wrestling / Columns

Into the Indies 02.09.10: Big Japan vs. CHIKARA (Part 1)

February 9, 2010 | Posted by Ryan Byers


Banner Courtesy of John Meehan

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to Into the Indies, the only column with its own study abroad program.

In addition to following the Japanese independent wrestling scene, I like to keep tabs on what’s going on in the indies in the United States. One of my absolute favorites is Pennsylvania’s CHIKARA promotion, headed up by veteran wrestler Mike Quackenbush. CHIKARA, which is associated with its own wrestling school, has now produced eight great years of solid professional wrestling and more talented independent wrestlers than any other dojo on the east coast. The company just began its ninth season of pro graps with a show on January 31, 2010, and they are headed into a big weekend of shows on February 27 and February 28.

One of the real milestones of CHIAKRA’s growth over the past several years occurred in 2008, when the minds behind the promotion created and successfully executed a concept known as the Global Gauntlet. The promotion decided that it would be interesting to see a series of interpromotional matches between themselves and the rosters of other companies, so they legitimately sent out invitations to several different promotions from across the globe, offering to work with them to put on a card or two featuring CHIKARA versus [insert promotion name] matches. If somebody told me this story in 2008 and then said that not one of the invited promotions accepted, I wouldn’t have been surprised. However, that’s not what happened. Believe it or not, the invitation was accepted, and it was accepted by none other than Big Japan Wrestling, the promotion that has given us Romeo vs. Juliet and a 108 Man Battle Royale.

The agreement between CHIKARA and BJW lead to two interpromtional shows in the United States, which 411mania’s own Kevin Ford looked at here and here. They were unique, entertaining cards, and, when they were over, I was a little bit disappointed because I had a feeling that this wouldn’t be an annual or even a semi-annual event.

However, approximately six months later, that disappointment faded away when I learned that I was wrong and that there would be further interaction between Big Japan and CHIKARA. It was announced that a crew of seven CHIKARA wrestlers would be flying across the Pacific to work shows in Japan on June 12 and June 13, 2009 with the shows also featuring talent from Big Japan Wrestling. We will be taking a look at those two shows over the next two weeks at Into the Indies, beginning with the June 12 card this week and moving on to the June 13 card in seven days.

The show that we’re reviewing today was significantly smaller in its scope. It took place at the tiny “arena” (in reality a gymnastics training facility) that hosts shows for Ice Ribbon. It’s also not technically a CHIKARA vs. Big Japan show as much as it is a small showcase for the CHIKARA wrestlers who made the trip over, with some opponents coming in the form of regular Japanese wrestlers. The actual wave of BJW/Chikky matches will come next week.

With that said, let’s take a look at what occurred in Saitama on June 12 of last year . . .

Match Numero Uno: Tigre Rojo vs. Green Ant

The Green Ant in this match is not the Green Ant that CHIKARA fans are used to. Instead, it’s Big Japan young lion Kazuhiko Miyakami wearing the CHIKARA wrestler’s gear. Presumably this was done to make it appear as though there was one more American wrestler on the Japanese shows without having to pay for an additional plane ticket. However, after the tour took place, CHIKARA acknowledged that it was Miyakami under the hood and, through some blog postings, tried to explain that the switcheroo was a prank by Miyakami and the Colony to get one over on Chuck Taylor. I have no clue who the Ant’s opponent is here. There is a veteran luchadore who works under the name of Tigre Rojo, but, having compared photos of that wrestler to the guy in this match, there’s no way that they’re the same person.

