*Our Guest Columnist this month is indie pro-wrestling aficionado Kevin Friskey with his predictions for this Sunday’s High Noon iPPV from Chikara Pro.
This Sunday, November the 13th, 2011, at the Asylum Arena (known to the lot of you as the ECW Arena) CHIKARA Pro Wrestling embarks on a first in their 9 and a half year history as a promotion in the independents. A Grand Champion. While they may have a trophy for the young talent they have on their roster, never before have they crowned a main singles champion in the company. That’s why, earlier this summer, they revealed the 12 Large: Summit. A round robin tournament, named after their recently fallen friend Alex Whybrow (otherwise known across the world as Larry Sweeney) to crown their first champion, otherwise known as the Grand Champion. What started on May 21st has finally reached the finish line (some may say “stumbled” as they had their shares of injuries and other happenings during this tournament) in the main event of “High Noon”, CHIKARA’s Season 10 finale (for those of you that aren’t aware of the promotion, they do their fiscal years as “seasons”. Not only does it add to the comic book/cartoon feel that the promotion carries, but it gives everybody enough time to rest up and enjoy the holidays before getting back into action the following January).
And that’s not all. This event isn’t just about crowning a champion, but it’s also about settling grudges against one another. It wouldn’t be a typical season finale without some questions finally being answered. But as with any season finale, there’s no doubt that there will be more questions brought up before the night is over. Feuds will end, new ones will begin, madness will ensue.
Oh, and did I mention that this very event will be viewable across the world. CHIKARA is also doing another first, by having the event streamed live on internet PPV. So it’s safe to say that the event may just very well be the biggest in company history. But will it be the best? We’ll just have to wait and see. But if you’re a fan of CHIKARA, there’s a guarantee that they won’t let you down, no matter what. But don’t take my word for it. Let’s look at the card and see what’s in store, including who I think is going to win.
Preshow Match: El Generico vs. Jigsaw
We’re actually going to start with a match that isn’t on the main card, but will be on the pre-show. That’s right…THE FREAKIN’ PRE-SHOW! That’s how stacked this card is! (Okay, the real reason is because of El Generico’s contract obligations with another well-known independent company, Ring of Honor, but excuse that!)
Here’s the story behind this match. In a recent blog (which I highly recommend reading, as they throw out just as much information as they do in promos), Jigsaw reached out to both El Generico and Nick Jackson (one-half of The Young Bucks) and asked them both if they could have a rematch from their “Rey De Voladores” (a tournament featuring mostly high-flying talent) contest back during King of Trios 2009 (which also featured Japanese star, Kota Ibushi, but was unavailable for permission due to injury). Before I continue, if you have NOT checked out that match, CHIKARA has it up for free on their YouTube page. You can thank me later!
Well anyways, Nick declined the match (for reasons that you’ll see later in the article) but Generico accepted. And here we are. Nothing else needs to be said about it. There’s no blood feud here, just two people looking to get a win. And even if this is a pre-show match, it doesn’t mean the quality is going to suffer for it. Don’t expect rest holds here. Expect car-crash levels of high-flying insanity. This will be the equivalent to eating a lollipop. Short, sweet, and to the point. As for a winner…it’s hard to tell, because both men don’t need a victory, but with the Grand Championship looming on, I’m going to go with Jigsaw here to stake his claim into who gets the first shot at the belt next year.
Winner: Jigsaw
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King of Trios 2011 Rematch: Archibald Peck vs. Colt Cabana
As mentioned above, this is a rematch from the opening contest of Night 2 of this year’s King of Trios event (which you can buy at SmartMarkVideo.com *shameless plug*) and while that match had its share of comedy gold, this is going to have a more serious tone. Don’t walk away; it’s not going to go toward Terry Funk vs. Ric Flair territory here. There’s still going to be laughs galore here, most of that comes just by looking at Archibald for goodness’s sake. There’s just more meaning towards this feud now.
What started off as a simple one-off match means something now, as during their show “Small but Mighty” (also available now) in the Southwest last month, the leader of “The Band” unveiled his new mascot…Colt Cabunny. Somebody…in a bunny suit…dressed as Colt Cabana. It goes back to 2005, where they made would make fun of Cabana and CM Punk, by having two guys dressed as Cabunny and CP Munk (later revealed as Joker and the Necro Butcher respectively). Don’t ask, it’s CHIKARA. Heck, it’s a touchy subject towards Punk.
