CHIKARA King of Trios 2011 Night Three (4/17/11)

CHIKARA King of Trios 2011 Night Three
April 17th, 2011
Asylum Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 700+

After two nights of great wrestling and comedy, it's time to crown the winners of the 2011 King of Trios tournament. Tonight we have the semi-finals of The Colony vs. The Osirian Portal and Team Michinoku Pro vs. FIST with the winners facing off in the finals in our main event. Also tonight we have the finals of the mini singles tournament of the Rey de Voladores as two different generations of high-flyers face off in El Generico and the 1-2-3 Kid.


Your hosts are Bryce Remsburg, Gavin Loudspeaker, Ultramantis Black, Leonard F. CHIKARAsan, and many others.


King of Trios 2011 Semi-Finals Match
The Colony (Fire Ant/Soldier Ant/Green Ant) vs. The Osirian Portal (Amasis/Ophidian/Hieracon)

Good choice for the opener as these are two teams of beloved babyface veterans in CHIKARA. Green Ant and Ophidian start us off with some basic hold exchanges before Amasis and Soldier Ant tag in to do the same. Fire Ant and Hieracon are next in the conga line of hold exchanges, which Hieracon gets the better of and tags Ophidian in. Fire Ant takes a headscissors and both men nip back up. The Portal blocks the Ant catapult attempt by the Colony, but they end up triple-teaming Ophidian anyways. Ophidian wipes out Soldier and Fire ant on the floor with a suicide dive, giving the Portal a chance to triple team Ophidian for a two count. Tag rules are already out the window as both teams exchange unique double and triple team combinations for a series of close near falls. Ophidian and Amasis take out Fire and Green Ant with a pair of stereo cross-bodies on the floor while Soldier Ant gets a two count inside the ring on Hieracon and then locks him into the CHIKARA special briefly. The Lightning Spiral gets Ant another two count. Green Ant slams both Hieracon and Ophidian at the same time, playing off of his body-slamming antics from the night before. Green and Fire Ant take out Amsis and Ophidian with stereo pescados to the floor as Hieracon counters a TKO into a DDT on Soldier Ant. Shooting star press from Hieracon, but Soldier Ant kicks out much to the crowd's shock. They jockey for position on the top rope and then Soldier Ant delivers a TKO off the top rope (holy shit!) to put away Hieracon and send The Colony to the finals at 16:01. This was exactly what you'd expect from these six, and I mean that in the best way possible. Signature trios action from CHIKARA here with two of their best teams, and the last five minutes or so was just wall-to-wall action. ***¼


After the match the Portal tell the Colony that it's all up to them to win the tournament now for CHIKARA.


F.I.S.T. (Chuck Taylor/Johnny Gargano/Icarus) vs. Team Michinoku Pro (Great Sasuke/Dick Togo/Jinsei Shinzaki)

This could wind up an historical match if Michinoku Pro loses, as that would make this the last match Dick Togo ever wrestles in the United States with his retirement on the horizon in the coming months. Taylor and Togo start us off with Taylor totally disrespecting the veterans and getting sent to the floor for it. Shinzaki and Gargano tag in and Shinzaki gets the better of him as well, ducking a lariat and responding with a stiff superkick and his signature rope-walking spot. Mean Mark wishes he could do that spot as well as Shinzaki. Icarus, being the typical dipshit heel he is, stalls for a bit to take off his jacket and then locks up with Sasuke. I'm not the biggest Icarus fan but he knows how to heel it up well. Sasuke locks on a reverse sharpshooter and then tags Togo back in, who comes in with a signature slingshot hilo. Shinzaki gets in on the Icarus bashing next, standing upside down on the top turnbuckle and then using all of that force for a nasty double-stomp, followed by a Vader bomb. Gargano and Taylor have had enough though and triple-team Sasuke and this crowd is all over FIST's case so far in this contest. Gargano beats down on Sasuke for in a heat sequence until Sasuke gets the hot tag to Shinzaki, who cleans house. Gargano hits him with a slingshot spear for a two count though. Flying shoulder-block off the top gets Shinzaki a two count of his own and tag rules go out the window as usual. Togo counters a cradle with the crossface briefly, but Taylor fights out of it and slams him. Superkicks and lariats start flying and suddenly all six men are wiped out on the mat in a great sequence. The M-Pro boys all deliver simultaneous sunset flips for a triple two count and then they all hit the floor, except for Sasuke who comes off the top with a swanton bomb, wiping everybody out again. Icarus tries for his finisher (a pedigree called the "Wings of Icarus") but Togo counters with a back body drop and then delivers his own pedigree to Icarus, which the announcers freak out about since it's Icarus's finisher. But here's the thing; it's also been one of Togo's finishers for over a decade, which they don't seem to realize. Gargano takes Togo off the top with a steel chair behind the refs back and then Sasuke finally succeeds in delivering the Swanton bomb to someone sitting in a chair after trying and missing that move the two previous nights. Taylor throws a hand full of powder into Sasuke's eyes though (still behind the ref's back) and Icarus rolls Sasuke up with a small package to steal the pin at 16:13. Another fun outing from the M-Pro guys and a match that managed to still let them show off in a losing effort. The finish gives FIST even more heat too, so no complaints there either. ***


