Nearly one hundred people crammed into the Riverside Beneficial Association on July 31st, 2009 to celebrate “fan appreciation” night at CHIKARA. With a stacked card featuring multiple trios matches and a tag match between QuackenSaw and F.I.S.T., who in the area wouldn’t have showed up for this special event?
If you are interested in purchasing this DVD, it is currently available for purchase at Smart Mark Video for just twenty bucks. Aside from just matches, each CHIKARA DVD features additional backstage promos, Podcast-A-Go-Go episodes, and more. If you’re lucky like I was, one of your “Never Kneel at the Altar of Conformity” discs may even be signed by Frightmare or STIGMA.
The brilliantly-done “Previously at CHIKARA” video that popped up on YouTube late last month by Taylor McKnight plays to start the DVD. Additionally, brief trailers for both, “Aniversario Yin” and “Aniversario Yang”, aired.
Louden Noxious is in the ring, strumming his CHIKARA and playing a new original song called “CHIKARA Summer School”. Fun stuff with Louden mentioning several CHIKARA wrestlers in his lyrics.
Dragonfly defeated Rorschach via submission (dragon sleeper) – Dragonfly was a member of the first graduating class of the WrestleFactory, while Rorschach made his way through the third term. Both guys are accomplished high-fliers and proved that in this exhibition match, nailing multiple dives and moves off the top rope. Dragonfly escaped the Rorschach Lock and Dragonfly was able to quickly make Rory tap to a dragon sleeper to pick up the win. Quite the fun opener. **¼.
Daizee Haze defeated Rayna Von Tash via pinfall (Mind Trip) – Von Tash didn’t get too much offense in, but I don’t think that that was supposed to be the point of this match, anyways. Daizee Haze hasn’t been beaten in CHIKARA for quite some time, so it was mainly to make her look like the top woman in CHIKARA. Rayna was able to sneak in a neckbreaker, but Haze got up from it and rocked Von Tash with the Mind Trip for the pinfall in about three minutes. *½.
The UnStable of Vin Gerard, STIGMA, and Colin Delaney are outside. Colin and Vin mock Incoherence by mumbling gibberish. Vin calls Hydra and Frightmare “jokes” and believes that STIGMA is the only monster in CHIKARA, not Hallowicked. Tonight, the UnStable will prove exactly why that is true.
Vin Gerard, STIGMA, and Colin Delaney beat Hallowicked, Frightmare, and Hydra via pinfall (Attitude Adjustment) – Frightmare picked the match pace up early by nailing a beautiful tope onto STIGMA and Colin, who were trying to catch a break on the outside. Some of the most exciting moments of the match were when STIGMA and Hallowicked went at it. Towards the end, Hallowicked booted STIGMA about three times, which finally took him down. As Incoherence was battling on the outside, Hydra became the legal man and Colin rocked him with an Attitude Adjustment after escaping the Hydralock to get the win for the UnStable. A great trios match that I thoroughly enjoyed. ***.
Claudio Castagnoli defeated Tim Donst via pinfall (Ricola Bomb) – I have always been a big Donst fan and greatly anticipated this match beforehand. Donst and Claudio took it to the mat early, where Tim gained the advantage. Donst continued to chip away at Castagnoli until he got on the end of a European uppercut. From that point on, Claudio began to make a comeback. Claudio gets up Tim Donst for the Big Swing for a count of about three or four. He then followed things up with another uppercut and caught him with the Ricola Bomb for the three. Yet another solid match that I liked quite a bit. **¾.
Brodie Lee and Grizzly Redwood are standing in front of an oak tree, glaring into the camera. Grizzly says that the Roughnecks are in CHIKARA for the gold and to ultimately prove that they are the best. Tonight, Brodie promises to gain their second point against Cheech and Cloudy. Then, will come their third point and after that, “gold all day, baby”.