Moving on towards the match in question again, it’s also a tricky guess as to who’s going to win this match. But my gut tells me that Cabana gets his revenge back from Archibald from King of Trios. And maybe we’ll see who’s under the Cabunny head. Because come on…it’s always somebody, right? Hey, it was better than what I had theorized. That it was going to be Cabana in the suit the entire time.
Winner: Colt Cabana
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Grudge Match: Sara Del Rey vs. Jakob Hammerheir
Now we start getting into the really good stuff, and the first TRUE grudge match of the card (although if you consider Colt vs. Archibald a grudge match, then cool for you) and a vast reminder to those who may have forgotten about it, that storylines have happened this year, just not to the extent as the BDK last year or the current storyline involving the Eye of Tyr (which is another teaser for later in this article). But this can be considered as one of the top stories this year, and that’s Sara Del Rey vs. the BDK.
You’re all aware that Del Rey was a member of said group, but this year, tensions rose when she wasn’t getting as many high-profile matches as her BDK stablemates. So when the vote came out for who was going to be in the 12 Large: Summit, surprisingly, Del Rey’s name was one of those people named off. Not just that, but her name would be in the same bracket as their leader, Claudio Castagnoli. So we were going to get Claudio vs. Del Rey.
And we did at July’s Chikarasaurus Rex 2, Night 2. And with her chance to shine and actually become the first Grand Champion, she refused to back down to Claudio, and despite interference from Tursas and BDK turncoat Derek Sabato, Del Rey got one of the most surprising wins of the year. Of course, that led to Del Rey and Daizee Haze (the only BDK member to support her) getting assaulted afterwards. Haze hasn’t been seen since, but Del Rey has only gotten back up and vowed to take down the BDK one step at a time. And she’s down to one person…the voice of the BDK, Jakob Hammerheir.
Told you this picture would come back to haunt him!
Now, unlike the other two matches before me…this one might be a little easier to pick and chew. Then again, you never know what is up the sleeves of CHIKARA (or in this case, the BDK). Of course we all know that Jakob is going to be thrown around like a rag doll, and he’s going to be screaming like a little girl because of it. We’ll all laugh; we’ll all have a good time. But money is riding on the fact that something sneaky sounds apparent from this. That’s why I have Jakob getting the duke, just barely, and via shenanigans. To quote the town of Bronson, Missouri…”Dis ain’t ova!”
Winner: Jakob Hammerheir
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One More Chance: Green Ant vs. Tursas
Leave it to CHIKARA to make storylines (and bring in wrestlers) based off of things that happened in the WWF during the 90’s. One of the lovable charms about them. A couple years ago, Demolition was brought in as a trio (with One Man Gang) and this year has seen them bring in “The 1-2-3 Kid” Sean Waltman for a life-altering weekend, and Marty Jannetty (although he couldn’t wrestle due to a snowstorm cancelling the show he was going to wrestle on). One storyline in particular has to do with the feud between Green Ant and the monster of the BDK, Tursas.
This feud has actually gone back to King of Trios 2010, when Derek Sabato turned on everybody and helped ref the BDK to the title that year against The Colony. But the feud really kickstarted during the Fan Conclave of KOT ’11 (think WWE Axxess during Wrestlemania weekend, only cheaper, smaller, and more fun). A contest was held to see who could actually bodyslam the massive giant. Fans chimed in…to no result. Wrestlers like Matt Classic (Traveling buddy for one Colt Cabana, and mat genius) and Akira Tozawa tried to pick him off his feet…to no result. Out comes Green Ant, back from a broken forearm. Oh yeah, they totally went there for those of you who saw Lex Luger bodyslam Yokozuna on the 4th of July, 1993. Only for us, Jakob intervened and Green Ant couldn’t get the big man off his feet…that was, not until later in the night, where he ACTUALLY bodyslammed Tursas during their KOT quarterfinal match.
They would finally have their encounter at Night 1 of this year’s Chikarasaurus Rex. And just like Luger on his fateful night when trying to wrestle the WWF Championship from Yokozuna, Green Ant was unsuccessful. But now, it’s a new night, for the entire world to see. Will the resourceful and resilient Green Ant finally get a victory over the Goliath of the BDK? You bet your money he will. This is Green Ant’s moment to shine, and come Sunday, he’ll do just that.
Winner: Green Ant
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One Final Confrontation: Gregory Iron vs. Icarus
Ah, Icarus…how the crowd completely hates you. How I hate you. How that tattoo hates you especially. I mean…LOOK AT IT!
Avert your eyes!