Backstage Ultimate Spider Jr. cuts a promo in Japanese, which still manages to sound amusing.


Jigsaw vs. Ultimate Spider Jr.

No special stips or titles here, just an exhibition. They trade backslide attempts to start and then trade armdrags. A spinning heel kick sends Jigsaw to the apron, but he sends Spider to the outside with a missile dropkick and then takes him out the tope suicida on the floor. Keep in mind Spider is yelling at Jigsaw in broken English throughout all of this. Spider shows off his aerial prowess next with a swanton bomb to the floor that nearly destroys him on a guard-rail. A cross-body block back inside gets Spider two, and Jigsaw answers with an elevated DDT from the top rope for a near fall of his own. Falcon Arrow gets Spider another two, so Jigsaw responds with a torture rack bomb. He feeds Spider a superkick, gives him a brainbuster, and then finishers him off with a double-stomp off the top at 7:51. Too short to really get a good groove going, but this was certainly fun while it lasted. **½


10 Team Gauntlet Match
Acid Jaz/Willie Richardson vs. Arik Cannon/Darin Corbin

Another match without any special stips or titles at stake, this is mainly just a way for them to use wrestlers who's teams had already been eliminated from the tournament on the third night. Jaz and Cannon feel each other out with your basic hold exchanges. Big Willie overpowers Cannon and hits a leg lariat for two. Jaz takes out Cannon on the floor with a pescado while Corbin unsuccessfully tries to superplex Willie, who counters with a top rope inverted atomic drop. Both men go into slow-motion for a moment but Willie gets sick of it quickly and spears him out of the ring. Willie goes back into slo-mo mode, but Cannon rolls him up for the full-speed pin at 5:36. *½

Arik Cannon/Darin Corbin vs. Obariyon/Kodama

The Batiri hit the ring immediately, so no rest periods or anything. They quickly take out Cannon and begin to isolate Corbin immediately in the corner. Slingshot hurricanrana and a big boot get a near fall on Corbin. He eventually manages to get the lukewarm tag to Cannon, who powerbombs Kodama into the corner and lariats him for two. Cannon then grabs Obariyon and sends him into the corner as well with a leg cradle suplex! Stiff slap and kick to the face of Obariyon and then Total Anarchy from Cannon, but he gets his foot on the rope. Cannon misses the Glimmering Warlock and eats a reverse hurricanrana. Corbin no-sells a lungblower but eats a top-rope DDT from Obariyon to eliminate his team at 13:34. **

Obariyon/Kodama vs. Dasher Hatfield/Sugar Dunkerton

The Throwbacks are the next team out and they immediately lay punches into the Batiri in the corner. Huge dragon suplex from Hatfield only gets two. Obariyon low blows Hatfield in full view of the ref though and he DQs them, allowing the Throwbacks to advance at 14:16. ¼*

Dasher Hatfield/Sugar Dunkerton vs. Sara Del Rey/Daizee Haze

Great to see the women of the BDK get a chance to wrestle tonight. Del Rey immediately delivers the Royal Butterfly to Hatfield and pins him to advance at 15:18. ¼*

