I am Chikara: Ashes

Blog Entry

 

 

 

A few days ago a video started popping up around the internet of Lightning Mike Quackenbush talking to a construction worker.  It seems to be depicting the origins of Chikara in a way as what they are discussing is the work that needs to be done on the building that would become the Wrestle Factory and Quack is sporting the goatee I believe he had in 2002.

 

The video was (as far as I can tell) originally posted on the "Wrestling Is" subscription streaming video site.  It can now be viewed on Theashesof.com freely.  Also, if you click on the title word "Ashes" above the video it links to a couple of vine videos.  One just seems to be the footage showing Allentown from the full video posted to the site.  The other shows two members of the Colony (one of them is clearly Fire Ant, and I think the other is Green Ant but it is hard to tell him and Soldier Ant apart from behind).  They appear to be crossing a parking lot on a stormy night.  If it is Soldier who is with him then I speculate this is supposed to be around the time they first went to the Wrestle Factory to be trained.  The possibility I lean towards is that this is Fire Ant and Green Ant.  The title of the video is "The hunt is on...".  I think it is depicting them searching for Soldier Ant.  The main reason I say that is because on the main site it advertises the premiere of "Ashes - Man Down" on August 19.  I'm just speculating that this is about Soldier Ant based on the title though.  It could be anything.

 

All of this is, of course, just a few days after Icarus started his movement to save Chikara.  I was not in Easton on the 20th (sadly I was scheduled to work all weekend and couldn't make it), but I have heard from others that Icarus made a speech and handed out t-shirts that proclaim "I am Chikara" on them. 

 

Even though I'd prefer for them to be running shows like in the old days, I can't deny that this is still an exciting time to be a Chikara fan.  I'm looking forward to seeing where all this is going.  There won't be a "What Knowwon is thinking" section on this entry because I've made all the speculation I care to in the paragraphs above.

I Am Chikara

Blog Entry

  

 

I was originally going to do a post today about the contents of the Chikara prize pack that arrived for me yesterday, but something far more important has come up.  Last night on the Chikara 101 boards Icarus stated that he will be in Easton, PA on the 20th.  Specifically, he will be at the Palmer Center at 7 P.M.  For those who don't know, that is the day, location, and time that was listed for Chikara's next show before they all got listed as "Canceled".

 

His full statement can be found here:

http://chikara101.proboards.com/post/120219

 

It may require a sign-up for the Chikara101 boards to view it.  I'm not sure.  If it does, then let me summarize for anyone reading this who may not wish to sign up: Icarus tells about the first time Chikara "ended".  The Allentown, PA zoning board ruled that they could not continue operating shows out of the Wrestle Factory.  He talks about how they fought to turn their vision of pro wrestling into a reality.  He is disappointed that so many have chosen to accept that it's over and refuses to do so himself.  He says Chikara isn't some corporation.  Chikara is his family.  He is Chikara.  We are Chikara.  He wonders if we have forgotten that.

 

Easton, PA is a long way from where I live.  If I can find a way then I'll be there, but the odds of me being able to afford the trip lie somewhere between a longshot and a pipe dream.  Even if I can't be a part of it in person I'm very excited to hear that something is going down.  I've never given up hope that Never Compromise wasn't the end and it looks like that faith is about to be rewarded.  I don't know what will happen on the 20th, but knowing the Winged Ring Warrior, it's sure to be memorable. I encourage anyone who is capable of doing so to show up.

 

Another important piece of information I want to pass along for those who may not be aware of it.  The Titor Conglomerate has set about selling off the assets of Chikara for the last month.  A little tidbit of information that came up during that time is that they do not know the location of the Chikara Grand Championship. 

 

What Knowwon is thinking:

 

1. Knowwon owes any frequent readers an apology.  The last month has been sparse on updates.  I'll be making an announcement soon regarding the future of my writings about wrestling.

 

2. Knowwon should give Icarus an answer to his question:  He ended his post by saying "I am CHIKARA.  Are you?" Yes, Icarus.  Knowwon is CHIKARA, and proud of it.

 

3. Knowwon noticed that it has been a troubling year for championships in the world of professional wrestling.  I understand that at Wrestlecon, Kaiju Big Battel's Grand Championship also went missing.  I'm not saying these disappearances are in any way related, but you never know.

4. Knowwon wants to thank Icarus, and everyone who fought to make Chikara a reality.  Icarus said they fought to bring their "vision of pro wrestling to life".  After watching my first Chikara show I said "This is what pro wrestling should be".  So I want to thank everyone who was a part of it in the early days.  From the wrestlers to the referees to the fans who supported it in the early days, I thank all of you.

5. Knowwon knows that if he had been told a few months ago that he'd be rallying behind Icarus today he'd never have believed it.  Especially since behind Icarus is where his tattoo is most visible.

 

 

 

 



Sorry for my recent absence.  I've spent the last week working on a bio about Archibald Peck and focusing on the questions that arise from his travels through time.  Unfortunately, every time I read what I've written about that last part, it makes less and less sense.  I'm going to take a break from it and try to get something else written in the next couple of days.  Maybe a little time away from Peck will give me a chance to re-organize my thoughts on him.

Chikara Memories Blog Entry:

 

This one is a little more personal than what I've been writing so far.

 

 

I know I said earlier that I was going to do a profile piece on a wrestler tonight, but something else came up while I was on Twitter earlier.  Lots of people were sharing their favorite moments from their experiences as fans of Chikara and adding the hashtag #ChikaraMemories.  It was a moving thing to watch go through the feed.  Most of the tweets were from fans like me, but some of them were from the wrestlers themselves and commentator  Leonard F. Chikarason even joined in.  It was a wonderful feeling.  Everything that was tweeted was either something that made me go "I remember that.  It was great!" or "I wish I had seen that.  I'll have to look for the video of it" except the more personal experiences.  By personal experiences I mean that some of the tweets were about meeting the wrestlers during intermission or before or after the show. 

 

 I admit I haven't been to many indie wrestling shows and therefore don't know what the fan interaction is like in most promotions, but I can't imagine a more welcoming, fun, and friendly environment than the one created by the Chikara wrestlers, staff, and even fans.  I'm sorry to say I've only ever attended one Chikara event.  Most of them are several hundred miles from me.  That one event was the greatest experience I've ever had as a fan of professional wrestling.  I've been to WWE live shows.  I've even been to a WrestleMania, but nothing has ever matched the personal connection made by that Chikara show.  I'm going to share my most precious Chikara memories tonight.  The ones that don't fit in a 140 character limit.  I'm going to talk about my personal experience with the Chikara roster at "The Ghost of You Clings". 

 

I've talked on here before about Jakob Hammermeier greeting people at the door and joking and making conversation while we waited to get in.  That was the first moment that it felt real.  I was interacting with a wrestler I'd only ever seen on video.  It was one of those moments where I would have thought I'd be nervous, but I was having too much fun to be.  When the show started there was a match presented by Platinum Championship Wrestling (whose arena Chikara was borrowing for this show) as an opener.  Now I felt nervous.  I wasn't used to being only a few feet from the ring with no guardrail.

 

 

Pictured above: The view from my seat.

 

I was worried someone was going to fall over the top rope and land on me.  It was a silly thing to worry about (although I've seen it happen from time to time on videos), but these things cross your mind when you've got an anxiety disorder.  After the first match was over, Gavin Loudspeaker hit the ring to perform his protest song against Wink Vavasseur.  By the time he was done singing I had forgotten about being anxious.  Once again the fun had distracted me.  I was just excited about the show.

 

The night consisted of a lot of great matches that I'll have to do some sort of formal review of one day, and I'll save the great moments from the actual matches for that.  For now, I just want to share the personal experiences.  Sugar Dunkerton and I had met before, in fact if we hadn't I probably wouldn't have found Chikara.  I owe him a lot of thanks for that.

 

 

  

 

Why I gave him a copy of Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter is an inside joke that I won't go into here.