It didn’t help when he told the CHIKARArmy via a blog that for some reason, he thought that Gregory Iron’s inspirational story on how he became a wrestler against his battle with cerebral palsy is a sham. That’s right. For those of you who weren’t aware, he has said disease. And yet here he is, having great matches, getting some love from CM Punk DURING his major angle this past summer, and now, not only is he part of the CHIKARA roster, he’s offering up a petition to compete in this year’s Royal Rumble! (Which you can sign if you’re on Twitter — http://act.ly/4og)
Of course, Icarus doesn’t like the fame he’s getting. What doesn’t Icarus like? Well, now’s the time for him to put his foot in his mouth and walk the walk. Icarus and Iron have had a series of matches already, with Iron currently winning the series, 2-1. Can Icarus tie things up, even though they say that this is the final time they’re squaring off? Or will Iron win this 3-1 and prove Icarus wrong?
I say that Icarus gets his moment. Sure, the series is tied, but he’ll feel like he won the war. Even though he won by proving ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Oh well, he’s on a roll, let’s just let him have this one.
Winner: Icarus
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#1 Contender’s Match for the Campeonatos de Parejas: The Colony (Fire Ant and Soldier Ant) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson)
This is one of the things I was referring to earlier, most importantly, during the El Generico/Jigsaw portion. Nick declined the option to wrestle both Generico and Jigsaw because him and his brother Matt have two points out of three necessary for a Campeonatos de Parejas shot against current champions F.I.S.T., but guess who else has two points? The Colony. What’s the best thing to do? Book this match. And that’s what we’re getting. A de facto #1 contender’s match. The winners get the third point, the loser goes back to 0 and starts all over.
The Colony have been itching and clawing to get the Campeonatos de Parejas back after losing them to Ares and Claudio Castagnoli in early 2010. Simple as that, really. Of course, there was the speed bump that was winning this year’s King of Trios, but now they’re back on the beaten path. They just need one more victory. Before you ask, they defeated Daisuke Harada and Atsushe Kotoge (who would lose their chance at gaining the belts the next night) in Kingsport, TN, and by eliminating Brodie Lee and Grizzly Redwood to win a four-team elimination tag match in Williamsport, PA. Now, they’re one step away. There’s just one problem…
Careful, they don't shake hands!
The Young Bucks. Surely, most people who just watch CHIKARA are a little green on the guys, but for those who follow most independent companies, are aware that they’re quite simply two of the most hated guys on the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla roster at the moment. And they do it quite well, might I add (well…except when they walk to their coffins next month at PWG’s next show against Kevin Steen and a returning Super Dragon), and now they’re ready for their chance at a third point. The Bucks would beat the Batiri at Young Lions Cup this past August and then the BDK team of Tim Donst and Tursas in Manhattan in September.
The question is? Who is going to win? With the exception of everybody watching at home and live at Philadelphia, since I expect nothing short of a fantastic match here, I think the idea of F.I.S.T. vs. The Young Bucks has an exciting feel to it, and a dream match that most of us who are fans of the Bucks who love to see. You also have to consider what The Colony has for their future as well. If they do lose, maybe we’ll see Fire Ant in the Grand Championship hunt. He’s certainly up for the task. I’m going with the Bucks here, just for something fresh in the CdP scene. Not that there’s anything wrong with watching a Colony vs. F.I.S.T. match. We’ll get that in Season 11…trust me.
Winners: The Young Bucks
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Masks vs. Hair and The Eye of Tyr: The Spectral Envoy (Ultramantis Black and Hallowicked) vs. The BDK (Ares and Tim Donst)
We come to the first of the two main events of this show. While both are high-end matches, this one has the fire and the animosity out of the two (although the second is THE main event), and will end something that has been building since the end of Season 8. And it’s all due to the Eye of Tyr.
The Eye of Tyr is a magical force that you can say has shifted the side from one Ultramantis Black to that of the BDK, and it was all because of UMB’s battle against two unknown men. At the S8 finale, one of the men told everybody that a war was coming and that it started with Ultramantis Black. So as him with his right-hand man Vokoder at his side, holding the Eye, it was all a set-up, as the men attacked UMB, and so did Vokoder. The men unmasked then…one was Ares, the other being Tursas. And Vokoder…Tim Donst. The BDK had control of the Eye. What would they do with it? Brainwash Hallowicked’s former partner Delirious as one of their own.
Now, it’s go time. UMB wants the Eye back, and will do so at whatever cost, even if it includes his own mask. So they made it official, and ramped up the stakes even more. If UMB and Hallowicked win, the Eye returns to Mantis and Tim Donst loses his hair. If the BDK win, then both Hallowicked and UMB must unmask.
