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At “Chikarasaurus Rex: King of Show”, it was announced that Smart Mark Video would have the DVD up for sale TOMORROW! If you were going to buy the DVD anyway, this is an opportunity to go into the show spoiler-free. While I am particularly proud of this edition of my column, I’d rather you buy it without spoilers if that is what you wish. Just a friendly heads up. Click the cover below to purchase the show!

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This edition of CHIKARMY Insider covers last night’s Chikara show “Chikarasaurus Rex: King of Show”, which has been confirmed as the biggest show in the history of the company. Among other exciting moments: two huge six-man tags featuring Chikara Pro talent taking on the stars of Dragon Gate, the reemergence of a certain cyborg long thought to be a figment of imagination, the announcement of the American and Chikara debut of a wrestling legend, and F.I.S.T. simultaneously kicks a member out and welcomes a new member to the family. Big thanks got to various Twitter users and Chikara101 members for little snippets of information and for a few pictures, but the biggest thanks goes to Jerome Cusson. He texted in the live results to me and even called me after the show with more info. What a guy! This event will be talked about for a very long time to come, that’s not the only thing you’ll get in this column. As a nice bonus, I’ve listed my TOP TEN Chikara vs. Dragon Gate Dream Matches for your viewing pleasure. 3…2…1…MAKE COLUMN GO NOW! *presses button*

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Chikarasaurus Rex: King of Show

July 25, 2010 ~ Philadelphia, PA

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1. Eight-Man Tag: The BDK (Donst/Sanchez/Dorado/Tursas) d. Frightmare & The Colony (14:31). Pinkie Sanchez pins Frightmare with the Burning Snicklefritz. Young Lions Cup VIII preview anyone? After the match, the lights begin to flicker and…Vökoder appears! OH MY. Pinkie has been complaining the last few months that Chikara fans are out of touch with reality, believing in robots and ants from the future. So the appearance of Vökoder caused the psycho Sanchez to lose his mind as the rest of the Bruderschaft stared in shock.

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2. Chikara vs. DG #1: Shingo Takagi d. Jimmy “Equinox” Olsen (10:02). Jimmy Jam took a nasty bump off of a dive and may have hurt his shoulder. Shingo killed him with the Pumping Bomber for the victory. Said to be a good match.

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3. Dream Women’s Tag: Sara Del Rey & Daizee Haze d. Amazing Kong & Raisha Saeed (11:31). Haze gets the win for her team thanks to a German Suplex on Kong. That’s insane. Apparently it was ****ing Bridging German Suplex, too. That Daizee delivered. TO KONG. That’s like balancing your wallet on a matchstick! That’s like a bamboo stick flipping a panda! That’s like…okay I’ll stop. Seriously, I can’t wait to see this.

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4. Chikara vs. DG #2: CIMA, Super Shenlong, & Masaaki Mochizuki d. F.I.S.T. (15:17). The so-called Friends In Similar Tights are all wearing different outfits. So either there’s a break-up on the horizon…..or F.I.D.O. has risen! CIMA pins Gran Akuma with Meteora in the best match so far. Afterwards, Johnny Gargano shows up. There’s a discussion and…Icarus pedigrees Gran Akuma! GRAN AKUMA IS OUT OF F.I.S.T.! They take off his gauntlets and give them to Gargano. All three men pose together! WOW! As Akuma rose from the Pedigree, the fans chanted his name and really got behind him.

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5. Grudge Six-Man Tag: Drake Younger & The Osirian Portal d. The UnStable (13:57). Younger is wearing Osirian Portal tights, so I guess “Drake’s On A Plane” is officially a team…or maybe it’s just a fancy one-off. Colin Delaney is wearing a tie for some reason. Younger took a Tombstone on the ringsteps from STIGMA. Vin ended up in a garbage can. The Osirian Portal get the victory after the Osirian Sacrament on STIGMA. After the match, Younger danced with Amasis & Ophidian! Said to be an insane brawl and a really fun match.

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6. Grudge Tag Match: Claudio Castagnoli & Ares d. Eddie Kingston & Tommy Dreamer (15:24). Derek Sabato is out as the referee…that’s not good. Claudio’s Very European Mohawk is apparently ridiculous-looking. Finish comes when Claudio hits a release Ricola Bomb on Dreamer for the dubya. Lots of slow counts from Sabato in this one. There was an insane amount of heat, but it was not a great match. Dreamer unsurprisingly got a lot of heat but he can’t really go anymore. BDK goes undefeated on the weekend.

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7. Chikara vs. DG #3: Mike Quackenbush, Jigsaw, & Hallowicked d. WORLD-1 (16:53). Quackenbush pins Doi with the Quackendriver II in a really awesome match and may be the best of the entire show! The finishing sequence was said to be insane. Whether this leads to a future title shot for Quack in DGUSA against Hulk or Dragon Gate against Yoshino remains to be seen.

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Various Degrees of Awesomeness:

- Jacob Hammermeier was wearing a neck brace thanks to Kingston’s Backfist to the Future and Dreamer’s DVD back at Aniversario Elf. The bad news: it doesn’t cover his mouth.

- Eddie Kingston came out to induct Tommy Dreamer into the Arena Hall of Fame. Classy speech from Dreamer…and he didn’t cry!

- UltraMantis Black stated on his Twitter that he would be coming to “C-Rex”…and that he wouldn’t be alone. He was flanked at his merch table and the Commentation Station by two hooded figures. Couple that with the return of Vökoder and it appears that The Neo Solar Temple may be rising from the ashes.

- The legendary Manami Toyota will be making her American debut in Chikara Pro on September 18th in Baltimore, MD and September 19th in Brooklyn, NY! Word right now is that she will be hand picking her opponents for both nights. This is a HUGE honor, and anybody saying, “Well it doesn’t raise Chikara’s profile…” needs to be shot in the face with a Nerfzooka. Do those exist?

- The announcement that “Chikarasaurus Rex: King of Show“ would be up for sale TOMORROW at Smart Mark Video still has me in shock. According to LFC on the Chikara101 boards, Chikara “specially recruited a dedicated video editor to work through the night, and he is already capturing the footage from tonight’s show to start cutting the matches.”

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Overall Thoughts

This event can only be viewed as an unmitigated, smashing, rousing achievement for Chikara Pro. Over 750 fans were in attendance to witness a really good show with some amazing moments: the return of Vökoder and three awesome-sounding six-man tags are just the tip of the iceberg on the DVD. While I haven’t heard that any specific matches are match of the year candidates or anything, every match has received compliments in some way or another, especially the Main Event. Dreamer/Kingston vs. Claudio/Ares was, as expect, not so great, but everything else is getting high marks. I will be buying this first thing tomorrow morning, and I’d suggest the rest of you nerds do the same.

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It was a big night for Chikara wrestlers at EVOLVE 4: Danielson vs. Fish on July 23 in Union City, NJ as the spectacular event saw several of the company’s finest come out on top. Despite Hallowicked & Jigsaw being a less-than-familiar tag team with one another, they still managed to beat Aeroform is a crazy match. Ricochet AKA Helios was involved in a 4-Way Match, but he was uninvolved with the finish. Brodie Lee fought Jon Moxley to a Double DQ with fans already clamoring for a rematch. The Osirian Portal fell to former Chikara roster members Cheech & Cloudy in a fun tag match. But the big winner was “The Kentucky Gentlemen” Chuck Taylor who beat the current Win Leader Jimmy Jacobs in a great match to claim that title as well as that of Longest Winning Streak in EVOLVE.

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DGUSA’s Philly return PPV, Enter the Dragon 2010, is one that Chikara fans will not want to miss. While Lince Dorado wrestled Super Shenlong to a ten minute draw on the Bonus Card, Chuck Taylor once again made a name for himself by winning a 4-Way Match that many called the show-stealing match of the pay-per-view. Taylor pinned longtime rival Ricochet with the Omega Driver for the victory. He placed himself at the head of the line to join the International WARRIORS with the victory. Seriously, when CIMA asked on Twitter who he thought would be a good fit for his International WARRIORS, I tweeted him Taylor. So…you’re welcome Chuck. YOU’RE WELCOME. Also of note was Brodie Lee, who did not have a match but intruded several times on other people’s contests, destroying everything in sight like a Godzilla villain. The PPV Main Event was an Elimination Match between Mike Quackenbush, Jigsaw Hallowicked & Masato Yoshino against the KAMIKAZE USA team of YAMATO, Jon Moxley, Gran Akuma & Akira Tozawa. This was original set to end the feud between Chikara Pro and KAMIKAZE USA, but due to the adding of Bryan Danielson to face SHINGO, this contest would simply fan the flames of war. Hallowicked was eliminated first via YAMATO and his devastating Gallaria piledriver. Moxley drilled Jigsaw with a chair and earned a disqualification. Jimmy Jacobs ran him off. YAMATO eliminated Jigsaw with easy after the chair shot, leaving Quackenbush and Yoshino to fight off YAMA, Akuma & Tozawa. Quackenbush eliminated Gran Akuma to even the odds. The finish saw a double submission as Quack tapped Tozawa with The Chikara Special and Yoshino tapped YAMATO with Sol Naciente! Chikara Sekigun and Masato Yoshino got a huge victory and the momentum going into the inevitable feud-ending future match!

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There are many things to mull over when compiling a list of dreams matches. It would be easy to just put the best Dragon Gate has to offer against the stars of Chikara Pro and call it a “Dream Match”. However, with the diverse characters of Chikara and the rich history in DG, there is more to be considered than just which two guys might have the best possible match. A common gripe I have with the indy scene at large is that too often wrestling bookers are concerned with creating high drama with forty minutes slugfests between two over but very flawed performers. Sometimes, I get more joy out of a well-conceived squash match than these so called “epic contests”. Now, I know that the fact that ROH owes Dragon Gate money makes any wrestler on their roster off-limits, but we’ll just pretend Ring of Honor didn’t stiff DG out of some dough. Just for this piece. With that in mind, here’s my list of the TOP TEN Chikara vs. Dragon Gate Dream Matches.

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NOTE: These matches have not been announced, nor are they at present scheduled to take place. I made these banners myself to lend authenticity to the piece and, well…for giggles. I even left the damn watermark so that no one would get confused…though I imagine some people still will…

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Honorable Mentions

- Jigsaw vs. Naoki Tanisaki – Outside of them both sharing the same devastating finisher, I couldn’t think of many other good reasons to pair these two excellent workers together. They are both criminally underrated performers in the shadows of more popular grapplers. Both have some nasty strikes in their arsenals, Jig with his superkicks and Naoki with his various knee strikes. With Jigsaw in DGUSA, this actually could happen someday…but Tanisaki would have to get booked there first. Ya here me, Gabe?

