helped $lim jinx NXT. Woops
Post by Spankymac is sick of the swiss on Nov 6, 2007 18:29:42 GMT -5
Amazing review from a man who reviewed a previous event and gave a mixed review of it now looks at the most recent DVD show....
Cibernetico & Robin
CHIKARA Pro Wrestling DVD
www.chikaropro.com
$20.00
Reviewed by Joe Babinsack
It is really satisfying to watch a DVD like Cibernetico & Robin, and see that the future of professional wrestling is in great hands.
There isn’t just one good thing about the Chikara promotion. There are many: from the infusion of Lucha Libre to the interesting, logical and unique approach to professional wrestling matchmaking, from the incredible talent to the dramatic storylines, from the over-the-top characters and personalities and wrestlers to the subdued and professional nature of the in-ring talent.
A couple of months ago, I saw some really good and some really bad stuff in Chikara’s product. Fans responded – not with bitterness or anger or irrationality, but with an appeal to stick with it, that there were anomalies in that event, that the fun of Chikara wasn’t in what I saw, that it was deeper.
I thank Chikara for sending me another DVD to review.
And I’m all but begging for more!
That sort of fan base mentality is in and of itself refreshing. Knee-jerk hatred, obsessive defensiveness and a “they’re all out to get us” mentality pervades most promotional fan bases. There are some good things about that, but show me a fan base that appreciates instead of defends, and I’ll show you a promotion that is doing the right things and doesn’t need the defensiveness.
The one thing that I didn’t get about Chikara was all the talks about points. That question was quickly answered by the promotion:
Our "three point" system has to do with qualifying contenders for our tag belts, the Campeonatos de Parejas. Tag teams have to accumulate three points - by winning three CHIKARA-sanctioned tag matches in a row - to get a title shot. If they lose a match, their points go back down to zero, and the climb to contendership must begin again.
LFC
Which is an interesting and unique approach, and one that makes matches meaningful. What’s cool is that it provides various avenues to the matches made, and the efforts within the matches. Maybe being at one point isn’t that big of a deal, but having two points suddenly is a mountain climbed, that can slip away with a bad loss. The depth it imbues in the “chase” for the title is vastly interesting on several levels.
(Of course, one of the big promotions could steal such a concept, but I can’t imagine any of them having the creativity to make it work.)
But this point system deal isn’t the appeal of the promotion.
The announcing, which I was down upon before, comes through to me today. The rotating crew adds depth and interest to the DVD. Whether peppering their conversations with comic book, video game and music references, or simply by selling the product in a logical and consistent manner, these guys, headed by Leonard Chikarason, are the tops.
And Ultramantis Black has rapidly risen to be my favorite heel. That guy is over-the-top! His voice, his sarcastic drivel, his Neo Solar Temple faction, and that awesome mask: what better package exists in the known universe?
“The ‘F’ is for Fun” Leonard F Chikarason
Chikarason plays the role of the booker and the lead announcer. It’s a refreshingly different perspective, with the heels constantly badgering and complaining about him, all the while taking advantage of him as a businessman (it would seem!)
Having had the pleasure of watching some old St Louis footage, and hearing Larry Matysik on the mike, there’s a resonance there. When the announcer is truly excited and interested in the happenings of the match, and the style and the promotion, it cannot be faked. There is no insincerity here, nor the overhyping or screaming. Its passionate calling of the matches, and even the revolving door of guest color announcers doesn’t detract or distract from the stability of a great lead announcer.
But off to the match-by-match reviews:
Cheech & Cloudy vs Olsen Twins
The great thing about top notch independents is that first impressions rarely hold true, and talent always trumps looks, gimmicks and everything else.
When the Olsen Twins came out, I all but groaned. Here’s a tall, pale geeky looking guy and a shorter, tanned, bearded “brother” … and then Cheech and Cloudy appear, and despite a growing reputation, the obvious short guy/tall guy tag team wrestling template was my expectation.
That was blown away in no time.
This was an incredible display of tag team wrestling craft. Talent on display, whether athleticism, wrestling skill and, most importantly, in the pacing and development of the match. In what became a theme for the CHIKARA promotion, this was a solid style, a bit subdued, but one fully appreciated by this reviewer.
What I loved was what wasn’t on display: the too-fast pacing, the senseless high-spots, the dangerous displays of violence, nor the use of tables and chairs and gimmicks.
