News of Bryan Danielson signing a WWE contract seems to be the news in independent wrestling lately, but you know, there are still a couple of CHIKARA shows coming up in the near-future. Before we dig into those, though, I would like to take this time to wish Mr. Danielson all the best in his WWE journey. I have been a big fan of his for years now and can only hope that he succeeds in the most popular company in the world.
Anyways, since the last time we met, multiple new matches have been added to the cards of “Man Makes Plans, and God Laughs” and “Hiding in Plain Sight”. One particular bout was even scrapped and replaced with two separate matches, so if that doesn’t say enough, then I don’t know what does.
CHIKARA “Man Makes Plans, and God Laughs” (9.12.2009); West Springfield, MA
There aren’t too many professional wrestlers like Steve “The Turtle” Weiner, which is probably why he is such a perfect fit for CHIKARA. Steve has popped up throughout CHIKARA sporadically, last losing to Brodie Lee at “Armdrags to Riches” in Connecticut last year. Grizzly Redwood is the next man to step up to Steve’s plate, as these two will go one on one for the first time in West Springfield. Grizzly should not be taken lightly, as he has looked impressive in recent outings, defeating Leonino in an opening round match of this year’s Young Lions Cup and even managing to accumulate enough points to challenge for the Campeonatos de Parejas with Brodie Lee. Will turtle or lumberjack prevail in West Springfield?
After Mike Quackenbush wrote a blog on the official CHIKARA website, the tag team match between Quack and Jigsaw versus Hallowicked and Frightmare was scrapped from the West Springfield show card. Instead, we got a pair of Incoherence singles matches. One of these bouts is right below.
In a rematch from the opening round of this year’s Young Lions Cup earlier this month, Frightmare will take on Brendan Michael Thomas. Frightmare was looked at as being a favorite to win the Young Lions Cup tournament, but “BMT” upset him with a sneaky pinning combination. Thomas wants nothing more than to pin Frightmare once again in West Springfield, which would undoubtedly catch the eyes of the CHIKARA bookers backstage, potentially even earning him a roster spot.
Dasher Hatfield looked to get the biggest win of his career in the six-man elimination match at “Young Lions Cup VII”, but one man stood in his way from doing so — Colin Delaney. After Dasher kicked out of all of Delaney’s signature manuveurs, Colin was able to finally advance to the finals of the tournament with a prawn hold of sorts. Dasher will certainly be looking for revenge in West Springfield and in a crowd filled with Bostonians, he will definitely have home field advantage.
Tim Donst broke ties with his buddy, Hydra, on night three of this year’s Young Lions Cup by assaulting him after a trios bout. To confirm and explain his actions, Donst wrote a blog, explaining how he was sick and tired of feeling like he would never be Quack’s favorite student. Not only that, but he believed Hydra was holding him back during his time as a member of the Sea Donsters. Hydra recently beat Donst in singles action on night one of YLC7, but this will definitely be a different Timothy Donst that gets into the ring in West Springfield. Will the “Mini-Man Monster” win again or will Donst take a step closer to achieving his destiny of becoming Young Lions Cup Champion?
Player Uno and Player Dos of the Super Smash Brothers will go up against arguably CHIKARA’s evilest team, UltraMantis Black and Delirious of the Order of the Neo-Solar Temple. Dos won the “Young Lions Cup VII” tournament and is the current-reigning Young Lions Cup Champion, so that should certainly give the Super Smash Brothers a little momentum. However, it should be noted that Uno was seen nodding his head in discontent after Dos captured the coveted title. Some jealousy, maybe? Also, let’s not forget what happened at night three of YLC, where UltraMantis Black was confronted by a mysterious man in all white. Whether these issues will prove to make differences in the match outcome remains to be seen.
Part two of two of the Incoherence singles matches on this card. Believe it or not, Castagnoli and Hallowicked have never faced off one on one in a CHIKARA ring before. While they have in Ring of Honor on a few different occassions, the stakes will certainly be much different in front of a CHIKARA crowd. Massachusetts fans were spoiled to a great match the last time CHIKARA came to New England, as Brodie Lee took on Hallowicked. Now, in a similar match of sorts, two huge professional wrestlers will collide once again. Will “Double C” or the “Dark Minion of the Underworld” walk out victoriously?
