In 2011, CHIKARA decided to implement it's first ever singles title aptly named the CHIKARA Grand Championship. How to decide who the first champion would be? A tournament. A 12 person tournament. A tournament held in honor of one of the brightest personalities to ever grace a CHIKARA ring - Larry Sweeney. This tournament is the 12 Large Summit and it is chronicled in it's entirety in this three disc set which I've reviewed in full below. Enjoy!
1) Mike Quackenbush vs. Hallowicked - Aniversario & His Amazing Friends - 5/21/11
The tournament begins with a teacher vs student match up between two long time members of the CHIKARA roster. This was everything you'd expect it to be. Fine technical wrestling to start out with Quack targeting the arm of Hallowicked. There were some lucha exchanges here as well though with Quack also nailing several high flying manuevers including an isai moonsault to the outside. The final moments featured big moves, unique counters, and nearfalls however it would end during the midst of a flurry of pinning combinations. Hallowicked gets the surprise victory and gains two points. Nice match to get things going.
Match rating - ***1/2
2) Brodie Lee vs. Vin Gerard - Aniversario: The Legendary Super Power Shows - 5/22/11
This is an odd match on paper. Lee & Gerard are largely known as friends and beyond that, the vast size difference makes for a mismatch in Brodie's favor. Despite all that, this was still a fun match. It went around seven minutes and they packed some good stuff into that time. Brodie got his signature stuff in and Gerard played the sly heel and ended up picking up a cheap victory with a quick roll up.
Match rating - **1/2
3) Sara Del Rey vs. Icarus - The Case of the Bulletproof Waldo - 6/24/11
I was really interested in how the crowd would react here considering Del Rey is part of the most hated stable in CHIKARA, BDK and Icarus has been hated for quite some time. The crowd ended up siding with Del Rey which came as a bit of a surprise considering Icarus won a portion of the crowd back over the previous fall in the Cibernetico match. Del Rey dominated the early portion of the match with a wide variety of kicks & strikes however Icarus would take control and keep it for a good while until the closing back & forth exchanges began. Pretty solid match up here. Sara picks up two points!
Match rating - ***
4) Claudio Castagnoli vs. Hallowicked - The Case of the Bulletproof Waldo - 6/24/11
These two have met a few times in the past. Once in CHIKARA in 2009 and once in ROH in 2007 during the Race to the Top Tournament. They're somewhat familiar with each other so this should be fun. From what I've heard, the ROH match was basically just them hitting their spots, but this was quite the opposite. They started out slow and continued with a pretty methodical technical pace throughout the match. It was well contested with Hallowicked showing the same sportsmanship he did against Quack earlier in this set while Claudio, being the heel and member of BDK, resorted to cheap tactics on a few occassions. They delivered one or two sweet spots near the end which just pushed this one into three star territory. Good match with Claudio picking up the victory.
Match rating - ***
5) Fire Ant vs. Ultramantis Black - The Case of The Bulletproof Waldo - 6/24/11
Out of all the 12 Large tournament matches that took place at "The Case of the Bulletproof Waldo", this was the best one. It really caught me by surprise although I kinda figured it would be considering it was highest on the card. Mantis and Fire Ant put together a very good match with several jaw dropping spots including a powerslam on the ring apron. They built towards a few close falls which brought the crowd to it's feet. Mantis gets the win after repeated driver variations that planted Fire Ant headfirst into the mat. I can tell that one of the on going stories in this tourney is going to be Mantis finally earning a notch in CHIKARA and I'm stoked to see where it goes from here!
