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| A house divided against itself... can it stand? Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein |
Promotion: Chikara
What Happened in 2012: All seemed quiet on the Chikara front. The BDK was vanquished and a Grand Champion was crowned. By the third show of the year, Grand Champ Eddie Kingston's main nuisance from 2011, Vin Gerard, was sent packing from the company in a title vs. career match. However, it wouldn't take very long for the next threat to come along. The Gekido, a mirror-masked group of bizarro funhouse caricatures of the five faces of Chikara (Mike Quackenbush, the Colony, Jigsaw) appeared. While fans groaned that we just saw an invading group get put in its place, it seemed Gekido's endgame was quite different. Rather than taking over Chikara, their focus was to break it down and expose its heroes.
Their modus operandi seemed to include injuring people. They ended the career of Tianlong before it started and put Quack on the shelf with a wrist injury. This led to a huge five-on-five match at the Chikarasaurus Rex iPPV, pitting Jigsaw, the Colony, and Kingston against the group. A pre-match assault on Fire Ant left the Chikara faithful shorthanded, but Quack replaced him, recovered from his injury. After the tecnicos won, Quack exacted a bit of revenge, breaking 17's wrist after the match. This started to call into question whether the rogues were getting into Quack's head.
These questions continued to pop up during the summer, as some of Quack's words called into focus whether the group was getting under his skin. His supporters argued that his paternal instincts were kicking in. Others suggested that the most unsavory elements of his character were bubbling to the surface. Things boiled over huge at Ring of Wax in Indianapolis, when instead of pinning 17 after one Quackendriver, Quack unleashed all four of his signature piledriver-type moves en route to a castigo de excesivo loss in a tag match. Furthermore, Quack's rage caused combatANT to be exiled by injury at King of Trios.
The outbursts of rage initially concerned Jigsaw, but as they began to consume his partner, Jigsaw's mood went from concern to impatience to scorn. At Cibernetico, when The Shard tapped out Fire Ant with an ankle lock that he wouldn't let go, Quack came down with bad intentions in his eyes. Jig came down and manifested his frustrations with a superkick to the jaw. Things were further exacerbated when Jig showed no remorse and in fact showed very strong rudo tendencies in the four-on-four match at Under the Hood. Chikara's house is divided against itself entering into 2013, and the war doesn't seem to show any signs of subsiding.
Speaking of wars, Delirious made his intentions known at making both this year and next a living hell for UltraMantis Black. He recruited the Batiri and Ophidian to wage war against the Spectral Envoy. While their numbers have seemed formidable, they've been more a nuisance than threat to the Envoy, who won King of Trios, saw a return to action by Crossbones and Blind Rage, and beat Delirious' army pretty convincingly at Under the Hood.
2012 also saw the relationship between Veronica Ticklefeather and Archibald Peck. Ticklefeather was both annoyed by Peck's inability to win anymore and enamored with attractive but abrasive Mark "Mr. Touchdown" Angelosetti, who replaced Sugar Dunkerton in the Throwbacks. As he felt his majorette and main squeeze slip away from him, Peck first dabbled in the dark art of MMA, becoming reborn as Mixed Martial Archie. That didn't seem enough though, especially after he lost to a clinically-dead Darkness Crabtree in a MMA exhibition at Aniversario. He then enlisted the help of former rival Colt Cabana, culminating in a tag match at C-Rex.
The stipulation was added that whoever took the fall in the match would have to leave Chikara. Mixed Martial Archie disappeared to the back, leaving Cabana to deal with both Touchdown and Dasher Hatfield. Just as things looked bleakest, Archibald Peck reemerged with his baton, a baton that would come into play later on. With the choice in front of her, Ticklefeather surrendered the weapon to her new beau, Touchdown, who struck Peck with it en route to a pinfall sending the Leader of the Band away from Chikara, seemingly for good.
Over the summer, Angelosetti and Ticklefeather would embark on a scintillating love affair, and Touchdown would capture the Young Lions Cup. However, a Mysterious and Handsome Stranger would also appear along the circuit, winning over fans and carving his niche. No one could put their finger on it, but there were hints, especially in a castigo de excesivo loss when he got in the ring with Angelosetti. The final straw, it seemed, happened when Angelosetti callously and remorselessly compromised Sapphire, the Stranger's avian companion, to a permanent end. Then, after Angelosetti retained his YLC against ACH at Under the Hood, Ticklefeather and the Stranger were announced as Homecoming King and Queen. It was here that the Stranger revealed himself as Peck, repaying Ticklefeather's deception with a bucket of slop to the head. He was escorted from the building for his troubles.