 

We talked a little during intermission before I made my way back over to Jakob.  Jakob had tried to sell me a t-shirt on the way in.  At the time I had said that I might get one later.  He had walked through between matches at one point and acted hurt when he saw I had found the time to buy an Ultramantis Black mask after blowing him off earlier.  I of course wound up buying a "Hairless Aggression" t-shirt from him.  I've given it to a good friend of mine who is bald and wasn't able go to the show.  I made my way over to ringside where I got a picture of Mark Angelosetti with the Young Lions Cup:

 

 

 

 

I went past Jigsaw without saying anything.  I was discovering that talking to people in masks was not something that came naturally to me.  I think it has something to do with not being able to see the other person's eyes.

 

I did go see Veronica Ticklefeather and had a good time talking to her for a few minutes.  She really is even more beautiful in person and was much more approachable than I expected.  I got an autograph and bought a couple of wrestling DVDs from her.

 

I regret not finding Gavin Loudspeaker during intermission.  I really should have thanked him for taking my mind off my nerves at the start of the show.  At the time I thought there would be a chance to talk to him later.

 

After intermission the second half of the show went on.  It was fantastic.  That's all I'll say until I review it.

 

The show ended and the handful of people who rushed out to get to their cars really missed out.  Some of the roster hadn't been around during intermission because they were getting ready for their matches.  At the end of the show nearly everybody was around.  3.0 had successfully defended the Campeonatos de Parejas in the main event and I walked up and shook their hands and told them it was great.  Then I suddenly felt anxious for the first time since Gavin's song at the start of the show.  Standing before me were several masked wrestlers.  that discomfort that had kept me from talking to Jigsaw earlier started to come back.  Then AssailAnt stepped forward, shook my hand and started talking with me.  My anxiety faded away again.  I've said before that he impressed me with his enthusiasm for the fans.  This was where he made a permanent impression on me.  I think the image of him standing there and eagerly talking to everyone he saw will always be the first thing I think about when I think about Chikara.

 

I spoke briefly again with Sugar Dunkerton before trying to make my way to my two final objectives for the night.  I thought about not telling this story because I'm worried it might be a violation of the promise I made to maintain Kayfabe in the first post of this blog but after due consideration I don't see the harm in sharing this. 

 

I made my way to a merchandise table that Kobald was standing behind.  I was there to deliver my tribute to the Batiri.  For anyone who doesn't know, there is a tradition of fans giving Pop Tarts to the Batiri as tribute.  I don't know how it started, but I decided I wanted to take part.  I approached Kobald and we started to talk.  I told him I had found some special tribute.  The Pop Tarts I had brought were a limited edition flavor.  I had only just got those words out of my mouth when a hand reached out from off to one side of me and grabbed the box.  I looked over and realized I had somehow not noticed Ophidian standing there.  He was staring at the box now in his hands (at least I think he was.  It's hard to tell with that mask of his).  I don't remember his exact words, but apparently what I brought was a very hard to find flavor that happened to be his favorite.  He proceeded to put the box on the table and reach out his arms.  Before I knew what was happening I was being hugged by a man with a cobra-head.  This may have been both the most awesome thing to happen to me that night and the scariest thing to happen to me that night.  On the one hand, I was receiving an unsolicited hug from a wrestler who has given me many hours of entertainment.  On the other hand, I am terrified of snakes.  Thankfully, the wrestling fan in me won out over the ophidiophobic in me.  I returned the hug and after talking to Ophidian and Kobald for a minute I moved on to my final goal.

 

I was nervous again, so nervous I nearly forgot how to speak.  I was about to meet my favorite wrestler.  I was about to meet The Great and Devious Ultramantis Black!  I didn't get to talk to him long (which may have been a blessing given my anxious state).  There was a line of people waiting to meet him and I didn't want to be rude.  We talked for a minute, I bought a shirt, and I got the guy in line behind me to take a picture:

 

My night felt complete, but it wasn't quite over.  On the way out the door I ran into Chikara's senior referee Bryce Remsburg and decided to congratulate him on doing a good job as ring announcer (he had to take over part way through the show when Tim Donst attacked Gavin).  I also asked him to pass along to Gavin that we all hoped he recovered soon.  I also shook hands with Frightmare before heading out the door.

Finally, just outside the arena I met Saturyne and got a picture with her:

   

What Knowwon is thinking:

 

1. Knowwon has had an epiphany.  I know I said I was going to look into more of the conspiracy stuff, but I think I've changed my mind.  There are others handling the Titor Conglomerate's dirty laundry and doing a better job than I ever could.  After tonight I've decided that what is more important is to do my part to keep the spirit of Chikara alive and fresh in people's minds.  I'll be writing about their previous events and about the wrestlers who have made up the roster.  I still don't believe the doors have shut for good, and that we members of the Chikarmy should stay positive and hopeful for now. 

 

2.  Knowwon intends to start covering other events featuring members of the Chikara roster.  Readers who are new to Chikara may not be aware, but Chikara actually has several sister organizations that feature many of the same wrestlers.  I made a few vague allusions to them in previous posts, but I plan to start with one called Wrestling is Fun! and go from there.

 

3. Knowwon encourages everyone who reads this to make their own Chikara memories.  While my favorite ones are of the show I attended, I've had several good ones from shows I've bought on smvod.com. Chikara's sister organizations (Wrestling is Fun!, Wrestling is Cool, Wrestling is Heart, Wrestling is Intense, Wrestling is Art, Wrestling is Respect, and Wrestling is Awesome) also have their shows available there.  And if, unlike me, you live close enough to go see one of those shows in person I can't recommend it enough.

 

4. Knowwon has a recommendation for new Chikara viewers.  If you want a good show to give you a feel for what Chikara is like, my favorite is Chikarasaurus Rex: How to Hatch a Dinosaur.  If anyone has a favorite they'd like to suggest to a new viewer please post it in the comments.

Just a couple of quick notes.  The Titor Conglomerate now has a twitter account (Update: A representative of Worldwide Media Development Corporation has implied on the Chikara101 forum that this account is an imposter.).  Still no response to the query I sent them yesterday.  They seem to be following most of the Chikara related accounts and several fans.  Not me yet though, and I'm starting to think that may be for the best.  Leonard F. Chikarason who was a commentator for Chikara (and was the Director of Fun until a few years ago) has announced he is looking for work.  AssailAnt tweeted that he is a free agent last night.  I wish him nothing but the best and intend to watch him wrestle wherever he goes from here.  There has been absolutely zero twitter activity from Bryce Remsburg or Gavin Loudspeaker since "Never Compromise".  I'm not saying that means anything, but they were both pretty active on there before.  Wink Vavasseur hasn't tweeted since the event either, but he didn't do so very often before so I'm not that surprised. 

I'll probably do a profile piece on a wrestler later if nothing else newsworthy comes up today.

Chikara Aniversario Countdown Question

 

Did I win a contest?

 

I missed the Aniversario Countdown Show due to having to work.  I tried to watch when I got home but apparently it was only a live stream.  I should have probably posted about that on Saturday night.  I just found out a little while ago on twitter that someone was conspiracy theorizing about the Aniversario prize pack contest they held.  Contestants submitted blogs, videos, artwork, etc. promoting the Chikara Aniversario show on twitter to be entered to win a prize package of Chikara merchandise.  There were supposed to be 6 random winners and one handpicked by Gavin Loudspeaker.  The conspiracy theorist was saying they didn't think the handpicked winner existed because their name was something like "nooneatall".  If this means what I think it means then let me say in the hope that he reads this:

 

Thank you Gavin!

 

If the rumors be true and I have won then I need to know what to do next.  I submitted the blog not expecting to be chosen and  I had thought I'd be contacted if I won so I hadn't really been worrying about it.  I suppose part of the problem might be how to contact me.  I can be messaged on twitter as @knowwonattawl of  course, or contacted via email at knowwonattawl@gmail.com 

 

I actually asked about this on the Chikara101 message board a few hours before I found that tweet that tipped me off.  (On there I'm just Knowwon)

 

For any regular readers reading this I apologize if it seems a little incoherent.  I'm too excited to structure my thoughts properly right now.