This is going to be an all-out slugfest, plain and simple. It also helps that the match is a No Disqualification match, a first for the company I believe (they’ve had a cage match and UMB and Ares competed in a Falls Count Anywhere match last year in Philly, but not a No DQ match). For a family-friendly company like CHIKARA, this may be the first instance of that being thrown out the window. We’ll see.
As for what happens…I’m going the predictable rout. UMB and Hallowicked win back the Eye, and then bring back Delirious in a touching moment. I have other theories though. One is where UMB gets the Dark Army back in his clutches with the eye and they build the NEW Order of the Neo-Solar Temple with Hallowicked, Frightmare, Crossbones, and Delirious; it would make UMB seem like the mad scientist who only went technico to get the Eye back. It’s interesting to think about. But for now, going with the Envoy.
Winners: Ultramantis Black and Hallowicked
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The Grand Championship (and the finale of the “12 Large: Summit”): Eddie Kingston vs. Mike Quackenbush
For starters, watch those two hype videos, and DEFINITELY watch Kingston’s promo above. If you’re on the fence about ordering this show, watch that promo. It will change your mind in a heartbeat.
Well, this is it. CHIKARA has been building towards this for almost 10 years now, and on Sunday, they will crown its first major singles champion. It’s rather amazing that the company has been around that long and yet, there wasn’t THE guy that got to hold a top belt. Don’t believe that the company is going to suffer now because they have a belt, as I’m sure the next chapter is just getting started and that there’s going to be guidelines on how to get a shot (I’m guessing 3 points just like the CdP titles will work just fine)
And with a match like this, would you have it any better than these two. The top two guys currently on the roster? Not at all. It’s going to be an outstanding match, and while the match before it has more of the blood feud style that people love, this will be great on a totally different scale.
Mike Quackenbush
Here you have Quackenbush, a man of talent, a man who knows how to work the human body like a pretzel. He can twist you in ways you never thought imaginable, and a man who has almost done it all in professional wrestling, even win a King of Trios one year, and most recently, the Campeonatos de Parejas with Jigsaw at last year’s season finale in Reading, PA. But now, a new quest is upon him. To become the first Grand Champion. In a company that he helped create all the way back in 2002. To win the title would make an amazing footnote in the annals of wrestling history and a perfect way to go out when all is said and done.
Eddie Kingston
Then on the other side, you have Kingston. For years upon years, this man has clawed and scratched his way to the top, whether or not you loved him or hated him. He didn’t give a damn about nobody but himself, even if it meant hurting others. He’s been through some dark places in his time, and recently with the loss of his best friend Larry Sweeney, but he said that through it out, winning the Grand Championship would make every dark thing that’s happened to him seem non-existent. It wouldn’t matter anymore. To say more would ruin the promo that I posted up above. Really do watch it. I was shaking after I got done watching that, and that hasn’t happened to me since CM Punk’s legendary promo earlier this year.
So who can become the first Grand Champion? Honestly…I have to go with the War King. This one is his to lose, and with the amount of strength, heart, and pure brutality in his stomach right now, this is his moment to shine. Even with a bad knee from the hands of one Vin Gerard earlier this month can’t stop the War King from gaining the biggest win of his life. And giving us all one hell of a moment to live with us for the rest of time.
Winner and the FIRST Grand Champion: Eddie Kingston
So that’s it. It’s a stacked card. And I haven’t even brought up the fact that we’re going to be joined by Amasis from The Osirian Portal, who’s finally going to break his silence after having his career cut short by a terrible car accident earlier this year. He’ll be in the ring, telling us all what the future of the Osirian Portal is going to be. One can only hope for happy news.
Can you dig it?
So if you’re on the fence about ordering this or you want to check the company out for the first, my advice: ORDER IT! Take it from me, a faithful CHIKARA fan. They know how to put on a great show every single time when it counts, and when it’s the biggest to count ever? They have an ability to put on one of the greatest shows of the year, in wrestling in general. No doubt in my head, this is the theory that the company has right now. Me, I’m not ordering it…I’m actually going to the Arena and watching this LIVE. If you can make it to the Arena, more power to you. Either way, don’t miss out on one of the most anticipated wrestling shows this year.
Ain’t no doubt about it, baby!
To order this event, go to http://www.gfl.tv/Events/Fight/Wrestling/CHIKARA__High_Noon/1159
Match images courtesy of CHIKARAPro.com; Other images courtesy of random Google searches!