The 2012 MVP: While Chikara seemed like more of a team effort in 2012, there is one guy who stood out above the pack, and his name is Tim Donst. Even in times when the Gekido stuff was looking confusing not in full focus, he was able to carry the heavy storytelling load with his threefold purpose in 2012. In the first half, his obsession with Hallowicked provided a great midcard subtext. In the second half, his warped and twisted self-image coupled with his rage against Kingston was enough of a pop for the main event of their final event but left enough unanswered that it could continue into 2013. Finally, the yearlong subtext with Jakob Hammermeier sustained him even when his direction didn't seem clear. Add that to the fact that he may have had his finest year in-ring, and I think he's a perfect choice for Chikara's 2012 MVP.
What's Going to Happen in 2013: Well, unless Donst is in line for another immediate rematch, it's unclear who will step up to be Kingston's first big challenge in 2013. The promotion was hurt when both Brodie Lee and Sara del Rey left for WWE at various points during the year, moving up some of Kingston's marquee challenges. If I had to guess, Under the Hood originally was going to feature the Kingston/del Rey match and possible title switch, with Donst getting his big chance in '13. That wasn't the case at all, whether it was the impetus of WWE or the plan altogether.
We're also set up for 3.0 to challenge the Young Bucks for Los Campeonatos de Parejas. They've accumulated three points and are ready to try and reclaim the titles they held for barely one defense earlier in 2012. The FIST team of Chuck Taylor and Johnny Gargano will probably want to get back in the scene too, as they have unfinished business with the Bucks and history with 3.0. Could this three-way tag feud that almost seemed accidentally put together in the summer turn into overdrive early on next year?
As for the House Divided story, it seems that we're not going to get very many answers until after the midseason iPPV. It'll be interesting to see how things set up. The Gekido's displeasure with their involuntarily assigned stablemate Soldier Ant has manifested already in a blog from deviANT. It'll be very interesting to see how much the landscape will change between now and next year's finale. If the theme of the year will end up being based around Watchmen, will we learn to gain appreciation for people who may now seem to be rude and learn to distrust those that we might be tasked with holding up on a pedestal?
Five to Watch in 2013: assailANT - The Swarm member displaced by Chikarametrics has seemingly embraced his role as tecnico in the Colony. While there were plenty of reasons to distrust him due to his affiliation, he has proven that he can at least act the part of a trustworthy mate. Has he really turned? Does he have Stockholm Syndrome? Or is he just the best sleeper agent ever?
Soldier Ant - Conversely, Soldier has pretty much been the most belligerent POW imaginable, sabotaging the Gekido at every turn. He has raised the ire of his stablemates to the point where they don't want him, but even as he had a short-lived reunion with his Colony brothers at Under the Hood, they left him laying in the ring when the match was over. Is Soldier Ant the ultimate mercenary without a home?
3.0 - They won their first Campeonatos de Parejas in their home country, but lost it in their first defense to Johnny Gargano and Chuck Taylor. Now that they have three points, they're looking to recapture the belts and hold them for a bit longer. Is this finally the year when the crazy Canucks get to show that Red Bull not only gives you wings, but it makes you wrestle well? Okay, that was pretty cheesy. Either way, Jagged and Big Magic have the fan support, and there's no reason to believe this can't be their big year.
Jaka - While he hasn't debuted for Chikara yet, the former Johnny Mangue has been tearing it up for the Wrestling Is... family of promotions. If he gets the call-up, expect him to add a bit of unhinged excellence in the ring. He'll fit in nice with the Green Ants and Johnny Garganos of the world. He already showed he can go with Gran Akuma at Wrestling Is Fun's Bananaversary.
Ophidian - If you want a dark horse candidate for guy who'll end the year as Grand Champion, look no further than the purveyor of Snake Style. Even if he's just a consigliere in Delirious' army, he certainly has the potential to break away and establish himself as a singles star on his own. While trouble with Amasis seems to be looming on the horizon, it doesn't mean a stop against the Grand Champion couldn't be in the cards.
Three Things I Want to See in 2013: 1 - More ACH and Madison Eagles, please! - ACH was able to debut for Chikara in 2012, but even his most ardent supporters will admit that he wasn't fully unleashed. Even though his matches with Mark Angelosetti were critically acclaimed, it still felt there was more to him than we could imagine, especially for those of us who've seen him in Anarchy and AIW. Meanwhile, Eagles, who has procured a Chikara roster spot in the past, is returning from her injuries and looks to take 2013 by the horns. Of anyone else in the indie scene right now, these two are the best fits for Chikara going forward, and I want to see heavy doses of both in the next calendar year.
2 - A new Philadelphia venue - The Trocadero has history and cultural cache, but it's also a horrible venue for wrestling, at least compared to the Arena. They may not be able to find one just like their old arena in Philly, but a place with actual seating and good sightlines would be nice.
