Chikara's Aniversario weekend starts tomorrow at 6:30 PM in Tyngsboro, MA, and it punctuates an absolutely loaded weekend for hybrid wrestling fan-nerds like myself. Not only is the LOST finale this weekend. Not only are there ROH tapings. Not only do we have WWE's Over the Limit (which I predict will do abysmal numbers due to it being up against the aformentioned LOST finale), but yes, Chikara, the best indie wrestling promotion going in this country (apologies to PWG) is going to be running two huge shows, headlined by what promises to be an epic torch-passing encounter from Tommy Dreamer to Eddie Kingston.
You can read my sort of appetizer preview of the event at the CCB first, but you know I'm going more in-depth here. Why? Because you people (what do you mean, "you people"?) should know the score more about Chikara since I write about it all the fucking time. And trust me, this weekend promises a lot more than just the money shot Dreamer/Kingston match.
Both events are going to have a heavy flavor of the ongoing BDK/Chikara war. Yes, the Campeonatos de Parejas will be defended by current Campeones Claudio Castagnoli and Ares against Frightmare and Hallowicked on Sunday. Also at the Union City, NJ card, Tim Donst will put his Young Lions Cup up against Soldier Ant. Very big title matches, but I think the most interesting tilt in this war happens in Tyngsboro on Saturday. UltraMantis Black, who had remained on the sidelines in this war after arguably causing it until his brainwashed minion Delirious went all haywire (well, more haywire than he normally is), finally steps up to the plate in this epic battle for the soul of Chikara as he takes on Ares. Like many fans of the fed, I've been waiting for him to enter this fray because his manipulation of the Eye of Tyr had been one of the root causes of the BDK's formation and two, because he's fucking awesome, that's why. With no Championships on the line in Massachusetts, this match has the highest stakes in my view.
Also on the card for Tyngsboro is a main event atomico match, pitting Mike Quackenbush, Jigsaw, Hallowicked and Frightmare against an amalgamated team of rudos featuring members of Team FIST (Gran Akuma and Chuck Taylor) and the UnStable (Vin Gerard and Colin Delaney). Also, Fire Ant gets a crack at the Colony's infiltrator, Pinkie Sanchez. I think that might be a sleeper candidate for best match of the weekend. I don't know about you, but I feel like Sanchez has come into his own as a worker since unmasking, and his heel swagger, facial expressions and his in-ring work have combined to make him one of the most surprising top-flight indie workers of 2010. If he keeps this up, he'll be getting a nice top 10 vote from me for next year's A1W 100. If you want to see the full card for Aniversario Zehn, click this.
As for Union City on Sunday, this looks like it's a can't miss card. The CdP match should have nuclear heat as Incoherence is among the most over teams in the company, and we all know how much people hate the BDK. My hope for this match is that we don't get Derek Sabato reffing it, but something tells me he's going to be all over this weekend to help solidify that new wrinkle in the BDK angle a bit more. However, what will almost be a screwy finish in that match as well as the YLC title match will be made up for with Dreamer/Kingston, a match I'm downright giddy for.
Yeah, Dreamer has lost a lot of his mobility over the years and has taken some nasty bumps, but here are things to remember. One, this is Chikara, a family-friendly promotion, so I doubt we'll see a hardcore match or even any weapons shots. Two, Dreamer had been solid as a brawler in ECW last year, working fun matches with guys such as Finlay, Jack Swagger, Christian, Mark Henry, Sheamus and Zack Ryder. Yeah, the guy doesn't do MOVEZ~!, but he knows how to tell a story in the ring. Three, Eddie Kingston is the best indie brawler not named Necro Butcher. The integration of the two in a match together should make for a wild, tense and emotional donnybrook. Four, you know Dreamer will bump for Kingston, which will make the match all the more memorable. Dreamer wants to do for Kingston what Terry Funk did for Dreamer, and that's pass the torch. I expect at least one big spot to help solidify that.
The full card for Aniversario Elf can be found here.
For those of you in the Boston/New England and NYC metro areas, this is a perfect opportunity to see Chikara. Make the trip. You won't be disappointed.
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!
