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So, as people may have guessed, I'm a big fan of professional wrestling, and while I do enjoy WWE, I also look for alternative means of getting my wrestling fix that don't involve Impact Wrestling. This means I watch some Japanese pro wrestling at times, but I also watch independent pro wrestling, in particular one of the top indies in North America today, Chikara Pro Wrestling.
Founded in Philadelphia in 2002 by 'Lightning' Mike Quackenbush and Reckless Youth, it initially served as a 'home company' for graduates from the Chikara Wrestle Factory, but it has since become a company that attracts talent from all over the country, indeed, all over the world. Chikara has a heavy influence from Mexican lucha libre, obvious from the fact that many of its roster members wear masks, the division of the roster into tecnicos (good guys) and rudos (bad guys), and some of its rules system. Chikara emphasizes its family-friendly atmosphere, keeping profanity as absent as possible, welcoming kids into the audience, and keeping their ticket prices as affordable as the market will allow.
Chikara, unlike a lot of the wrestling business, also takes pains to keep tag-team wrestling alive, with multiple teams or stables of wrestlers around from which to draw teams, and for the first 9 years of its existence, its main championship was their tag team championship.
Major Championships & Awards
The Campeonatos de Parejas are Chikara's tag-team championship. The tag division in Chikara is governed by a simple points system. When a team scores a fall (via pinning, submitting, or DQ), they earn a point. When a team earns three points, they may challenge for the titles. If a team loses a fall, they lose all their points and must start over. All matches for the Campeonatos de Parejas are contested under 2-of-3 falls rules. There have been exceptions to both the points system and the 2-of-3 falls rules, but both were under exceptional circumstances. (F.I.S.T.'s Icarus & Gran Akuma were allowed to bypass the points system for their ex-champions rematch against Incoherence, because Icarus was not involved in the match in which they lost the titles. And the Colony's Fire Ant & Soldier Ant were allowed to challenge the Osirian Portal in a one-fall match because they had earned an unprecedented seven points before being able to challenge for the titles.) Currently, the Campeones de Parejas are The Throwbacks (Dasher Hatfield & "Mr. Touchdown" Mark Angelosetti), who defeated The Pieces of Hate (Jigsaw & The Shard) on July 20, 2014.
[Previous CdP Holders: Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli) (2 defenses), F.I.S.T. (Icarus & Gran Akuma) (3 defenses), Incoherence (Hallowicked & Delirious) (5 defenses), Super Smash Bros. (Player Uno & Player Dos) (0 defenses), The Osirian Portal (Amasis & Ophidian) (3 defenses), The Colony (Fire Ant & Soldier Ant) (4 defenses), Bruderschaft des Kreuzes (Claudio Castagnoli & Ares) (4 defenses), Mike Quackenbush & Jigsaw (2 defenses), F.I.S.T. (Chuck Taylor & Johnny Gargano) (4 defenses), 3.0 (Shane Matthews & Scott 'Jagged' Parker) (0 defenses), F.I.S.T. (Chuck Taylor & Johnny Gargano) (2nd reign) (0 defenses), The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) (3 defenses), 3.0 (2nd reign) (2 defenses), Pieces of Hate (Jigsaw & The Shard) (0 defenses)]
The Young Lions Cup is one of two singles championships in Chikara, but not just anyone is allowed to challenge for the Cup. Only wrestlers who are 25 or younger, and who have not held the Cup previously, may challenge for the Cup. Once a year, Chikara hosts the Young Lions Cup tournament, in which young wrestlers from across the globe compete to win the Cup. When the tournament begins, the previous Cupholder relinquishes the title (though they get to keep the trophy). The Young Lions Cup XI tournament was hosted by Wrestling Is Fun and will have its finals in December.
[Previous YLC Holders: YLC I - Hallowicked (4 defenses); YLC II - Larry Sweeney (0 defenses), Jigsaw (4 defenses); YLC III - Shane Storm (2 defenses); YLC IV - Arik Cannon (4 defenses), Maxime Boyer (5 defenses); YLC V - Chuck Taylor (2 defenses), Helios (3 defenses); YLC VI - Fire Ant (0 defenses), Vin Gerard (4 defenses), Jimmy 'Equinox' Olsen (2 defenses); YLC VII - Player Dos (2 defenses), Tim Donst (4 defenses); YLC VIII - Frightmare (7 defenses); YLC IX - Tadasuke (2 defenses); YLC X - 'Mr. Touchdown' Mark Angelosetti (6 defenses)]
The Grand Championship of Chikara is the other major singles championship in Chikara, and as of March 2013, it will hence forth be defended on every single card that Chikara has. The only requirements for challenging for the title appear to be that current Director of Fun Wink Vavasseur likes you, or believes that you have a chance of beating Kingston. The Grand Championship was awarded to the winner of the "12 Large: Summit" round robin tournament, named in honor of the late Alex "Larry Sweeney" Whybrow. Currently, the Grand Championship is held by Icarus, who defeated Eddie Kingston at "You Only Live Twice" on May 25, 2014.
[Previous Grand Champions: Eddie Kingston (14 defenses)]
The King of Trios tournament is Chikara's biggest event of the year, known for bringing in world-renowned talent for special appearances in a three-night extravaganza. The tournament is made up of 16 trios, three-wrestler teams, in single-elimination competition. In addition to trios action, KOT weekends will often see major singles matches, and the annual Tag Team Gauntlet. There's a frequent running gag that every year's King of Trios will be the "last one ever." The King of Trios 2014 tournament was won by The Devastation Corporation (Max Smashmaster, Blaster McMassive, Flex Rumblecrunch), who defeated the Golden Trio (Icarus, Dasher Hatfield, Mr. Touchdown) in the finals on September 21, 2014.
[Previous KOT Winners: 2007 - Mike Quackenbush, Jigsaw, Shane Storm; 2008 - Los Luchadores de Mexico (El Pantera, Incognito, Lince Dorado); 2009 - F.I.S.T. (Icarus, Gran Akuma, Chuck Taylor); 2010 - Bruderschaft des Kreuzes (Claudio Castagnoli, Ares, Tursas); 2011 - The Colony (Fire Ant, Soldier Ant, Green Ant); 2012 - The Spectral Envoy (UltraMantis Black, Hallowicked, Frightmare)]
The Torneo Cibernetico is another annual attraction for Chikara. A huge 16-man tag match, each team is comprised of eight wrestlers, captained by one wrestler each, wrestling in an elimination fashion until one wrestler is left. If one team is completely eliminated before the other, the remaining wrestlers on the surviving team will face one another until only one is left. In addition, there is a "batting order" to the teams, so Wrestler 1 can only tag out to Wrestler 2, who can only tag out to Wrestler 3, and so on. If a wrestler is eliminated, the wrestlers behind him in the batting order move up. The Cibernetico can be quite a long match. The 10th Torneo Cibernetico will be held on December 6th.
[Previous Cibernetico Winners: 2004 - Jigsaw; 2005 - Gran Akuma; 2006 - Icarus; 2007 - Claudio Castagnoli; 2008 - Jimmy "Equinox" Olsen; 2009 - Carpenter Ant; 2010 - Eddie Kingston; 2011 - Sara Del Rey]
2013 Schedule
2014 Schedule
THE ONGOING PLOT
Chikarmageddon
On June 2, 2013, at "Aniversario: Never Compromise," Chikara Pro effectively 'died.'
