Guess who’s back. Back again. Savior’s back. Tell a friend, then have them get an account on LOP, read this column, and leave some feedback. Last time I was here, I talked about how streaming could actually help to create competition for the WWE. Specifically, I said that CHIKARA was in the best position, as of this moment, to succeed in this new medium. In the feedback for that column, several people pointed out that while they were fans of CHIKARA, they questioned whether or not CHIKARA was for everyone. While I could argue that the fact that everyone who had watched CHIKARA admitted to liking it lent additional weight to my argument, I decided to take a different approach and use this column as a forum to debate the merits of CHIKARA. Obviously, given the last column I wrote, I’ll be on the pro-CHIKARA side of this conversation. I’ve asked someone else to join me here to rant and rave against the company I love. I’ve chosen someone who I consider to be very intelligent, a true master debater. Ladies and gentlemen (ok, fine, just gentlemen) I present: Self.
Savior Entertainment
In conjunction with Self Productions presents:
Internal Debate
Savior: One of the issues that any indy company runs into eventually is their talent being stolen by a company with more money. ECW ran into that problem when WWE and WCW combined forces to essentially gut their roster. Three of CHIKARA’s top stars (Cesaro, Luke Harper, and Sara Del Ray) are now on Vince’s payroll, but that hasn’t slowed the company down. The secret to CHIKARA being able to continually replenish their talent roster is The Wrestle Factory. This training facility run by CHIKARA owner Mike Quackenbush is arguably the most complete wrestling school in the world, offering training in Lucha, Puro, Catch-As-Catch-Can (British and German), MMA, and American style pro-wrestling. While Mike Quackenbush is the head trainer, former co-trainers and guest trainers include Chris Hero, Cesaro, Terry Funk, Reckless Youth, Jorge "Skayde" Rivera, El Pantera, Chuck Taylor, and British wrestling legend Johnny Saint.
The fact that CHIKARA is supported by a respected wrestling school means that they will always have access to new talent. That talent is capable of working anything from a high-flying Lucha style match, to a submission and chain wrestling ground clinic.
Self: Have you ever heard the phrase jack of all trades, master of none? If a wrestler wants to be a luchador, they should go south of the border and train at CMLL or AAA. If someone wants to become a Puro star, they should head to Japan and enroll in one of the many schools there like the New Japan Dojo. If you want to work the English catch-wrestling style, go to England. In other words, if you want to train in one the obscure foreign styles, go to the foreign country where people actually give a shit about that style. If people in America gave a crap about Lucha, we’d have it on our televisions in English instead of it being relegated to the original Spanish broadcast on Telemundo. Despite the fact that the 56 replies the Puroresu thread here at LOP has received since September 2013 makes it seem like wrestling fans are in love with NJPW, the only way to watch it remains YouTube.
I know that I would like to sit down and watch an average strong-style match followed by an average Lucha match performed by white guys. I crave scattered mediocrity over focused excellence. With so many television channels and the advent of the internet what people watch has become more focused to their individual tastes. There’s a reason why variety shows no longer dominate the airwaves. Make no mistake, that’s exactly what CHIKARA is, the variety show of wrestling.
Savior: Wrestling is in itself a niche product. As you/I stated, while Lucha and Puro have their fans here in the states, the product is not easy to access. CHIKARA allows fans of each of these types of wrestling to get their fix without straying far from home, and, as an added bonus, it’s in English. ECW proved this approach can work in the 90s by bringing in luchadors like Rey Mysterio Jr. and Psicosis along with mat based wrestlers like Dean Malenko and Japanese stars like Tajiri and Hyabusa.
Self: Fine, but you still haven’t proven that there is anything that CHIKARA does better than their competition.
Savior: Oh, there is definitely one thing that CHIKARA does better than any other wrestling company in the world. I guarantee you will not find another company in the world with a better referee than Bryce Remsburg. Bryce is one of the most over performers on the entire roster, and he does that all while wearing the striped shirt normally relegated to this most invisible person in the wrestling ring. Bryce sells every big move performed in the ring with his actions and mannerisms. On a high impact move, Bryce will jump slightly into the air, making the move seem even more devastating, as if the impact has propelled him into the air. Bryce’s facial expressions during a submission move help to sell the maneuver, making it seem as if he is so empathetic that he actually feels the pain being inflicted by the hold. Bryce is even able to add to the comedic aspects of matches that CHIKARA is famous for. Go ahead and watch the video below for proof:
Self: Stop and think about what you just said. Bryce Remsburg, a referee, is one of the most over people on the roster. Do you realize how wrong that is? Referees shouldn’t be over. Hell, you shouldn’t even know referees’ names. They should be invisible. They’re there to call the match, count a pinfall, count ring-outs, and call for the bell on a submission, pinfall, or disqualification. Even if what you say is true, that there is no better referee in the world than Bryce, he’s still only the best at counting to a number between one and ten, understanding the words yes or no in a submission situation, and motioning for someone to ring the bell. He’s like a shitty version of Wolverine. He’s the best in the world at what he does, and what he does isn’t very consequential. Also, you owe me money for forcing me to watch a skinny white guy twerk, you sick bastard.
Savior: Ha! In trying to make fun of Bryce, you’ve proven your ignorance of the product. Count outs in CHIKARA don’t even happen at ten, but rather at twenty. They also use several other rules that make them different from other organizations. Tag matches are conducted under Lucha Libre rules. All that is required to change who the legal combatants in the match are is a simple touch of the feet to the floor outside. If the legal man leaves the ring for any reason, once his feet touch the floor, his partner may enter the ring as the new legal man. This keeps the action in matches fast and furious.
