100 Percent Fordified: CHIKARA King of Trios 2012, Night 3

Easton, PA – 9.16.2012

Commentary is provided by Bryce Remsburg, Scott “Jagged” Parker, Brendan O’Donnell, Denver Colorado, Dasher Hatfield, Leonard F. Chikarason, Steve “The Turtle” Weiner, Gavin Loudspeaker and Mike Quackenbush.

King of Trios 2012 Semi-Final Round
Team SENDAI Girls (Meiko Satomura, Sendai Sachiko & DASH Chisako) vs. Team Ring of Honor (The Young Bucks (Nick Jackson & Matt Jackson) & Mike Bennett

Maria Kanellis is in Team ROH’s corner. Matt shoves Chisako down. She throws a flurry of forearms and sunset flips him for two. A headlock takedown and dropkick cause him to tag in Nick. He and Sachiko engage in a Lucha sequence, ending with Nick being sent out via headscissors. Satomura and Bennett tag in. He drops to his knees to spite Satomura. She throws some kicks at his chest until Bennett slaps her in the face! Satomura dropkicks his leg out. She uppercuts Nick before leaving him to the Maraha Isappa inspired tandem offense from Sachiko and Chisako. Matt also falls victim to their attack. Bennett gets attacked by all three SENDAI Girls. Nick knees Sachiko from the apron. She knocks him and Bennett down, only to be cut off by a spear from Matt. She gets bullied by the ROH team. When Bennett has her up for a delayed vertical suplex, Satomura and Chisako run in. The Bucks cut them off. The SENDAI Girls triple suplex all three ROH teammates! After that the ROH team goes back to bullying Sachiko, including them forming an air band while having her legs tied up. Satomura dropkicks Bennett into the Bucks. Maria bails from her lead singer spot. Chisako sends Bennett to the floor. Sachiko dives after her while Chisako dives onto Matt. In the ring Nick back elbows Satomura. She Pele kicks him and gives him a Death Valley Driver for two. Nick kicks her in the face and then gets kicked to the floor. Matt superkicks Satomura. Chisako and Sachiko put Matt and Bennett in stero submissions. They both tap, but Maria has referee Jon Barber distracted. Nick superkicks both girls to break the submissions. Satomura fights off all three ROH members by herself. That is until she eats triple superkicks! More Bang For Your Buck takes her down at 10:16. My God what an opening match this was. Non-stop action with palpable love for the Tecnicos and hatred for the Rudos. The SENDAI Girls get my vote for team of the tournament, ending on an extremely high note in this match. Maria’s interference was terrific foreshadowing and a way to get just about everyone against the ROH team heading into the finals. One of the best opening matches CHIKARA has ever had. ***3/4

F.I.S.T are backstage. Icarus confirms that they are not scared of the Spectral Envoy. He calls them the biggest losers in the tournament. Icarus believes that F.I.S.T. the most dominant combination in wrestling…just not so much Sugar Dunkerton. He tells the Envoy that they’re coming for them.

King of Trios 2012 Semi-Final Round
The Spectral Envoy (UltraMantis Black, Hallowicked & Frightmare) vs. F.I.S.T. (Icarus, Chuck Taylor & Johnny Gargano)

