November Update
mjr asked me in another thread for an update, so here's what's going on...
The Ashes Of
These videos, mentioned earlier, continue to come out, now about twice a month, and continue to show the former Chikara wrestlers in the aftermath of the company's closure.
"Prelude" either deals with the founding of the Wrestle Factory, back in the day, or it deals with the new Wrestle Factory that opened in Allentown, PA, after the former ECW Arena closed. It features Mike Quackenbush.
"Man Down" features Fire Ant and Green Ant visiting a wheelchair-bound Worker Ant, retired and crotchety. Fire & Green are looking for Soldier Ant, who has been MIA. Worker has no information for them, and passes his old gear on to Green, telling him "You're the Worker now."
"Garbage" features Icarus stopping by a Dragon Gate USA show to see his former teammate Chuck Taylor, requesting his help in making sure Chikara doesn't die. Chuckie T, however, tells him that it's time to move on.
"Thwarted" features 3.0 (Scott Parker & Shane Matthews) in the aftermath of the closure of Wrestling Is Awesome, discussing how things have been going. It concludes with the two of them resolving to find Archibald Peck, to see what he knows, and they set out on a road trip.
"Fickle" features Icarus again as he goes to visit Tim Donst, now the manager of a furniture/antiques store. Donst is rather eerily cheerful and happy to see Icarus, eating some kind of super-healthy meal, and taking some kind of medication. Icarus asks for Donst's help, but Donst-- after seeming to blank out-- abruptly tells him he can't help. However, after Icarus leaves the building, Donst comes up to him and tells him to give his regards to Hallowicked and Jakob Hammermeier, even giving Icarus his old Young Lions Cup trophy, asking him to give it to Jakob. The video ends with a frustrated Icarus setting directions on his GPS for the Wrestle Factory.
Another video, "The Letter" is released on the YouTube.com/WrestlingIs channel tomorrow. From teaser videos released on Vine and to select fans (later uploaded on YouTube), it apparently features Hallowicked. Another one, "Sweat Shop" is due out later this month. From the title, it is assumed to be about the Wrestle Factory, since GEKIDO members The Swarm had unfavorably compared the WF to one.
Another provided-to-fan-and-uploaded-to-YT video teaser features a limping and cane-using Mike Quackenbush (who broke his leg in April) meeting with disgraced ex-referee and GEKIDO-liaison Derek Sabato, who pointedly asks Quack "Is this what you wanted?" The assumption is the teaser is set shortly after "Aniversario: Never Compromise."
The Wrestling Is... Companies
As noted previously, there were several companies that sprang up in the Chikara touring radius, particularly after Chikara closed, all called "Wrestling Is ___" They were Cool, Heart, Intense, Fun, Awesome, Respect, and Art. (Wrestler Jervis Cottonbelly has been quoted as saying that Fun represents the 'K' in Chikara, by virtue of its championship being a banana, which is full of potassium-- or 'K' on the periodic table.)
One by one, several of the WI_ companies have closed down for various reasons.
Intense was invaded by GEKIDO's 17, combatANT, and deviANT, who held the main event hostage until they could force the owner to shut the company down. GEKIDO had issued a Twitter threat prior to the show.
Awesome was threatened on YouTube by Kaiju Big Battel's Doctor Cube, who came out with his Minions and monsters, stealing the show's money and title, and having his Posse destroy the set and ring, causing the company to shut down.
Art was threatened on Facebook by Sinn Bodhi, the former Kizarny and former leader of the Dark Army. The day of Art's show this past weekend, a photo surfaced of a clown-masked Bodhi exchanging money with Art's owner, while holding some kind of box. After the main event, Bodhi and his Odditorium-- flanked by members of Dr. Cube's Posse-- came out and shut down the company. They were seen with that same mysterious box.
Cool, meanwhile, was threatened by UltraMantis Black, but the company hasn't been able to hold another show due to losing their venue and not being able to find a new one. So Cool is effectively dead in the water.
This leaves Heart, Respect, and Fun.
Fans have recently been trying to find a link between these, and due to recent information revealed by Wink Vavasseur (more on that below), one of the beliefs is that the Titor Conglomerate is bankrolling these attacks. It's also suspected that Dr. Cube is in possession of a reconstructed Eye of Tyr, which is capable of controlling peoples' minds.
Wink Vavasseur & Titor Conglomerate
As noted in my last post, Wink Vavasseur recently broke his Twitter silence and has been vocal in his own failures and shortcomings, admitting that much of what he did was a vain attempt to impress his father, Titor Conglomerate executive W. Conrad Vavasseur. However, Wink dropped several bombshells.
