the Professional going to continue this incredible run and leave Rogers Place still champion?
This pick might be my toughest yet. It’s hard for me to pick against Travis Williams, as he has been on another level since gaining the gold. That all said, if anyone can pull it off, it’s Sager and her ability to win at all costs and always find a way. I’m calling it now – the Intangible Zoë Sager sends shock waves throughout Rogers Place and we will have ourselves a new Challenge Champion!
That brings us to your Main Event, which will take place during the 2nd Intermission. It’s Michael Richard Blais(c) vs Michael Allen Ricard Clark for the LPW Grand Championship.
Talk about the luck, or shall I say lack of luck, of the draw for the Longest Name in Wrestling, Michael Allen Richard Clark. Don’t get me wrong, MARC is easily one of the most talented wrestlers in LPW history, but he’s going up against a force we have never seen before in LPW.
Some would say Michael Ricard Blais skirted the line when he had TFA attack Larry Woods with that Book of Salvation loaded with a chain. Others would say – and by others, I mean the Clandestine Society – they did what was necessary to restore order in LPW. In their eyes, a lot of people have forgotten just how formidable the trio is and it was time to open up everyone’s eyes and save them.
New hair, new motivations, and a new mean streak have MRB as one of the toughest champions in LPW and he hasn’t even defended the title yet. This will be quite the main event, and if the stakes weren’t high enough, the winner of this contest will face a returning Vaughn Vertigo at LPW 22 Jan. 26. As for Vertigo, he is in a prime spot as these two look to wear one another out as they fight for the biggest prize in LPW on the biggest stage.
Strap in, folks: The Oil Rumble has all the makings of the event of the year……and it’s only January. The future is bright for LPW, and I for one can’t wait to see what happens on Jan. 21st at Rogers Place.