- Cyber Kong vs. Lince Dorado – While both performers have suffered serious head injuries in the past, comparisons between them stop there. Kong is a hulking brute who could run through the diminutive Dorado like a knife through warm water. But Cyber works well with smaller guys, so I imagine the beating would be short, but ever so sweet.

- Jagged & Shane Matthews vs. The Florida Express – 3.0 are comedy geniuses, and they would be the perfect fit in a match against Jackson and Johnson Florida, who haven’t faced quality comedic competition in a very long time. Just the looks on 3.0’s faces as Jackson stumbles to the ring on his gimp knee might be worth the price of admission.

- DEEP DRUNKERS vs. The UnStable – A common theme I had when conceiving these contests was pairing top heels with top heels and the faces against one another. I don’t know why, but the idea of the perpetually hammered Kenichiro Arai, an unhinged Kzy, and…Yasushi Kanda…teaming against Vin Gerard, Colin Delaney, & STIGMA brought a smile to my face.

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10

This was just a no brainer. Amasis, a former holder of the Campeonatos de Parejas with Osirian Portal stablemate Ophidian, has a penchant for funky dance moves. He started his career as a heel but, as time wore on, fans got tired of feeling like they had to boo they guy and just started cheer him on. BxB Hulk, the current Open the Freedom Gate champion in DGUSA, is the fan-favorite in his home promotion, and like Amasis, he has an affinity for getting down with his not-so-bad self. A dance contest between the two would be epic, and the winner would simply be whoever’s backyard they were in. It’s a classic styles clash between a choreographed pop dancer and a freestyle rhythmic rumpshaker. Also, they’d probably find time to wrestle. Both are high-flyers, and Amasis even uses a retro Hulk move that BxB rarely ever busts out anymore. “The Funky Pharaoh” calls it the Twist of Funk while Hulk calls the BxB Smash. A stipulation where the winner of a dance contest between the two got to name the move permanently would be beyond awesome. It’d be shmawsome.

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9

Tim Donst may be the best heel in Chikara Pro today. At the ripe age of 24, the current Young Lions Cup holder has already earned a reputation for his smart, lengthy promos and his solid in-ring work. He also has a nasty side, known for using various cheating methods such as using ropes for leverage during pins and working the nipples of his opponents. His perfect foil would be a man not unlike himself, known for his ruthless personality and questionable tactics in the ring. That man is Gamma, a former Twin Gate, Triangle Gate, & Brave Gate champion in Dragon Gate. Gamma utilizes his trusty kendo stick to not only smack you across the head, but he’s just as likely to catch you where the sun don’t shine, too. Like Donst, Gamma is a man who seems to revel in his lack of scruples. Unlike Donst, people have gotten behind the veteran Gamma after years of intense hatred. He has made up with longtime nemesis CIMA and they now team as Osaka06 to the delight of the fans in Dragon Gate. Donst may think he’d have the upperhand against Gamma, but the first time Gamma gargled water and sprayed him with it like a devious fountain…he’d know forever the lengths that a truly disgusting guy would go and whether or not he could rise to his level.

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8

Incoherence is one of Chikara’s best-known and well-liked tag teams. Hallowicked, a Chikara veteran and former Campeon de Parejas, was still teaming with Delirious when he first started bringing Frightmare to the ring, usually with a steel chain wrapped around him to keep him in check. After Delirious was torn away from the trio, ‘Wicked started teaming with his young protégé, keeping the Incoherence name and attitude. Both would be elevated in stature by leaps and bounds over the next few months, as Frightmare would be declared the 2009 Rookie of the Year in all of professional wrestling  and Hallowicked would start working in EVOLVE and Dragon Gate USA. Similarly, Super Shisa and Shisa BOY also share the same relationship as master and charge. While Super Shisa is a former Triangle Gate and Brave Gate champion, Shisa BOY has yet to have his big break out in Dragon Gate. But this match isn’t about accolades and accomplishments; it’s about talent. From a pure lucha standpoint, The Shisas are two of the best and most innovative on the DG roster. Incoherence had also shown to be two of Chikara’s best with it comes to innovative flips and death-defying dives. But these four guys in the ring together and I’m betting they crap out some magic. There’s gotta be a better way to say that, but I’m drawing a blank. The…the match would rule. There.

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7

Even the crankiest, most narcissistic independent wrestling fan has to see some upside in a match between the jabbering, excitable veteran know as Delirious and the…jabbering, excitable young wrestler Akira Tozawa. Delirious was Hallowicked’s partner when the two won the Campeonatos de Parejas back in 2007, but he has since joined The Neo Solar Temple and now the Bruderschaft de Kreuzes. The current Delirious is a mind-wiped drone…and no fun. I loved the laughing, chatty Delirious when he was wearing the trademark green mask, and that’s the Delirious you’d want to face Tozawa, a former Triangle Gate champion and a future main eventer in Dragon Gate. Even as a teenager, Tozawa rose above his fellow students with his loud mouth and vibrant personality. Tozawa will go on long rants about…I don’t know. I don’t speak Japanese. But he’s definitely prone to tirades, with his mouth constantly trying to cash checks his ass can rarely cash. But against Delirious, he may find someone just as loud and crazy as he is.

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6

It doesn’t take that many neurons to realize that teams like Incoherence, QuackenSaw, The Osirian Portal, and The Colony would turn out better matches against the team of Naruki Doi & Masato Yoshino. Doi, a former Dream Gate champion and the first man in Dragon Gate history to hold every major company title, is joined at the hip with heterosexual life partner Yoshino, the current Dream Gate champion and the most decorated champion the Dragon Gate history. They have looked like they were breaking up many times over the years, but the two have weather storms and can lay claim to being the best tag team in DG history and perhaps in all of wrestling. They have a lot in common, a big one being that they both come from baseball backgrounds. Hell, Doi started his DG career as under a baseball gimmick as Second Doi. Enter Dasher Hatfield & Sugar Dunkerton: The Throwbacks. After a match in Chikara back at Hiding in Plain Sight that is now simply known as “The Baseball Game”, it became clear that Chikara knew how to use sports in a variety of comedic ways. Just imagine Yoshino, the fastest man in wrestling, having a footrace around the baseball diamond-esque ring with Dasher. Imagine Dunkerton trying to baffle Doi with some slick basketball moves. This is the type of hilarious imagery that lead to this match coming to fruition on this list. Speed Muscle has proved time and time again that they can have amazing matches with just about anybody. But to pull off a comedy match outside of Japan would be a new type of challenge, one that, knowing them, they’d rise to the occasion for.

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5

I’m sure a lot of people will be baffled by this pairing, as Gran Akuma makes more sense in a discussion about the stiff kicks and nasty head drops of Masaaki Mochizuki, a former Dream Gate, Twin Gate, & Triangle Gate champion. I honestly found that pairing a little too obvious, and I had plans for Akuma elsewhere. In his twenty years in the wrestling business, Mochizuki has faced his fair share of hard-kicking opponents. I felt like the concept of Mochi versus a young striker is being done to death, and Masaaki is usually able to enforce his will upon them given time. Even at age forty, he is taking on all comers and seems to be in the best condition of his life. His many kicks aren’t just inventive. They may be the hardest and nastiest kicks in wrestling. He is as legit as you can get in modern wrestling, so the idea of putting him in the ring with someone not in his own mold intrigued me. It hit me like a Yakuza Kick…”Big Rig” Brodie Lee, a Chikara mainstay known for his devastating Big Boot and intimidating size. He would present Mochi with all kinds of problems: he’s at last half a foot taller, a hundred pounds heavier, and has the length to keep out of Masaaki’s kick range while still inflicting significant damage. Of all the guys in Chikara Pro, Brodie would provide literally and figuratively the biggest challenge for Mochizuki. It would be difficult for Mochizuki to even get his leg high enough to fire off a headkick, but I’m sure the crafty veteran would find a way.

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4

It would be a battle of the two true, undisputed aces of their home promotions. It would be a war between two of the top athletes in wrestling today. Claudio Castagnoli and CIMA have a helluva lot in common: both are the unrivaled top guys in their companies, both guys are known for their high-impact, innovative offense, both wowed WWE officials in tryout matches on Smackdown!, and both are among the most decorated members of their respective rosters. CIMA is Dragon Gate’s only two-time Dream Gate champion and the only man in company history to have held absolutely every active title at one point or another. Castagnoli has won almost everything there is to win in Chikara Pro: 2005 & 2006 Tag World Grand Prix, 2007 Torneo Cibernetico, 2010 King of Trios and the Campeonatos de Parejas…twice. As far as I know, they have only been in the same ring once: Claudio, alongside Austin Aries, Delirious, & Rocky Romero faced CIMA and members of Typhoon at All-Star Extravaganza III for Ring of Honor back in early 2007. Since then, both wrestlers have grown to become ever greater wrestlers, and hopefully one day they will face off again in a Chikara ring.

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3

Their rivalry stems from one simple truth: YAMATO doesn’t respect Mike Quackenbush and he doesn’t respect Chikara Pro. At the very first Dragon Gate USA show, Quack made a challenge to any Dragon Gate wrestler to take on any Chikara Pro wrestler and see who the better man was. YAMATO emerged and claimed not to know who the hell “Lightning” Mike was and proceeded to low-blow him. YAMATO enlisted the help of his own student Gran Akuma, and at DGUSA’s second show, Quack teamed with Jigsaw to gain a measure of revenge against YAMATO & Akuma. Soon after this, YAMATO’s Dragon Gate faction went international and KAMIKAZE USA was born. Now, the fight was between two entire stables of wrestlers as YAMATO, Akuma, Akira Tozawa, Jon Moxley and Shingo Takagi began attacking Quackenbush, Jigsaw, and the rest of the Chikara wrestlers. At the latest DGUSA event, Enter the Dragon 2010, Quack got a measure of revenge by teaming with Masato Yoshino & his Chikara brood to defeat YAMATO and KAMIKAZE USA in Main Event Elimination Match. Naturally, a singles showdown between the two looms. Both men are known for their cunning ingenuity in the ring, and in a battle of not only physicality but their very scruples, they’ll need to be firing on all cylinders to best the other man.

