Well, folks, it's time for my very first non-WWE picks episode! And what better promotion to kick things off than what I believe to be the best wrestling promotion in the world today, CHIKARA! Even though I've only been watching CHIKARA for about nine months, I've been absolutely hooked to the product. Their storylines are excellent, the pacing is fantastic, and the characters are a thousand times more memorable than just about every other promotion out there. Last season ended with a bang, as Mike Quackenbush and Jigsaw finally dethroned the Bruderschaft des Kreuzes (Ares and Claudio Castagnoli) from the top of the mountain. But the BDK isn't finished just yet. And what to make of Sinn Bodhi, the new player in this ever-growing feud between CHIKARA and the BDK? A lot of stories are coming to a head, and we're only at the first show of the year! It's a stacked card, with eight matches, all of which look great on paper. Let's take a look at them, shall we?
The Osirian Portal (Amasis and Ophidian) and Jonathan Gresham vs. F.I.S.T. (Icarus, Chuck Taylor, and Johnny Gargano)
In the wake of Quackenbush and Jigsaw winning the Campeonatos de Parejas, I completely forgot about Gresham's debut match at Reality is Relative. Gresham is a kid with tremendous talent and limitless potential, and having been aligned with the Osirian Portal, he's got a couple of great mentors. If you've been following CHIKARA's official Youtube page (and if you haven't, go flagellate yourself and then subscribe to their channel), you'll see Gresham being taught the ways of the Egyptian. And he's set to re-debut on Sunday against probably the most prominent trio in wrestling today, F.I.S.T., who gained a new member just recently. "The Whole Shebang" Johnny Gargano was initiated into the group after Gran Akuma, their former third member, was unceremoniously discarded from the group. Gargano has proved to be a great fit for F.I.S.T., as they've looked as dominant as ever. But will they keep their roll going against the Portal and Gresham? It's tough to say. On the one hand, F.I.S.T. is the first team to have qualified for the 2011 King of Trios tournament, and they need as much momentum as possible after losing in the quarterfinals to Team Osaka Pro last year. On the other hand, Jonathan Gresham needs some push as one of the new faces of CHIKARA, and the Portal probably wants to qualify for the King of Trios tournament as well. I'm going to pick F.I.S.T. to win this match, as I'm a little worried that Gresham's re-debut will cause problems between him and the Portal. F.I.S.T. will take its first step towards looking like a strong contender for the King of Trios crown.
Madison Eagles vs. Daizee Haze
2010 was a good year for Daizee Haze. She joined the BDK, ran roughshod over the CHIKARA roster, and, along with Sara Del Ray, prevented quite a few capable tag teams from reaching the three points necessary to challenge for the Campeonatos de Parejas (that's Tag Team Championships for the uninitiated). However, the year ended rather abruptly for Haze, as she was (I believe) legitimately injured in her match against the Colony at Reality is Relative. I think she might have gotten her nose broken or something. All I know is the match ended a lot sooner than it should have. As for Madison Eagles, all I know is that she is the current SHIMMER champion and has been since April. Eagles is 6'1", so she'll be towering over Haze. But Haze has never backed down from a fight against larger opponents, and she's taken on some incredible talent as well, including a great match with Manami Toyota at Eye to Eye. A lot of "outside" talent has had a tough time winning against CHIKARA's main roster, but I think this will not be the case. Madison Eagles will get the victory, though it's going to be a hard-fought one.
Incoherence (Hallowicked and Frightmare) vs. The Batiri (Obariyon and Kodama)
Something that many loyal CHIKARA followers never thought would happen happened at Reality is Relative: Hallowicked seemed to put aside his long-standing feud with UltraMantis Black in order to help Mantis against Sinn Bodhi and the Batiri. Whether or not this alliance lasts is yet to be seen. Obariyon and Kodama are on a roll to say the least, as they have already racked up two points, and need just one more victory in order to challenge for the Campeonatos de Parejas. These are two strange teams when you think about it. Hallowicked and Frightmare communicate in gibberish (at least it's gibberish to the average person), and I don't think Obariyon and Kodama speak at all. But the Batiri have tons of potential in the ring, and with a leader like Sinn Bodhi, they've got everything going their way. On the flip side, it's been a while since we've seen Incoherence team up...well, actually, more like three months. But that's still a while when you're running one or two shows a month. When it comes to this match, I think the Batiri's wave of momentum will be too much for the first Young Lion's Cup Champion and the Current Young Lion's Cup Champion to overcome. I'm picking The Batiri to win and pick up their third point, making them eligible to challenge for the Tag Team Titles.