The small audience in attendance gives us some “Rojo” chants at the start of the match, after which the two competitors lock up. The tiger grabs an armbar but the ant makes the ropes, after which Rojo goes behind into a hammerlock. The two trade reversals on simple holds for the next little while, and they are perhaps the SLOWEST arm ringers, leg trips, headscissors, etc. that I have seen in years. Tigre Rojo is the first man to get some impact offense with an armdrag and a dropkick, after which Green Ant takes a powder to the floor. Rojo tries to follow him out with an Asai moonsault, but, in a weird spot, the Ant grabs Rojo off of the apron, sits him atop his shoulders, walks about for a bit, and the charges forward, running the tiger’s throat into the top rope. Rojo then finds his back rammed into the ring apron a few times, and I feel the need to point out that, when he is selling, this man keeps yelling “No! No! No!” in a voice that reminds me of the Swedish Chef. When the action returns to the ring, Tigre Rojo gets a nearfall off of a shoulderblock and follows up with a chinlock. After about thirty seconds in the hold, the insect finally realizes that he was right next to the ropes the entire time and grabs them. Rojo puts the boot to his opponent once the hold is released and then heads up top, missing a missile dropkick. Green Ant takes over with a backbreaker for two and then slaps on an abdominal stretch. This leads to more of the tiger’s Muppet-esque selling. The honorary member of the Colony gives what in America would be the universal signal for the press slam, but, instead, he Irish whips his opponent. Tiger gets the better of that exchange with an enzuguiri and then cradles his man a couple of times for nearfalls. Green Ant fires back with a lariat and goes back to the abdominal stretch, which he ultimately turns into a pumphandle backbreaker. After taking that move, Tigre Rojo staggers chest first into the ropes and stumbles backwards into a schoolboy. The Ant gets a three count off of that one.

Match Thoughts: This wasn’t too horribly good. Though there was nothing that you could refer to as being outright “botched,” the moves were executed at such a low speed and with such little impact that they in some was looked more phony than moves that are outright screwed up. Generally one could attribute the subpar action to the relative inexperience of Miyakami (and perhaps also Tigre Rojo, depending on who he is), but I have seen individuals with roughly the same number of months in the business faring significantly better. Hopefully these two have an opportunity to work more regularly and steadily improve, because, as it stands now, there is something missing. *


Match Numero Dos: Michael Nakazawa vs. Chuck Taylor

Many CHIKARA fans are probably already familiar with Nakazawa, who has made a few appearances stateside for the company. He is primarily associated with the DDT promotion in Japan, and a large part of his gimmick focuses on his penchant for rubbing copious amounts of baby oil all over his body during matches.

Taylor, in a very uncharacteristic move, fires up the crowd with some clapping to start the match. It doesn’t help him in the early going, though, as Nakazawa catches him with a front facelock and an armbar. Michael hits a kick and some forearms from the armbar position and continues to control, even after Taylor tries to respond with some strikes of his own. They do a comedy bit in which Taylor quite literally screams like a little girl every time Nakazawa hits him. After that, they move into a quick exchange which culminates with Raccoon City’s favorite son leaping off of the second rope with an armdrag and following it up with a dropkick that sends Nakazawa to the floor. When Michael returns to the ring, it’s with a bottle of baby oil that he rubs all over himself, leading to the statement (in perfect English), “Hey, Chuck Taylor, you never wrestle somebody oily like me!” If you’ve seen one of Nakazwa’s matches with the oil gimmick before, you know the next several spots. Taylor tries to lock up but can’t because of the oil. Taylor tries a waistlock, but Nakzawa slips out of it because of the oil. Michael then maneuvers his man over to the corner and gets an oil-assisted facewash, though it’s not long before Taylor is competitive with him again and trading forearms.

Nakazawa cuts that off with a dropkick to the face and dumps oil all over his opponent’s abdomen, setting up a neat spot in which he hits a double stomp and then “slips” into a senton. Nakazwa continues to wear his man down with a chinlock, but he eventually gives up on the hold. Michael sends the Team FIST member into the turnbuckles but runs into a back elbow and eats some more forearms and a dropkick from the American. A big boot and a missile dropkick from the second rope are Taylor’s next tricks, getting him a two count. As Chucky T. attempts to rally the fans once more, Nakazawa poors oil all over the middle rope, which sets up a bad situation for Taylor when he attempts a lionsault. He slips and crotches himself on the cable, but Nakazawa forgets how oily he is when he goes for a German suplex. The result there is Michael bridging backwards and basically taking a bump down onto his own head. Taylor goes to a different rope and lands his lionsault, but it only gets a two count. A half Boston crab is applied by Chuck, but Nakazawa slips out of it using the oil and then sprays the Southerner in the eyes with the oil a la the Great Muta’s mist. A spear and an Angle slam both gets two counts for the CEO of DDT, and Taylor responds with a falling boot to the face before applying the half crab again. This time, it earns him the submission victory.