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2

This is another fantasy match-up where the accolades of the competitors speak for themselves. The trio of Icarus, Gran Akuma & Chuck Taylor has been through a lot as a trio. Last year, they ended their three year war against The Colony in one of the biggest matches in Chikara history. They beat The Death Match Kings, The F1rst Family, The Future Is Now and Team Uppercut in winning the 2009 King of Trios tournament. Akuma and Icarus won the 2005 and 2006 Torneo Cibernetico matches respectively and then teamed together to win the Campeonatos de Parejas, holding them for longer than any other team thus far. Likewise, the team of Dragon Kid, Ryo Saito, & Genki Horiguchi is Dragon Gate’s most decorated triumvirate. They are the only threesome to win the Open the Triangle Gate titles more than twice, and with them recently reunited in the WARRIORS, they could earn even more. But the major reason that these men are known together is simple: Ring of Honor. 2006. Supercard of Honor. Against the Blood Generation, Do FIXER inspired the raucous crowd and the six men put on a performance that not only won Match of the Year in 2006, not only earned a 5-Star rating from Dave Meltzer, but helped popularize and broaden the reach of a company for years to come. They are the two finest trios in their companies…and thanks to Johnny Gargano, this match is never gonna happen. Gargano…YOU’RE ON NOTICE.

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1

This was the match that not only inspired this list but the very intellectual fabric behind it. As you may have noticed, I’m not content to just throw people in the ring together. I want to see the most decorated trio face the most decorated trio, the best athlete face the best athlete and the amateur baseball players face the old timey ball chuckers. Yeah, I’m pretty deep. This battle of hard-hitting heavyweights was inspired by one specifically shared trait between Shingo Takagi, a former Open the Dream Gate champion and leader of the KAMIKAZE faction, and “The Last of a Dying Breed” Eddie Kingston. That trait is ego. Shingo and Eddie are both their worst own enemies. Late in 2009, Shingo injured his knee and it became a focal point for the attacks of his opponents. The situation was exacerbated by Takagi’s repeated pounding of his own knee, as if he were baiting the challenger to break him. While Shingo’s ego is fueled by physical scars, Kingston’s comes from emotional ones. Eddie feels that he always misses out on the big matches in Chikara, that he’s always playing catch-up with the guys in the masks. He’s felt some level of dejection his entire life, and he uses the pent-up aggression to unleash a flurry of violence on his adversaries. Sometimes, this pride leads to disappointing losses, but more often than not, it acts as jet fuel for their fighting spirit and pushes them to succeed. So when it’s laid out like this, one wonders what would happen if they were to stand across the ring from one another. Two tireless warriors, both drunk on rage…ten feet apart. That’s a potential nuclear holocaust of lariats and arrogance…and that’s why it’s number one.

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- Please leave any comments or questions you might have and I’ll do my best to respond with as much colloquial Irish gossip as I can conjure. I’d like to do a contest or something cool like that, but I’m not sure how much interest there’d be. Let you voice be heard! Also, let me know if there’s anything you’d like to see in the column, like fantasy booking, treasure hunts, wish-lists, secret handshakes, etc.

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Aniversario Zehn

May 22, 2010 ~ Tyngsboro, MA

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1. Green Ant vs. Amasis – **

Amasis does a touchdown dance with a football before entering the ring, is inside a sports complex…so this is going to be a very weird-looking show. Green Ant and Amasis trade holds and Amasis tricks Green Ant into doing a little dance. They trade some pinfall attempts but Amasis hits a nice powerslam for two. Amasis hits a suplex and continues to ground Green Ant, though the elastic ant continues to find ways to get quick pinfall attempts. A shoulder tackle gets “The Funky Pharaoh” two, as does a butterfly suplex. Green Ant rolls back into an ankle lock, but Amasis breaks it up with a pin attempt. Amasis tosses Green Ant on the outside and it causes Green Ant to hit is head awkwardly on the top turnbuckle…but he comes back in and repeatedly slams his own head into the turnbuckle showing that it is made of dolomite baby! Seriously, if this isn’t leading to him eventually becoming Bull Ant, I don’t get it. Green Ant starts throwing headbutts and hits a big splash. 1…2…Amasis kicks out. Green Ant hits a wrist-clutch marching Samoan drop and locks in the Texas Cloverleaf! Amasis tries to crawl away but Green Ant pulls him back. He finally makes it to the ropes and he and Green Ant trade strikes. Amasis goes off the ropes and Green Ant gets a flash pin attempt. 1…2…Amasis kicks out. Green Ant runs the ropes, but Amasis hits a run behind roaring elbow! 1…2…3! Amasis beats Green Ant in a perfectly fine opening match.

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2. The Throwbacks vs. Tursas & Daizee Haze – **1/4

Backstage before the match, Sugar Dunkerton says he wants to melt Daizee’s icy heart with his hot chocolate. Dasher is furious and leaves. Sugar says forget that and skis away. Tursas starts by tossing Sugar across the ring and tagging in Daizee. Sugar tells her she’s fine and Dasher continues to find this counterproductive. Sugar gives Daizee his basketball and she fires it into his chest claiming it to be a check ball. Sugar went for a hug and Haze turned it into a headlock. Sugar keeps putting her in submissions and asking her out. Everybody calls timeout. Time in and he continues to court Mrs. Haze. Tursas tags in and Sugar claims Tursas is jealous. The crowd agrees. Tursas destroys Dunkerton with a shoulder tackle, but Sugar and Dasher form one giant person to combat him. Sugar throws blows from up top but Daizee clips Dasher’s knee allowing Tursas to hit a frickin’ standing doomsday device and Daizee to hit a dropkick to Hatfield. The Bruderschaft duo beat down Sugar in brutal fashion, but he eventually leapfrogs Daizee and makes a tag to Dasher who throws some nice shots to the face of Tursas. The ‘Backs hit twin dropkicks to Tursas, but Sugar is distracted by Daizee, allowing Tursas to crush Dasher with a crossbody for three. Daizee & Tursas get the win in a really funny match. The action here wasn’t great, but Sugar is just some much fun that he elevates every match he’s in. There are a lot of funny lines that Sugar spouts during this, almost like an amusing commentary track to a good film.

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3. Ophidian vs. STIGMA – **3/4

This is Ophidian’s first match since winning the Rey de Voladores at King of Trios. STIGMA starts the match by planting Ophidian on the canvas with an elbow shot. Both men trade shots and Ophidian goes for the Death Grip. STIGMA turns it into a Tombstone, but Ophidian wiggles free. STIGMA continues to throw some sick elbows to ground Ophidian, but he counters with some nice lucha moves.  STIGMA counters a back rolling headscissors into a nice backbreaker. Ophidian gets a few lucha roll ups before drilling STIG with a roundhouse kick. He goes for a crucifix bomb but STIGMA turns it into an armdrag that sends Ophidian to the floor. STIGMA goes to dive, but Ophidian rolls back & STIGMA is now outside, so Ophidian hits a corkscrew plancha to the big man! Back inside, Ophidian looks for flying knees but STIGMA counters into knees of his own! STIG continues to beat down Ophidian, countering a headscissors by tossing Ophidian chest first onto the apron. He crawls back in and STIGMA hits a dropkick for two. STIGMA goes for the Tombstone yet again, but Ophidian counters with some awesome knees. He destroys STIGMA with a reverse roundhouse kick and a fisherman’s buster that drops both men. Ophidian runs to STIG in the corner and hits a handstand into a monkey flip. 1…2…STIGMA kicks out. Ophidian misses the double knees again and STIGMA hits a deadlift release German suplex! Face Wash! 1…2…Ophidian kicks out. STIGMA goes for the Tombstone again, but Ophidian turns it into victory roll. 1…2…STIGMA kicks out! Ophidian ends up on the apron and he hits a modified Jesus Walks for another two. STIGMA counters a corner charge with another German and then hits That Japanese Move, his finisher from the Shane Storm days! 1…2…3! STIGMA picks up the victory in an upset considering Ophidian just won the RVD tourney. Really nice match that suffers slightly due to the typical STIGMA sloppiness, though it wasn’t so bad that it ruined anything completely.

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4. Grudge Match #1: Equinox & Helios vs. Tim Donst & Lince Dorado – ***1/4

Tim Donst cuts another really good promo backstage and the BDK young lions take forever to start the match. Helios and Lince start things off, but Lince quickly bails and allows Donst to get the drop on Helios, but Donst gets embarrassed lucha-style. Jimmy “Equinox” Olsen and Dorado enter, and Jimmy hammers away at Lince. Donst runs in and hits a Lince-assisted Complete Shot and Dorado hits a standing moonsault. 1…2…Jimmy kicks out. Donst & Dorado beat up Equinox with stomps and chops, forcing him to make the BDK symbol with his hands. Donst hits a belly-to-belly from the apron on Donst for two. They continue the onslaught until Equinox slips outside and Helios gets in. He takes out everybody and drops Lince with a rolling dragonrana! 1…2…Lince kicks out. Helios hits the Tiger Flip and lands a sick flip dive over the turnbuckles on Donst! Jimmy hits Dorado with a missile dropkick and a sick superkick! 1…2…Lince kicks out! Jimmy is tripped by Lince into sitting on the second rope in the corner and Dorado hits a double stomp on Jimmy! 1…2…Helios breaks it up. Helios jumps to Lince’s shoulders, Donst goes up top and Lince pushes Helios so he’s standing on Dorado’s shoulders! SKY HIGH DOOMSDAY DEVICE! 1…2…HELIOS KICKS OUT! Donst applies the Inverted Chikara Special! Out on the floor, ‘Nox drills Lince with a Knockout Punch and breaks up Donst’s submission with a spike baby rana. Jimmy applies the Chikara Special! Donst fights it off and just as Jimmy is about to reapply the hold, Lince breaks it up with an abisegiri. Helios and Lince end up on the top rope and Helios gets the advantage. AVALANCHE DOUBLE KNEES! Helios goes back to the top rope…Shooting Star Press! 1…2…3! The Future is Now get their first point against Donst and Dorado. This started okay and worked into a good heat segment. The ending made this match. Man, these guys were all over the place, and I mean that in a good way. A few stumbles aside, this was tight.

