Contemplating CHIKARA 6.20.09: Ravin’ bout Rudos

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Contemplating CHIKARA. In last weeks column,
I went in depth about the Tecnicos of the CHIKARA roster. This week, I’ll cover the Rudos section of the roster in depth to get you more acquainted with them as well. In addition, we have news about the Young Lions Cup, Dragon Gate USA, and more results from Japan. So let’s get to it, shall we?

The CHIKARA Roster: The Rudos

“The Winged Ring Warrior” Icarus

Icarus is one of the two Rudos on the roster that were apart of the very first CHIKARA Wrestle Factory graduating class. Originally known as “Ichabod Slayne”, Icarus teamed with Hallowicked and Blind Rage to form The Night Shift. Ichabod would lose his mask in a match against Blind Rage, and became Icarus once unmasked. Icarus began teaming with Gran Akuma at the oft-forgotten 2003 Tag World Grand Prix and have been partners ever since. In singles competition, Icarus made it to the finals of the Third Annual Young Lions Cup where he lost to Shane Storm. Even though he lost, that match is considered one of the best in CHIKARA’s history. Icarus went on to a big feud with Jigsaw in 2006, resulting in a Mask vs. Hair match which Icarus also lost. Icarus redeemed himself at the end of the year by winning the Torneo Cibernetico and the Campeonatoes de Parejas.

“The Mysterious Mythological Warrior from Afar” Gran Akuma

Gran Akuma is a member of the second class and debuted at the end of 2002. Along with Icarus, Akuma feuded with The Wildcards (Eddie Kingston & Blackjack Marciano) for most of 2003 and the beginning of 2004. Even though the Wildcards bested them in a street fight at the end of 2003, F.I.S.T. beat them in a six-man tag match which resulted in the Wildcards shaving their heads bald. Akuma turned Rudo in 2005, joining the Kings of Wrestling. Akuma won the Torneo Cibernetico that year, but lost his mask in a Mask vs. Mask match with Shane Storm at the end of that year. As said with Icarus, 2006 saw F.I.S.T. win the Cameponatoes de Parejas and stake their claim as one of the top teams in CHIKARA. To this day, Akuma and Icarus are the longest reigning duo in the company.

“Racoon City’s Favorite Son” Chuck Taylor

Chuck came to CHIKARA in 2006 making a few appearances here and there. In 2007, Chuck came in full time joining Icarus and Gran Akuma. 2007 proved to be Chuck’s year in CHIKARA. First, he won the first annual Rey de Voladores tournament on his 21st birthday. Second, he won the Young Lions Cup tournament, defeating perennial rival Ricochet in the finals. Finally, Chuck won a match against Ricochet; the stipulation for that match was if Ricochet lost he could never show his face in CHIKARA again. So, Chuck was able to oust his perennial rival from CHIKARA forever (until he returned masked as Helios and took Chuck’s Young Lions Cup; oh well). Since then, Chuck hasn’t concentrated a whole heck of a lot in singles competition, making a much larger splash in F.I.S.T.

F.I.S.T. became a trio by adding Chuck Taylor, and F.I.S.T. (along with the giant Kings of Wrestling stable) wreaked havoc in 2007. After losing the Campeonatos de Parejas in 2007, F.I.S.T. concentrated on being a trio, specifically looking to beat The Colony. Their feud with the Colony bled into 2009, with the trio taking out Worker Ant for good. F.I.S.T. also won the 2009 King of Trios, after they were the only trio to compete in all three King of Trios tournaments. Chuck and Icarus continued their quest to destroy the Colony, coming out short in a Hair vs. Masks match in May. This match is said by some to be the best match in CHIKARA’s entire history. Needless to say, F.I.S.T. is a CHIKARA staple. The fans love to hate them, but without them, CHIKARA just wouldn’t be the same.

