This week’s Guerrilla Chikarticles includes the first installment of The Shane Storm Story: One Move Could Change Your Life. Plus updates from Chikara and a news section for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla without any news in it!
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Chikara News as of 8.19.2008
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Last week, I misinformed everyone when I stated The Fabulous Two are the only other team besides Super Smash Brothers with two points. As a matter of fact, the Fabulous Two don’t even have two points, they have one! Along with Super Smash Brothers in the two point category are Ultramantis Black and Crossbones. Nonetheless, it will be Super Smash Brothers against The Fabulous Two at Style and Substance.
In the previous edition of Guerrilla Chikarticles, I mentioned the return of Tag World Grand Prix. Over the weekend, wXw announced the tournament will take place in their version of the ECW Arena, “The T-Club†in Oberhausen, Germany! That’s right folks, Chikara makes their Germany debut on November 8th and 9th bringing Tag World Grand Prix and Chikara’s finest with them.
Chikara sent out a challenge to twelve other promotions (including BJW, AAA and All Japan) to get together a team they think can beat Chikara’s best. This clash of worldwide promotions is called the “Global Gauntlet†and will be a two night Super show. The first night will take place in Easton, Pennsylvania on October 18th and the next in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 19th Who will answer the challenge?
BREAKING NEWS! I can confirm that Pulse Wrestling answered Chikara’s challenge for the Global Gauntlet. The leader of the pack is yours truly. I will be assembling an unbeatable team that will rule the Wrestling World. (POST-EDIT) BREAKING NEWS! Apparently, we are not one of the potential challengers. I’ll be contacting Quack shortly.
In what is being hyped as “Curliest Match of the Year”, Larry Sweeney is set to go one on one against Team FIST member Icarus at Style and Substance.
Chikara just announced a special Atomicos (4 v 4) match for La Loteria Letal! Hallowicked will team up with The Colony to face The Osirian Portal, Chuck Taylor and Gran Akuma.
Chikara “La Loteria Letal†in Easton, Pennsylvania on September 6th
Announced Participants in La Loteria Letal: Eddie Kingston, Lince Dorado, Mike Quackenbush, Hydra, Ultimo Breakfast, Vin Gerard, Claudio Castagnoli, Brodie Lee, Helios, Larry Sweeney, Tim Donst and Jimmy Olsen.
1. Hallowicked and The Colony vs. The Osirian Portal and Team FIST (Taylor and Akuma)
Chikara “Style and Substance†in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on September 7th
1. Soldier Ant vs. Jimmy Olsen
2. Super Smash Brothers vs. Team FIST
3. Larry Sweeney vs. Icarus
4. Brodie Lee vs. Claudio Castagnoli (Steel Cage Match)
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Pro Wrestling Guerrilla News as of 8.19.2008
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Nothing happened in the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla world within the past week. Super weak.
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla All Star Weekend 7 Night One (August 30th in Reseda, California)
1. Alex Kozlov vs. Rocky Romero
2. Chuck Taylor vs. Candice LaRae
3. El Generico, Kevin Steen and Susumu Yokosuka vs. Jack Evans, PAC and Roderick Strong
4. The Dynasty vs. Los Luchas
5. Vin Gerard vs. Scorpio Sky
6. TJ Hooker vs. Ash Riot and Mark Davis
7. The Age of the Fall (c) vs. The Young Bucks (PWG Tag Title Match)
8. Chris Hero (c) vs. Eddie Kingston vs. Low-Ki vs. Necro Butcher (PWG World Title Match)
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla All Star Weekend 7 Night Two (August 31st in Reseda, California)
1. Alex Kozlov vs. Susumu Yokosuka
2. TJ Perkins vs. Scorpio Sky
3. The Dynasty vs. Chuck Taylor and Vin Gerard
4. The Young Bucks vs. Kevin Steen and El Generico (Possible PWG Tag Title Match)
5. Age of the Fall vs. Jack Evans and Roderick Strong (Possible PWG Tag Title Match)
6. Eddie Kingston vs. Necro Butcher (Possible PWG World Title Match)
7. Low-Ki vs. Rocky Romero (Possible PWG World Title Match)
8. Chris Hero vs. PAC (Possible PWG World Title Match)
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The Closer
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The Evolution of Shane Storm
One Move Could Change Your Life
Shane Storm: unionized traffic worker weekdays, insecure wrestling clown on weekends. The Shane Storm we know now is a deranged and scary-looking guy who likes to hang out with Vin Gerard in alley ways. But how did he get this way? Shane Storm was an innocent kid who used to team with Mike Quackenbush and Jigsaw. Where did Storm go wrong? All will be revealed in the coming paragraphs of “The Evolution of Shane Storm: One Move Could Change Your Lifeâ€.