Sara Del Rey/Daizee Haze vs. Darkness Crabtree/Matt Classic

Classic is Colt Cabana under a mask while Crabtree is Mike Quackenbush, and the crowd knows this and explodes upon seeing Crabtree in particular. Classic wants to warm up with Crabtree but he can't hack it because he's so old. This is basically nothing but comedy from Crabtree and Classic, but lord is it funny comedy. Classic chews out Crabtree and the ladies aren't sure what to make of their opponents. Del Rey and Haze try several times to take Classic down but he applies a double-claw to them instead. Daizee sneaks up behind Crabtree and gives him a bridging German suplex for the win at 20:43. ¾*

Sara Del Rey/Daizee Haze vs. Brodie Lee/Grizzly Redwood

The Roughnecks are out next and Del Rey quickly takes out Brodie on the floor with a somersault senton while Daizee chops the hell out of Grizzly inside. I love that they're being treated as equals to the men here. Redwood tries overpowering out of an armbar, but Del Rey dropkicks him back down into a cradle for a two. Powerslam by Del Rey and she just tosses Daizee onto him for another two. Brodie pulls out Del Rey and slams her into the guardrail and then slams Daizee back inside the ring. Brodie misses a big boot and Del Rey begins to kick the hell out of Grizzly, but Brodie hits her with a sidewalk slam. Somehow Sara still kicks out though.and Daizee is able to deliver a German suplex to Brodie Lee with an assist via superkick by Del Rey! That's crazy considering Lee's size. Redwood rolls up Daizee and uses his feet on the ropes for leverage to advance his team though at 26:32. **½

Brodie Lee/Grizzly Redwood vs. Atsushi Kotoge/Daisuke Harada

The Osaka Pro contingent are out next, but Kotoge immediately eats a big boot from Brodie and then gets dropkicked in the electric chair position for two. Harada escapes a powerbomb attempt and takes out Brodie on the floor with a somersault while Kotoge nails Grizzly with a Yakuza kick and then delivers a C4 suplex off the top to eliminate the Roughnecks at 28:56. *¼

Atsushi Kotoge/Daisuke Harada vs. Shane Matthews/Scott Parker

Kotoge and Harada meet 3.0 with a pair of pescados on the floor. 3.0 take out Harada with a double STO but Kotoge takes them both out with a springboard dropkick. Matthews eats an ace crusher from Kotoge and this whole gauntlet has really flown by at a fast pace so far. 3.0 hits the Sweet Taste of Professionalism on Harada and then a powerbomb gets a close two count on Kotoge. Kotoge rolls up Matthews and gets the 3 count at 32:50. *

Atsushi Kotoge/Daisuke Harada vs. Super Shisa/KAGETORA

The Dragon Gate guys are the final team and a small KAGETORA chant starts up. Kotoge manages to fight off both Shisa and KAGETORA and tags Harada in, who throws him into Shisa like a cannonball. Shisa locks in a unique Indian deathlock/STF variation on Harada while KAGETORA works an armbar on KAGETORA. Enziguri on Kotoge gets a two, so Shisa hits him with a missile dropkick but again he kicks out. Osaka Pro hit a series of fast kicks and pin Shisa at 39:53, though it looks botched. The Osaka Pro boys have earned themselves a shot at the Los Campeonatos de Parejas. Entertaining gauntlet, but these matches never do much for me. *½


Backstage Madison Eagles says she wants to be the best female wrestler in the world, and to do that she has to beat Manami Toyota tonight.


Manami Toyota vs. Madison Eagles

Eagles is an Australian wrestler who recently defeated MsChif for the Shimmer World title, so she's no slouch and we all know (or should know) how respected and talented Toyota is. Both ladies shake hands before the bell. Eagles hits a clothesline early but Toyota responds by tying her up in the ropes and dropkicking her back. Toyota applies a nasty kama gatame submission hold for a bit and then Eagles responds by locking in one of her own. Eagles blocks a double-underhook powerbomb but Toyota just wraps her legs around Eagles with a leg scissors. Eagles counters with a nasty Chinese torture rack submission but Toyota just punches her in the nose in a funny moment. Toyota delivers a pair of missile dropkicks but Eagles kicks out. Eagles baits Toyota into the corner and then lays in a series of vicious kicks, the last of which is just ungodly stiff sounding. A bridging northern lights suplex only gets two for Eagles and she begins to get frustrated, getting caught in the rolling cradle pin from Toyota. Toyota goes to top rope and Eagles gives her a German suplex off the top but Toyota just gets right back up and gives Madison a bridging back suplex for two. A moonsault gets Toyota another two as Quack puts over Toyota's experience being the reason she's able to get back up from that top-rope suplex so quickly. A sick death valley driver neckbreaker gets Madison a near fall of her own, and it seems like nothing will work on Toyota. Manami tries for a brainbuster but doesn't quite get all of it. Both women try for lariats and are out for a five count. Toyota spins and nails Eagles with the Ocean's Cyclone suplex but Eagles somehow kicks out! Toyota delivers the Queen Bee bomb on Eagles and finally that's enough to give Toyota the win at 11:37. Fantastic female wrestling showcase here as Madison Eagles held her own with a legend in the ring and both women wrestled at a frenzied pace for over ten minutes, fitting a lot of stuff into a relatively short match. Fun stuff. ***½


