The Best Moves Ever: QuackenDriver III

I appreciate all wrestling moves and holds that look good. Submission wrestling is awesome, so awesome I created a tag and a failed social media movement for it. High-flying moves are spectacular to look at. However, as much as I love all those moves, my wheelhouse is, and always has been, head dropping moves. Granted, you don't see them as often anymore with concussion safety coming more and more into the minds of folks everywhere. I'm fine with that. Just leave the head drops in my video games and bust them out in key, sparing spots, and I'll still love 'em to death. For all his lucha libre wizardry, Mike Quackenbush's four finishing moves that bear his name, the Quackendriver suite, are all sublime head drops. I tried looking for IV, which was the closest one to my primary e-fed finisher, the Russian neck drop from WWF No Mercy, but I couldn't find an iso. Instead, here's Quackendriver III, an off-leg spinning fisherman's driver. It's still freaking awesome.

Thank You, Johnnies

Two of the best, ever
Photo Credit: Dirty Dirty Sheets

I'm very much an adventurous wrestling fan. I will sit through anything once, whether it's the most familiar of familiar styles like a WWE main event match between John Cena and Chris Jericho, or the most arcane and unusual of the lot, like an absurd match between Survival Tobita and Mojukin Ken. When it's middling or worse, I pass on it, but when it's good, when it's really good and eye opening, then I have no choice but to really heap praise on it. It's what I do when I find something I really like.

Until Saturday and Sunday, I had very limited exposure to what English mat wrestling₁ was all about. I had seen Johnny Saint before at my first ever indie show, and I had been exposed briefly to wrestling exchanges by Colt Cabana and Nigel McGuinness before as well. However, I'd never been exposed to the full breadth of what men like Saint and Johnny Kidd could do. I likened Saturday's match to a religious experience, because it was like my eyes were opened to a whole new world of what wrestling could be like. I already had faith in what the artform could be, but that faith was bolstered by both matches that these two English legends produced, the first night by themselves and the second with the help of Cabana and Mike Quackenbush. I saw the beauty in each wristlock. I saw purity in each reversal. Hell, I even found a place in my heart for the Lady of the Lake, even though it literally had nothing about what I normally enjoy about matches about it.

After the second match, both Quack and Saint got on the microphone to thank the Philadelphia crowd for being in their words, not mine₂, such a great crowd for wrestling. I appreciated the sentiment, but again, I don't think they should have been the ones thanking us, but vice versa. So, I will take this opportunity TO say thank you to all four men for awakening me to another world of potential for wrestling to take me as a fan and critical viewer. Thank you Colt Cabana, for your antics in the second match, making it a more fun experience than it would have been without your presence. Thank you Mike Quackenbush, for putting this match together and for wanting to expose your loyal fans to as many different styles of wrestling as possible.

And thank you most to Johnny Saint and Johnny Kidd. I was honored to have been there both nights to see you two legends ply your trade, for teaching me something new about wrestling, something that I've been missing out on for years and years now. It really was an engrossing experience, and it helped cap off what has been one of the most tremendous months in wrestling history.

1 - I erroneously used the term "chain wrestling" to describe the style used by Johnnies Saint and Kidd. I linked one William Regal to my Fair to Flair piece on the match, and he admonished me for using it. So, there's your knowledge for the day; it's not chain wrestling, it's mat wrestling or just plain ol' wrestling. On a side note, how f'n cool is it that Regal read one of my blogs? REALLY COOL is the correct answer.

2 - Just to head off the anonymous commenter who thinks I get off on "patting myself on the back" at the pass.

The Very European Beginning of the End?: Chikarasaurus Rex Preview

Quack. Claudio. One Last Time.

