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Welcome to a phat new edition of CHIKARMY Insider! Last week’s column with so bangin’ that the Cabana/Quack match I posted got pulled from YouTube. Stay classy, High Spots! This week, we begin with some stupid fresh updates regarding this year’s Young Lions Cup as well as some other noteworthy items followed by a super fly rundown of the huge Chikarasaurus Rex: King of Sequel weekend that is coming up next week. Finally, get jiggy to another edition of Afterthoughts, where I present my own dreamed up version of this year’s YLC tourney format. You ready? Yeah, you ready.
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Chikara’s Updated Upcoming Schedule!
July 30th – Chikarasaurus Rex: King of Sequel (Night 1) – Reading, PA
July 31st – Chikarasaurus Rex: King of Sequel (Night 2) – Philadelphia, PA
August 27th – Young Lions Cup IX (Night 1) – Easton, PA
August 28th – Young Lions Cup IX (Night 2) – Easton, PA
September 18th – Martyr Yourself to Caution – Manhattan, NY
September 17th – Odyssey of the Twelfth Talisman – Brockton, MA
October 7th – Small But Mighty – Burlington, NC
October 8th – Klunk in Love – Kingsport, TN
October 30th – Maiden Flight of the Great Condor – Williamsport, PA
November 13th – High Noon – Philadelphia, PA
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Young Lions Cup IX Update!
Chikara Pro’s annual tournament for relative rookies returns next month! However, this year will deviate from the traditional format for the first time in half a decade. Here’s the dealio: the three day event becomes a two day tourney, as Young Lions Cup IX will emanate from Reading, PA on August 28th & 29th. Though the exact format is still unknown, we know that the field has been whittled down from 24 men to only 16. Three of those men have already been announced: Kobald, the youngest Batiri member and Chikara representative, Chase Owens, one-time House of Truth recruit and NWA: Smoky Mountain representative, and Archibald Peck, bodacious leader of March Madness and Chikara representative. For a little more analysis as well as some fantasy booking, see below in the Afterthoughts section. As always, you can expect a full rundown of YLC9 as the event grows near.
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Ophidian Hurt, Forced To Forfeit Tourney Match!
The curse of the 12 Large: Summit has struck again, this time costing Ophidian two points. Amasis was forced completely out of the tournament, Brodie Lee’s status is uncertain despite already forfeiting a match to Eddie Kingston, and now Ophidian is sidelined, which is totally whack. “These are dark daysss for the Osirian Portal.” The former RDV winner wrote, “Not just the terrible accident involving the Pharoah of Funk Amasisss, but now a wrestling injury will force me to the sssidelines as well. While competing in New Jersey a few weeks ago, I injured my jaw, but until seeing a doctor, I had no idea the damage that had been done. My jaw has been fractured in two placesss. I will spend the next 30 days with my mouth wired shut. This leaves me with no choice but to forfeit my ssscheduled match with Icarus at our upcoming Philadelphia event. These are two points I cannot afford to walk away from, but I am left with no real alternative. Enjoy that forfeit win, Icarus, it is the only way you could have picked up those points anyway.”
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Though most of the excitement surrounding this match-up is about the return of El Generico, Scott Parker & Shame Matthews as “3.OLE!”, they do not have to suffer the burden of expectation. All three men are known as strong competitors with silly sides. At any moment, Generico might dance around, Jagged might insult someone very Canadian-like, and Shane might announce his moves literally minutes before performing them. They’re serious competitors, but no one would be surprised if this team fell. For F.I.S.T., however, things are very different. If Icarus, Chuck Taylor & Johnny Gargano aren’t winning, they’re not succeeding as F.I.S.T. is known to. No amount of fan support will wash failure from their backs. This is the first trios match F.I.S.T. will wrestle since losing to The Colony in this year’s King of Trios Finals. Even though Taylor & Gargano currently hold two points toward a title shot and Icarus has two points in the 12 Large: Summit, they are not known as Chikara’s “most dangerous tag team and also pretty good singles competitor”. They are Chikara’s “most dangerous trio”. For this moniker to continue to hold weight like it did in the day of Gran Akuma, they must get back to their winning ways…as a triumvirate.
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It’s no secret that Adam Cole is pretty much da bomb. His stock rose tremendously in 2010: he started a successful tag team with Kyle O’Reilly in Ring of Honor, had a very strong showing at Chikara’s Young Lions Cup VIII and was voted Rookie of the Year by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. He is the current CZW Junior Heavyweight Champion and its longest-reigning holder to boot. He won Best of the Best X. Mia Yim is his valet. He holds a victory over Win Leaders Johnny Gargano in EVOLVE. The only thing working against this young man is having a last name that conjures images of the single worst on-screen character in professional wrestling. Overcoming that is no small feat, as would be overcoming the human wrecking machine he’ll face on Night 1 or C-Rex II: “The Last of a Dying Breed” Eddie Kingston. For King, Cole is just another bump on the road to defeating Claudio Castagnoli and/or earning the new Chikara championship through the 12 Large: Summit. For Cole, a strong showing could mean a return for YLC9 and another shot at Chikara’s current top singles prize.