Namely, that Titor had purchased Chikara (via its subsidiary Worldwide Media Development Corporation) in an effort to turn it into a training ground for its own private army. Mike Quackenbush responded to this by splitting the Wrestle Factory off from Chikara to protect it. Wink noted that Titor's plans ended in failure in this aspect.
Also, Titor Conglomerate had been secretly backing GEKIDO's invasion-- thus explaining why Wink appeared to cut them so many breaks-- and even paid for their medical expenses after Quack injured 17 and combatANT. This may also explain why GEKIDO invaded Wrestling Is Intense.
The Chikarmy vs Condor Security - #IAmCHIKARA
Icarus has stepped up his efforts to rally the fans and keep the faith alive. He announced another rally would take place, and clues that were left pointed fans to FDR Skatepark in Philadelphia on November 2. A few dozen fans turned up at the rally, where they found a wrestling ring set up, and several wrestlers present: Icarus, Hallowicked, AssailANT, Los Ice Creams, and Kobald. Also present were former Chikara Director of Fun Leonard F. Chikarason, referee Bryce Remsburg, and masked Wrestle Factory trainee Kid Cyclone.
One fan set up a Ustream and streamed the entire impromptu show (go on Ustream and look for "Chikara Armed Forces"), which was just a single six-man tag (Icarus, Wicked, AssailANT vs Los Ice Creams & Kobald). Toward the end of the match, however, two men from Condor Security turned up, abducted a fan, and drove off in a rental van. The match very quickly ended and the Chikara folks urged fans to leave "because it's not safe" as they took down the ring and left.
The abducted fan was later revealed to be named Thom, apparently a user on the Chikara 101 forums, and Icarus received a threatening video from Condor. Their voices distorted, and Thom blindfolded and gagged in the back of the van, Condor told the fans to go "to where we grabbed Thom" on November 30, and to "bring your brains." Further messages also ordered fans not to bring any wrestlers.
No one knows who Thom is-- he arrived by himself to the Nov 2 rally-- and some suspect him of being a Titor/Condor plant. Thom had started the "who's going to be at the rally" thread on the forums, but had been a relatively new member to the forums. Fans are already planning to go to FDR Skatepark again on Nov. 30, and some have said they'll be ready for a fight.
One thing other people have pointed out is that Wink Vavasseur had said, on Twitter, that he'd be at the rally, even asking fans where it would be. However, Wink never showed.
Expect another update in early December, once the Nov. 30 rally date and its aftermath have somewhat passed.
mjr asked me in another thread for an update, so here's what's going on...
The Ashes Of
These videos, mentioned earlier, continue to come out, now about twice a month, and continue to show the former Chikara wrestlers in the aftermath of the company's closure.
"Prelude" either deals with the founding of the Wrestle Factory, back in the day, or it deals with the new Wrestle Factory that opened in Allentown, PA, after the former ECW Arena closed. It features Mike Quackenbush.
"Man Down" features Fire Ant and Green Ant visiting a wheelchair-bound Worker Ant, retired and crotchety. Fire & Green are looking for Soldier Ant, who has been MIA. Worker has no information for them, and passes his old gear on to Green, telling him "You're the Worker now."
"Garbage" features Icarus stopping by a Dragon Gate USA show to see his former teammate Chuck Taylor, requesting his help in making sure Chikara doesn't die. Chuckie T, however, tells him that it's time to move on.
"Thwarted" features 3.0 (Scott Parker & Shane Matthews) in the aftermath of the closure of Wrestling Is Awesome, discussing how things have been going. It concludes with the two of them resolving to find Archibald Peck, to see what he knows, and they set out on a road trip.
"Fickle" features Icarus again as he goes to visit Tim Donst, now the manager of a furniture/antiques store. Donst is rather eerily cheerful and happy to see Icarus, eating some kind of super-healthy meal, and taking some kind of medication. Icarus asks for Donst's help, but Donst-- after seeming to blank out-- abruptly tells him he can't help. However, after Icarus leaves the building, Donst comes up to him and tells him to give his regards to Hallowicked and Jakob Hammermeier, even giving Icarus his old Young Lions Cup trophy, asking him to give it to Jakob. The video ends with a frustrated Icarus setting directions on his GPS for the Wrestle Factory.
Another video, "The Letter" is released on the YouTube.com/WrestlingIs channel tomorrow. From teaser videos released on Vine and to select fans (later uploaded on YouTube), it apparently features Hallowicked. Another one, "Sweat Shop" is due out later this month. From the title, it is assumed to be about the Wrestle Factory, since GEKIDO members The Swarm had unfavorably compared the WF to one.
Another provided-to-fan-and-uploaded-to-YT video teaser features a limping and cane-using Mike Quackenbush (who broke his leg in April) meeting with disgraced ex-referee and GEKIDO-liaison Derek Sabato, who pointedly asks Quack "Is this what you wanted?" The assumption is the teaser is set shortly after "Aniversario: Never Compromise."
