Wednesday, August 20, 2014

The First Official Team for King of Trios Has Been Announced

YES
Graphics via @CHIKARAPro
Via @CHIKARAPro

Chikara has announced the first competing team in this year's King of Trios tournament, and they are Johnny Jeter, Kenn Doane, and Mike Mondo. Of course, you might know them better as Johnny, Kenny, and Mikey of the Spirit Squad. Yes, 60% of WWE's seminal pep squad will be appearing as an entrant in the return of King of Trios. Nicky, of course, is currently WWE Intercontinental Champion as Dolph Ziggler, and Mitch, well, I have no idea where Mitch is nowadays. I think he's either just living the pastoral life somewhere upstate where former cheerleaders go when they retire, or he's just waiting for that one phone call that went to Johnny, who apparently has been retired for the last several years, instead. Mikey and Kenny have both been active. As Mondo, Mikey has worked mostly for Ring of Honor and independents in the New England area. Kenny, as Doane, worked the first couple of Dragon Gate USA shows and was a part of the ill-fated Wrestling Retribution Project (has that been released yet?) before settling into a groove in New Jersey.

Regardless of your feelings towards the Squad when they were populating WWE, this announcement totally fits the blockbuster mold to kick things off. Officially, they're the first three in, but unofficially, they'll be joining Mark Andrews and Pete and Damian Dunne in the tournament. The first two teams are both guest teams, which indicates to me that the old Chikara with all the guest names is still in play for the bigger events. Of course, if the Spirit Squad can make it in, then who knows, maybe the Mean Street Posse will fulfill my longest-held King of Trios wish and get their own entry one of these years...