Thanks to John Kirschner for sending this in and be sure to check out more Chikara coverage from John weekly in A Modest Response.
Over in Philadelphia, PA this past Saturday (9/22/2007), CHIKARA ran “Cibernetico and Robinâ€Â. This card held the annual Cibernetico Match (if you don’t know what a Cibernetico Match is, click here for an explanation). Cheech and Cloudy took on The Olsen Twins, Mike Quackenbush took on Tim Donst, and Shane Strom and Jigsaw did battle with Osirian Portal in an attempt to earn their 3rd Point!
I got to the show a bit late due to the Penn State/Michigan game (Go Michigan) and, so I’m just going to give ratings to what I did see.
Match 1: Brodie Lee vs. Mike Stevens
The match once again opened with a Brodie Kick. Seeing Brodie Lee kick Tim Donst’s face in at the beginning of the match back in August, I know why the world loves it. The kick is ultra-violent and looks awesome. He finished off Stevens the way he did Donst, and that’s with the running powerbomb.
Brodie Lee beat Mike Stevens with a running powerbomb. (Rating: N/A)
Match 2: Daizee Haze vs. Candice LaRae
From what I heard, fans suffered through this match. LaRae was lousy and was getting roused by the CZW Fans with “Tornado†chants. I’m glad I missed this match because I’m afraid this would tarnish my opinion on the female wrestling.
Daizee Haze beat Candice LaRae. (Rating: N/A)
Match 3: Incoherence (Delirious and Hallowicked) vs. The Order (Ultramantis Black and Hydra)
I was so sad when I found out I missed this match. Incoherence racked up 2 points earlier this year, and would get their chance tonight to get a 3rd. The person I was talking to (at the CHIKARA Arena) who was filling me in on all the action I missed told me that “This match could have been a little funnier.†Other than that, this was said to be a good match.
Incoherence (Delirious and Hallowicked) picked up a win over Ultramantis Black and Hydra when Hallowicked gave Hydra a Yakuza Kick (Rating: N/A. This is Incoherence’s 3rd point, and they will most likely have their shot at the next show.)
Match 4: Tim Donst vs. Mike Quackenbush
This was the match I was most excited for. Forget the Cibernetico; I wanted to see how well these two guys’ styles meshed. Being Donst’s trainer, Quack has to find ways to execute moves without Donst knowing how to reverse them and such. Donst knows Quack’s moveset, it’s just escaping it that is his trouble. The crowd was surprisingly behind Donst this whole match, which is shocking being in Philadelphia. Donst can’t keep up with Quack, and eventually calls it quits.
Mike Quackenbush made Tim Donst submit to the CHIKARA Special. (Rating: N/A)
I walked into the arena a bit after the next match. First thing I was thinking when I walked in was how crowded it was. The attendance was around 420, maybe 450. It was an OK atmosphere, but Philadelphia is stilling working out the kinks and getting used to how silly CHIKARA is. CZW Fans suck, btw.
Match 5: Up In Smoke (Cheech and Cloudy) vs. The Olsen Twins (Collin and Jimmy Olsen)
WOW! I am so happy I got to see this match because it was worth the admission alone. These two work together so well, and I can only hope to see more from these guys together in the future. It was pretty back and forth by the time I walked in. The Olsen Twins were getting lots of near-falls which the crowd was sure was the end. The four of these men were pulling off variations of arm-drags that I’ve never seen before, and moves that I’ve never seen before. It was amazing. The crowd was hot all match. Olsen Twins got 2 Near Falls, and were starting to get frustrated. Up In Smoke saw their chance to take charge of the match and did just that.
Up In Smoke beat The Olsen Twins after a Shining Wizard/Powerbomb Backbreaker combo. (Rating: ****).
This match is the best tag team match that I’ve seen live all year. Their styles meshed amazingly and they pulled off god-like moves with god-like execution. This match was flawless for what it was. Definitely worth buying the DVD for.)
Match 6: Kris Stevens vs. Super Xtremo
This was an OK match. Coming up after the tag match was probably the last thing these guys wanted to do. Kris Stevens took FOREVER to get out to the ring, or even the stage for that matter. The music kept on turning up and down, and it was starting to make me mad because I was standing near the speakers at the moment. I was in a bad mood for this match (mainly because of a hungry headache). I don’t like Stevens, he tried to play to the crowd too much. Good wrestling goes on here, nothing phenomenal. The crowd is behind Xtremo because he is on the offensive end of the match most of the time and they remember him from Young Lions Cup back in May.
Super Xtremo beat Kris Stevens with a hurricanrana. (Rating: ** ½, It wasn’t a bad match, it’s just that they came up after such an amazing match.)
Match 7: Osirian Portal (Ophidian and That Black Student is a Pharoe) vs. ShaneSaw (Shane Storm and Jigsaw)
ShaneSaw currently has 2 points and if they picked up a win here, it would earn them a tag title shot. Osirian Portal had the full-blown Egyptian gimmick going on, and it was hilarious. TBSIAP is a pharoe, and Ophidian is a snake with a cobra mask. The beginning of the match was sloppy and hard to watch. But then TBSIAP came in the ring and the comedy goodness started happening. TBSIAP grabs a hold of Jigsaw’s fist and starts the two person Arm Wave, these guys have awesome comedy chemistry together. Ophidian and Shane Storm are in the ring as TBSIAP and Jigsaw are fighting outside. Ophidian got Shane Storm in the Cobra Clutch! Jigsaw on the outside of the ring being held back by TBSIAP, Storm had no choice but to submit.
