It’s that time of the month, friends. The last Friday of the month can mean only one thing…it’s LOVE PRO WRESTLING 16: I Think You Should Lariat, June 30 at the Rec Room in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. This card has a little bit of everything you could want from professional wrestling: Some bad blood, new champions, new tag teams, debuts, and much more!
LPW is truly one of my absolute favorite promotions in wrestling, and I’m not just saying that because I work here. LPW really knows how to put on a fun show and exciting matches every single month. I’m stoked to get the chance to break down all the action and prepare you for one of the biggest, if not the biggest show in LPW history.
LPW Grand Championship Match
TY Jackson vs Zoe Sager (c)
After a hellacious #1 Contenders street fight at LPW 15 against Michael Allen Richard Clark, TY gets his shot at LPW Grand Champion Zoe Sager. Sager has been on a roll since defeating the 1st LPW Grand Champion, Michael Richard Blais, at LPW 11. Sager has beaten the likes of Sebastian Wolfe and Nicole Matthews, just to name a few.
For TY Jackson, he is the only member of the RADz to not win LPW gold so far, but he is the first to challenge for LPW’s top prize since Mitch Clarke was unsuccessful against Michael Ricard Blais at LPW 5. So you know he’ll be chomping at the bit to get this match underway Friday night.
Expect some outside interference, as this is the longest stretch in LPW history the RADz have been without gold, and we all know how they like to get in the mix to gain an advantage. Also, you can never count out Zoe’s insurance policy known as Reid Matthews to do whatever it takes to keep gold around the waist of the Intangible One.
If I was a betting man, I’d say Zoe Sager pulls out another win and defends the LPW Grand Championship. (Calm down, TY, I’m just doing my job.)
Se7en vs The Clandestine Society
Jack Pride, Marz The Specialist and TJ Cannon vs Michael Richard Blais, Taryn from Accounting, and Steven Crowe
If you have followed LPW, then you know just how formidable of a trio the Clandestine Society is, as well as highly decorated. In a lot of ways, this trio has been the face of LPW and has set the standard for factions in the promotion.
That said, it means absolutely ZERO to the new faction on the block in Se7en, which has done nothing but cause chaos and destruction at every turn. They’ve had a highly publicized feud with the RADz, including suspensions, in-house turmoil with TJ and Marz, Jack Pride winning the inaugural LPW Scramble Championship, and what feels like a refocusing of a group that felt like they would fizzle out quicker than it started.
Se7en looks to have their sights on establishing themselves on top of the faction hierarchy in LPW after a vicious attack on the Clandestine Society, in which we had thought the split was happening. But it was simply all part of the master plan.
I know the Clandestine Society pride themselves on always being a step ahead of their competitors and knowing all the angles. That said, with Thaddeus Archer at the controls of this powder keg of a group, it feels like everyone’s favorite faction might be in for a long night at the hands of Se7en.
Sebastian Wolfe vs Jared Rodgers
Last month it was a shock, to say the least that Wolfe’s tag team, State Of Emergency, was splitting up and doing their own thing. Looking for an opportunity to make a big splash, Wolfe hit up LPW and asked for a shot. LPW without hesitation put Sebastian against the Grand Champion Zoe Sager in what was to that point, I had to believe, her toughest match yet.
It was clear from the jump Zoe and Reid had a plan of attacking Wolfe before the bell. Ultimately the numbers game caught up to Wolfe and he took the loss at the hands of Sager.
In steps Jared Rodgers, the newest graduate out of the Clandestine Society wrestling school and a massive fan favorite already after only a handful of matches under his belt. To paraphrase Major League II, “Jared is standing on the tracks and the train’s coming through.” I love the potential Jared brings to this LPW roster and he will definitely turn a few heads Friday night, but I’ve never seen Wolfe so laser-focused and motivated by what happened at LPW 15. Don’t believe me? Head over to our Love Wrestling Patreon and check out the interview I did with him.