The Osirian Portal (“The Funky Pharoah” Amasis & “The Venemous, Vile, Serpent from the Nile” Ophidian)

The Osirian Portal are the fastest rising tag team sin the independent wrestling scene. Take this into consideration. The duo debuted in September 2007 (Ophidian made his singles debut in July that year), and made an immediate impact by defeating as disbanding the duo of Shane Storm and Jigsaw, two of the most decorated wrestlers in CHIKARA. They quickly impressed the fans with great bouts against Up In Smoke, Incoherence, The Colony, and others, quickly gaining a shot at the Campeones de Parejas in May 2008. While they came up short, they quickly rebounded and got yet another shot in October 2008, defeating the Super Smash Bros. Today, the team still remains the Campeones. The rest of the wrestling world has opened their eyes, with companies like F1RST, FIP, JAPW, and even the new Dragon Gate USA booking them on their shows. The Portal have only made three defenses of their belts thus far (Amasis’ ankle injury back in November derailed the Portal for a short while), but have put on some of the best matches CHIKARA has seen in awhile. If you think the Portal is satisfied resting on their laurels, think again; this duo will continue to shine in CHIKARA for a long while.

Vin Gerard

Vin first debuted in CHIKARA in 2005 as Equinox (now portrayed by Jimmy Olsen). Vin posed as a faux Mexican wrestling what can only be called a very loose interpretation of Lucha Libre. Equinox hit many ugly Shooting Star Presses and suffered many concussions, with the fans simply not caring. Equinox shocked the world when forced Chris Hero to submit to the CHIKARA Special in a Relevos Atomicos match in August of 2007. This led to Hero and Equinox facing off in a “Hair vs. Mask match” in November of 2007, which Hero won. Equinox unmasked to reveal Vin Gerard. The story is that Vin lied to the office of CHIKARA, claiming to have been tried by Jorge “Skayde Rivera”, so that Vin could surpass the obstacles of the CHIKARA Wrestle Factory to get on shows. Once he was unmasked, the Tecnicos shunned Vin Gerard from the locker room, forcing Vin to spend the shows outside. Vin’s unmasking could not have been better for him.

His unmasking led to a rejuvenation in Vin’s career. People fell to Vin in quick fashion, as he beat Shane Storm, Worker Ant, Glacier, Create-A-Wrestler, and Jimmy Olsen in the first half of 2008. Vin was mercifully hated by the fans (and still is) as he would use very conniving manners to get his win. Vin also put on the best match in CHIKARA in 2008, facing Fire Ant in the finals of that year’s Young Lions Cup tournament. Even though Vin lost, he would win the cup from Fire Ant the next month and hold it till it was vacated in December. Vin, a lone wolf the first nine months after his unmasking, found allies in STIGMA (the former Shane Storm) and Colin Delaney. The UnStable has been running amok in CHIKARA ever since, and Vin had some recent singles success defeating Claudio Castagnoli at Aniversario Yin in May.

STIGMA

When STIGMA debuted for CHIKARA, he was known as “The Unionized Traffig Regulator” Shane Storm. Shane was known to take a beating and be the underdog for most of his career, with glimpses of greatness here and there. For starters, he won the third annual Young Lions Cup tournament defeating Icarus in the finals. As said, this match is known as of the best in CHIKARA period. Shane Storm then won a Mask vs. Mask match in late 2005, unmasking Gran Akuma. He then had some semblance of tag success with Mr. Zero, won the 2007 King of Trios with Mike Quackenbush and Jigsaw, and going on to a bit more success with Jigsaw until they broke up in September. Shane then accrued quite a streak of losses from there, until defeating Hydra in 2007.

What we didn’t know, is that victory over Hydra would lead to many events. Shane began teaming with Mike Quackenbush once again, and the two quickly obtained three points. It was revealed as soon as they won their third point (courtesy of Tim Donst) that Shane Storm had betrayed Mike, teaching the secret of the CHIKARA Special to Ultramantis Black, which was taught to Mike’s arch nemesis, Chris Hero. An angry Mike become overcome with rage and attacked Shane immediately, effectively ending their friendship. Shane became shunned from the locker room, and an empathetic Vin Gerard befriended him. Vin convinced Shane to shed the face he hid behind, revealing STIGMA, Shane’s true Rudo self. STIGMA’s transformation proved to be a good choice, as STIGMA became far more successful than before. He recently wrapped up his issue with Donst, coming out on the losing end of a brutal one on one encounter at Aniversario Yin. Needless to say, STIGMA stands strong with Vin and his other partner…