This was just pure wrestling and professional wrestling at its best. An excellent combination of working tags, working the staples of tag team wrestling, and building to the high spots.
It’s amazing when such simple building of a match engages the crowd and the viewer, and makes the important moves all the more impressive. And to that end, this match outshines a lot of the more lauded tag team action of other promotions.
“That’s his New Gods and Fourth World training on display!”
You gotta love the comic book references!!!
Super Xtremo vs. Kris Chambers
Another strong example of building up the match to a specific high spot.
When Super Xtremo finally unleashed an Asai Moonsault, I was jumping in appreciation. Once again, its not just the move, but the building to the move, and a nicely paced style that made such a risky move vastly more meaningful.
The mixture of top notch indy talent, some from Canada, and the masked Luchador influence on another segment of the roster, creates some dynamics that work well and provide a unique style.
I know there are those in important places that think status quo is the only style that the mainstream will accept. Settling for second best isn’t something these guys are comfortable with – and the action and effort proves it. Effort is something that cannot be faked, either, and something that a viewer can get caught up into.
Mike Quackenbush vs. Tim Donst
What impresses me about a great card is the set-up of matches, building up themes and then playing off the themes. What impresses me about any great promotion is its ability to use new and unique talent and mix them into the roster, and let the characteristics develop through the matches, and by bouncing off against established stars.
Tim Donst, by the information provided by the announce team, is a 19 year old with superb wrestling skills. So Chikara, of course, highlights that background and plays it up, and then works the development in a different direction, attempting to create a new star from a rookie with great promise. What’s amazing is the simplicity of it all, but on the other hand, who’s done it on the big stage?
Regardless, this is being done in Chikara in an excellent manner.
Donst is somewhat nondescript, but the whole wrestling singlet and headgear package makes him stand out. The use of fundamental wrestling moves and skills is awesome, and again, not overdone. Some of the pinning positions are hard to describe.
But the depth of the match, and the ongoing efforts to establish Tim Donst go beyond simple analysis. Of course, having Mike Quackenbush involved means its being done right, but again, that’s far too easy to say.
The gist of the match is that Quackenbush is mopping up the floor with his young student, but Donst just can’t be put away. Moreso, Donst keeps at it, and has several near-falls and several unexpected and imaginative counters, pin-attempts and displays of offensive power.
There’s a spinning neck breaker applied by Donst on Mike Q that looked frighteningly fast. And it came from such an odd direction that it heightened the effect.
There are ways of making sure the fans know a kid’s got talent, heart and great potential.
This is the avenue to take. And it’s incredibly difficult for me to avoid mentioning Cody Runnels in passing. So I’ll leave it at that.
Incoherence vs. Neo Solar Temple
Hallowicked and Delirious as a team. That’s huge.
Neo Solar Temple cutting a promo?
That’s huger.
If you’re down with rambling, nonsensical but utterly entertaining projections of charisma, this whole segment’s for you. Ultramantis Black is awesome.
That voice! That attitude! That utterly devastating mixture of sarcasm, wit and diabiolic anger.
Set off by Hydra, who growls like Godzilla gone mad.
And that’s the praise before the match begins. What I’m loving about Chikara is that they are taking over-the-top personalities and personages and just running with it. This isn’t the myriad of very bad characters that have plagued the sport, from the Ding-Dongs to the Gobbledygooker and every bad early 1990’s WWF post cartoon, let’s do real characters nonsense.
It isn’t even the sort of Mad TV stuff that’s so bad it’s entertaining to watch.
This is pure entertainment!
With talent to spare in the ring as well…. Delirious is sporting an awesome goatee now, and that just makes the madman even madder and cooler.
Heck, I’m doing these guys a disservice by not focusing on the match, but it was by no means something to avoid.
ShaneSaw vs Osirian Portal
Shane Storm and Jigsaw are an established team that are growing apart because of attitude and direction. It’s a nice backdrop for the introduction of the Osirian Portal, which on the surface looks like a crazy bad gimmick, but these guys can rock.
Storm has that crazy mask that makes him look goofy and indecisive. Nice how that gets played up.
Amasis is being lauded as the Funky Pharoah. His early moves were scant, but suddenly he burst with some great athleticism. Ophidian acts like a human snake. It’s off-putting, but like everything else Chikara talent does, he lives the gimmick and by the end of the match, you realize that, wow! He’s got himself over and the whole gimmick as well.
It’s the kind of passion and talent that is refreshing to watch. And a mix of established and new talent that gets the new talent over.