El Comienzo (The Beginning)
Shane Storm walked into the Chikara Wrestle Factory with money in one hand, his other hand extended for a handshake. As he approached Mike Quackenbush, he proudly asked Mike to make him a star. In this world of independent wrestling, the most popular wrestlers are high-flying and death-defying. After months of training, it was obvious Storm would never fit that build, but he got the job done, nonetheless.
Debuting under a goofy clown mask (reasons still unknown), Shane Storm was introduced to us as a unionized traffic worker. Storm would come down to the ring with a stop sign and a reflection vest, and various tricks in his repertoire such as making his opponents stop dead in their tracks after showing them his stop sign. Throughout 2004, Shane Storm would work on perfecting his skills and move set with Mr. Zero on a regular basis as “Men at Work”. Sure he would win every now and then, but what kind of recognition was that getting him? If he wanted to be a “star†in this business, he would have to get out on his own… and that’s exactly what he did.
Joven León (Young Lion)
The Young Lions Cup Tournament was, and still is, one of the world’s most recognized gatherings in wrestling today. Everyone who won the tournament has elevated themselves to singles success, even if it was short-lived. Shane Storm was one of those folks who fell under the short-lived category. He won the 2005 (third) Young Lions Cup, but after his year of defending was up, it was back to tag team action.
Nueva Confianza Encontrada (New Found Confidence)
Storm would go onto help his mentor fight against the evil Kings of Wrestling throughout 2006. Quackenbush had some major beef with the Kings of Wrestling, and the warriors he brought to war with him were Jigsaw and Shane Storm. After the dust from the battle settled, it was clear there was no decisive winner. Shane Storm, Mike Quackenbush and Jigsaw ventured into a whole new battle: The King of Trios 2007. Storm found a newborn confidence after teaming with Jigsaw and Mike Quackenbush throughout 2006. These three were virtually unbeatable when tournament time came around, and even though the final fight against Team Japan was hard fought, they came through the victors.
Ellos TodavÃa Odiaron (They Still Hated)
Only three years into his career, Shane Storm had already been crowned a Young Lions Cup champion and won the first King of Trios Tournament. Though Storm had all this to his name, it was unfortunately behind him. He was considered one of Chikara’s most prominent wrestlers yet the fans of Chikara still hated him. Sure they’d cheer for him when he was teaming with Jigsaw and Mike Quackenbush, but when it came time for singles action, there’s nothing more the fans wanted to see than for Shane Storm get the tar beat out of him. Storm saw the hate in the fans’ eyes when he came out, so he knew he wasn’t ready to go back to singles competition. After King of Trios 2007, he would spend a great amount of time teaming with Jigsaw, a fan favorite.
Meanwhile…
While Shane Storm and Jigsaw were gathering points, Quackenbush was looking to end his two-year feud with Chris Hero at May 26th’s “Anniversario?”. Quack knew he was going into a fight against a man who had dissected Quack’s move set, so he had to invent something that would catch Hero off-guard. In a match that many believe should have won the match of the year award in 2007, Quack pulled out a win after slapping Hero in his new move, The Chikara Special. Quack knew Hero’s weak point had been exposed and went as far as calling The Chikara Special Hero’s kryptonite.