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Tsukasa Fujimoto & Makoto know each other very, very well. Representing Ice Ribbon, the two joshi stars have been integral in the success of the company. The ICE×60 Championship is Ice Ribbon’s top prize, named for its 60 kilo weight limit. Both Makoto and Fujimoto are former champions, and Fujimoto is actually the current champ in her second reign. Both have held the International Ribbon Tag Titles with their respective partners, and Fujimoto is a former Triangle Ribbon champion, too, their secondary title that is defended exclusively in 3-Way contests. In fact, mad props go to Fujimoto for having held all three titles at one time earlier this year! Now they will meet in a Chikara ring, and you can get a look at what they’re capable of below. In a triple threat match from late 2009, Makoto & Tsukasa Fujimoto also face Emi Sakura, founder of Ice Ribbon! A short, fun and very accessible match!
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“I cannot help but pity an adversary so desperate for acceptance from CHIKARA’s crème de la crème that, when pitted against him, his only response is to shower said crème with compliments.” wrote Archibald Peck, in response to a previous blog post from Dasher Hatfield. “Has the once-notoriously-quarrelsome Hatfield family fallen so far that this is their mightiest heir? My only hope is that the McCoys have fared better. How would history have remembered David had he stood across the field of battle from the Philistines, slingshot in hand, lauding over Goliath’s fair complexion and olive coloring? Imagine Dr. Watson dramatically rushing back to Reichenbach Falls at the end of “The Final Problem” to find Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty doting over one another. The attempted flattery in question took place only hours ago when the sad-sack Mr. Hatfield called me, Archibald Peck, and my lovely bandmate, Veronica, “pansies” in some sordid internet television transmission. A simple dictionary inquiry into the term yielded the following result: Pan•sy noun \’pan-ze\: a garden plant (Viola wittrockiana) derived chiefly from the hybridization of the European Johnny-jump-up (Viola tricolor) with other wild violets; also: its flower. As an indubitable gentleman, I must first thank Mr. Hatfield on behalf of both Veronica and myself. While I refute certain nuances of the assertion, I appreciate the sentiment. Further, I can understand how the mind of a simpleton might identify the base resemblances between March Madness and pansies. Both are adorned in striking violet hues and smell of a spring garden. (Indeed, one popular soap manufacturer is currently developing the new scent “Peckpourri.” Be on the lookout for this and other exciting March Madness toiletries, soon to be at a general store near you!) But, between the two of us, Veronica is much more the pansy than I – beautiful and innocent. My floral analogue is more a rose in full bloom – beauteous and ambrosial but obstreperous to any gardener with a hoe to grind. For his own sake, I suggest Mr. Hatfield approaches our forthcoming encounter heeding the words of modern-day sage, Bret Michaels: ‘Every rose has its thorn…’” The ball player versus the band leader in Philadelphia?! RADICAL!
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Like Fujimoto & Makoto, Mima Shimoda & Daizee Haze will battle it out in a singles match just one night removed from battling in a six-woman tag. Shimoda is a well-respected grappler and one of the most prolific tag teamers ever. She’s a multiple-time WWWA tag team champion, having held the belts with Etsuko Mita as Las Cachorras Orientales and with Manami Toyota as the Tokyo Sweethearts. Haze has also made her mark as a tag wrestler of late: she’s one half of the current SHIMMER Tag champions with Tomoka Nakagawa and her squad with Sara Del Rey has dominated the Chikara landscape. The duo even earned a title shot, though their BDK faction leaders (and champions at the time) were all “Don’t go there!” As with the above match, there’s really not much else to add…so you get another video! Keeping with the fun once again, here’s Manami Toyota’s 20th Anniversary match from 2006, where she takes on Mima Shimoda!
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Chikarasaurus Rex: King of Sequel (Night 1)
Saturday, July 30th – Reading, PA
12 Large: Summit A Block: Mike Quackenbush [2] vs. Claudio Castagnoli [2]
CHIKARA vs. BDK: Green Ant vs. Tursas
12 Large: Summit B Block: Jigsaw [0] vs. Fire Ant [0]
World of Sport Rules: Johnny Saint vs. Johnny Kidd
6-Man Tag: El Generico & 3.0 vs. F.I.S.T.