“The Big League Superstar, and Extremely Cute Wrestler” Colin Delaney

Colin debuted as Colin Olsen, teaming with his brother Jimmy Olsen, in 2006. The Olsen Twins tagged all throughout 2007 as a very entertaining comedic tandem. Even with their schtick, they still put on some really great matches, including an amazing tag team bout against Cheech & Cloudy at “Cibernetico & Robin”. Colin left CHIKARA right before King of Trios 2008 for the WWE, where he would spend roughly 7 months on the ECW roster before being, as we all like to say, “future endeavored”. Vin Gerard, as a joke, told Jimmy that Colin was still in CHIKARA under a mask. This caused to Jimmy wrestling many masked wrestlers and unmasking them during the course of the match. After being fired, Colin returned making Jimmy look foolish. Disgusted by how pathetic his brother acted when he was gone, Colin joined up with Vin Gerard and STIGMA instead of Jimmy. Colin constantly talks about how much better the WWE is than “this place”, wearing his ECW shirt to the ring, and making John Cena’s “Attitude Adjuster” a regular move in his arsenal. Colin has also busted out the RKO and Sweet Chin Music recently. Colin tags with Vin and STIGMA regularly, but still competes in singles action here and there. The UnStable’s mission of taking CHIKARA down continues.

“The King of Diamonds, and The Last Of A Dying Breed” Eddie Kingston

Oh, Mr. Kingston. What is there to say? Eddie started off a tag team wrestler, teaming with Blackjack Marciano to form The Wild Cards. Eddie and Blackjack were ruthless Rudos, feuding with the likes of Mike Quackenbush, Mr. Zero, and F.I.S.T. (who at the time were Tecnicos). Eddie and Blackjack would shave their heads in 2004 due to be pinned a six-man tag, with their hair being what they put up at stake (every participant in the match had something to lose were they pinned). In early 2005, Blackjack Marciano retired. It came out that Chris Hero’s politics were part of the reason Blackjack retired, and Kingston took issue with Hero. Eddie shortly turned Tecnico to take on Chris Hero’s Kings of Wrestling stable. Eddie’s issue has spanned to many other promotions: CZW, IWA-MS, PWG, and most recently, Ring of Honor. Eddie would go on to feud with a friend of Chris Hero’s in 2006; Larry Sweeney. These two waged wars in CHIKARA as well as UWA Hardcore in Canada, ending in quite the strap match in the 2006 season finale.

Kingston came back from an ankle injury in 2007. After he was pinned by Hallowicked in an eight-man tag, the frustrated Kingston attacked Hallowicked. This led to the two waging war in CHIKARA for the rest of the year. Kingston claimed he was upset that Hallowicked had been cited as the best graduate from the CHIKARA Wrestle Factory. Kingston proved his point, pinning Hallowicked to finish the feud at 2007’s season closer.

Kingston started 2008 with a bang, engaging in a brutal, bloody match with Shane Storm and making it to the semi-finals of the 2008 King of Trios tournament with Ruckus and Joker, the BLK OUT. Eddie found another CHIKARA Wrestle Factory graduate to target in 2008: Lince Dorado. Lince got absolutely destroyed by Kingston, and Lince’s refusal to quit or back down infuriated Eddie. At the end of 2008, Eddie united with Brodie Lee and Grizzly Redwood, as they shared hatred with Claudio Castagnoli and Incoherence. This trio is now known as The Roughnecks. Eddie had issue with Claudio, as Claudio defeated in 2007 and 2008 in singles competition, and eliminated the Roughnecks in the 2009 King of Trios tournament. Eddie found solace however as he defeated Claudio Castagnoli a few weeks ago at Aniversario Yang. Eddie and The Roughnecks will surely continue to bully whoever they see fit in 2009.

“The Big Rig” Brodie Lee

Brodie Lee first showed up in CHIKARA in early 2007, as “The Right Stuff” Brodie Lee. He came out to the N.K.O.T.B. song of the same namesake in tassles and shorts. This didn’t work too well, and Brodie was viewed as indifferent. That was until August 2007, when Brodie Lee returned as “The Big Rig of the CHIKARA Convoy”. Brodie became a much angrier, burlier brute, and destroyed The Colony and Tim Donst on back to back evenings. Teaming with The Olsen Twins, Brodie served as the straight ass kicker for the duo of goofballs.

