wrestling / Columns
The CHIKARA Special 2.21.10: Akuma vs. Kingston
Hello readers, and welcome back to “The CHIKARA Special”. Next week is a big ol’ double shot in Pennsylvania for CHIKARA (Reading and Pottsville) to be exact, so I have decided to examine both cards for you. Plus, I have an announcement that will make some of you quite happy.
“The Mint Condition” – February 27th – Reading, PA
First off is an Atomicos match, featuring five former Campeones de Parejas. On the Tecnico’s side we have Incoherence of Hallowicked & Frightmare (Hallowicked held the Campeones from late October 2007 to late September 2008) teaming with The Osirian Portal of Amasis & Ophidian (Campeones from mid-October 2008 to mid-September 2009). They will take on F.I.S.T of Icarus and Gran Akuma (Campeones from mid-November 2006 to late October 2007) and The Badd Boyz, who have yet to see CHIKARA gold. However, they have two points under their belt after defeating Lince Dorado & Helios in November, and defeating Green Ant and current Campeon de Parejas Fire Ant back in September. The other teams certainly would love to score a pinfall to gain some momentum, especially when every other team in this match has zero points currently. Icarus and Akuma just lost to The Colony in January, and need to build some momentum if they want to go back-to-back years as King of Trios. Who pins who is certainly important, and could tell us a lot about the future of CHIKARA.
Player Dos is certainly unhappy after losing his Young Lions Cup last month, but as we’ll see later, this opens up the opportunity for him to focus on his tag team with Player Uno. Uno’s a little busy in Reading (more on that later) so Dos will be facing Delirious. This will be Delirious’ first single match in CHIKARA since May of 2009 when he defeated Arik Cannon. Delirious sees this match as a warm-up for his big Campeones de Parejas match the next night in Pottsville, looking to become the first person in CHIKARA history to hold the Campeones de Parejas twice (in two separate teams no less!) Dos and Delirious both don’t have spots in King of Trios yet, and an impressive performance could make the board of directors decide to change that. Who will come out as the better singles performer?
The Throwbacks have two points under their belt, and if they’re able to make it past the menacing Brüderschaft duo of Claudio Castagnoli & Ares, they’ll come out of Reading with a title shot in their name! A tall task considering Claudio absolutely destroyed the Throwbacks in the melee at the end of the last season. Claudio and Ares have also been friends and on-again, off-again partners for the better part of the past decade giving them a serious advantage over Dasher and Sugar. They had some words to say about this match in a special update:
Claudio and Ares were announced recently to be heading into King of Trios with Tursas. With the Brüderschaft in firm control of the Young Lions Cup, adding both the King of Trios and Campeones de Parejas to their credit would be desirable. Are the fun-loving sports enthusiasts able to hold of the men formerly known as Swiss Money Holding? (Spoiler Alert: probably not)
The BDK isn’t done yet, as Pinkie “Pink Ant” Sanchez, Lince Dorado, and Daizee Haze face current Campeones de Parejas Fire Ant & Soldier Ant, as well as Green Ant. Pinkie spent the last half of 2009 under the guise of Carpenter Ant, and destroyed Green Ant last month in the season premiere. This will be Fire Ant and Soldier Ant’s first opportunity to get their hands on Pinkie since the revelation. It’s possible he could be mauled. Lince also turned his backs on the entire Tecnico locker room, which can’t sit well with everyone’s favorite hormigas. Daizee Haze has one point under her belt with Sara Del Rey, and there’s no mistaking their goal of taking the Campeonatos de Parejas from Fire and Soldier Ant. Will the Colony get some momentum going towards King of Trios, or will the BDK thwart them and perhaps earn the BDK a second trio in King of Tros.
