As part of last weekend’s anachronistic festivities at the Steampunk Theatre Entertainment Art & Music Festival (STEAMFest) at Academy Theatre, Platinum Championship Wrestling put on a turn-of-the-previous-century-inspired catch wrestling show featuring three matches. With the Marquess of Queensbury himself refereeing the action, PCW’s show concluded the first day of STEAMFest on Saturday night.

El Diablo Blanco issues a challenge!

Though the show featured regular PCW talents, even those carnival-like gimmicks were given a greater sideshow treatment for the STEAMFest crowd. The first match featured the masked El Diablo Blanco, who issued a challenge to members of the audience. A brave soul named LJ (who was clearly from another time given his jeans-and-T-shirt ensemble) accepted the challenge only to be forced into submission by the more experienced (and incredibly pale) masked Mexican.

Giving new meaning to the term “black Irish,” Brian the Brawler (looking an awful lot like PCW’s Brian Blaze) then introduced himself before doing battle with Mr. Roboto, a masked competitor from the future. After a hard-fought battle, Brian politely bowed to his fallen opponent, shook the referee’s hand and thanked the audience.

Brian the Brawler defeats Mr. Roboto

The main event featured Mason the Mauler (clearly an ancestor of PCW’s own demigod Mason) in battle against longtime rival Marko Polo. Mason and Polo exchanged verbal jabs about their various battles and other conquests around the world before finally locking up in the ring. The two grapplers exchanged numerous submission holds and counters for what was shaping  up to be a real mat classic. That is until Polo raked Mason’s eyes in a heinously unsportsmanlike manner, exited the ring, only to return with a strange object that appeared to be a collapsing metal chair. With both the referee and his opponent confused by this technological trickery, Polo then used the chair not for sitting, but as a weapon, hitting Mason first in the gut, then across the back. With no other option, the referee disqualified Polo, who vowed that he would be back at the Academy Theatre each and every Friday for further displays of his physical prowess in the ring.

Marko Polo and Mason the Mauler do battle

Thankfully, Mason was not injured too badly and was eventually able to make his way out of the ring at the conclusion of the show. And this action-packed display was a fitting way to conclude STEAMFest’s first day, which was followed on Sunday by the Thimblerig Circus and other performers. For those looking for more Victorian-era performances, this weekend’s Clockwork Carnival features music, fire dancing and other circus-like attractions. And you can a more contemporary version of PCW every Friday at Academy Theatre.

Review by Jonathan Williams. Photos by Lynda Davis.