This episode of the Rantables Wrestling Blog is dedicated to the Macho Man Randy Savage. The last famous person whose death I felt this way about was George Carlin. You will be missed, Macho. This one's for you.
Since this weekend is kind of busy for me, I'm writing this while listening to Unplugged on the SNS Radio Network. This episode will be (relatively) brief, since I've got more important things to do. Let's start with Saturday's show:
ANNIVERSARIO AND HIS AMAZING FRIENDS
Hieracon vs. Brodie Lee
This is probably the biggest mismatch in a while for CHIKARA. Brodie has been nothing short of spectacular this year. His performance at Dragon Gate USA's iPPV in April was probably the best I've ever seen him. Hieracon, on the other hand, has been working his way up the ranks in CHIKARA, and being part of the Osirian Portal helps greatly. And with Amasis on the sidelines for an indeterminate amount of time, Hieracon will likely take over as Ophidian's tag team partner. But this is singles competition, and I have a bad feeling that this may be a warm-up for Brodie for his match on Sunday. I'm looking forward to seeing the contrast in styles, but when it all boils down, this match is going to go to BRODIE LEE.
UltraMantis Black vs. Chuck Taylor
Admittedly, I'm not sure what brought about this match. Unless these two have history dating back before 2010, of course. I need to learn me some CHIKARA history. Anyway, lack of a reason for this match notwithstanding, UMB and Chucky T are two consummate performers and should put on a good match. Both of their respective Trios are stinging from losses at King of Trios this year (UMB in the first round, Taylor in the finals), and I'd bet that they want to get their teams up and running again. However, UMB has something that Taylor doesn't: an outside feud that may distract him. Or UMB could use that feud as a motivation to tear through the Kentucky Gentleman en route to his Trios match the following day against The Dark Army. It's a toss-up, which is one of the reasons I love CHIKARA: not one match is predictable. Anyway, I think this match is going to go to ULTRAMANTIS BLACK, if for no other reason than he needs the win to get some momentum going into Sunday's bout with Sinn Bodhi and the Batiri.
And speaking of the Batiri...
The Throwbacks vs. The Batiri
Last month, during the Tag Team Gauntlet match, Dasher Hatfield and Sugar Dunkerton eliminated Obariyon and Kodama from the match in about a minute. This, however, came after the Batiri had what could be considered a normal-length match against Arik Cannon and Darin Corbin, so it wasn't a huge surprise to see the Throwbacks take the Batiri down. Both teams are looking to get into the title hunt, and a win today would give either of them their first point. Since only one team (that being Harada and Kotoge) has the three points necessary to challenge for the Campeonatos de Parejas, getting another team started towards that goal is very important. And you know what? I think The Throwbacks deserve a shot. So I'm going with THE THROWBACKS to win this match.
Eddie Kingston vs. Sinn Bodhi
This could be a very intriguing match. A clash of...well, just about everything. The War King vs. The Warlord of Weird. I listened to the Art of Wrestling podcast with Bodhi a couple of weeks ago, and I was surprised at how soft-spoken he is outside the ring. I doubt Kingston is ever soft-spoken, but it doesn't really matter all that much. Kingston is probably the hardest-hitting man on the CHIKARA roster, so it should be fun to see if Bodhi can stand up to the punishment Kingston hands out every month. Though the reverse could also be true. This should be an interesting match for sure. But betting on Eddie Kingston is almost a sure thing these days. Usually, I would consider that a bad thing, but it's Eddie Freakin' Kingston. If you haven't guessed it by now, I'll say it in capital letters: EDDIE KINGSTON for the win.
Frightmare vs. Archibald Peck
After a somewhat unexpected debut a couple of months ago, Archibald Peck has actually started to grow on me. He had a good match with Colt Cabana at King of Trios, and he proved he's pretty good on the mic when he called a match that same weekend. But this could be his most important match yet. Frightmare is still the Young Lions Cup Champion, and it looks like he'll make it the whole year without losing it. Just three months stand between him and history. If Peck wins this match, he could either be in line for a title shot down the line or get a spot in this year's YLC tournament. Even though his gimmick is still a little silly to me, I am liking Peck more each time I see him. And whomever is booking Peck's matches is making sure he's going up against some of the best right from the start. I'm just not sure he can pull off a victory today. I'll pick FRIGHTMARE to win this match.
The Colony & Madison Eagles vs. The BDK (Ares, Pinkie Sanchez, Jakob Hammermeier, and Daizee Haze)
The leader of the BDK makes his return to CHIKARA after several months away, and goes right for the top: The 2011 King of Trios Champions, The Colony. I'm still a little surprised that Jakob Hammermeier is working so many matches. You'd think that the BDK would send out guys who are, well, better thank him. But I suppose having Tursas run in nearly every time helps. Madison Eagles has definitely earned her spot on the CHIKARA roster, and should be a strong teammate to The Colony. I suppose this all comes down to whether Jakob is reliable enough to not get himself knocked out before the match ends. And I can't imagine having the new King of Trios Champions losing just one month removed from their victory. So, I'm picking THE COLONY & MADISON EAGLES to win, further splintering the BDK.