Da Soul Touchaz (Marshe Rockett, Acid Jaz, and Willie Richardson) vs. The BDK (Sara Del Rey, Lince Dorado, and Tursas)
Only one team had the BDK's number throughout 2010, and that was Da Soul Touchaz. But everything came to a screeching halt at Scornucopia, when the BDK destroyed the manager and valet of DST, C. Red and Dymond. Dymond was piledriven onto the mat by Del Ray, and Red was crushed by a Tursas second-rope splash. It was a horrible sight, indeed, and it put a damper on an otherwise excellent show. Now, it's three months later, Da Soul Touchaz are without their emotional support, and they're mad as hell. The BDK is by no means finished, and this match may prove to us that they're still the dominant force in CHIKARA. While a lot of the mystique surrounding Tursas is gone now that Eddie Kingston became the first person to take Tursas off his feet (twice), you still cannot deny that Tursas is the most destructive force in CHIKARA today. But I'd put Willie Richardson right in the same boat. These teams match up extremely well: Marshe Rockett with Lince Dorado, Acid Jaz with Sara Del Ray, and Willie Richardson with Tursas. When it comes right down to it, I think the anger of Da Soul Touchaz will cost them the match. As wrong as it feels to say this, I'm picking the BDK to win, though it may be by disqualification. Should be an intense match.
UltraMantis Black vs. Sinn Bodhi
There's so much history between these two, it's going to be difficult to summarize it. In fact, I think UltraMantis himself would provide a better explanation than anything I can provide. Go ahead and read that to get some background on this feud. With that much of a build-up, I think it's safe to say that this is merely the beginning of a long feud. Mantis is a seasoned veteran of the CHIKARA ring, while Bodhi will be working in his first CHIKARA match. Perhaps we'll get to see what Bodhi can do in the ring, seeing as how he never got a chance in a WWE ring as he was saddled with the remarkably awful Kizarny gimmick. It still pops up during promos, but you can actually understand what he's saying now. Anyway, this should be a pretty brutal match, and I honestly can't see Mantis picking up the victory here. Sinn Bodhi wins his first match in CHIKARA, and keeps his stable's momentum going.
The Throwbacks vs. The Roughnecks
It's good to see both of these teams back together. Sugar Dunkerton and Dasher Hatfield felt like lost souls when they were apart, and it feels so right now that they're back together. On the other side, Grizzly Redwood and Brodie Lee just look like they belong together. Last month, the Throwbacks got some revenge on the Roughnecks, but this feud is far from over. Hatfield and Dunkerton need momentum towards the King of Trios tournament (could a reunion with Matt Classic be on the horizon?), as do the Roughnecks (though I doubt they'll be teaming with Eddie Kingston any time soon). I have a feeling these teams will be trading victories up till the King of Trios and well past it as well. So who wins this match? Well, since the Throwbacks won in December, I'll bet the Roughnecks win this month.
I just realized that I'm picking an awful lot of heels to win their matches. Guess it's just one of those months...
Eddie Kingston vs. El Generico
Kingston is coming off a banner year, and Generico is coming off what many believe could have been the biggest match of his career. I chronicled Kingston's year in my awards episode last month, and Generico sent Kevin Steen packing from ROH after their bout at Final Battle 2010 (which I still need to see, since I'll be watching ROH this year for the first time). As this is their first match against each other, they don't really have any history. But I can say one thing's for sure: this match is going to be awesome, and I'd love to see El Generico in CHIKARA on even a semi-regular basis. However, I think this match is going to go to Eddie Kingston. He's just on too much of a roll to pick against him. Though I wouldn't be surprised if the BDK interferes and costs him the match. So it's really a toss-up. But I'll still go with Kingston.
"Lightning" Mike Quackenbush and Jigsaw (c's) and The Colony (Soldier Ant and Fire Ant) vs. the Bruderschaft des Kreuzes (Ares, Claudio Castagnoli, Tim Donst, and Delirious)
This match has plenty of criss-crossing storylines. Quack and Jig won the Campeonatos de Parejas from Ares and Claudio, while The Colony lost to the BDK in the finals of the 2010 King of Trios. I would love this match to be an elimination-style match, but I don't believe it is. Alas...anyway, this will likely be the most chaotic match of the night, especially if Derek Sabato, the BDK's personal referee, calls the match. You can bet that Ares and Claudio want a shot at the Tag Team Titles as soon as possible, but they'll have to get some regular tag team wins under their belts before challenging for...the belts...yeah. Expect a lot of high-flying, death-defying maneuvers, as well as a lot of technical wrestling and some serious bad blood. This should be a real barn-burner of a match. But when the dust clears, who will be the victor? That's a tough call. Quack and Jig are riding high after they became the Campeones de Parejas, and The Colony will soon be whole once again once Green Ant is cleared to wrestle, and both teams could in theory form strong trios for the King of Trios tournament. The BDK may have something to say about that, however, as the reigning Kings. I think this may be another step in the right direction for CHIKARA. The BDK is on unstable ground, and they're teetering on the brink of collapse. One match alone won't push them over the edge, but a match like this will certainly hamper their hopes of staying the most dominant force in CHIKARA. I'll pick Quack, Jig, and The Colony to win this match, possibly with some outside interference from Eddie Kingston. I really want to see Kingston vs. Castagnoli.
So there you have it: my first CHIKARA picks episode. I hope you had as much fun reading it as I had writing it. Unfortunately, I won't be doing a review/results episode until the DVD comes out, which usually isn't for a week or two after the show, so keep an eye out for that. I'll also be making my major announcement very soon, so stay tuned for that as well. Until next time, this is Rantables, the rantinest, ravinest rasslin' blog on the interwebs!
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