2008 saw Brodie break off on his own once Colin Olsen/Delaney headed off to ECW. Brodie gained notoriety for beating guys smaller than him, such as Tim Donst, Shane Storm, and Pelle Primeau. Claudio Castagnoli saw this and challenged Brodie to “pick on someone his own size”, i.e. Claudio himself. Claudio and Brodie engaged in a series of excellent matches, with the first few ending in a Disqualification. The two also met in a couple of trios contests which saw the two beat the snot out of one another. The feud ended with Brodie coming out on the losing end of the first ever Steel Cage match in CHIKARA. Brodie moved on to take on someone else his own size in Hallowicked. These two had quite the match back at “Cibernetico Begins”, which saw Brodie Lee destroy Hallowicked. He showed up the following month with Hallowicked’s mask in hand. This started a feud between Incoherence and Brodie Lee’s Roughneck trio. Although the Roughnecks lost that war, Brodie has been teaming up with his little pal lately in order to gain the three necessary points to earn a title shot. Who is this little pal? None other than…

“The Littlest Lumberjack” Grizzly Redwood

Grizzly is a graduate of the ROH Wrestling Academy. Known as Mitch Franklin for most of his career, at ROH’s “Driven 2008” PPV, Mitch revealed to the world of his lumberjack ways and has been known as Grizzly Redwood ever since. Grizzly made his CHIKARA debut at “Face With A View”, where he made an immediate impact by winning the Super Fun Times Over-the-Top- Rope Elimination Style No-Holds-Barred Masked-Dudes-Welcome Battle Royal of Doom [and Honor], and injuring Worker Ant’s leg. The next night, Grizzly lost a singles match to Hallowicked, which gave Grizzly incentive to join up with Brodie to take down Incoherence. Grizzly’s been teaming with Brodie Lee ever since, but has also been in some singles matches here and there. This diminutive wrestler still has a lot to accomplish in his new home.

“The Angry Insect Evildoer” Ultramantis Black

Ultramantis Black the second of two Rudos on the roster that were apart of the very first CHIKARA Wrestle Factory graduating class. Originally known as Ultramantis, Mantis spent a long time on the Tecnicos side of the roster. Forming the team “UltraZERO”, with Mr. Zero, Ultramantis made it to the finals of the 2003 Tag World Grand Prix where he and Zero lost to The Night Shift (Hallowicked & Blind Rage). The duo’s friendship ended at “Pick Up Or Delivery”, as after losing the match, Ultramantis attacked Mr. ZERO. He then proceeded to pull out a black mask, put it on, claim Ultramantis was dead, and that Ultramantis Black was born. Mantis and Hallowicked formed the new Night Shift, and shortly joined Sweet N’ Sour International for the first ever Torneo Cibernetico. 2005 was uneventful due to an injury and few matches. He spent most of his time managing Hallowicked and playing a role on commentary. Mantis also did introduce CHIKARA to Hydra in 2005 as well.

In 2006, Hallowicked began teaming with Delirious. Feeling betrayed, Hallowicked declared the Dark Breed dead and formed the Order of the Neo-Solar Temple (Ultramantis Black, Crossbones, & Hydra). These three competed with little success in 2007, and it seemed by the years end that Hydra and Mantis’ relationship had drifted. Mantis and Crossbones almost collected three points, but in the match for their third point, Donst and Hydra cost them the match. Mantis and Crossbones feuded with The Sea Donsters (Tim Donst & Hydra) for the latter half of 2008. Mantis was bested in tag team action and singles action in the season finale by the Donsters, but got revenge by eliminating the Donsters in this years Tag Gauntlet at King of Trios.

2009 was the year that Mantis made it known that a brand new third member of the Order needed to emerge. In February, Pinkie Sanchez and Sami Callihan each tried out and failed. In April however, after Incoherence defeated The Roughnecks, Mantis and Crossbones kidnapped their newest acquisition…

Delirious

Delirious debuted in CHIKARA in 2005, only competing in two singles matches that year. After Ultramantis Black suffered an injury, Hallowicked needed a new partner. By random draw, Delirious was paired with Hallowicked, and the duo worked so well that they began teaming on a frequent basis. In 2007 and 2008, Delirious had zero singles matches, concentrating solely on his team. In late 2007, Delirious won the Campeonatos de Parejas with Hallowicked, holding them deep into 2008. Entering 2009, Delirious began competing a bit more singles action, losing to Eddie Kingston in January and defeating Sami Callihan in February. As payback for Hallowicked’s “betrayal”, Ultramantis Black kidnapped and brainwashed Delirious in April, taking him away from Incoherence and into the Order of the Neo-Solar Temple. Delirious traded in his green and black gear for white and black gear that matches his new “family”. Controlled by the Eye of Tyr, Delirious is a much more vicious wrestler than before, even using Ultramantis’ finishing maneuver; The Praying Mantis Bomb. Delirious’ new persona has showed him success defeating Arik Cannon and the team of the Saturday Night Slam Masters (The Super Smash Bros. and Create-A-Wrestler) on back to back nights. Where the story with Delirious leads is anyone’s guess.