3.0 vs. The UnStable
Well, I had a paragraph written up before I noticed that there was a stipulation attached to this match: the losing team can never team up again. That certainly puts a new spin on this match. Yikes. Although, now that I think about it, there's probably a good reason for this. Tag teams don't break up very often in CHIKARA. I think the last time that happened was at Through Savage Progress Cuts the Jungle Line, when both The UnStable and The Future is Now sort of dissolved simultaneously. Anyway, I think it would be pure foolishness to break up 3.0, as they work so well together that splitting them up would be nothing short of a travesty. The UnStable, on the other hand, may very well be nearing the end of their tenure together. Vin Gerard is part of the 12 Large: Summit, whereas STIGMA is not. This could be the beginning of a singles run for Gerard, or possibly a feud between he and STIGMA. But that remains to be seen. I'm going with my heart here and picking 3.0 to win. I just couldn't bear to see them split up.
12 Large: Summit Match - Mike Quackenbush vs. Hallowicked
The first match in the round-robin 12 Large: Summit could not be a better way to kick off the run to the CHIKARA World Championship. Mike Quackenbush takes on his protege, and a Gen 1 CHIKARA wrestler, Hallowicked. If there's one match I'm looking most forward to this weekend, it's this one. It's already been established that both of these men can go, and go they will today. Quack is simply a scholar in the ring, and Hallowicked is as dangerous as they come. Since this is a round-robin tournament, one loss is probably tolerable, so whichever man loses today, he still has a good chance to move on. I'm expecting these two to tear the house down. But only one man can win, and tonight, I'm going with what some may consider an upset. I'm picking HALLOWICKED to win this match. Why? Because Quack still is one half of the Campeones de Parejas, and until the World Champion is crowned, the Campeonatos are still the most prestigious titles in CHIKARA. Hallowicked isn't as focused in the tag division, so a win makes sense.
And now, for Sunday's show...
ANNIVERSARIO: THE LEGENDARY SUPER POWERS SHOW
Dasher Hatfield vs. Jakob Hammermeier
Huh. Jakob is getting more matches than nearly every other member of the BDK. How odd. I suppose it isn't bad if they're trying to build him up as a singles competitor despite the fact that he hasn't really done much of anything in the ring besides get the crap beaten out of him only to have Tursas run in and win the match for him. But hey, he's won more matches in the past couple of months than anyone else in the BDK, so that's gotta mean something, right? Right? Yeah, probably not. I'd love to see Dasher beat the snot out of Jakob, and that will probably happen. But outside interference has been the name of the game for Jakob, and I'm betting it'll happen again. So I'm foolishly picking JAKOB HAMMERMEIER to win this match.
Hieracon vs. Grizzly Redwood
The description of this match on the CHIKARA website is "The Tiny Titans Collide!" I love that. Both guys are maybe 5'6", maybe 160 pounds, but they fight like they're a foot taller and a hundred pounds heavier. Hieracon is a devastating high-flyer, and Grizzly is one of the best at chopping down his foes. I am definitely looking forward to this match. I can't see Hieracon being 100% after having a match with Grizz's partner, Brodie Lee, the night before, and I think Grizz will take advantage of that. Hieracon's in for a tough weekend. GRIZZLY REDWOOD wins.
Sugar Dunkerton vs. Archibald Peck
Peck is getting two matches this weekend, which is a first to my recollection. And Sugar is a definite change of pace after Frightmare the night before. Sugar's been on a bit of a losing streak as of late, and I think he's in desperate need of some wins. Oddly enough, I picked both of these guys to win their respective matches on Saturday's show, so it's a pure guess as to who wins on Sunday. So I'll just go with SUGAR DUNKERTON to win.
The Colony vs. The S.A.T.'s
Wow, I wasn't expecting to see The Amazing Red and Los Maximos back in CHIKARA so soon, but here they are. And they haev a tall task ahead of them, taking on The Colony. Both teams have been together for a while, and they each have undeniable chemistry. How well will the teams mix, though? That remains to be seen. I hate to do it (I don't, really), but right now, I can't pick against The Colony, so I'm going with them, just like I did for Saturday's show. THE COLONY wins, but it should be a great match.
Eddie Kingston vs. Chuck Taylor
Sad to say Chucky T is probably just a small roadblock on Eddie Kingston's road to the 12 Large: Summit. I really like Taylor, but this is Kingston's weekend. Yep, this is a short description, I know, but it's probably the easiest match of the week to call. EDDIE KINGSTON wins.
The Spectral Envoy vs. The Dark Army
This feud continues its slow build. I'm wondering whether or not Sinn Bodhi is actually in cahoots with the BDK, since it has been alluded to on several occasions. And with UltraMantis Black's history with the BDK, this could get very convoluted very quickly. But the main question right now is who wins this match? This is the first time that this particular match is taking place, and it may determine who has the upper hand in the future. Who knows? I have a feeling that Bodhi and Co. have something devious planned for this match, and because they don't feel the need to obey the rules, I'm picking THE DARK ARMY to win.
12 Large: Summit Match - Brodie Lee vs. Vin Gerard
Man, Vin Gerard is gonna have a tough weekend. 3.0 on Saturday, and the Big Rig Brodie Lee on Sunday. I'd like to think he could persevere, but I don't see him standing up to Lee. Yep, another quick description and a win for BRODIE LEE.
Well, that's it for Anniversario Weekend. Thanks for reading, and I'll be back when I can.
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