As I said, Player Uno is a little busy on this night as he looks to take the Young Lions Cup from the new champion, Tim Donst. Donst defeated Player Dos last month for the Cup in a match which many felt was undeserved. Donst was suspended in October after an attack on Hydra in September, cheated to beat Hydra in November, then lost the next night to Player Uno via the Joystick. Before that, Donst didn’t have the most impressive win streak under his belt. Clearly with Tim being in the Brüderschaft, and the Brüderschaft holding power in the board of directors and as the director of fun, Donst was more or less “handed” this title shot. Nevertheless, he got the job done and is the champion. This doesn’t sit well with Player Uno, who blogged about him and Donst on CHIKARA’s website:
2/11/2010: You and I, Tim Donst, are somewhat similar. We didn’t have the greatest singles records when starting out at CHIKARA. You started off with losses to Buck Hawke and Eddie Kingston, while I started off losing to the likes of Excalibur and Max Boyer. We both went on to find success with our respective tag partners. Months and months later, at the most recent Young Lions Cup tournament, we both made it our quest to become the Young Lions Cup champion. We both went on to face our tag team partners…and we both lost.
By the end of Young Lions Cup VII, we had both become different animals…but that’s where the similarities end. I was right there in the match where you snapped, and started dumping people on their heads. I was there when your true personality was revealed. Then I went back to my losing ways while you decided to torment Hydra in West Springfield and Nashua. I watched with clenched fists when you exiled Hydra back in November, cementing you as my least favorite person in CHIKARA.
Then, the next day at “Three-Fisted Tales”, you went on to not only turn your back on all your friends, but on CHIKARA as a whole. Now you stand alongside the BDK, and now you are the enemy. If that wasn’t reason enough for me to hate you….well, you also did the one thing I could not. You beat Dos to become the new Young Lions Cup champion.
Maybe that’s what people remember you for right now, Tim. But what I remember is you tapping out at “Three-Fisted Tales”. I remember slapping the Joystick on you and watching you squirm and struggle before tapping out to me. According to the new Director of Fun Dieter VonSteigerwalt’s last blog, all previous YLC champs can no longer challenge for the Cup. My best bud Player Dos doesn’t get another bite at the apple. He can’t beat you for the Cup. But I can. I beat you in November, and nothing will stop me from twisting your arms up into the Joystick again.
Someone needs to avenge Hydra. Someone needs to teach you a lesson for turning your backs on us. And someone needs to take that golden trophy away from you. I think I’m just the man for the job.
On February 27th, it’s time to face the music. In Reading, I become the new Young Lions Cup champion.
P1
Uno may have been pinned by Dos three months in a row last year, but he certainly kept his friendship with Dos tight. Uno would love nothing more than to avenge his best buddy and win the Young Lions Cup in Reading. Will Uno’s will overcome the odds of the BDK?
A fun atomicos match has been signed partnering Mike Quackenbush with The Future is Now to take on the UnStable and Brodie Lee. With Lince abandoning the Future is Now, the remaining members look to refocus as a trio. When The Future Is Now first formed in December 2008, their first match and victory was against the UnStable. The UnStable sort of fell into the background of CHIKARA in 2009 and are certainly looking to come back to the limelight in 2010. At the end of 2009, things took a small upswing when they teamed with Brodie Lee to defeat The Colony and The Throwbacks in an Atomicos match. Perhaps the UnStable should consider keeping Brodie close. Of course, Quack is a close confidant of the Future is Now making him an easy choice as a fourth partner. However, Quack has The Future Is Now and the UnStable as potential opponents in King of Trios (Quack’s partners are Hallowicked & Frightmare) so he can get a very up close and personal look at what they have up their sleeves as well. This could get very fun, very dirty, and will likely be very fun.
In the main event of the night, Eddie Kingston begins his reign of running through the Brüderschaft one member at a time (or so it seems). First up, the newest member of the CHIKARA roster, Tursas (or as Kingston lovingly calls him in this AWESOME promo, “Turd sauce”)
Kingston makes a good point when he says the new guys go through him. Tim Donst had his made name after being the punching bag for Kingston back in July of 2007 at “Showdown in Crisisland”, and Lince Dorado went through a grueling series of bouts of Lince in 2008 that grew Lince to a different level of wrestler in CHIKARA. It will be interesting to see how Tursas fairs against the Last of a Dying Breed, especially as the largest member of the roster. Two big guys clashing? This could either be a victory, or a disaster.