Match Thoughts: Nakazawa’s greased up gimmick is always good for a few comedy spots that I’ve not seen before and that get a decent chuckle out of me, but the majority of this match was fairly repetitive and oddly structured. Aside form some big boots, some forearm strikes, and some dropkicks, Taylor seemed like he brought virtually nothing to the table, which is odd because he’s been significantly more versatile in other matches in which I have seen him perform. Perhaps there was a communication issue or perhaps Chuck was heavily jetlagged from his trip across the Pacific, because he seemed to be performing a few notches lower than his usual level. *



Match Numero Tres: Atsushi Ohashi & Motosugu Shimizu vs. 2.0 (Jagged & Shane Matthews)

Shimizu and Ohashi is a bit of a thrown-together team. Shimizu is one of many wrestlers to come out of the Toryumon system spearheaded many years ago by Ultimo Dragon. Since graduating, he has worked with companies like Michinoku Pro, El Dorado, and Secret Base, latter two of which are promotions which focus almost exclusively focus on booking Toryumon wrestlers. He is joined by BJW’s Atsushi Ohashi, who, as a result of his small stature, was forced to work as a referee for many years before he finally gained acceptance and was allowed to train as a professional wrestler. They’ve got 2.0 here, the Quebec boys who rank among Chris Lansdell’s favorite tag teams of all time.

Shane Matthews and Motosugu Shimizu begin the matches for their respective squads, with Matthews doing a Fargo strut before locking up with the Japanese wrestler and powering him down to the mat. Shimizu manages to whip Matthews into the ropes, but he pays for it, eating a shoulderblock. Eventually the Japanese wrestler is able to gain a bit of an advantage, though, catching the Canadian with a drop toe hold and a front chancre before transitioning into a headscissors. Shimizu hits an armdrag when he pops up off the mat, prompting Matthews to tag out to Jagged. Ohashi checks into the match as well, and the two opponents take turns reversing each other’s leglocks until Ohashi finds himself with a headlock on the mouthy North American. A good punch to the gut from Jagged corrects that situation, though he soon finds himself the victim of a dropkick and an armdrag. Ohashi’s next trick is a chinlock, after which he allows Shimizu to return to the match. The Dragon Gym product chops away at Jagged and plants a dropkick into his chest, getting a two count in the process. Shimizu trades off to Ohashi, and the wrestlers give Jagged a double shoulder block before Ohashi leaves himself open to be hit with a nondescript slam. Matthews tags back in and takes Ohasshi down with a side Russian leg sweep before slapping on a front face lock that he eventually turns into a vertical suplex for a nearfall. A gutwrench powerbomb also connects for Shane, and now it is his turn to apply a chinlock. He rocks back with it and applies a bodyscissors as well, though the former referee is ultimately able to roll over onto his belly and grab the ropes.

Jagged returns to the match and promptly puts his boot in Ohashi’s face off of an assist from Matthews, after which he looks for a cross arm breaker. Ohashi makes the ropes before the hold can be fully applied, and, in an odd bit of miscommunication, Jagged applies an American-style choke but the referee counts it like a clean pinfall. Ohashi has the sense to get out at two, after which Jagged slams him and drops a knee. Mattews comes back into the squared circle at this point, but he misses an avalanche and is hit with a missile dropkick. That gives us our hot tag to Shimizu, who lands a double basement dropkick to 2.0’s knees and then bulldogs both of his opponents. Shimizu gives Jagged a Rocker Dropper of all moves for a two count, and a spinebuster also connects. The El Dorado alum at this point applies his variation on the Cattle Mutilation (also known as the Marshmallow Hedgehog), but Matthews makes the save for his partner. Things fall apart a bit at this point, as they try to do a suplex reversal spot but Shimizu lands awkwardly. He tries to run the ropes but hits them at a bad angle, ultimately just opting to give it all up before allowing Ohashi to do his planned comeback. He connects with a missile dropkick and a tornado DDT on Matthews and looks to finish with a second missile dropkick. Jagged saves on the pin attempt, but Shimizu is quickly back in to dispatch him. The Japanese team takes turns hitting corner attacks on Matthews, and Shimizu gives him a sit-out fisherman buster. Ohashi hits another dropkick, but Jagged saves again on the pin attempt.