He went on to train the entire Tecnicos roster EVERYTHING there was to know about the Chikara Special, from applying the hold correctly to all the escapes. In a three month span, Lince Dorado, Mike Quackenbush, El Pantera and Equinox all made Chris Hero submit to the Chikara Special. Hero wasn’t taking this lightly either. It was evident Hero was getting quite irate over the issue.
Desamparar (Stranded)
Jigsaw and Shane Storm went together like peanut butter and jelly. Jigsaw was the peanut butter, and Shane Storm was the jelly. Because let’s face it, not that many people like jelly. As a matter of fact, these two worked together so well they became a regular tag team in the Chikara point race scene. Now going by “ShaneSaw”, these two would go on to dominate most of the roster, including the Campeones de Parejas in trios matches. For some reason, whenever the win mattered most -whether it be in a tag team title match or if it was a win that would get them their third point- ShanwSaw would always fall short. In the end, it was either Jigsaw getting pinned because Storm was nowhere to be seen or Storm getting pinned. Either way, in Jigsaw’s eyes, Shane Storm was the one who was dropping the ball. It was evident that Jigsaw was getting annoyed by Shane Storm and his inability to make it big, so Storm had to prove himself at Cibernetico and Robin.
Shane Storm and Jigsaw were going up against two debuting wrestlers fresh out of the Chikara Wrestle Factory, Amasis and Ophidian, better known as the Osirian Portal. The issues fighting a debuting tag team are a) you don’t know how well they work together and b) you don’t know what kinds of tricks they have up their wristbands. Unfortunately for ShaneSaw, they worked together tremendously and they had a ton o’ tricks in mind. The trick that finished them off was Ophidian’s Cobra Clutch. The victim? Shane Storm. Jigsaw took this as the final straw and left Shane Storm hanging dry, without a partner or anyone to go to.
Later that night, the 8 vs. 8 Torneo Cibernetico match was set to take place. After 15 eliminations, it boiled down to three men: Claudio Castagnoli, Chris Hero and Mitch Ryder. One thing was clear, The Kings of Wrestling won the 2007 Cibernetico Torneo, but there could only be one winner. Castagnoli would ultimately win after pinning Mitch Ryder with his Ricola Bomb and making Hero submit to, you guessed it, The Chikara Special.
Shane Storm “Short N’ Sweet Timeline”
Don’t want to read all those words above? It’s the same thing down here, but shorter.
(March 2004) Shane Storm debuts. Tags with Mr. Zero as “Men at Work”.
(July 2005) Ventures into singles wrestling. Wins the Young Lions Cup. After successfully defending his cup throughout the remainder of 2005, he goes back to teaming with various tag teams.
(End of 2005 – 2006) Joins Jigsaw and Mike Quackenbush against the Kings of Wrestling (Arik Cannon, Claudio Castagnoli and Chris Hero
(February 2007) Wins the 2007 King of Trios Tournament after beating Team Japan in the finals.
(May 2007) Mike Quackenbush debuts the Chikara Special.
(March-August 2007) Teams with Jigsaw, together known as “Shanesaw”. ShaneSaw had several chances to win the Campeonatos de Parejas, but Shane Storm repeatedly drops the ball.
(September 2007) ShaneSaw lose to the debuting team of The Osirian Portal. Jigsaw abandons Shane Storm.
List oF People Who Made Hero Tap Out to The Chikara Special: Mike Quackenbush (May 26th 2007), Lince Dorado (July 21st 2007), El Pantera (August 5th 2007), Equinox (August 17th 2007) and Claudio Castagnoli (September 22nd 2007)
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Is It Over Yet? Because I’m Hungry.
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Yes, it’s over. Come back next week to find out what the Chikara Special has to do with Shane Storm and way more. Until then… I’m Kirschner and you’re outta here.