CHIKARA also borrows the practice of automatic disqualifications for removing the mask of an opponent. While this doesn’t seem important, it does help the product. Masks are a sign of a wrestler’s identity and pride, and by making sure that removal of masks is illegal, it avoids the trap that so many WCW cruiserweight matches fell into where the heel tried to remove the face’s mask for the duration of the bout. CHIKARA also uses an “excessive violence” rule that you won’t see elsewhere in the US. If it seems that a wrestler is focusing on hurting or injuring his opponent instead of going for the win, he may be disqualified and the match awarded to his opponent.
Self: Oh yeah. That’s a great recipe for success. Make sure your rules are so different from all the other companies out there that any potential viewers spend the first few matches of a card trying to figure out what the hell is going on. If there is one thing I love more than professional wrestling, it’s being confused as hell while trying to watch it.
Let’s not forget all the other “unique” things that allegedly make CHIKARA so great. You mentioned tag matches, but you didn’t clarify what type of tag matches. Most people hear tag matches and think about two on two matches, but CHIKARA really loves their trios matches don’t they? CHIKARA’s own website states that these three on three matches are their specialty, so much so that they have a yearly tournament for them called King if Trios. While I have no problem with six-man tag matches, I think the demise of the WCW Six-Man Tag Team Championship within 10 months of being created proves the average fan has no interest in seeing six-man tag team feuds.
Savior: King of Trios isn’t a championship in the traditional sense, but rather a yearly event and title awarded to the winner. It is more like the King of the Ring in WWE. Once a tournament winner is declared, that team is the King of Trios and doesn’t lose that moniker with a loss in a match. In fact, unlike other companies, there isn’t a glut of championships in CHIKARA. In fact, until two years ago when they added the CHIKARA Grand Championship for single wrestlers, the only traditional title that existed in the company was the Campeonatos de Parejas, or tag team championship. They do have a third title called the Young Lions Cup. The Cup, however, is unlike any other title in professional wrestling. A new champion is crowned each year through a tournament, and that champion can defend the cup as if it were a title until the next tournament is held. Additionally, no one over the age of 25 may enter the tournament or challenge for the title, nor can any former Young Lions Cup Winner.
Self: Please, tell me more of the asinine things that this company does for no apparent reason.
Savior: Alright, how about the rules for title contention? CHIKARA actually uses a system to determine who can challenge for the tag titles as opposed to making seemingly arbitrary decisions like other companies. In order to try and capture the tag team gold, a team must accumulate three points. Points are awarded for winning tag team matches, one point per victory. Multi-team matches allow for teams to accumulate multiple points at one time. For example if Team A eliminates Teams B, C, and D in a four corners match, they would gain three points and be able to challenge for the titles. However, when a team loses a match, they also lose all accumulated points and must start their quest for the championship fresh.
Self: Umm, actually I got nothing negative to say on that one. That seems like a pretty damn good idea actually. I will, however, counter with this: Firstly, fuck you for making a point I can’t argue directly against. Secondly, this company existed for ten years without having a heavyweight championship. That’s just beyond retarded.
Savior: The fact that CHIKARA existed for ten years without a marquee singles title isn’t a knock against the company, but rather speaks to the quality of their product. In a world where every other organization revolves around the feud for the “big strap” thus leaving all but the main eventers out in the cold in terms of storylines at times, CHIKARA has been able to thrive and grow based on their knack for storytelling. CHIKARA has been successful because they have been able to take a seemingly random act like a heel helping a face win a match, and stretch and grow that act into a years long story arc that encompasses every member of the roster. Add to that that every story-arc organically and logically builds upon the last and CHIKARA has arguably the best and most sensical continuity of any company in the world.
Self: Yeah, storylines that go back years will really draw in the masses. Acknowledging continuity is fine and dandy, but basing everything off of previous events doesn’t help newer fans get into the product. People in the ICW bitch and moan about the WWE or TNA forgetting something that happened five years ago, but you know what? So has the average fan. The hyper critical history obsessed fan that dominates the internet is not the same as the average fan.
Savior: Sure, storylines may build upon one another over time, but that doesn’t mean newer fans can’t get involved. I would compare CHIKARA stories to the best movie sequels. A compliment that you hear directed to a great sequel is that you don’t have to have seen the original in order to enjoy it. The same can be said of CHIKARA’s stories. Just jump in and enjoy the ride. What’s going on will make itself evident really quickly.
Self: You know as well as I do that while it may be unnecessary to have seen the original movie, most people still prefer it that way. The Empire Strikes Back is, in many critics opinion, the best of the franchise and a film that can stand on its own two legs without Star Wars, but no one ever says to skip the first movie and dive straight into the second. It may not be necessary, but people like to have as much information about what is going on in a story as possible.
Savior: Alright, I think this argument has gone on long enough. Let's wrap things up. In conclusion, I’d just like to say that CHIKARA is a company that offers something entirely different from any other company out there, is populated by a delightful assortment of colorful and quirky characters, and specializes in all aspects of pro wrestling, from strong style and Lucha to wonderful comedy matches, and that everyone should give it a try at least once.
Self, because I am so magnanimous, I’ll let you have the last word, even though this is my own column.
Self: This is also my column you jackass. I think everyone realizes that you’ve just been arguing with yourself like a deranged mental patient.
In conclusion, I’d just like to say that CHIKARA is a company that offers something entirely different from any other company out there which makes it hard to comprehend, is populated by an assortment of absurd characters, and doesn’t specialize in any aspect of pro wrestling, and that no one should give it a try, ever .
Alright everyone, that does it for this week. Let me know what you thought of this format. Was it a success? Does it show potential but should be reworked before being revisited? Was it a complete failure and I just came off looking like a lunatic? Please leave your thoughts, criticism, and credit card numbers below.