Re-Post: CHIKARA Pro - The Great Escape 7/28/2012

Re-Posted from my original blog as I am removing all wrestling references off of it making it a family blog.

So this blog is going up late because I had a busy Sunday and then on Monday I got heat exhaustion and the thought of doing anything after that was daunting.  Hell I'm not to sure I want to do this, this morning but I want to get it posted.

Saturday Night July 28th CHIKARA Pro Wrestling made their debut in Maine with their all star event at the Strive Center in Portland:

In the opening contest Green Ant defeated assailANT with a CHIKARA special: Green

In the Young Lions Cup match Anthony Stone outlasted Kobald, Jivin' Jimmy Capone, & Cameron Matthews to advance in the tournament.

This was an unbelievable spot where Stone ran across Matthews and Capone then hit Kobald with tornado DDT!!

Ophidian and his snake style wrestling defeated Frightmare with the Cobra Clutch Death Grip

Next up Icarus was upset by the newcomer The Mysterious And Handsome Stranger with a flying leg drop.  (Archibald Peck doing the loser leaves town come back under a mask as someone else gimmick) Hilarious "We don't know you" chant by the crowd.

Trios Action: Gran Akuma & 3.0: Scott "Jagged" Parker & Shane Matthews defeated Soldier Ant, combatANT, & deviANT when Parker pinned deviANT after Sweet Taste o' Professionalism

The Batiri: Obariyon & Kodama defeated Tim Donst & Jakob Hammermeier when Donst was pinned after a flying DDT.

Sugar Dunkerton pinned the Shard with a school boy

ATOMICO: "Lightning" Mike Quackenbush, Jigsaw, Hallowicked, & Ultra Mantis Black defeated CHIKARA Campeonatos de Parejas: The Young Bucks: Matt & Nick Jackson & The Heartthrobs: "The Promise" Antonio Thomas & Romeo Roselli when Hallowicked pinned Thomas after a Go To Sleepy Hallow.

Main Event: CHIKARA Grand Champion: Eddie Kingston pinned "The Queen of Wrestling" Sara Del Rey with American D in an unbelievable and emotional match.

This was one of the best wrestling shows I have ever been to!  From the get go, walking through the parking lot I saw so many out of state plates that were not the workers but fans that Follow CHIKARA around where ever they may go.  The guy sitting next to my buddy Alex he and his girlfriend drove up from New York.  I need to find me a woman like that!

The match of the night was no doubt the main event!  The crowd wanted Sara to win so bad it was unreal.  When Kingston secured the 3 count he was met with a chorus of Boo's that turned to cheers and a standing ovation showing respect for the match he and Sara had just put on for us.  I actually found myself getting a bit emotional and teary eyed which has never happened to me at a wrestling show before.

Also making appearances but not competing was Delirious who came out during two matches and Saturyne who did free photos in the ring during intermission.

I cannot say enough positive about this event, from the all the great matches, how the wrestlers interacted with the fans during intermission and before the show.  And then, in something I have NEVER seen a receiving line of sorts as the wrestlers lined both sides of the exits to thanks the fans for coming.  It's no wonder CHIKARA has such a loyal fan base that literally follows them wherever they go!  I went to JoshiaMania in Everette, MA back in December of last year, but I would consider this show to be my first CHIKARA show.  I hope they come back to Maine again!  Sooner than later!

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Random Wrestling: Women's Edition

June Byers vs. Cora Combs

Other than the 50’s I’m not sure when this match was.   It’s actually a pretty solid match that was enjoyable to watch, the crowd was into it, which is more than you can see for the current WWE non NXT product.

 Mildred Burke vs. Mae Weston

So that last match made me look for a Mildred Burke match the pioneer woman’s wrestler.  Again this match is from the 1950’s and this has a newsreel feel to it with the background music and commentary.  Burke was pretty damn vicious and dirty in the ring. 

Vivian Vachon vs. Kay Noble

From the early 70’s Vivian is the sister of Maurice and Paul Vachon and the namesake of my cat.  She was also the featured subject in the documentary Wrestling Queen that I own and it is a very good documentary on her and wrestling at that time.  Both Vachon and her opponent Kay Noble stopped wrestling full time in the early 80’s because they had children and only appeared sporadically after that.  

My cat Vivian Vachon

The Crush Girls: Lioness Asuka & Chigusa Nagoya vs. Leilani Kai & Penny Mitchell

March 16, 1986 Madison Square Garden

The Crush Girls were hugely popular in Japan as both Asuka and Chigusa reached megastar status in Japan.  When they came to the States they brought a ladies style that was unseen over here and it blew the fans away.  Most people know who Leilani Kai is.  Penny Mitchell I had never heard of until recently but have watched several of her matches and am a big fan of her work. 

 Jumping Bomb Angels: Itsuki Yamazaki & Noriyo Tateno vs. Devil Masami & Jaguar Yokota

August 10, 2008 from LLPW in Japan

Parts 1 & 2

The Jumping Bomb Angels were popular and successful tag team in the mid 80’s to early 90’s both in Japan and the states, they famously defeated the Glamour Girls for the WWF Women’s Tag Team Championships at the first Royal Rumble in 1988.  Yamazaki had retired in 1991, moved to New York and opened a restaurant with her husband.  This match in 2008 is her return to wrestling.  Noriyo had stated active in wrestling until her retirement in 2010. 

Masami debuted in 1978 and had a very successful career in Japan until her retirement at the end of 2008.  In 1997 Masami became the second and last WCW Women’s Champion winning the vacant title in a tournament final a couple months before the title was abandoned by WCW.

Jaguar Yokota debuted in 1977 a month before her 16^th birthday and considered one of the greatest women wrestlers of all time, she is still actively wrestling in Japan. 

Me with Itsuki Yamazaki at Legends of the Ring June 2, 2012 in Monroe, NJ

 

Sara Del Rey vs. Mia Yim

April 23, 2011, Baltimore, Maryland

RCW presents “The Supremacy”

Sara Del Rey is probably the greatest American Women’s Wrestler of all time. Since September 2012 she has been working as a trainer in the WWE for NXT, even recently being promoted to assistant head trainer.  Good for her that she found a way to live to not travel and make a living wrestling, crappy for us that she isn’t wrestling any longer.  She is only 35 so potentially she could still return to wrestling showing the world how good she is.

Mia Yim was early in her career at this point but it was clear from this match just how good she was going to become, and is.

I had the pleasure of seeing Del Rey wrestle twice in person, both for Chikara.  First time on December 3, 2011 in Everett, MA for JoshiMania where she defeated Tsubasa Kuragaki in a hard hitting match.  Then on July 28, 2012 in Portland for in a losing effort to Grand Champion: Eddie Kingston in an awesome match. 

Myself with Sara Del Rey Chikara in Portland, yup that's the Young Bucks in the background

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Later Readers!

Bonus!

Here are the photo galleries to JoshiMania and Chiakara

JoshiMania Part 1

JoshiMania Part 2

Chikara: The Great Escape