CHIKARA will present their 2011 Young Lions Cup in Easton, PA this weekend. Full previews of the events are coming, but until then, here is a look at the competitors!
2011 Young Lions Cup: Looking at the Participants
Kobald: The smallest member of the Batiri, the little goblin is in the tournament. The other two member of the Batiri have failed in their attempts to gain the Young Lions Cup in matches with Frightmare. Kobald has a powerful spear in his arsenal despite his small size. He has only had four matches in Chikara, but the Batiri are becoming regulars in Clash, Chaotic, and companies in Canada.
Chase Owens: “The Real Deal” comes to Chikara representing NWA Smoky Mountain and other Southern promotions. He recently had a high profile match with Davey Richards with the ROH title on the line. An amateur standout and a protege of Ricky Morton, Owens won the Smoky Mountain Cup last April. He sent in a blog entry to the Chikara website that can be read here: http://www.chikarapro.com/blog/8-22-2011.php
Mat Fitchett: Coming from the St. Louis area and representing the Anarchy promotions in St. Louis and Austin, TX, Fitchett is developing a name for himself as a high flyer and a hardcore fighter. Also wrestling for F1RST Wrestling in Minnesota and Beyond Wrestling in New England recently, he was trained by Davey Vega and Dingo. His nickname cannot be printed in an article about Chikara.
Green Ant: One-third of the current King of Trios, The Colony, Green Ant has had an up-and-down year since the last YLC. On Day 3 last year, Keita Yano broke his arm, which required surgery and six months on the shelf. When he returned, fans noticed his surgically strengthened arm and similarities to Lex Luger, like relying on forearm smashes and the torture rack in his offense.
Jakob Hammermeier: The BDK’s resident rookie has been training for the Young Lions Cup. It has been his purpose, reclaiming the Cup for the BDK in a year where accolades and titles have been out of reach for the BDK. Typically followed to the ring by the behemoth Tursas or Tim Donst, his wins have usually come by nefarious ways. When he loses, he shows that he can take intense punishment.
Sean South: Making his US debut and representing Premier British Wrestling, South promises to “smash it up” through his way in the tournament. Trained by Fergal Devitt and Paul Tracey, he has seven years experience and numerous European championships under his belt. He submitted an entry to the Chikara blog earlier this month: http://www.chikarapro.com/blog/8-10-2011.php.
Nick Jackson: Making his Chikara return from his time as Jeremy Buck, the younger of the Young Bucks enters this year’s tournament. Originally from the Southern California area, Jackson is well-traveled and well-respected (depending on who you ask) for someone his age, performing in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, Ring of Honor, Dragon Gate USA, and TNA. He could easily be considered a favorite in this tournament, coming in with arguably the most notoriety and experience.
Gregory Iron: One of the most inspirational wrestlers, his buzz has picked up in recent months thanks to endorsements from Colt Cabana and CM Punk at an AAW event last month. Born with cerebral palsy, the Handicapped Hero has overcome a lot to live his dream. Representing PWO and other midwest organizations, he is a consistent underdog who should never be underestimated. For more, his interview with Dave Lagana can be found here: http://iwantwrestling.com/2011/07/27/meet-gregory-iron-as-seen-with-colt-cabana-cm-punk-at-aaw-podcast/
MK McKinnan: Representing Fight Club Pro in Wolverhampton and making his US debut, “The Future” is known for his kicks. Maybe the recent trip of Jonathan Gresham (Hieracon of the Osirian Portal), Mike Quackenbush, and Colt Cabana to Fight Club Pro has given McKinnan some insight into the Chikara world to use for his advantage.
Mark Andrews: Only 19 years old and making his US debut, Andrews comes from Wales. He wrestles for a number of promotions in the UK and has experience in Spain and Germany as well. He also works as a trainer for Dragon Pro Wrestling in South Wales. He submitted a blog entry to the Chikara website about his place in the tournament: http://www.chikarapro.com/blog/8-15-2011.php
Prof. Milo Shizo: Representing Pro Wrestling Respect, the professor’s accident transformed him into a wrestler very similar to his trainer, Delirious, thanks to some DNA splicing. He’s been picking up more experience in promotions like Pro Wrestling World-1 in NJ and Horizon Wrestling Alliance and Real Championship Wrestling in MD. This will be his Chikara debut, but he should fit in nicely. And he has a tail.
Robbie Eagles: The youngest member of the Eagles wrestling family, he will be making his American debut. The Eagles name is famous in America because of his sister-in-law, Madison Eagles, the current Shimmer champion. Robbie, or “Heartthrobbie” as he refers to himself, hopes to make his own name in America. Coming from the PWA, he recently sent this post to the PWA website about his experiences in America so far: http://www.pwaaustralia.com/2011/08/1480/.
Will Maximo: The youngest and newest of the Maximo wrestling family, Wil was impressive in his recent trios matches, losing to the team of Manami Toyota, Mike Quackenbush, and Jigsaw at King of Trios and to The Colony at Aniversario. He has also recently joined the roster of the Urban Wrestling Federation while making a name for himself in the NYC-based promotions.
Will O’ The Wisp II: Will O’ the Wisp II represents the CWF Mid-Atlantic organization based in North Carolina. Officially given the Will O’ the Wisp name from Jeff Hardy, he made his Chikara debut when the company debuted in NC in May. He lost to Ophidian, but was impressive enough to be invited for the Young Lions Cup.
Tadasuke: Tadasuke returns to Chikara for this year’s tournament. Last year, he entered the King of Trios tournament as part of Team Osaka Pro with Atsushi Kotoge and Daisuke Harada. The former Osaka Tag Team Champion looks for his first major singles championship and possibly a little revenge on Green Ant, who scored the pin to eliminate Team Osaka Pro in the 2010 King of Trios.
Archibald Peck: Archibald Peck debuted in Chikara in March where he lost to Eddie Kingston. Since then, he hasn’t lost, picking up wins over Dasher Hatfield, Sugar Dunkerton, Colt Cabana, and Frightmare. He was announced for the Young Lions Cup, but it was soon discovered that Peck is older than 25 years old. Peck got his lawyer, RD Evans, involved when Peck was disqualified from the tournament, but Director of Fun Wink Vavasseur acquiesced and reinstated his place in the brackets.
Bang On Casino