In quite possibly the toughest defense for the Osirian Portal thus far, Ophidian and Amasis will take on the newest team to recently gain three points, Gran Akuma and Icarus of F.I.S.T. Due to an arm injury, Ophidian has not wrestled in a CHIKARA ring since the beginning of the summer. Akuma and Icarus made it clear in a “special update” that they will be sure to take advantage of Ophidian’s situation. Will F.I.S.T. be the first tag team to hold the Campeonatos de Parejas for a second time or will Ophidian and Amasis get their near record-breaking fourth defense?
CHIKARA “Hiding in Plain Sight” (9.13.2009); Nashua, NH
Widely considered to be one of the top female wrestlers to come out of New England in years, Ariel will have her hands full in Nashua as she takes on Sara Del Rey. Ariel has been wrestling for SHIMMER since the debut show of the company on volume one. It should be noted that Ariel and Del Rey have faced off in a wrestling ring before, but all that matters this time around is who comes out on top at CHIKARA in Nashua.
Frightmare will take forth his biggest singles match yet, as he takes on Chuck Taylor of F.I.S.T. As a former Young Lions Cup Champion, Chuck is certainly no stranger to young, small, and quick wrestlers. Let’s not forget about Chuck’s Rey de Voladores victory a few years back, either. On the other side, Frightmare wants nothing more than to make a name for himself here and to solidify himself as being the top young gun in all of CHIKARA. A win here over Chuck Taylor could certainly do that, but beating “Sexy Chucky T” is no easy task.
We have all seen quite a few eight-man tag team matches this year in CHIKARA, but a ten-man? It’s been some time since we have witnessed one of those. The tecnico side will consist of Green Ant and Carpenter Ant of the Colony, Jimmy “Equinox” Olsen and Lince Dorado of the Future Is Now, and the “Old Timey King of Swing” Dasher Hatfield. On the rudo team, Jagged and Shane Matthews of 2.0 and Vin Gerard, STIGMA, and Colin Delaney of the UnStable will join together. This contest will certainly be crazy and fun, as nearly every participant in the bout has been on a hot streak lately. Will the tecnico or rudo group manage to reign supreme in Nashua?
CHIKARA announced on their Twitter page that Bryan Danielson had contacted them about potentially having one last CHIKARA match before parting ways with the independent scene and working his way into the WWE. “Special” is the word that the CHIKARA office used to describe this bout and it certainly is just that. Bryan Danielson and Claudio Castagnoli of Team Uppercut will reunite for the last time in Nashua, as they take on Mike Quackenbush and Jigsaw. Apparently, that’s why QuackenSaw’s match against Incoherence was scrapped. This will certainly be a battle about respect more than anything and Danielson will be looking to leave the independent scene, proving just exactly why he is the “best in the world”.
As CHIKARA Fans puts it, “it’s not a good time to be an Egyptian in CHIKARA”, that’s for sure. If Ophidian and Amasis manage to walk out of West Springifeld still the tag champs, then will be forced to defend their titles against Fire Ant and Soldier Ant of the Colony, another team that has accumulated three points as of late. If Akuma and Icarus beat the Portal for the gold in West Springfield, then they will immediately make their first defense against the Colony. The Colony are bitter rivals with both rudo factions that they will be going up against in Nashua, so both potential matches are definitely interesting to see come up on paper. After the New England weekend, will it be the Portal, F.I.S.T., or the Colony with the Campeonatos de Parejas around their waists?
Exclusive Interview: Ophidian and Amasis, Current-Reigning Campeones de Parejas
There may not be a hotter tag team in professional wrestling right now than the Osirian Portal of Ophidian and Amasis. Since winning CHIKARA’s Campeonatos de Parejas in November of last year, they have already defended their belts a total of three times, including against teams such as Jimmy “Equinox” Olsen and Lince Dorado, the Colony, and even Mike Quackenbush and Jigsaw.
Besides competing in CHIKARA, though, the Portal have also recently made their way around to other independent companies, wrestling for Ring of Honor, Full Impact Pro, Jersey All Pro Wrestling, and and even for Dragon Gate USA on their debut show. What’s even more amazing is that both of these guys have under three years of experience combined. Without further adieu, below is my interview with Ophidian and Amasis of the Osirian Portal.