 

I'll try to be patient about this.  I know there is a lot going on right now.  If it isn't true then I hope someone tells me that as well. 

 

What Knowwon is thinking:

 

1. Knowwon is doing this section even in a post like this.  Why not?

 

2. Knowwon will try not to be too disappointed if it turns out this isn't true

 

3. Knowwon wants to say regardless of whether I won or not that I saw a lot of great entries posted on twitter.  A lot of people did some great work to promote "Never Compromise"

 

4. Knowwon is going to go try to calm down now by watching a fun show where people fight over a banana.

Chikara Post-Aniversario blog:

Changes, Conspiracy Theories, Where I Go From Here, and A Brief Mention of The Dutch



 

 

Chikara's current status is largely unknown right now.  The remaining shows they had announced for the year are now listed as cancelled on their website.  This would imply that they are no longer doing business.  On the other hand, updates were made to the roster page which would be sort of odd for a dead company.  There are several weeks before the allegedly cancelled next show.  In the interim I will be keeping an eye out for any changes.  I suggest everyone do the same. 

 

This blog is going to undergo a few changes from my original plans for it.  When I started writing these posts (less than a week ago, but it feels like a different lifetime) I figured I would just continue to discuss the events that led to the matches at each new show, write a reflection and a review after I saw the show and maybe do some profiles of the wrestlers themselves.  That changed yesterday.  Derek Sabato put everyone watching last night's show on alert about Chikara's mysterious parent  companies; Worldwide Media Development and their owners the Titor Conglomerate.  Everything I find on them (and there has been very little so far) just leaves me with more questions.  They are a puzzle and I may post from time to time about any pieces I fit together.  I never planned on this being a conspiracy blog, but calling it "Knowwon is Talking About This" sounds almost prophetic now.

 

There are often things in life that we don't come out and say because people feel awkward about showing enthusiasm for something, but sometimes there is a time and a place.  I've heard a lot of negative things from people since yesterday's show and many of them seem angry.  Others seem to have decided that Chikara simply is no more and have tried to tell me that there is no point even talking about it from here on.  If I haven't already made it clear then let me say it now: I love Chikara.  It is what I think wrestling should be.  It's Cool in its own way.  It has Heart.  It is a form of Art.  It shows Respect for the fans and for the history of the sport.  It' Awesome.  And it's fun!  I'm not giving up on it so easily.

 

In the last 24 hours I've begun researching a lot of strange things that may be connected to how "Never Compromise" ended.  I sent a message to the Titor Conglomerate and hope to hear a response soon.  I also contacted the International Society for the Research and Preservation of Paranormal Artifacts.  I don't think they are involved in this, but I think they might unknowingly have some answers that could help, plus I think they do interesting work. 

 

I was planning on posting my explanation of Archibald Peck's time travel adventures tonight, but I stumbled on a new detail that seemed important and want to research it fully before I post my analysis. 

 

 

What Knowwon is thinking:

 

1. Knowwon forgot to mention that on commentary last night Bryce Remsburg was openly criticizing Wink Vavasseur.  After the fact this makes it seem like Bryce knew something was going down and felt he had nothing to lose with his statements.

 

2. Knowwon is sad to report that regardless of the status of Chikara,  The lovely Veronica Ticklefeather revealed today that she has left the company.  She has indicated her intention is to travel for a while and that she may return someday.  I wish her the best of luck and look forward to seeing her at ringside again in the future.

 

3. Knowwon asks that anyone who has information on Chikara's status, the Titor Conglomerate, Worldwide Media Development, or Condor Security, please send me a message at knowwonattawl@gmail.com 

 

4. Knowwon would like to end this on a lighter note by mentioning that Blogger shows a geographical breakdown of who is viewing my posts.  I was surprised to see the country I have the second largest readership in is The Netherlands.  I just wanted to say that that was a pleasant surprise and thanks for reading.  I hope you everyone continues to enjoy the blog. 

 

 

 



Reflections on Aniversario:

 

Warning, if you haven't watched "No Compromise" be aware that there are spoilers ahead.

 

 

 

 

 

There are a lot of unanswered questions amongst the Chikarmy right now.  I have many myself and intend to cover them at by end of this post, but first and foremost I want to address the wrestling.  No matter how the night ended the matches that took place should be given the attention they've earned.

 

I wouldn't officially call this a review of the show on my part.  I'll probably want to do a more complete one of those when I can re-watch the show for the details I might have missed.  I'm trying to be a little experimental with this.  The matches are not covered in the order in which they happened, but in the order in which I am eager to talk about them.  (I sometimes have trouble ratcheting down my enthusiasm when it comes to wrestling.)   The only exception to this is the Main Event which I am covering last due to its complicated nature.  When I do an actual review I will stick to chronological order, but I think this is a good way of organizing my first impressions and what I have taken away from the experience that was "Never Compromise". 

 

I'm going to start with the match I was most invested in, and if you read my earlier blog entries then you know that I'm talking about the hair vs. hair match between Gavin Loudspeaker and Tim Donst.  I have to admit that I was shocked by how well prepared for this match Gavin was.  Those few weeks training in the Wrestle Factory left him with a better offense than I could have anticipated.  I nearly did a spit-take when he locked in one of Saturyne's favorite holds almost as well as she does it.  I'm not saying he should quit his day job, but for his first time in the ring this was really impressive.  Of course, Gavin's surprising in-ring skills weren't the only highlight of the match. Gavin would win in large part due to interference from Jakob Hammermeier.  Part-way through the match, Jakob was called into the ring by Donst.  I'm not sure what he wanted Jakob to do, but Donst sat on the top turnbuckle while Jakob wandered over to a prone Gavin.  The referee was distracted because Donst had just knocked Steven "The Turtle" Weiner off the ring apron.  Donst was pretty abusive towards his followers throughout this match.  He even broke Veronica's baton and threw the pieces at her.  Jakob eventually turned away from Gavin and approached Donst.  In a moment that defines "catharsis" Jakob hit Donst with the knockout punch he has been using in matches for several months.  Jakob then fled into the crowd where he celebrated for a few moments with the Chikarmy who I think he has finally accepted are his true friends.  I couldn't be happier for him than I was in that moment.  Gavin eventually found his way to his feet and seeing Donst was sitting knocked out on the top rope finished him off with a superplex.  Gavin fell unconscious after the pinfall and sadly wasn't even awake when Donst came around and realized he was going to have his head shaved again.  While Donst was still coming to grips with what was going on, The Turtle walked out on him in anger over Donst hitting him during the match.  This only left Veronica at ringside in his corner.  The crowd chanted her name as she entered the ring.  She walked up to Donst and slapped him across the face before making her way to the back.  It's a good feeling to know that all three of Donst's followers have found their way out of his shadow.  Gavin remained unconscious in the ring, and I have to give Donst credit.  He took the razor and shaved his own head before leaving the ring.  It's a stark contrast to his reluctance to cut his hair last year at "Chikarasaurus Rex".  I don't know if Gavin could hear the announcement that he had won.  I wish he had been in good enough condition to make it himself.

 

 

Next I want to talk about The Colony vs. The Devastation Corporation.  If the hair vs. hair match was about emotional investment, this one was about pure adrenalin  This match never slowed down from start to finish.  I wish I could remember more detail of what happened but most of it is a blur.  I remember Max Smashmaster throwing Fire Ant off the stage, and being surprised to see the Hot Property on his feet again later in the match.  I remember some brutal offense from Blaster McMassive.  I remember a very impressive cross-body from the top rope to the floor by AssailAnt that took down all three members of The DC.  I remember Green Ant doing an insane dive from the balcony of the Trocadero that wiped out almost everyone.  I remember Sidney Bakabella trying to interfere on more than one occasion and the last attempt earning him a superkick from Green Ant.  And I remember Green Ant locking in the Cloverleaf on Blaster McMassive for a submission victory.  This was a great contest with lots of great offense.  I'm used to matches featuring larger competitors having a slower pace, but that definitely was not the case here.  I should also mention that The Colony showed some fantastic team work throughout.  If these six decide they want to lock horns (or antennae as the case may be) again, then I look forward to it. 