It was a sudden thing, but as it turned out, the wheels had been in motion. In 2011, Chikara was acquired by a company called Worldwide Media Development Corporation (WMDCorp), a subsidiary of the Titor Conglomerate. WMDCorp installed a man named Wink Vavasseur as the Director of Fun, although it soon became clear that Wink was an oblivious milksop with a poor grasp of business practices and even of wrestling and Chikara's history. His "Chikarabermetrics" system caused a major shake-up in the roster as long-standing teams were broken up, or forced to team with rivals or people with whom they did not get along. He allowed an invading group known as GEKIDO (17, The Shard, CombatANT, DeviANT, AssailANT) to join the roster, despite GEKIDO's intent to destroy Chikara. He decided to capitalize on long-standing fan-favorite stable The Colony by introducing his own version, The Colony XTREME Force (Arctic Rescue Ant, Orbit Adventure Ant, Missile Assault Ant), and then blatantly favoring them by retroactively declaring them the 2011 King of Trios Champions. Wink even fired Mike Quackenbush, the patriarch of the company, in April, coincidentally after Quack received an envelope from someone representing the No Private Army blog.
There were signs, however, that Wink was merely a puppet for Titor, as following the "Under the Mask" iPPV at the end of 2012, a clip was seen where Wink was dressed down by a man later identified as Conrad Vavasseur, his father and one of Titor's executives. Conrad was seen telling his son, "No more screw-ups." Wink's apparent incompetence was verified by a WMDCorp representative, Anton Frady, on the 101 Forums, who said that Chikara was meant to be a place to put Wink out of the way. Noticeable at many of Chikara's shows were grim men from Condor Security, a private security company and subsidiary of Titor. The No Private Army blog intimated that Condor was in truth a private military contractor, responsible for crimes against humanity in other parts of the world.
At "Never Compromise," things started to unravel. Partway through the show, disgraced ex-referee Derek Sabato entered the ring and revealed he'd received a photo, which he tweeted out. The photo depicted Titor Conglomerate executives (including Conrad Vavasseur) at a groundbreaking ceremony in Elohim, Oklahoma, a haven for a white supremacy group. It has been confirmed that Sabato received the photo from Quackenbush prior to the show.
Then, as the main event drew to a close, Icarus looked to be on the verge of winning the Grand Championship of Chikara from Eddie Kingston, who was close to tapping out to the Chikara Special submission. However, before it could happen, Condor Security swarmed the ring, in greater numbers than had ever been seen before, dragging the competitors and referee out and to the back. They started tearing down the set and ordering people out of the Trocadero, while a disheveled Wink looked on from the stage, eating an apple.
The next day, all future Chikara events were cancelled, and the members of the roster and staff were mute as to why. A month later, after no further information came out, some of the wrestlers broke their silence, but only to share their Chikara memories. Until Icarus declared he wasn't going to let Chikara end like that. And thus began the movement.
#IAMCHIKARA
Icarus started holding rallies, first at former Chikara venues on dates when shows had been scheduled. Fans signed petitions, they got "#IAMCHIKARA" trending worldwide during WWE TV broadcasts, they started spreading the word elsewhere across the Internet. More and more of Chikara alumni started getting behind it as well, although several big names remained mute or seemed indifferent (in some cases, even hostile) to the movement.
It also transpired that Wink Vavasseur had broken away from his father and Titor and started answering questions and divulging information about Titor and its schemes. He revealed that Titor had wanted to turn Chikara and the Wrestle Factory into a training facility for their private army, but had been stymied when the Wrestle Factory broke away from Chikara to stay independent when WMDCorp acquired it. GEKIDO, it transpired, was on Titor's payroll, and the Colony XTREME Force were Titor soldiers that Wink had been ordered to add to the roster. Wink even gave out his father's email address, on which several fans started to harass the Titor exec.
Things built up to the point where Icarus and several wrestlers and staff members staged a "secret show" at FDR Park in Philadelphia on November 2, 2013. A ring was set up and six wrestlers staged a match while fans streamed the event on Ustream, but then a dark tide fell over the event.
Condor Security drove by, abducting a fan named Thom (who had been active on the 101 Forums), and driving off. Spooked, the Chikara crew quickly ended the event, tearing down the ring and scattering. Condor soon posted a video ransom note, demanding the fans show up on November 30 if they want Thom back, and warned them not to bring any wrestlers.
On November 30, a scavenger hunt took place throughout Philly, as fans deciphered clues, and were soon aided by Chikara members, who briefly hijacked Condor's hunt to stall Condor. Eventually, a file was retrieved from a storage facility, which was swapped out by Icarus before the hand-off was made to Condor. Thom was recovered, and the file was revealed to be Titor plans to purchase a patch of land next to the Palmer Center in Easton, PA, on which Titor was planning to build its own training facility.
Soon after this victory, Titor suddenly announced it was planning to sell off one of its "sports and entertainment assets." It started inviting bids privately, and a deadline was given for December 22 for bids. After the day, no further information came out, until a fan noticed on Facebook that Barridoff Galleries, an art auction company in Portland, Maine, had posted on its Facebook page that it had purchased Chikara on December 31. Of interest to Chikara fans is that Barridoff Galleries is run by Robbie Ellis, a part-time pro wrestler who has worked in Chikara before. Barridoff has confirmed that the post on their Facebook timeline is true, but that they can't discuss anything further at this time.
Ashes
Late in the summer of 2013, a website, The Ashes Of, surfaced, which has ties to the Chikara storyline. A Vine account attached to the site releases teaser clips that preview the full videos, which are hosted on the YouTube channel "Wrestling Is." These videos have been showing some of what's been happening since "Never Compromise," as Icarus looks for support to save Chikara's ideals, 3.0 look for answers from Archibald Peck, and the Colony look for their missing comrade Soldier Ant.
"Prelude" - Set prior to 2002, it gives a little insight to the start of the Wrestle Factory, featuring a younger Mike Quackenbush speaking with a contractor about needed renovations to the building.
"Man Down" - Set anywhere from prior to June 2013 to August 2013, it shows Fire Ant & Green Ant approaching a wheelchair-bound Worker Ant, looking for the M.I.A. Soldier Ant. It finishes with Worker giving Green his old gear, telling him "You're the worker now."
"Garbage" - Set in July 2013, around a Dragon Gate USA show, it shows Icarus meeting with former stablemate Chuck Taylor, trying to convince him to help him save Chikara. Chucky T, however, tells Icarus it's over and advises him to call bookers to look for work.
"Thwarted" - Set in October 2013, just after Wrestling Is Awesome was shut down, it features 3.0-- Shane Matthews & Scott Parker-- resolving to find out what happened to Chikara, and deciding to hunt down Archibald Peck.
"Fickle" - Set at some point between July and October 2013, Icarus visits a furniture store that is managed by an eerily chipper Tim Donst, whose strange behavior confuses Icarus. Donst declines assisting Icarus, but does give him his Young Lions Cup trophy, asking him to give it to Jakob. The video ends with Icarus setting course for the Wrestle Factory.
"The Letter" - Picking up immediately where "Fickle" left off, it features Icarus narrating, reading a letter written to him by Hallowicked, discussing the bond they have as Chikara Gen-1 Originals, and calling the Wrestle Factory "the closest thing to home."
"Sweat Shop" - Picking up immediate where "The Letter" left off, it features Icarus meeting with Hallowicked at the Wrestle Factory, although it transpires that Icarus had been looking for Quackenbush, who hasn't been by and whose voicemail is full. Icarus swipes a piece of Quack's gear from a suitcase when 'Wicked isn't looking, comments on "the landlords out front," and asks at the end of the video, "When is this new batch of greenhorns going to be ready?"
"Dead Horse" - Set at some point presumably between "Sweat Shop" and the events of November 30, it features Eddie Kingston backstage at an ROH show, where he's confronted by Icarus, who reminds him of the way he always stood up for Chikara. An irate Kingston tells him to stop living in the past. At the end of the video, Icarus notes, "You still have it?" Kingston holds up the Chikara Grand Championship belt and says, "Not it. Her."