3 - The next Director of Fun to be more behind the scenes than active - I understand the deus ex machina of needing Dieter von Stiegerwalt during the BDK days, but Wink Vavasseur's bungling mismanagement has just felt tacked on. Even if it has led to the interesting twists in the House Divided story, I feel like there's too much of a focus on leadership characters in Chikara, a company that can thrive on stories involving wrestlers and not NPCs. It's clear Vavasseur is going to be replaced in 2013, but when he does get the boot, the next guy should just be content to view things from the owner's box and not get involved too much. Is Zombie Jack Tunney available?
What Happened in 2012: All seemed quiet on the Chikara front. The BDK was vanquished and a Grand Champion was crowned. By the third show of the year, Grand Champ Eddie Kingston's main nuisance from 2011, Vin Gerard, was sent packing from the company in a title vs. career match. However, it wouldn't take very long for the next threat to come along. The Gekido, a mirror-masked group of bizarro funhouse caricatures of the five faces of Chikara (Mike Quackenbush, the Colony, Jigsaw) appeared. While fans groaned that we just saw an invading group get put in its place, it seemed Gekido's endgame was quite different. Rather than taking over Chikara, their focus was to break it down and expose its heroes.
Their modus operandi seemed to include injuring people. They ended the career of Tianlong before it started and put Quack on the shelf with a wrist injury. This led to a huge five-on-five match at the Chikarasaurus Rex iPPV, pitting Jigsaw, the Colony, and Kingston against the group. A pre-match assault on Fire Ant left the Chikara faithful shorthanded, but Quack replaced him, recovered from his injury. After the tecnicos won, Quack exacted a bit of revenge, breaking 17's wrist after the match. This started to call into question whether the rogues were getting into Quack's head.
These questions continued to pop up during the summer, as some of Quack's words called into focus whether the group was getting under his skin. His supporters argued that his paternal instincts were kicking in. Others suggested that the most unsavory elements of his character were bubbling to the surface. Things boiled over huge at Ring of Wax in Indianapolis, when instead of pinning 17 after one Quackendriver, Quack unleashed all four of his signature piledriver-type moves en route to a castigo de excesivo loss in a tag match. Furthermore, Quack's rage caused combatANT to be exiled by injury at King of Trios.
The outbursts of rage initially concerned Jigsaw, but as they began to consume his partner, Jigsaw's mood went from concern to impatience to scorn. At Cibernetico, when The Shard tapped out Fire Ant with an ankle lock that he wouldn't let go, Quack came down with bad intentions in his eyes. Jig came down and manifested his frustrations with a superkick to the jaw. Things were further exacerbated when Jig showed no remorse and in fact showed very strong rudo tendencies in the four-on-four match at Under the Hood. Chikara's house is divided against itself entering into 2013, and the war doesn't seem to show any signs of subsiding.
Speaking of wars, Delirious made his intentions known at making both this year and next a living hell for UltraMantis Black. He recruited the Batiri and Ophidian to wage war against the Spectral Envoy. While their numbers have seemed formidable, they've been more a nuisance than threat to the Envoy, who won King of Trios, saw a return to action by Crossbones and Blind Rage, and beat Delirious' army pretty convincingly at Under the Hood.
2012 also saw the relationship between Veronica Ticklefeather and Archibald Peck. Ticklefeather was both annoyed by Peck's inability to win anymore and enamored with attractive but abrasive Mark "Mr. Touchdown" Angelosetti, who replaced Sugar Dunkerton in the Throwbacks. As he felt his majorette and main squeeze slip away from him, Peck first dabbled in the dark art of MMA, becoming reborn as Mixed Martial Archie. That didn't seem enough though, especially after he lost to a clinically-dead Darkness Crabtree in a MMA exhibition at Aniversario. He then enlisted the help of former rival Colt Cabana, culminating in a tag match at C-Rex.
The stipulation was added that whoever took the fall in the match would have to leave Chikara. Mixed Martial Archie disappeared to the back, leaving Cabana to deal with both Touchdown and Dasher Hatfield. Just as things looked bleakest, Archibald Peck reemerged with his baton, a baton that would come into play later on. With the choice in front of her, Ticklefeather surrendered the weapon to her new beau, Touchdown, who struck Peck with it en route to a pinfall sending the Leader of the Band away from Chikara, seemingly for good.
Over the summer, Angelosetti and Ticklefeather would embark on a scintillating love affair, and Touchdown would capture the Young Lions Cup. However, a Mysterious and Handsome Stranger would also appear along the circuit, winning over fans and carving his niche. No one could put their finger on it, but there were hints, especially in a castigo de excesivo loss when he got in the ring with Angelosetti. The final straw, it seemed, happened when Angelosetti callously and remorselessly compromised Sapphire, the Stranger's avian companion, to a permanent end. Then, after Angelosetti retained his YLC against ACH at Under the Hood, Ticklefeather and the Stranger were announced as Homecoming King and Queen. It was here that the Stranger revealed himself as Peck, repaying Ticklefeather's deception with a bucket of slop to the head. He was escorted from the building for his troubles.