 

 

Going from The Colony to its cheap knock-off, The Colony X-treme Force vs. The Spectral Envoy was rather intense.  I would first like to note that DeviAnt was not in the corner of his team.  I don't know what kept him away, but that was definitely a boon for The Spectral Envoy.  Despite the absence of their leader X-treme Force exhibited some great strategy and teamwork with a minimum of time wasted on self-promotion.  They really were working like a well-oiled machine.  Ultramantis Black and Frightmare showed obvious signs of the rage they have expressed towards the X-treme Force several times during the match.  They did not, however, allow it to make them do anything stupid.  In fact, the only real evidence of their anger were the loud sounds of the impacts that echoed through the arena whenever they would strike.  Hallowicked would finish off this match by making Orbit Adventure Ant tap out to the Chikara Special (a very complex but effective submission hold developed in Chikara by Mike Quackenbush). 

 

 

In the free to watch pre-show Saturyne faced Mr. Touchdown Mark Angelosetti for the Young Lions Cup.  When I wrote about this match before, I said I hoped for Saturyne to win.  She didn't, but I'm not upset about it.  Mr. Touchdown won this match fairly, and while he showed no sportsmanship after the match (he interrupted Dasher Hatfield who was offering Saturyne a handshake as congratulation for a good effort), I cannot fault him for his behavior during the match.  I also realized that it can be seen as a good thing that Saturyne did not win the cup this time.  The Young Lions Cup tournament usually takes place in the summer.  If she had won the championship now then she would have had a very short reign before a new champion was crowned because  the holder of the Cup is not allowed to enter the tournament.  Just like last time, this was a great contest between these two.

 

 

Leaving the matches I've already written about the build toward (I'm saving the Main Event for last), let's talk about 3.0 vs. Pieces of Hate.  This match was for the Campeonatos de Parejas and was therefore two out of three falls.  Jigsaw and The Shard have blended very well as a team in a very short amount of time.  They only started teaming together at the end of last year, but the way they work together makes it seem like a lot longer than that.  3.0 have more than a decade of history as a team so their continuity is a little more understandable.  This was a hard fought match.  I was surprised that Jigsaw and Shard worked over Shane Matthews for most of the match.  I had expected them to attack Scott Parker's ribs that the Batiri injured at "The Ghost of You Clings".  The first two falls were split between them.  In the end, Pieces of Hate won the titles in the third fall when Shane Matthews was knocked out by a superkick from Jigsaw while The Shard had him in an ankle-lock.  I'm a big fan of 3.0 and thought I would be disappointed when the day came that they lost the titles, but that doesn't seem to be the case.  I think it's because I'm still a fan of Jigsaw despite his change in attitude over the last several months.

 

 

Amasis vs. Ophidian wasn't quite the match I expected, which in some ways was a blessing.  Don't get me wrong, I expected a great match.  I found myself going into it lamenting that most matches between former long-time tag team partners tend to involve more counters than successful moves.  It's a by-product of the wrestlers knowing each other so well.  Thankfully, neither of these men were interested in fighting defensively for long.  The first ever Sarcophagus match was unique to say the least.  It featured some very hard-hitting moves, including an Egyptian Destroyer (a flipping piledriver) onto the lid of the Sarcophagus.  Both men seemed determined to wear each other down before attempting to win the match (I should probably mention that in order to win this match one man had to seal his opponent inside the Sarcophagus.)  Kobald interfered at one point, but didn't really do Ophidian any favors as Kobald accidentally speared him instead of Amasis.  Ophidian became desperate at one point and attempted to use a mind-control trick that is part of his arsenal to get Amasis to seal himself inside the Sarcophagus.  Amasis proved to be too strong-willed for Ophidian's hypnosis to end this one, but it was a close thing.  There came a point at the end when Ophidian knew he was beaten and just asked Amasis to finish him off.  Amasis removed Ophidian's mask (which would have drawn a disqualification in a normal match) and revealed that he was wearing the mask Amasis had worn during their days as a team underneath.  Amasis would seal Ophidian inside the Sarcophagus.  Before the match took place both men said that this would be the end of things between them.  I wonder what their individual futures hold.

 

 

Delirious fought Dasher Hatfield in a rematch from  Chikara's season opener event in February.  The encounter between these two earlier in the year was very short and saw Dasher pick up the victory.  After the match Delirious attacked Dasher (with some help from his hench-goblin Kobald).  At "Never Compromise", Dasher was just returning from an injury to his ribs that he suffered at the hands of The Devastation Corporation.  I was surprised when I heard he wasn't going straight after them upon his return but was instead looking to settle a score with Delirious.  This match nearly ended as quickly and suddenly as their last one.  Both men showed signs of a vicious-streak in this match, which is par for the course for Delirious but very unusual for Dasher.  Normally Dasher tries to have fun in a match, but he decided to forgo most of his usual antics and faced Delirious head-on.  If not for a timely spear by Kobald while the referee's back was turned this likely would have been a win for The Old-Timey King of Swing.  Unfortunately, Delirious would steal this one.

 

 

Finally, we come to the Main Event.  Eddie Kingston vs. Icarus for the Chikara Grand Championship was far different from how I imagined it when the match was first announced months ago.  I wouldn't have guessed back then that Icarus would be the crowd favorite and Kingston would get a decidedly mixed reaction.  I wouldn't have imagined Icarus coming to the ring in gear that was a replica of Marty Jannetty's attire from 1993.  I wouldn't have expected Jannetty to agree to be at the show in support of Icarus but to then be conspicuous by his absence.   I couldn't have predicted that Icarus would play by the rules but that Kingston would use a chair as a weapon while the referee was down.  It was all quite surprising, but not as surprising as what came after.  Icarus would fight off the pain from the chair shots to his back (I like to think his tattoo absorbed some of it) and after a dramatic comeback he would lock in the Chikara Special.  It seemed like the perfect ending to a great match between two Chikara Gen-1 Originals.  As Kingston appeared to lose consciousness the referee checked his arm.  The arm dropped twice and if it dropped a third time Icarus would be the champion and the long reign of The War King would be at an end.  We will never know if his arm would have dropped that third time.  A group of men who I believe Dasher Hatfield identified on commentary as "Condor Security officers" stormed the ring and removed the referee and both competitors from it.  Wink Vavasseur, looking very disheveled came out and began directing them to disassemble the Chikara set at the entry way.  The last thing I heard before the feed went black was a voice I believe to be Chikara Senior Referee Bryce Remsburg saying he saw Archibald Peck (Update: Upon watching the replay I am quite sure this was Leonard F. Chikarason who had been on commentary for the match.  There were a lot of confusing things going on in the last few minutes of the broadcast and I misremembered this one.).  Peck is a can of worms I won't get into tonight, but I will try to summarize the strange saga of his career in another entry in the near future.

 

 

The last thing I want to cover before I get to my closing thoughts is an interlude that happened partway through the night.  A man named Derek Sabato who I am mostly unfamiliar with but I have heard used to be a referee in Chikara announced that he had information about the company that owns Chikara.  He had an envelope with him that I believe was seen at the end of "The Shoulder of Pallas" event at which time it was given to Mike Quackenbush.  How it came to be in Sabato's possession is purely a matter of speculation, but I believe he did mention being in contact with another "former Chikara employee" which would indeed describe Quackenbush.  Sabato tweeted a picture of some of the executives from a company known as the Titor conglomerate which is the owner of Worldwide Media Development who I understand bought Chikara in 2011.  One of the executives he mentions is named Conrad Vavasseur.  I can't confirm it myself, but I have heard some say that this is the father of Wink Vavasseur.  Sabato never got to finish his announcement.  He was escorted out of the ring at Wink Vavasseur's orders.  I believe he left his envelope behind.     