"Deja Vu" - Set after "Thwarted," 3.0 meet with barrister R.D. Evans, wanting to know "Where in the World is Archibald Peck?" Evans reiterated the time-travel theory surrounding Peck's adventures after being hit by Kingston's "Backfist to the Future," and eventually told them "I would start looking in Parts Unknown," the location of which, of course, he does not know. The video ended with 3.0 heading off to go try to find Peck.
"Where Everyone Knows Your Name" - Set after "Man Down," Fire Ant and Green Ant go to a bar, looking for leads on Soldier Ant, and meet with UltraMantis Black. Accusations are thrown around and tempers flare, as the Colony reveal they don't trust AssailANT.
"History" - Set presumably after "Where Everyone Knows Your Name" and "Dead Horse," Icarus goes to a library, where he confronts UltraMantis Black about his loyalties to Chikara's ideals.
"Solitude" - Set after "Deja Vu," 3.0 trudge through some winter frigidness and make it to Parts Unknown, where they approach a barn and knock on the door...
"Fuel" - Set at some point after "Sweat Shop," AssailANT and Jervis Cottonbelly are training/sparring at the Wrestle Factory when some unwelcome guests in the form of DeviANT and the Colony XTREME Force turn up...
"Flood" - Picks up immediately after "Fuel," DeviANT demands that AssailANT help them burn down the Wrestle Factory. The big blue Ant refuses and goes down fighting...
"Ideas" - Set at some point after "Sweat Shop," Icarus tracks down Mike Quackenbush at his home. He asks for Quack's help, noting "They won't listen to me, they'll listen to you... there's a war coming." Quack seemed haunted by the lengths to which he'd gone to fight GEKIDO and was reluctant, though Icarus gave him the wrestling gear he'd swiped at the Wrestle Factory before leaving.
"When?" - Picks up immediately after "Solitude," as 3.0 confront Archibald Peck in Parts Unknown. Archie has no answers, only theories, and says they're too late to stop the traces of Chikara from being "washed away." But he does seem to think there's something to be done... and his eyes turn toward a diagram of a Flux Capacitor and the date "25 May 2014"...
"Torch" - The shortest of the Ashes videos thus far. It depicts Green Ant angrily yelling at a Wrestle Factory student in an Equinox mask, at the Palmer Center in Easton, PA, and locking up with him, before the video is hijacked by the Ghosts of Rudos Past, while a voice speaks backwards and a message displays "THE END IS NOW."
"Believe" - Set at some point after "History," and presumably before or perhaps after the Wrestling Is Fun show in January 2014, Icarus goes to the Palmer Center in Easton, PA, where he confronts the Colony. They agree to help him defend Chikara's ideals.
"Rise" - Set in the week before National Pro Wrestling Day (2/1/14), it features several Chikara notables training. Icarus does a "Rocky" run through Philadelphia. The Throwbacks do calisthenics. Ophidian practices his kung fu.
"Workin'" - In the aftermath of NPWD, the Colony finds AssailANT at the Fujiwara Arm Bar. Green Ant questions him about the change of heart, and AssailANT comes clean... and finds acceptance.
The entirety of the storyline has been released via Smart Mark Video as "The Ashes of Chikara," and includes clips not shown online. Mike Quackenbush has stated in interviews that "The Ashes of Chikara" storyline comprises Season 13, with Season 14 starting at "You Only Live Twice."
Wrestling Is... Ragnarok & The Ghosts of Rudos Past
Several smaller indie wrestling companies sprang up in the wake of Chikara's demise, all named "Wrestling Is __." The first, Wrestling Is Fun, was actually founded toward the close of 2011. Two of them, Wrestling Is Heart and Wrestling Is Respect, were rebranded from existing companies, School of Roc: Class Wars and Pro Wrestling Respect, respectively. The others were Wrestling Is Cool, Wrestling Is Intense, Wrestling Is Art, and Wrestling Is Awesome.
It didn't take fans long to make a further connection-- Cool-Heart-Intense-__-Art-Respect-Awesome almost spells out CHIKARA. There was some debate about what the K would be filled by-- with one theory being that Fun filled the K, since Fun's top prize is the Banana Championship, and the holder called the Possessor of the Potassium, and potassium is represented by "K" in the periodic table-- but recent events suggest that Kaiju Big Battel fills the K slot.
From the fall of 2013 onward, old faces have been surfacing and making threats, and then systematically shutting down these companies. The 101 Forums have taken to calling these forces, collectively, the 'Ghosts of Rudos Past.'
In September, GEKIDO broke a long Twitter silence to issue a threat toward Wresting Is Intense. At Intense's next show, 17, CombatANT, and DeviANT stormed the ring after the main event, grievously injuring the wrestlers involved (and seemingly killing Darkness Crabtree) and threatening to do the same unless Intense's head honcho closed the company. Reluctantly, he did so.
In October, Kaiju Big Battel's Dr. Cube issued a YouTube video threat to Wrestling Is Awesome. At Awesome's next show, just as 3.0's Scott Parker had won Awesome's new (and expensive) championship belt, Dr. Cube's Posse invaded, stealing the belt and the gate money, and forcing Awesome's head honcho to close it down due to lack of money.
In November, Kizarny Sinn Bodhi put a message on Facebook, threatening Wrestling Is Art. The day of Art's next show, a picture surfaced of a masked Bodhi meeting with Art's head honcho backstage. After the main event, Bodhi and his Odditorium (Oliver Grimsly and Qefka the Quiet), flanked by some of Dr. Cube's minions, came out. Bodhi revealed that he'd bought Art and was shutting it down.
--It should be noted at this point that, in Kaiju Big Battel, Dr. Cube had been assassinated, shot in the head, but later turned up alive again. In KBB, this new Dr. Cube is firmly believed to be an impostor, and he also possesses the shards of the Eye of Tyr, a mystical gemstone capable of enthralling people's minds. The Eye of Tyr had been infamously used by UltraMantis Black in Chikara to brainwash Delirious, before the Eye of Tyr was stolen back by the BDK's Ares, who used it to bring Delirious to his side. When Mantis reacquired the Eye at the end of 2011, he used it to free Delirious, but a furious Delirious smashed the Eye and declared his intent to get his revenge on Mantis. At the end of 2012, a clip surfaced of Dr. Cube's minions gathering the shards of the Eye...--
In December, the BDK posted a video on YouTube, threatening Wrestling Is Cool. At the show, Cool's head honcho, Milo Schnitzler, abruptly revealed his BDK allegiance and attacked the ring announcer, Gavin Loudspeaker. Milo was joined by a masked Ares and a horned, masked figure called Nøkken. They shut off the power and closed the company.
At this point, fans knew there was a connection between the Ghosts of Rudos Past, and so did the wrestlers. Icarus started trying to rally support from the other wrestlers, but most weren't trusting of him, given Icarus' long rudo history and perhaps their own issues with him in the past.
In January, both GEKIDO and Dr. Cube issued threats toward Wrestling Is Fun. Icarus stepped up his game trying to get support, and was seen on the day of Fun's next show, guarding the main door with a baseball bat. During the main event, GEKIDO and Dr. Cube's Posse stormed into the building from the back entrance, but were headed off by Icarus, Dasher Hatfield, and Estonian Thunderfrog. Dr. Cube declared, "Very well, Icarus, we shall respect your wishes," before leaving.
The next day, during Wrestling Is Respect's show, GEKIDO and Dr. Cube's Posse turned up again, but were held off by the entire tecnico roster, who were joined by Sidney Bakabella's Wrecking Crew (Oleg the Usurper, JAKA, Max Smashmaster, Blaster McMassive, Flex Rumblecrunch). However, Cube made a "money" signal to the Crew, who turned on the others and laid them to waste. Bakabella declared that Respect was dead, and the company closed. Later that day, Bakabella tweeted out a picture of him shaking hands with Dr. Cube, revealing that he'd taken a pay-off from Cube.
