wrestling / Video Reviews
Ford’s CHIKARA King of Trios 2017 Night 1 Review
Loading...Wolverhampton, England – 9.1.2017
Championship Rundown
Grand Champion: Juan Francisco de Coronado
Campeones de Parejas: Los Ice Creams (El Hijo del Ice Cream & Ice Cream Jr.)
Young Lions Cup Champion: Razerhawk
Commentary is provided by Mike Quackenbush.
King of Trios 2017 First Round Match
House Bike Cops (Officer Warren Barksdale & Dez Peloton (Jasper Tippins & Donald Kluger) vs. House Calamari (Chris Brookes, Kid Lykos & ELIJAH)
Dez Peloton have black cop outfits and Tippins has a mustache to show unity with Barksdale. Barksdale offers a handshake to Brookes. Brookes pulls him into a boot to the stomach. Barksdale reverses a whip and takes down Brookes with a pair of armdrags and a dropkick. Barksdale forces a handshake before passing him off to Dez Peloton, who propel Brookes into the knees of Barksdale. ELIJAH knees Tippins upon entering the ring. Tippins catches him in a Gedo Clutch for two. He pops ELIJAH into Kluger’s arms. Tippins bicycle kicks ELIJAH into a German suplex from Kluger. Lykos gets caught in a pop-up Broken Arrow, earning Barksdale a two count. Lykos enzuigiri’s Barksdale to avoid a corner attack. House Calamari land triple dropkicks on Barksdale behind the referee’s back, allowing them to take over and bully Barksdale in their half of the ring, including a wet willy from Brookes. Barksdale escapes Lykos’ multiple brainbuster attempts, reversing it on the third try. As Lykos tags in ELIJAH, Barksdale tags in Kluger. Kluger powerslams ELIJAH before monkey flipping him across the ring. Brookes attacks Kluger from behind. Kluger schoolyard trips Brookes to assist Tippins with a crossbody. Tippins crushes Brookes backs first onto Kluger’s knees with the Bike Rack. ELIJAH breaks the pin. Barksdale drills him with Obey the Law, and this time Brookes makes the save. Lykos spikes Kluger with a Duat Driver, with an added dropkick from Brookes. Tippins makes the save. He misses a corner attack. ELIJAH tackles Tippins into the corner. Brookes dropkicks him, then places him up top so Lykos can bring him down with Lo Mein Pain. Brookes hits a slingshot Ace Crusher as a follow up, but Barksdale is there to break the pin in the nick of time. ELIJAH back elbows Barksdale before dropping him with a neckbreaker. Lykos and Brookes give him the Sick F****n’ Tag Move allowing ELIJAH to pin him at 9:24. Given their popularity and the homefield advantage, House Calamari moving on was a safe bet (and the right call.) That said, all due credit to the Bike Cops for being able to hang with them and for providing some really fun and unique offense. This set the tone for the evening (and weekend) perfectly. **¾
King of Trios 2017 First Round Match
House Rot (Michael Fynne, Emeritus & Vasyl) vs. House Rot (Hallowicked, Frightmare & Kobald)
Emeritus and Hallowicked fight for control on the mat. Emeritus trips him into an inverted figure four, forcing the two time former Grand Champion to grab the bottom rope. Kobald and Fynne tag in. Fynne mows down Kobald with a clothesline right away. He follows up with another in the corner and a vertical suplex. He scoops up Kobald into a side slam for two. Frightmare and Vasyl tag in, Vasyl with teddy bear in hand. Vasyl doesn’t budge as Frightmare hits him with clotheslines. Vasyl knocks down Frightmare with a back elbow and lands a senton splash. He immediately tags in Hallowicked, who Fynne knocks down with a dropkick and a bodyslam. He then slams a charging Kobald onto Hallowicked. Both Emeritus and Vasyl each slam Kobald onto Hallowicked as well. Fynne goes to do it again, but instead slips out and sends him into a forearm from Frightmare. Hallowicked catches Fynne with a yakuza kick. He immediately brings Fynne over to his corner so House Rot can finally take