REYNOLDS: Amasis, you wrestled on the Dragon Gate USA debut show that will appear on pay-per-view next week. Unfortunately, I know that Ophidian was also initially booked him to appear on this event, but an arm injury prevented him from doing so. Now, take us under the eyes of the “Funky Pharaoh” for a moment. What was it like to perform in front of such a large crowd in Philadelphia and to compete on pay-per-view for the first time in your young career?
AMASIS: I can honestly say that it was an experience fit for a king like myself. I’ve had the opportunity to wrestle in front of large crowds before, but nothing like the crowd size at Dragon Gate USA in the historical ECW Arena. As far as wrestling on pay-per-view, that’s something that I never thought I would be doing so early in my career. It was another great opportunity to putthe Osirian Portal on the map.
REYNOLDS: Two upcoming defenses of the Campeonatos de Parejas have been marked down for the upcoming New England shows in just a few weeks. Your first defense will be against Gran Akuma and Icarus of F.I.S.T., the longest-reigning Campeones in CHIKARA history. What are your thoughts going into a match with two veterans like Akuma and Icarus?
AMASIS: I’m going to be honest. This match is going to be one of the toughest defenses we have ever had as reigning Campeones. F.I.S.T. is and always will be considered the most dangerous team in CHIKARA and quite possibly the world.
OPHIDIAN: F.I.S.T. have racked up numerous accoladesss and accomplishmentsss, but so have we. We are the youngest team to ever contend for and obtain the Campeonatosss de Parejasss. It took F.I.S.T. years to open the eyes of the wrestling industry. Thirteen monthsss is what it took for us to capture these, prestigious CHIKARA titles and shake things up in the world of wrestling. We are the fastest rising starsss in CHIKARA history. Amasis and I are changing the way the game is played.
AMASIS: Battling and retaining our titles against a veteran team like F.I.S.T. is a huge task that Ophidian and I have no choice but to overcome. With the power of Osiris watching over us, I know we will prevail.
REYNOLDS: If the two of you manage to successfully defend your belts against F.I.S.T. in West Springfield, then it will be Fire Ant and Soldier Ant of the Colony that steps up for a shot at the Campeonatos de Parejas the very next day in Nashua. Ophidian and Amasis, I understand the both of you have defeated Fire and Soldier before. However, this time around, they will most likely have Green Ant and possibly even the mysterious, Carpenter Ant, in their corner. Do you believe the Colony could potentially be threats to your championships this time around?
AMASIS: Considering the fact that this is their second shot at us for the Campeonatos de Parejas, I know that they are hungrier than ever and want nothing more than to knock us off of our pyramid of greatness.
OPHIDIAN: From the finals of TWGP in Oberhausen, Germany to our sssecond title defense at the ECW Arena, we have battled those antsss all over the world. Unfortunately, if there isss a team that has the Osirian Portal’s number, it isss the Colony. We have pushed each other to the limit and beyond.
AMASIS: The Colony may have the advantage when it comes to the numbers game, but again, we have something they do not have. The power and faith of Osiris to guide us to another victory!
REYNOLDS: Escorpion Egipico was banned from the Osirian Portal at the beginning of this year, seemingly out of the blue. Care to explain your decisions and actions in doing so? Also, is there any chance that we could see more members of the Portal added in the near-future?
AMASIS: I’m going straight to the point here. We lost at King of Trios. He lost key singles matches while Amasis and I were racking up tag victories. Then, there was the straw that broke the camel’s back. He kicked me in the face and speared Ophidian through the ring. He did us more harm than good. As far as adding new members is concerned, you’re just gonna’ have to wait and see what events occur down the line
OPHIDIAN: We get the job done as a duo. As the old sssaying goesss, “don’t replace a stone that isssn’t cracked”.
REYNOLDS: Any last words or comments before we wrap things up?
AMASIS: Keep your eyes on the Osirian Portal. We are a force to be reckoned with… CAN YOU DIG IT?!!
OPHIDIAN: Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!!!
REYNOLDS: I couldn’t be more grateful of you guys for sitting down to do this interview with me for Pulse Wrestling. I wish you both all the best in your upcoming defenses in New England. Also, I hope that Ophidian’s arm is one hundred percent when the time comes for him to compete.
