Chikarasurus Rex: How To Hatch A Dinosaur

Hallowicked gets berated by Tim Donst. Photo by Flickr user Rick Foster.

A few weeks ago Chikara Pro Wrestling held their annual Chikarasaurus Rex event. This year’s installment, entitled “How To Hatch A Dinosaur.” I ordered the event live on internet pay per view on Go Fight Live, but only got to view it this past weekend. I got about an hour into it, and was side-tracked by a run through a cemetery while in need for band-aids. But that’s a story for another time.

The show was held at the Trocadero Theater in Philadelphia. I spent most of the mid-aughts going there to see a bunch of metal shows. Watching “How To Hatch A Dinosaur” made me miss those carefree days of yesteryear.

Anyway, about Chikara. This was a fun show to watch from top to bottom. The hair vs. mask match between Hallowicked and Tim Donst was superb, as was the ladder match with Akuma trying to take back his spot on the roster from Icarus.

The main event of F.I.S.T. versus the Young Bucks was amazing and blows away any preconceived notions about what a wrestling match is supposed to be, and at the same time shows why some of the best matches are not the ones you see on television.

If you’re a lapsed fan or just never followed Chikara too much, this is a great introduction. There about halfway through their 2012 season, and this show settles a bunch of feuds as well as starts new ones. You can view it online over at Smart Mark Video.

Chikara: I’ll Be A Mummy’s Uncle

Battling insects? A marching bandleader turned mixed martial artist and a football player fighting for the affections of a drum majorette? Demons from the Bled Isle in Slovenia? That’s typical in the world of Chikara Pro Wrestling.

This past Saturday, Chikara came to Rahway, NJ to hold the event “I’ll Be A Mummy’s Uncle.” You can view my pictures from the show here or in the slide show above.

Chikara blends elements of American, Japanese and Mexican professional wrestling styles with a healthy amount of comedy and comic book like characters to create something that is completely different. The main event featured Chikara stalwart ants the Colony teaming up with the promotion’s Grand Champion Eddie Kingston against a group of evil doppelgängers called the Gekido in a really awesome match that was really intense.

I got to pose/meet with the evil serpent warrior Ophidian.

We were also treated to a comic book story/match with Ultramantis Black trying to win back his staff (think like Skeletor’s Havoc Staff) from the evil Ophidian. There was even the wacky comedy match of Mr. Touchdown fighting Archibald Peck, which was filled with mixed martial arts jokes.

If Chikara is having an event near you, by all means try go attend. Check out their website; they are having a contest where you can win tickets and travel to their June 2 show in Philadelphia, just a few doors down from the Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Show.

Let’s Draw Demolition!

At my day job we’re getting ready to move to a new section of the building, and I uncovered this lunchtime sketch I did of one of my favorite wrestling tag teams/groups growing up, Demolition. It might be because of them I developed a fondness for the band KISS.

Growing up, my parents did not like that I would watch wrestling, so I would have to sneak downstairs to watch it early in the morning. Needless to say, I never got the chance to see Demolition wrestle in their prime.

I did get to see them wrestle for Chikara Pro’s King of Trios weekend in 2008. They may have been the oldest wrestlers there, but they certainly still knew how to put on a fun match. I even got to chit-chat with them after the show, and Axe and Smash were super cool.

How awesome was their theme song? I’m sure you will have it stuck in your head all day.