CHIKARA: Best of 2011 Review

1) El Generico vs. Eddie Kingston - Chaos In The Sea of Lost Souls - 1/23/11
What way to kick off this set! I was hoping they'd go with the story of Generico being the underdog and Kingston pummeling him however, they decided to just go with showcasing Generico's resiliancy right off the bat as we saw him trade shots with King early on without backing down. Eddie got control for a short period of time, but Generico would soon mount a huge comeback which consisted of a michinoku driver, a helluva kick, and a brainbuster on the ring apron. I've seen Generico do that move several times in PWG, but damn if this wasn't the best one yet. It looked like Kingston's head got clobbered. Somehow Eddie was able to make it back in the ring before the 20 count and managed to fight his way to a victory after turning Generico inside out with two lariats followed by his signature backfist. Crazy good match with alot of jawdropping action. I'd consider it your stereotypical El Generico match meshed with your stereotypical Eddie Kingston match which isn't a bad thing in my book. I could watch both guys hit their signature stuff all day.

Match rating - ***3/4

2) Mike Quackenbush & Jigsaw vs. The Batiri - Caught in a Cauldron of Hate - 2/19/11
Here we have our first call back to 2010 as Quack & Jig make their first defense of the Compeones De Parejas after defeating Claudio & Ares in the season finale in December. This was also a callback to 2010 as The Batiri debuted late in the year, but this is my first time seeing them in actual action. Speaking of The Batiri, they came pretty close to pulling an upset here although it seemed the crowd never really thought it would happen which kinda held the bout down a bit because the audience didn't react to certain things like you may have expected. This was good for what it was though. Some solid limb work by The Batiri on Jig to earn them the early advantage in the form of the first fall and a pretty chaotic closing few moments that finally got the crowd going.

Match rating - ***1/4

3) Mike Quackenbush & Jigsaw vs. The Colony - Creatures From The Tar Swamp - 3/13/11
I noted in the previous match for the Campeones de Parejas that the thing holding it back was the audience not seeming to believe the challengers would dethrone the champions, well this bout was the complete opposite. Not only did they have the audience in the palm of their hands, they also had me there as well. From the opening bell this was just phenomenal action. Good sportsmanship was shown early on as Quack and Soldier Ant went toe to toe only for Soldier to sneak a quick pin to earn The Colony the first fall using a roll up. Quack was visibly shocked, but still shook Soldier's hand as a sign of respect and the action continued. We got a unbelievably fast paced sequence between Jig & Fire Ant and we saw the first bit of limb work in the match as Quack's arm got double stomped by one of the ants. Quack & Jig tied things up in a matter of minutes though by sneaking a roll up just like The Colony did. From this point on it was just balls to the wall action that was even hotter than what went down in the opening minutes. Too much awesome stuff to call and nearfalls galore. Loved this match. One of the best Campeones de Perajas that I've seen.

Match rating - ****

4) Team Osaka Pro (Atsushi Kotoge, Daisuke Harada & Ultimate Spider Jr.) vs. F.I.S.T. (Icarus, Chuck Taylor & Johnny Gargano) - 2011 King of Trios Night Two - 4/16/11
This is a rematch, in a way, of the quarterfinals of last year's King of Trios. The reason I say in a way is because it was a SLIGHTLY different incarnation of both squads last year. The new additions to this encounter are Ultimate Spider Jr of Osaka Pro and Johnny Gargano replacing Gran Akuma for FIST. This was every bit as good as last year's awesome trios match between the two stables. Great action from start to finish and the crowd was with them the entire time. This one also gets bonus points for calling back to the finish of their match last year as we saw FIST lose via roll up.