Backstage Eddie Kingston laments about his recent loss to Claudio Castagnoli and tells Akira Tozawa that he respects him, but he plans on defeating him.

Eddie Kingston vs. Akira Tozawa

Tozawa trips on his way out of the curtain in a funny moment. Tentative lock-up to start and Kingston quickly escapes a grapevined ankle lock attempt. They trade stiff chops and Tozawa gets sent to the floor. Kingston tries for a tope but Tozawa kicks him in the face instead. Back inside Kingston gives Akira a nice belly-to-belly suplex and a roaring elbow gets him a two count. Tozawa escapes a unique sleeper and a dropkick sends Kingston to the floor where Tozawa delivers a pair of rapid-fire tope suicidas and a somersault senton to him! Tozawa, as usual, misses the diving headbutt but gets a back senton for two before just dropping Kingston right on his head with a crazy high-angle back-drop suplex. Tozawa misses a bicycle kick and Kingston gives him a bridging trapped-arm German suplex for a two count of his own. Sloppy Northern Lights bomb gets Kingston another near fall and he looks frustrated now so he goes to the top rope. Tozawa gets right back up and takes him down with a big bicycle kick to the face! Tozawa gives him another bicycle kick, this time to the back of the head, and then a huge release German suplex, but Kingston struggles back up to his feet and takes Tozawa inside-out with a lariat. Tozawa elbows the ever loving fuck out of Kingston's head, but Eddie responds with a stiff spinning back-fist and a back-drop driver to finish him off at 12:47. After the match both men bow to each other in a sign of respect. Another fun match, but it could have definitely used a few extra minutes I thought. Stiff, hard fought contest. ***


Rey de Voladores Finals Match
1-2-3 Kid vs. El Generico

This is a dream match in the eyes of many, myself included. This is to be the final match that Waltman ever wrestles under the 1-2-3 Kid moniker, so you can add that real-life drama onto the fact that this is the finals of a mini junior heavyweights tournament as well. Quack joins us on commentary as the Kid shows his veteran skills in the opening seconds, taking Generico down and riding him around in circles amateur style (but still being nice enough to offer him a hand to get back up afterwards). Both men exchange basic wrist holds, and Kid gets the better of Generico once again with a little help from the referee Bryce Remsburg.Kid tries for the Bronco Buster but Generico has it scouted and avoids it. Kid sends Generico to the floor and then follows him out with a tope con hilo! Generico responds by launching Kid crotch-first in mid-air into the steel post! Back inside the ring Generico gets a pair of two counts from it. Generico misses a split-legged moonsault and the Kid applies a vice-grip sleeper. Generico responds with a leg lariat and Kid slides to the apron and looks for a springboard, but Generico boots him in the face with the Yakuza kick, sending Waltman flying into the guardrail! Generico follows it with an absolutely beautiful reverse springboard moonsault for good measure and the crowd is split in fan support. High cross-body back in the ring from Generico, but Kid gets the shoulder up. A huge Blue Thunder Bomb gets Generico another nearfall. Kid counters a hurricanrana attempt with a powerbomb but Generico is right back up. He tries for the top rope brainbuster and Kid attempts to counter it, but slips on the top rope and they land nastily on the mat into a cradle by the Kid for two. Kid hits the X-Factor, but Generico kicks out. Kid crashes and burns with a splash attempt into the corner and then eats a Yakuza kick/brainbuster combo from Generico, but Kid kicks out as well. Generico, getting desperate, pulls out Scott Hall's old Razor's Edge finisher on the Kid, but Waltman reverses into a cradle of his own for a near fall instead. Crowd goes nuts for that sequence. Kid hits another X-Factor and climbs to the top only to deliver a SUPER X-Factor (the move that got him to the finals) to Generico off the top rope, but Generico still somehow kicks out! Kid misses a somersault senton off the top eats another Yakuza kick and this time Generico is able to successfully deliver the top rope brainbuster to win the tournament at 17:47! That was everything I was hoping for and then some. Waltman bumped his ass off like it really was 1995 again and Generico had to use every last trick in his book, even taking a page out of longtime friend/rival Scott Hall's book, to put the Kid away. An early match of the year candidate for the indy scene. ****¼


