CHIKARA Young Lions Cup 2018 Results 3.17.18

– CHIKARA held its Young Lions Cup 2018 card yesterday. The card was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Below are some results from the event, courtesy of Joshua Higham and PWInsider.

The event began with a photo opportunity of all 16 competitors in the Young Lions Cup XIV tournament.

Brett Domino (New England Pro Wrestling Academy) vs Omari (Fight Club Pro) vs Percy Davis (School of Roc) vs Green Ant (Chikara)

Percy Davis eliminated Brett Domino.
Green Ant eliminated Percy Davis with a backslide.
Omari eliminated Green Ant with an O-Zone.

Advancing to the semifinals: Omari

On commentary, Icarus has taken the grizzled veteran role, expressing his disappointment at Green Ant’s loss.

Scott Holladay is standing by with an advertisement for the Parcel of Power, the subscription package that Chikara introduced in the last couple months.

Dylan Bostic (IWC) vs. Blanche Babish (Chikara) vs. Fuego del Sol (NWL) vs. DL Hurst (Chaotic Wrestling)

This is Blanche Babish’s debut match. Hurst was the obvious heel in this one.

Blanche Babish eliminated Hurst, stealing the pin after Bostic connected with a superplex on Hurst.
Fuego del Sol eliminated Bostic after a slingblade onto the knee and reverse STO.
Fuego del Sol missed a spiral tap which allowed Babish to lock in a figure eight armbar, which got an immediate tapout.

Advancing to the semifinals: Blanche Babish

Cajun Crawdad (Chikara) vs Gabby Ortiz (Women of Honor) vs Anthony Greene (Limitless Wrestling) vs Super Beetle (Empire Wrestling Federation)

This is Anthony Greene’s second attempt to win the Young Lions Cup, previously competing in 2014’s tournament.

Gabby Ortiz eliminated Anthony Greene with the Broad Street neckbreaker.
Crawdad eliminated Ortiz with a corkscrew suplex.
Crawdad eliminated Super Beetle with a clawesome bomb.

Advancing to the semifinals: Cajun Crawdad

Scott Holladay is with Super Beetle, asking what’s next for Super Beetle. Beetle says he might not be taking the Cup home, but this isn’t the last time he’ll be in Chikara.

Air Wolf (The Academy) vs Eli Isom (Ring of Honor) vs Geddy Cahoun (Monster Factory) vs Cam Zagami (Beyond Wrestling)

Quackenbush mentioned that Air Wolf got specific training by former Young Lions Cup holder Arik Cannon for the tournament and that Cheeseburger of ROH fame was in attendance coaching Isom.

Geddy Cahoon eliminated Eli Isom with the Imprint.
Air Wolf eliminated Cahoon after a frog splash.
Zagami got the knees up to block Air Wolf’s second frog splash attempt, stealing the win.

Advancing to the seminfials: Cam Zagami

Tag World Grand Prix Qualifier: To Infinity and Beyond (Colin Delaney and Cheech Hernandez) vs. Creatures of the Deep (Oceanea and Merlok)

This is the first time To Infinity and Beyond has competed as a team in Chikara together, after primarily wrestling in AIW. Delaney and Hernandez were previously on the Chikara roster as members of The Unstable and Up in Smoke respectively. But it has been

Oceanea and Merlok was able to fight out of all of To Infinity and Beyond’s signature offense. Oceanea got the pin on Cheech after a tandem move where Oceanea hit a version of the Canadian Destroyer on Merlok off the ropes onto Cheech, a crazy move.

Advancing to the Tag World Grand Prix: Creatures of the Deep

Ophidian vs Fire Ant 

Before the match, Chikara showed the video where Fire Ant seemingly blamed Ophidian for indirectly causing the ends of Soldier Ant, Worker Ant, and Silver Ant. You can see the video:

Fire Ant dominated the match with brutal punches and kicks but never attempting a pinfall after any of the big moves he connected. Remsburg constantly warned him to get for the cover. Out of seeming nowhere, Ophidian was able to counter a hold and bridge back to get a three count and his third point.

Scott Holladay is with Ophidian who said each of the points represented a hard-fought victory, having to dig deeper than ever. But Juan Francisco de Coronado and the Grand Championship are next on March 31.

Tag World Grand Prix Qualifier: The Whisper and Troll vs. The Rumblebees (Solo Darling and Travis Huckabee)

This is Troll’s first in-ring action for Chikara in over 3 years, after spending most of that time as a captive pet for wrestlers like Jimmy Jacobs and Kevin Condron.

Troll was little help to The Whisper as Huckabee hit the stretch muffler bomb before Darling locked in the Sharpstinger to get the tapout victory.

Advancing to the Tag World Grand Prix: The Rumblebees

Chikara Grand Champion Juan Francisco de Coronado requested some in-ring promo time to hit back at some of the comments Dasher Hatfield has made about him. de Coronado brought out Director of Fun and Senior Official Bryce Remsburg to question some of the “cheating” Dasher Hatfield has done. Dasher Hatfield finally arrives in the arena and takes the mic. Hatfield says that he is 10 times the competitor de Corondao is, and he is a man the Chikarmy will be proud to call Grand Champion. de Coronado says he will not rest until Hatfield is exposed as the cheater he is.

Young Lions Cup Semifinals: Blanche Babish vs Cam Zagami

A back and forth contest, but Zagami was finally able to roll through a crossbody from Babish and lock in American Grip to get the tap out win.

Might be interesting to note (hint: could come up later this year), Jeremy Leary shows very particular interest in Babish while on commentary.

Advancing to the Young Lions Cup XIV Finals: Cam Zagami

Young Lions Cup Semifinals: Omari vs Cajun Crawdad

The commentary team mentioned that Omari has just flown in from the UK and has not slept since arriving in Philadelphia. Omari is able to escape the Clawesome bomb. Cajun Crawdad can’t convert the corkscrew suplex into the pin allowing Omari to fight back and hit an O-Zone to get the win.

Advancing to the finals: Omari

So March 31, we’ll see Omari vs. Cam Zagami in the finals of Young Lions Cup XIV. A first, in that two wrestlers who are not Chikara regulars are in the finals of the tournament.

The fans are chanting one more match, so Chikara will oblige with:

Thief Ant, making his debut, defeating David Dennison (nondescript masked guy) with a stunner really quickly.

Notes: Mike Quackenbush, Icarus, Dasher Hatfield, Bryce Remsburg, Jeremy Leary, and Scott Holladay rotated on commentary. Bryce Remsburg, Kris Levin, and Betsy Ross rotated the referee duties. Preston Blathers took over as emcee for this event with the sudden resignation of Vlad Radinov this past week.