Match rating - ***1/4
6) Mike Quackenbush vs. Ophidian - A Demon In His Pocket - 6/25/11
This is a dream match for me on paper. After seeing Ophidian have an absolutely killer match with El Generico, which actually took place after this one, I knew he would be the perfect opponent for Quack. Both men told a great story and displayed their tremendous technical & submission skills as Quack targeted the legs of Ophidian while Ophidian targeted the arm of Quack. They spent the first half of the match working each other over then they really picked things up for the final 7-8 minutes with some fantastic exchanges and near falls. During this closing sequence of events, they went back to the limbs they worked over in the early going by Quack nailing Ophidian with two versions of the QuackenDriver only for him to kick out which forced Quack to lock in the CHIKARA special which put more pressure on the injured limbs of Ophidian. This made for a great near submission. I truly thought that was going to be the end, but Ophidian made it to the ropes. In the end, it was a vicious move off the second rope that put Ophidian away. Awesome match, best of the tournament thus far.
Match rating - ****
7) Eddie Kingston vs. Ultramantis Black - A Demon In His Pocket - 6/25/11
Once this one got going, I soon realized this was going to be more about an on-going story as opposed to the in-ring action. Vin Gerard made his way to ringside to distract Kingston which led to a reluctant attack from Mantis. Mantis ends up getting the three count, but Eddie's foot was on the ropes so the match gets restarted. They put together a pretty sick a closing sequence however the weird re-start situation keeps me from giving this one three stars. I don't quite understand the point of the match ending and restarting considering Gerard had nothing to do with it at all despite being at ringside. This one had some good moments though and left you asking questions with a post-match attack from Vin Gerard so it wasn't a dud by any means, just a confusing booking decision mid-match.
Match rating - **1/2
8) Fire Ant vs. Jigsaw - Chikarasarus Rex: King of Sequel Night One - 7/30/11
Jigsaw was coming into this match with an injured bicep. Well, not an injured bicep, a previously injured bicep that he recently rehabbed. After an opening flurry of arm drags and lucha manuevers, Fire Ant goes right to work on the arm with kicks and submissions. His entire offense targeting that left arm. Jigsaw would come back however and hit a huge dive to the outside. This led to quite possibly one of my favorite closing sequences ever because it was just awesome. From the action to the selling of the arm from Jig to the counters. It's so great that I have to do a bit of play by play for it. Jigsaw comes off the top rope with a missile dropkick, nips up, german suplex with a bridge but the arm prevents him from holding him for the three. Both men are back to their feet. Jigsaw hits the ropes, Fire Ant kicks him in the arm and hits the ropes, PAYLAY KICK FROM JIGSAW. Jigsaw lifts Fire up for a brainbuster, MID AIR COUNTER, ACE CRUSHER FROM FIRE ANT! Kick to the injured arm, kick to the face, brainbuster from Fire Ant to Jigsaw, this has to be it! 1...2.. JIG KICKS OUT! The crowd cranks up with Fire Ant chants as he is back to his feet. Palm strikes from Fire to Jig, he shrugs them off, SUPERKICK! Jigsaw lifts up Fire for the Jigatonic, but his arm gives him trouble, FIRE ANT COUNTERS OUT OF IT INTO AN ARM SUBMISSION! Jigsaw gives him a struggle however Fire Ant won't let go and flips him over into a vicious key lock for the submission victory. That was an awesome 11 minutes!
Match rating - ***1/2
Disc 2:
9) Mike Quackenbush vs. Claudio Castagnoli - Chikarasarus Rex: King of Sequel Night One - 7/30/11
If you've ever seen these two wrestle one another, you know that they never disappoint and this was no different. Things started off rather slowly which made me think this would be no where near as good as their IWA MS match in 2006 that I hold so dearly. Well, turns out this one ended up coming close to being as good. The slow start built to a fantastic final half with multiple great exchanges that are signature from Quack & Claudio. Great match that saw Quack pick up a big victory over his long time rival. They were 1-1 against each other in CHIKARA at this point and this put Quack ahead for anyone keeping tabs on that. This also gave Quack a much needed two more points as he couldn't afford another loss in this tournament. This was Claudio's first loss in the tourney.