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5. Grudge Match #2: Fire Ant vs. Pinkie Sanchez – **3/4

Sanchez cuts another feeble, aimless promo. This is getting silly; the rambling fool needs to be muffled. Fire Ant runs out like a house of hot things. Papagiorgio tells Pinkie to take a shower and just berates him for getting in his face. Bell rings and Fire Ant immediately attacks Pinkie, hitting a running corner enzuigiri and a running corner dropkick sending Sanchez outside. Fire Ant hits a no-hands flip dive onto Pinkie on the floor! Pinkie gets rolled back inside and manages to hit a backbreaker and running knees to the back of Fire Ant. Pinkie continues to target the back of Fire Ant, stunting every opportunity Fire Ant gets to mount a comeback. Pinkie’s continual taunting of the crowd gets him a beating but never a sustained one. Finally, Fire Ant starts throwing roundhouse kicks like a maniac and drills Sanchez with a twisting brainbuster. 1…2…Sanchez kicks out. Fire Ant and Pinkie end up out on the apron with Fire Ant looking to give Pinkie an apron Beach Break, but Sanchez fights out and hits a sloppy apron DDT to Fire Ant. 1…2…Fire Ant kicks out. Sanchez tries to lock in the Inverted Chikara Special, but Fire Ant turns it into a roll up for two. Fire Ant destroys Pinkie with Burning Down the House and heads north for Heat of the Moment. He connects! 1…2…Sanchez kicks out. Sanchez hammers away at Fire Ants back and calls for the Burning Snicklefritz but Fire Ant counters into a Burning Hammer. Pinkie wiggles free though, and he armdrags Fire Ant to the mat and does a really poor job of locking on the Inverted Chikara Special. Fire Ant goes limp and Papagiorgio is forced to call for the bell. Pink Ant wins a big match against the leader of the Colony. Like Ophidian/STIGMA, this was clearly a match between two wrestlers not on the same level. While Fire Ant looked extra sharp out there, Sanchez couldn’t connect with the crowd at all. He fumbled the finish, too. It was still a pretty good match, just a bit of a letdown.

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6. Grudge Match #3: Ares vs. UltraMantis Black – **1/2

UltraMantis cuts a great promo before the match stating he has no one and nothing…all the while, Crossbones is standing behind him looking dejected. Ares and Mantis stare each other down as the bell sounds, and Ares decides to bail to the back. He returns with Delirious dressed in white and being guided by a chain. Mantis is furious at this and he keeps trying to reach out to his former ally. Ares hits a hard clothesline and puts Mantis in the camel clutch, taunting Mantis by forcing him stare at Delirious. UltraMantis fires back with a series of armdrags as the two men brawl on the floor. Ares beats him down outside and looks for the Toblerone Driver but he gets backdropped on the artificial grass! UltraMantis beats him up around ringside and tosses Ares back inside, but Mantis gets caught with a dropkick while reentering. Ares hits a big chop on the corner and a nice suplex for two. Ares beats on Mantis in the corner closest to Delirious and hits hit swinging fall away suplex for another two. Mantis fights back with the help of the chanting crowd, but Ares hits the Blue Thunder Bomb. 1…2…Mantis kicks out. Ares is furious and gets handed something from Jakob Hammermeier at ringside. Ares blows into a tiny dog whistle and Delirious tosses Crossbones into the ringpost, dropping the big man. UltraMantis comes back with elbows and a full nelson bomb. 1…2…Ares kicks out. Crossbones is escorted out by a Chikara attendant and this would actually turn out to be Crossbones’ final appearance in Chikara, perhaps ever. Ares goes for Toblerone again, and once again Gavin thinks he’s going for the Praying Mantis Bomb. Ultramantis Black fights out and hits an electric chair drop. 1…2…Ares kicks out. Mantis looks for Cosmic Doom, but he’s distracted by Delirious, allowing Ares to get an O’Connor Roll with a fistful of tights. 1…2…3. Ares beats UltraMantis in an okay match made better by the outside shenanigans. The return of Delirious as a BDK member was well done, and both Ares & UltraMantis were better than usually in the match.

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7. 8-Man Main Event: Mike Quackenbush, Jigsaw, & Incoherence vs. Vin Gerard, Colin Delaney, Chuck Taylor & Gran Akuma – ***1/2

Jigsaw and Vin Gerard start things off with Chuck Taylor jawing at his cousin to perform better. Jigsaw does the same series of roll ups twice in a row, and Jigsaw baits him into falling for it a third time. Jig and Quack double team Vin and Chuck enters. Quack tags in and starts bending and flipping Chuck all over the ring. He hits a slingshot dragonrana and the pin attempt is broken up by Gran Akuma. Akuma and Chuck double team Quack, but he disposes of them rather quickly. Hallowicked enters and take down Gran Akuma with Frightmare’s assistance. Gerard enters and targets Frightmare but Incoherence double teams him with their side slam / leg drop combo. 1…2…Gerard kicks out. Taylor and Quackenbush return, and Jig & Quack once again double team him. Akuma takes out Jig from behind and he starts getting worked over. Everybody takes turns beating him up, but Jigsaw catches Colin with a big clothesline and tags Quackenbush, who clears out Gerard. Chuck catches him with a dropkick. Frightmare dumps Taylor but gets caught with a running knee from Gerard. A follow up suplex gets Gerard two. Now it’s Frightmare who gets the business from the Rudo squad. Chuck accidentally refers to Vin as “Durling”, and Colin scolds him for this Deadpool-esque mistake. Frightmare dives out onto Colin, allowing Hallowicked to enter, who cleans the kitchen. He goes for Go 2 Sleep Hollow, but Chuck catches a leg, Akuma kicks said leg and Chuck applies the Cross Crab. Jigsaw breaks it up quickly, but the Rudos have found a third Tecnico to pounce on. The work over ‘Wicked’s knee, and Quack gets fed up with it so he just enters without a tag. Quack hits Akuma with a Swanton Bomb, Chuck hits Quack with Sole Food, Frightmare hits Chuck with a Standing SSP, Colin hits Frightmare with the Attitude Adjuster, and Jigsaw drills Colin and Gerard with sick superkicks. Bridging German Suplex from Jigsaw! 1…2…Akuma breaks it up. Quack and Jigsaw double team Akuma and Gerard with fancy lucha stuff. Jigsaw hits a frankensteiner and Quack comes off the top with double knees. 1…2…Chuck breaks up the pin. Akuma and Chuck hit their tombstone facebuster / cutter combo on Quack. 1…2…Quack kicks out. Quack dives out onto Chuck Taylor, Frightmare hits Akuma with his backflip doge into a neckbreaker, Colin hits his usual weak-looking punt kick and calls for the RKO. Hallowicked hits Colin with Go 2 Sleepy Hollow, Quack and Jig double team Colin with kicks, Jigsaw takes Colin out, Vin takes Quack out and dives out onto everybody! Taylor heads north but Hallowicked cuts him off and places Frightmare on his shoulders. Doomsday Ace Crusher! 1…2…Gerard breaks it up. Gerard hits Frightmare with the 2K1 Bomb but Hallowicked breaks up the pin. Akuma drives Hallowicked in the corner and Gerard uses ‘Wicked to climb on top. Quack & Jigsaw meet him there and drill him with an avalanche hip toss and Frightmare (barely) hits him with the Kneecolepsy! 1…2…3! Frightmare picks up the victory for his squad in another really good eight-man tag. This started brilliantly, with a lot of fast-paced interactions to get it going. However, the ending stretch felt kind of sloppy and rushed, so the mach couldn’t elevate to the level of some of the previous atomico matches. Still, it was the best match on the show.

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Overall - 6 / 10

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While I can’t say that I’ll watch this show again anytime soon, it did have its share of good times: TFIN/BDK and the Main Event were both really fun matches, and most everything was time not wasted. The show saw Delirious’s return as a member of the BDK, perhaps the last appearance of Crossbones, STIGMA pulling out the shining wizard for the first time in years and Sugar Dunkerton courting Daizee while she kicked the crap out of him. At two hours, it’s a fairly breezy show, which is good…any long, and you’d get too bored for words. I can only recommend this for the diehards out there (of which there is many) but if you find yourself in front of this show, you shouldn’t be terribly disappointed or anything. Like Aniversario Yin the year before, first night Anny shows just aren’t always winners.

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The All-Important M’s

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Match: Main Event. I know, you’re shocked the eight-man tag was the best match. Chikara is getting to be a company that can throw any eight guys from their roster in the ring and churn out something very enjoyable. While this was not one of the best of the year, the atomico was still fun enough to gain the top spot.

Move: That Doomsday Device where Helios was on Lince’s shoulders was un-freaking-believable. I called it a Sky High Doomsday Device because I don’t think there’s a name for it and it was the first damn thing I thought when I saw it. Just an awe-inspiring display of athleticism.

Moment: Sugar Dunkerton and his wooing of Daizee Haze. I can’t pick just one of his moments, and since I created this damn thing…I dun gotta. So there…every moment with Sugar Dunkerton wins Best Moment.

MVP: Dunkerton. While he wasn’t in even the third best match of the show, he was clearly elevating the match with his witty one-liners and conversations with people at ringside. He also cut the best promo on the show, so he gets two sets of hardware…fictional hardware, that is.

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Look! CHIKARMY Insider is back! Seriously…you’re staring at it right now. In this week’s edition, you get must-have info on three new Chikara DVDs, a potential break-up for one of Chikara’s best triumvirates, details on this year’s Cibernetico event, a sleek visual aid that updates this year’s Young Lions Cup VIII participants, a full rundown on Chikara’s monumental show next week, Chikarasaurus Rex: King of Show, featuring Dragon Gate stars such as CIMA, Naruki Doi, Masato Yoshino, and Dragon Kid! Tickets are selling like warm muffins, as Chikara has already stated that this will be the biggest event in Chikara history! HISTORY! So hop aboard your starship and set a course for The Awesome Nebula. Also, if you could swing by my house, that’d be great. My address is 427 [EDIT: Justin, don’t list your actual address, ya dingus]. Once again, that’s 427 [EDIT: Why would you type this twice?!]. WOOSH!

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New DVDs: Danielson Returns + The Best of 2006!

Wanna see Bryan Danielson’s return to the independents? Do you want to see him mangling goons and kicking in skulls in ways that would make Vince McMahon soil his “Oops, I Crapped My Pants”? Then pick up We Must Eat Michigan’s Brain, featuring Bryan Danielson vs. Eddie Kingston, Frightmare vs. Tim Donst for the Young Lions Cup, and a crazy Eight-Man Main Event, as well as Faded Scars and Lines, featuring Danielson taking on Donst, Kingston battling Delirious, and The Future Is Now challenging The Bruderschaft for the Campeonatos de Parejas in an epic 2 out of 3 Falls Match! Also released is Chikara: The Best of 2006. This is very different from the Big Vision title that came out previously, as it features many, many more matches, including Arik Cannon vs. Eddie Kingston, F.I.S.T. vs. The Kings of Wrestling, a match between Mike Quackenbush & Ares that predates the Chikara vs. BDK Wars, and seventeen other stellar contests with former Chikara stars like Blind Rage, Chris Hero, Mr. ZERO and Larry Sweeney.