All four men are in the ring brawling at this point, and Matthews winds up bulling Shimizu back into the corner. Then, with his partner doubled over in front of Shimizu, Jagged uses Shane’s back as a stepping stone to hit an enzuguiri on Mototsugo. He follows that with a Gory bomb on Ohashi, but the little guy kicks out at two. Then, in a bit of a complicated reversal sequence, 2.0 set up for some sort of double team move which involves Matthews picking Ohashi up in a wheelbarrow position. Ohashi is able to slip his legs out of that and kick Jagged in the gut, which somehow leads to Matthews basically sitting Ohashi on Jagged’s back so that he can hit a Code Green. That move gets a two count as Matthews saves. 2.0 gives Ohashi a two man leg-lace DDT, but Shimizu saves again. Finally, 2.0 gets to hit their wheelbarrow move, which sees Matthews elevating Ohashi into a codebreaker by Jagged. That one gets the victory for the CHIKARA duo.

Match Thoughts: All four of the wrestlers here were clearly on a different level than the four men who wrestled in the opening singles matches. Everything that they were doing was executed faster and with more crispness, and, for the most part, it looked significantly more legitimate. That being said, the match was still a little bit rough around the edges. There were a couple of missed spots and a few instances of apparent communication problems, though they weren’t quite numerous enough to turn this into an absolute stinker. The match also could have used a bit more polish in the finishing sequence, which came off like a thrown together string of moves as opposed to a something that dovetailed with the rest of the match and built to a logical conclusion. Still, though, a step up from the earlier matches. *1/2



Match Numero Cuatro: The Colony (Fire Ant & Solider Ant) vs. The Order of the NeoSolar Temple (UltraMantis Black & Crossbones)

Here we’ve got CHIKARA on CHIKARA action. Solider Ant and Crossbones kick things off, with Solider saluting and Crossbones growling. The Ant kicks ‘Bones in the gut when he tries to prevent the salutes and eventually attempts a sunset flip. Crossbones tries to counter with a sitdown splash, but Solider rolls out of the way. A monkey flip is attempted by the insect, but the Temple member prevents him from rolling through and goes on the offensive. Solider avoids the attack, though, leaping off of the second rope with an armdrag. That prompts tags to Fire Ant and UltraMantis, with the evil bug working the good bug’s arm before taking him down to the mat with a toehold. Fire Ant elbows out of that and lands an armdrag followed by a legtrip, and a springboard into a cradle gets a nearfall for the Ant. An impressive victory roll out of a wheelbarrow position produces the same result, and it also causes Mantis to powder. Crossbones steps back into the ring and no sells a chop from Fire Ant, after which ‘Bones takes down his opponent with one strike. A cross body from Solider Ant will also not take Crossbones down, so Fire Ant dropkicks his own partner in the back to get the big guy off of his feet.

UltraMantis runs in but doesn’t do much in terms of assisting his opponent, as both of the rudos are forearmed and clotheslined before Mantis gets thrown face-first into the turnbuckles. Solider Ant follows that up with a dropkick while Fire Ant goes up and over the top rope, hitting a somersault dive on Crossbones, who at some point had decided to wonder out to the arena floor. Solider Ant and UltraMantis are left alone in the squared circle, with Solider chopping away before Mantis snags his neck over the top rope, setting up a big kick to the head from the returning Crossbones. Cross unloads with some chops and crushes his opponent with an avalanche, earning a two count. The Temple performs some illegal choking after distracting the referee, and they even tug at Solider Ant’s mask a bit.

