CHI-KAR-A! CHI-KAR-A!

The CHIKARA show I attended - "Ring of Wax"

I was able to cross another thing off my "bucket list" on Saturday August 18th. That's the day I traveled up to Indianapolis to see my first live CHIKARA show. I went, despite only knowing a few of the on-going story lines and there being only a few matches that featured people I wanted to see.

I was NOT disappointed. Not in the slightest. I loved it. From top to bottom, every match was great to fantastic, there was a ton of positive energy in the building, and there has rarely been a wrestling show that has made me laugh and smile so much as CHIKARA did. It's not often you see a promotion that successfully mixes a child-friendly atmosphere with adult story lines, but CHIKARA has done just that. At this particular show, I saw the Batiri frighten children, "The Kentucky Gentleman" Chuck Taylor get mad at kids taunting him, but also saw Mike Quackenbush snap on 17, hitting several Quackendrivers on him causing the match to be thrown out for excessive violence. I also saw some...unique maneuvering by Harlem Bravado on Eddie Kingston that was a bit sexual. (Not that I was complaining - I found Harlem to be particularly easy on the eyes.) So although it was geared towards children, the show was by and large not cartoony or unenjoyable for adults. It was a great mix.

The experience was made even better by the company of two friends who had driven from Wisconsin and Chicago respectively, Ayzali and Chris. They filled me in when I had questions and in some cases helped me overcome my shyness to meet a few of the wrestlers. (When I say "helped" I mean "literally pushed" *cough*AYZALI*cough*) Wrestling is always better when shared in the company of friends, and I'm so glad they made the trip!

I'm not going to give an official review of "Ring of Wax", and instead give overall thoughts on some of the wrestlers, the matches and my experience.

I arrived right at 7, when the show was scheduled to start, but fortunately for me it didn't start right at 7. As a consequence I didn't get to buy any merch beforehand but I knew at some point they would have a brief intermission so I wasn't fussed. The first match was The Batiri (Obariyon, Kodama and Kobald) versus the Swarm (deviANT and combatANT) and Soldier Ant. I'm not sure why Soldier was teaming (he did have a piece of tape around his arm that said P.O.W.) with the Swarm but he did his best to win. Unfortunately the lack of team work undid them but it was a fast paced match that set the tone right off the bat. He refused to follow any of their orders, yelling "Sir, no sir!" several times, and the crowd chanted "P.O.W! P.O.W!" - it was great fun! At the end, Soldier stood alone and smartly saluted the crowd.

Saturyne and I.

The second match featured one of the people I'd most wanted to see in person - Saturyne. She wrestled Tim Donst in a match that she almost won with the CHIKARA Special, but his strength was too much. However, despite being relatively new from the Wrestle Factory where CHIKARA trains people, she looked amazing! Her speed, creative moves, and energy got the crowd behind her and she was fantastic to watch. I don't know who is under the mask, if it's someone already established or someone in their rookie year (and I don't want to know! There's so little mystery left in wrestling!), but she has impressed in her matches so far. Here's hoping she continues to grow and improve.

Oh and Tim Donst is a jerk.

The third had yet another person I'd wanted to see - The Mysterious and Handsome Stranger. No one knows much about him, except that he's tall, a cowboy, handsome and very mysterious. He's also very athletic, wrestling and beating one half of the Bravado Brothers, Lancelot. There was an old fashioned gun draw, horse back riding (with Lance playing the part of the horse), a lasso and a pigeon! There was also great wrestling, of course, with the Stranger continuing his winning streak. Lancelot learned to never mess with a man's pigeon.

I'd never seen the Bravado Brothers before, period, and both of them were impressive. Consider me part of the Bravado Bandwagon. I'd see Harlem later.

17 and the Shard wrestled Mike Quackenbush and Jigsaw. This was another that I wasn't sure of the back story, except that the former two are part of GEKIDO, and hence the rudos. I never expected to see Quack snap though, which he did, driving 17 repeatedly into the mat with his version of a driver. Jigsaw was highly upset with his partner - leaves me wondering what will happen with Quack, if GEKIDO has some sort of plan to get underneath his skin. Again, fantastic match, and it was a pleasure to finally see Mike Quackenbush in person. He is phenomenal.