 

 

What Knowwon is thinking: 

 

1.  Knowwon spent this entire show in anticipation.  Chikara really pulls out all the stops during their IPPV matches.

 

2.  Knowwon hopes Gavin suffered no injuries in his match.  He had to be helped out of the ring even though he was victorious.

 

3.  Knowwon is unsure whether Tim Donst and Jakob Hammermeier will seek each other out in the ring following the events of the hair vs. hair match.  It's not hard to imagine either of them wanting to fight the other (Jakob because of over a year of mistreatment, Donst because Jakob cost him his hair).  On the other hand, Jakob may feel he has avenged himself with one punch and may not want a match against his former friend and Donst seemed oddly at peace after shaving his head.  If it happens, I welcome it.

 

4.  Knowwon wonders why Ophidian was wearing the mask of Amasis underneath his own.  It also doesn't hurt to wonder if Amasis plans on keeping the mask he took off of Ophidian.

 

5.  Knowwon can only imagine what evil task kept DeviAnt from supporting his team in their match.

 

6.  Knowwon was glad to see Dasher Hatfield make his return to action so soon after his injury.

 

7.  Knowwon can't believe Marty Jannetty broke his word.  What could have kept him from being at ringside?

 

8.  Knowwon wants to know just what was in the envelope Sabato had with him.  Could its contents have something to do with the way the show ended?

 

9.  Knowwon isn't sure it's a coincidence that the show was interrupted just as Eddie Kingston's title reign appeared to be in jeopardy.  It seems odd that Wink Vavasseur's panicked actions at the conclusion of the broadcast may have prevented the title change he has so desperately sought for months now.

Trying to do some extra research for Amasis vs. Ophidian.  Might be a couple of days before it's up.

Chikara Aniversario Blog:

The Colony vs. The Devastation Corporation

 

 

This match is a bit of a challenge to write about because the issue between these two teams really only began at The Tag World Grand Prix and that event isn't available yet on smvod.com as of this writing.  Since the only details I know are that a third member of The Devastation Corporation debuted at the event and that the three of them ganged up on two members of The Colony, I'll be focusing more on who the participants are this time instead of why they are fighting.

 

 

First I'd like to talk about The Colony. 

 

Let's start with Green Ant pictured below, I should probably mention that most of my pictures of Colony members were taken while they were in motion.  I rarely saw them any other way..

Green Ant has spent most of the last year and a half building a reputation as an excellent singles wrestler.  He is a submission specialist and the only member of the Chikara roster to make both "Lightning" Mike Quakenbush and Chikara Grand Champion Eddie Kingston tap out.  The latter was in a non-title match, but a rematch with the title on the line took place (after a slight delay) and unfortunately Green Ant was unsuccessful.  I'm hoping a rubber match will eventually take place as I think Green Ant pushed Kingston to his limit like no other opponent has.

Fire Ant, affectionately referred to as "The Hot Property" is a talented high-flyer and the most decorated member of The Colony.  He is a former holder of the Young Lion's Cup and co-held the Campeonatos de Parejas with former Colony member Soldier Ant.  I'm not sure if it technically counts anymore because of Wink Vavasseur's ridiculous politicking, but Fire Ant and Green Ant were (along with Soldier Ant) the 2011 King of Trios.  That title was stripped from them and given to The Colony X-Treme Force earlier this year at the order of the "Director of Fun".

AssailAnt is a relative newcomer to The Colony.  He was placed into the group last year via more meddling by Wink Vavasseur.  Fortunately, this is one of the few decisions the "Director of Fun" has ever made that had at least one good side effect.  AssailAnt has truly found a home with The Colony and has thrived as a member.  I'm only sorry that Soldier Ant was removed from The Colony as part of the deal.  Most of his time since joining up has been spent in a tag team with Fire Ant.  They've had mixed success, but that mostly stemmed from Fire Ant being reluctant to trust him in the early days.  When you consider that AssailAnt originally entered Chikara as part of a group determined to unmask and replace The Colony it isn't hard to understand why.  These days it's hard to believe there was a time when AssailAnt wasn't a fan favorite.  He shows great chemistry with his partners in The Colony, and when I saw him interacting with fans at "The Ghost of You Clings" I was in awe.  He was enthusiastically approaching fans, shaking their hands and talking to them.  Most of the Chikara roster is welcoming and friendly to the fans at their shows, but AssailAnt was different.  He almost made it feel like he had come there to see us instead of it being the other way around.  I hope for a bright and successful future for the Big Blue Ant.


I don't have any pictures to share of The Devastation Corporation.  They didn't make it to the Chikara show in Porterdale, GA.  I imagine that if I were to ask their manager, one Sidney Bakabella, he would probably tell me that Ole Anderson has some kind of grudge against him, or that Jim Barnett didn't return his calls.  Bakabella acts like wrestling is still operating under the territory system it used to follow and frequently name-drops promoters and workers from the 70's and 80's.  I suspect he has some odd form of amnesia.  What he definitely does have is an impressive team in his stable,  The Devastation Corporation are behemoths in face-paint which is a proud wrestling tradition.  I don't have as much to say about them because they only debuted at King of Trios last September, but they have made a big impact in a very short amount of time.

Blaster McMassive is tall, muscle-bound and surprisingly agile.  It's a rare thing to see a man of at least six and a half feet in height leap from a standing position all the way to the top rope, or at least it was until McMassive debuted. 

His partner is Mas Smashmaster.  Smashmaster  is the largest man currently working for Chikara.  I don't know his exact weight, but I would speculate that it hovers around the 400 pound mark.  Both he and McMassive have shown a tremendous knack for absorbing pain without any noticeable effect.  They have already earned a shot at the Campeonatos de Parejas, but were unsuccessful in their attempt to take them from 3.0

I haven't seen the third man for The Devastation Corporation.  I only know his name.  He is called Flex Rumblecrunch.  I don't know what Rumblecrunch is capable of, but if he is as powerful as either of his partners then this will be a great challenge for The Colony.

What Knowwon is thinking:

1. Knowwon hopes to see The Colony victorious here and that they can then set their compound eyes on larger prizes than revenge.

2. Knowwon distrusts Sidney Bakabella.  He hasn't had to resort to interfering in The Devastation Corporation's matches often, but if defeat seems to be coming their way I would keep my eye on him.

3. Knowwon thinks that Rumblecrunch sounds like a great name for a wrestling-themed breakfast cereal.

4. Knowwon is looking forward to seeing how the skills of The Colony match up to the raw power of The Devastation Corporation.

Chikara Aniversario: Never Compromise can be watched live at smvod.com on June 2nd 2013



Chikara Aniversario Blog:

Saturyne vs. Mr. Touchdown

Young Lions Cup

 

 

For anyone unfamiliar with the Young Lions Cup, it's a championship in Chikara that only the younger roster members are eligible to compete for, and it usually marks the first step in a great career.  Many of Chikara's greatest and most accomplished wrestlers have held the cup, and early in 2012  two competitors debuted who have seemed a perfect fit for it.

The first would be the current champion, Mr. Touchdown Mark Angelosetti:

 

Angelosetti has had a great run since coming to Chikara.  I could say a lot about the reprehensible actions he has taken over such a short time, (maiming Sapphire, ripping an antennae off of Soldier Ant, etc.)  but I can't deny what he has accomplished.  Angelosetti was brought into Chikara by his step-cousin-in-law Dasher Hatfield and while they clash verbally from time to time on the subject of fair play they have proven an effective team nonetheless.  They even had a shot at the Campeonatos de Parejas (tag team championships) at one time.  Mr. Touchdown was also a recent challenger for the Chikara Grand Championship.  Despite coming up short in his attempts to gain those particular titles, Angelosetti has seen great success by winning, and on numerous occasions successfully defending the Young Lions Cup. 