UltraMantis checks back into the match as the legal man at this point, giving Solider Ant a drop toe hold which sends his head into the turnbuckles. Crossbones follows that up immediately with a running boot to the back of the head, leading into a backdrop/neckbreaker combo from the temple. UltraMantis connects with a butterfly suplex for a nearfal, and then the vegan warrior goes after the mask again while holding Solider in a camel clutch. Crossbones tags in, giving the Ant a snap suplex for two before setting up for a Vader bomb. That connects, and that’s another nearfall. Soldier gets his hand on the bottom rope at two, though, prompting more desperation choking from from the heavyweight horror. Mantis comes back in between the ropes for a two-man shoulderblock and a drop toehold, which leads into Crossbones splashing Solider Ant and then Mantis driving Bones’ girth down on to Solider with a senton.

Solider Ant is beginning to pump his fist and rally, so it makes sense when he elbows his way out of the Order’s next attempt at a double team move and then slides on his belly under the bottom rope and out of the ring to effectuate the lucha tag. Fire Ant is in and he’s a house of, um, fire, giving the Order members a simultaneous headscissors/headlock takedown, after which he connects with a dropkick on Mantis off of Crossbones’ back. A big forearm in the corner on Mantis sets up the bad guys being whipped into one another in the corner, which in turn sets up stereo dropkicks on them from the Colony. Mantis is tossed to the floor so that Solider can hit him with a no-hands tope con hilo, while Fire gives Crossbones a top rope senton bomb on the inside of the ring. Fire tries for a wheelbarrow bulldog on Bones after that, but the big guy blocks and turns it into a backbreaker.

Fire Ant rolls to the floor, making his partner the legal man. Solider tries to slam Crossbones many times before finally succeeding, and then he ascends the ropes, only to be cut off and crotched by Mantis. Solider gets thrown off and hit with the Flair beal, and then Mantis gives him a version of the Island Driver for two. Mantis connects with a Stinger splash on Fire and then feeds him into a Samoan drop by Crossbones, but Fire Ant saves on the subsequent pin attempt. Fire is quickly thrown out of the ring, allowing the Order to attempt a spike Praying Mantis Bomb on Solider Ant. He kicks Crossbones repeatedly in the head while the move his attempted, though, giving Fire Ant enough time to run in and make the save. The Colony team up to give Mantis a powerbomb/neckbreaker combo, and then, while Fire Ant brawls with Crossbones on the floor, Solider Ant locks Mantis in the CHIKARA Special to score a submission win.

Match Thoughts: This was far and away the best match of the show. Even though they’re relatively inexperienced, the Colony are so much more polished than the other young guys who participated on the card, and it didn’t hurt that they were in there with UltraMantis and Crossbones, who, aside from the Quackenbushes and Deliriouses of the world, are among the most experienced grapplers on the CHIKARA roster. Here the two teams paced the match perfectly, with a captivating yet not too extreme opening, a sensible, believable heat sequence, and a frenzy of highspots towards the end that was so much more crisp, refined, and well-paced than the highspot series at the end of the 2.0 match that it really served to underscore the differences between the two teams. This was not the best Colony match of all time, but it was perfect in the context, namely a bout designed to introduce the characters to a market with which they are not particularly familiar with, holding back a little in order to give the audience more in later appearances. **3/4

Overall

Even though I’m a huge fan of CHIKARA and a big fan of the majority of the Japanese independent wrestlers who participated on this card, I have to be honest and say that this one of the weakest shows that I have reviewed while doing this column. The matches were by and large short, and they were by and large nothing to write home about, whatever the reason for the lack of quality may have been. However, in some ways, the show as it took place was necessary, as its primary goal was probably to get the CHIKARA wrestlers in front of new Japanese fans for the first time, in theory getting them over in the foreign country for the series of bouts against Big Japan that would be occurring on the next day. Plus there had to be some desire to keep the CHIKARA fellow fresh for the June 13 card, which may also help to explain why they were somewhat more reserved. Yet, even though there may have been justifiable reasons for this show not being all that great and even though it may have mad sense to hold back on the match quality, it’s not something that I can recommend that you go out of your way to watch on DVD or through other means unless you’re a completist who needs to see anything and everything related to CHIKARA.

Speaking of CHIKARA, we’ll be back in seven days with a look at their second run of interpromotional matches against Big Japan. In the meantime, if you’re interested in learing more about the company, you can check them out online at CHIKARApro.com and order their show DVDs at SmartMarkVideo.com.


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See you all next week!

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Ryan Byers

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