Sugar Dunkerton is in F.I.S.T.’s corner. Icarus hands Dunkerton his fanny pack, which he accidentally used on Team JWP last night and helped F.I.S.T. advance. It seems it will be Icarus and Hallowicked to start, but he pulls Frightmare into the ring. Taylor and Gargano throw Mantis and Hallowicked to the floor. The reason they want to start with Frightmare is because he endured a beatdown at the hands of the Batiri where his leg was messed up. Of course, F.I.S.T. also does some damage to that knee. Icarus even chokes him with his “Best in the World” shirt. Frightmare manages to counter his Blu-Ray attempt with the Frightmare on Elm Street. Hallowicked tags in and gives Taylor a step-up enzuigiri. Gargano takes one too after a Frankensteiner. He gives Taylor a Rydden Bomb, then super snapmares Gargano on top of him. Icarus dropkicks him. Mantis gives Icarus the Uncle Slam for two. He and Hallowicked set up for the Catacombs of Abbadon. Taylor crotches Hallowicked on the top rope to stop them. Mantis chops Taylor in the corner. Mantis eats F.I.S.T. Kicks and takes the Shooty McGee. Gargao superkicks him for two. Gargano and Taylor hit their slingshot spear/quebrada combo on Hallowicked for two. Taylor then tosses him into Gargano’s Ace Crusher. Icarus frog splashes onto him for two. Frightmare backflip kicks both Icarus and Gargano. Taylor side steps a kick and puts him in the Cross Crab. Hallowicked kicks Taylor to break then hold, then suicide dives onto Icarus and Gargano. Frightmare tope con hilo’s onto them afterwards. Taylor stops Mantis from diving. He gives him the Awful Waffle! Mantis somehow kicks out. Taylor pulls some baby powder out of the fanny pack. He accidentally throw it in Icarus’ eyes! He pedigrees Taylor by accident. Mantis hooks Icarus, and with Hallowicked give him the Catacombs of Abbadon. Gargano pulls referee Barber out to stop the count. Gargano superkicks Mantis. Mantis blocks the Hurts Donut and gives him the Cosmic Doom for the pin at 11:53. The action here was just as awesome as the opener, but the finish hurt it just a bit. The Catacombs really looked like a three count which took some of the steam out of the crowd when it wasn’t. They recovered in the end as most people were just happy to see that the Envoy were victorious. I do love that F.I.S.T. cheated their way this far and then lost because another cheating attempt backfired. The most hated team in the tournament now will take on the most beloved. That should be a doozy. ***1/2

Saturyne vs. Ophidian

Ophidian gets the jump on Saturyne before the bell, driving his knees into her chest multiple times. Saturyne wheelbarrows her way into an armdrag. Shee puts on From Jungle, switching into a satellite headscissors upon release. She dropkicks Ophidian for two. She misses a spinwheel kick. Ophidian headbutts her mid-section before driving her shoulder first into the canvas. He chokes her with his sash. After a backbreaker he does more damage to her arm. Saturyne armdrags her way off his shoulders. Ophidian puts on a modified Fujiwara armbar. Saturyne makes it to the ropes. He enzuigiri’s her for two. Saturyne wheelbarrows Ophidian face first into the turnbuckle and prawn holds him for two. Ophidian kicks her in the shoulder. She kicks him in the side of the head and in the chin. She slips on the ropes when going for a springboard. She’s able to hook an inside cradle for two. Ophidian misses an enzuigiri. She rolls him up for two. She drives Ophidian into the mat with a wheelbarrow bulldog. She sends Ophidian to the floor and springboard dives onto him. In the ring she gets two with a Dragonrana. Ophidian gives her a divorce court and heads to the top rope. He comes down with a Meteora not once, but twice. Saturyne kicks out! I guess Ophidian does not equal CIMA. She rolls him into a cradle. Ophidian flapjacks her and applies the Death Grip. Her arm drops three times, giving Ophidian the win at 10:12. Aside from the one flub, Saturyne looked really good here. She’s not even a year into her career and is already flying around crisply. This was very methodical in its execution and told a good story. Ophidian has become much better since taking head of the Batiri. **3/4

Jakob Hammermeier says tonight he and Tim Donst can show the fans once more how good of a team they really are. Donst says the people are idiots and don’t recognize how great of a wrestler he is. Donst says one day Hammermeier will thank him for showing him the light and that he really doesn’t want the Cup. He says tonight is all about him and making a mark during King of Trios. He meant every word he told Eddie Kingston last night and re-iterates some of those points. He claims that he IS wrestling.