“A World Of Comforting Illusions” – February 28th – Pottsville, PA
The Throwbacks will either go into their match with the UnStable with three points in their name, or with zero points after losing to Claudio and Ares. Honestly, I think the fact that this match is booked telegraphs the ending of the BDK vs. Throwbacks, but I digress. The Throwbacks have somewhat of a feud with the UnStable after facing them in an Atomicos match in November and again in a Trios match last month (not to mention the Dasher Hatfield/Colin Delaney matches in August and September.) Vin Gerard blogged about the match, and Dasher:
2/16/2010: YEEEEEEEEEEAWWWWNNN!!! A blog, yay. I’m about as happy to be writing to you, as you are about reading something from me. But no matter what, you can’t stop reading this. No matter how hard you try, you’ll take the time to let me get my point across. And The UnStable only has one point to make.
February brings us an 8-man tag with Quackenbush, Jigsaw, Helios and the man I laid down to rest a few months ago – Jimmy “Equinox” Olsen. Don’t give Pinkie get all the credit for putting you on the shelf last season, Jimmy, because as I remember it – the last we saw you, you were tapping out to my STF in West Springfield.
Oh…and let’s not forget… It’s a big weekend for The Throwbacks! Back together again, all happy, the fans are happy, EVERYONE’s HAPPY and…you’re welcome. Huh? Don’t you remember? So forgetful you are, but should I be surprised? On January 31st, The UnStable laid waste to Create-A-Wrestler and Ultimo Breakfast, which pretty much forced Dasher Hatfield from his dormancy. But since the Chikarmy is so absentminded and ungrateful, you don’t even appreciate what we did for YOU! Don’t even bother thanking us now, because if by some fluke the BDK doesn’t stop the Throwbacks, we’ll be more than happy to take those three points away and send Dasher Hatfield to the dugout for good.
Still reading, huh? Ha. Waiting for that one point? Well, here it is. We only need…One Point, to make things happen. One Point for us, equals zero for the Throwbacks.
Thank you for spending your time with me.
VG
Vin and STIGMA have zero points at the moment but could very well pick up their first against the bat man and the ball hog. Who will get the one-up on their rival here?
Brodie Lee and Green Ant. What else is there to say? Brodie looks to murder another small wrestler and Green Ant looks to survive and potentially get a big upset. I personally would like to see a big boot and then a pin. I’d weep with joy.
Another tag team match we have on this night is Incoherence taking on The ladies of the Brüderschaft, Sara Del Rey & Daizee Haze. Sara and Daizee defeated The Osirian Portal (former campeones) last month and now have one point under their belt. Incoherence has zero, after losing back in November to the Order of the Neo-Solar Temple. Daizee and Sara defeated the former Campeones de Parejas in the Portal, and now are faced with another former CHIKARA campeon in Hallowicked, who held the belts with Delirious in 2007. Can the Daizee and Sara continue to assert their dominance against former campeones, or will they will be derailed by the orange and black attack?
This match helped to prompt a very sizeable blog from Chad Badd on CHIKARA’s website:
2/19/2010: Word on the street is that there’s a new gang in town. Let me make this real clear! Brad and Chad don’t take lightly to other gangs coming onto our turf.
It seems that all people are talking about these days is this new crew called the Bruda…something. These guys dress all in white, harbor foreigners and have this fancy little pose. For some reason, that has people runnin’ for the hills with their tails between their legs. You think you’re tough with your preppy suits, and your cute little hand signals? Are we suppose to be shakin’ in our boots cause you’ve given a few guys a light spanking? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SIIIIIIRRRRR! Some people think that there are strength in numbers. How ’bout this for numbers? You got your 8 little members, Brad and Chad got 20 knuckles, 4 boots and 1 Decapitator. Those odds sound good to us.
