Who?: UltraMantis Black and Crossbones
Promotions: Chikara
Alias: Mantis is also known as the Angry Insect Evildoer
Current Affiliations: They form the stable the Order of the Neo-Solar Temple, which includes a brainwashed Delirious (although he is currently MIA). Also, Mantis is part of the Chikara Commentation Station Guild (unofficial title given by me) along with Gavin Loudspeaker, Bryce Remsburg, Eddie Kingston, Leonard F. Chikarason and Mike Quackenbush.
Height: Mantis 6' Crossbones 5'11"
Weight: Mantis 206 lbs. Crossbones 240 lbs.
Hometown: Parts Unknown
After the jump... Wrestling Style: Mantis - Puroresu-influenced technical wizard. He likes to rely on head-drops as much as he does his minions doing his bidding.
Crossbones - Big man offense with some martial arts mixed in. He's a relative giant in a fed where Sara del Rey is as physically comparable to most of the male roster as she would be in an average women's fed.
Signature Maneuvers:
Praying Mantis Bomb:
Top 10 Moves of UltraMantis Black:
Top 10 Moves of Crossbones:
Titles Held:
None as of yet
Promos:
Responding to the BDK's actions
Preparing to face the Colony
Old-school Crossbones promo
Why You Should Know UltraMantis Black and Crossbones: Mantis is an essential Chikara personality. He's got his hand in many different pots, be it hosting the Podcast-a-Go-Go, being a part of several of the fed's essential feuds and matches or being the most warmly received member of the Commentation Station by fans of Chikara. Being a member of the fed from the very beginning, none of this should come as shocking.
Mantis represents a comically evil element that is essential to the fabric of the promotion, especially its family-friendliness. He's a classic villain that makes the product easy for kids to latch onto, while having a ring acumen that makes it easy for adult wrestling nerds like myself to latch onto. While he may be easily glossed over right now due to the BDK/Chikara war (that he helped start but is now ducking from) and the fact that the Order lost Delirious and couldn't compete in King of Trios, forgetting him when thinking about the cogs that make Chikara work would be a disservice and a downright travesty.
Crossbones serves as Mantis' loyal lackey, and while he doesn't seem to be much to consider, the guy's a loyal soldier and he's fun to watch in the ring.
Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein - Please visit his site to view the plentiful amounts of pictures he's taken for DGUSA, ROH and other indie feds: Get Lost Photography
Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!