The Wrestling Is... Companies
As noted previously, there were several companies that sprang up in the Chikara touring radius, particularly after Chikara closed, all called "Wrestling Is ___" They were Cool, Heart, Intense, Fun, Awesome, Respect, and Art. (Wrestler Jervis Cottonbelly has been quoted as saying that Fun represents the 'K' in Chikara, by virtue of its championship being a banana, which is full of potassium-- or 'K' on the periodic table.)
One by one, several of the WI_ companies have closed down for various reasons.
Intense was invaded by GEKIDO's 17, combatANT, and deviANT, who held the main event hostage until they could force the owner to shut the company down. GEKIDO had issued a Twitter threat prior to the show.
Awesome was threatened on YouTube by Kaiju Big Battel's Doctor Cube, who came out with his Minions and monsters, stealing the show's money and title, and having his Posse destroy the set and ring, causing the company to shut down.
Art was threatened on Facebook by Sinn Bodhi, the former Kizarny and former leader of the Dark Army. The day of Art's show this past weekend, a photo surfaced of a clown-masked Bodhi exchanging money with Art's owner, while holding some kind of box. After the main event, Bodhi and his Odditorium-- flanked by members of Dr. Cube's Posse-- came out and shut down the company. They were seen with that same mysterious box.
Cool, meanwhile, was threatened by UltraMantis Black, but the company hasn't been able to hold another show due to losing their venue and not being able to find a new one. So Cool is effectively dead in the water.
This leaves Heart, Respect, and Fun.
Fans have recently been trying to find a link between these, and due to recent information revealed by Wink Vavasseur (more on that below), one of the beliefs is that the Titor Conglomerate is bankrolling these attacks. It's also suspected that Dr. Cube is in possession of a reconstructed Eye of Tyr, which is capable of controlling peoples' minds.
Wink Vavasseur & Titor Conglomerate
As noted in my last post, Wink Vavasseur recently broke his Twitter silence and has been vocal in his own failures and shortcomings, admitting that much of what he did was a vain attempt to impress his father, Titor Conglomerate executive W. Conrad Vavasseur. However, Wink dropped several bombshells.
Namely, that Titor had purchased Chikara (via its subsidiary Worldwide Media Development Corporation) in an effort to turn it into a training ground for its own private army. Mike Quackenbush responded to this by splitting the Wrestle Factory off from Chikara to protect it. Wink noted that Titor's plans ended in failure in this aspect.
Also, Titor Conglomerate had been secretly backing GEKIDO's invasion-- thus explaining why Wink appeared to cut them so many breaks-- and even paid for their medical expenses after Quack injured 17 and combatANT. This may also explain why GEKIDO invaded Wrestling Is Intense.
The Chikarmy vs Condor Security - #IAmCHIKARA
Icarus has stepped up his efforts to rally the fans and keep the faith alive. He announced another rally would take place, and clues that were left pointed fans to FDR Skatepark in Philadelphia on November 2. A few dozen fans turned up at the rally, where they found a wrestling ring set up, and several wrestlers present: Icarus, Hallowicked, AssailANT, Los Ice Creams, and Kobald. Also present were former Chikara Director of Fun Leonard F. Chikarason, referee Bryce Remsburg, and masked Wrestle Factory trainee Kid Cyclone.
One fan set up a Ustream and streamed the entire impromptu show (go on Ustream and look for "Chikara Armed Forces"), which was just a single six-man tag (Icarus, Wicked, AssailANT vs Los Ice Creams & Kobald). Toward the end of the match, however, two men from Condor Security turned up, abducted a fan, and drove off in a rental van. The match very quickly ended and the Chikara folks urged fans to leave "because it's not safe" as they took down the ring and left.
The abducted fan was later revealed to be named Thom, apparently a user on the Chikara 101 forums, and Icarus received a threatening video from Condor. Their voices distorted, and Thom blindfolded and gagged in the back of the van, Condor told the fans to go "to where we grabbed Thom" on November 30, and to "bring your brains." Further messages also ordered fans not to bring any wrestlers.
No one knows who Thom is-- he arrived by himself to the Nov 2 rally-- and some suspect him of being a Titor/Condor plant. Thom had started the "who's going to be at the rally" thread on the forums, but had been a relatively new member to the forums. Fans are already planning to go to FDR Skatepark again on Nov. 30, and some have said they'll be ready for a fight.
One thing other people have pointed out is that Wink Vavasseur had said, on Twitter, that he'd be at the rally, even asking fans where it would be. However, Wink never showed.
Expect another update in early December, once the Nov. 30 rally date and its aftermath have somewhat passed.
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