“The Real Life Heavyweight Horror” Crossbones

Crossbones came into CHIKARA in 2004, joining up with Larry Sweeney’s “Sweet N Sour International” stable. Teaming with another big luchadore, Mano Matalico, he was quite the funny dude. Once he and Mano were fired from SnS International, Crossbones ditched Mano to team with Rorschach. Dawning spiffy orange and black gear, the team formed what many fans called The Tazzmissioners. The two teamed together until Rorschach retired in October of 2006. Luckily for Crossbones, he was immediately welcomed into Ultramantis Black’s “Order of the Neo-Solar Temple” where he remains to this day. 2007 saw Crossbones compete in mostly trios action with Mantis and Hydra, and 2008 saw him team with both Mantis and Hydra. While teaming Hydra ended up a bust, he and Mantis scored big wins over Cheech & Cloudy and The Soul Touchaz. It was their attempt at the third point that saw them take a turn, and the Order went on quite the losing streak, motivating them to add Delirious to the fray to help them out.

2.0 (“Big Magic” Shane Matthews & “The Wet Bandit” Jagged)

2.0. first popped up for the 2006 Tag World Grand Prix. Their popularity brought them back for a few showings here and there, but the duo, though entertaining, could rarely score a victory. This record would not get any better as the duo (along with Max Boyer) lost to Mike Quackenbush, Jigsaw, & Shane Storm in the first round of the 2007 King of Trios. 2.0. would go on to “get their win back) against the exact same duo with Shayne Hawke as their partner instead of Boyer. After losing to Los Ice Creams in August, the duo went on a long hiatus till May 2008. They re-emerged, losing to the Osirian Portal and disappeared again. 2.0. suddenly appeared on the 2008 Tag World Grand Prix and have been regulars on the roster ever since. 2.0. are more focused then ever on gaining those three points. 2.0 have just come off a tour of Japan, are loaded with confidence, and have all the tools to make 2009 their year. BOO YA!

“The Red-Haired Romeo” Buck Hawke

Coming into CHIKARA as Shayne Hawke, he came in as a hired gun for Shayne Matthews to take out fellow Canadian wrestler Twiggy. Although he lost, Shayne impressed enough people to come back in 2007. Shayne racked up some singles victories, and as noted in 2.0’s section, defeated Mike Quackenbush, Jigsaw, & Shane Storm in a trios match. This was enough to earn him a spot in the large Kings of Wrestling stable. After the group disbanded, Shayne stuck with Larry Sweeney and Mitch Ryder to form “The Fabulous Three”. Shayne began dressing and acting like Mitch, and their relationship was some weird, father/son, quasi-sexual relationship. Mitch and Shayne were able to rack up three points and get a shot at the Campeonatos de Parejas in July against Incoherence. That night, Mitch decided Shayne needed a more southern type name and re-Christened him “Buck Hawke”. Delighted, Buck has kept the name ever since. Hawke and Ryder would feud with Claudio Castagnoli for the rest of 2008, and reform The Fabulous Three. Sweeney and Ryder are both out of CHIKARA now, leaving Hawke alone. Hakwe has made two appearances in 2008 thus far, still carrying on his Mitch Ryder schtick. What happens to Buck now? Only time will tell.

Los Ice Creams (El Hijo del Ice Cream & Ice Cream Jr.)

They’re wrestling ice creams that do loads and loads of hilarious schtick. However, as goofy as the duo is, they have had much success in their past even getting a Campeonatos de Parejas shot when F.I.S.T. were the champs. I don’t know what else I need to say.

And that’s the Rudos! Next week, we’ll cover some of the CHIKARA staff.

MOAR Young Lions Cup Participants announced!