10 Team Gauntlet Match

The Colony (Fire Ant & Green Ant) vs. Tim Donst & Jakob Hammermeier

Hammermeier and Fire Ant stand-off. Donst attacks Fire Ant from behind while Hammermeier brings Green Ant in from the apron. The Colony armdrags and boots them down. Hammermeier takes some dropkicks and a gamengiri. Fire Ant gives him a brainbuster, but Hammermeier rolls to the floor before he can go for a pin. Green Ant splashes Donst. Hammermeier’s chops do nothing. Green Ant shows him how it’s done. Donst attacks him from behind. Green Ant is able to escape when Donst tosses Hammermeier to the floor. He turns into a dropkick from Green Ant, and he tags in Fire Ant who comes in with a crossbody to Donst. He Burns down the House on Hammermeier and delivers the Yahtzee Kick. Donst Cactus clotheslines him out. Green Ant dropkicks Donst in the side of his head. Donst forearms him to the floor. Fire Ant comes in with a missile dropkick to send Donst out. Hammermeier bulldogs Fire Ant. Fire Ant leapfrogs over him to send Hammermeier out. Donst suicide dives onto Fire Ant. Green Ant tosses Hammermeier onto Donst. The Colony dive onto both of them. Back in the ring, Green Ant gives Donst a Michinoku Driver. Hammermeier breaks the pin. Hammermeier gives Fire Ant a neckbreaker across his back and a spinning neckbreaker. Green Ant puts him in an ankle lock. Donst saves him. Hammermeier tries to pull himself up using Donst’s gear. Donst throws him to the corner. Hammermeier jumps in front of Donst to take the Colony’s double dropkick. Donst clotheslines them both. Donst put Green Ant in a tree of woe, then suplexes Fire Ant into him. Donst bulldogs Fire Ant on the apron. Hammermeier superplexes Green Ant. Green Ant hooks him with a cradle though, pinning Hammermeier at 11:27.

The Colony (Fire Ant & Green Ant) vs. The Devastation Corporation (Max Smashmaster & Blaster McMassive)

The Devastation Corporation is accompanied by their manager Sidney Bakabella. The Colony get killed with clotheslines. McMassive slams Fire Ant. Smashmaster tosses Green Ant into McMassive’s arms for a fallaway slam. They give Fire Ant the Death Blow for the pin at 14:08.

Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel vs. The Devastation Corporation (Max Smashmaster & Blaster McMassive)

Don’t let the names confuse you, the first team is not the singers/songwriters you’re familiar with, but two dudes who just happen to have the same names. I don’t know which one of the guys is which, but only nearly dies from a flubbed superplex by McMassive. The other one suffers the Death Blow at 16:28.

Knight Eye for the Pirate Guy (Jolly Roger & Lance Steel) vs. The Devastation Corporation (Max Smashmaster & Blaster McMassive)

Roger and Steel attack the Corporation right away. McMassive and Smashmaster accidentally run into each other. Smashmaster gets dropkicked to the floor. The Corporation’s chops to Steel’s chest do nothing thanks to his armor. Simultaneous chops though take Steel off his feet. Roger dropkicks McMassive from behind. He ducks his corner splash. KE4TPG joust McMassive with no effect. They clothesline him to the floor. McMassive catches Steel’s pescado and rams him into the ring post. Smashmaster slams Roger for the pin at 19:41.

Johnny Miyagi & Ralph Maccio Jr. vs. The Devastation Corporation (Max Smashmaster & Blaster McMassive)

Miyagi and Jr. are very concerned. They get thrown face first into the mat. Both Smashmaster and McMassive splash them in the corner. The Death Blow takes them out at 21:40.

Demolition (Ax & Smash) vs. The Devastation Corporation (Max Smashmaster & Blaster McMassive)

Four and a half years after collecting 1 point at King of Trios 2008, Demolition is back looking to collect more. Dasher singing the Demolition theme on commentary was awesome. Demolition actually cause the Corporation to retreat to the floor. Ax pulls on Smashmaster’s face. Smash gets two with a clothesline after Smashmaster breaks the pin. Ax tosses Smashmaster to the floor in a manner that causes him to flip mid-air! Unreal! Smash holds up McMassive so Axe can clothesline him. The Corporation finally get knocked off at 25:14.