control of the contest. Fynne escapes their grasp when he escapes a belly-to-back suplex from Kobald and delivers one of his own. Emeritus tags in and takes down Hallowicked with a headscissors to the corner. Hallowicked cuts him off with a yakuza kick for two. Frightmare helps Hallowicked keep control of the match for their team, but a shoulder block to Hallowicked, a roll-up clothesline to Kobald, and a rolling clothesline to Frightmare, give him the opening to tag in Vasyl. Frightmare tosses his teddy bear towards the entrance! Vasyl makes him pay with a big Rydeen Bomb. He gives Hallowicked the Boss Man Slam. He catches Kobald’s crossbody and spins him out into a TKO. He goes after the bear, allowing Emeritus to come in and hit an X-Factor on Kobald. Fynne lands a legdrop. Frightmare dropkicks Fynne to stop a potential pin. He throws him outside. Emeritus goes for a Dragon Sleeper on Hallowicked. Hallowicked maneuvers him into Never Wake Up for the pin at 13:17. Something felt off here. The Bodyslam team did a solid job, with Vasyl standing out amongst the pack, but the crowd just never really got into the bout. I wouldn’t call this a disappointment per se, but it failed to capitalize on the energy the previous bout had created. **¼
King of Trios 2017 First Round Match
House Revival (Johnny Moss, Jonny Storm & Jody Fleisch) vs. House Seven Seas (Hermit Crab, Cajun Crawdad & Merlok)
Storm slaps Crawdad in the face instead of “too salty-ing” him. Storm takes Crawdad over with a Frankensteiner, then slingshots in from the apron with a spear. After taking a middle rope moonsault, Crawdad cowers in the corner. Storm fights off his pincers and kicks him down to his knees. He claps Crawdad’s ears with his arms. Crawdad retreats and tags in Crab, so Storm tags in Fleisch. Fleisch’s quickness allows him to deliver two armdrags. Crab halts a third by digging his claw into Fleisch’s shoulder. However, Fleisch kips up into a dropkick. Moss tags in, and instead of Merlok entering, Crawdad wants to try his hand at the big man. It doesn’t go well, as Moss Judo throws and belly-to-belly suplexes Crawdad with ease. Moss vertical suplexes Crab for two. Merlok finally enters. Neither man budges from one another’s running shoulder blocks. Crab grabs Moss’ foot from the floor, allowing Merlok to forearm him to the floor. Storm low bridges the top rope to send Merlok out. Fleisch nails Crawdad with a super spinwheel kick. HE turns Crab inside out with a slam onto his face. Storm German superplexes Fleisch into a moonsault onto Crab! Merlok mows down Storm with a running shoulder block and drops him with the World’s Strongest Slam. The Hoss of House Seven Seas finally swings the pendulum into his team’s favor, with Crab and Crawdad assisting in keeping the advantage. They take too much time planning a double team, giving Storm the opportunity for a double DDT. He crawls over to tag in Moss, who slingshot tackles Crawdad and overhead suplexes both Crab and Crawdad. He belly-to-back suplexes Crab and Crawdad at the same time! Merlok and Moss stare each other down. Fleisch dropkicks a distracted Merlok to the floor. Storm hits a twisting tope con hilo onto Merlok and Crawdad. Fleisch springboard moonsaults onto all of House Seven Seas! Moss flies onto them with a tope con hilo! Merlok and Moss exchange forearm strikes back in the ring, ending with an overhead suplex from Moss. Not to be outdone, Merlok powerslams Moss. Moss crossbody’s himself and Merlok outside! Storm assists Fleisch with a German suplex on Crawdad. Crab breaks the pin and puts Storm in the Boston Crab. Storm gets the ropes. Crab launches Crawdad into an elbow drop on Storm. Fleisch breaks the cover. Crab stops Fleisch’s charge with his claw, then gives Fleisch a spinebuster. Crab Naniwa walks the ropes. Fleisch brings him off the second