The other relatively recent addition to the Chikara roster who has made a big impact in just a little over a year is the challenger for the cup on Sunday.  She is the Luchadora Intergalactica Saturyne:

Saturyne is a high-flyer who made a big impression early last year by teaming up with Sara Del Rey against the Batiri.  Several losses and an injury late in the year did little to take the shine off of this sensational young star.

This won't be the first time these two have clashed over the Young Lions Cup.  At the "While the Dawn is Breaking" event in February Saturyne got her first chance at championship glory and came up short.  While it's tempting to just assume that history will likely repeat itself on Sunday, the situation is not so simple.

Mr. Touchdown finds himself in a similar position to when they last met.  Despite being a champion he finds himself now as he found himself then; with something to prove.   Last time he was coming off a defeat at the hands of a righteously vengeful Archibald Peck.  Not only did he lose a match in his fight with Archie, but his girlfriend and manager Veronica left him because of the humiliation they suffered.  When he fought Saturyne the next day he had to prove to himself and the world that he was still on top of his game and that he could continue to win without Veronica in his corner.  This time, he faces Saturyne coming off of another major and perhaps more disheartening loss.  The last match Mr. Touchdown wrestled prior to Aniversario was a failed attempt to take the Grand Championship from Eddie Kingston.  He gave Kingston everything he had, and it wasn't enough to achieve victory.  How will that loss affect him going into this encounter?  Will he rise with a greater determination to prove himself a champion?  Or has self-doubt taken root in the mind of the so-called "Interception of Perfection"?

Saturyne's circumstances going into this match on the other hand are very different than they were in February.  The first time she challenged Mr. Touchdown she was newly returned from the aforementioned injury that had put her out of action for a few months.  Going into Aniversario however, not only has she been active, she has been on quite a roll.  In fact, Saturyne hasn't suffered a singles loss in Chikara since her last shot at the Young Lions Cup.  Kobald, Missile Assault Ant, and former Young Lions Cup champion Tim Donst have all met defeat at her hands in recent months.  This time Saturyne has every reason to be confident and I think the constellation of Saturyne the Lioness could be written in the stars in the near future.

What Knowwon's Thinking:

1. Knowwon is eager to see Saturyne emerge from this contest as the first Young Lioness Champion.  I think she is ready for that honor.

2. Knowwon will not be surprised if Mr. Touchdown has a few underhanded tricks up his sleeve.  It certainly wouldn't be the first time.

3. Knowwon is relieved that this is at least one match at Aniversario where there are no outside parties with a vested interest in the outcome.  That means the odds of outside interference are low.

4. Knowwon  expects a great contest from these two.  They really seemed to give it their all last time, and I am very excited for the rematch.

Chikara Aniversario: Never Compromise can be watched live at smvod.com on June 2nd 2013, and this particular match will be available for free at 3:30 PM Eastern Time on the same website.

Chikara Aniversario Blog:

Eddie Kingston vs. Icarus

Chikara Grand Championship

 

 

The Grand Championship; the highest honor obtainable by a single wrestler in Chikara.  It has existed for less than two years.  In that time, only one man has held it:

 

Eddie Kingston, the War King. 

It has been a difficult reign for Eddie.  Sometimes it seems like everyone is trying to take what is his.  But nobody is more eager to see him lose his title than the "Director of Fun" Wink Vavasseur.  Thanks to an edict from Wink, Kingston is defending the Grand Championship at every Chikara show.  Since Chikara usually runs two shows a month on back to back days this means he defends the title two nights in a row most of the time.  That may not sound like a lot, but when you realize that his opponent for the second night can take advantage of any injuries he sustains the first night it's easy to see why this is so dangerous.  The toll it is taking on his body is obvious.  One of his hands is healing from an out of ring injury, one of his knees is heavily padded because so many opponents have worked it over, and the only person who knows how many aches and pains that are invisible to outside eyes are running through his body is Eddie himself.  Despite all of this he continues to persevere.  Fortunately, for the Aniversario there is only one show and therefore only one title defense.  Unfortunately for Eddie that one defense is against a Chikara Gen-1 Original.

The challenger's name is Icarus:

I'd have a pretty good shot of him if not for that ring rope. :(

Icarus has a lot of experience and a lot of talent, but at the moment he doesn't seem to have a lot of confidence.  Over the years there has always been someone in his corner.  In his early days when he went by the name Ichabod Slayne his tag partner was Hallowicked.  As Icarus he formed a group called F.I.S.T. with Gran Akuma.  Chuck Taylor would join them and Gran Akuma would be replaced by Johnny Gargano.  Last year Sugar Dunkerton would be made a part of F.I.S.T. by order of Wink Vavasseur.  The disagreements this caused within the group would eventually tear it apart.  First Gargano would leave, then Taylor.  Finally, after much frustration with Icarus and his tendency to cheat the straw that broke Sugar Dunkerton's back would fall during his match at "The Ghost of You Clings" in Porterdale, GA.  Icarus interfered and got Sugar disqualified in front of what was essentially a hometown crowd for him.  With Sugar declaring himself a free agent and now gone from the Chikara roster by order of the "Director of Fun",  Icarus finds himself staring down the greatest challenge of his career and for the first time he is without any Friends In Similar Tights (yes, that is what F.I.S.T. stood for).   So, the Winged Ring Warrior has made a plea.  In a blog on Chikarapro.com he has asked his idol for help.  He wants Marty Jannetty in his corner.  At the time of this writing Jannetty has not given an answer.

Unlike the feuds I've discussed earlier on the blog this one isn't the result of a heated rivalry or a long-standing hatred so there isn't as much to say about it.  However, the stakes are very high so I expect this one to be intense.

What Knowwon is thinking:
1. Knowwon isn't sure who to cheer for in this one.  Eddie Kingston would seem the obvious choice, but if Marty Jannetty does show up as a corner-man for Icarus it will be hard to decide.
2. Knowwon wonders what Icarus expects of Jannetty if he does show up.  The moral support of an idol can be worth a lot, but in the past Icarus has been used to some rule-breaking assistance on the part of his cohorts.  Would Jannetty go for any of that?
3. Knowwon imagines that if Jannetty doesn't show up that the demoralization alone could spell the end for the title hopes of Icarus.
4. Knowwon isn't about to let this blog entry end without joking at least once about Icarus attempting to soar higher than ever before by going for the Grand Championship.
5. Knowwon is always wary of potential interference by Wink Vavasseur.  The Aniversario show is a pretty big deal.  It isn't hard to imagine the "Director of Fun" coming up with some special stipulations at the last minute to make this defense harder for Kingston.
6. Knowwon has to consider on the other hand that in his blog entry on Chikarapro.com Icarus blamed Wink Vavasseur for the departure of Sugar Dunkerton and the "Director of Fun" is very intolerant of criticism of his decisions.  Wink may have a grudge with both competitors at this point.
7. Knowwon will not sully his blog with a picture of it, but one final factor to consider is the horrible back tattoo sported by Icarus.  I only bring it up because it has been getting filled in and added to for some time now and I believe that when it is complete the sight of it will be able to turn men to stone.  Should this prove to be true, Icarus could use it to claim victory.

Chikara Aniversario: Never Compromise can be watched live at smvod.com on June 2nd 2013



Chikara Aniversario Blog:

The Spectral Envoy vs. The Colony X-treme Force

King of Trios

 

The Colony X-treme Force is what happens when a corporate marketing team gets hold of  a something as popular as The Colony.  The X-treme force came about because Soldier Ant (a former Colony member who was removed from the group by "Director of Fun" Wink Vavasseur) was unhappy working for DeviAnt.  DeviAnt is a long story as well, but for now let's just say that he is an evil ant and hates The Colony.  Wink decided that what Soldier Ant needed were some new troops to command.  Some new and very marketable troops.  The only way I can explain the X-treme Force is to say that they are living action figures.  They even have accessories.

