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Welcome to a big edition of CHIKARMY Insider. For one weekend every year, the independent world takes notice of the biggest tournament in professional wrestling. Chikara’s signature event, King of Trios, returned this past weekend. There were shocking upsets, dream contests, surprise match-ups, and three days of the best, most unique wrestling you’ll find anywhere with a habitable atmosphere. The King of Trios Finals will be a hotly debated and contentiously discussed match for quite some time. Sorry for the late publication, too. I’ve been struggling with a nasty bug all damn weekend. Here are results for all three nights, so spoilers ahead! I want to thank Jerome Cusson for providing me with the live results. How he tore himself from the nonstop action long enough to text results is beyond me, but I (and you) ought to be grateful. BE GRATEFUL. Thanks to Kevin Ford for sending some of his experiences during the Fan Conclave. I’d tell you some of them, but he’s got plans to tell you himself in his own column, so that’d be pretty crappy of me, no? Finally, thanks to several other Twitter…ers, some of whom made comments that helped me fill in some gaps. Get to readin’, fools! Get in on the conversation!
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All Sixteen Trios

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1. Bruderschaft Leaders – Claudio Castagnoli, Ares and Tursas

2. Bruderschaft Lions – Lince Dorado, Tim Donst and Pinkie Sanchez

3. F.I.S.T. – Gran Akuma, Chuck Taylor and Icarus

4. F1RST Family – Arik Cannon, Darin Corbin and Ryan Cruz

5. Team Big Japan – Daisuke Sekimoto, Kankuro Hoshino and Yuji Okabayashi

6. Team Delicioso – Curry Man, El Hijo del Ice Cream and Ice Cream, Jr.

7. Team Frightning – Mike Quackenbush, Hallowicked and Frightmare

8. Team Mexico – El Valiente, Jorge “Skayde” Rivera and Turbo

9. Team Oreo – Johnny Gargano, Flip Kendrick and Louis Lyndon

10. Team Osaka Pro – Atsushi Kotoge, Daisuke Harada and Tadasuke

11. Team Perros Del Mal – Alebrije, Cuije and El Oriental

12. The Colony – Fire Ant, Soldier Ant and Green Ant

13. The Future Is Now – Jigsaw, Jimmy “Equinox” Olsen and Helios

14. The Jackson 3 – Matt, Nick and Malachi Jackson

15. The Throwbacks – Matt Classic, Dasher Hatfield and Sugar Dunkerton

16. The UnStable – Vin Gerard, STIGMA and Colin Delaney

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King of Trios: Night 1

April 23, 2010 ~ Philadelphia, PA

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1. First Round Match: F.I.S.T. d. The Throwbacks (13:43). These two teams had troubles at the end of last year, and the Throwback consistently got the better of F.I.S.T., last year’s King of Trios winners. As Throwback tradition, the match starts with a tip off. There was a basketball dunk spot that involved Sugar Dunkerton and the song “I Believe I Can Fly” playing over the speakers. Oh my. Chuck Taylor and Icarus nailed Matt Classic with a Lungblower / Yakuza Kick combination to put him down for three and advance F.I.S.T. into the quarterfinals.
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2. First Round Match: Team Big Japan d. Team Frightning (11:12). Think little Frightmare is shaking just a bit? Then you’d be wrong…HE’S FEARLESS. Daisuke Sekimoto is wearing a shirt that simply says, “I’M HARD”. Early on, he obliterated both Quack and Frightmare with a Double German Suplex! In a mild upset (and a great match), Big Japan gets the win over Team Frightning when Okabayashi attempts to snap Frightmare in half with a Torture Rack, forcing him to tap.
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3. First Round Match: Bruderschaft Leaders d. The Random Hat Squad (11:01). Jorge “Shameless” Rivera tried to shaft Chikara like a backstabbing, selfish old man, so Team Mexico is out. Names are being drawn out of…”The Hat”. Well Dunn isn’t here. Strike Force is also absent. It’s The Osirian Portal and, in a name pulled from a hat Dieter brought out, Sara Del Rey. BOOO! Del Rey is taken out early when The Portal hypnotize her, but that just leaves them 2 on 3. The BDK Leaders hit their disgusting three-man finisher, Ragnarok, on Ophidian for the victory.
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4. First Round Match: Team Osaka Pro d. The UnStable (9:55). There was a lot of tension between Colin Delaney and Vin Gerard during the match. Colin ends up getting pinned by Daisuke Harada with a German Suplex in an okay match. Vin is furious with Colin after the loss.
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5. First Round Match: The Colony d. Team Oreo (14:10). The six men had a decent, but somewhat sloppy match that saw Fire Ant pin Flip Kendrick with Beach Break for the win. I’m not going to bring up how awesome The Soul Touchaz have been during King of Trios. Oh, wait. I JUST DID! Man, I’m so bitter…
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6. First Round Match: Bruderschaft Lions d. F1RST Family (18:40). I desperately wanted F1RST to win this sucker. Alas, my desperation was not enough. Pinkie Sanchez with the Inverted Chikara Special on Ryan Cruz to move both Bruderschaft units into Night 2 of the tournament.
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7. First Round Match: Team Perros Del Mal d. Team Delicioso (15:50). This was the match I was most looking forward to, and it apparently delivered big time. A very, very fun match that ended when Cuije pinned Hijo del Ice Cream with an assisted splash.
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– In-Ring Segment: Between matches, a fan came from the crowd, got in the ring and asked his girlfriend to marry him. She said yes and the crowd was all, “BOO!” Stay classy, Philadelphia.
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8. First Round Match: The Future Is Now d. The Jackson 3 (19:24). This was said to be the best match of the night by some. Shocking, I know. Helios pinned Malachi Jackson with the 630 Splash to get TFIN the victory. The Young Bucks, er…Generation…Nick and Matt were said to have been none too pleased about losing this match. A great way to cap what was said to be a really strong show and a step-up from last year’s first night.
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King of Trios: Night 2