rope with a Frankensteiner! Merlok jumps back in to halt Fleisch’s pin. Fleisch enzuigiri’s Merlok. Merlok back elbows him down, sending Fleisch outside. Storm superkicks Merlok and lands a legdrop for two. Storm climbs to the top turnbuckle. Crawdad shoves him off into Merlok’s arms. Merlok drills Storm with the Emerald Flowsion for the pin at 15:02. House Revival looked incredible, wowing the crowd with their offense which to this day is still impressive and so crisp. Despite their efforts, Merlok was able to catch the one guy they were able to get any sustained offense on with the Flowsion to win the match and send the fan favorites packing. It was a simple, yet very effective story, and a real treat of a match to watch. ***¼
King of Trios 2017 First Round Match
House Whitewolf (A-Kid, Adam Chase & Zayas) vs. House Strong Style (Pete Dunne, Trent Seven & Tyler Bate)
Dunne offers a handshake to Kid. He bites Kid’s fingers when he offers his hand. Kid kicks Dunne to stop a corner attack and comes out of the corner with a swinging Frankensteiner. Seven absorbs Kid’s chop. Seven smiles before taking Kid’s breath away with a pair of chops and a DDT. Zayas clobbers Seven with a combo of strikes before sending him face first into the mat with an elbow to the back of the head. Bate maneuvers Zayas into a knee strike before coming off the second rope with a back elbow. Chase schoolboys Bate into a knee strike. Dunne clobbers Chase with a lariat. He kicks Kid off the apron and hits a PK. Dunne then comes off the apron with a double stomp. Chase and Zayas superkick Dunne from the apron. Bate and Seven knock them to the floor with Bop and Bang. Moustache Mountain tease a dive, but Chase and Zayas snuck back into the ring, allowing them to land stereo suicide dives. Dunne gets in some shots until Kid wipes him out with a springboard moonsault to the floor. Kid hits a springboard clothesline on Seven in the ring. Bate catches him in the corner and throws him across the ring. Zayas lights up Bate in the corner before landing a Falcon Arrow. Dunne superkicks a seated Zayas. He suplexes Zayas. Chase drops Dunne with a Crusher. Seven lariats Chase before giving him a piledriver. Both Kid and Zayas break up the pin. Dunne holds onto Kid’s arm as he throws multiple kicks to his feet. Kid superkicks him away. A series of shots leaves all six competitors laying. Dunne and Seven pummel Chase from the mat. Chase is able to get House Strong Style to hurt one another incidentally, uncorking a twisting neckbreaker on Dunne while Seven and Bate bow out. A misdirect allows Chase to hit a senton onto Bate and Seven outside. Zayas and Kid double team Dunne. Chase re-enters the ring and moonsaults onto Dunne for a nearfall. Zayas sends Bate to the ropes. Bate comes back with the Axe Bomber into a German suplex from Seven. Kid springboards in, only to be caught with a mid-air forearm from Dunne. Bate hits the Tyler Driver 97 on Kid for the pin at 7:57. This was unbelievable. The action was hot from start to finish, and amongst the action, all six men portrayed character. Whitewolf was the team with everything to prove, while House Strong Style felt they had nothing to prove, and that hubris allowed Whitewolf to get so very close to beating them. Remember the names A-Kid, Zayas, and Adam Chase, because after this tournament, you’ll be hearing about them much more. This is a match worth seeking out. ***¾
King of Trios 2017 First Round Match
House Sport (James Mason, Mal Sanders & Danny Boy Collins) vs. Casa Dorada (Juan Francisco de Coronado, Sonny Defarge & Cornelius Crummels)
