THE OFFICIAL CHIKARA KING OF TRIOS TOURNAMENT COMPETITOR BREAKDOWN AND PREVIEW
By Joshua Higham on 2011-03-25 01:10:42
King of Trios 2011
The Asylum Arena
South Philadelphia, PA
April 15, 16, and 17, 2011
Friday and Saturday belltimes are 7:30 pm. Sunday belltime is 4 pm.
Saturday afternoon will feature the 4th Annual Fan Conclave starting at 2:30pm with a performance from Stan Bush, who provides the official theme song for the event, “The Touch.”
Teams announced:
Team FIST (Chuck Taylor, Icarus, and Johnny Gargano)
Team FIST won this tournament in 2009, but that was a different team. Icarus and Chuck Taylor turned on Gran Akuma last July at Chikarasaurus Rex and replaced him with Johnny Gargano. They don’t have much experience as a trio, but they’ve had success in trios action, defeating 3.0 and Soldier Ant in Brooklyn and Da Soul Touchaz in Baltimore before getting their first loss to the new Osirian Portal in Philly. Taylor and Icarus are an experienced duo, and Taylor and Gargano are gaining experience as a duo in other companies. Can this team continue to gel and go far in the tournament, especially after Chuck Taylor and Johnny Gargano has just returned from a three week tour with Dragon Gate in Japan?
The Colony (Fire Ant, Soldier Ant, and Green Ant)
Last year’s finalists return to the King of Trios. It’s been a tough year for the Colony with Fire Ant and Green Ant both spending some time on the sidelines with injuries. They were close to winning last year’s tournament before succumbing to the BDK’s Ragnarok and a crooked referee. The fan-favorites actually haven’t won a match as a trio since the tournament last year. Fire Ant and Soldier Ant recently challenged for the Campeonatos de Parejas in Brooklyn, but came up short. And Green Ant hasn’t been victorious since returning from injury.
The Osirian Portal (Amasis, Ophidian, and Hieracon)
The Osirian Portal has finally found their third for the team. Jonathan Gresham has transformed into Hieracon in January after first teaming with Amasis and Ophidian in December. The search for a third lasted for months including teaming with Drake Younger last July. The Osirian Portal, the original duo, was the pick to replace Skayde’s team last year at King of Trios with Sara Del Rey as their randomly selected third. Del Rey was no help as that paired trio fell in the first round to the eventual winners. The Portal hasn’t had much success in their King of Trios history, never getting out of the second round. But this new trio is so far undefeated and could have the most momentum of any team in the field.
Da Soul Touchaz (Acid Jaz, Willie Richardson, and Marshe Rockett)
Da Soul Touchaz were held out of the tournament last year by the previous Director of Fun. In trios action later in the year, however, Da Soul Touchaz was defeated multiple versions on BDK, including the reigning King of Trios, before being laid out by the BDK in November and losing by DQ in January when Lince Dorado unmasked and threw it to Willie “Da Bomb” Richardson. Their sights have been on the BDK after the assault in November put their manager, C-Red, and valet, Dymond, out of wrestling. Da Soul Touchaz made it to the Second Round in their previous tournament action in 2008 and 2009.
The Throwbacks (Sugar Dunkerton, Dasher Hatfield, and Matt Classic)
Sugar Dunkerton and Dasher Hatfield again join with Matt Classic to enter the tournament. This same threesome lost to FIST in the first round in 2010. The Throwbacks, as a tag team, has been gaining some steam in 2010, feuding with the Roughnecks recently. Both members have toured internationally in the past year, with Dasher going to Japan and Sugar going to Ireland. Dunkerton and Hatfield have been rolling with wins the past few events as tag team, but Matt Classic will bring a new dynamic. Success in the tournament would be a huge feather in the caps (or afros), but as a trio, they still will be viewed as underdogs.
Mike Quackenbush, Jigsaw, and Manami Toyota
Manami Toyota, arguably the greatest female wrestler ever, will team with the current Campeonatos de Parejas in her second trip to the United States for Chikara. Of course, this means Toyota will be competing in her first King of Trios, but her teammates have had success. The last time Quack and Jigsaw teamed together for the tournament was the inaugural tournament in 2007 when they won with Shane Storm (now Stigma) completing that trio. Jigsaw has been in one other tournament, teaming with his former The Future is Now mates, Jimmy “Equinox” Olsen and Helios. Quackenbush has had a variety of different teammates with varying levels of success: Shane Storm (twice), Jorge “Skayde” Rivera (twice), Johnny Saint, Hallowicked, and Frightmare have all shared the apron with Quack. Good news for Quack and Jigsaw: only once has the reigning Campeones de Parejas failed to reach the semifinals.
Sinn Bodhi and the Batiri (Obariyon and Kodama)
The newest trio formed in Chikara has entered the tournament. “Kizarny” Sinn Bodhi is embroiled in a war with Ultramantis Black over a bad business deal. Bodhi was hired to train new minions for Ultramantis, but when Ultramantis couldn’t produce payment (in the form of the Eye of Tyr), Kizarny took back the henchmen, known as the Batiri. Obariyon and Kodama have been impressive in their short time in Chikara, defeating Super Smash Brothers and Osirian Portal, both former Campeones de Parejas, as well as Incoherence. They even challenged for the Campeonatos de Parejas in just their fifth match as a tag team in Chikara. Obariyon’s Flying DDT is as devastating as any move in Chikara today. Just ask Player Dos.
