4.11.2020
Championship Rundown
Grand Champion: Dasher Hatfield
Campeones de Parejas: Solo Darling & Willow Nightingale
Young Lions Cup Champion: TBD
Commentary is provided by Jason Worthington (a new name for the former Jason Heat) and Sidney Bakabella.
This episode just happened to air on the ninth anniversary of Larry Sweeney’s passing. CHIKARA dedicated this broadcast in his memory:
The Xyberhawx 2000 (Razerhawk and Danjerhawk) split their prediction for the Young Lions Cup tournament between Boomer Hatfield and Green Ant. They make a wager that whoever guesses correctly the tournament winner gets a six pack of A-Treat Orange Cream soda.
Thief Ant {C} vs. Sonny Defarge
“Young Lions Cup XVI” – Philadelphia, PA – 1.18.2020
Sonny Defarge seems to be taking his career in a new path focusing on singles competition, as in a pre-match promo he stated he would do whatever it takes to become Grand Champion. Here he showcased his strength and gross out tactics against Thief Ant, who mimicked many of them back at Defarge. Defarge’s strength allowed him to halt Thief Ant’s monkey flip and send him into the buckles. Defarge pulled Thief Ant up from the mat by his throat, then crashed him into the mat with the Fever Dream for the pin at 4:21. If Defarge is indeed going it alone for the time being, this was a great way to start that trajectory of his career. Given Thief Ant has lost two-thirds of his overall singles matches in CHIKARA, he should probably consider sticking with team competition. **¼
We are shown some footage of Dasher Hatfield training folks at the Wrestle Factory.
Icarus {F} & Travis Huckabee {F} vs. Mike Maraldo & Tony Webb
“National Pro Wrestling Day 2020” – Philadelphia, PA – 2.8.2020
For some reasons the jobbers were renamed Butch Banks and Rock Warner for the Action Arcade broadcast. With Tony Deppen no longer on the CHIKARA roster, Icarus and Huckabee start a new chapter in Season 21 as a consistent duo. To no surprise F.I.S.T. gobbled up the opposition in just 3:43, introducing a new tandem finisher called “Custer’s Last Stand” (a dropkick from Icarus to the side of the opponent’s head as Huckabee holds them on the mat in place with his feet placed on the other side of their head.) Much better than “Custer’s Revenge.” *½
Sam Laterna brings us the Cibernetico Report. Ophidian is revealed as the captain of the Crucible’s Cibernetico team. Although he has been in Cibernetico’s before, this will be his first time as a captain. Ophidian says the team built by Mike Quackenbush cannot compare to the cohesive unit of the Crucible. He hopes Quackenbush places himself last in the batting order, so that the Crucible can eliminate him last after they have eliminated his entire team. The entire Crucible will then be happy to fight one another until one is left standing. Mike Quackenbush says he and Ophidian knew this encounter was inevitable. Quackenbush believes Ophidian is a hypocrite – his words and his actions never seem to line up. Ophidian may believe that the fire reveals what the flesh conceals, but Quackenbush plans to extinguish that fire.
Joshua Wells, JoSue Ibañez & Xavier Faraday vs. Lance Steel {TC}, Devantes {TC} & Tunku Amir {TC}
“National Pro Wrestling Day 2020” – Philadelphia, PA – 2.8.2020
Frey Nassar is in the Crucible’s corner. Wells is nursing an injury to his right shoulder. The Forged trio showed some excellent team work against Steel and Devantes, with Faraday especially taking Devantes to task. Ibañez unfortunately missed a corner splash on Devantes, and Amir wasted no time wiping him out with a spear to turn the match in the Crucible’s favor. Ibañez took down Steel with a satellite jawbreaker, and then Amir with a satellite DDT for the opening to tag in Faraday. Nassar pulled Devantes out of the ring after Faraday landed a moonsault onto him. He also tripped Wells as he came in to save Faraday from Amir, giving Amir the opening to hit the Sling-a-Pore on Faraday for the pin at 7:44. While it’s very unfortunate Wells’ injury meant minimal participation from him in this match, it gave Faraday the opportunity to shine. This match also continued the subtle story of the Crucible being less effective in non-Crucible, non-singles bouts, thus needing the outside interference to be victorious. This was a good match to continue this rivalry while showing the flaws of both teams, while also highlighting Faraday’s fun offense. **½
Scott Holladay gives us a Campeones de Parejas point update on this week’s Scoreboard. F.I.S.T. as well as Sonny Defarge & The Spoiler each have 1 point. The current Campeones are standing by. They are thirsty for some competition, and are wondering who will be the first team to get the necessary three points. Solo seems to be hoping its F.I.S.T., but Willow says no matter which team it is, they are waiting with smiles on their faces.