Chikarasaurus Rex: King of Sequel, is a two day event which will cap off what has been an excellent month in professional wrestling. Saturday's card takes place in Reading, PA at the Goodwill Fire Hall on 100 Madison Avenue (doors open at 6:30 PM) . Sunday's event will be in Philadelphia, at the former ECW Arena at Swanson and Ritner (doors open at 3:30 PM). Both cards will be known for their guest stars, and have gained a sort of accord because of them. Granted, Mima Shimoda, Johnny Kidd, Portia Perez, two imports from the Ice Ribbon promotion in Japan, Adam Cole, El Generico, Colt Cabana and of course, Johnny freaking Saint, would be enough to sell anyone on going to one or both of the shows.

Hell, I was already going to the Philly show, and thanks to a series of fortunate turns in events, I'm more than likely heading to Reading as well, mainly because I'm a Chikara fanatic and go to every Philly show possible. But even so, the two English legends of Saint and Kidd were huge selling points for me. Not only am I huge into English chain wrestling, but they're both William Regal approved. Who better to give his stamp to guys you may never have seen before than the surly English legend?

However, there is another reason, one that has nothing to do with Chikara storylines or happenings (but at the same time, everything), why people need to go to these shows. Night one has a match between Claudio Castagnoli and Mike Quackenbush. Yeah, that may not sound all that special right now, because they've had several matches against each other over the last decade. They're inexorably linked, especially given the events of 2010, with Quack leading the Chikara faithful against Claudio's charging Germanic invaders, the BDK. Tomorrow night's match takes on a more wistful tinge given that Claudio, along with his tag team partner Chris Hero, are reputed to be on their way to WWE.

That makes this match between the two titans of the indie world perhaps their final encounter ever. That puts a much different spin on things than when this match was originally charted out as part of the 12 Large Summit. Nominally, Claudio would come into this match as the mega bad guy, and Quack as the protector of all that was good. He'd stand as a barrier between the evil Swiss evildoer and the honor of being called the first ever Chikara Campeon del Mundo. With the specter of Claudio leaving, this match might become the first of a prolonged farewell tour from the indies for the King of Wrestling. What better opponent to kick that tour off with than his longtime rival and colleague in Quack?

Of course, there are any number of things that could demean everything I'm writing here. Quackenbush could always join Claudio in WWE (highly unlikely). Claudio may end up back in the indies after a year for whatever reason (more likely). I mean, remember the last time he was signed by Stamford? He didn't even make it to developmental before he got his future endeavor well-wish. Of course though, I have more of an optimistic view on this, and I seriously want Claudio and Hero to succeed at the next level. They more than deserve it.

So, it's with that in mind that I write this match off as a very special occasion. Hell, the match the next night in Philly, Claudio taking on his BDK partner and stablemate everywhere else in the indies Sara del Rey in another 12 Large Summit match. Honestly, I'm not sure why WWE didn't take del Rey as part of a package deal with the Kings, since with the signing of Kharma and the extension of Divas matches beyond the normal 20 seconds, they seem to be serious about pushing women's wrestling as more than time filler. Still, that's the card she's been dealt. This match to me was a big deal before Claudio's rumored leaving was even an option. Now? Well, there may just be an electric atmosphere in The Arena, way more electric than any match between two BDK members ever would have been before now.

That isn't to say the weekend is all about Claudio. Again, the lineup is stacked. Saint and Kidd will go 30 minutes in six separate five-minute rounds on Saturday; Sunday, Saint will team up with Quack and Kidd with Cabana to provide obvious Match of the Year candidate bait. The fact that Shimoda will follow in the footsteps of Manami Toyota is a huge deal in and of itself. Quack is serious about giving the fans of America a proper Joshi education, and for that, he deserves some major props. Team 3.Ole reforming for two matches over the weekend is music to my ears.

And hell, maybe the most entertaining part of the weekend could very well be the culmination of the Flex Express. Green Ant has been on a mission, and although it wasn't a mission from God like it was for Jake and Elwood, it was handed down from Lady Liberty and from the person whose original run in 1993 inspired this whole story:


(Go to 2:50 on the video to start)

Yep, that's right, Lex Freaking Luger is on board with the Flex Express. That. Is. Awesome. If you don't know, well, Greenie has been out to take down Tursas. He body slammed the Finnish Warlord at King of Trios en route to the Colony defeating the BDK in the second round of the tournament. He's been on a tour of America (and oddly enough, Canada too), and now he's ready to be the first man to levy a pinfall loss on Tursas in a singles match… ever?

