By Sean Radican, Torch columnist

RADICAN’S CHIKARA DVD REVIEW SERIES
“CAUGHT IN THE SPIDER’S DEN”
FEB. 26, 2012
LONG ISLAND, N.Y.

The show began with a hilarious promo from Francis Kipland Stevens promo. Stevens, dressed like a nerd, said he was straight out of Compton! He then went to head to the ring, but had to turn around once he realized he was going the wrong way.

(1) Kobald beat Francis Kipland Stevens. Stevens danced his way down to the ring to Notorious B.I.G.’s “Hypnotize” and I nearly lost it because it was so funny. The crowd went nuts for Stevens, who took off his nerdy glasses and put on some recreational goggles to wrestle in. There was a lot of comedy hear, as Stevens wanted Kobald to dance, but Kobald took him down and worked him over. At one point, Kobald stole Stevens’s glasses, which was pretty darn funny. In the end Kobald won with the demon toilet off the top. This was fun! (**)

3.0 cut a funny promo before their match against the Throwbacks, but they eventually got serious when talking about how if they beat them, they would get their third point and a shot at the tag titles.

(2) 3.0 (Scott Parker & Shane Matthews) beat The Throwbacks (Dasher Hatfield & Mark “Mr. Touchdown” Angelosetti). They did some comedy during the early stages of the match when Matthews put the boots to Mr. Touchdown’s entrance sign, which looked like something a high school football would break through when running out to the field. They did some baseball related comedy with Hatfield calling his shot and trying to hit a homerun on Parker. Parker ducked Hatfield several times before Hatfield connected, which was pretty funny. At one point, Matthews and Hatfield traded insults with Hatfield freaking out after Matthews told him he plays baseball like a girl. Once the action got serious, the wrestling was pretty darn good here. 3.0 ended up getting the win with a combination spear on Mr. Touchdown. 3.0 now has the right to challenge for the tag titles after earning their third point. (**1/2)

(3) Ophidian beat Archibald Peck (w/Veronica). They’re teasing tension between Veronica and Peck. Peck wasn’t happy when Mr. Touchdown flexed his pectorals at Veronica when he was making his entrance. The fans seem to be getting behind Peck now as well, which didn’t make Veronica happy during this match. Peck dominated the action early until Ophidian snapped his neck over the top rope. The fans tried to rally behind Peck, but Ophidian cut off his comeback with a kick to the head. Peck finally caught Ophidian with a spinning gut buster. Ophidian grounded him a short time later with a nerve hold. Peck mounted another comeback, but the cheers of the crowd got to him when he signaled for the finish and he took too much time, which allowed Ophidian to roll him up for the win. Ophidian didn’t have his best night here, as his offense just wasn’t that exciting while working heel. (*3/4)

Delirious came out and cut a long promo that didn’t get much of a reaction as it went on. He blamed UltraMantis Black for his two years of being under a spell and promised to torment him until 2014 to get his revenge on him. If the promo had been a little shorter, it might have worked better in front of this crowd.

Gran Akuma cut a promo backstage. He said his first match in his trail series to get a match against Icarus would take place tonight against Chuck Taylor. Akuma promised that Taylor would get a look at the brand new Akuma tonight.

Icarus did the ring introductions and did a good job for Taylor, but ended up making fun of Akuma’s name while introducing him.

(4) Gran Akuma beat Chuck Taylor in a Trial Series match. Icarus stayed on the outside after doing the introductions. He distracted Akuma during the early stages of the match by spitting his drink at him from the outside. Taylor took advantage and put a beating on Akuma. Akuma finally mounted a comeback and finished off a flurry of offense with a big clothesline. They went back and forth down the stretch. Akuma missed a moonsault and Taylor went for the awful waffle, but Akuma countered it into a pinning combination for the pin. (***1/4)

After the match, Icarus jumped Akuma and Taylor joined him in the beat down. After Icarus and Taylor left, Akuma got up to a nice ovation from the crowd.

(5) Sara Del Rey beat Saturyne. The announcers noted that this was Saturyne’s fourth match and that Del Rey is her idol. Del Rey dominated the action during the early stages of the match. Saturyne mounted a nice comeback with a springboard splash for a 2 count. Del Rey dominated most of the action down the stretch, but she couldn’t put Saturyne away. Del Rey finally caught her with the butterfly suplex for the win. The match was good while it lasted and Saturyne was improved from the last time I saw her. (*3/4)

After the match, Del Rey raised Saturyne’s hand.

Colt Cabana cut a promo backstage. He said he was supposed to wrestle Sugar Dunkerton, but he’s not in CHIKARA now, so he’s going to challenge the next best black wrestler in UltraMantis Black. This was a funny promo.

