Open Letter to Chikara: Please Stay Special

Dear Chikara,

Kingston

You may not know me, although according to people who work within your company like Bryce Remsburg, the Batiri and Jigsaw, you totally do, (and by the way, I'm flattered at the praise and feedback), but I am a fan of your work, a very big fan so to speak. Ever since King of Trios '09, I've been hooked on your brand of puroresu and indie wrestling influenced lucha libre to the point where other bloggers and wrestling writers have accused me of impropriety when it comes to coverage. You'll have to forgive them, because a lot of them seem to be jaded enough not to be able to enjoy what wrestling should be, but that's not the point of this letter. There are several things that make me a fan of your promotion. There are the colorful personalities, the high-quality wrestling matches, the guest stars, the fun atmosphere, the fan-friendliness, the affordable ticket prices, the masterful storytelling and merchandise that isn't embarrassing to wear. Trust me, that last one is a feat, because have you seen most WWE and Impact Wrestling apparel lately? Even ROH has a few garish tee-shirts on their slate.

One of the reasons why I'm so in love with your product is that every card has something different, something unique at the top of the slate. A promotion without a World-level Championship tends to have to be creative to produce main events that not only have great action but also have gravitas attached to them as well. To say that you've done that is an understatement. Whether the match is a defense of the Campeonatos de Parejas, a blood(less)-feud singles match, an atomicos match or a showcase between Eddie Kingston and whatever marquee guest star you've brought in, I've never felt like any main event match you've put on has felt like less than a main event.

That being said, you've decided to get with the times and crown a Grand Champion. This is not a bad thing. Quite to the contrary, I've enjoyed the heck out of the 12 Large Summit, and while I might seem to be in the minority, I am looking forward to Kingston taking on Mike Quackenbush to see who will get the honor of holding that prestigious Championship title for the first time. You guys don't know how excited I am to be a part of the event, even if I'm just there as a paying customer and amateur reviewer. With that in mind, don't take what I'm about to write the wrong way, please.

Most promotions nowadays, as good or bad as they are, leave a very predictable pattern for the main events of their big time events. Invariably, the main event gravitates towards being the World Championship match, and for good reason. The title should be held as the most prestigious thing in the company. That being said, in a perverse way, I always enjoyed Chikara not in spite of no World Title, but in part BECAUSE it had no World Title. There was variety, and in the back of my mind, I fear that variety is going to go the way of Private Eye and Worker Ant with the Grand Championship. I have no reason to believe that this variety will go away. Like I've said before, you guys have earned quarter with me that most wrestling companies can't even dream of attaining with your stellar track record of satisfaction.

And believe me, I won't stop going to shows or buying DVDs or giving you guys top reviews if the only thing that changes is that every card is invariably headlined by a Grand Championship match. It's never a bad thing to have a concrete goal to build around, especially when as a tool, it can be used to enhance the stories of so many wrestlers on the roster, from the established like Kingston, Quack, Jigsaw and UltraMantis Black down to those who have mettle to prove like Sara del Rey, Green Ant, Tursas and Sugar Dunkerton. However, it is the variety at the top of the card that sets you apart from everyone else, almost literally. Yeah, PWG and ROH deviate from that norm every once in awhile (PWG moreso than ROH, but I hold PWG in almost the same regard as I do you... I'm sure you won't disagree). I'm not saying the Grand Championship shouldn't be defended on every card (although if that is in the cards and defenses will be a "special" thing, then hey, I'm all for that too), nor am I saying that it should be given the WWE/Impact treatment, but at the same time, you guys are really good at telling a story. You have been since before you even entertained the thought of having a Grand Championship, and just because that Grand Championship is coming doesn't mean that the stories you will tell in the next couple of years will be lesser because of its presence. That's what makes you special, that it doesn't matter what the stakes are, everything feels important.

That's why I'm writing this. Not that I think you will, but because it's in the back of my mind that it just might happen, that every card in 2012 and beyond will be Grand Championship-centric. That wouldn't be special. But mixing cards based around title defense main events in with the atomicos, the tag title bouts, the feud matches and the special dream matches? That would be special.

I have the feeling that you will, but I feel like I need to say it, just for my sanity. Please stay special.

Yours truly,
TH

PS, see you at High Noon. Let's go Green Ant!

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein - Please visit his site to view the plentiful amounts of pictures he's taken for DGUSA, Chikara and other indie feds: Get Lost Photography