April 24, 2010 ~ Philadelphia, PA

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1. Brodie Lee d. Grizzly Redwood (3:09). As speculated, it’s the former Roughnecks going one-on-one.  Brodie Lee ended their tag team when he turned on Grizzly in Philly last October. Awesomely, Grizz sold the beating by lying perfectly still the ENTIRE intermission. THAT’S commitment. Grizz is out for vengeance~! He’s a motivated man! HE’S…Brodie kills him with a Big Boot.
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2. King of Trios Quarterfinal #1: Team Big Japan d. The Future is Now (13:45). Another match with a somewhat surprising result. Sekimoto outdoes himself from Night 1, managing to German Suplex THREE guys at once, though one was a teammate. Helios hits Sekimoto with a 630 Senton…but Sekimoto kicks out at ONE! Jigsaw and Equinox hit dueling dives and Jimmy almost lands in the crowd. Helios goes for a springboard dive…but Beastly Sekimoto catches him in mid-air and nails a German Suplex for the three! Said to be an incredible contest. BJW takes out both Team Frightning and The Future is Now.
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3. Rey de Voladores Eliminator #1: Matt Cross d. Amasis, Flip Kendrick & Malachi Jackson (9:43). Matt Cross is apparently looking sharp despite being almost universally reviled. Some would say “too harsh”, others “too kind”. Flip Kendrick and Malachi Jackson are both eliminated via an Amasis 450 Splash & and a Matt Cross Shooting Star Press, respectively. Matt Cross wins by hitting a Moonsault Double Stomp to Amasis’s formerly injured knee and following with a Standing SSP! OUCH! Said to be an okay match, but Matt Cross is in the Night 3 Finals. That’ll put marzipan in your pie plate, bingo!
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4. King of Trios Quarterfinal #2: Bruderschaft Leaders d. Perros del Mal (9:46). If you had money on Alebrije, Cuije and El Oriental…you made a fools bet. Tursas pins mini luchador Cuije with a Big Splash. They probably had to scrape Cuije off of Tursas with a shovel afterwards.
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5. Christopher Daniels d. Hallowicked (13:32). This is the Chikara debut for Christopher Daniels….what? Daniels pins Hallowicked with the Best Moonsault Ever in a solid match. I know people will complain about no Quack/Daniels, but it just goes to show you how much faith Quackenbush puts in his young guys. A great opportunity for ‘Wicked.
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6. King of Trios Quarterfinal #3: Team Osaka Pro d. F.I.S.T. (14:27). Perhaps the most shocking finish this year in my opinion. Should be noted that Johnny Gargano was sitting in the entrance way during the match…and he was wearing a F.I.S.T. shirt. Dunno if it means anything, but I thought it of interest. Finish saw Chuck Taylor go for the Omega Driver on Tadasuke, but he rolled-up “The Kentucky Gentleman” for the three. Said to be right up there with BJW/TFIN for match of the night!
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7. Rey de Voladores Eliminator #2: Ophidian d. Frightmare, Cheech & Rich Swann (15:52). Frightmare eliminates Rich Swann first with the Kneecolepsy. Who the bunk the Rich Swann? Early on, Cheech powerbombed Ophidian into the guardrail! Ophidian gets revenge, eliminating Cheech with a Bridging Prawn Hold. Frightmare and Ophidian through everything they had at one another, with Ophidian finally putting Frightmare away with an Avalanche Egyptian Destroyer! Said to be absolutely insane. Cross vs. Ophidian in the Finals tomorrow. Because no one would want an all Osirian Portal final…oh wait…
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8. King of Trios Quarterfinal #4: The Colony d. Bruderschaft Lions (18:52). First off, I should say that this is BRILLIANT booking. Both teams winning makes tremendous sense, which is what you want going into a match like this. The contest was very heated from the start. Lince was being tossed around like a ragdoll, overselling everything to the glee of the fans. In the end, Fire Ant and Pinkie Sanchez fought on the apron where Fire Ant drilled him with a Apron Beach Break. Soldier Ant rolled Donst through into the Chikara Special and wouldn’t break the hold even with Donst fighting it off. Donst finally tapped, giving the Bruderschaft their first pinfall or submission loss in any form! Said to be another stellar match.
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King of Trios: Night 3