The Colony vs. Eddie Kingston & Joker & Sabian
Once again, another great display of matchmaking, setting up the story, and potential just oozing from the talent involved.
The Colony is another on-the-surface crazy bad gimmick, but the guys pull it off. What’s amazing is seeing the serious heel (oops, rudo) mentality of the Kingston Trio come through in the opening promo of the match, where they are ranting and raving about the booker, their opponents, and … well, let me take that back. Eddie Kingston is awesome in his controlled anger promo. I mean, main event level charisma and look and potential.
The match itself was awesome as was the direction of the storyline. Multiple, multiple levels to the madness.
That leaves some names unmentioned, like Daizee Haze and Brody Lee. Haze is a great heel for the promotion. Her match had a bit of sloppiness from the debuting opponent, but ended up ok.
Lee is a giant among the roster, with that sort of build and placement that makes him meaningful.
Oh yeah, the Cibernetico. It’s not the Mexican guy of the same name, but a unique approach to a 16 man match.
The rules are clearly explained and greatly framed. Basically each team has a line up that must be followed. Guys can tag out to the next one on the line-up. If not, it’s a DQ.
With this promotion, it’s a slow paced and interesting series of match-ups, that eventually sees some pinfalls, and then picks up some great speed.
The greatness of the roster is featured, notably the Kings of Wrestling (Claudio Castignolli and Chris Hero) on the team captained by the eternal Mitch Ryder – who is an awesome promo.
The opening skit, where the rudos cackle over getting more money out of Chikarason, but Chris Hero “missed the boat” was priceless.
As was the match, with a unique display and great interactions. There are few such main events that are well worth the price of the DVD, and for this DVD, the worth was paid three times over by the time the Cibernetico itself took place.
My efforts have been to expose greatly deserving pro wrestling promotions to a more mainstream audience. In Chikara Pro, I’ve found one of the most deserving around. Not just because of the effort, the passion and the talent, but the realization that this roster, young as it is and plying the true craft of professional wrestling, is the future of the sport.
And its in great hands.
Joe Babinsack can be reached at chaosonejoe@yahoo.com. Books and DVD reviews are on the way. James Hold, MMA, fiction and some interesting autobiographies (no, not those ones!) As always, I welcome suggestions and review copies, as I search the four corners of the world for professional wrestling of note and notoriety.
CHIKARA Pro Wrestling DVD
www.chikaropro.com
$20.00
Reviewed by Joe Babinsack
It is really satisfying to watch a DVD like Cibernetico & Robin, and see that the future of professional wrestling is in great hands.
There isn’t just one good thing about the Chikara promotion. There are many: from the infusion of Lucha Libre to the interesting, logical and unique approach to professional wrestling matchmaking, from the incredible talent to the dramatic storylines, from the over-the-top characters and personalities and wrestlers to the subdued and professional nature of the in-ring talent.
A couple of months ago, I saw some really good and some really bad stuff in Chikara’s product. Fans responded – not with bitterness or anger or irrationality, but with an appeal to stick with it, that there were anomalies in that event, that the fun of Chikara wasn’t in what I saw, that it was deeper.
I thank Chikara for sending me another DVD to review.
And I’m all but begging for more!
That sort of fan base mentality is in and of itself refreshing. Knee-jerk hatred, obsessive defensiveness and a “they’re all out to get us” mentality pervades most promotional fan bases. There are some good things about that, but show me a fan base that appreciates instead of defends, and I’ll show you a promotion that is doing the right things and doesn’t need the defensiveness.
The one thing that I didn’t get about Chikara was all the talks about points. That question was quickly answered by the promotion:
Our "three point" system has to do with qualifying contenders for our tag belts, the Campeonatos de Parejas. Tag teams have to accumulate three points - by winning three CHIKARA-sanctioned tag matches in a row - to get a title shot. If they lose a match, their points go back down to zero, and the climb to contendership must begin again.
LFC
Which is an interesting and unique approach, and one that makes matches meaningful. What’s cool is that it provides various avenues to the matches made, and the efforts within the matches. Maybe being at one point isn’t that big of a deal, but having two points suddenly is a mountain climbed, that can slip away with a bad loss. The depth it imbues in the “chase” for the title is vastly interesting on several levels.
(Of course, one of the big promotions could steal such a concept, but I can’t imagine any of them having the creativity to make it work.)
But this point system deal isn’t the appeal of the promotion.