Obviously, don’t forget to check out the official website of CHIKARA, which is the home promotion of the Portal. Ophidian and Amasis have also recently opened up their own website, so go there to view upcoming dates, new photographs, and that whole deal.
Links For Looking
If the image above didn’t tell you, Brian Kendrick has been signed to compete against CIMA at “Open The Untouchable Gate†on September 9th, 2009 in Chicago, Illinois. Not only that, but Mike Quackenbush and Jigsaw will get a shot at revenge against YAMATO and Gran Akuma in tag team action. To see why this match is happening, click here. Also currently signed is Naruki Doi versus Bryan Danielson, Shingo versus Davey Richards, Dragon Kid versus Masato Yoshino in a rematch from “Open The Historic Gate”, Ryo Saito and Genki Horiguchi versus the Young Bucks, and another “Fray” match featuring Hallowicked, Prince Mustafa Ali, Johnny Gargano, and Shiima Xion among others. If you’re in the Chicago area, I don’t know how it would be possible to pass up a show like this. Tickets are still available, so grab them while you can.
Episodes 175 and 176 of the Podcast-A-Go-Go are up, featuring action from this year’s King of Trios tournament. There is a particular bit included in one of these that features Willie Richardson and Greg Excellent doing the “Jump On It” dance out of the absolute blue, which is absolutely marvelous and one of my favorite CHIKARA moments in recent history. Be sure to check the clip out if you haven’t seen it already.
Daizee Haze got through Rayna VonTash in a matter of minutes in CHIKARA’s last trip to Reading at “Never Kneel at the Altar of Conformity” (which is now available on DVD at Smart Mark Video). In a recent blog, Daizee made it clear that she wants more competition in CHIKARA and laid out an open challenge. No one has responded to her comments as of yet, but we will see if anything comes out of it.
Keep your eyes peeled on the “roster” section of the CHIKARA website, as it has been updated quite frequently within the past week or so. Carpenter Ant’s bio is now up there with some mysterious statistics. Give it a look at and let me know what you think of the cryptic newcomer of the Colony.
Bryan Alvarez and Vince Verhei reviewed the entire Dragon Gate USA debut show on their radio show, but Dan Lowth of CHIKARA Fans was nice enough to upload a portion of the segment that features the guys talking about the CHIKARA eight-man tag team match in particular. Good stuff.
Jerome Cusson, Kevin Ford, and a good amount of other writers are working hard over at Pro Wrestling Ponderings. PWP was created over the summer and has been rapidly picking up pace lately. I wrote for Pro Wrestling Ponderings for a few months, but left due to personal reasons before joining Pulse Wrestling. I consider all of the guys writing there to be close acquaintances of mine, so I would appreciate it if you gave some of their articles a look at. When you’re done with that, drop a comment in their guestbook and let them know what you think. In addition, check out Kevin’s great CHIKARA material on 411mania.
A new episode of the Grizzly Bear Egg Cafe was posted up yesterday morning. Clayton Morris and Mike Quackenbush primarily discuss movies this time around with their take on District 9, a movie that I enjoyed as much as they both did. Quack also dives into G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, a flick that currently has a 37% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. I’ll leave it at that.
Pulse Plugs
Who was the better ROH World Champion? Was it James Gibson or Jerry Lynn? Pulse Glazer picks Gibson in his most recent “A Modest Blog” article.
Vinny Truncellito takes a look back at Chris Benoit in “Alternate Reality by Vin Tastic“, something he hasn’t done since Benoit’s tragic and unfortunate downfall.
Mark Allen looks into Bryan Danielson signing a WWE contract in yet another interesting edition of “This Week in ‘E“.
Chris Morgado makes his Pulse Wrestling debut and tries to remember how and when he started watching professional wrestling in “The Column With No Name“. For the record, Morgado’s still looking for column name suggestions, so feel free to drop him a comment on his most recent article.
SummerSlam may be over with, but it’s been well-documented on this website. Look at how atrociously I did on the “Rasslin’ Roundtable” and don’t forget to read PK’s live report of the show.
Comments and feedback can go below. If you’re not down with that, then I’ve got two words for you. Actually, no. Just e-mail me at royreynolds@4sternstaging.com. I don’t want you to get anywhere near my genitals, thanks. Be back in two weeks, just five days before CHIKARA’s big New England weekend.