Darin Corbin and Arik Cannon I had heard of from their work in ACW and St. Louis Anarchy but, again, not seen them before. They wrestled the Spectral Envoy, consisting of Hallowicked and UltraMantis Black. This match was completely awesome - not only are all 4 great wrestlers but it had one of the BEST spots I'd ever seen. Somehow Arik slowed down time and all of them wrestled in slow motion.

You read that right. Slow. Motion. Wrestling. YAY. It was awesome and they really did move in slow motion, even moves I didn't think they'd be able to (due to gravity). The crowd started a "This is awesome" chant...in slow motion. Chris told me they did a similar spot on Friday's show that lasted for five minutes. This one didn't last as long but it was fantastic. All four shook hands afterwards, which personally I like as a fan. It's the little things.

I think at this point we took the intermission. It was either before or after this match. I was chatting with Chris and Ayzali when someone caught my eye. My jaw dropped as I watched this person stride across the room towards a table that had been set up, casting a dismissive glare at someone who dared tried to razz them.

It was Mr. Touchdown's main squeeze, the vicious, devastating, beautiful Veronica. Tall, breath taking, she owned the entire room as she strode across it. And I knew she was tall but her legs rival Stacy Keibler's. Seriously. Apparently I zoned out to the point that only the flash of Ayzali's camera broke through. She claimed my expression was so funny that she had to take a picture. They urged me to go talk to her, sometimes she gracious enough to talk to fans. I had my doubts. Here I was, a shy, awkward nerd of the type that Mr. Touchdown frequently expressed contempt for. How could I dare approach someone on a higher social level? How could I dare step foot into the shadow of greatness that was the majorette, the mistress of the baton? I couldn't!

Instead, I contented myself with purchasing a Saturyne mask and getting to take a photo with her. She was very kind, accepting my compliments on her work. I also witnessed Ophidian elbow drop a Sugar Dunkerton sticker that a cute little girl had given him - an action Sugar didn't take kindly to. He fell to the floor by the sticker, yelling, "I will avenge you!" Confronting the serpent, the Egyptian creature slithered away before he could be trounced. Sugar consoled the poor girl by taking a picture with her and the freshly restored sticker. A happy ending for everyone!

Chris was sweet enough to buy me the CHIKARA DVD that featured Satomura vs. Sara Del Rey, although he had an ulterior motive. I was keeping busy by looking through all the wares for sale (in the process almost making a horrible blunder - before purchasing the Saturyne mask I almost asked a tall gentleman behind the counter how much it was...I began, "How much is.." and stopped short. The handsome man wasn't a regular CHIKARA crew member. It was the Kentucky Gentleman, Chuck Taylor. I switched gears in mid-sentence and recovered by finishing, "your t-shirt?" He answered me and when he turned to another fan I retreated. Dear Lord. I could've just melted into the carpet. I was so embarrassed, and I'm pretty sure neither Chris nor Ayzali will let me live this down anytime soon...), and my desire to find and buy that DVD was another roadblock keeping me from approaching Veronica. With that hurdle cleared thanks to Chris, I had no other reasonable excuse to not talk to her. At some point, shyness stopped being a reasonable excuse. Ayzali finally pushed me into approaching her.

She greeted me with a dazzling smile. And what do I do? Blurt out a hello and the first thing I was thinking, "You're beautiful!" The lovely majorette smiled and thanked me.

Cue awkward silence.

Thank GOD for Ayzali! She asked for an autographed picture of Veronica, and offered to buy one for me as well. As she was writing out the autograph for me, she asked, "Do I follow you on Twitter..?" I said that yes, she did and I was PocketVolcano. She looked up, her eyes wide and said she had thought she recognized me but wasn't sure. I told her that I had seen her room mate, Sammy, at Girls Night Out 7 two weeks ago and asked her to pass along a hello for me. Veronica said she remembered, and that for once her friend hadn't forgotten to pass a message to her. Room mates can be hard to live with, and Sammy's exploits when Veronica was away could get quite out of hand. She told us that she had warned Sammy she better not return to find a mess made by her pet squirrel. Somehow, I think that warning may have gone unheeded...