Match rating - ****

5) Mike Quackenbush, Jigsaw, & Manami Toyota vs. Team Michinoku Pro (Dick Togo, Great Sasuke, & Jinsei Shinzaki) - 2011 King of Trios Night Two - 4/16/11
Damn, it's matches like this that make me love CHIKARA. Nowhere else will you find these particular wrestlers locking it up, NOWHERE. This was pretty much a dream match for me. First off, it was great seeing Manami Toyota back after she rocked the house in 2010 teaming with Quack against Claudio & Sara Del Rey. Secondly, I got to see Mike Quackenbush & Jigsaw go toe to toe with Dick Togo, Great Sasuke, & Jinsei Shinzaki! That's all that needs to be said. This was just so cool to see and the wrestling was crisp throughout. It wasn't a spotfest, just an extremely good six person tag team match.

Match rating - ***3/4

6) El Generico vs. 1-2-3 Kid - 2011 King of Trios Night Three - 4/17/11
Oh, the things I've heard about this match! I was stoked to finally get to see it and even though I heard alot of good things, it still surprised me in a way. As someone who's only seen Sean Waltman in the form of X Pac, I was really impressed by how good of a wrestler he actually is. I know it sounds weird to say, but it's the honest truth. He & Generico put on a very good match here that told the story of veteran vs up and comer. The near falls near the end were the best part of the entire thing. 1-2-3 Kid somehow managed to kick out of the Yakuza kick & brainbuster while Generico also kicked out of the top rope x factor. The crowd went nuts for every kick out which definitely counts for something as well. I didn't completely mark out over this match like some people did because I've seen Generico have this type of match with alot of people, but it was still a ton of fun and a great match with alot of big moves & nearfalls. It was amazing to see that 1-2-3 Kid could still deliver on this level some 20 years later. And while we're talking about it, 1-2-3 Kid took one hell of a top rope brainbuster too! Plus this is considered a CHIKARA classic by many so I'd say it's something worth checking out.

Match rating - ****

Disc 2:

7) FIST (Chuck Taylor, Johnny Gargano, & Icarus) vs. The Colony (Fire Ant, Green Ant, & Soldier Ant) - 2011 King of Trios Night Three - 4/17/11
This match brings back memories! FIST and The Colony have had one of the most storied rivalries in CHIKARA history, even I as a relatively new fan know this to be true. Their Lucha De Apuesta (Mask vs Hair Match) was one of the highlights on the CHIKARA Best of 2009 set I reviewed recently. With that taken into consideration, this was a match that really intrigued me as we are witnessing another chapter in the FIST/Colony feud. As mentioned before, all their previous matches were very entertaining and this was no different. Things started off pretty funny yet serious with Chuck Taylor hitting Green Ant's previously injured arm with a chair smashing it up against the ring post, which in turn made the chair bounce off and fly into the crowd. Chuckie T's reaction to this was hilarious. It wasn't so funny for Green Ant though and I still cringed because he had surgery on that arm not long before this. FIST worked over The Colony for a good part of this however the ants got things going and we got a chaotic fast paced final minutes that displayed some great team wrestling from both trios. The end came with an unbelievable spot where the ants lifted up Fire Ant on the top rope and he hit an avalanche frog splash off their arms for the victory. What sight that was! Extremely fun match, if you seen a trios match involving these three or just a trios match in CHIKARA in general, you know what to expect here.

Match rating - ***1/2

8) Ultramantis Black vs. Tursas - Engulfed in a Fever of Spite
Here's our first look at what the BDK is up to in 2011 on this set. They were at the forefront of everything in 2010, but it appears they lost alot of steam since they ended the year with two big losses. None the less, they were still together here as Tim Donst did commentary while Tursas went at it with CHIKARA Gen 1 member Ultramantis Black. This was one of those matches that isn't anything special although it still has it highlights. In this case, it was Tursas going for a moonsault off the top rope. It was insane. Other than that, this was a dull match, but it didn't last long so I can't really complain. Glad they highlighted the BDK some here, especially considering they have a match coming up on this set.