The announcing, which I was down upon before, comes through to me today. The rotating crew adds depth and interest to the DVD. Whether peppering their conversations with comic book, video game and music references, or simply by selling the product in a logical and consistent manner, these guys, headed by Leonard Chikarason, are the tops.
And Ultramantis Black has rapidly risen to be my favorite heel. That guy is over-the-top! His voice, his sarcastic drivel, his Neo Solar Temple faction, and that awesome mask: what better package exists in the known universe?
“The ‘F’ is for Fun” Leonard F Chikarason
Chikarason plays the role of the booker and the lead announcer. It’s a refreshingly different perspective, with the heels constantly badgering and complaining about him, all the while taking advantage of him as a businessman (it would seem!)
Having had the pleasure of watching some old St Louis footage, and hearing Larry Matysik on the mike, there’s a resonance there. When the announcer is truly excited and interested in the happenings of the match, and the style and the promotion, it cannot be faked. There is no insincerity here, nor the overhyping or screaming. Its passionate calling of the matches, and even the revolving door of guest color announcers doesn’t detract or distract from the stability of a great lead announcer.
But off to the match-by-match reviews:
Cheech & Cloudy vs Olsen Twins
The great thing about top notch independents is that first impressions rarely hold true, and talent always trumps looks, gimmicks and everything else.
When the Olsen Twins came out, I all but groaned. Here’s a tall, pale geeky looking guy and a shorter, tanned, bearded “brother” … and then Cheech and Cloudy appear, and despite a growing reputation, the obvious short guy/tall guy tag team wrestling template was my expectation.
That was blown away in no time.
This was an incredible display of tag team wrestling craft. Talent on display, whether athleticism, wrestling skill and, most importantly, in the pacing and development of the match. In what became a theme for the CHIKARA promotion, this was a solid style, a bit subdued, but one fully appreciated by this reviewer.
What I loved was what wasn’t on display: the too-fast pacing, the senseless high-spots, the dangerous displays of violence, nor the use of tables and chairs and gimmicks.
This was just pure wrestling and professional wrestling at its best. An excellent combination of working tags, working the staples of tag team wrestling, and building to the high spots.
It’s amazing when such simple building of a match engages the crowd and the viewer, and makes the important moves all the more impressive. And to that end, this match outshines a lot of the more lauded tag team action of other promotions.
“That’s his New Gods and Fourth World training on display!”
You gotta love the comic book references!!!
Super Xtremo vs. Kris Chambers
Another strong example of building up the match to a specific high spot.
When Super Xtremo finally unleashed an Asai Moonsault, I was jumping in appreciation. Once again, its not just the move, but the building to the move, and a nicely paced style that made such a risky move vastly more meaningful.
The mixture of top notch indy talent, some from Canada, and the masked Luchador influence on another segment of the roster, creates some dynamics that work well and provide a unique style.
I know there are those in important places that think status quo is the only style that the mainstream will accept. Settling for second best isn’t something these guys are comfortable with – and the action and effort proves it. Effort is something that cannot be faked, either, and something that a viewer can get caught up into.
Mike Quackenbush vs. Tim Donst
What impresses me about a great card is the set-up of matches, building up themes and then playing off the themes. What impresses me about any great promotion is its ability to use new and unique talent and mix them into the roster, and let the characteristics develop through the matches, and by bouncing off against established stars.
Tim Donst, by the information provided by the announce team, is a 19 year old with superb wrestling skills. So Chikara, of course, highlights that background and plays it up, and then works the development in a different direction, attempting to create a new star from a rookie with great promise. What’s amazing is the simplicity of it all, but on the other hand, who’s done it on the big stage?
Regardless, this is being done in Chikara in an excellent manner.
Donst is somewhat nondescript, but the whole wrestling singlet and headgear package makes him stand out. The use of fundamental wrestling moves and skills is awesome, and again, not overdone. Some of the pinning positions are hard to describe.
But the depth of the match, and the ongoing efforts to establish Tim Donst go beyond simple analysis. Of course, having Mike Quackenbush involved means its being done right, but again, that’s far too easy to say.
The gist of the match is that Quackenbush is mopping up the floor with his young student, but Donst just can’t be put away. Moreso, Donst keeps at it, and has several near-falls and several unexpected and imaginative counters, pin-attempts and displays of offensive power.
There’s a spinning neck breaker applied by Donst on Mike Q that looked frighteningly fast. And it came from such an odd direction that it heightened the effect.