(6) UltraMantis Black beat Colt Cabana. Cabana is so good in these type of matches and they did a lot of comedy here that included some dancing with Black during the early stages of the match. The ref got involved and Cabana tricked him with the old look up and then slap the face spot. It was hilarious when the ref got his revenge on Cabana later in the match by telling Cabana to look up while he was holding the ropes to break a submission from Black. Cabana looked up and the ref slapped him in the face and the fans went crazy. The pace picked up down the stretch, but Black ended up getting the win by rolling up Cabana when he went for the flying hip attack. (***1/4)

(7) Tim Donst & Jakob Hammermeier & Obariyon & Kodama vs. Mike Quackenbush & Jigsaw & Fire Ant & Soldier Ant went to a No Contest. This was a really fun match while it lasted. The heels isolated Fire Ant for a long period of time and worked him over in the ring. Of course, Fire Ant’s partners tried to help him out, which resulted in the heels getting away with a plethora of dirty tactics. Fire Ant finally made the hot tag and Quackenbush ran wild on Obariyon. They did a big sequence of dives to the outside that was capped by a huge moonsault from Quackenbush that had the crowd going nuts. Fire Ant eventually fought off Donst and climbed up to a fire poll on the outside before hitting a splash onto everyone. Green Ant came down to the ring, but it turned out to be a fake one. The real Green Ant tried to warn the faces that it wasn’t him. The fake Green Ant took off his mask to reveal a new ant mask and attacked Quackenbush to end the match. (***1/2)

Several wrestlers in sweatshirts and ant masks entered the ring and beat up the babyfaces. They tried to unmask Jigsaw, Fire Ant, and Solider Ant, but several wrestlers ran out from the back to make the save. This was an intriguing new angle with the invading ant stable debuting.

(8) CHIKARA Grand Champion Eddie Kingston beat Vin Gerard. The stipulation here was that if Gerard loses, he had to retire from wrestling. The announcers did a good job of selling the intense storyline going into this match, as they talked about Gerard injuring Kingston’s knee several months back before the “High Noon” iPPV where Kingston beat Quackenbush to become the first Grand Champion. They brawled all over the venue before the match ended up back in the ring. I thought it was a nice touch that the ref told Gerard he wasn’t afraid to DQ him and end his career when Gerard tried to take some short cuts. Gerard continually worked over Kingston’s knee throughout the match and Kingston sold it well. Towards the end of the match, Kingston from his knees told Gerard to bring it shortly before nailing him with a spinning back fist for a nearfall. Kingston ended up finishing off Gerard with two spinning back fists for the pin. This was a good, intense match. (***1/2)

After the match, Kingston tossed Gerard out of the ring and posed to end the show.

Bonus: They showed some fans playing some trivia to win a CHIKARA prize pack prior to the show.

Overall thoughts: (7.0) – This was a fun show from start to finish. There wasn’t anything that’s must-see on the card outside of the debut of the new stable of ants, which was an intriguing development in CHIKARA. The thing this show has going for it is that it’s fun from start to finish and nearly everything on the card had a purpose in front of an appreciative crowd in Long Island.

I laughed at seeing Steven’s playing the hip-hop nerd for the first time. His gimmick is funny and perfect for CHIKARA. His match with Kobald was a lot of fun and very similar to the UltraMantis Black-Colt Cabana match later in the evening. Both matches demonstrated why CHIKARA is so much fun to watch, as there’s comedy mixed with good wrestling that is totally enjoyable to watch.

The Throwbacks vs. 3.0 match was also a lot of fun, as a baseball game broke out in the middle of a wrestling match. I really enjoyed Matthews and Hatfield throwing insults back and forth and Hatfield going nuts when Matthews told him he plays baseball like a girl. Of course, the action picked up and both teams delivered in the ring.

Akuma vs. Taylor was a good match with a solid built-in storylines, as Akuma has to win a series of matches to get his hands on Icarus in the ring. They had a good match and the beat down on Akuma after the match only served to heat things up going forward.

The 8 Man Tag was a really fun match with four babyfaces matched up against four cheating heels. The match started a little slowly, but all 8 man really heated things up when they went to the sequence of dives. I really enjoy matches like this and the crowd, which was hot for just about everything on this show, exploded for the dive sequence. I thought the debut of the new ant stable was well done, so I didn’t mind the match being cut short for their debut and attack on the babyfaces. I liked how everyone ran out from the back once the new heel stable went after the masks of the babyfaces.

The main event was a solid brawl with Vin Gerard putting his career on the line against CHIKARA Grand Champion Eddie Kingston. They had been building to this match for several months after Gerard injured Kingston’s knee prior to him winning the 12 Large Summit Tournament at “High Noon.” Kingston did a good job of selling his knee throughout the match and made a nice comeback before putting Gerard away and ending his career.

This show gets a solid recommendation. The matches are fun and there is a lot of storyline development, which is one of CHIKARA’s strengths.

You can purchase this release at SmartMarkVideo.com.

***

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