 Pictured Above: Orbit Adventure Ant with light-up space helmet

Pictured Above: Missile Assault Ant with rocket pack

Pictured Above: on right: Arctic Rescue Ant with snowboard and goggles

 

 

To my knowledge no confirmation or denial has ever been issued as to whether they have kung-fu grip.  They are colorful and very big on self-promotion.  Most of their early matches were spent shouting their names at the crowd and posing.  Their lack of focus on wrestling usually led to Soldier Ant taking a lot of punishment during matches.  It also soon became clear that they have no sense of honor or fair play.  They cheat and they do something far worse that I'll get into later. Their behavioral faults have been mostly ignored due to their pet project status with the "Director of Fun".  

 

They've created a lot of chaos in just a few months time.  I'm normally a fan of chaos, but I don't like carefully marketed chaos.  Take for example the King of Trios issue.  Wink Vavasseur decided that having a major accolade like being the King of Trios would help sell the X-treme force to the Chikara faithful.  For anyone reading this who isn't already aware: the title of King of Trios is granted every year to a team of three wrestlers who win a three night tournament.  Some very big names in pro wrestling have participated and the competition is intense and grueling.  King of Trios is an honor that must be earned with a lot of hard work and determination.  Unless you are The Colony X-treme Force, in which case you are simply retroactively awarded the title by Wink Vavasseur.  The so-called "Director of Fun" stripped the original Colony of the title that they had won the hard way a couple of years before and retroactively named the X-treme Force the 2011 King of Trios.  This is particularly insulting given that the Colony X-treme force didn't even exist in 2011, and one of the members of the team he stripped the title from was Soldier Ant.

You might be asking yourself; if the X-treme Force is simply awarded the title of 2011 King of Trios doesn't that sort of cheapen the honor for the teams that fought to win it?  And the answer would of course be yes.  That alone could have started the rivalry between The Colony X-treme Force and the 2012 King of Trios The Spectral Envoy.  Unfortunately, something else happened to make it far more personal.

A quick explanation on the importance of masks may be necessary here.  In Lucha Libre wrestling which is the tradition Chikara follows a mask is a sacred thing.  To anyone in the audience it is the face of the wrestler who wears it.  If there is one thing that simply IS NOT DONE in Lucha Libre wrestling it is attempting to remove a mask from your opponent.  At the "Shoulder of Pallas" event that is precisely what Missile Assault Ant did to Frightmare of the Spectral Envoy.  His face was not visible to the crowd, but his attempts to cover it left him vulnerable and cost him the match.  If the referee had realized the mask had been removed then the X-treme Force would have been disqualified, but they kept it out of his sight.

Pictured above are the Spectral Envoy.  The bottom picture shows the aforementioned Frightmare on the right and Hallowicked on the left.  The top picture is of the leader of the Spectral Envoy, the Mayor of Parts Unknown, the Great and Devious Ultramantis Black.  If you are new to Chikara I suggest you remember that name.  You'll undoubtedly soon be a fan.  In fairness, I should probably say right here that Knowwon is biased towards Ultramantis Black.  I hope to relate what I know of their histories in another blog entry, but I will keep things brief here.  Ultramantis Black spent much of his career a villain, and if you were to ask him he would probably say he still is.  His one-time rival, but now partner is the Nightmare Warrior Hallowicked.  Hallowicked has held nearly every championship and honor a wrestler in Chikara can.  He and Ultramantis were both part of Chikara from the very beginning and are therefore what is known as "Chikara Gen-1 Originals".  Their partner Frightmare is not as experienced as his partners, but is very accomplished in his own right.  Frightmare is a former Young Lions Cup winner and of course part of the reigning King of Trios.

Ultramantis Black was furious over the unmasking of Frightmare, and he wasn't the only one.  Soldier Ant resigned from Chikara in protest over both the unmasking and the unjust awarding of the King of Trios moniker.  But while this was the final straw for Soldier Ant, for the Spectral Envoy it was only the beginning.

At the "Battle Not With Monsters" event a new leader for the Colony X-treme Force would emerge and would lead them into battle against The Spectral Envoy and Green Ant(a current member of The Colony) the next day at another event called "The Ghost of You Clings".  It would be none other than the leader Soldier Ant refused to serve, DeviAnt:

Deviant fits right in with the X-treme Force.  He has no respect for the rules, his opponents, or for Chikara itself.  He has also tried to remove masks from his opponents in the past.  It was kind of a mission statement for the group he debuted with last year.  When Wink offered him the position vacated by Soldier Ant he leapt at the opportunity.  The match at "The Ghost of You Clings" was originally supposed to be the trios match that is happening at Aniversario, but DeviAnt and Green Ant were added to the match at the last minute.
It seemed like this would be Frightmare's chance for revenge, but after a tumultuous match the Colony X-treme Force emerged victorious when Missile Assault Ant framed Ultramantis Black by removing his own mask and making it look like Mantis had done it.  This plan is a good example of the cunning DeviAnt possesses.  If The Spectral Envoy have any hope of victory they will need a strategy to counter DeviAnt's tactical genius.   Fortunately, Ultramantis Black isn't known as "the Great and Devious" for nothing. 

What Knowwon is thinking:

1.  Knowwon is always rooting for The Spectral Envoy.  They just need to make sure they don't underestimate the X-Treme Force based on how goofy they sometimes act.
2.  Knowwon is curious to see what DeviAnt's role in this match will be.  Officially he isn't a competitor but it's doubtful that that will stop him from getting involved.
3.  Knowwon hopes The Spectral Envoy aren't too enraged to think clearly about this.  Between the blogs Ultramantis has posted on Chikarapro.com and Frightmare's intensity during the match in Porterdale I wonder if they can focus or if their anger will distract them.
4.  Knowwon wonders if there are other parties intending to involve themselves in this.  Delirious promised to make Ultramantis miserable until 2014 so it's safe to assume he is always waiting to strike.  Also, Wink Vavasseur has a bit of a vested interest in the outcome of this match and he is not a man who can be trusted when he has a stake in something.

Chikara Aniversario: Never Compromise can be watched live at smvod.com on June 2nd 2013

Chikara Aniversario Blog:

Tim Donst vs. Gavin Loudspeaker

Hair vs. Hair

 

 

I never expected to be emotionally drawn into a feud between a wrestler and a ring announcer.  It's the kind of thing that I usually just dread seeing the end result of and try to ignore.  On the other hand, I've never seen a wrestling promotion anything like Chikara before.  I've only been a fan since last year, but that year has been full of pleasant surprises.  The history of this feud is quite the dramatic tale, and involves far more than just the two men who will face off on Sunday.  Let's take a moment to review the players in this little drama.

 

Every story needs a good villain, so let's start with Tim Donst.

What brought him to this point?  Why is he fighting a ring announcer?  And why is their hair on the line?

It started with the Young Lion's cup.  If you aren't in the know, that's a championship Chikara has for young up-and-coming stars.  I don't think anyone was ever prouder of winning it than Tim Donst.  In fact, Donst believed he was the greatest Young Lion's Champion of all time.  To prove this to himself and to the world he challenged Hallowicked the first Young Lion's Champion to a match.  Not just any match, but one where if Hallowicked lost he would be forced to unmask and if Donst lost he would have his head shaved.  Donst failed in his effort and spent most of last year bald.  He also spent most of last year chasing the Grand Championship; perhaps the highest honor a single wrestler can attain in Chikara.  Donst believed it was his destiny to take the Grand Championship away from Eddie Kingston.  He would get his match, but in the end he came up short.

From there, Donst began alternating between anger and depression.  Still believing in destiny, the only conclusion he could draw was that destiny didn't want him to be Grand Champion.  That meant that he was destined to be unhappy, and if that was the case then he was going to share that feeling with as many people as possible.  He has tried to communicate this new philosophy of his to the fans at Chikara shows.  Despite his best efforts the fans still seem to think that wrestling is fun.  Since words haven't done the trick Donst has sought out others within the Chikara locker-room to spread unhappiness to.