As February 1, 2014, National Pro Wrestling Day, drew close, all of the Ghosts of Rudos Past-- now known officially as "The Flood"-- have posted threats about NPWD. One of the "Ashes" teaser videos was hijacked and showed all of the Ghosts of Rudos Past gathered together, while a voice declared the date "February 1st, 2014," and then the words "THE END IS NOW" were displayed...
National Pro Wrestling Day
As the main event of NPWD drew to a close, Joe Pittman defended Wrestling Is Heart's La Copa Idola trophy against Heidi Lovelace. As Heidi had him trapped in the Chikara Special, the Flood invaded the venue, swarming the ring and ringside area. GEKIDO, the Odditorium, the Wrecking Crew, the BDK, and Dr. Cube's Posse all stood alongside three men wearing plague-doctor masks, identified by fans as the Condor goons from November 30. Cube's Posse had scores of minions in masks surrounding the ring as well. The villainous group smashed the Copa Idola trophy and looked poised to ruin the event.
The Submission Squad (Pierre Abernathy, Evan Gelistico, Davey Vega, Gary the Barn Owl), who had just decided to try to save Chikara instead of invade it, turned up and said the baddies would have to go through them. So the baddies did.
Then Icarus showed up, flanked by Hallowicked, the Colony, AssailANT, Kid Cyclone, Create-A-Wrestler II, and Dasher Hatfield. GEKIDO ordered AssailANT to take his place with them, but he drew a line on the floor and refused to step over it. The main plague-doctor unmasked to reveal Jimmy Jacobs, nihilistic anarchist from Ring of Honor, who mocked Icarus for thinking that eight men could stop their army. At which point, Icarus said that eight men couldn't, and gave the signal...
...at which point all of Dr. Cube's minions unmasked to reveal the entire Chikara roster. The Batiri, Mr. Touchdown, UltraMantis Black, Jervis Cottonbelly, the Baltic Seige, Frightmare, and others. They fought valiantly with the villains, who still looked to have the advantage...
...until the doors opened to reveal the DeLorean pull up outside, from which emerged 3.0 and Archibald Peck, who charged into the fray and helped turn the tide, sending the baddies fleeing out of the Palmer Center. The entire CHIKARMY celebrated the victory, as Icarus grabbed a sign and held it up in the ring, a sign bearing the date 5.25.14. As NPWD ended, Icarus shouted out, "We're coming back! Tell the world!"
Chikara lives.
The War with The Flood
The Flood are dedicated to washing away Chikara and everything it stands for, and Jimmy Jacobs has stated he was "chosen" to lead them in this goal. Intimating there is something worse out there than him, he and The Flood have posed a serious threat to Chikara and its wrestlers, and this was proven at "You Only Live Twice" on May 25th, 2014 following the main event. Having defeated Eddie Kingston to claim the Grand Championship of Chikara, Icarus was joined by the roster in celebration, when The Flood stormed back into the building, along with a towering behemoth of a man, wearing armor and an ominous gas mask. This man, later identified as Deucalion, had with him Delirious and Soldier Ant, hooded and captive. But when Deucalion removed the hoods, Delirious promptly attacked UltraMantis Black, and Soldier Ant immediately attacked his former Colony brethren. In the midst of the chaos, Deucalion stood triumphant, and was challenged by Kobald of The Batiri, who delivered a spear-- that did absolutely nothing. Deucalion promptly heaved Kobald up over his head and delivered a "choke-breaker," a chokeslam backbreaker that left Kobald motionless on the mat. His point made, and Kobald broken, Deucalion and The Flood receded from the venue, and it was clear: this war was far from over.
Deucalion, believed to be the enigmatic "Titan of Titor" alluded to on Archibald Peck's conspiracy board, is a frightening figure, one that even The Flood are afraid of. During his rampage in May, Doctor Cube cowered away from the ring. At the Detroit show in June, after DeviANT fell to the Spectral Envoy in a 5-on-5 match, Deucalion appeared, and destroyed DeviANT with a choke-breaker for his failure. In July, after Estonian Thunderfrog had destroyed the BDK's Tursas in a brawl, and after Thunderfrog and the Baltic Seige had just emerged victorious from their rivalry with the Bloc Party, the Flood attacked again, and then cowered away when Deucalion appeared to destroy the amphibious storm god in the same way he'd destroyed others. He also destroyed Thunderfrog's friend the Latvian Proud Oak, and spared the Lithuanian Snow Troll when he begged for his life, but had him dragged away in chains.
Furious at what he perceived as a lack of response to these attacks, rookie wrestler Kid Cyclone decided enough was enough. Rallying two of his friends and fellow rookies-- Equinox III & Create-a-Wrestler II-- Kid Cyclone formed the Greenhorn Militia (GHM) and started calling out Deucalion. Insinuating he was a coward, Kid Cyclone pointed out that Deucalion only ever attacked and destroyed people when they were already weakened, and called him a bully. The declarations continued for weeks, without response from the Flood, until King of Trios 2014. While Deucalion was in the ring after a Flood trio victory, the GHM attacked, dog-piling on Deucalion while other Chikara roster members ran from the sidelines to attack the Flood. They were effortlessly defeated, and Deucalion shrugged off the GHM, but not before Kid Cyclone managed to unmask the Titan of Titor. Revealed as a bald monster with soulless black eyes, Deucalion expressed his displeasure at being called a "coward" by destroying Kid Cyclone's friends, forcing him to watch and look at their lifeless bodies. Terrified, Kid Cyclone fled the scene, and the villainous ringleader has only added to his dreadful legacy.
Since then, Deucalion has mocked the senseless deaths and put the blame squarely on the Chikara roster and the Chikara fans. He has proven an indomitable force, and not one that suffers failure gladly. He nearly destroyed his own servant, Jimmy Jacobs, when he failed to defeat Icarus for the Grand Championship, and did destroy The Shard for the treachery of his partner 17. It is clear that The Flood fears Deucalion as much as everyone else does, and the mad "Titan of Titor" will not stop until his army washes away everything Chikara stands for.
The numbers of the fallen grow with every passing month. Dragon Dragon. Darkness Crabtree, The Brown Morning of Belarus, Private Eye Jr., Kobald, DeviANT, Tursas, Plague Doctor #2, Estonian Thunderfrog, Latvian Proud Oak, Equinox III, Create-a-Wrestler II, Archibald Peck, The Shard
Who will the war claim next?
So, as people may have guessed, I'm a big fan of professional wrestling, and while I do enjoy WWE, I also look for alternative means of getting my wrestling fix that don't involve Impact Wrestling. This means I watch some Japanese pro wrestling at times, but I also watch independent pro wrestling, in particular one of the top indies in North America today, Chikara Pro Wrestling.
Founded in Philadelphia in 2002 by 'Lightning' Mike Quackenbush and Reckless Youth, it initially served as a 'home company' for graduates from the Chikara Wrestle Factory, but it has since become a company that attracts talent from all over the country, indeed, all over the world. Chikara has a heavy influence from Mexican lucha libre, obvious from the fact that many of its roster members wear masks, the division of the roster into tecnicos (good guys) and rudos (bad guys), and some of its rules system. Chikara emphasizes its family-friendly atmosphere, keeping profanity as absent as possible, welcoming kids into the audience, and keeping their ticket prices as affordable as the market will allow.
Chikara, unlike a lot of the wrestling business, also takes pains to keep tag-team wrestling alive, with multiple teams or stables of wrestlers around from which to draw teams, and for the first 9 years of its existence, its main championship was their tag team championship.