Match rating - ***1/2
10) Eddie Kingston vs. Jigsaw - Chikarasarus Rex: King of Sequel Night Two - 7/31/11
I must be jumping the gun because just like the Claudio/Quack match, I felt like this wasn't going to be good after the first several minutes and ended it up being great. It started off somewhat slow with several stand offs however, the entire second half rules with alot of big moves and nearfalls. This was a good match although they would go on to top it in a big way in 2012. The Gerard/Kingston story was continued here as well.
Match rating - ***1/4
11) Claudio Castagnoli vs. Sara Del Rey - Chikarasarus Rex: King of Sequel Night Two - 7/31/11
I was really looking forward to this not only because they are both outstanding wrestlers, but because of the storyline. Claudio is the leader of BDK and Sara is a member. She's been getting a great action throughout this tournament thus far and it really came to fruition here as she refused to lay down for Claudio and brought the fight to him from the opening bell. This match delivered in the action aspect, but also provided us with a very memorable moment as we virtually saw a Del Rey face turn. She stood up to Claudio and also took out Tursas at ringside with an apron dive. The finish was clever as Claudio clearly had it won yet kept pulling up Del Rey's shoulders from the mat which led to Sara sliding him into a pinning predicament out of nowhere for the three.
Match rating - ***1/2
13) Hallowicked vs. Sara Del Rey - Young Lions Cup IX - 8/27/11
This match didn't have the format that I expected it to. I figured we'd get some flashy moves and exchanges in a pretty back & forth affair however we got a pretty basic encounter that saw Del Rey basically break down Hallowicked. She worked on his limbs and got him to submit. It was a logically based encounter and in that was respect, it was good. Not the most entertaining thing in the world though.
Match rating - **1/2
14) Fire Ant vs. Vin Gerard - Young Lions Cup IX - 8/27/11
Having recently watched their classic from the 2008 Young Lions Cup, this was one I was looking forward to. And while it added some hype to it, me seeing that match so recently made it tough for this one to deliver. Although I think it did a good job of doing so. It's nowhere near the level of the aformentioned encounter from 2008, but you can see why that particular match was so great because these two simply have chemistry. Therefore, they can't really have a bad match and that was the case here. Just a fun bout with several callbacks to their previous encounter which were a nice touch.
Match rating - **3/4
15) Claudio Castagnoli vs. Icarus - Young Lions Cup IX - 8/27/11
Much like Claudio/Del Rey was an intriguing match up, so was this. These two were arguably the most hated men in CHIKARA at the time so the fan reaction was interesting. I loved how they played off both guys being heels by both going for eye pokes on each other at the same time and both men dropping to their knees to fake a low blow when they ref accidentally got knocked down. That combined with the solid action throughout made for a good match. I enjoyed this much more than the previous two 12 Large Matches that took place at the 9th Annual Young Lions Cup. Claudio and Icarus are fantastic characters.
Match rating - ***
16) Jigsaw vs. Vin Gerard - Odyssey of the Twelfth Talisman - 9/17/11
This was really just about advancing the Kingston/Gerard story while also giving Jigsaw two points and they accomplished that in entertaining fashion. This didn't even last ten minutes, but as said before it did what it set out to do and was very enjoyable. Gerard used King's striking moves in a mocking way which brought Eddie up from the commentary table. The cockiness costed Gerard in the end as Jigsaw picked up the win after a vicious superkick which also played into Vin making fun of Jigsaw using that move pre-match. Solid stuff all around here.
Match rating - **1/2
17) Mike Quackenbush vs. Icarus - Odyssey of the Twelfth Talisman - 9/17/11
Another short but sweet and to the point match here. Quack plays the perfect babyface by coming back from a pre-match attack by Icarus and nailing a massive dive. I'd say this only went a shade over five minutes, but was fun while it lasted. Quack picks up the win. Nothing too memorable or noteworthy here.