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The Fall of F.I.S.T.?

There’s no question that the blogs between Chuck Taylor and Johnny Gargano have been hilariously catty. Seriously, they’re like bunkmates fighting over Army men…and it grows more and more apparent that somebody in F.I.S.T. is gonna get stuck with the Minesweepers. Since the verbal slapfight began, both Gran Akuma and Icarus have weighed in on the madness, and it looks like all the talk and innuendo will come to a head at “Chikarasaurus Rex: King of Show”. If you’re totally lost and want to catch-up, here’s the blogs in the order they occurred: [Taylor - Gargano - Taylor - Akuma - Icarus - Gargano]. Prepare to laugh yourself unconscious.

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Behold…The Dark Ciberknetico!

Chikara has announced the return of its annual manic multi-man match known as Torneo Cibernetico! This is the seventh year of the sixteen man contest that traditionally sees two sides of eight face off in an elimination-style contest, with the surviving members of the winning team battling it out until there is only one man left standing. Last year at Cibernetico Increible, the theme was “partner vs. partner”, and it was Carpenter Ant who emerged victorious, utilizing the Inverted CHIKARA Special in the first instance of any wrestler using the devastating submission. Of course, Carpenter Ant turned out to be Pinkie Sanchez in disguise, and he has not let the Chikara Tecnicos forget his shocking victory. This year, in the midst of the war between Chikara and the BDK, The Dark Ciberknetico will have more emotion and meaning than all the previous Cibernetico matches combined. For Chikara, this is about pride. For the Bruderschaft, this is about supremacy. If they can beat the Chikara faithful here, it may just be the disheartening blow that finally takes the wind out of the sails of Quack, Kingston and their tecnico brethren. On October 23rd in Easton, the battle lines will be drawn! The day after The Dark Ciberknetico, Hamden, CT will see the final New England card of 2010. Rendezvous at Big Gulch will take place Sunday, October 24th and, in the direct aftermath of Cibernetico, should be a humongous show.

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Young Lions Cup VIII

Entrants into the seventh Young Lions Cup tournament are coming fast and furious and the open spots are filling up quickly. Over nine different companies have announced representatives, three companies have announced participation but have not named reps, and six spots remain completely unassigned. In total, 24 wrestlers from 18 wrestling companies will be announced for the competition, which is shaping up to be the biggest and best YLC tourney ever! You can find a full list of all of the announced competitors below in a nice, neat format that I put together in that whole Photoshop thing.

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Mike Quackenbush is one helluva multitasker. While he continues to lead the CHIKARA Tecnicos in their war on the Bruderschaft for Chikara Pro’s very soul, he has continued to draw the ire of YAMATO in Dragon Gate USA. What started as a disrespectful act extended from YAMATO to Quack on the very first DGUSA show has snowballed into an all-out fight between YAMATO’s KAMIKAZE USA and the Chikara Sekigun. YAMA and his stablemates continue to jump Quack & company from behind and disrespect him, while Quack continues to lead his students in an effort to prove once and for all that his wacky band of youngsters can hold their own against the Japanese and independent elite. If not for one Bryan Danielson getting booked in a dream match against Shingo Takagi, this Eight-Man Elimination Match between the two sides in Philadelphia would have been the feud-ender. However, with Shingo’s removal from contention for the bout, the war will continue and this match provided Quack a chance to get in on the mind games. While YAMATO unsurprisingly chose Gran Akuma, Akira Tozawa & Jon Moxley for his side, Quack went with tag partner Jigsaw, top student Hallowicked and the man who very recently defeated YAMATO for the Open the Dream Gate, Masato Yoshino! “Lightning” Mike gets the last word in to YAMATO before this epic contest via the Chikara blog: “Go on, stick your tongue out on July 24th. Jigsaw will superkick it into the cheap seats. Or maybe Hallowicked will jam his boot down your throat the second you open your mouth. Prepare all you want. Try to be ready. Then get ready to lose. Your 15 minutes are up.”

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Perhaps the most beloved Dragon Gate wrestler on their roster, CIMA is never one to shy away from a challenge. He is the only two-time Dream Gate champion in DG history and he is their unofficial ambassador abroad. He has faced top competition at every level of professional wrestling, working dates for ROH, NOAH, IWRG, wXw, and he even had try-out matches on WWE Smackdown!. He has traveled the world and he has seen it all…everything except this. On July 25^th, in Philadelphia, he meets his antithesis. His opposite. The Anti-CIMA. Icarus is a CHIKARA’s most reviled performer, drawing the furious boos of a tyrant. He is unathletic, unoriginal, unfriendly, and undoubtedly one Chikara’s most decorated wrestlers. The only thing CIMA and Icarus have in common is their propensity for success within their home promotions. 2006 saw Icarus with both the Torneo Cibernetico and Campeonatos de Parejas and 2009 saw his faction F.I.S.T. stake their claim as the greatest Chikara trio in company history by winning the year’s King of Trios tournament. Both decorated, but worlds apart otherwise. CIMA is the Gallant to Ick’s Goofus, the snake to his mongoose. The Superman to his Bizarro. Now they will meet face to face in an extraordinary turn of events, and they won’t be alone. CIMA will be flanked by WARRIORS stablemate Dragon Kid and longtime ally Masaaki Mochizuki as they stand across from Icarus and the rest of F.I.S.T., Gran Akuma & Chuck Taylor. CIMA and Icarus eye to eye. Dragon Kid flying around the ring, flipping Taylor on his head. Mochizuki & Akuma, trading furious kicks. It’s a Chikara dream, and with Johnny Gargano threatening the very fabric of F.I.S.T. and it’s members, it may be the swan song for Chikara’s grandest and toughest trios.

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Eddie Kingston was a young man who had given up on wrestling. Disenchanted with the soft, watered-down product on current TV, the boy who would become “The Last of a Dying Breed” nearly missed his destiny. A fateful day at a friend’s house exposed him to the kind of wrestling that, to this day, keeps the fire behind his eyes burning in the face of constant demon and crippling depression. It was ECW. It was real. So many characters spoke to the young man from Yonkers. Shane Douglas, with his nasty mean streak. Raven, with his ability to turn a crowd on his head with only a few words. Tommy Dreamer, a young man who also hailed from Yonkers that, like Kingston, possessed the heart and determination of a lion. In Tommy, Eddie had found someone like him and realized that becoming a wrestler wasn’t impossible. If Tommy found a way outta Yonkers, so could Eddie. Thanks to Dreamer and ECW, the young lion rediscovered his love of wrestling, and he would eventually find his own personal jungle in Chikara Pro. But Eddie’s not just a dreamer; he’s a realist, too. Too slow, too gruff, too fat to get further than the indys. He used this bitterness to dismantle his opponents, knowing full-well that “his time” to reap the benefits of hard work would never truly come. Then…it did. Tommy Dreamer innocently strolled out onto the Arena floor just after Kingston had bested Christopher Daniels, and offered to give Kingston a crack at his idol. It would be Kingston vs. Dreamer, a decade in the making that no one thought possible. And when the time came for Kingston to live out an unlikely fantasy, to face the man that inspired him to compete, Claudio Castagnoli & Ares stole from him in an act of cowardice and hatred. The BDK generals interfered in the match, sullying a special moment for Kingston. The war between Claudio and Eddie that stemmed from a torn friendship has turned into as personal a fight as Chikara Pro has ever witnessed. Now, Dreamer and Kingston will join forces to teach the leaders of the Bruderschaft a lesson: you can kill the dream, but the dreamer never dies. Claudio and Ares will surely bring their soldiers, and that’s just fine. Two Dreamers against an entire army. They wouldn’t have it any other way.

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Daizee Haze & Sara Del Rey wanted competition. They begged for it. Pleaded for it. In July of last year, after Haze bested Rayna VonTash in less than four minutes, she screamed that she wanted to face someone stronger. Someone tougher. In an October tag match with Bullfight Sora, she was given Del Rey, an opponent she’s faced millions of times, and La Malcriada, a somewhat comedic competitor. This time it was Del Rey who showed frustration, beating Sora so badly that she was disqualified for Excesivo de Castigo. After the match, the two lethal ladies got together and decided to join up with Ares and the Bruderschaft. Since then, they have face mostly male competition and have held their own. However, the mean streak that consumed them both remains. They’ve continually been disqualified for blatant cheating and repeated violent acts without cause. Now, for the first time since that fateful tag match in October of last year, the two ladies will be involved in a tag match with two other ladies. This time, Death Haze is a united front, and they’ll have to be if they have any hopes of beating two of the toughest women in wrestling today: Raesha Saeed & Amazing Kong! This is perhaps their stiffest competition yet, as Kong and Saeed won’t hesitate to strike like Amasis, Mike Quackenbush and Hallowicked have in the past. They will be looking to squash the women of the BDK by any means necessary. And while most people would justifiably be worried, Haze seems very confident in a post on the Chikara blog: “Sara Del Rey and I, along with the rest of the BDK warriors, are recreating the definition of impact, incursion and havoc as we have – and will continue to – destroy everyone that crosses our paths. Everything that CHIKARA holds dear, we are taking for ourselves. We refuse to be ignored or overlooked anymore! So if you two can get on the same page long enough to make it to the ring next Sunday at Chikarasaurus Rex, be prepared to learn what [havoc] is all about. You think you’re going to bully Sara and I around the ring like you did all those precious TNA Knockouts? Think again Kong. I’ll be happy to put you in your place and show you what real wrestlers can do. We’re as good as the best and as bad as the worst. So don’t test us, just save yourselves and move out of our way. We are the best – the best on planet Earth! As you will find out.”

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Liars. Degenerates. Rudos. None of these labels are very surprising when used in the same sentence as Vin Gerard, Colin Delaney, and STIGMA, The UnStable. But because of some uncharacteristically sporting behavior early this year, the harsh language had been stifled by cheers of praise for Gerard and STIGMA’s performances. A series of hard-fought matches had Gerard expressing his desire to “go straight” and turn over a new leaf. STIGMA looked like he was missing his lovable “Shane Storm” days, using That Japanese Move to defeat Ophidian. Delaney wasn’t happy about all this, so here interfered on Vin’s behalf in a match against Amasis. Afterwards, when The Osirian Portal questioned Gerard about this, he apologized and claimed not to have been a part of it. They agreed to a tag team rematch with Colin barred from ringside. At Faded Scars and Lines, Colin showed up anyway, costing Amasis and Ophidian the match. Vin was furious afterwards, demanding that Colin tell the Portal that he had no part in any of it. Colin smiled and said that he could not. The UnStable then beat down the Egyptian duo, showing a returned mean streak and united front. It was all a ruse. Well, the Osirian Portal don’t like to be played, so when Amasis & Ophidian were challenged to a six-man tag at Chikarasaurus Rex, they turned to “The Psycho Shooter” for help.  Drake Younger has been waiting years to get his hands on The UnStable for their constant interference and cheating ways in his past Chikara appearances. Now, the team informally called “Drakes on a Plane” will seek retribution against a faction of wrestlers who proved to be calculated and malicious outside the ring, but still need to prove they can once again perform at a top level in-ring after their shocking exit from this year’s King of Trios.