Brodie Lee and Grizzly Redwood beat Cheech Hernandez and KC “Cloudy” Day via pinfall (gutwrench powerbomb) – Going into this, Cheech and Cloudy were going for their third point. On the other hand, Brodie and Grizzly were looking for their second. Before the match, Grizzly saw a styrofoam sign that was shaped like a piece of wood and destroyed it. Some excellent sequences with Grizzly showing some definite signs of improvement. Following a Doomsday Device, Lee pinned Cheech with a gutwrench powerbomb to pick up their second point. **¾.
Amasis is backstage with the one half of the Campeonatos de Parejas in hand. Amasis explains that cats are revered in Egypt, but in the world we lived in today, felines are skinned alive. Amasis says that exactly this will happen to Lince Dorado tonight. A scary thought, indeed.
Amasis defeated Lince Dorado via pinfall (Egyptian Conniption) – Back and forth wrestling to start with some great chain wrestling coming from both men. Lince gained the advantage after dropping Amasis down with a variety of different suplexes, but it was Ophidian who would be the difference maker. Ophidian sneaked down to the ring and interfered behind the referee’s back, allowing Amasis to pin Lince following the Egyptian Conniption. Excellent stuff from these young CHIKAthletes. ***¼.
Icarus and Gran Akuma beat Mike Quackenbush and Jigsaw via pinfall (Blu-ray DVD) – Quack and Jigsaw come out to a standing ovation, but the cheering doesn’t last for too long, as F.I.S.T. interrupts the entrance. Let’s not forget Akuma, Jigsaw, and Quack’s confrontation at the DGUSA debut show. Jigsaw and Akuma exchange some stiff kicks early on, which Akuma got the better of. Quack made the hot tag and F.I.S.T. immediately started working on his back, which he recently had surgery on. Mike and Jiggy use an impressive double team maneuver that had Akuma powerbomb Icarus in the process. In one of the coolest reverals all night, Jigsaw somehow managed to jump out of the Rubix Cube and caught Akuma with a superkick on the jaw. Icarus nails a low-blow and crushes Quackenbush with a Blu-ray DVD into the corner, which gets F.I.S.T. the win and their second point. I couldn’t have adored this tag bout any more. If there’s a reason why you should purchase this show on tape, then this match is it. ****¼.
Crossbones looks at UltraMantis Black backstage and asks him where the Eye of Tyr is. UltraMantis explains that he has hidden it away somewhere secret. Crossbones reminds UltraMantis that there is a myth that says that if one holds onto the Eye for too long, then they will fall to bad fortune. UltraMantis says that he does not believe in superstition. Just to be safe, Crossbones suggests that he should give the Eye of Tyr to him and then he will trade it back to Mantis later. UMB objects and believes that Crossbones will abuse the Eye’s power, recruiting people like Sami Callihan and Pinkie Sanchez into the Order. Mantis would rather destroy the Eye than give it to anyone else. UltraMantis begins telling something to Crossbones, but notices that the cameraman is still around and fetches Delirious and Crossbones to chase him away. For sure, an interesting promo coming from the Order.
Fire Ant, Soldier Ant, and Green Ant beat UltraMantis Black, Delirious, and Crossbones via pinfall (super sunset flip) – Green Ant makes his debut by facing off against Delirious and gets ripped apart. The crowd continues to stay behind him, though, and he is able to make a tag to one of his fellow Colony mates. Fire gets his team back into the game by firing in kicks at all members of the Colony. After multiple near-falls, Soldier Ant catches Crossbones off-guard with a super sunset flip for the huge upset victory. ***½.
Following the main event, UltraMantis Black insulted Crossbones and walked to the back with Delirious. Crossbones received a standing ovation from the crowd for his efforts, though, which he seemed to acknowledge gratefully.
Not particularly a must-see show with a bunch of great storyline matches or anything like that, but the wrestling sure was fun. It was definitely a little awkward to see so many heels win on “fan appreciation” night, but things definitely ended on a positive note with the Colony winning the main event.
QuackenSaw versus F.I.S.T. was fantastic, so if you want to see one of the best tag team matches in CHIKARA this year, go out of your way and spend the twenty bucks on “Never Kneel at the Altar of Conformity”.
