Wrestling Six Packs: Six Must-Get Chikara DVDs from the Last Two Years

From one of the DVDs you HAVE to get

I talk about Chikara here all the time. You can get a good idea of what goes on in the fed just by reading this blog, yeah, but you have to see to believe. Now, I can't recommend you Chikara shows from before I started following; that would just be disingenuous. However, I can tell you which shows you need to watch from the last two years that would maximize your viewing pleasure and get you somewhat up to speed about what Chikara is all about. Here are six DVDs you can buy through Smart Mark that will give you a good idea.

1. King of Trios 2009

This was my first exposure to Chikara, and quite frankly, I think it's a great launching point for anyone who wants to get into the fed. It has a nice mix of regulars, domestic guest stars and imports, the perfect sort of mix for any Chikara virgin to dip into. Of course, the structure of the weekend is high drama. The highlights you want to watch for are the Rey de Voladores qualifier that featured Kota Ibushi, Nick Jackson, Jigsaw and El Generico, an epic dance off between Greg Excellent and Trauma of da Soul Touchaz, Chuck Taylor tapping Bryan Danielson in the finale, and especially Johnny Saint playing the Philadelphia crowd like the crafty Brit he is.

2. Aniversario Yang

The big event on this card was a lucha de apuesta between that ranks among the hottest and most tension-filled matches you'll ever see. Even though you kinda figured that Chuck Taylor and Icarus were going to lose their hair before the match began (no way they were unmasking the Colony), they still did a great job of keeping you on the edge of your seat. They also did a little foreshadowing for the BDK angle with the debut of Carpenter Ant and a very good, very physical match between Claudio Castagnoli and Eddie Kingston.

3. Hiding in Plain Sight

You need to get this DVD if just for two matches. The first is maybe my personal match of the year from last year, Claudio Castagnoli and Bryan Danielson wrestling Jigsaw and Mike Quackenbush. If you're a fan of great wrestling, no matter what style, you'll love this match. Or better yet, if you don't like this match, then I suggest you drop the whole wrestling fan thing and pick up something like, I don't know, Shakespearean theater or something. The second match is the big 10-man match with 2.0 and the UnStable taking on Colt Cabana, Green and Carpenter Ants, Dasher Hatfield and Lince Dorado, which is on the total opposite end of the "serious" scale and where a baseball game broke out in the middle of a wrestling match. The rest of the show is good too, including an outstanding Campeonatos de Parejas match between the Colony and the Osirian Portal, antics from Frightmare that endeared him to me and others and a decent women's match between Sara del Rey and Ariel, but yeah, the double rainbow are the two first matches described.

4. Three-Fisted Tales

Obviously, you want to get this to see how the formation of BDK with the crazy brawl at the end and all the reveals. This was sort of the culmination of a whole year of build as well as a new beginning for 2010. It also featured Player Dos of the Super Smash Bros. delivering a German suplex of Lince Dorado into the steps that was among the sickest bumps ever perpetrated by anyone onto anyone else. Maybe that's why Lince joined the BDK.

5. King of Trios 2010

When I tell you this was the greatest wrestling experience I ever had, it was the greatest wrestling experience I ever had. It was lighter in guest appearances than 2009, but the Chikara natives did more than their fair share to hold up their end of the bargain. Furthermore, the guest stars they did bring in, especially Christopher Daniels, Matt Classic and Daisuke Sekimoto, augmented the card to levels that made it THE event of the year. What you want to look out for here are the main events of nights 2 and 3, especially night 2. The Colony taking on the BDK in both matches had off-the-charts heat, and them beating the "B-team" of Tim Donst, Lince Dorado and Pinkie Sanchez was seriously the biggest pop that I've ever seen in my entire life.

6. Chikarasaurus Rex: King of Show

Minus the abomination of a "match" between Shingo and Equinox, this was a fantastic meshing between Chikara and Dragon Gate USA. The main event was an incredible display of athleticism and lucharesu at its finest, but the best match on the card featured five Chikara originals and a visiting Drake Younger, who pulled out some of the sickest white-boy dance moves I have ever witnessed in my life. The match, which saw Younger team up with the Osirian Portal against the UnStable in a brutal brawl.

* - Both King of Trios events are three DVD sets... still, they're both well worth it. BELIEVE THAT, PLAYA.

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

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