Match rating - **1/4
Disc 3:
18) Sara Del Rey vs. Ophidian - Martyr Yourself to Caution - 9/18/11
I knew this two would tear it up if given the time and they did just that! After seeing Quack & Ophidian rip the house apart earlier in the tournament, seeing Ophidian against Del Rey was something I couldn't wait for. I've always liked Ophidian's slick in-ring style and it meshed well with the Queen of Wrestling here. Submissions and mat work early on which led to a high impact closing sequence with several near falls that had the crowd on fire. Good match.
Match rating - ***1/4
19) Eddie Kingston vs. Fire Ant - Martyr Yourself to Caution - 9/18/11
This was way better than I expected it to be. Don't get me wrong, I figured this would be a solid match however I had no clue it'd be near the level of awesome. Kingston dominated from the outset with his striking leading the way in a brutal assault. Fire Ant mounted a comeback which led to an array of wild dives into the audience. While this was going on, Vin Gerard appeared out of nowhere and threw a chair onto King's knee and started kicking it. Gerard ran off before the ref could see him as Fire Ant tried to run him off a bit as well. Fire Ant gets King back in the ring and does the smart thing by targeting the leg. Eddie's rep in CHIKARA has always been being tough and never going away, that was shown here as he still fought hard by dropping Fire Ant on his head with a variety of suplexes. While Kingston's toughness was put on display, Fire Ant's was as well because he wouldn't give in. He even kicked out at one and did a fighting spirit spot which is typically a signature Kingston move. In the end, after a series of dramatic exchanges, two sliding d's put Fire Ant away. Extremely good match.
Match rating - ***3/4
20) Hallowicked vs. Icarus - Small But Mighty - 10/7/11
This was a pretty fun match up. They started off with some comedy that was centered off Icarus' jacket. Once the shenanigans were over, they put together quite the entertaining match with a good bit of action that included one of my favorite finishers in CHIKARA, Icarus' death valley driver into the corner - the blu ray. Solid encounter.
Match rating - ***
21) Mike Quackenbush vs. Sara Del Rey - Small But Mighty - 10/7/11
If you know me, you know I was pumped for this because these are two of my favorites and this match exemplified why as the gameplan was simple - Quack's holds against Sara's kicks. They played off that very well with both of them going for their respective strengths. Quackenbush targeted Sara Del Rey's legs in brutal fashion with holds and even some kicks of his own. The crowd was completely lost in this one and by the time the second half rolled around, I was too. Great stuff here.
Match rating - ***1/2
22) UltraMantis Black vs. Archibald Peck - Small But Mighty - 10/7/11
What a cast of characters we have here. The differences ended up making for a highly entertaining match. Some memorable moments include Archibald kicking a chair into Mantis' face, Mantis cutting a flip off the apron onto Archibald, and Mantis backdropping Peck onto the entrance ramp. Nice little showcase as Mantis tries to recover and make one last run at finding his way into the finals. at this point in the tourney, Quack is confirmed to be in the finals as he dominated Block A and Eddie Kingston is ahead in Block B however, if Mantis can gain just one more victory, he will tie things up. It's certainly getting interesting!
Match rating - **3/4
23) Hallowicked vs. Ophidian - Klunk In Love - 10/8/11
These two have quite similar styles so this was pretty enjoyable to watch. There a few rocky moments in the start like Ophidian slipping on a moonsault attempt however the action was solid throughout the foremost part of the bout. Beyond that, once the closing sequence hit, the last thing on my mind was that slip up. Good match.
Match rating - ***1/4
24) UltraMantis Black vs. Jigsaw - Klunk In Love - 10/8/11
Ultramantis Black has been one of the best parts of the tournament and has provided for many sleeper bouts. This was another one because it was absolutely bonkers! The desperation for Mantis to make it to the finals and FINALLY earn some gold which is something he has yet to do despite being in CHIKARA since the beginning. This match saw him dig down extremely deep to do so and while Jigsaw had nothing to gain here, we saw him undergo a change of character as he was bound and determined to keep Mantis from winning because in his words "If I can't win it, nobody can!" Beyond the drama surrounding the high stakes of this match for Mantis, the action was thrilling and there were several mark out moments, most notably, Ultramantis going for a hurricanrana off the apron only to be caught in mid-air and powerbombed onto the ring apron by Jigsaw. That was BRUTAL. This was a fantastic match.