Major Championships & Awards
The Campeonatos de Parejas are Chikara's tag-team championship. The tag division in Chikara is governed by a simple points system. When a team scores a fall (via pinning, submitting, or DQ), they earn a point. When a team earns three points, they may challenge for the titles. If a team loses a fall, they lose all their points and must start over. All matches for the Campeonatos de Parejas are contested under 2-of-3 falls rules. There have been exceptions to both the points system and the 2-of-3 falls rules, but both were under exceptional circumstances. (F.I.S.T.'s Icarus & Gran Akuma were allowed to bypass the points system for their ex-champions rematch against Incoherence, because Icarus was not involved in the match in which they lost the titles. And the Colony's Fire Ant & Soldier Ant were allowed to challenge the Osirian Portal in a one-fall match because they had earned an unprecedented seven points before being able to challenge for the titles.) Currently, the Campeones de Parejas are The Throwbacks (Dasher Hatfield & "Mr. Touchdown" Mark Angelosetti), who defeated The Pieces of Hate (Jigsaw & The Shard) on July 20, 2014.
[Previous CdP Holders: Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli) (2 defenses), F.I.S.T. (Icarus & Gran Akuma) (3 defenses), Incoherence (Hallowicked & Delirious) (5 defenses), Super Smash Bros. (Player Uno & Player Dos) (0 defenses), The Osirian Portal (Amasis & Ophidian) (3 defenses), The Colony (Fire Ant & Soldier Ant) (4 defenses), Bruderschaft des Kreuzes (Claudio Castagnoli & Ares) (4 defenses), Mike Quackenbush & Jigsaw (2 defenses), F.I.S.T. (Chuck Taylor & Johnny Gargano) (4 defenses), 3.0 (Shane Matthews & Scott 'Jagged' Parker) (0 defenses), F.I.S.T. (Chuck Taylor & Johnny Gargano) (2nd reign) (0 defenses), The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) (3 defenses), 3.0 (2nd reign) (2 defenses), Pieces of Hate (Jigsaw & The Shard) (0 defenses)]
The Young Lions Cup is one of two singles championships in Chikara, but not just anyone is allowed to challenge for the Cup. Only wrestlers who are 25 or younger, and who have not held the Cup previously, may challenge for the Cup. Once a year, Chikara hosts the Young Lions Cup tournament, in which young wrestlers from across the globe compete to win the Cup. When the tournament begins, the previous Cupholder relinquishes the title (though they get to keep the trophy). The Young Lions Cup XI tournament was hosted by Wrestling Is Fun and will have its finals in December.
[Previous YLC Holders: YLC I - Hallowicked (4 defenses); YLC II - Larry Sweeney (0 defenses), Jigsaw (4 defenses); YLC III - Shane Storm (2 defenses); YLC IV - Arik Cannon (4 defenses), Maxime Boyer (5 defenses); YLC V - Chuck Taylor (2 defenses), Helios (3 defenses); YLC VI - Fire Ant (0 defenses), Vin Gerard (4 defenses), Jimmy 'Equinox' Olsen (2 defenses); YLC VII - Player Dos (2 defenses), Tim Donst (4 defenses); YLC VIII - Frightmare (7 defenses); YLC IX - Tadasuke (2 defenses); YLC X - 'Mr. Touchdown' Mark Angelosetti (6 defenses)]
The Grand Championship of Chikara is the other major singles championship in Chikara, and as of March 2013, it will hence forth be defended on every single card that Chikara has. The only requirements for challenging for the title appear to be that current Director of Fun Wink Vavasseur likes you, or believes that you have a chance of beating Kingston. The Grand Championship was awarded to the winner of the "12 Large: Summit" round robin tournament, named in honor of the late Alex "Larry Sweeney" Whybrow. Currently, the Grand Championship is held by Icarus, who defeated Eddie Kingston at "You Only Live Twice" on May 25, 2014.
[Previous Grand Champions: Eddie Kingston (14 defenses)]
The King of Trios tournament is Chikara's biggest event of the year, known for bringing in world-renowned talent for special appearances in a three-night extravaganza. The tournament is made up of 16 trios, three-wrestler teams, in single-elimination competition. In addition to trios action, KOT weekends will often see major singles matches, and the annual Tag Team Gauntlet. There's a frequent running gag that every year's King of Trios will be the "last one ever." The King of Trios 2014 tournament was won by The Devastation Corporation (Max Smashmaster, Blaster McMassive, Flex Rumblecrunch), who defeated the Golden Trio (Icarus, Dasher Hatfield, Mr. Touchdown) in the finals on September 21, 2014.
[Previous KOT Winners: 2007 - Mike Quackenbush, Jigsaw, Shane Storm; 2008 - Los Luchadores de Mexico (El Pantera, Incognito, Lince Dorado); 2009 - F.I.S.T. (Icarus, Gran Akuma, Chuck Taylor); 2010 - Bruderschaft des Kreuzes (Claudio Castagnoli, Ares, Tursas); 2011 - The Colony (Fire Ant, Soldier Ant, Green Ant); 2012 - The Spectral Envoy (UltraMantis Black, Hallowicked, Frightmare)]
The Torneo Cibernetico is another annual attraction for Chikara. A huge 16-man tag match, each team is comprised of eight wrestlers, captained by one wrestler each, wrestling in an elimination fashion until one wrestler is left. If one team is completely eliminated before the other, the remaining wrestlers on the surviving team will face one another until only one is left. In addition, there is a "batting order" to the teams, so Wrestler 1 can only tag out to Wrestler 2, who can only tag out to Wrestler 3, and so on. If a wrestler is eliminated, the wrestlers behind him in the batting order move up. The Cibernetico can be quite a long match. The 10th Torneo Cibernetico will be held on December 6th.
[Previous Cibernetico Winners: 2004 - Jigsaw; 2005 - Gran Akuma; 2006 - Icarus; 2007 - Claudio Castagnoli; 2008 - Jimmy "Equinox" Olsen; 2009 - Carpenter Ant; 2010 - Eddie Kingston; 2011 - Sara Del Rey]
2013 Schedule
- February 2 - National Pro Wrestling Day - Philadelphia, PA
- February 9 - "All the Agents and Superhero Crew" - Reading, PA
- February 10 - "While the Dawn is Breaking" - Easton, PA
- March 8 - "Just Shadows in the Fog" - Tampa, FL
- March 9 - "Watchmaker" - Orlando, FL
- April 6 - "The Shoulder of Pallas" - Sacaucus, NJ [Wrestlecon]
- May 3 - "Battle Not With Monsters" - Gibsonville, NC
- May 4 - "The Ghost of You Clings..." - Porterdale, GA
- May 18 - "The Art of Humanoid Watching" - Chicago, IL
- June 2 - "Aniversario: Never Compromise" - Philadelphia, PA
- July 20 - "All You See Is Mine" - Easton, PA
- July 21 - "Cause Each Other Pain" - Manhattan, NY
- August 16 - "Who Am I Without You?" - Minot, ND
- August 17 - "Wide Awake" - Sioux Falls, SD
- August 18 - "The Things That You Saw" - Minneapolis, MN
- November 2 - "Weeping Atlas Cedars" - Reseda, CA
- November 3 - "All Things Must Pass" - San Diego, CA
2014 Schedule
- May 25 - "You Only Live Twice" - Easton, PA
- June 21 - "Quantum of Solace" - Chicago, IL
- June 21 - "Diamonds Are Forever" - Chicago, IL
- June 22 - "Goldfinger" - Detroit, MI
- July 19 - "The Living Daylights" - Manhattan, NY
- July 20 - "The World Is Not Enough" - Revere, MA
- August 16 - "Permis De Teur" - Limoilou, QC, Canada
- August 17 - "Vivre Et Laisser Mourir" - Montreal, QC, Canada
- September 19-21 - "King of Trios 2014" - Easton, PA
- October 25 - "Thunderball" - Gibsonville, NC
- October 26 - "Moonraker" - Richmond, VA
- November 15 - "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" - Haverhill, MA
- November 16 - "For Your Eyes Only" - South Windsor, CT
- December 6 - "Tomorrow Never Dies" - Philadelphia, PA
THE ONGOING PLOT
Chikarmageddon
On June 2, 2013, at "Aniversario: Never Compromise," Chikara Pro effectively 'died.'
