CHIKARA’s Preview-A-Go-Go: Caught in the Spider’s Den

CHIKARA makes their Long Island, New York debut this Sunday, February 26^th, 2012, and here right now, since I took a look at the previous night’s card, I figured I would do the same for this one. So here you go, the Preview-A-Go-Go takes a look at…

 

Looking at this card, although A Death Worse Than Fate has a good card, highlighted by a Campeonatos De Perjas title match; this card here looks to be the better of the two, with another atomicos eight-man tag match, the beginning of Icarus’s “Trial Series”, another appearance by Colt Cabana, and of course, the main event. One that has been building for quite a while now, and has more than enough stipulations to make this one of the most highly anticipated matches of this early year so far. So here’s the rundown for the show, taking place at the NYWC Sportatorium.

 

Our opening match here is one of rudo vs. rudo! It’s bound to happen sooner or later, but with the current actions of Archie and his baton leader, Veronica lately, perhaps Archie is striking a cord with the CHIKArmy. All he wants is to be loved, and right now, he’s not getting enough love, especially from Veronica. Blame it on him not being able to win. And with the previous night of him facing Sara Del Rey in the rear-view mirror, I don’t believe that this will end well either. Could this be the night that Veronica finally has had enough (and goes with Mr. Touchdown? I WILL NOT REST UNTIL THIS HAPPENS, PEOPLE! Sorry.)

With Ophidian on a current roll right now, it’s easy to think that the slithery snake will get one over on the Band’s leader, and cause more misery to the first couple of CHIKARA.

Winner: Ophidian

 

Sorry if this is shorter than the rest, but I really don’t know anything about Kobald’s opponent here. I know that his name is Francis K. Stevens and that he works for the NYWC promotion, but…that’s it. Can’t find anything on YouTube, I can’t find anything else on the man. I just know that he’s here as part of an interpromotional match against Kobald.

So yeah…makes my job easier.

Winner: Kobald

 

I’m not gonna lie, this has all the makings of an instant classic here. Colt is here in attendance this week to help out the guard, and out of it, we’re getting a first time matchup. And not just any first-time matchup, but a first time match with two of the best guys that CHIKARA has in the back. And don’t think UMB has a couple tricks up his proverbial sleeve. He is a devious one after all.

Are we going to see a more technical matchup? Both men know how to put the holds on one another. Is it going to be a throwing match, where punches and kicks are to be had? Or are we going to see Colt and UMB try to out-shenanigan one another? I think a little of all, to be honest. It’s not going to be the laugh riot we all expect, but to say that there’s not going to be any laughs is a crying shame, really.

As far as who’s going to win? It’s another hard one. Who needs it more? Will UMB be carrying gold with him to the ring? It’s a tough decision. I’ll go with the devious one here. But I won’t be surprised if Colt squeaks out a victory.

Winner: Ultramantis Black

 

This ALSO has the makings of an instant classic, but for completely different reasons. This has a potential to be a CHIKARA Special of its own in terms of absolute humor and idiocy. But in the long run, it also has the makings of one team getting the three points necessary for a Campeonatos De Perjas title shot in the future. And where are next month’s shows? Canada, you say? The home of 3.0? Hmm…something adds up here.

Which is why it’s easy to say that 3.0 is most likely returning to the entrance of the Promised Land to try and get back in. They’ve been there before, but a free pass into the land via the Campeonatos De Perjas is very possible, and to have their shot perhaps be in Canada? Bravo, CHIKARA folk, BRAVO!

Don’t think I forgot about the Throwbacks, right? Well, will we see more dissention between Dasher and Mr. Touchdown? Who knows? I still think it’s a bit too early to have Mr. Touchdown go rudo on Dasher, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they pulled the trigger here. But this match is 3.0’s one to lose.

Winners: 3.0

 

The “Trial Series” begins for Mr. Gran Akuma. After weaseling his way out of a match against Akuma last month in Easton, Icarus posted a blog to Mr. Wink Vavasseur asking that since Akuma was cast out of the CHIKARA locker room, he would have to EARN his way back by going through a “Trial Series”, as Icarus put it. Wink accepted the challenge, and Akuma has his first challenge ahead of him.

Lucky for him, it’s Icarus’s partner-in-crime, Chuck Taylor. Icarus will just have to deal with the consolation prize of kicking the living tar out of a F.I.S.T. member that’s NOT Icarus. And I’m sure once Johnny Gargano is ready to return to the CHIKARA roster, Akuma will also be waiting patiently for him.

This is one of those things, that (to me) losing a title the previous night helps. I know that defeating a current champion likewise is somewhat the norm in CHIKARA, here, it just feels better, you know. And we’re pretty damn sure that Akuma is going to get some well-deserved retribution over his former stable mate. Poor Sexy Chuckie T. Akuma is going to kick you to kingdom come.