April 25, 2010 ~ Philadelphia, PA

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1. King of Trios Semifinal #1: The Colony d. Team Osaka Pro (8:58). Soldier Ant comes down to the ring with a big bag of sugar. Apparently, the winner not only advances to the Finals but also gets…a big bag of sugar. Green Ant manages to pin Tadasuke with an Avalanche version of either the GI-Ant, Ant-a-pault or (what I was told) the Anthill. Who knows…but The Colony advances to the Finals! Edit: Chikara Pro’s Official Results are up. They’ve called it a Super Mega Antapult Splash. AWESOME.
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2. King of Trios Semifinal #2: Bruderschaft Leaders d. Team Big Japan (14:12). Unfortunately, I think this match suffered to tell a story. Hopefully, we get a proper one soon. Ares pinned Kankuro Hoshino with Toblerone Driver, his version of the Tiger Driver. It’s BDK vs. The Colony in the 2010 King of Trios Finals!
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3. Chuck Taylor d. El Oriental (10:58). Match was said to be a boring mess. Taylor wins with Sole Food and the Cross Crab, forcing Oriental to tap. Crowd couldn’t care less. Ugh.
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4. Tag Team Gauntlet Match: Hallowicked & Frightmare win, earning three points (32:13). The unlucky first two teams, The Throwbacks and Vin Gerard & STIGMA, get things started. The UnStable eliminate The Throwbacks when Vin rolls up Sugar. Next team out: Steve Weiner and DRAGON DRAGON!!!! Dragon Dragon is pulling out every conceivable Dragon move. Screws, Sleepers, Suplexes…but it’s not enough, as Gerard somehow manages to tap him out. Vin/STIGMA get their second point as Helios & Equinox enter. Quite quickly, Equinox pins Gerard with an overbomb / piledriver combination! Aeroform enters the field. Equinox goes beastly, eliminating Aeroform via KO Punch to Flip Kendrick. North Star Express are in and everything goes SLOW-MO! Darin Corbin eventually pins Helios, eliminating The Future is Now. The Order of the Neo Solar Temple are out next. Corbin is pinned by UltraMantis via the Praying Mantis Bomb. Unfortunately for Mantis, it’s Incoherence out next. Hallowicked pins Crossbones after a Yakuza Kick. F.I.S.T. enters! After quite an exchange, Hallowicked & Frightmare bests Icarus & Akuma when Frights countered an Icarus Blu-Ray into a crucifix pinfall. Now all that’s standing between Incoherence and a title shot is Sara Del Rey and Daizee Haze, the final team! Hallowicked pins Haze with a brutal Rydeen Bomb, giving Incoherence three points and a future shot at Claudio and Ares for the Campeonatos de Parejas! WOW!
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– During Intermission: Holy Crap, folks. A video for the long-anticipated Chikara video game played during this time. It now has a website and everything. The video showed Private Eye and Mister Zero. The games tagline? “Rudo Resurrection!” It’s said to be on multiple platforms, too. Whether this is just for the game or if we’ve seen a glimpse the next big Chikara storyline remains a mystery. Head over to the Chikara Video Game website for the AMAZING video. Obviously, there’s more to come. Once again: Holy Crap. Looks like Chikara’s version of “Blackest Night”…
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5. Chikara Dream Match #1: Eddie Kingston d. Christopher Daniels (14:52). It was a hard-fought contest, but Kingston pulled it out, nailing Backfist to the Future after avoiding the Best Moonsault Ever. Big win for Eddie.
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– In-Ring Segment: Tommy Dreamer is here for some reason. He accidentally swears, forgetting Chikara’s rules almost instantly. Yikes. Anyway, he says that he wants Eddie Kingston when Chikara debuts in New Jersey. Eddie accepts, so it’s Dreamer vs. Kingston at “Aniversario Elf” on May 23rd! Dunno what to think of that honesty.