Match rating - **1/4

9) Chuck Taylor & Johnny Gargano vs. The Colony - The Case of the Bulletproof Waldo
Another FIST/Colony match here and I'm not complaining a bit because they're always fun. I can't really say anything about this that I didn't say in the review of their trios match. FIST dominated a good bit of this one which led to the big comeback from The Colony. It was filled with great wrestling from start to finish. Good tag match.

Match rating - ***1/4

10) BDK vs. Soul Touchaz - The Case of The Bulletproof Waldo
This was my first time seeing the Soul Touchaz however they were certainly over with the crowd which is probably expected considering it's their hometown of Chicago. Things started off wild here with the BDK attacking the Soul Touchaz in the entrance way. I can't say I blame them though because Ares was missing in this match for some reason so it was technially a handicap match with Tim Donst & Tursas going it alone for the BDK. They did a hell of a job though as they isolated Willie Richardson and worked him over, his leg in particular. After a fairly lengthy heel heat period, Willie gets the hot tag and the Soul Touchaz start mowing over the BDK. Cue Claudio Castagnoli & Sara Del Rey running down to interfere. As Bryce is trying to get control of them, a guy that BDK took out late last year made his return to help even the odds. Soul Touchaz pick up a big win in their hometown.

Match rating - ***

11) Mike Quackenbush & The Colony vs. FIST & Vin Gerard - The Evil That Lies Within Part 4
The reocurring trend of this set has become the reigniting of the FIST/Colony rivalry and we see that again here with Mike Quackenbush and Vin Gerard thrown into the fray. Having them involved just added to the fun as we got even more quality wrestling. My favorite moment of this match came with Gargano ending up on Chuck Taylor's shoulders on the outside which allowed Quack to hit a running dive knocking all members of Team FIST to the floor. This was another very enertaining multi-man match which is something you can always count on from CHIKARA.

Match rating - ***3/4

11) FIST (Chuck Taylor, Johnny Gargano, & Icarus) vs. Team 3.0le (El Generico, Jagged, & Shane Matthews) - Chikarasaurus Rex: King of Sequel Night 1
When Chuck Taylor and El Generico are in the ring together, it's always entertaining and this was no different. The match began with some shenanigans with both teams messing with their opponents shirts and elbow dropping them and such. Once the action began it was fast paced and just as enjoyable as you would expect. It was also neat seeing Gargano & Generico go at it here since I had never seen them face off before. Great trios match.

Match rating - ***3/4

12) Mike Quackenbush & Johnny Saint vs. Colt Cabana & Johnny Kid - Chikarasaurus Rex: King of Sequel Night 2
This was a big change of pace from everything else on this set as it was pretty much just an exhibition. It was a match with no cheap tactics, no highflying, just each man trying to purely out wrestle each other with alot of good sportsmanship displayed. It reminded me of the 2009 King of Trios match between Team Uppercut and The Masters of 1,000 Holds except not as entertaning. This was solid for what it was though and definitely offered something totally different.

Match rating - ***

Disc 3:

13) Archibald Peck vs. Mat Fitchett vs. Milo Shizo vs. MK McKinnan - Young Lions Cup IX
Time for some Young Lions Cup Action! In this match, you have two CHIKARA talents and two talents from Fight Club Pro in England. That mesh of styles and the fact that all four men were setting out to impress made for a match with several unique manuevers and exchanges. The crowd wasn't extremely into it which surprised me because these guys were busting ass out there. Had the crowd been more into it, this could have creeped into ***1/2 territory. Still a fun four way match that introduced us to some new talent on this set.

Match rating - ***

14) Chuck Taylor & Johnny Gargano vs. Daisuke Harada & Atsushi Kotige - Small But Mighty
Earlier in this set, we saw FIST defeat Team Osaka Pro in the quarter finals of King of Trios which leads us here where the newly crowned Campeones Parejas, Chuck Taylor & Johnny Gargano of FIST defending their titles against the men who are out for revenge after Chuckie T scored a cheap victory over them in KOT. Unluckily for Harada & Kotige, FIST were up to their devious ways from the opening bell by sinking to any lengths to pick up a victory such as the clever cheap tactic of Gargano acting like Atoshi lowblowed which allowed Chuckie T to roll him up and pull his tights to gain the first fall in this 2/3 Falls encounter. The antics continued after this would Chuck throwing a chair at Harada's head in mid-dive however the Osaka Pro guys would fight back with a flurry of double team moves and earn back a fall. The final fall featured both teams busting out everything they had in their arsenal in order to win. Icarus came down to try to interfere and help FIST which in turn paid off as Chuck & Gargano were able to sneak away a victory. Great match.