Demolition (Ax & Smash) vs. The Powers of Pain (The Warlord & The Barbarian)

THIS IS HAPPENING. Smash and Barbarian trade punches. Hey kick each other in the stomachs simultaneously. Bryce somehow gets them to break a lock-up in the corner. Ax and Warlord tag in. Warlord is too big for Ax to manage. Smash comes in to help but Barbarian evens the odds. Demolition whip the Powers of Pain into one another. Demolition give Warlord tandem axe handles to the back. Barbarian trips Ax to the floor and sends him into the ring post. He boots Smash upon re-entering the ring. Warlord pins him for the elimination at 30:48.

The 1-2-3 Kid & Marty Jannetty vs. The Powers of Pain (The Warlord & The Barbarian)

THIS IS ALSO HAPPENING. Janetty gets thrown to the floor, leaving Kid in the powerful hands of The Warlord and Barbarian. Kid only is able to tag in Jannetty because he found a way to slip through Barbarian’s legs. Jannetty bravely throws punches at them both. Barbarian grabs him by his arms. Warlord accidentally clotheslines Barbarian. Kid and Jannetty both superkick him. Kid spinwheel kicks Barbarian into a roll-up by Jannetty. That gets him the pin at 34:54.

The 1-2-3 Kid & Marty Jannetty vs. Los Ice Creams (El Hijo del Ice Cream & Ice Cream Jr.)

Los Ice Creams defeated Jannetty and Green Ant last month, so this is Jannetty’s chance at vengeance. Jannetty gets sent shoulder first into the ring post. Los Ice Creams throw forearms at Kid and give him the Ice Cream Sandwich. They keep Kid in their corner until Kid takes them down with a leaping double clothesline. Jannetty cleans house with punches and slams. He rams their heads together. Hijo holds Jannetty in position so Jr. can dropkick him in the chest. Hijo gives him a Bronco Buster to mock Kid. That moment ruled. Kid spinwheel kicks him and gives Jr. the X-Factor. Hijo breaks the pin. Kid sends Hijo’s boot into Jr. He kicks Hijo in the head and pescado’s onto Jr. Jannetty DDT’s Hijo. He and Kid give Hijo a crossbody/suplex combo for the pin, the gauntlet victory, and two points at 40:30.

There is so much to love about this match. We had some solid tag action in the beginning, the Devastation Corporation destroying worlds, some awesome WWF nostalgia with surprise appearances by Demolition and Jannetty, and Jannetty getting revenge on Los Ice Creams. You could not take the smile off my face from Team 3 forward. I really hope Jannetty and Kid get a third point and challenge the Young Bucks for the tag titles. That match would be something special. ***1/4

Colt Cabana, Darkness Crabtree, The Swamp Monster & Yohnel Sanders vs. 3.0 (Scott “Jagged” Parker & Shane Matthews) & Unique Gundan (Ebessan & Takoyakida)