Challenge Championship Match
Son of Irish vs Reid Matthews
If you’ve noticed thus far, The Thickness Reid Matthews has been a theme throughout LPW. In a lot of ways, I think he’s been looking for that big win. Some may have forgotten just how impressive he can be since joining Zoe Sager. Just ask TFA how good Matthews can be, as he beat her at LPW 11. Now Matthews has gold on his mind and hopes to cement himself at the top of the card with a win over Son Of Irish for the LPW Challenge Championship.
Son of Irish has been a day one standout for LPW. Even during a losing streak, he has always put on fantastic matches. He came up short against Mitch Clarke in his first shot at the Challenge Championship, but an unexpected injury to Clarke and a renewed focus enabled him to beat Michael Ricard Blais to become your new LPW Challenge Champion at LPW 12. Ever since then, SOI has been on a run and has really come into his own as the fourth-ever LPW Challenge Champion.
This will be a contrast of styles for SOI and Matthews so it will be interesting to see which side prevails – the high-flying daredevil style of Irish or the hard-hitting fighter that is Matthews. All I know is all of the enemies Matthews made over the past few months may cost him in this one.
The RADz vs Fil Deadly & Shaun Moore
I’d like to start by saying I will try my best to be impartial here as the RADz have been a thorn in my side for months.
The RADz are without tag team gold for the first time since LPW debuted the Tag Team Titles a little over 200 days ago. I know Rich King said he wasn’t worried and things are business as usual for the RADz. You’d have to imagine that somewhere in the back of their minds, that loss to Para Lira is still something they are processing.
On the one hand, they are going up against a new tag team to the LPW scene in Fil Deadly and Shaun Moore. Then again, they are two absolute studs in the singles division who are coming together in what has become a wide-open tag team division now that the RADz don’t have a chokehold on the division anymore. Deadly and Moore are popping up at just the right time. The RADz are reeling as well, as their much-discussed legal issues have resulted in an appearance in Wrestlers Court.
Is the RADz’s focus elsewhere? Are Fil Deadly & Shaun Moore taking their first steps toward Tag Team gold? Will Rich King apologize to me? (Ok, I had to throw that last one in.) We will find out Friday night. Oh, shoot, a pick, right, the pick….DEADLY & MOORE MAKE EASY WORK OF THE RADZ. That last part is unbiased and professional, right? That was rhetorical – of course it was.
LPW Tag Team Championship Match
Para Lira vs Levi Knight & Mo Jabari
Some say the RADz got what’s coming to them last month and others said they got screwed. Well, whichever side you fall on, we have a new Tag Team Champion in Para Lira.
Now let the title reign begin, as Para Lira’s first defense will be against Knight and Jabari, another inexperienced tag team, but very talented Individuals. Like I mentioned with Moore and Deadly, can Jabari and Knight gel and pull off an upset win over the new tag champs?
For Shabazz and Goroni, it was a long time coming for these titles and slipping up after defense one isn’t an option. I expect them to come out firing on all cylinders and take care of business. If I may offer up a bit of advice, be prepared for anything, boys. The RADz have been stewing all month long and are looking for a quick way back to the belts, so interference is in play. That said, if I was a betting man, I’d imagine the two respective teams get the jobs done and we set up a grudge match between The RADz and Para Lira.
Gigi Rey vs Shazza McKenzie
For the first time ever, Rey and McKenzie will square off at LPW 16. Can I just say, that’s super cool it’s happening in an LPW ring! We have Shazza making her Canadian professional wrestling debut, and she is ready to start her career above the 49th parallel against Gigi Rey A crowd favorite even at 0-2, Rey is more than capable of taking on the challenge of Shazza McKenzie.
For Gigi, she has the hometown crowd behind her every time she steps in the Rec Room, but losses to Zoe Sager & Nicole Matthews respectively have Rey coming in as motivated as ever and expecting a big win to get her first win in LPW. Can she spoil the Canadian debut of one of independent wrestling’s brightest stars? This matchup is going to be as good as advertised, and I for one cannot wait.
Well friends, Friday night is shaping up to be one of the biggest nights in LPW history! Feel free to drop your picks or thoughts in the comments. Tune in at 9 p.m. Eastern on Twitch.tv/LoveWrestlingCa to watch everything unfold and join the conversation!