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While The Colony may not have completely toppled the Bruderschaft at this year’s King of Trios, they at least showed that the faction has cracks and weaknesses. The BDK can be beaten, and Fire, Soldier and Green Ant plan to prove this again at Chikarasaurus Rex when they team with Frightmare to take on the BDK fearsome foursome of Young Lions Cup champion Tim Donst, “The Perfect 10” Lince Dorado, reigning Cibernetico winner Pinkie Sanchez, and the immovable, indestructible Tursas. While The Colony may hold a high-profile win over the BDK, the Bruderschaft have them in sheer volume. Donst’s last two successful defenses of the YLC championship were Frightmare and Soldier Ant. At Aniversario weekend, Fire Ant lost matches to both Pinkie Sanchez and Lince Dorado. Tursas not only destroyed Green Ant in a singles match early this year, but the 6 foot 7 inch monster has yet to be knocked down inside the ring. Tursas is the x-factor in every atomico match of the BDK’s, as he seems to make up for his team’s shortcomings with blunt focus and brute force. So if the Tecnico quartet can find a way to get Tursas off his feet –and keep him there –they have an excellent chance at coming away with a victory. But that if weighs almost 400 pounds, so you can bet that it’s going to take all four guys to put him down.

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One particular phrase popped into my head upon learning of this match-up: Sweet Merciful Zeus. Perhaps the most exciting and dynamic faction in Dragon Gate, WORLD-1 has come to Chikara and are well represented by their three figureheads: leader Naruki Doi, Dream Gate champion Masato Yoshino, and Freedom Gate champion BxB Hulk. With a trio that strong, one would think that Chikara officials would find it tough to match that kind of electric trio. Fear not, Chikara faithful: Mike Quackenbush captains a team with his tag partner and top student, Jigsaw and Hallowicked. While this bout may not have the natural match-ups the way WARRIORS/F.I.S.T. does or the heated exchanges of Kingston & Dreamer versus the BDK, it does possess as much talent as any match Chikara has put on this year. If you’re looking for you potential match of the show, your search should start here. While WORLD-1 might be considered a lock by some, don’t count out Quack and his Lightning Breed. Also, the Chikara squad has proven to be very cohesive the past year thanks to their joined struggles against the BDK while W-1 could suffer from some recent turmoil. See BxB Hulk in the avatar above? Well, he ain’t lookin’ like that when he shows up in Philly. He lost a match against Shingo Takagi at DG’s Kobe World PPV on July 11th, and as a result, he had his head shaved bald. Shingo demoralized Hulk afterward, calling him by his real name of Terumasa Ishihara, telling him to go back to dark matches and start his career over. On the same show, Yoshino captured the Dream Gate, DG’s top prize, and Naruki Doi won a tag match with PAC that may grant him a future DG tag title shot. So while it appears that W-1 has a lot on its plate, they are also coming in with a psychological advantage. Yoshino will be teaming with this Chikara trio the night before in DGUSA, so he should get a good look at what this awesome Chikara trio is all about, and Naruki Doi holds a win over Quack & Jigsaw in DGUSA with partner PAC. It’s gonna be six of wrestling’s most energetic performers in one match, and the only thing we can expect is the type of fast-paced, non-stop action that only Chikara and Dragon Gate can bring you.

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- My brother’s birthday was July 10^th, and my gift to him on his twenty-first birthday was this very tasteful BIRTHDAY CARD. Classy, no? My father’s birthday was July 17^th, and he enjoyed a nice time at the beach. Just wanted to wish them both Happy Birthdays and I hope both of their rashes clear up soon. It’s weird that they both got them at the same time…and in the same places…but I didn’t wanna ask.

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- Please leave any comments or questions you might have and I’ll do my best to respond with as much colloquial Irish gossip as I can conjure. I’d like to do a contest or something cool like that, but I’m not sure how much interest there’d be. Let you voice be heard! Also, let me know if there’s anything you’d like to see in the column, like fantasy booking, treasure hunts, wish-lists, secret handshakes, etc.

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Justin Houston gets inducted in the Cool Kids Society in this very special episode. First, host Kevin Ford and Justin sit down to discuss two of CHIKARA’s upcoming events, Chikarasaurus Rex and the Young Lions Cup tournament. See which matches Justin and Kevin would potentially like to see, and what may or may not be changed. In addition, Justin expresses his disdain for a particular Young Lions Cup participant. Then Cool Kids founder Brad Garoon joins the discussion as Dragon Gate’s “Kobe World Festival 2010” PPV is run down in full detail. Justin and Kevin close the show as a duo, giving their brief thoughts on Dragon Gate USA’s “Uprising” PPV. Also, Brad’s dinner makes a special cameo appearance.

This is the first of a a marathon of podcasts coming to the website. Be sure to come back every day for new audio, including interviews with some old favorites and new guests. Download above or listen live below.

Wrestler of the Year: Yamato

Other contenders: John Cena, Tyler Black, Davey Richards, Austin Aries, Roderick Strong, Chris Jericho, Claudio Castagnoli, Chris Hero, El Generico, Kevin Steen, Masaaki Mochizuki, Naomichi Marifuji, Prince Deavitt

Instead of coming up with numbers  for the other contenders, I’m just going to come up with a random list of guys who deserve mention and will be guys to watch the rest of the year.

When it comes to this award, I’m more basing this on their in-ring ability. I’m not sure how much wrestlers even have an impact on drawing power, so I think a better idea is to focus on what wrestlers do inside the ring. In all honestly, this was such an easy choice for me. Yamato is a guy who’s had tremendous matches in Dragon Gate Japan and Dragon Gate USA. In a company known for high flyers who aren’t the best at selling, Yamato has brought a more technical style to the main event scene. The two best examples of this are an Infinity match with CIMA and his Mercury Rising contest with Susumu Yokusuka. That doesn’t even take into account matches with Naruki Doi and two matches Masaaki Mochizuki. I’d say Tyler Black or John Cena are tied for a distant second.

Tag Team of the Year: The Young Bucks

Other Contenders: BDK (Claudio Castagnoli and Ares), The Colony (Soldier Ant and Fire Ant), The Briscoes (Mark and Jay Briscoe), Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli), Switchblade Conspiracy (Jon Moxley and Sami Calihan), Age of the Fall (Jimmy Jacobs and Tyler Black), House of Truth (Josh Raymond and Christian Able), Mike Quackenbush and Jigsaw, K-nuska (Susumu Yokusuka and K-ness)

Tough call. Kings of Wrestling and Briscoe have had a very good feud, but Hero and Claudio haven’t really had many matches as the champions. Same goes for Claudio’s other duo with Ares. I’d say the second half of the year with each team getting more title defenses will move them up the list. Age of the Fall have had a great run in AAW. Quack ‘n’ Saw has delivered on some excellent in-ring performances but haven’t had much better than a .500 record nor have they held any gold.

‘It all comes back to the Bucks, a team I said was the best team of 2009. The Bucks continues defending their tag team titles in great matches before finally losing the belts at DDT4 2010.  And having seen that tournament? They ended their title reign  in the best possible way.They had a pair of four star matches in DG USA before their eventual departure. They even had some memorable matches during King of Trios 2010. I think the Bucks will be usurped by another team on the list, but the Bucks PWG tag team title reign ending might go down as one of the top moments in independent wrestling this year.

Non-Wrestling Performer of the Year: Bryce Remsburg

Other Contenders: Jacob Hammermeier, Truth Martini, Prince Nana, Jim Cornette, Gavin Loudspeaker, Excalibur, Rick Knox, Phil Colvin

I swear I didn’t give him the award because he was (and might be again) on the show. Is there anyone who better represents CHIKARA than Bryce? He’s one of the best referees in the business. Want proof? Look at all the Indy companies he’s refereed for. This doesn’t even take into account his announcing for CHIKARA which gets better with every show. He seems to show a genuine level of excitement for what’s going on in the ring. He also does a fine job getting storylines over. And think about this. When wXw came to Philadelphia in March, who announced the show Bryce Remsburg. And I’m also counting the Fan Conclave for the purposes of this award because of how awesome an experience it was for me and everyone involved.

If Jacob Hammermeier had a slightly more active role, he so would have won this award going away. I don’t think there’s a BDK member more hated than he. He’s so gloriously annoying as a ring announcer that when he gets taken out once and for all, the pop might be as loud as when the BDK lose the tag team titles or Cibernetico.

Comeback of the Year: Steve Corino

Other Contenders: Colt Cabana, Paul London, Ring of Honor (yes, the whole company), Brian Kendrick, Cyber Kong, Edge

What I like about this category is the many criteria you can judge it by. You can go to injuries and say a guy like Cyber Kong or Edge deserves it since both of their careers could easily be in jeopardy right now. Then I look at Brian Kendrick, a guy I buried at the end of 2009. He’s had good efforts in DG USA and TNA of all places. London is sort of an unknown because a lot of his standing with this award will be determined by his PWG tag title reign. His three matches during DDT4 2010 were a positive sign. Cabana focused too much on comedy and not enough wrestling. His focus in 2010 has been much improved. Ring of Honor- I’ll put it this way. Anyone who watched the company in 2009 and thought they were just fine was watching the shows with rose-colored glasses. Period. This company was putting on a lot of useless shows with bad booking and horrendous finishes. The finishes still aren’t great, but everything else has gotten so much better.

That brings me to the guy who’s going to win this award easily. Steve Corino meant nothing for indy fans last year. A lot of people looked at Corino coming back to Ring of Honor as a negative. All he’s done is consistently put on some of the best performances in recent years and been a major reason for the success of the El Generico vs. Kevin Steen rivalry. His year can be summarized when he took a chair shot to the heat while his head was in barbed wire at Bitter Friends, Stiffer Enemies. It was a brutal shot that exemplified Corino’s seemingly full commitment to Ring of Honor.