It was a sudden thing, but as it turned out, the wheels had been in motion. In 2011, Chikara was acquired by a company called Worldwide Media Development Corporation (WMDCorp), a subsidiary of the Titor Conglomerate. WMDCorp installed a man named Wink Vavasseur as the Director of Fun, although it soon became clear that Wink was an oblivious milksop with a poor grasp of business practices and even of wrestling and Chikara's history. His "Chikarabermetrics" system caused a major shake-up in the roster as long-standing teams were broken up, or forced to team with rivals or people with whom they did not get along. He allowed an invading group known as GEKIDO (17, The Shard, CombatANT, DeviANT, AssailANT) to join the roster, despite GEKIDO's intent to destroy Chikara. He decided to capitalize on long-standing fan-favorite stable The Colony by introducing his own version, The Colony XTREME Force (Arctic Rescue Ant, Orbit Adventure Ant, Missile Assault Ant), and then blatantly favoring them by retroactively declaring them the 2011 King of Trios Champions. Wink even fired Mike Quackenbush, the patriarch of the company, in April, coincidentally after Quack received an envelope from someone representing the No Private Army blog.
There were signs, however, that Wink was merely a puppet for Titor, as following the "Under the Mask" iPPV at the end of 2012, a clip was seen where Wink was dressed down by a man later identified as Conrad Vavasseur, his father and one of Titor's executives. Conrad was seen telling his son, "No more screw-ups." Wink's apparent incompetence was verified by a WMDCorp representative, Anton Frady, on the 101 Forums, who said that Chikara was meant to be a place to put Wink out of the way. Noticeable at many of Chikara's shows were grim men from Condor Security, a private security company and subsidiary of Titor. The No Private Army blog intimated that Condor was in truth a private military contractor, responsible for crimes against humanity in other parts of the world.
At "Never Compromise," things started to unravel. Partway through the show, disgraced ex-referee Derek Sabato entered the ring and revealed he'd received a photo, which he tweeted out. The photo depicted Titor Conglomerate executives (including Conrad Vavasseur) at a groundbreaking ceremony in Elohim, Oklahoma, a haven for a white supremacy group. It has been confirmed that Sabato received the photo from Quackenbush prior to the show.
Then, as the main event drew to a close, Icarus looked to be on the verge of winning the Grand Championship of Chikara from Eddie Kingston, who was close to tapping out to the Chikara Special submission. However, before it could happen, Condor Security swarmed the ring, in greater numbers than had ever been seen before, dragging the competitors and referee out and to the back. They started tearing down the set and ordering people out of the Trocadero, while a disheveled Wink looked on from the stage, eating an apple.
The next day, all future Chikara events were cancelled, and the members of the roster and staff were mute as to why. A month later, after no further information came out, some of the wrestlers broke their silence, but only to share their Chikara memories. Until Icarus declared he wasn't going to let Chikara end like that. And thus began the movement.
#IAMCHIKARA
Icarus started holding rallies, first at former Chikara venues on dates when shows had been scheduled. Fans signed petitions, they got "#IAMCHIKARA" trending worldwide during WWE TV broadcasts, they started spreading the word elsewhere across the Internet. More and more of Chikara alumni started getting behind it as well, although several big names remained mute or seemed indifferent (in some cases, even hostile) to the movement.
It also transpired that Wink Vavasseur had broken away from his father and Titor and started answering questions and divulging information about Titor and its schemes. He revealed that Titor had wanted to turn Chikara and the Wrestle Factory into a training facility for their private army, but had been stymied when the Wrestle Factory broke away from Chikara to stay independent when WMDCorp acquired it. GEKIDO, it transpired, was on Titor's payroll, and the Colony XTREME Force were Titor soldiers that Wink had been ordered to add to the roster. Wink even gave out his father's email address, on which several fans started to harass the Titor exec.
Things built up to the point where Icarus and several wrestlers and staff members staged a "secret show" at FDR Park in Philadelphia on November 2, 2013. A ring was set up and six wrestlers staged a match while fans streamed the event on Ustream, but then a dark tide fell over the event.
Condor Security drove by, abducting a fan named Thom (who had been active on the 101 Forums), and driving off. Spooked, the Chikara crew quickly ended the event, tearing down the ring and scattering. Condor soon posted a video ransom note, demanding the fans show up on November 30 if they want Thom back, and warned them not to bring any wrestlers.
On November 30, a scavenger hunt took place throughout Philly, as fans deciphered clues, and were soon aided by Chikara members, who briefly hijacked Condor's hunt to stall Condor. Eventually, a file was retrieved from a storage facility, which was swapped out by Icarus before the hand-off was made to Condor. Thom was recovered, and the file was revealed to be Titor plans to purchase a patch of land next to the Palmer Center in Easton, PA, on which Titor was planning to build its own training facility.
Soon after this victory, Titor suddenly announced it was planning to sell off one of its "sports and entertainment assets." It started inviting bids privately, and a deadline was given for December 22 for bids. After the day, no further information came out, until a fan noticed on Facebook that Barridoff Galleries, an art auction company in Portland, Maine, had posted on its Facebook page that it had purchased Chikara on December 31. Of interest to Chikara fans is that Barridoff Galleries is run by Robbie Ellis, a part-time pro wrestler who has worked in Chikara before. Barridoff has confirmed that the post on their Facebook timeline is true, but that they can't discuss anything further at this time.
Ashes
Late in the summer of 2013, a website, The Ashes Of, surfaced, which has ties to the Chikara storyline. A Vine account attached to the site releases teaser clips that preview the full videos, which are hosted on the YouTube channel "Wrestling Is." These videos have been showing some of what's been happening since "Never Compromise," as Icarus looks for support to save Chikara's ideals, 3.0 look for answers from Archibald Peck, and the Colony look for their missing comrade Soldier Ant.
"Prelude" - Set prior to 2002, it gives a little insight to the start of the Wrestle Factory, featuring a younger Mike Quackenbush speaking with a contractor about needed renovations to the building.
"Man Down" - Set anywhere from prior to June 2013 to August 2013, it shows Fire Ant & Green Ant approaching a wheelchair-bound Worker Ant, looking for the M.I.A. Soldier Ant. It finishes with Worker giving Green his old gear, telling him "You're the worker now."
"Garbage" - Set in July 2013, around a Dragon Gate USA show, it shows Icarus meeting with former stablemate Chuck Taylor, trying to convince him to help him save Chikara. Chucky T, however, tells Icarus it's over and advises him to call bookers to look for work.
"Thwarted" - Set in October 2013, just after Wrestling Is Awesome was shut down, it features 3.0-- Shane Matthews & Scott Parker-- resolving to find out what happened to Chikara, and deciding to hunt down Archibald Peck.
"Fickle" - Set at some point between July and October 2013, Icarus visits a furniture store that is managed by an eerily chipper Tim Donst, whose strange behavior confuses Icarus. Donst declines assisting Icarus, but does give him his Young Lions Cup trophy, asking him to give it to Jakob. The video ends with Icarus setting course for the Wrestle Factory.