Sanders is an Osaka Pro character dressed exactly like Colonel Sanders. The Gentleman’s Club (Chuck Taylor, Orange Cassidy & Drew Gulak) is in the Swamp Monster’s corner. The famous Eh Team (a contingent of Canadian fans) lead the fans and men in the match in singing the Canadian national anthem. Cabana tries to get the Monster to sing the Japanese national anthem to no avail. Sanders doesn’t budge from Matthews’ shoulder block attempt. Sanders becomes annoyed with his repeated chops to the head. He gives Matthews a toreador and a flying hip attack to send him out. Monster and Ebessan tag in. Ebessan is not pleased with the way the Swamp Monster smells. He tries to poke him in the eyes but can’t figure out exactly where they are. He sends Monster to the floor. Takoyakida and Cabana tag in. Takoyakida steps on his foot. His chops do nothing, but Cabana’s do. He makes Takoyakida cry from his chops. It turned out to be a rouse, and Takoyakida armdrags him. The Kamehameha takes Cabana down. Now it’s Cabana who is crying. He and Takoyakida hug it out. Takoyakida doesn’t fall for his armdrag. Everybody from the 3.0/Osaka team gets a two count on Cabana, as well as Bryce Remsburg. Nobody from the 3.0/Osaka team falls for Cabana’s “look up” trick. Crabtree falls asleep while locking up with Jagged. Same thing happens when Jagged brings him down in a side headlock. He somehow gets his foot up to block Jagged’s double axe handle. A string of headscissors forms in the ring. Cabana turns them over into a giant Billy Goat’s Curse. Ebessan runs across their backs, eventually attacking Cabana and stomping Sanders to break the chain. 3.0 and the Osaka team ram all of their opponents heads together. All eight man after colliding together. Then, the best thing ever happens: a game of Duck Duck Goose in the middle of the ring. Crabtree is chosen as the Goose to chase Jagged. Monster ends up clotheslining Jagged to the stage! Matthews insists he be disqualified. Monster instead throws him to the floor. Monster and Takoyakida end up in a sunset flip situation that both teams keep reversing in favor of their partner. Everyone is sent out after a kick out. Sanders gives Jagged a reverse DDT. Ebessan drops Sanders with a running STO. Cabana gives him the Flying A**hole. Ebessan gives him, Monster and Sanders a urange slam. Crabtree emerges from the entrance ramp and also gets slammed. It turns out the slam killed him. Matthews has the bright idea to feed him a Red Bull to try and revive him. By golly it works! Crabtree attacks everyone, teammates included. He Hogan points at Takoyakida. However, the Red Bull wears off and he collapses. Takoyakida misses a flying headbutt. 3.0 place him on top of Crabtree and he gets the pin anyways at 18:22. Best match ever. ****

The Swamp Monster shoves down Bryce Remsburg. He begins to get unruly, so two security men carry him outside. Drew Gulak follows trying to get them to let him go. They throw the Swamp Monster in the car and put him under arrest. You can find out the aftermath of that here. Gavin Loudspeaker revives Crabtree via CPR.

Commando Bolshoi and Tsubasa Kurgaki cut a promo in Japanese. They seem to be having fun.

Manami Toyota & Kaori Yoneyama vs. Commando Bolshoi & Tsubasa Kuragaki

Bolshoi and Yoneyama fight for control. Kuragaki helps Bolshoi out with a double boot to Yoneyama’s chest. Yoneyama however uses the top rope to armdrag them both. Toyota and Yoneyama put their opponents in Muta Locks. Toyota locks Kuragaki’s arm s in the ropes and dropkicks her in the back. Yoneyama splashes onto Kuragaki thrice while Toyota has her in a figure seven. Toyota puts her in a standing Octopus. Yoneyama tags in. She’s too weak for an Irish whip, but does get in a toreador and a body press for two. Kuragaki military press slams her onto her stomach. Bolshoi stomps on Yoneyama’s back and puts her in a modified Tarantula. Yoneyama fires back with some forearms. She gets two with a Northern Lights suplex. Kuragaki splashes her and Toyota together in the corner. She puts Bolshoi on her back and splashes them again. Bolshoi uses La Mistica to take Yoneyama down. Toyota breaks the armbar. Bolshoi walks the ropes into an armdrag. Yoneyama grabs her from the apron. Toyota accidentally boots. Toyota then rolls Bolshoi around in a cradle. She calls for the Ocean Cyclone Suplex. Bolshoi victory rolls through for a two count. She jabs Toyota in the throat. Kuragaki clotheslines both her and Yoneyama. Toyota kicks her to the floor and crossbody’s onto her. She hits two missile dropkicks back in the ring. Kuragaki kicks out. They trade waistlocks. Kuragaki flips Toyota over by her arms. Kuragaki clotheslines her. Toyota gives her a boot! Kuragaki clotheslines her again, and this time Bolshoi delivers a 619. Kuragaki only gets a two count. Kuragaki missile dropkicks Toyota. Toyota German suplexes her for two. Same goes for a moonsault, thanks to Bolshoi making the save. Yoneyama comes off the top with a senton onto Kuragaki. Kuragaki kicks out. Yoneyama spin kicks her in the head. Kuragaki puts her in the Argentine Backbreaker! Yoneyama crucifix pins Kuragaki for two. Yoneyama gives her the Chaos Theory! Bolshoi breaks that pin. Yoneyama knees Kuragaki in the side of the head, leaving Bolshoi to break the pin again. Kuragaki clotheslines both Toyota and Yoneyama. Toyota and Yoneyama both get put up for a double Argentine Backbreaker! She has to let go, but clothesline them both. She gives Yoneyama the Night Ride for the pin at 14:33. This was the surprise hit of the whole weekend. Every Joshi wrestler impressed over the course of the weekend and created some top shelf matches. I was about to say who stood out amongst the pack, but to be honest all four of them did an incredible job. After this years’ King of Trios I am so down with another Joshimania weekend. ***3/4