Bruderschaft des Kreuzes (Tim Donst, Delirious, and Jakob Hammermeier)
Last year, a team representing the BDK (Claudio Castagnoli, Ares, and Tursas) won the tournament. We’ve already know that specific trio will not enter this year’s tournament and that the BDK will be represented by a single team, unlike the 2 1/3 of last year. So, this year, Tim Donst has taken it upon himself to captain the BDK team and “find the top tier choices.” Donst has had quite a bit of success on his quest to prove he’s not just the self-proclaimed “Greatest Young Lions Cup Champion Ever,” and captaining a team to a KoT victory would continue to boost his ego. Recently, he has finally picked Delirious (to bring the crazy to “complement [his] textbook skill”) and Jakob Hammermeier, as seemingly an initiation into the world of wrestling.
Team Australia (Percy T, Kabel, and Tama Williams)
Coming from New Horizons Pro Wrestling, these three men will join together for national pride and to represent their home company. Percy T is a tall, skinny, and nerdy wrestler, who is currently involved a relationship with Shimmer star Jessie McKay in NHPW. Kabel, “The Walking Death Sentence” is 6’10” 290lbs, billed as the tallest wrestler active in Australia. Tama Williams is of Samoan descent, a former Art of Fighting Champion in NHPW, who hopes to do some training at the Wild Samoan facility. You can follow these three on Twitter during their American tour at @percytizzle, @mrkabel, and @tamawilliams.
Team Michinoku Pro (Jinsei Shinzaki, The Great Sasuke, and Dick Togo)
Jinsei Shinzaki. The Great Sasuke. Dick Togo. Puro fans rejoice at the announcement of this group. Dick Togo will make his final American appearances before his retirement later this year. The Great Sasuke hasn’t wrestled in America in over a decade. Jinsei Shinzaki (the former Hakushi) hasn’t since ECW’s Heat Wave 98. Three puro legends in an extremely rare stateside appearance: a dream trio of junior heavyweights indeed. It’s not quite a once in a lifetime appearance, but it’s pretty close.
Team Osaka Pro (Daisuke Harada, Atsushi Kotoge & Ultimate Spider Jr.)
Team Osaka Pro was represented in last year’s tournament, making it to the semifinals before losing to the Colony. Two of the men that formed last year’s team—Daisuke Harada and Atsuski Kotoge—return with Ultimate Spider Jr., making his first trip to America, as their new team member. Last year, Team Osaka Pro defeated the Unstable and FIST in somewhat of a surprise run. Can that magic strike twice? Osaka Pro has a bit of history with Chikara athletes with a group of Chikara wrestlers toured with Osaka Pro last October. For more information on Osaka Pro, go to osakahurricane.com.
Amazing Red and The Maximos
Amazing Red reunites with the The Maximos for the King of Trios. Red has had a career resurgence since returning from his massive knee injury, including his current run in TNA winning the X Division Championship twice. The Maximos were stars on the Northeast indy scene, the weekly TNA PPVs, and the early days of Ring of Honor. But with Jose retiring last year, Will, a cousin of Joel and Jose, has stepped up and joined the Maximo team.
¡3.Ole! (El Generico, Scott “Jagged” Parker, and Shane Matthews)
El Generico will join with 3.0 to form a team for the King of Trios. 3.0 has had a great year since ditching the denim and getting serious, even challenging for the Campeonatos de Parejas in Baltimore last fall. Parker and Matthews have not participated in a King of Trios since the inaugural one in 2007 when they teamed with Max Boyer. El Generico hasn’t had much success in his two previous KoT outings, making the second round with Player Uno and Stupefied and losing in the first with The Young Bucks.
The Spectral Envoy (Ultramantis Black, Hallowicked, and Frightmare)
The war with the BDK has turned Ultramantis Black into one of the top crusaders for Chikara. The Order of the Neo Solar Temple is seemingly gone, and replacing it is this alliance with Hallowicked and Frightmare. Ultramantis Black called a truce with Hallowicked last December, which provided immediate dividends when Ultramantis was attacked by Sinn Bodhi and the Batiri. None of these men have had much success in this tournament (only Hallowicked has made it to the semifinals, back in 2008), but they are now, easily, one of the most popular trios representing Chikara.
Team Minnesota (Arik Cannon, Darin Corbin, and The 1-2-3 Kid)
Minnesota was one of the cornerstone territories with a strong legacy of producing amazing talents. The Land of 1000 Lakes will be represented by the former Young Lions Cupholder Arik Cannon, one half of the North Star Express, Darin Corbin, and former WWF Tag Team Champion, 1-2-3 Kid. That’s right, Sean Waltman will once again, and probably for the last time, become the 1-2-3 Kid to team with two mainstays from F1RST Wrestling in Minnesota. Arik Cannon and Darin Corbin have teamed as members of The F1RST Family the last three years (along with Ryan Cruz), only making it out of the first round in 2009.
Team Dragon Gate (Akira Tozawa, Super Shisa, and Kagetora)
Akira Tozawa continues his stateside experience by leading this team representing Dragon Gate. He will joined by Super Shisa, who is making his United States debut, and Kagetora, who is making his East Coast debut. Tozawa brings with him two wrestlers who have had success in trios, both Super Shisa and Kagetora having won the Open the Triangle Gate titles (the trios championship in Dragon Gate) on separate occasions. Leading this team to a tournament win would be the biggest achievement in Tozawa’s young career.
Matches have started to be announced, so I will be back soon looking at the matches and the Rey de Voladores tournament. And of course, you can get your tickets at chikarapro.com If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section,
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