Mason’s team represents the World of Sport era of wrestling. Crummels and Defarge are wearing the black bowties Coronado gifted them on the latest Event Center. Coronado cheated to defeat Mason in the Johnny Kidd Invitational back in June. They start out this contest as well. The entire World of Sport team have fun with Coronado, taking turns controlling him by the wrist. Mason gives Coronado a lifter before passing him back off to Collins for a legdrop onto the arm. Coronado uses his legs to pull Collins down into the Coronado Clutch. Collins kicks Coronado away. He headmares Coronado into a stomp before tagging in Sanders for a double clothesline. Sanders keeps control of Coronado by the arm. Coronado picks at Sanders’ ankle. Sanders trips Coronado and tags in Mason for a double leg snap. Coronado rakes Mason’s eyes and tags in Defarge. Mason wiggles his way out of a grounded headlock. Crummels tags in. Mason twists up his arm and feeds him to Collins for a double axe handle off the top. Collins pulls Crummels into a short-arm lariat for two. He snapmares Crummels into a legdrop for two. We get a sequence where Crummels, Coronado, and Defarge each backed a member of the Sport to their corner for very little time (usually doing something gross) before they would escape and tag in another partner. Eventually, Mason overhand chops Coronado before snapmaring him into a vertical press. Sanders and Collins spit water into Defarge and Crummels’ face while Mason spits some into Coronado’s face. They stack up Casa Dorada in the corner before taking down the three of them back-to-back. Defarge and Crummels drag Collins and Sanders to the floor. Mason goes for a monkey flip on Coronado. Coronado counters with a folding press and puts his feet on the ropes to pin Mason at 14:55. This was clunky and confusing. The World of Sport team seemed to be more dastardly and cunning than their opponents which making for an odd dynamic. They also dominated most of the match before Coronado eked out a win, which just made them look weak, not cheap. While for some people seeing these World of Sport veterans come out of retirement is compelling, this match didn’t do it for me. *½
King of Trios 2017 First Round Match
The Furies (Fire Ant, Solo Darling & Travis Huckabee) vs. House Fight Club (Millie McKenzie, Kyle Fletcher & Omari)
Fire Ant sweeps out Fletcher’s leg to end a wristlock exchange. They pick up the pace and each get a pin attempt. Fletcher ducks a clothesline and comes off the middle rope with a crossbody. Fire Ant blocks a chop, holding onto Fletcher’s hand as he climbs up the ropes for a swinging Frankensteiner. McKenzie and Darling tag in. Darling tumbles through a wristlock and kicks McKenzie in the arm. She kicks McKenzie in the back, but McKenzie delivers one right back. They repeat the process, but this time McKenzie adds a chest kick. She misses a basement dropkick. Darling goes for the Sharp Stinger, but McKenzie makes it to the ropes quickly. Darling picks up speed off the ropes. McKenzie cuts her off with a forearm and drops her with an Ace Crusher! Huckabee throws her outside, making himself and Omari legal. After exchanging control on the mat, Omari lands a dropkick. Omari goes for another. This time, Huckabee avoids it and goes for an Oklahoma Roll. He gets two, so Huckabee ties up Omari’s legs and twists on his left foot. Fletcher grabs Huckabee’s arm, leading to a submission chain. Not knowing how to proceed, Darling forearms McKenzie in the face to break it. She goes for a hip attack, but McKenzie moves and Omari and Fletcher trip her. They toss Fire Ant and Huckabee outside for stereo pescados. McKenzie somersault sentons off the top onto everyone. In the ring, Darling spears McKenzi and gives Fletcher a tornado suplex. He avoids a spear and scoops her up into a Michinoku Driver. Fire Ant hits him with the Yahtzee Kick and delivers a tornado DDT. Omari deadlifts Fire Ant into the Doctor Bomb. Huckabee butterfly suplexes Omari. McKenzie kicks out his bridge and delivers a superkick. She belly-to-belly suplexes Huckabee