Winner: Gran Akuma

 

How’s this for your very first CHIKARA match? We’ve seen bits and pieces of Saturyne, mostly from her debut during the first Wrestling is Fun show, but most notably she was seen almost on the end of a beatdown from #DemBoys (also known as the Briscoes) back when Jigsaw and Hallowicked earned a ROH Tag title shot and kickstarted the ROH/CHIKARA war going on. But here Saturyne is, ready to make her CHIKARA debut. Against the Queen of Wrestling.

Not an easy task if I say so myself.

Del Rey is mostly heralded as one of the best female wrestlers in the world today, and here she has to do battle with a complete rookie. For Del Rey, it should be a piece of cake, but easy there, because I don’t think Saturyne is going to take things lying down. Del Rey will get the win here, but the fiery newcomer will give Del Rey a battle for the taking here, and potentially earn her respect in the process. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Winner: Sara Del Rey

 

Like last night, one of the themes for this weekend seems to be the resurgence of the “Atomicos” match, otherwise known as an eight-man tag team match. Unlike the previous night, where it just looks like they threw together everybody just to get them all on the card, this one has a little bit more pizazz to it, plus it makes sense since all 8 guys have feuded before. Also, the four rudos here hopefully got along the previous night, as this will be the second straight match in a row featuring the Batiri and the BDK B-Squad together.

We all know the history between Quack/’Jig and the BDK, which ended in Reading at the end of Season 9 where Quack and Jigsaw dethroned Claudio Castangoli and Ares to become the new Campeonatos De Perjas. Well, old habits don’t die as hard as we all thought, because Tim Donst and Jakob Hammerheir are still around.

The Colony and the Batiri are currently involved right now in a small feud of their own, with the Colony getting the duke last month in Easton against them, so the Batiri are looking to finally add those ant skulls to their collection, instead of listening to Sinn Bodhi’s advice and pawning them off on Craigslist.

Of course, The Colony and BDK know each other as well, as well as Quack/Jig with the Batiri, so it’s looking like we’re in for a pretty fun eight-man.

Even though I predicted for the night before that Team Rudo would get the victory, there’s no stopping this train of tecnicos, so I predict that the goodwill that Jakob got from Donst the night before goes out the window here. Should be a fun match though.

Winners: Quack, Jigsaw, and the Colony

 

And here’s the main event. Like I said, in almost two months into 2012, and we already have one of the independent scene’s most anticipated matches of the year, Eddie Kingston making his first defense of his CHIKARA Grand Championship against Vin Gerard. But not only is it any match, no…it’s much more than that. We’re talking about a “Title vs. Career” match here. Eddie’s title vs. Vin’s career. It’s a firecracker waiting to go off. Of course, it didn’t start here. It’s been brewing ever since late last year.

More importantly, it started with Vin Gerard posting a few videos online from outside of the ECW Arena before CZW’s Cage of Death event in December, jaw-jacking Kingston and fans. King of course, took it to heart though and time and time again, has wanted Vin in the ring. Too bad, because after more videos from Vin surfaced online, videos that dared to ruin the credibility of CHIKARA, Director of FUN: Wink Vavasseur fired Vin from the CHIKARA roster.

That didn’t stop Vin once again.

At last month’s event, The Thirteenth Hat, Vin rushed to the ring and caused chaos for everybody involved. When King went in to save the day, it was all for naught, as security kept them away, and Vin ran off. After much deliberation and threatening from King, Wink had no other choice, and not only re-hired Vin, but set up this match. With Vin setting up the stipulation; King wins, and he’s gone.

This has all the makings of one of CHIKARA’s finest here, with nothing more than just flat-out vitriol and hatred flowing through their veins. We’re going to see an all-out assault with these two, and it isn’t going to be pretty. Both men will do whatever it takes to walk out the champion, and for the first ever Grand Championship title defense, I can’t think of a better match to make out of it (unless it was a High Noon rematch).

It also raises a ton of questions. Is King going to pull off the thinkable and remove Vin Gerard from the CHIKARA conscience? Will it mean that Vin’s antics end right there? What will Vin do to secure the Grand Championship and cause chaos for the entire CHIKARA locker room? Does it mean that all the hard work that Kingston has pulled off will mean absolutely nothing since he can’t even defend the Grand Championship?

Just thinking about that has me amped up for this match. As far as my prediction is concerned…I just don’t know. It could go either way. But my money has it on a surprise here in the making. And that is we’ll be seeing a new Grand Champion here. I know that the first defense of the new major singles title ending with a new champion seems kind of cheap, but imagine the chaos that Gerard will have with the championship in tow? It’ll be like the Unstable all over again. And to think that it’ll all be over for Kingston…think again.

I think we’re about ready to enter another dark period in the world of CHIKARA.

Winner and NEW Grand Champion: Vin Gerard