First Time Ever: Eddie Kingston vs. Adam Cole
6-Woman Tag: Portia Perez, Mima Shimoda & Tsukasa Fujimoto vs. Sara Del Rey, Daizee Haze & Makoto
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Chikarasaurus Rex: King of Sequel (Night 2)
Sunday, July 31st – Philadelphia, PA
Dream Main Event: Mike Quackenbush & Johnny Saint vs. Colt Cabana & Johnny Kidd
12 Large: Summit A Block: Claudio Castagnoli [2] vs. Sara Del Rey [2]
12 Large: Summit B Block: Eddie Kingston [4] vs. Jigsaw [0]
6-Man Tag: El Generico & 3.0 vs. The Spectral Envoy
Special Women’s Match: Mima Shimoda vs. Daizee Haze
First Time Ever: Dasher Hatfield vs. Archibald Peck
Ice Ribbon Showcase: Tsukasa Fujimoto vs. Makoto
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As mentioned above, the ninth Young Lions Cup will be shifting to a new format this year, from a 3-day, 24-man tourney to one of 16 competitors across two nights. If it’s anything like the 2004 tournament, Night One will feature the eight first-round match-ups while Night Two would operate much like EVOLVE’s Style Battle, with second round, semifinal and the finals occurring in one night. This is just speculation right now, but it makes the most sense. However, it would get rid of one of the more distinctive aspects of YLC weekend: the six-man eliminators, which have been used to determine who goes to the finals since 2005. Before the number of competitors was announced, I hatched a plan to keep it 24 men across only two days, as well as working in several eliminators to keep recent tradition and make the tournament very difficult to predict.
8. Golden Dream 8-Man Tag
7. YLC Double Fall Eliminator #6: Entrant 21 vs. Entrant 22 vs. Entrant 23 vs. Entrant 24
6. YLC Double Fall Eliminator #5: Entrant 17 vs. Entrant 18 vs. Entrant 19 vs. Entrant 20
5. Previous YLC Champion vs. Established Veteran
4. YLC Double Fall Eliminator #4: Entrant 13 vs. Entrant 14 vs. Entrant 15 vs. Entrant 16
3. YLC Double Fall Eliminator #3: Entrant 9 vs. Entrant 10 vs. Entrant 11 vs. Entrant 12
2. YLC Double Fall Eliminator #2: Entrant 5 vs. Entrant 6 vs. Entrant 7 vs. Entrant 8
1. YLC Double Fall Eliminator #1: Entrant 1 vs. Entrant 2 vs. Entrant 3 vs. Entrant 4
The tourney starts with six double fall eliminators. Double fall means that, when one person pins or submits another, the match continues between the two uninvolved competitors for another fall. So what’s the point of this if they both advance anyway? Those who get the first fall in their matches will pair off earlier in the next day’s event, rewarding their tenacity and giving them more rest before the finals. Those who get the second fall fight later one. Outside of that, a big match pitting the previous YLC holder against a veteran of Chikara or other indys would be a nice way of “graduating” away from the Cup to see if they can hang with top competition as well as break up all the eliminators. Finally, I’d have the Golden Dream Match on Night 1 so that all emphasis can be placed on the following night’s finals. On to Night 2!
9. YLC Championship Eliminator: 6 Semifinal Winners Vie For The Cup
8. The Countdown Showdown Battle Royal
7. YLC Semifinal #6: Second Fall Winner #5 vs. Second Fall Winner #6
6. YLC Semifinal #5: Second Fall Winner #3 vs. Second Fall Winner #4
5. YLC Semifinal #4: Second Fall Winner #1 vs. Second Fall Winner #2
4. Tag Team Match
3. YLC Semifinal #3: First Fall Winner #5 vs. First Fall Winner #6
2. YLC Semifinal #2: First Fall Winner #3 vs. First Fall Winner #4
1. YLC Semifinal #1: First Fall Winner #1 vs. First Fall Winner #2
As stated, those who won their respective first falls get to fight pre-intermission and the second fall folks fight afterward. Those who win the standard solo contests head to the main event finals. This is similar to the way Nights 1 & 2 used to operate, but they will be fighting for a finals bid instead of semifinals and the eliminator will determine the champion, adding extra heat where it was sometimes lacking early on. The tag match between the semis serves the same function as the YLC vs. Veteran match the previous night, albeit with less importance attached. This can be any non-singles match really, and the last match before intermission. The Countdown Showdown returns, once again offering up a Golden Opportunity. To Chikara roster members, it means a future title shot. To those like Chase Owens who are just looking for a big break, it’ll mean a future booking and a chance to earn a spot on the Roster. This serves as buffer between semifinals and finals, as well as getting more mileage out of fly-in wrestlers without sticking them in random, fairly meaningless singles contests like previous years. Here, they’ll be fighting for something tangible and worthwhile. Finally, the six-man eliminator stays in the tournament, as the epic finals! Again, it makes it very hard to predict who will win as well as allowing eventual losing wrestlers to shine longer and brighter. Even if a guy is first out of the finals, he will have won a match the previous night and the very same day!
So that’s what my brain hatched. Do you like it? Hate it? Would you have done something completely different? Please feel free to comment below about your own manufactured Young Lions cup tournament!
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Please leave any comments or questions you might have and I’ll do my best to respond with as many hypnotic Japanese lullabies 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 your 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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