That brings us to the second character in our story.  Jakob (pronounced with a "Y" sound for the "J") Hammermeier would say that he is Tim Donst's best friend.  For reference (and I apologize for the picture quality, but all the pictures in this blog entry are ones I took myself at a Chikara event in Porterdale, GA called "The Ghost of You Clings"  I'll be referencing that event a lot)  this is Jakob:

He is wearing half a shirt because Donst ripped it apart.  He is nearly bald because Donst has cut off his hair against his will.  Twice.  Jakob is a friendly and fun-loving guy.  I mentioned above that these pictures are from an event I attended.  Jakob was the first person greeting fans when they came in the door.  He was funny and energetic and seemed to really want everyone to have a good time (and okay, he may have been trying to drum up t-shirt sales for himself as well but seeing as I bought one and didn't go into the show planning to I guess I can't fault him for that).  Fun is just a part of who Jakob is.  On some level, he wants to think that that's true of Donst as well.  He remembers what Donst was like in better times and is grateful to him for training him to wrestle.  But to Donst, Jakob is an annoyance and another happy person who doesn't get it.  Jakob will never know success while associated with Tim Donst.  Donst has told him as much, and even cost him the chance to win the Young Lion's Cup.  The sad thing is that the main reason Jakob wanted to win the cup is that he thought it would make his friend proud.  Instead of being proud of Jakob or showing any gratitude for his loyalty, Donst calls him useless and tells him he hates him.  The hurt this brings Jakob is plainly obvious on his face every time it happens.  You'd think he would have gotten the message that Donst is no good for him the first time he cut his hair.  I can't help but wonder how Jakob is going to feel when someone else is forced to lose their hair on Sunday.

I also have to wonder what the next member of our cast is feeling.  She is one of the great managers of the independent wrestling scene.  Her name is Veronica Ticklefeather and I think confusion rather than loyalty is the reason she follows Tim Donst.

She only joined Donst back in February.  At the time, she found herself without purpose.  She had broken up with Mr. Touchdown her boyfriend (who she was also managing) the night before when he embarrassed her by losing to Archibald Peck the man she left to be with him.  No longer wanting to be with Touchdown and with Archie no longer interested in her she was a little lost.  Enter Tim Donst.  Donst saw that keeping Veronica unhappy was easy.  All he has to do is periodically tell her that she's ugly and will never have a boyfriend.  It's hard to say what has kept her at his side through all this verbal abuse.  I only hope it comes to an end soon.

 

Rounding out Donst's little group is Steven the Turtle Weiner.  Turtle really only joined this group because of his crush on Veronica.  Like Jakob, he is usually a very happy guy, and Donst seeks every opportunity to take that from him.  He has been used as a step-stool and a bench by Donst several times which would humiliate most people, but Turtle seems oblivious to the fact that this should be embarrassing.  I don't have a picture of him to post here.  I never got a good shot of him in Porterdale.

 

Of course, there is ultimately one great target for Tim Donst's crusade against fun and joy.  That target is the very heart and soul of Chikara.  That target is the ring announcer, and master of ceremonies for every Chikara show.  That target is Gavin Loudspeaker.

 

He was good enough to pose for a picture for me while he was doing his job.  Sadly it came out terribly and is the only one I got where he was looking in my direction.  The best picture I got is probably this one:

That's Gavin opening the show.  He creates excitement in the crowd with rock-star-like charisma that builds anticipation for what is to come.  He opens most shows with a song that he sings and plays on his guitar.  His only concern throughout the evening is to keep the crowd pumped up, excited, and happy.  This of course makes him a natural enemy to Tim Donst.  Things seem to have been bad between these two for quite some time now, but I don't think it would have ever gotten this far if Gavin hadn't done something brave and perhaps stupid.  Gavin became an unlikely hero by standing up to Donst when he couldn't bear to watch him bullying Jakob anymore.  He tried to tell Donst's followers that they didn't need him.  Donst has reacted to Gavin's words with physical abuse.  Twice he has attacked him and cut locks of his hair off.  At the event called "Battle Not With Monsters" he taped Gavin's arms and legs and locked him in a closet.  Donst spent half the show playing ring announcer before Gavin managed to free himself and take control of the show.  But what happened the next day in Porterdale, GA was worse.  The second attack where Donst cut Gavin's hair was far more violent than the first.  The first time he just backed him into a corner before cutting it (correction- I misremembered this at first.  He did actually push Gavin to the ground in the first attack).  In Porterdale, at "The Ghost of You Clings" things got far more serious.

Donst had a match at "The Ghost of You Clings" where he took on the Intergalactic Luchadora Saturyne.

I was there for this one, and can relate my personal experience of the events that transpired.  I even show up in places on the video.  During the match Gavin got sick of seeing Donst's followers play cheerleading section and began encouraging the crowd to cheer for Saturyne.  He was literally standing right in front of me when he started this.  Maybe that's why I feel so swept up in this feud.  The chanting led by Gavin distracted Donst and wound up costing him the match.  After the match Gavin announced Saturyne the winner and was looking into the crowd with what appeared to be a sense of satisfaction.  I was very proud of what he'd accomplished and was beaming at him.  As  I was looking up at him in the ring and I think he saw me.  The realization that haunted me afterwards is that I was one of the last things he saw before he got attacked.  Donst came back into the ring and hit him with a Death Valley Driver which knocked him out.  I actually covered my mouth with my hands out of shock and concern.  He taunted Gavin's unconscious form on the microphone as referees tried to force him to leave the ring so they could get medical attention for Gavin.  Donst proceeded to cut a lock of Gavin's hair and eat it before Gavin was carried away.  I understand Donst had to have his stomach pumped.  Couldn't have happened to a more deserving guy.

What is undeserved is Wink Vavasseur signing a match between Gavin and Donst for Aniversario.  You see, Donst isn't the only bully Gavin has been standing up to lately.  Enter the final player in these events: So-called "Director of Fun" Wink Vavasseur.  I don't have a picture of Wink to share because he wasn't even at "The Ghost of You Clings"  it's one of the many things he seemingly couldn't be bothered to do.  Gavin has occasionally pointed out in blogs on Chikarapro.com that a responsible authority figure might be expected to fine or suspend a worker as abusive to the staff as Tim Donst.  Vavasseur has responded mostly by insisting that subordinates should not be telling him how to do his job.  Gavin has continually brought attention to situations where Wink could be considered negligent or even incompetent.  In response, Wink made this match.  And it might have been an ordinary match, but in Porterdale Gavin opened the show with a "protest song" against Wink Vavasseur.  Once Wink finally heard it he announced the hair vs. hair stipulation.

I don't know how Gavin Loudspeaker is going to survive this match, let alone come out of it with his hair intact.  I suggested to him on Twitter that he might use the tried and true wrestling tradition of breaking his guitar over his opponent's head.  He thanked me for the advice, but responded as a true musician saying that "guitars are instruments of creativity and expression, not weapons."  Of course, that was before the hair vs. hair stipulation was added.  I doubt that changed his mind, but you never know.

A few short days from this writing we'll see how it goes.

What Knowwon is thinking::

1. Knowwon is pulling for Gavin.  I just really hope  he at least gets to leave this ring under his own power.
2. Knowwon believes Veronica may finally be seeing the light based on her recent posts on Twitter
3. Knowwon is trying to imagine what Jakob is thinking.  Does he realize how much of this is actually about him?
4. Knowwon wonders if Donst will still believe in destiny if he loses this one.  If so, what depths will that belief drive him to this time.
5. Knowwon knows that Gavin has been training at the Wrestle Factory to prepare for this match, but wonders if a few weeks of training (even from great wrestlers like Green Ant, Hallowicked, and Saturyne) will make a difference with the odds so stacked against him.

Chikara Aniversario: Never Compromise can be watched live at smvod.com on June 2nd 2013