into the corner. McKenzie slips out of Fire Ant’s brainbuster attempt. They trade waistlocks until McKenzie German suplexes Fire Ant. She gives one to Huckabee and then Darling as well. Huckabee hits McKenzie with a Jon Woo dropkick. Omari cracks him with a superkick. Fire Ant chops Omari and Fletcher rapid fire. He tries a double Frankensteiner but ends up taking a double powerbomb. McKenzie gives him a Canadian Destroyer. Omari tries a Complete Shot but Fire Ant brings him down in a cradle for two. Fletcher accidentally yakuza kicks Omari. Huckabee headbutts Omari in the chest to send him out. He catches McKenzie with a swinging Stretch Muffler. Darling locks her in the Sharp Stinger. McKenzie taps out at 14:02. The Fight Club Pro team did their company proud, especially Millie McKenzie who looked the most formidable against the CHIKARA contingent. Darling’s Sharp Stinger has been her move du jour, so it makes since to showcase it in this match. This was a nice pick me up from the previous encounter, getting the show back on course. ***
King of Trios 2017 First Round Match
House Xyberhawx (Sylverhawk, Razerhawk & Nytehawk) vs. House SENDAI Girls (Meiko Satomura, DASH Chisako & Cassandra Miyagi)
Sylverhawk ducks a cheap shot from Miyagi and takes her down with a hip toss. Her headbanging does not faze him, as he sends her to the corner with a shoulder block. Satomura and Nytehawk tag in. They exchange forearm strikes. Satomura sole butt kicks Nytehawk and puts him in a grounded abdominal stretch. They reach a stalemate after trading headlocks, with Satomura kicking Nytehawk out of the ring. Chisako trips Razerhawk into a kneeDT. Razerhawk gets an ankle hold on. Chisako kicks him away. They throw stereo dropkicks and stand off. Chisako elbows Nytehawk in the corner. He puts the brakes on a bulldog, putting her in the trajectory of a senton from Razerhawk off the middle rope. The Xyberhawx use frequent tags and team work to keep Chisako, the smallest of the SENDAI Girls, isolated in their corner. Chisako escapes a triple slam, DDTing Razerhawk. She avoids sentons from Sylverhawk and Nytehawk. Nytehawk accidentally pops her into dropkicks to Sylverhawk and Razerhawk. She drops Nytehawk with an Ace Crusher and tags in Miyagi. She whips Nytehawk to the corner and follows in with a forearm strike. She comes off the middle turnbuckle with a dropkick. Sylverhawk drills Miyagi with a superkick. He gives her a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Razerhawk does the deal with a Falcon Arrow for two. Razerhawk calls for a super Falcon Arrow. Miyagi knocks Razerhawk off the top and hits a top rope dropkick. Satomura tags in and Pele kicks Razerhawk. She stuffs him with a DDT and a cartwheel knee strike to the neck. Nytehawk clears the apron. He dropkicks Satomura to the floor and Sylverhawk suicide dives after her. Sylverhawk tope con hilo’s onto Miyagi. Nytehawk powerbombs Chisako back in the ring. He hits a Swanton Bomb. Sylverhawk follows up with a Sylver Splash. Chisako gets her shoulder up to stop the pin. She gets a few different pinning combos on Nytehawk to no avail. She hits a casadora bulldog on Nytehawk. Sylverhawk and Razerhawk interject to stop the pin.Satomura and Miyagi take care of the two of them while Chisako hits a frog splash on Nytehawk for the pin at 11:43. This was the Xyberhawx opportunity to shine and they did just that, which is totally fine because the SENDAI Girls have another round (at least) to show their stuff, and in a way it felt like a warm reunion for the fans as they did their signature offense to much delight. This was the match I was most looking forward to in the first round and it did not disappoint. ***¼
King of Trios 2017 First Round Match
House Throwback (Dasher Hatfield, “Mr. Touchdown” Mark Angelosetti & Simon Grimm) vs. House ATTACK! (Deputy Damian Dunne, Jim Obstruction & Lee Obstruction)