Nonetheless, by this time intermission was wrapping up and she had to get to the back to help Mr. Touchdown prepare for the Young Lions Cup final. She thanked me again and to my delight gave me a hug. Fairly certain I floated back to my chair. It turns out Veronica is one of those rare breeds: a lady on the upper social level who extends her hand to a select few on the nerd level. My only regret is that I neglected to ask for a picture with her, but the memory is enough.

The first bout back from intermission was a non-title match between the CHIKARA Grand Champion Eddie Kingston and the other half of the Bravado Brothers, Harlem. Harlem looks to be as tall as Lancelot, but with nice blonde hair, a cute face and great build. In other words, VERY easy on the eyes. Most fans probably did not expect him to be much of a match for Eddie, but he put up a good fight, going down to a Backfist to the Future. During the match, someone from the crowd yelled something to Kingston, who asked him to repeat it. I couldn't make it out but it appeared the person in question either used to work for Kingston, or with him, as a manager in a convenience store I believe. The words "grilled cheese" were thrown out...which started a "grilled cheese" chant from the crowd. As you do. There was also a "we'll say anything" chant, and a "YES" chant (which thoroughly annoyed Chris and Ayzali, but I took part in with gusto). A few times Harlem grinned as if he couldn't help himself, which was very cute.

After the match, I tweeted "Hey Harlem Bravado! I just met you - and this is crazy - but here's my number, so call me maybe?" minus his Twitter handle. I didn't follow him at the time (as I'd heard of him but not seen his work until that night), and he didn't follow me either. Yet not even an hour later both Lance and Harlem had re-tweeted my tweet. I wasn't sure whether to be embarrassed or amused - I wound up being both. No matter!

The match following Kingston/Harlem was an eight man tag team match. Due to a sudden death in the family, Johnny Gargano wasn't able to make it to the shows, so he had to be replaced. (So sorry for your loss Johnny!) We saw the Colony (Fire Ant & Green Ant) teaming with 3.0 (Scott Parker and Shane Matthews) to face the other two members of F.I.S.T. Icarus & the Kentucky Gentleman Chuck Taylor, plus the replacement Ophidian and...Sugar Dunkerton? This confused me, as Sugar isn't a rudo like the others. However, it made for a fantastically fun match!

There was dancing, shenanigans, TWO Green Ants and a grenade that Shane Matthews heroically swallowed - then had to immediately run to the restroom! He was gone for a good 10 minutes, fortunately his stomach didn't explode. I can safely say that Icarus has the ugliest yet most fascinating back tattoo I've ever seen. He also looks like a jerk. One wonders if he realizes what happened to Icarus in Greek mythology. Certainly doesn't bode well for him. (A friend told me while I was writing this that he got the tattoo AFTER he took the name. Major respect, that's dedication!) I'd been a fan of Sugar Dunkerton's before but now safe to say I'm a fan for life. His energy and passion are incredible. This match, like the others, was pure fun.

The main event, however, started out with some silliness, but soon turned intense. The Young Lions Cup is a prestigious cup, given to the winner of a tournament in CHIKARA. This year it came down to two newcomers to the promotion: Mr. Touchdown and ACH. I knew of ACH from Anarchy Championship Wrestling, but had only seen one match featuring him and that was a multiple man tag team match. As a result I only got a taste of what he was capable of. Given all the hype, however, I was excited. Touchdown I had seen at the last iPPV for the first time, tagging with Dasher Hatfield against Mixed Martial Archie and Colt Cabana.

Chants for ACH highly irritate Veronica & Touchdown.

Honestly? Words cannot describe how utterly awesome this match was. Every time I thought one of them had the pin, the other would kick out. They took each other to the absolute limit. It was fantastic. Dasher at one point, when TD was trying to cheat, interrupted and ordered him to do this by the book. Think of Dasher as the little angel on TD's shoulder - and Veronica being the little devil on the other. But after trying to distract the ref, Dasher took matters - and Veronica herself! - into his hands. Literally. He put poor Veronica into a nearby trash can! It was awful! A lady like her being not only forcibly ejected but then sullied by being placed into a receptacle for disposable waste! The nerve of Mr. Hatfield! The shame of it all!