Most Improved of the Year: Zero Gravity (Bret Gakiya and C.J. Esparza)

Other Contenders: Malachi Jackson, Green Ant, The Cutler Brothers, AIW

I think I’ll have more of a sense of this award in December.  Zero Gravity have been a part of AAW for a couple years actually. Their growth started in last year, but anyone who’s watched an AAW show would notice it a lot more this year. Gravity has made spot appeareance for CZW, but AAW is where they’re breaking out. They’ve had two excellent matches with House of Truth. They were part of my favorite main events, an eight man tag at Appetite for Destruction. I know Aeroform gets all the publicity, but I think Gravity has more to offer in a similar type of role.

Malachi Jackson was a guy who I thought blew in 2009. He put on an impressive performance on night one of King of Trios and is at least putting on tolerable matches in PWG. Cutlers weren’t exactly stiffs last year, and Green Ant’s “improvement” might have more to do with the booking rather than just natural improvement.  Even if Drew Cordeiro wasn’t a friend of the show, I’d have to give Absolute Intense Wrestling a lot of credit. AIW was a rinky dink promotion out of Ohio not too long ago. They’ve show-horned their way into a crowded indy wrestling scene thanks to a number of well-done DVDs. Two were shoot interviews. One with a freshly released Colt Cabana and the other a hilarious interview with Matt Classic. Next was the Jack of All Trios that featured a number of talented wrestlers where the winner would get into the King of Trios. Guys like Flip Kendrick, Louis Lyndon, and Johnny Gargano have received opportunities throughout the northeast and Midwest. A relationship with CHIKARA leading to a doubleheader a couple weeks ago is another step in the evolving of AIW.

Most Underrated: Silas Young

Other Contenders: Arik Cannon, Northstar Express, House of Truth, Ryan Taylor, Brandon Bonham, Ares

I almost feel like I should just put AAW under this category, but I don’t want to come off as biased. Nonetheless, there are a lot of roster members who don’t get their just desserts. A lot of the PWG locals might not be household names, but they’re putting on some of the best matches in the company.  I guess none of these guys work in the northeast, so no one talks about them. If you haven’t watched any AAW or PWG, it’s well worth buying a DVD. I included Ares because the guy doesn’t get any credit for his in-ring work. Yes, he ‘s involved with the BDK, but beyond him being eeeeeeeeeevil, he’s a really strong talent inside the ring. Despite all the names on this list, there really is one guy who stood out above the rest.

The king of underrated this year is Silas Young because of his consistency as the AAW heavyweight champion. He’s had a number of good matches with Shane Hollister, Tyler Black, and Matt Cross. I could make an argument Colt Cabana’s best match since returning to the indies came against Young back in April at Point of No Return. He might be the best heel champion of the last couple years based on his ability to draw genuine heat from the Berwyn Eagles  Club. Even though he won the title in November, I see no signs of Young’s title reign ending.

Best Weekly Wrestling Show: Infinity

Not even bothering with other contenders here. Smackdown was actually pretty good the first couple months, but it has decreased rapidly with such an emphasis on Drew McIntyre and taking away much of the star power. Raw has too much comedy and too much of the writers not being able to make up their minds about angles. The Nexus angle brings some improvement to the show lately thankfully. NXT is a joke, or the WWE at least treats it like one. Impact… I don’t even need to go there. ROH is decent but has a few important flaws.

Infinity has some of the best wrestling on a weekly basis. I can think of multiple four star matches without even thinking. There are storylines, video packages, and an emphasis on promoting the product. If  none of the shows in the states can bother producing a show as good as this, then I’m going across the Pacific to find a great weekly wrestling show.

Feud of the Year: Kevin Steen vs. El Generico

Other Contenders: The Briscoes vs. Kings of Wrestling, Tyler Black vs. Austin Aries, Tyler Black vs. Roderick Strong, BDK vs. CHIKARA, World-1 vs. Warriors, The Young Bucks vs. PWG Fans, John Cena vs. Batista, C.M. Punk vs. Rey Mysterio, nXt vs. WWE

I don’t even know what to say. This is a remarkably simple feud. Generico and Steen were former partners, championship partners no less, who broke up in Ring of Honor. They’ve feuded in other places, yet what used to be old is new again. Steen’s presentation at Final Battle 2009 no doubt helped kick this feud off in an impressive way. While the trashing of the main event is well-deserved, it also needs to be said that the Steen and Generico feud kicked off in classic fashion. From the promo to the chairshot. It was all perfect. The promo work by Steen has had a lot to do with the success of the feud as well.

The efforts of Colt Cabana and Steve Corino shouldn’t be left behind either. Generico doesn’t do promos, so Cabana’s presence has become invaluable to lend a little bit of verbal sparring. And it’s not really fair for Cabana to be on Generico’s side without Steen getting a partner of his own. It also allowed ROH to put off a singles match between the former partners until Death Before Dishonor mere weeks ago. In what other feud in recent memory has it taken six months for two guys who are feuding to have a one-on-one match. Just an incredible feud, and if this doesn’t end up winning “Best Feud of 2010.” I’ll be floored.

Company of the Year: Ring of Honor

Other Contenders: CHIKARA, PWG, AAW, Dragon Gate

WWE and TNA aren’t on this list because they don’t deserve to be. Evolve doesn’t make the cut because they can’t decide on their own rules and have only run three shows. That leaves five companies, all of which I follow. I’m pretty much digging everything that is going on with all five companies I mentioned for this award. I don’t think CHIKARA nor PWG are as good as they were last year, but their shows are still worth checking out. Dragon Gate has a produced a number of incredible matches, but they’ve also had some negative moments (Abdullah the Butcher and L.A. Park anyone?)

Ring of Honor has streamlined the number of shows they’re running. They’ve become the first wrestling company to regularly experiment with the iPPV concept. The video packages, which can all be seen for free on YouTube and the website, has also helped improve the way ROH promotes their shows. The television show has at least become more focused on promoting the Pay-Per-Views. ROH has upgraded their announcing (not much but it’s a start) and the way they produce their DVDs. Tyler Black has been a major upgrade when it comes to being the ROH champion, mostly from an in-ring standpoint. El Generico and Kevin Steen has been one of the most compelling feuds in all of wrestling. Kings of Wrestling against the Briscoes is a solid number two. I wouldn’t say ROH is perfect, but they’ve reclaimed their spot as a top wrestling company.

Match of the Year: The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels(****1/2) (Wrestlemania XXVI)

Other Contenders:

DG/DG USAWorld-1 vs. Warriors (****1/2)(Mercury Rising) World-1 vs. Warriors (****1/4)(Dead or Alive 2010) Yamato vs. Naruki Doi (****1/4)(Compilation Gate), Yamato vs. Masaaki Mochizuki (****1/2)(Infinity), Yamato vs. CIMA (****1/4 (Infinity)

ROH: Tyler Black vs. Austin Aries (****1/4)(8^th Anniversary Show)Kings of Wrestling vs. The Briscoes (****1/4)(The Big Bang) Tyler Black vs. Austin Aries vs. Roderick Strong (****1/4)(The Big Bang), Kevin Steen and Steve Corino vs. El Generico and Colt Cabana (****1/4)(Bitter Friends, Stiffer Enemies II)

AAW: The Phoenix Twins vs. The House of Truth (****1/2) (The 6^th Anniversary Show)

EVOLVE: Davey Richards vs. Kota Ibushi (****1/2)(Evolve 1)

PWG: The Young Bucks vs. The Cutler Brothers (****1/2)(DDT4)

Basically, these are all the matches I’ve given ****1/4 or above. It’s honestly a pretty sad list when you look at it. Neither CHIKARA or PWG make the cut. Not to say they haven’t had any great matches, but they haven’t had any MOTYC. Sorry guys. This is the weakest year I can ever remember for great matches. By this point last year, I’d given one match ***** and another ****3/4. This year, I’ve given three matches ****1/2 and that’s it. ‘Taker and Shawn from Wrestlemania 25 was number three on my list last year. If it wins this year? That’s just sad. Shouldn’t be surprised by WWE only having one contender considering how poor the Pay-Per-Views have been and all the departures. Ring of Honor will always have matches on the list because of the talent involved. Here’s to better wrestling in the second half of the year, and some matches that light my world on fire. I fully expect PWG and CHIKARA’s summer run to produce multiple candidates that will make me change the list drastically.

These ten awards should give you an idea what the year 2010 has been all about. Tomorrow I will look at a burning question facing each company.

Download above or listen to live below. NSFW

Download audio file (pwp06302010.mp3)

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It’s another CHIKARMY Insider! This week, it’s fully new and super detailed reports on this past weekend’s Chikara show featuring the return of Bryan Danielson! Not convinced you should read more? Some über cool stuff: a shower of ties for Danielson, a certain Kentuckian steals a woman’s purse, Bryan arguing for PG wrasslin’, the audience saving a wrestler by crowd surfing him back into the ring, WAR ULTRAMANTIS, The UnStable storyline taking a shocking turn, and Bryan Danielson…GOING TO TNA?!?! Find out more by reading the whole shebang. I’ve totally got you on the hook now, I’m sure of it. A special thanks goes to all those who texted and typed up results on Twitter and various other websites & forums, especially Mushroom Jones and JaKyL25 from the GameFaqs forum. I can take zero credit for the information provided, only for gathering and organizing it in one place for everyone to enjoy!

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(Photo by Chris Schramm)

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We Must Eat Michigan’s Brain

June 26, 2010 ~ Taylor, MI

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0. CLASH Showcase: Cameron Skyy & J. Miller d. GQ & Tommy Treznik (9:41). I am under the impression that this was a dark match, as no one was on commentary. Apparently, J. Miller and Cameron Skyy looked very good. Skyy and Miller got the win when Skyy pinned GQ with a bulldog variant. It was said to have been a good match that showcased CLASH pretty darn well.

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1. Teacher vs. Student: Mike Quackenbush d. Green Ant (6:09). In an unexpected match-up, Quack faced perhaps his most durable pupil. The match was literally nothing but submissions traded back and forth, back and forth. Ultimately, Quack got Green Ant to tap, and then post-match taught him how to escape and counter the hold he lost to. That’s awesome.

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2. Lince Dorado & Pinkie Sanchez d. The Osirian Portal (15:32). Lince pinned Amasis with a high speed prawn hold in a good match. Afterwards, the BDK continued the assault on Amasis & Ophidian until they were saved by…Vin Gerard & STIGMA. Boy, The UnStable sure do like The Osirian Portal. It’s getting a little creepy.