Jigsaw vs. Tadasuke

Jigsaw spent so time in Tadasuke’s home promotion of Osaka Pro last winter. Jigsaw’s shoulder blocks are useless. That seems to be a trend of this weekend. Jigsaw throws some kicks and finally sends him out with a shoulder tackle. Jigsaw goes for a suicide dive, but gets decked with a haymaker like you would not believe. If you witnessed my visceral reaction, you would have thought Jigsaw actually died. Thankfully he lived and made it back into the ring. He and Tadasuke trade chops, with Tadasuke coming out on top. Tadasuke clamps on a chinlock. He throws some shots at his mid-section. Jigsaw bridges the top rope to send Tadasuke out. He powerbombs him onto the ring apron! He then double stomps him on the apron. A suicide dive follows that. In the ring he gets two with a missile dropkick. Tadasuke ducks a clothesline and blasts Jigsaw with a back elbow. Jigsaw ducks a haymaker. He kicks Tadasuke in the head and German suplexes him for two. Tadasuke boots Jigsaw on the top rope. Jigsaw knocks him back down but misses a double stomp. Tadasuke lariats him inside out! He does it a second time for a two count. More chops are thrown. Jigsaw goes for the Jig N’ Tonic after a superkick. Tadasuke counters with a piledriver. He blasts Jigsaw with two haymakers. Those knock out Jigsaw, giving Tadasuke the win at 8:55. These two took a beating. They were put in a tough spot to follow the awesome Joshi tag, but did an admirable job and got in plenty of great action in 9 minutes. The KO finish was awesome mostly due to how unique it is nowadays. I would not mind a longer rematch at some point. ***

UltraMantis Black says that he and the Spectral Envoy are no strangers to adversity. On Night 1, they were victorious against a team they could not prepare for. When The Batiri and Ophidian tried to blind him and cripple Frightmare on Night 2, they still persevered. That brings them to Night 3. Mantis says tonight, the Spectral Envoy will be the new King of Trios.

King of Trios 2012 Tournament Finals
The Spectral Envoy (UltraMantis Black, Hallowicked & Frightmare) vs. Team Ring of Honor (The Young Bucks (Nick Jackson & Matt Jackson) & Mike Bennett