Los Federales Santos Jr., the bodyguard for the Anti-Fun Police, is in their corner.Hatfield snaps off a pair of armdrags on Jim. He puts on a standing abdominal stretch. Hatfield tries for a backslide, jut Jim jabs him in the throat. He also slaps Hatfield before begging off. Angelosetti snaps the bottom rope into Jim’s back, causing him to walk into a strike from Hatfield. Hatfield then puts on the Romero Special. Angelosetti tags in and bulldogs Jim out of the hold. Jim rolls out, bringing in Lee who gets body slammed into a splash. Angelosetti tries a magistral cradle but Lee is too close to the ropes. In comes Grimm who assists Angelosetti with a double Irish whip and sends him into Lee for a corner splash. Grimm throws him overhead with an exploder suplex. Dunne back elbows his way out of a waistlock. Grimm however gutwrench suplexes him tumbling out of the ring. Grimm catches Jim coming in, passing him off to Angelosetti for a slingshot Oklahoma roll. When that doesn’t work, Hatfield gives it a try, then Grimm, but none can get a count. Lee comes in only to be instantly caught with a slam by Grimm. Hatfield sets for a People’s Elbow, only for Dunne to use the siren on his megaphone to halt his momentum and send him outside. He also uses it in Angelosetti’s ear to stop his attack attempt. Grimm calls for the Attitude Adjustment. Jim pulls him off of his shoulders. Grimm hip tosses Jim. He tries to backdrop Lee. Lee counters with a sunset flip, and Jim comes in with a neckbreaker to Grimm across Lee’s knees. The Anti-Fun Police waste no time putting the boots to Grimm (literally) in their corner. Grimm clotheslines Dunne in mid-air as he comes off the second rope. Angelosetti fights off the Brothers of Obstruction upon tagging in. Lee ends up backdropping him onto Hatfield on the floor. The Brothers distract the referee while Santos wipes out the entire Throwback team with a suicide dive. The Anti-Fun Police now wear down Angelosetti in their corner. Angelosetti fights out of a triple team maneuver, rolls under the Brothers, and tags in Hatfield. He clotheslines Dunne to the floor, belly-to-belly suplexes Jim and pops Lee up into a Liger Bomb. Dunne superkicks Hatfield to stop the count. Angelosetti hits Dunne with a Stunner. Grimm hits the Attitude Adjustment. Hatfield hits the People’s Elbow. Jim and Lee break the cover. They send Grimm and Angelosetti to the floor. An elevated DDT from the Brothers of Obstruction floats into a springboard Code Breaker from Dunne onto Hatfield. That count is broken. Angelosetti palm strikes the Brothers in opposite corner. Angelosetti tries a reverse suplex on one of them. Dunne makes the save and hits an enzuigiri on Angelosetti. Grimm unwinds Dunne into a big boot. He gives Lee a brainbuster. He rolls Jim into a double arm Fujiawara armbar. Santos distracts Bryce and Dunne clobbers Grimm with the megaphone! Angelosetti shoves Lee off of Grimm just before the three count is made. Angelosetti tackles the Brothers in the corner. One of them avoids the Flea Flicker. They trap Angelosetti in the corner where Dunne can deliver several punches. Hatfield climbs on top of the Brothers and brings down Dunne with a super Jackhammer for the pin at 15:09. My only complaint about this was we didn’t get enough AFP shenanigans, but for a main event match, I can see why they wouldn’t go overboard. Otherwise, this was an excellent pairing with everyone playing their roles expertly. Grimm fit right in with Angelosetti and Hatfield in that his style is different, but complimentary to what the Throwbacks typiclaly offer as a duo. While I don’t think it was the best match of the show, it was a good choice to end the night, and I look forward to seeing how everyone fares the remainder of the weekend. ***¼