There are ways of making sure the fans know a kid’s got talent, heart and great potential.
This is the avenue to take. And it’s incredibly difficult for me to avoid mentioning Cody Runnels in passing. So I’ll leave it at that.
Incoherence vs. Neo Solar Temple
Hallowicked and Delirious as a team. That’s huge.
Neo Solar Temple cutting a promo?
That’s huger.
If you’re down with rambling, nonsensical but utterly entertaining projections of charisma, this whole segment’s for you. Ultramantis Black is awesome.
That voice! That attitude! That utterly devastating mixture of sarcasm, wit and diabiolic anger.
Set off by Hydra, who growls like Godzilla gone mad.
And that’s the praise before the match begins. What I’m loving about Chikara is that they are taking over-the-top personalities and personages and just running with it. This isn’t the myriad of very bad characters that have plagued the sport, from the Ding-Dongs to the Gobbledygooker and every bad early 1990’s WWF post cartoon, let’s do real characters nonsense.
It isn’t even the sort of Mad TV stuff that’s so bad it’s entertaining to watch.
This is pure entertainment!
With talent to spare in the ring as well…. Delirious is sporting an awesome goatee now, and that just makes the madman even madder and cooler.
Heck, I’m doing these guys a disservice by not focusing on the match, but it was by no means something to avoid.
ShaneSaw vs Osirian Portal
Shane Storm and Jigsaw are an established team that are growing apart because of attitude and direction. It’s a nice backdrop for the introduction of the Osirian Portal, which on the surface looks like a crazy bad gimmick, but these guys can rock.
Storm has that crazy mask that makes him look goofy and indecisive. Nice how that gets played up.
Amasis is being lauded as the Funky Pharoah. His early moves were scant, but suddenly he burst with some great athleticism. Ophidian acts like a human snake. It’s off-putting, but like everything else Chikara talent does, he lives the gimmick and by the end of the match, you realize that, wow! He’s got himself over and the whole gimmick as well.
It’s the kind of passion and talent that is refreshing to watch. And a mix of established and new talent that gets the new talent over.
The Colony vs. Eddie Kingston & Joker & Sabian
Once again, another great display of matchmaking, setting up the story, and potential just oozing from the talent involved.
The Colony is another on-the-surface crazy bad gimmick, but the guys pull it off. What’s amazing is seeing the serious heel (oops, rudo) mentality of the Kingston Trio come through in the opening promo of the match, where they are ranting and raving about the booker, their opponents, and … well, let me take that back. Eddie Kingston is awesome in his controlled anger promo. I mean, main event level charisma and look and potential.
The match itself was awesome as was the direction of the storyline. Multiple, multiple levels to the madness.
That leaves some names unmentioned, like Daizee Haze and Brody Lee. Haze is a great heel for the promotion. Her match had a bit of sloppiness from the debuting opponent, but ended up ok.
Lee is a giant among the roster, with that sort of build and placement that makes him meaningful.
Oh yeah, the Cibernetico. It’s not the Mexican guy of the same name, but a unique approach to a 16 man match.
The rules are clearly explained and greatly framed. Basically each team has a line up that must be followed. Guys can tag out to the next one on the line-up. If not, it’s a DQ.
With this promotion, it’s a slow paced and interesting series of match-ups, that eventually sees some pinfalls, and then picks up some great speed.
The greatness of the roster is featured, notably the Kings of Wrestling (Claudio Castignolli and Chris Hero) on the team captained by the eternal Mitch Ryder – who is an awesome promo.
The opening skit, where the rudos cackle over getting more money out of Chikarason, but Chris Hero “missed the boat” was priceless.
As was the match, with a unique display and great interactions. There are few such main events that are well worth the price of the DVD, and for this DVD, the worth was paid three times over by the time the Cibernetico itself took place.
My efforts have been to expose greatly deserving pro wrestling promotions to a more mainstream audience. In Chikara Pro, I’ve found one of the most deserving around. Not just because of the effort, the passion and the talent, but the realization that this roster, young as it is and plying the true craft of professional wrestling, is the future of the sport.
And its in great hands.
Joe Babinsack can be reached at chaosonejoe@yahoo.com. Books and DVD reviews are on the way. James Hold, MMA, fiction and some interesting autobiographies (no, not those ones!) As always, I welcome suggestions and review copies, as I search the four corners of the world for professional wrestling of note and notoriety.