"The Letter" - Picking up immediately where "Fickle" left off, it features Icarus narrating, reading a letter written to him by Hallowicked, discussing the bond they have as Chikara Gen-1 Originals, and calling the Wrestle Factory "the closest thing to home."
"Sweat Shop" - Picking up immediate where "The Letter" left off, it features Icarus meeting with Hallowicked at the Wrestle Factory, although it transpires that Icarus had been looking for Quackenbush, who hasn't been by and whose voicemail is full. Icarus swipes a piece of Quack's gear from a suitcase when 'Wicked isn't looking, comments on "the landlords out front," and asks at the end of the video, "When is this new batch of greenhorns going to be ready?"
"Dead Horse" - Set at some point presumably between "Sweat Shop" and the events of November 30, it features Eddie Kingston backstage at an ROH show, where he's confronted by Icarus, who reminds him of the way he always stood up for Chikara. An irate Kingston tells him to stop living in the past. At the end of the video, Icarus notes, "You still have it?" Kingston holds up the Chikara Grand Championship belt and says, "Not it. Her."
"Deja Vu" - Set after "Thwarted," 3.0 meet with barrister R.D. Evans, wanting to know "Where in the World is Archibald Peck?" Evans reiterated the time-travel theory surrounding Peck's adventures after being hit by Kingston's "Backfist to the Future," and eventually told them "I would start looking in Parts Unknown," the location of which, of course, he does not know. The video ended with 3.0 heading off to go try to find Peck.
"Where Everyone Knows Your Name" - Set after "Man Down," Fire Ant and Green Ant go to a bar, looking for leads on Soldier Ant, and meet with UltraMantis Black. Accusations are thrown around and tempers flare, as the Colony reveal they don't trust AssailANT.
"History" - Set presumably after "Where Everyone Knows Your Name" and "Dead Horse," Icarus goes to a library, where he confronts UltraMantis Black about his loyalties to Chikara's ideals.
"Solitude" - Set after "Deja Vu," 3.0 trudge through some winter frigidness and make it to Parts Unknown, where they approach a barn and knock on the door...
"Fuel" - Set at some point after "Sweat Shop," AssailANT and Jervis Cottonbelly are training/sparring at the Wrestle Factory when some unwelcome guests in the form of DeviANT and the Colony XTREME Force turn up...
"Flood" - Picks up immediately after "Fuel," DeviANT demands that AssailANT help them burn down the Wrestle Factory. The big blue Ant refuses and goes down fighting...
"Ideas" - Set at some point after "Sweat Shop," Icarus tracks down Mike Quackenbush at his home. He asks for Quack's help, noting "They won't listen to me, they'll listen to you... there's a war coming." Quack seemed haunted by the lengths to which he'd gone to fight GEKIDO and was reluctant, though Icarus gave him the wrestling gear he'd swiped at the Wrestle Factory before leaving.
"When?" - Picks up immediately after "Solitude," as 3.0 confront Archibald Peck in Parts Unknown. Archie has no answers, only theories, and says they're too late to stop the traces of Chikara from being "washed away." But he does seem to think there's something to be done... and his eyes turn toward a diagram of a Flux Capacitor and the date "25 May 2014"...
"Torch" - The shortest of the Ashes videos thus far. It depicts Green Ant angrily yelling at a Wrestle Factory student in an Equinox mask, at the Palmer Center in Easton, PA, and locking up with him, before the video is hijacked by the Ghosts of Rudos Past, while a voice speaks backwards and a message displays "THE END IS NOW."
"Believe" - Set at some point after "History," and presumably before or perhaps after the Wrestling Is Fun show in January 2014, Icarus goes to the Palmer Center in Easton, PA, where he confronts the Colony. They agree to help him defend Chikara's ideals.
"Rise" - Set in the week before National Pro Wrestling Day (2/1/14), it features several Chikara notables training. Icarus does a "Rocky" run through Philadelphia. The Throwbacks do calisthenics. Ophidian practices his kung fu.
"Workin'" - In the aftermath of NPWD, the Colony finds AssailANT at the Fujiwara Arm Bar. Green Ant questions him about the change of heart, and AssailANT comes clean... and finds acceptance.
The entirety of the storyline has been released via Smart Mark Video as "The Ashes of Chikara," and includes clips not shown online. Mike Quackenbush has stated in interviews that "The Ashes of Chikara" storyline comprises Season 13, with Season 14 starting at "You Only Live Twice."
Wrestling Is... Ragnarok & The Ghosts of Rudos Past
Several smaller indie wrestling companies sprang up in the wake of Chikara's demise, all named "Wrestling Is __." The first, Wrestling Is Fun, was actually founded toward the close of 2011. Two of them, Wrestling Is Heart and Wrestling Is Respect, were rebranded from existing companies, School of Roc: Class Wars and Pro Wrestling Respect, respectively. The others were Wrestling Is Cool, Wrestling Is Intense, Wrestling Is Art, and Wrestling Is Awesome.
It didn't take fans long to make a further connection-- Cool-Heart-Intense-__-Art-Respect-Awesome almost spells out CHIKARA. There was some debate about what the K would be filled by-- with one theory being that Fun filled the K, since Fun's top prize is the Banana Championship, and the holder called the Possessor of the Potassium, and potassium is represented by "K" in the periodic table-- but recent events suggest that Kaiju Big Battel fills the K slot.
From the fall of 2013 onward, old faces have been surfacing and making threats, and then systematically shutting down these companies. The 101 Forums have taken to calling these forces, collectively, the 'Ghosts of Rudos Past.'
In September, GEKIDO broke a long Twitter silence to issue a threat toward Wresting Is Intense. At Intense's next show, 17, CombatANT, and DeviANT stormed the ring after the main event, grievously injuring the wrestlers involved (and seemingly killing Darkness Crabtree) and threatening to do the same unless Intense's head honcho closed the company. Reluctantly, he did so.
In October, Kaiju Big Battel's Dr. Cube issued a YouTube video threat to Wrestling Is Awesome. At Awesome's next show, just as 3.0's Scott Parker had won Awesome's new (and expensive) championship belt, Dr. Cube's Posse invaded, stealing the belt and the gate money, and forcing Awesome's head honcho to close it down due to lack of money.
In November, Kizarny Sinn Bodhi put a message on Facebook, threatening Wrestling Is Art. The day of Art's next show, a picture surfaced of a masked Bodhi meeting with Art's head honcho backstage. After the main event, Bodhi and his Odditorium (Oliver Grimsly and Qefka the Quiet), flanked by some of Dr. Cube's minions, came out. Bodhi revealed that he'd bought Art and was shutting it down.
--It should be noted at this point that, in Kaiju Big Battel, Dr. Cube had been assassinated, shot in the head, but later turned up alive again. In KBB, this new Dr. Cube is firmly believed to be an impostor, and he also possesses the shards of the Eye of Tyr, a mystical gemstone capable of enthralling people's minds. The Eye of Tyr had been infamously used by UltraMantis Black in Chikara to brainwash Delirious, before the Eye of Tyr was stolen back by the BDK's Ares, who used it to bring Delirious to his side. When Mantis reacquired the Eye at the end of 2011, he used it to free Delirious, but a furious Delirious smashed the Eye and declared his intent to get his revenge on Mantis. At the end of 2012, a clip surfaced of Dr. Cube's minions gathering the shards of the Eye...--
In December, the BDK posted a video on YouTube, threatening Wrestling Is Cool. At the show, Cool's head honcho, Milo Schnitzler, abruptly revealed his BDK allegiance and attacked the ring announcer, Gavin Loudspeaker. Milo was joined by a masked Ares and a horned, masked figure called Nøkken. They shut off the power and closed the company.