Despite this gross, heinous act, Touchdown ultimately got the pin, the cup and the girl. He left Dasher in the cold, exulting in his victory. Both combatants got a standing ovation, and ACH got his name chanted as he exited last. As Gavin re-entered the ring to thank the crowd for coming, we all chanted, "Please come back! Please come back!" I sincerely hope CHIKARA does. Afterwards, some of the roster came out again to sell merch, take photos and talk with the fans. The Colony were so good with the kids! Outside the doors, near the steps that took you down to the exit, Soldier Ant was saluting everyone, Sugar was shaking hands and the man himself, Mike Quackenbush was greeting and thanking fans for coming. Chris said he rarely comes out after a show, but since it was a debut in a new city, he wanted to show his appreciation. I was the last one lucky enough to get a photo with him and to thank him for helping create CHIKARA.

Upon exiting the building, the three of us went to a local place and had (soft) drinks and chatted about the show. I wound up not leaving Indianapolis until 1 a.m.-ish - and after dropping Ayzali and Chris off at their car, I promptly got lost downtown. Despite using a GPS. Fail! I didn't get home until 3 a.m.

Overall impressions: I loved it. Every match was awesome, I could tell everyone was putting all they had into the show. They wanted to make their Indianapolis debut spectacular and they fully succeeded to me. It wasn't overly cartoonish, there was appeal for both kids and adults, and there was amazing wrestling. What I particularly noticed was something that Ayzali pointed out later - the positive energy. I could feel it grow as the show went on, there was a spectacular vibe reverberating between the crowd and the wrestlers. It was as if we were all feeding off one another and sharing it. You really could not help but get into things - the chanting, the cheering, the mayhem. It was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. Sure, SHIMMER has fun moments during various matches, but what I felt with CHIKARA was different. It was light-hearted, fun and...I want to say didn't take itself too seriously, but that seems wrong. Everyone took their matches and characters seriously. But at the same time, everyone just had fun.

'Lightning' Mike Quackenbush and I.

CHIKARA is good, plain fun.

On a roster of so much talent, I want to single out a few. Everyone deserves praise and recognition, absolutely, but this post is long enough! I've always thought that, being one of the people to help create CHIKARA, Mike Quackenbush is the spirit of the promotion. His drive, energy and passion for wrestling keep it going, and it also pushes him to constantly think up new twists and turns. I've heard great things about their training program, and with Quack at the helm, it's safe to say the students there are in good hands. Honorable, intelligent, progressive and forward thinking, he has created something unique and wonderful with CHIKARA - and I thank him for that.

Sugar Dunkerton.

If Quackenbush is the spirit of CHIKARA, then Sugar Dunkerton is it's heart. I have followed him on Twitter for awhile now, and after seeing him in person, he is one of the most positive people I have ever seen. He has a ton of energy that poured out of him all throughout the show, he was constantly cracking jokes and smiling. It was amazing. He had had an injury that kept him out for awhile this year, but he looks to be back and even better than before. He, too, has a drive and love for wrestling that keeps him motivated. I have honestly never seen him tweet a negative thought. I hope he stays in wrestling for a good long time - in a business that can be really ugly, Sugar D shines as one of it's brightest people.

The Colony are not only great wrestlers, but unique characters as well. I admit, when I first started watching CHIKARA, I was skeptical about giant ants. But they are some of the backbones of the place, combining character with skill with charisma - proving that masks sometimes are a help and not a hindrance. The kids simply loved them, there were so many wearing their masks and cheering them on, it was adorable. Soldier Ant in particular was hilarious, but it was a really nice touch to have him saluting as everyone left.

ACH - Attitude. Charisma. Heart. Bank on it. This man is the complete and total package. Watch his stuff, it speaks volumes. I seriously cannot do the man justice with any words.

If CHIKARA comes anywhere near Louisville, or to the city itself, I will do my utmost best to attend the show. It is worth the drive to experience this and I HIGHLY recommend if they come near you to go. It's an unbelievable experience that, personally, helped remind me of the good that is in professional wrestling. CHIKARA is worth supporting, so go to the shows and buy the DVDs! I promise, you won't regret it.

Thank you for an amazing time. HUGE thank you to Chris and Ayzali for being there, it made the experience 10 times better!

CHI-KAR-A! CHI-KAR-A!