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6. Chikara Dream Match #2: Mike Quackenbush & Jigsaw d. The Young Bucks (13:39). Said to be an AMAZING match on par with their contest at the second Phoenix DGUSA show. Jigsaw pins Nick Jackson after a Quackenbush double stomp-assisted Jig n’ Tonic! OUCH!
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7. Rey de Voladores Finals: Ophidian d. Matt Cross (13:44). Match is apparently really slow going, with most of the blame placed on Matt Cross. Anyone surprised? WAS AMASIS BUSY?!?!?!?! Ophidian is King of the Flyers as he hits a sloppy Moonsault roll-up into a three count. Poo.
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8. 2010 King of Trios Finals: The Bruderschaft Leaders d. The Colony (13:30). The Ants come out to a remixed version of their theme music. It was an insane match: Tursas ended up in the front row, Green Ant was almost decapitated by a super uppercut and Fire Ant flew off the steel beam. In the end, with Bryce Remsburg incapacitated due to a Tursas splash, it was Derek Sabato, former disgraced Chikara referee and mortal enemy of Leonard F. Chikarason, who answered the call. The Colony nailed Ares with the Ant Hill, but Sabato clearly slow-counted, costing The Colony a three count. Fire Ant was hit with Ragnarok and Sabato fast-counted the pin to screw over Fire Ant, Soldier Ant, Green Ant and the entire Chikara fanbase. He revealed a white referee’s shirt underneath the standard one as the BDK celebrated their monumental achievement. Back in 2008, after he was fired, Sabato told Chikarason in an infamous blog post that “You’ll get yours eventually”. He has hated the Chikara fans for a long time, and the feeling’s been mutual. It took two years, but it appears he’s gotten a measure of revenge against them…and it’s only just begun. Despite the screwball finish, it was said to be a really great match.
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Overall Thoughts

Both Night 1 and Night 2 sound amazing, with Night 3 being, from what I hear, very good outside of the last two matches. That’s not to say the King of Trios Finals are bad but…it’s already quite a divisive topic. I’m extremely bummed about the result of the main event, but overall, each show was supposedly fantastic. Really looking forward to seeing the following (in no particular order): Daisuke Sekimoto killing midgets, QuackenSaw/Bucks II, the EPIC Tag Team Gauntlet Match, Sekimoto’s Double & Triple German Suplexes, Dunkerton’s “I Believe I Can Fly” moment, Perros Del Mal vs. Delicioso, the finish to BJW/TFIN involving…SEKIMOTO!, everything with Christopher Daniels, the Osaka Pro guys, who were apparently awesome, and the insane, controversial King of Trios Finals. I’ll be picking up all three DVDs the hour they become available, and you’ll be able to read the reviews for each right here at Pro Wrestling Ponderings!
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– The next two Chikara shows are the big Anniversary shows. “Aniversario Zehn” will be Saturday, May 22nd in Tyngsboro, MA. “Aniversario Elf” is Sunday, May 23rd in Union City, NJ. I’ll have updates on both of those shows next week!
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– Please leave any comments or questions you might have and I’ll do my best to respond with as many dirty French phrases as I can conjure. I’d like to do a contest or something cool like that, but I’m not sure how much interest there’d be. Let you voice be heard! Also, let me know if there’s anything you’d like to see in the column, like fantasy booking, treasure hunts, wish-lists, secret handshakes, etc.
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