Match rating - ***3/4

15) Sara Del Rey vs. Kana - Klunk In Love
I was really excited for this. Del Rey is one of my favorite female wrestlers and I've heard ALOT about how good Kana is. Needless to say, this lived up to all expectations I had. The two women began the match by going for strikes with none connecting. This led to alot of mat work and submissions with each woman trying to wear the other down. In the end, it would come back down to what started the match - strikes. These two had an epic battle of strikes here with elbows, palm strikes, and of course the vicious kicks that both are known for. Some of the kicks were so hard that it knocked Kana's shin/foot guard off. These striking exchanges led to several stalemates which in turn made both men turn back to submissions. This made for some high anticipation as it looked like things would be over several times. All around awesome match here that proved that females can do everything males can do in the ring. German suplexes, vicious strikes, and superb mat work. I loved it and the crowd in attendance did too!

Match rating - ****

16) El Generico vs. Ophidian - Cibernetico: The Animated Series
What a match this was, man! It was the opener of the Cibernetico show and I think it's safe to say that I feel bad for the rest of the card because I have no clue how they plan to follow this. I'm not used to seeing Ophidian in singles competition, but this bout washed away any doubts I had about his abilities competing on his own as he hung right in there with Generico and didn't look out of place AT ALL. The action was crisp and kept my attention from start to finish. They delivered alot of unique counters such as Ophidian countering out of Generico's brainbuster into a hurricanrana that spiked Generico into the mat for a close near fall. Speaking of near falls, bah gawd, these two busted out the goods in the department. The ending is also worth mentioning as Ophidian was upside down on his head on the top turnbuckle when Generico stormed him out of nowhere with a yakuza kick which was followed up by a half & half suplex which was followed by a brainbuster that finally put Ophidian away. Your typical outstanding Generico match. Highly enjoyable stuff.

Match rating - ****

17) The Young Bucks vs. The Colony - High Noon
Just as we come off a match that I labeled as your typical outstanding Generico match, we go into your typically awesome Young Bucks match. Some talents just have the ability to create a style of match that they do better than anyone else and Generico & The Bucks are three talents who exemplify that. Here, we saw the fast paced, action packed match that never slowed down which Matt & Nick have become known for. Just as entertaining of a match as you would expect.

Match rating - ***3/4

18) Tim Donst & Ares vs. Hallowicked & Ultramantis Black - No DQ Match - High Noon
To close out the set, the Donst & Ares of the BDK face off with two CHIKARA originals in a No DQ match with alot on the line. You rarely see these type of matches in CHIKARA so it's definitely something to behold when they do take place. These two duos brawled around the ringside area and took some big bumps including Ares being backbody dropped off stairs through several chairs and Donst getting a Razor's Edge off the top rope through an upright chair standing in the ring. More storyline progression took place here as well which did a good job of making me want to check out the next year, 2012. LUCKILY, I already have the Best of 2012 set ready to watch so I can't wait to see what happens after Tim Donst walked out on Ares at the end of this match.

Match rating - ***1/2

Overall thoughts: This was another great set from CHIKARA. It's my third consecutive "Best Of" purchase from them and I've got one more that I've already started watching. As I've said before, it's becoming my second favorite promotion behind PWG so it's no surprise that I'm watching a ton of it. Just like with the 2009 & 2010 Best Of's, this was an extremely easy watch and I finished it in a matter of days. Definitely a set I'd recommend checking out.

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