Razerhawk {X2K} vs. Rocco Gibraltar
“National Pro Wrestling Day 2020” – Philadelphia, PA – 2.8.2020
As expected, Razerhawk smashed Gibraltar in little time, pinning him with the Razer’s Edge in 1:58. Nothing wrong with that.
Sam Laterna brings us the Event Center. Molly McCoy says the Hatfield’s and McCoy’s have winners’ blood running through them – except Boomer Hatfield; he is just going to disappoint the family again in the Young Lions Cup tournament. She will treat him no differently than the other competitors in the tournament. Donna Rama says we may think we have gotten to know her the past two weeks on the Action Arcade, but we’ll see exactly who she can be and what she can do when the tournament begins. Jack Ball is representing Fight Club: Pro in the Young Lions Cup tournament, following in the footsteps of previous CHIKARA visitors Tyler Bate, Dan Moloney, and Omari. He knows nothing would make those gentlemen happier than if he brought the Young Lions Cup back to Wolverhampton, England. The Event Center ends with the first words from The Red Queen and One-Eyed Jack. The Queen says this pair will beat any house.
The time has come – the Young Lions Cup XVI tournament is kicking off in our main event!
Young Lions Cup XVI Quarter-Final Elimination Match
Boomer Hatfield vs. Jack Ball {FCP} vs. Masha Slamovich vs. Max The Impaler
“Young Lions Cup XVI” – Philadelphia, PA – 1.18.2020
Jack Ball defeated Omari, who was a finalist in the Young Lions Cup tournament two years prior, at an ATTACK! Pro Wrestling event to earn his spot in this year’s tournament. His finesse won him the opening exchange with Slamovich, but served no use against the size and strength of Max. Boomer was womanhandled by Max and Slamovich. Ball then destroyed the back of Slamovich’s head with a missile dropkick. He accidentally overhand chopped Max, leading to Max and Slamovish working together to take Ball out. Boomer and Slamovich worked together to send Max outside, but then Slamovich took out Boomer and dove onto them both. Although Jack Ball hit a spaceman senton onto all of his competitors, Slamovich evaded a Diamond Dust from him back in the ring and drilled Ball with a Tiger Driver ‘91 to eliminate him at 8:48. Boomer took out Slamovich right away with a Meteora, only for Max to spear Boomer as soon as he got to his feet, eliminating one of last year’s finalists at 9:05. Slamovich put up an incredible fight against Max, even getting a nearfall with a German suplex. Max was too much for her though, and a Snake Eyes and spear gave Max the win at 10:47. The audience was so responsive to Max it would have seemed like a missed opportunity to not have her move on to the second rove, even if it meant busting many brackets with Boomer being ousted so early. The smaller stories of the match were interwoven smoothly, which aided in transitioning Slamovich from a Rudo to Tecnico by the end of the contest. Given the poise he showed while still in his salad days, I am very interested to see where Ball ends up in the upcoming years. ***
NEXT WEEK: More Young Lions Cup XVI action, and The Whisper vs. Mobius in singles action.
In a post-credits scene, we see Joshua Wells grabbing a beverage out of the Wrestle Factory refrigerator. Inside there is a six pack of A-Treat Orange Cream Soda with a red bow and a post-it note that says “Danjer” stuck to it.
The CHIKARA Special 