Everyone in the wrestling world seems to be focused on the impending domination that this so called “brotherhood” is gonna bring down on CHIKARA. Well I’ve got some news for you kids, Brad and Chad know a thing about being dominant. Over the last 5 months The Badd Boyz have mowed down every single team CHIKARA has put in front of us. For the last 5 months, not a single team on the CHIKARA roster has been able to give us a good fight. We’ve beaten down every pansy that’s had the guts to put up their dukes and fight. We’ve beaten one half of your Campos…or whatever fruity name you have for your tag champs, Fire Ant. We’ve even beat down the newest BDK member, the pussy cat, Lindsey. The Badd Boyz are THE most dominant brotherhood in town!
This coming month presents us with something a little different. The writing on the wall tells me that the CHIKARA brass are afraid to put us in a 1-on-1 confrontation with any of the other teams on the roster. As it turns out, on Saturday February 27 in Reading, Brad and Chad are stuck in an 8-man tag match. While this usually wouldn’t sit well with the Badd Boyz, there’s a couple of good things about this situation. First, we get to team with F.I.S.T., quite possibly the only team on the roster who gets as much joy out of hurting people as we do. That makes ’em cool! We like ‘em! Secondly, with 4 men on the opposing side, that gives us two extra butts to kick. Incoherence, Portal, you’re in for a long night kids! Frightmare, we can’t wait to get our hands on you, you little twerp. Heard some dudes callin’ you the rookie of the year. After we’re through with you, you’ll be the mat stain of the year.
If there’s one thing the Badd Boyz are not afraid of, it’s snakes. Ophidian we’re lookin’ right at you! As kids, Dad Badd would take us on Harley rides through the desert. If my brother or I got hungry, Dad Badd would pull over his hog, hunt down a snake and cook it right there on the hot rumbling motor of his Harley Davidson and we would have a family feast! This time though, we plan on eating the snake alive!
February 28 in Pottsville is gonna be just another night at the office for the Badd Boyz. You’re gonna witness more of the same – that’s Brad and Chad takin’ care of business! What kind of business? The business of kickin’ in teeth and takin’ down names. If the Osirian Portal can survive the brutal whoopin’ we’re gonna lay on them in Reading, they’ll never get discharged from the hospital in time to make Pottsville. As for the those geeks the Super Smash Bros… all I can say is that your name is gonna take on a new meaning when we “Super Smash” your faces in with our boots. Claudio and Ares, you’re gonna find out what happens when you come into our yard without an invitation. After we pummel all of those punks, the Badd Boyz will have more than enough points to challenge for the gold and you’d better believe, son, that it’s gonna happen. It’s gonna get ugly kids, Brad and Chad are gettin’ hungry, and we’re gonna forget our manners!
Things are about to get Badd!
CB
In addition to this blog, the Super Smash Bros. reunited recently in order to go after there Campeones de Parejas aspirations once again:
Needless to say, anyone could take this. With three elimination and one winner, three teams will come out with zero points, and one team could potentially come out with three (or more!) points total. Which team will that be? Everyone has a lot to gain with a victory in this match, so we’ll just have to see which team is the most motivated.
This match might be the one I’m looking forward to most out of any match this entire weekend: Eddie Kingston vs. Gran Akuma. These two have met before in many tag, trios, and atomico matches in the past. They even met in a singles match in CZW in 2005. However, it’s been a very long time since these two have been in the same match with one another (off the top of my head, the 2006 Cibernetico is the last match I recall). These two are notorious for their striking and brawling, and clearly stand out amongst the pack in terms of toughness. Kingston and Akuma also come from the same graduating class (the second CHIKARA Wrestle Factory class) and feuded in their respective teams (F.I.S.T and The Wildcards) in 2003. While it’s been awhile, everything old is new again after a period of time. These two have become two completely different wrestlers since their last meeting, and I mean that in a very positive manner. I think this has potential to be a “barn-burner” and really steal the show. Those in Pottsville could be in for a real treat.