Match rating - ***3/4
25) Eddie Kingston vs. Vin Gerard - Maiden Flight of the Great Condor - 10/30/11
The on-going mini feud in this tournament has been between Eddie Kingston & Vin Gerard and here they finally clashed. This wasn't the wild brawl you may expect from a feud that's been as heated as this one has, but it was certainly a good way to settle things. They fought into the bleachers early on and we saw Eddie take football from a kid in the crowd and throw it at Gerard. Gerard played off the injured leg that he has targeted on Kingston since early in the tourney and it ended up earning him the surprise victory as he made Kingston tap to his signature STF. Huge win for Gerard that I don't think anyone was expecting. It doesn't affect the tournament though, Eddie is still headed to the finals because Gerard didn't have enough wins/points prior to this to advance.
Match rating - ***
26) Eddie Kingston vs. Mike Quackenbush - High Noon - 11/13/11
I knew this one would be special as soon as "Sweet & Sour" chants broke out in honor of Larry Sweeney, the man who this entire tournament was named after, as the opening bell rang. I got chills as everyone in the ring was clearly emotional and Kingston looked up to the sky. Everything about this match had the makings of a classic. The backstory, the emotional & personal meaning, the historical significance, the atmosphere, and of course, the action that these two men, quite possibly the greatest competitors in CHIKARA history, provided. At that, it was a first time encounter which made it feel even more special. I was extremely interested in who the fans would be behind here considering both men are beloved by the CHIKARMY. It was even early on with Kingston having a slight edge in crowd support however we saw a change in Quack that made the fans get completely behind Kingston. For the first time that I've seen, Quackenbush played the rudo as he went to the eyes of Kingston and went after the injured leg in extremely vicious fashion. Speaking of that, I honestly can't think of anything these two missed in the form of storytelling. They worked the injured knee of Kingston that has been a reocurring problem during the entire tournament and even reversed it by Kingston dishing out some punishment to Quack's knee after he had a bad landing. This match wasn't all submissions and limb work though, there were strikes and I mean STRIKES. There were also neck bumps that will make you cringe as Kingston slung Quack from one side of the ring to the other at points. The in-ring aspect of this match was everything you would expect from Kingston & Quack with the atmopshere taking to the complete next level. And while we're discussing the atmosphere again, it had an even more big time feel as Tommy Dreamer was at ringside in the corner of Eddie Kingston and as the match went on and got more intense, the roster from the past and present began making their way down. From the Young Bucks, The Colony & Icarus to Hydra, Reckless Youth, & Mister ZERO. This was just an epic visual. So overall, this match was damn near perfect. An absolute classic and quite possibly the greatest CHIKARA match ever.
Match rating - ****1/2
To top the epicness of that match, the post-match happenings with Larry Sweeney's brother and friend presenting Kingston with the CHIKARA Grand Title will make just about anyone tear up. Phenomenal moment.
Overall thoughts: Honestly, this entire set is worth it solely for Quack/Kingston. If you buy High Noon the show, you'll pay $15 so why not just buy this set for five more dollars and you can get the entire tournament leading up to that classic match. The 12 Large Summit as a whole was a great tourney with the finale being the most epic. There weren't any *bad* matches and there were many great ones. Only a few bouts came in under three stars and that was mainly because of time constraints in most cases. The point is - the good vastly outweighs the bad here and this is a DVD that I likely will never relinquish from my collection so I'd definitely recommend giving this a look as it's a moment that will go down in CHIKARA and Independent Wrestling history.
Thanks for reading and be sure to follow me on Twitter @EthanPWT and this blog @ThePWTruth!
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