KC “Cloudy” Day makes his second Young Lions Cup appearance, not competing since the 2006 tournament where his buddy Cheech made it to the final round. Cloudy did debut at the 2005 Young Lions Cup with Cheech which impressed fans and the staff alike to earn them their roster spot. Cloudy hasn’t competed in many singles matches in his CHIKARA tenure, but has been awesome as a team. Will Cloudy surf his way to Young Lions Cup gold?

Player Uno has made 2009 his break-out singles year. As the Inter-Species Wrestling champion, he has bested the likes of Kevin Steen, Twiggy, and others. Not to mention that Uno has held CHIKARA’s Campeonatos de Parejas and has competed in two other Young Lions Cup tournaments. Player Uno has the confidence, track record, and all the tools to make 2009 his year. But will he?

The final participant announced this week is a man from the So-Cal wrestling scene, El Leonino. Umm…yeah. That’s about all I know. You’re more than welcome to check out MySpace to learn more, however. He does fit the Young LIONS name, so he is the only legitimate lion in this years tournament.

Other participants announced include: Create-A-Wrestler (debuting a new persona at Young Lions Cup), Soldier Ant, Trik Davis, Frightmare, Player Dos, & Yellow Dog. Also, CMLL minis Mascarita Dorada and Pierrothito are set to make an appearance during the weekend also.

New match added for “Never Kneel At The Altar Of Conformity

The surfers said it best; they’re on there way to three points and look to take out the Rednecks to accomplish that goal. Cheech, Cloudy, and Brodie have all teamed in CZW and know each other very well. With that said, Brodie’s size and strength have to be taken into account. Also notable, is that The Roughnecks pinned and eliminated Cheech and Cloudy from the Tag Gauntlet back at King of Trios. Will The Roughnecks show a repeat performance, or will the Dynamic Dudes gain their third point and a tag title shot?

Tim Donst has some words for STIGMA

6/15/2009: I’m not used to being booed. In fact, I like the idea about as much as I’d like a 3rd Bush term or the outlawing of apple pie a la mode. But not listening to the crowd’s plea to “hug it out” with Hydra after our loss to 2.0 in South Philly … that got me thinking about the value of friends.

Hydra and I have had our fair share of ups and downs these past few months. From an uplifting unplugged performance in Easton one night, to a questionable ending (costing us points toward the Campeonatos de Parejas) the next. But through it all, two things have never changed:
1) Our fabulous air-guitar skills, and
2) the everlasting bond of the underdog. So why did I storm out after our match? Was it just because I hate losing, or the fact we blew another chance at obtaining 3 points? Well, perhaps it was a combination of both … and just a tad more. You see, now that I’ve had time to reflect, I’ve come to the conclusion that I was somewhat disappointed, somewhat upset, and perhaps, somewhat overconfident. And why not? After all, just the night before I had one of the most satisfying wins of my career overSTIGMA, and I did it by myself.

Aniversario weekend is a time of year we all look forward to. I wanted to shut down STIGMA once and for all, and take back what he’d stolen from me. That’s just what I did in Easton. In Philadelphia, I wanted to pick up that third point with my lil’ buddy Hydra, and take our next shot at the Campeonatos. That didn’t happen. A match can end in just three seconds, and Jagged showed us we can’t look past that fact, no matter what. The Sea Donsters tour isn’t quite over yet, so no worries there. We have dates lined up from Mount Rushmore to Sea World, and everywhere in between. Besides, it was just one loss, right? Am I going to turn my back on a friend over three seconds?

Even though I found my closure on the STIGMA front, I still can’t wrap my head around what Shane did. What took him down the path to becoming STIGMA. Was it to gain some momentum, Shane? To get people talking about you again? Was it because the crowd only cared about seeing you get your butt kicked by the likes of Brodie Lee and Eddie Kingston? I know how that feels, being someone’s punching bag, racking up a few in the “loss” column. But that’s no reason to be a sellout, and forget who your friends are.

Signing off,
TD

I must say, I am interested to see what this means. I thought the Donsters were done after aniversario, but I guess not. And will STIGMA take any of this to heart?

Dragon Gate USA news!