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3. Best Friends Forever?: UltraMantis Black d. Delirious (6:07). Ares was out controlling Delirious with the dog whistle and he also led him to the ring on a chain. Delirious is now in full white gear, mask and all. See the new get-up HERE. Like the Danielson pic above, this photo comes from somebody named Chris Schramm, who is officially awesome. Before the action began, UltraMantis was demanding answers from Delirious, who refused to respond. Ares blew the dog whistle and Delirious sprang into action. This was mostly a brawl, the finish coming when Ares and Delirious miscommunication allowed Mantis to school boy his former bestest buddy for the victory. Ares was furious afterwards.

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4. Fire & Soldier Ant d. Super Smash Brothers (11:55). Fire Ant pinned Player Uno in what was described as a awesome encounter between former tag team champions and was named by several people as Match of the Night. This gives The Colony duo their first point and, believe it or not, it’s been over a year and a half since Uno & Dos have won a straight tag match in Chikara. Bonkers.

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5. Chikara Dream Match: Bryan Danielson d. Eddie Kingston (15:19). Kingston came out first, and the crowd eagerly anticipated Danielson’s return. Suddenly, “Wild and Young”, the NXT theme, began to play. The crowd erupted in laughter and boos. After about twenty seconds, it cut off, “The Final Countdown” began to play and the crowd exploded with cheers, chants and raucous celebration. Instead of streamers, the fans covered the ring in ties! Danielson briefly threatened to choke referee Bryce Remsburg with one, but he ultimately relented. Very slow, smart match-up between the two men. In the end, Claudio came out and distracted Kingston, allowing Danielson to pick up the win via small package. Afterwards, “American Dragon” made an impassioned speech where he talked about getting more people interested in independent wrestling and the merits of PG-rated wrestling. It was quite hilarious. See the entire speech he gave HERE.

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6. Six-Man Tag Match: Acid Jaz, Marshe Rockett & Willie “Da Bomb” Richardson d. Ares, Tursas & Claudio Castagnoli (10:58). Kingston finally gets under Castagnoli and the Bruderschaft’s skin by distracting Claudio, allowing Acid Jaz to roll up Claudio for three, assisting in the big victory for Da Soul Touchaz. It should be mentioned that this is the first loss ever suffered by this particular BDK trio, and the fact that it’s to non-Chikara regulars speaks volumes about how the company tends to reward fervent fan response. Da Soul Touchaz were very over, and they celebrated their win heavily, like they couldn’t even believe it happened! Their manager C. Red picked up Gavin Loudspeaker with a big ol’ hug after they won.

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7. Young Lions Cup: Tim Donst© d. Frightmare (11:45). The match was heavy on fan interaction. Early on, Donst applied a submission and, when Frightmare got to the ropes, he broke the hold at the last possible moment, saying that he “had ‘til 5” in an effort to irk his following night’s opponent, Bryan Danielson. At one point, Frightmare was taking Donst around a tour of the ringside area, letting all the fans get a chop in on him, including some kids. Donst had Frightmare’s leg injured, so he took him to the far end of the arena and just left him there, hoping for a count out victory. But, in the truest spirit of Chikara, the fans actually CARRIED Frightmare back to the ring! Donst retained using a tie-assisted rear-naked-choke! The crowd knew that once the tie surfaced from his trunks, Frightmare was in trouble. Donst’s arm obscured the tie from the ref while he choked Frightmare out. Donst then hid the tie in his armpit so the ref wouldn’t see it post-match, and had to have the ref raise his other hand in victory. Frightmare sold the tie choke like death, needing water to be revived and people to help him to the back.

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8. Eight-Man Main Event: Equinox, Helios & 3.0 d. Icarus, STIGMA, Chuck Taylor & Vin Gerard (15:47). The main event had lots of comedy, mostly coming from 3.0 cutups Jagged and Shane Matthews. They got a “DEFENSE! DEFENSE!” chant going when Equinox was the face-in-peril for example. One of the members of 3.0 pulled off an epic series of head scissors. Chuck Taylor scared the life out of some kid, and stole a girl’s purse in the middle of the match. Helios got the pin on Icarus with the 630 Splash and The Future is Now gained momentum going into the next night’s tag title shot against Claudio & Ares by defeating the Rudo quartet. Once again, Chikara puts eight random guys in a tag match and they turn it into fried gold. Dives, laughs and fun times galore, but it suffered a bit because people started to get in line to get Danielson’s autograph about half way through.

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Overall Thoughts

This sounds like the quintessential Chikara experience: nothing mind blowing, but every single match is worth seeing. There was somewhere between 250-350 people, a very good number for Chikara’s debut in the Detroit area. The most lauded contests were Colony/SSB, the YLC match, and the Main Event, and I’ve heard absolutely nothing but good things about each and every match. Chikara has more “I must see this!” moments than any promotion in professional wrestling: Danielson’s entrance & exit, the shenanigans in the Young Lions Cup match, Delirious & UltraMantis interacting again, and Eddie getting a little payback on Claudio are just a few of the best mentioned. This was already a no-brainer purchase, so the glowing reviews really only serve to build anticipation for a show I was confident would be great.

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Faded Scars and Lines

June 27, 2010 ~ Cleveland, OH

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1. Tursas d. Player Dos (4:22). Dos brought the fight to the big man but Tursas emerged victorious thanks to his devastating Big Splash.

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2. Da Soul Touchaz d. The Colony (9:12). In yet another stunning upset for Da Soul Touchaz, the unit beat the 2010 King of Trios runners up the night after defeating this year’s tournament winners. Willie Richardson got the pin for his team after crushing Green Ant with his Top Rope Leg Drop. Wow.

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3. Grudge Tag Match #1: 3.0 d. Icarus & Chuck Taylor (8:52). Huge win for 3.0, giving them their first point towards a tag title shot. Scott “Jagged” Parker rolled up Chuck Taylor for the three count, concluding a terrible week for the F.I.S.T. boys.

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4. Johnny Gargano d. Player Uno (11:29). Looks as though Gargano is here to stay, as he utilized the home-field advantage (he’s from Ohio) to best Uno with a Twisting Flatliner.

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5. Grudge Tag Match #2: Lince Dorado & Pinkie Sanchez d. Mike Quackenbush & Frightmare (15:10). Lince low-blowed Frightmare behind Sir Bryce’s back, securing the dubya for Dorado & Sanchez. That’s two points for them. Tursas came out and threatened to give Quackenbush the Big Splash…..but he’s saved and the Bruderschaft are run off by a chair-swinging UltraMantis Black! Nice!

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6. Eddie Kingston d. Delirious (9:47). Kingston finally pins someone from the BDK, albeit not exactly a fully-committed member. “The Last of a Dying Breed” wins after an impressive offensive flurry and his patented Backfist to the Future, pushing Delirious to 0-2 on the weekend.

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7. Delaney Barred From Ringside: Vin Gerard & STIGMA d. The Osirian Portal (14:35). Vin Gerard pinned Ophidian after Colin Delaney turned his mask around, allowing Vin to get a crucifix pin. Gerard & STIGMA are irate with Colin and they demand Delaney tell the Portal what he did had nothing to do with them. In a shocking move, STIGMA, Delaney & Gerard beat down Amasis & Ophidian! It was all a ruse! The UnStable seem to have…stabilized…for now.

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8. Bryan Danielson d. Tim Donst (18:37). Tim Donst nearly pulls off the upset of the decade in the longest match of the weekend, but he eventually falls victim to Cattle Mutilation. After the match, we get another vintage Danielson promo. He states that, after his 90 no-compete clause is up…HE’S GOING TO TNA!!! SWEET ZOMBIE JESUS, NO!!! Okay, so he was joking…no worries. NOT COOL, Bryan. Hilarious…BUT NOT COOL. He continues to joke about going to TNA, saying the fans don’t want to see Desmond Wolfe vs. Lloyd Boner.

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9. Campeonatos de Parejas: Claudio Castagnoli & Ares© d. Helios & Equinox (12:54). Claudio and Ares attack before the bell. Ares catches Equinox with the Toblerone Driver to put the Bruderschaft up one fall to none in nine seconds. With The Future is Now reeling, the entire Tecnico locker room empties to root them on just like they did for Incoherence at Aniversario Elf. Tursas came down the ramp during the match looking to interfere, but the tecnicos got in his path and denied him the opportunity. Helios hits the 630 Splash on Ares, but the sure three count gets broken up by Castagnoli. Claudio tosses Helios into the lights, but since there are no actual lights for Helios to hold on to like Frightmare did, he falls right into a European Uppercut. Cover. Three count. BDK Reign Supreme in two straight falls.

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Overall Thoughts

While I obviously tracked down much more info on the Michigan show, I’ve read a few people state that Danielson/Donst was the Match of the Weekend and that it was another very, very good show. We got some movement in some storylines, including the revelation that The UnStable are on the same page after all. This is a bizarre twist to this story, as all three guys have become extremely stagnant as a trio. With Crossbones officially gone from Chikara, STIGMA would be a natural fit for a reborn Neo Solar Temple. I said this on the podcast I did recently, but a Vin Gerard & Chuck Taylor tag team would be gangbusters. Gargano and Da Soul Touchaz both left lasting impressions in the minds of Chikara fans, and they will surely both be a part of the company in the future. Overall, it appears that Chikara pulled off two great shows at just the right time, as the attention Danielson will bring was not squandered. These are top shelf Chikara shows, and I can’t wait to pick them up at Smart Mark Video in a couple weeks.

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- So…my back is shot. I pulled a muscle or I’m having lower spine issues or something. If I’m not laying flat on my back, I’m in constant pain. So if you were saying to yourself, “Doesn’t this guy always do more than just results?” this is the reason why. My lovely and super smart girlfriend tells me that there are these things called doctors, and that they can, like…fix you. Psh. Doctors are for I should really go to the doctor. I might have to if this is still unbearable by, say, Wednesday. So hopefully I never have to do a column in this manner again. I always try to bring original content and commentary each and every week, so this article probably has the all-time least amount of me in it. Back spasms permitting, this will be rectified in the coming weeks. Remember: “Chikarasaurus Rex: King of Show” coverage starts next week!

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- Please leave any comments or questions you might have and I’ll do my best to respond with as much colloquial Irish gossip as I can conjure. I’d like to do a contest or something cool like that, but I’m not sure how much interest there’d be. Let you voice be heard! Also, let me know if there’s anything you’d like to see in the column, like fantasy booking, treasure hunts, wish-lists, secret handshakes, etc.

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