Quite a bit of story in this match, in which Quack teams with the Future Is Now for the second night in a row to take on the four remaining BDK members not already on the show (Tim Donst, Tursas, Pinkie “Pink Ant” Sanchez, and Lince Dorado). Mike is pissed at Donst for turning on the Tecnicos, especially since Mike trusted him with the reverse CHIKARA Special that Donst turned around and taught to Sanchez. Sanchez, as we found out, was responsible for Equinox’s ankle injury that kept him on the shelf for the last quarter of 2009. Lince of course turned on the Future Is Now to join the Brüderschaft after being fed-up with the fans reactions. And Tursas, well…is Tursas. The point is, the Future is Now and Quack are dying to get their hands on these particular members of the BDK. Now is their chance, and it could get ugly. On the other hand, it’s in the BDK’s best interest to harm, injure, or maim the others which I’m sure they have no issue with. It could get ugly, it could get overly violent, but needless to say, it will be exciting.
And the main event, The Colony’s fourth defense of their Campeones de Parejas against the Order of the Neo-Solar Temple. Believe it or not, Ultramantis Black has NEVER won any sort of accolade in CHIKARA (even though he’s been in CHIKARA since day one). The closest he came was in 2003 when he and Mr. ZERO made it to the finals of the inaugural Tag World Grand Prix. This is also his first shot ever at the Campeones de Parejas. Who better a partner to have then a guy who’s held the gold in the past, Delirious, who’s been on an absolute tear since joining the Order last year. The Colony can say the same, meaning each team has quite the challenge ahead of him. This is the time for Mantis to give the Order the validation it’s been desperately seeking since it’s inception. Will the Order go legit, or will the Colony’s championship reign continue on?
My CHIKARA project (in which I finally listen to you, the readers)
You see that banner at the top of the page? Mr. BGUSA, Brad Garoon, made it for me. Not only is it the new banner for this column, but it is the banner for my new blog named after this article: The CHIKARA Special. You’ll notice right now that all of my reviews that have been on this site are there. But, that’s not all.
Finally, after BILLIONS of requests…I WILL be reviewing older CHIKARA shows. Not just some of them…all of them. If it’s out there, I’ll watch and review it. If it’s on DVD on Smart Mark Video, that’s a guarantee. Right this instant, the very first two CHIKARA shows ever are reviewed there.
Not only are all the CHIKARA shows eventually going to be reviewed (give me some time people, this is a big undertaking), but every appearance of a CHIKARA student in other companies will be reviewed. If a CHIKARA wrestler has appeared in ROH, FIP, IWA-MS, CZW, etc., I will do my damndest to find it and review it. Sometimes, certain matches are unavailable or impossible to find. But needless to say this will be an incredibly OCD CHIKARA blog that I very much hope all of you will enjoy.
With that said, if anybody has any random local indy shows they know of (past, present, future) that had CHIKARA wrestlers, email it to me! Remember, this only includes CHIKARA STUDENTS. Consult this page to know what I mean by students. I can’t find all these shows myself, so it’s with your help we can make this dream come true! I do it for you people. To quote Teddy Hart: “if you cheer for me, I will die for you!”
King of Trios News Station
It’s roughly two months away, and we now have SEVEN! SEVEN TEAMS! AH AH AH! For the King of Trios tournament confirmed. So far, we have:
1) F.I.S.T (Icarus, Gran Akuma, & Chuck Taylor) (4th King of Trios; 2009 winners)
2) The Colony (Fire Ant, Soldier Ant, Green Ant) (3rd King of Trios for Fire Ant & Soldier Ant, 1st King of Trios for Green Ant)
3) The UnStable (Vin Gerard, STIGMA, & Colin Delaney) (2nd King of Trios for Vin Gerard and Colin Delaney, 4th for STIGMA who was a 2007 winner)
4) Team Frightning (Mike Quackenbush, Hallowicked, & Frightmare) (4th King of Trios for Quackenbush and Hallowicked, 2nd for Frightmare, Quackenbush was a 2007 winner)
5) The Future Is Now (Jigsaw, Helios, & Equinox) (3rd King of Trios for Helios and Equinox, 2nd for Jigsaw who was a 2007 winner)
6) The Brüderschaft (Claudio Castagnoli, Ares, & Tursas) (3rd King of Trios for Claudio, 1st for Ares and Tursas)
7) The Jackson 3 (Nick, Matt, & Malachi Jackson) (2nd King of Trios for Matt & Nick, 1st for Malachi)
We have nine more teams to go, eight which will be announced, and the ninth will be decided in…
AIW’s Jack of All Trios tournament! 16 teams, 2 nights, winning team gets a spot in the 2010 King of Trios tournament. The teams announced thusfar:
1) Da Soul Touchaz (Marshe Rockette, Acid Jaz, & Willie Richardson)
2) Team IWA: East Coast (Mad Man Pondo, Jon Moxley, & Zac Vincent)
3) Da Latin Crime Syndicate (Luis Diamante, Joey The Snake, & K Fernandez)
4) Jack Of Love (Jefferson Saint, Jack Verville, & Chest Flexor)
5) Alpha Beta Duke (Nick Belushi & Carlton Kaz) and John Thorne
6) Psycho Sexual Panic (Shiima Xion, Façade, & ???)