The big news coming out of the Dragon Gate camp is that they have signed a Pay Per View deal with G-Funk Entertainment. This is the same company that used to air Ring of Honor’s PPV’s, so in a way DGUSA will be taking over their spot. Their first PPV, “Enter The Dragon”, will be taped in Philadelphia, PA on July 25th and will begin airing on PPV September 4th, two days before their Chicago show. There is no word on a deal with Dish Network or other companies yet, but I believe negotiations are in place. The PPV is slated to be $19.95; whether or not the show is two or three hours has not yet been said.

I feel this is a really big deal. ROH getting a PPV deal was great, but they had five years of U.S. presence to go on. DGUSA has zero, so the fact that G-Funk is willing to give them a chance (with a more costly PPV than ROH) shows how much faith G-Funk has in the product and how strong their relationship with Gabe is. This does mean a delay in DVD releases, which for me stinks since I do not have PPV capabilities in my apartment at college. But for everyone else, I really hope you’ll give DGUSA a chance on PPV (or DVD) if you can not see them live.

Added to the card is a non-title bout between Shingo and Naruki Doi (Doi is the current Open The Dream Gate Champion). If you haven’t seen either of these men, you’ll be in store for quite the treat when they meet one on one on July 25th in Philadelphia. With Doi being the Open The Dream Gate Champion, and Shingo winning this years wXw 16 Carat Gold tournament, it will see which decorated singles wrestler will come out on top.

As predicted in last weeks column, Ophidian has joined the Relevos Atomicos.. Ophidian has been in CHIKARA for almost two years now, being one of the most impressive young stars on the entire roster. Although obvious, he rounds out a very impressive Rudos quartet. Ophidian, Amasis, Icarus, and Akuma are no strangers to one another, having teamed up in the past at “The Battle of Who Could Care Less” and “Tragedy & Triumph”. Who will the Tecnicos choose to respond with?

Dragon Gate’s Los Angeles show from last September is finally available on DVD. You can buy the DVD and see the show’s card here.

Two Mike Quackenbush DVD’s released at Smart Mark Video!

Released this week from Smart Mark Video, is TWO Mike Quackenbush compilations. That’s six discs of LMQ for you all. Included is an old 60+ minute interview, and a brand new 100 minute interview. Below are the matchlistings:

Volume 1 Matchlisting
1. Interview
2. Mike Quackenbush vs. The Amazing Red – JCW 6/21/01
3. Mike Quackenbush vs. “Ice Pick” Vic Capri – IWA-MS 2/8/02
4. Mike Quackenbush, Mr. ZERO & UltraMantis vs. Hallowicked, Ichabod Slayne & Reckless Youth – KAPOW 7/28/02
5. Mike Quackenbush & Luna Vachon vs. Crowbar & Serena – PXW 6/23/02
6. Mike Quackenbush & Nick Berk vs. The Backseat Boyz – NEPW 4/6/02
7. Mike Quackenbush vs Ace Steel – IWA-MS 2/9/02
8. Mike Quackenbush vs. Quiet Storm vs. Red – Hardway Wrestling TV Episode #40
9. Mike Quackenbush vs. Low ki – FWA- 11/20/99
10. Mike Quackenbush vs. Chris Hamrick – NEW 4/26/02
11. Mike Quackenbush vs. CM Punk vs. Colt Cabana – IWA-MS 4/5/02
12. Mike Quackenbush vs. Reckless Youth – LAW 7/10/99
13. Mike Quackenbush vs. El Hijo Del Santo – FWA 4/15/00
14. Reckless Youth vs. Don Montoya vs. Mike Quackenbush – FNW 10/25/00
15. Mike Quackenbush vs. Tarek the Great – IWA-MS 8/2/02
16. Mike Quackenbush vs. Ares vs. Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli – wXw 4/18/03
17. 2 out of 3 Falls: Mike Quackenbush vs. Skayde – Chikara 10/18/03
18. B-Boy vs. Mike Quackenbush – JCW 6/27/04
19. American Dragon vs Mike Quackenbush – IWA-MS 9/18/04
20. Oriental vs. Mike Quackenbush – Chikara 10/29/04
21. The Wild Cards vs. Chris Hero & Mike Quackenbush – Chikara 11/19/04
22. Mike Quackenbush vs. Arik Cannon – Chikara 4/17/05