Osirian Portal (TBSIAP and Ophidian) beat ShaneSaw when Shane Storm submitted to Ophidian’s Cobra Clutch. (Rating: *** ¼)
Post Match, Jigsaw exploded at Storm and blamed him for the loss. Jig’s pissed that they didn’t get the 3rd Point for the titles. Jigsaw turning heel on Storm? Awesome.
Match 8: BLKOUT (Eddie Kingston, Sabian and Joker) vs. The Colony
BLKOUT look like they are in a very “shooty†mood. The Colony waste no time in starting this match, and storm down the ramp and pummel on BLKOUT. They weren’t in charge for long, as the ambush evolved into the organized tag format. Sabian faked his ankle hurting, and rolled out of the ring bringing in Joker for the Lucha Tag. Of course, Sabian is okay and walks off like nothing ever happened. Soldier Ant gets beat on by all the members of BLKOUT and makes the hot tag to Fire Ant. We see an aggressive and angry side of Fire that we haven’t seen before, and he unleashes holy hell on BLKOUT. Now the Colony is on top, and they do their Hotshot Dive to the outside. The crowd in really behind The Colony at this point in the match. The Colony gets Joker alone and trade off top rope moves on him and pick up the win!
The Colony beat BLKOUT. (Rating: *** ½. I was expecting Eddie Kingston to dominate here, but he barely got any offense in without being on the defending end immediately afterwards. I like where they’re going here with the feud. These two are tied at 1 a piece.)
Match 9: CIBERNETICO MATCH
Lince Dorado/Los Chivas/Los Ice Creams/Incognito/Magno
Against
Mitch Ryder/Larry Sweeney/Claudio Castagnoli/Chris Hero/Chuck Taylor/Shayne Hawke/Team FIST
They go through the entry cycle once before eliminations start. The 1st cycle had wrestler X over wrestler Y, and the second had wrestler Y over wrestler X. The first elimination had Equinox power bombed to hell by Chris Hero. We see some problems with the Kings of Wrestling, as Castagnoli and Hero exchange some angry words after a blind tag. The eliminations started raining down on us after this. Gran Akuma pinned one of the Chivas following a beautiful moonsault. Incognito pinned Larry Sweeney which was a HUGE upset, and made the crowd really shocked and mad. Ice Cream Jr. slapped the back of Gran Akuma’s bald head, and it was probably the loudest sound I’ve heard all night. This didn’t rub Akuma the right way, and only made him snap. He went on to eliminate Ice Cream Jr., only to be eliminated by Magno. El Hijo Del Ice Cream eliminated the remaining member of Team FIST, Icarus. The other Chivas was eliminated by Shayne Hawke. At this point, I and one of my buddies were making bets on who would be eliminated next. (I didn’t pick any right. March Madness is really where I shine in that category) I think we were at the 30 minute mark at this point, and it really flew by. Watching it on DVD is one thing, but being there live is something else. Chris Hero eliminated Magno.
What happened next was just horrible. Chuck Taylor was eliminated by his Rey De Voladores Finals Opponent, Lince Dorado. I think this got more heat than Sweeney’s elimination. Claudio Castagnoli and Incognito are now facing off and exchange some awesome looking moves. Claudio gets the best of Incognito and eliminates him.
It’s now Hero/Castagnoli/Ryder vs. Lince Dorado. Hero and Castagnoli are on the side of the ring yelling at each other as Ryder and Lince go at it in the ring. Lince gets some nice offense in and gets a near fall. The referee is distracted with Hero and Castagnoli arguing, and Ryder hits a low blow and a Piledriver to eliminate Lince Dorado.
The Kings of Wrestling have outlasted Team Lucha. Chris Hero, Mitch Ryder and Claudio Castagnoli now have to go against each other.
Hero and Ryder celebrate their “winâ€Â, but Castagnoli is in the corner getting ready to pounce. Hero turns around and gets a Yakuza Kick to the face and Ryder leaves the ring. Claudio beats the tar out of Hero and slaps on the CHIKARA Special. HERO SUBMITS!
Claudio and Ryder face off and we are down to just two. Castagnoli shows no sign of exhaustion, and beats on Ryder for a while. He gives Ryder a dangerous looking Ricola Bomb, and picks up the 3 to win Cibernetico 2007.
Claudio Castagnoli won the 2007 Cibernetico when he pinned Mitch Ryder with the Ricola Bomb. (Rating: **** ¼. I enjoyed this match a lot. This rating could be more, but I’m just trying to make it look like I’m not a complete and total CHIKARA Mark. Everything happened the way it should have. Mitch Ryder and Lince’s feud looks like it’s far from over and Castagnoli proved to Hero [and the rest of the KOW] that he is the best in the KOW)
That concluded one of CHIKARA’s best shows of the year. New Alhambra shows are usually the best of the year, and this was no exception. All the matches were awesome, from bell to bell. I would place this show higher than the Maximum Overdraft show, and that’s saying something. I highly recommend you to pick up this DVD, whether you are a CHIKARA fan or not.