Waltman presents Generico with the winner's plaque after the match and both men hug in a nice moment. Waltman gets on the mic afterwards and puts over the promotion, the wrestlers, and the fans.


King of Trios 2011 Finals Match
The Colony (Fire Ant/Soldier Ant/Green Ant) vs. F.I.S.T. (Chuck Taylor/Johnny Gargano/Icarus)

This is a big match for the Colony not just because of the obvious reasons with it being the finals of the prestigious King of Trios tournament, but also because The Colony were screwed out of the finals the year before by BDK and a corrupt official. FIST won the King of Trios two years ago, while the Colony have never been able to. Big brawl to start as all six men pair off on the outside and trade big chops. Finally things settle down as FIST work over Soldier Ant in the corner. Soldier Ant gets chopped to the floor so Fire Ant hops in and winds up being triple teamed as well. Icarus even tries to rip off Fire Ant's mask in the ultimate sign of disrespect. Green Ant tags in only to meet the same isolation strategy from FIST and the crowd continues to boo FIST to the high heavens. The crowd rallies behind Green Ant after an extended heat segment and he gets the tag to a rejuvenated Soldier Ant. Both teams trade sequences of triple team moves, but every pinfall attempt gets broken up. Assisted ace crusher from Gargano and Taylor gets a two on Green Ant, who counters with a pescado to Gargano on the floor. Taylor drags a table to ringside and tries for the Awful Waffle on Fire Ant, but he blocks it so Taylor just gives him a piledriver right on the side of the ring apron. Icarus breaks up a pin attempt back in the ring by pulling out the ref and then delivers a death valley driver into the corner on Soldier Ant for another close two count. Icarus drags Green Ant to the apron and gives him the Sliced Bread, taking out Soldier Ant on the floor as well. Gargano launches Soldier Ant into the steel post like a lawn dart while Taylor plants Fire Ant with the Awful Waffle, but Fire Ant gets the shoulder up at two and the crowd EXPLODES! Green Ant slams Gargano on the concrete floor and breaks up a single leg crab from Taylor in the ring. Icarus breaks up a torture rack by Green Ant and just drills him with a big pedigree, but now Green Ant gets the shoulder up and the crowd explodes again! FIST delivers a crazy triple team combo of moves on Green Ant but again he kicks out. Taylor grabs a hand full of powder again and tries to throw it in Soldier Ant's face, but he moves and hits Gargano instead, who blindly superkicks his own teammate. Fire and Soldier Ant deliver stereo TKOs on both men but now it's FIST's turn to kick out at the last possible second. Ant Hill catapult double stomp on Icarus and still Icarus kicks out so Fire and Soldier Ant climb to the second turnbuckle and they launch Green Ant into the air from there with a towering splash onto Icarus which is enough to get the pin and give the Colony the 2011 King of Trios crown at 20:51. The crowd is ecstatic as the Colony finally win the King of Trios, something the fans had been clamoring for since it's inception. The Colony thwarted the same tricks that got FIST to the finals and the crowd was going crazy for some of the near falls down the stretch. An excellent way to finish the tournament. ***¾

Bottom Line: This was my first time watching CHIKARA's King of Trios tournament after hearing so much about it for years, and I can see what all the hype is about now. Tons of great tag team wrestling, an emotional and incredible dream match between El Generico and Sean Waltman and a great woman's match probably make this the best show of the entire weekend, but all three shows are worth looking into. An easy and resounding Thumbs Up for Night 3, as well as the entire weekend.


Score: 8.5/10