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| Karma isn't real, but Donst is Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein |
What's Going to Happen in 2013: Well, unless Donst is in line for another immediate rematch, it's unclear who will step up to be Kingston's first big challenge in 2013. The promotion was hurt when both Brodie Lee and Sara del Rey left for WWE at various points during the year, moving up some of Kingston's marquee challenges. If I had to guess, Under the Hood originally was going to feature the Kingston/del Rey match and possible title switch, with Donst getting his big chance in '13. That wasn't the case at all, whether it was the impetus of WWE or the plan altogether.
We're also set up for 3.0 to challenge the Young Bucks for Los Campeonatos de Parejas. They've accumulated three points and are ready to try and reclaim the titles they held for barely one defense earlier in 2012. The FIST team of Chuck Taylor and Johnny Gargano will probably want to get back in the scene too, as they have unfinished business with the Bucks and history with 3.0. Could this three-way tag feud that almost seemed accidentally put together in the summer turn into overdrive early on next year?
As for the House Divided story, it seems that we're not going to get very many answers until after the midseason iPPV. It'll be interesting to see how things set up. The Gekido's displeasure with their involuntarily assigned stablemate Soldier Ant has manifested already in a blog from deviANT. It'll be very interesting to see how much the landscape will change between now and next year's finale. If the theme of the year will end up being based around Watchmen, will we learn to gain appreciation for people who may now seem to be rude and learn to distrust those that we might be tasked with holding up on a pedestal?
Five to Watch in 2013: assailANT - The Swarm member displaced by Chikarametrics has seemingly embraced his role as tecnico in the Colony. While there were plenty of reasons to distrust him due to his affiliation, he has proven that he can at least act the part of a trustworthy mate. Has he really turned? Does he have Stockholm Syndrome? Or is he just the best sleeper agent ever?
Soldier Ant - Conversely, Soldier has pretty much been the most belligerent POW imaginable, sabotaging the Gekido at every turn. He has raised the ire of his stablemates to the point where they don't want him, but even as he had a short-lived reunion with his Colony brothers at Under the Hood, they left him laying in the ring when the match was over. Is Soldier Ant the ultimate mercenary without a home?
3.0 - They won their first Campeonatos de Parejas in their home country, but lost it in their first defense to Johnny Gargano and Chuck Taylor. Now that they have three points, they're looking to recapture the belts and hold them for a bit longer. Is this finally the year when the crazy Canucks get to show that Red Bull not only gives you wings, but it makes you wrestle well? Okay, that was pretty cheesy. Either way, Jagged and Big Magic have the fan support, and there's no reason to believe this can't be their big year.
Jaka - While he hasn't debuted for Chikara yet, the former Johnny Mangue has been tearing it up for the Wrestling Is... family of promotions. If he gets the call-up, expect him to add a bit of unhinged excellence in the ring. He'll fit in nice with the Green Ants and Johnny Garganos of the world. He already showed he can go with Gran Akuma at Wrestling Is Fun's Bananaversary.
Ophidian - If you want a dark horse candidate for guy who'll end the year as Grand Champion, look no further than the purveyor of Snake Style. Even if he's just a consigliere in Delirious' army, he certainly has the potential to break away and establish himself as a singles star on his own. While trouble with Amasis seems to be looming on the horizon, it doesn't mean a stop against the Grand Champion couldn't be in the cards.
Three Things I Want to See in 2013: 1 - More ACH and Madison Eagles, please! - ACH was able to debut for Chikara in 2012, but even his most ardent supporters will admit that he wasn't fully unleashed. Even though his matches with Mark Angelosetti were critically acclaimed, it still felt there was more to him than we could imagine, especially for those of us who've seen him in Anarchy and AIW. Meanwhile, Eagles, who has procured a Chikara roster spot in the past, is returning from her injuries and looks to take 2013 by the horns. Of anyone else in the indie scene right now, these two are the best fits for Chikara going forward, and I want to see heavy doses of both in the next calendar year.
2 - A new Philadelphia venue - The Trocadero has history and cultural cache, but it's also a horrible venue for wrestling, at least compared to the Arena. They may not be able to find one just like their old arena in Philly, but a place with actual seating and good sightlines would be nice.
3 - The next Director of Fun to be more behind the scenes than active - I understand the deus ex machina of needing Dieter von Stiegerwalt during the BDK days, but Wink Vavasseur's bungling mismanagement has just felt tacked on. Even if it has led to the interesting twists in the House Divided story, I feel like there's too much of a focus on leadership characters in Chikara, a company that can thrive on stories involving wrestlers and not NPCs. It's clear Vavasseur is going to be replaced in 2013, but when he does get the boot, the next guy should just be content to view things from the owner's box and not get involved too much. Is Zombie Jack Tunney available?