7) Johnny Gargano and Aeroform (Louis Lyndon & Flip Kendrick)
This will be a great tournament to expose some of the younger guys that some fans may not be familiar with. Plus with guys like The Soul Touchaz, Jon Moxley, Johnny Gargano, and Aeroform, new fans should be comfortable enough with guys they know and like to give the other guys a chance (having seen some AIW myself, I think you should).
And that my friends, is your King of Trios 2010 update.
Youtube Fun!
The 200th episode of the CHIKARA Podcast-A-Go-Go is here, with guest host, D’Lo Brown! Matches covered are from the “Hiding In Plain Sight” show back in September.
This year was the first annual Johnny Gargano Day. The above video celebrated such a momentous occasion.
Some footage from the Dragon Gate USA “Fearless” PPV which features a handful of CHIKARA guys.
The preview video for EVOLVE’s DVD of their first show, featuring Team Frightning (Mike Quackenbush, Hallowicked, & Frightmare) vs. Akuma’s Army (Gran Akuma, Icarus, & Brodie Lee).
Shillville!
Check out all the new podcasts with myself and/or Jerome Cusson at Pro Wrestling Ponderings. This week, Brad Garoon and 411’s own Ari Berenstein sat down to talk Ring of Honor’s Eighth Anniversary show. We also talked DGUSA, TNA going to Monday nights, and much more. The podcast, as well as other wrestling goodies, can be found at Pro Wrestling Ponderings.
Speaking of Brad Garoon, his blog Open The Garoon Gate is all about Dragon Gate and Dragon Gate USA. He reviews every Infinity, PPV, appearance of a Dragon Gate wrestler in the U.S. and other Japanse promotion, etc. You owe it to yourself to check out that blog, as well as his Toryumon and dragondoor/El Dorado/Secret Base blogs which you can find links to on his Dragon Gate blog. Jake Ziegler also blog, JZ Says, which has WWE, TNA, ROH, and even film reviews. Make sure to check out and enjoy both!
Ari Berenstein as usual keeps up his great work in the Column of Honor. Make sure to check it out, it’s a guaranteed good read every single week.
If you have not begun listening, Mike Quackenbush and Clayton Morris (of FOX News & Friends) host a pop-culture podcast known as The Grizzly Bear Egg Cafe. Clayton and Mike talk about all things geek such as movies, music, television, comic books, tech stuff, and wrestling here and there. I find it wildly entertaining, as Clayton and Mike play off each other very well. It’s also really cool to hear Mike talk about non-wrestling stuff as well. So please, check out The Grizzly Bear Egg Cafe and subscribe to their podcast on iTunes.
Thanks so much again for reading this weeks CHIKARA Special! Keep your eyes on my blog, as I will be updating it very soon with more CHIKARA 2002 goodness as well as my review of the newest CHIKARA DVD release, “A Touch Of Class”. Next week may be CHIKARA Special free, but the week after I’ll be back to talk the results of the February shows. Until next time, take care of yourselves, and each other.
Links!
The CHIKARA Home Page .
The brand spankin’ new official CHIKARA message board.
CHIKARA Fans
Buy CHIKARA DVD’s at Smart Mark Video
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