At this point, fans knew there was a connection between the Ghosts of Rudos Past, and so did the wrestlers. Icarus started trying to rally support from the other wrestlers, but most weren't trusting of him, given Icarus' long rudo history and perhaps their own issues with him in the past.
In January, both GEKIDO and Dr. Cube issued threats toward Wrestling Is Fun. Icarus stepped up his game trying to get support, and was seen on the day of Fun's next show, guarding the main door with a baseball bat. During the main event, GEKIDO and Dr. Cube's Posse stormed into the building from the back entrance, but were headed off by Icarus, Dasher Hatfield, and Estonian Thunderfrog. Dr. Cube declared, "Very well, Icarus, we shall respect your wishes," before leaving.
The next day, during Wrestling Is Respect's show, GEKIDO and Dr. Cube's Posse turned up again, but were held off by the entire tecnico roster, who were joined by Sidney Bakabella's Wrecking Crew (Oleg the Usurper, JAKA, Max Smashmaster, Blaster McMassive, Flex Rumblecrunch). However, Cube made a "money" signal to the Crew, who turned on the others and laid them to waste. Bakabella declared that Respect was dead, and the company closed. Later that day, Bakabella tweeted out a picture of him shaking hands with Dr. Cube, revealing that he'd taken a pay-off from Cube.
As February 1, 2014, National Pro Wrestling Day, drew close, all of the Ghosts of Rudos Past-- now known officially as "The Flood"-- have posted threats about NPWD. One of the "Ashes" teaser videos was hijacked and showed all of the Ghosts of Rudos Past gathered together, while a voice declared the date "February 1st, 2014," and then the words "THE END IS NOW" were displayed...
National Pro Wrestling Day
As the main event of NPWD drew to a close, Joe Pittman defended Wrestling Is Heart's La Copa Idola trophy against Heidi Lovelace. As Heidi had him trapped in the Chikara Special, the Flood invaded the venue, swarming the ring and ringside area. GEKIDO, the Odditorium, the Wrecking Crew, the BDK, and Dr. Cube's Posse all stood alongside three men wearing plague-doctor masks, identified by fans as the Condor goons from November 30. Cube's Posse had scores of minions in masks surrounding the ring as well. The villainous group smashed the Copa Idola trophy and looked poised to ruin the event.
The Submission Squad (Pierre Abernathy, Evan Gelistico, Davey Vega, Gary the Barn Owl), who had just decided to try to save Chikara instead of invade it, turned up and said the baddies would have to go through them. So the baddies did.
Then Icarus showed up, flanked by Hallowicked, the Colony, AssailANT, Kid Cyclone, Create-A-Wrestler II, and Dasher Hatfield. GEKIDO ordered AssailANT to take his place with them, but he drew a line on the floor and refused to step over it. The main plague-doctor unmasked to reveal Jimmy Jacobs, nihilistic anarchist from Ring of Honor, who mocked Icarus for thinking that eight men could stop their army. At which point, Icarus said that eight men couldn't, and gave the signal...
...at which point all of Dr. Cube's minions unmasked to reveal the entire Chikara roster. The Batiri, Mr. Touchdown, UltraMantis Black, Jervis Cottonbelly, the Baltic Seige, Frightmare, and others. They fought valiantly with the villains, who still looked to have the advantage...
...until the doors opened to reveal the DeLorean pull up outside, from which emerged 3.0 and Archibald Peck, who charged into the fray and helped turn the tide, sending the baddies fleeing out of the Palmer Center. The entire CHIKARMY celebrated the victory, as Icarus grabbed a sign and held it up in the ring, a sign bearing the date 5.25.14. As NPWD ended, Icarus shouted out, "We're coming back! Tell the world!"
Chikara lives.
The War with The Flood
The Flood are dedicated to washing away Chikara and everything it stands for, and Jimmy Jacobs has stated he was "chosen" to lead them in this goal. Intimating there is something worse out there than him, he and The Flood have posed a serious threat to Chikara and its wrestlers, and this was proven at "You Only Live Twice" on May 25th, 2014 following the main event. Having defeated Eddie Kingston to claim the Grand Championship of Chikara, Icarus was joined by the roster in celebration, when The Flood stormed back into the building, along with a towering behemoth of a man, wearing armor and an ominous gas mask. This man, later identified as Deucalion, had with him Delirious and Soldier Ant, hooded and captive. But when Deucalion removed the hoods, Delirious promptly attacked UltraMantis Black, and Soldier Ant immediately attacked his former Colony brethren. In the midst of the chaos, Deucalion stood triumphant, and was challenged by Kobald of The Batiri, who delivered a spear-- that did absolutely nothing. Deucalion promptly heaved Kobald up over his head and delivered a "choke-breaker," a chokeslam backbreaker that left Kobald motionless on the mat. His point made, and Kobald broken, Deucalion and The Flood receded from the venue, and it was clear: this war was far from over.
Deucalion, believed to be the enigmatic "Titan of Titor" alluded to on Archibald Peck's conspiracy board, is a frightening figure, one that even The Flood are afraid of. During his rampage in May, Doctor Cube cowered away from the ring. At the Detroit show in June, after DeviANT fell to the Spectral Envoy in a 5-on-5 match, Deucalion appeared, and destroyed DeviANT with a choke-breaker for his failure. In July, after Estonian Thunderfrog had destroyed the BDK's Tursas in a brawl, and after Thunderfrog and the Baltic Seige had just emerged victorious from their rivalry with the Bloc Party, the Flood attacked again, and then cowered away when Deucalion appeared to destroy the amphibious storm god in the same way he'd destroyed others. He also destroyed Thunderfrog's friend the Latvian Proud Oak, and spared the Lithuanian Snow Troll when he begged for his life, but had him dragged away in chains.
Furious at what he perceived as a lack of response to these attacks, rookie wrestler Kid Cyclone decided enough was enough. Rallying two of his friends and fellow rookies-- Equinox III & Create-a-Wrestler II-- Kid Cyclone formed the Greenhorn Militia (GHM) and started calling out Deucalion. Insinuating he was a coward, Kid Cyclone pointed out that Deucalion only ever attacked and destroyed people when they were already weakened, and called him a bully. The declarations continued for weeks, without response from the Flood, until King of Trios 2014. While Deucalion was in the ring after a Flood trio victory, the GHM attacked, dog-piling on Deucalion while other Chikara roster members ran from the sidelines to attack the Flood. They were effortlessly defeated, and Deucalion shrugged off the GHM, but not before Kid Cyclone managed to unmask the Titan of Titor. Revealed as a bald monster with soulless black eyes, Deucalion expressed his displeasure at being called a "coward" by destroying Kid Cyclone's friends, forcing him to watch and look at their lifeless bodies. Terrified, Kid Cyclone fled the scene, and the villainous ringleader has only added to his dreadful legacy.
Since then, Deucalion has mocked the senseless deaths and put the blame squarely on the Chikara roster and the Chikara fans. He has proven an indomitable force, and not one that suffers failure gladly. He nearly destroyed his own servant, Jimmy Jacobs, when he failed to defeat Icarus for the Grand Championship, and did destroy The Shard for the treachery of his partner 17. It is clear that The Flood fears Deucalion as much as everyone else does, and the mad "Titan of Titor" will not stop until his army washes away everything Chikara stands for.
The numbers of the fallen grow with every passing month. Dragon Dragon. Darkness Crabtree, The Brown Morning of Belarus, Private Eye Jr., Kobald, DeviANT, Tursas, Plague Doctor #2, Estonian Thunderfrog, Latvian Proud Oak, Equinox III, Create-a-Wrestler II, Archibald Peck, The Shard
Who will the war claim next?
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