Maria Kanellis is in Team ROH’s corner. The Envoy throw forearms at Team ROH right off the bat. The Bucks get sent to the floor. Bennett wipes out everyone with clotheslines. Mantis gets choked by Nick in the ROH corner. They cheat to get in a few cheap shots. Mantis rolls under Matt so that he accidentally splashes Nick in the corner. Frightmare tags in and crossbody’s Bennett and Nick. He armdrags Matt and shoves Bennett into Nick. Frightmare walks off their backs so he can DDT Matt. Maria crotches Frightmare on the top rope allowing Bennett attacks his hurt knee. The Bucks and Bennett work over his knee in their half of the ring. Frightmare manages to have Nick accidentally enzuigiri Matt. Bennett holds onto his arms but ends up being accidentally attacked too. Nick and Bennett pull Hallowicked and Mantis to the floor while Matt spears Frightmare. Back to work on the leg ROH goes. Matt and Nick both miss attacks from the top rope. Frightmare gets to this corner and makes a tag even with Bennett holding onto his leg. Hallowicked and Mantis give Bennett the Sidewinder. They drop Nick with a tandem Complete Shot. Hallowicked Rydeen Bombs Matt. Mantis gives him a Regalplex for two. The Cosmic Doom also gets him a two count. He sets up for the Praying Mantis Bomb but Bennett attacks. Nick and Bennett superkick Mantis and Hallowicked. Nick follows Hallowicked to the floor with a springboard swanton. Bennett hits Mantis with the Box Office Smash for two. He powerbombs Mantis into stereo enzuigiri’s from the Bucks. He gives Mantis a spinebuster for two. Mantis fights off all three members of ROH, sending the Bucks to the floor. Bennett sends Mantis to the entrance. The Bucks give him their tandem spike tombstone piledriver onto the entrance ramp! Bennett gives him a TKO. Nick follows with a 450 splash. Mantis kicks out! The ROH team is very frustrated. Hallowicked stops them from hitting More Bang For Your Buck. Matt Goes 2 Sleepy Hollow. Matt then takes the Catacombs of Abbadon twice. Matt kicks out. The Batiri, Ophidian and Delirious all make their way out. To their dismay, so does Crossbones! He shoves Delirious head first into the ring post, knocking him out indefinitely. He helps the Envoy attack the Batiri and Ophidian ringside. Mantis and Bennett fight on the top rope. Mantis knocks him down but Matt climbs up with him. Mantis superplexes Matt onto everyone who is on the floor! In the ring, Hallowicked big boots Bennett. He puts on the CHIKARA Special! He’s tapping out but Maria is distracting Bryce Remsburg. Nick superkicks Hallowicked to break the hold. He goes to superkick Frightmare but hits Maria instead! Bennett lifts up Hallowicked for a TKO. He slips out and delivers a big boot. Hallowicked reapplies the CHIKARA Special on Bennett. Bennett taps out at 20:28! The Spectral Envoy are the 2012 King of Trios champions! What an incredibly emotional main event this was. The entire tournament built to this very moment. The Envoy defied the odds, fought off five other men (with some help from Crossbones) and gave Mantis his first ever “accomplishment” in CHIKARA. The ROH team was able to knock off two teams of legends and Joshi team, but when it came to a group of CHIKARA’s finest, they befell them in a grand fashion. Huge credit to Team ROH for playing their roles perfectly all weekend long and being the best possible foils for the Envoy. CHIKARA told an incredible three day story and it all culminated in what I think is the best King of Trios tournament final ever. ****1/4

The 411:  I’m going to throw out some bold superlatives for this, so here we go. This is the best CHIKARA show of 2012, and also one of the best independent wrestling shows of the year. The finals were the best King of Trios finals ever. While I think other King of Trios tournament have been stronger as a whole, this is the best single night of King of Trios ever. On top of that, this is one of the best shows CHIKARA has ever had. You are a total fool if you pass this show up. As always with good tournaments, I suggest picking up all three nights, but if you don’t have the means to do so, at least pick up this. You won’t regret it. You can buy this show on DVD, as a digital download, or On Demand at Smart Mark Video.Be sure to check out all of my CHIKARA reviews at my CHIKARA blog; "The CHIKARA Special" and all the CHIKARA news over at "The CHIKARA Special" Tumblr. In addition to that, you can check out a lot of promos from CHIKARA DVDs over at the CHIKARA Special YouTube Page.

Final Score:  9.0   [  Amazing ]