Volume 2 Matchlisting
1. Interview
2. Mike Quackenbush vs. Alex Shelley – IWA-MS 9/23/05
3. Mike Quackenbush vs. Ares – Chikara 3/31/06
4. Gran Akuma vs. Mike Quackenbush – Chikara 7/22/06
5. Mike Quackenbush vs. Claudio Castagnoli – IWA-MS 9/30/06
6. Hallowicked vs. Mike Quackenbush – IWA-DS 3/3/07
7. Mike Quackenbush, Jigsaw & Shane Storm vs. Team TNA – Chikara 2/17/07
8. Mike Quackenbush, Jigsaw & Shane Storm vs. Pantera, Lince Dorado & Sicodelico, Jr. – Chikara 2/18/07
9. Mike Quackenbush vs. Sal Rinauro – IWA-DS 5/5/07
10. Mike Quackenbush vs. Tiger Mask IV – FSM 5/11/07
11. Mike Quackenbush vs. Chris Hero – Chikara 5/26/07
12. Mike Quackenbush vs. Shayne Hawke – Chikara 6/24/07
13. Mike Quackenbush vs. Black Tiger IV – Chikara 8/5/07
14. Mike Quackenbush vs. Akira Raijin – Chikara 8/18/07
15. Tim Donst vs. Mike Quackenbush – Chikara 9/22/07
16. Mike Quackenbush vs. Shibaten – Michinoku Pro 10/12/07
17. Mike Quackenbush, Shane Storm & Jorge Rivera vs. Pantera, Lince Dorado & Incognito – Chikara 3/2/08
18. Mike Quackenbush vs. Bryan Danielson – wXw 3/7/08
19. Mike Quackenbush vs. Johnny Saint – wXw 3/8/08
20. Mike Quackenbush & Shane Storm vs. Osirian Portal – Chikara 5/24/08
21. Mike Quackenbush vs. Shane Storm – Chikara 7/13/08
22. Mike Quackenbush vs. Johnny Saint – Chikara 11/8/08

I myself will be picking up (and probably reviewing) these DVD’s at some point. Check out Smart Mark Video (linked at the end of the article) to snag your own copies!

Absolutely shameless shills!

The first shill is for Wrestling Interviews dot com. I recently watched their first episode, a 30 minute interview with CHIKARA veteran Ultramantis Black. In this interview, the questions asked helped me gain quite a bit more insight into Mantis’ career while Mantis threw in his own unique personality and humor into the mix. There’s a surprise at the end that also made me chuckle as well. For only three bucks, the interview is all yours. The best part is that all the questions are submitted by us, the fans. Their next set interview is with CHIKARA guest, “The Psycho Shooter” Drake Younger. Head to Wrestling Interviews dot com now to submit your questions and to watch the Ultramantis interview.

Here’s a free preview!

The second shill is for Pro Wrestling Ponderings. As most of you know, I actually came here to 411 because of my work over at the now defunct Cool Kids Table website. A bunch of my former co-workers now write at this new and growing website. There’s lots of cool stuff over there, so check it out.

The main reason I am plugging Pro Wrestling Ponderings is because I also do a podcast over there! Oh yes. Jerome Cusson (webmaster, and great man) and I sit down every week (sometimes more than once) to discuss all the news in pro wrestling. WWE, ROH, CHIKARA, PWG, DG USA, and more is covered. I suggest you give it a listen, I’m pretty proud of what we’ve produced so far. Ari Berenstein has appeared on the most recent show, as he and I both attended this past weekends ROH shows in Manassas, VA and New York City. So definitely check that out and let me know what you think!

YouTube Fun!

The only video I have for you this week is the 166th episode of CHIKARA’s Podcast-A-Go-Go. This week, the show “Face With A View” is covered. This week covers Fire Ant vs. Escorpion Egipcio and Brodie Lee vs. Frightmare.

Okay, that’s a lot to take in, so I am going to get the hell out of here. It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia DVD’s, Chipotle, and a Nationals game tomorrow call. Unos, Dos, Adios!

Links!
The CHIKARA Home Page .
CHIKARA Fans!
Buy CHIKARA DVD’s at Smart Mark Video
Follow CHIKARA on Twitter!
Follow CHIKARA Fans on Twitter!.
CHIKARA on MySpace
Dragon Gate USA Home Page
Follow Dragon Gate USA on Twitter!.
Dragon Gate USA on MySpace
NYC fans, get on the to the Dragon Gate USA debut!