The fact that the culmination of the Flex Express may only be the third or fourth biggest thing going down this weekend shows you that Chikara doesn't screw around when it comes to building up its events. Believe you me, this is an event. IF you're anywhere in the greater Philadelphia area this weekend, come on down to Reading or Swanson and Ritner (or both) and partake. You seriously won't be disappointed with the English legends, the Joshi standouts or the patriotic young ant looking to slay a monster.

But most of all, you'll get the chance to be there for the start of something special, the beginning of a farewell tour for one of the cornerstones of Chikara. I'd say that's worth the trip.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein - Please visit his site to view the plentiful amounts of pictures he's taken for DGUSA, ROH and other indie feds: Get Lost Photography

Looking Forward to the English Johnnies in Chikara This Month? Thank Chris Hero

Looking forward to Saint? Thank Chris Hero!

If you don't listen to Colt Cabana's Art of Wrestling podcast, then good God man, what the hell is wrong with you? Anyway, if you're one of those forlorn souls who isn't in on the goodness, this week's guest was Chris Hero. Even if you're against podcasters, listen to this for the stories. One of the stories has everything to do with Johnny Saint and by proxy, Johnny Kidd, showing up to Chikara this month at the duo of Chikarasaurus Rex shows.

As it turns out, Saint was a bit of a recluse after his final "retirement" match in 2000. He didn't go to reunions, conventions, cards or anything. He just went about his life, looking after his parents, enjoying retirement. Little did he know that his work was being viewed and viewed again and viewed multiple times by the guys on the independent wrestling scene in America. Apparently, the English style of chain wrestling had become HUGE among guys like UltraMantis Black, Mike Quackenbush, Cabana and Hero among others. The last of those guys wondered aloud why Saint wasn't really around, and he pretty much tracked the English icon down. I won't go into how Hero did it - listen to the fuckin' podcast, you n00b - but he did, and in 2006, Saint made his return to the ring.

If Saint doesn't return to the ring because of Hero inspiring him, do we get him joining Quack and Jorge "Skayde" Rivera in the Masters of 1000 Holds team at King of Trios 2009? Do we get him and Quack hitting it off at that event to the point where Saint is coming back in at C-Rex and bringing Johnny Kidd with him? It could be possible, but at the same time, it seems highly unlikely to me. Because Chris Hero took mad initiative, we get cool-ass English chain wrestling and two catch-as-catch-can legends coming over to blow our minds for two nights in Southeast PA. I don't know about you, but that's a big deal.

So if you didn't think Hero was awesome enough already for his wrestling character and verily the millions of feds he is participating or has participated in in his 10+ year career, this is another reason why he's a pretty cool dude.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein - Please visit his site to view the plentiful amounts of pictures he's taken for DGUSA, ROH and other indie feds: Get Lost Photography

Chikarasaurus Rex Weekend Is William Regal Approved

We all knew English catch-as-catch-can legends Johnny Saint and Johnny Kidd were coming to Chikara for Chikarasaurus Rex: King of Sequel weekend. Over the last couple of days, we found out what matches they'd be competing in. Here's the first, scheduled for July 30th in Reading, PA:

World of Sport!
Photo Credit: ChikaraPro.com

Holy crap, it almost makes me want to risk alienating my 6 months pregnant wife by going to Reading for that show. However, if people are giving me good advice, then I'm erring on the side of caution here, as drawing the ire of a pregnant woman really is fucking stupid. So I'm sad that I won't be able to go to this one, especially since this match got a rousing endorsement from an expert on English grappling:

In a related note, Regal is the man on Twitter. He's one of the most interactive wrestlers on there, along with Claudio Castagnoli and Sugar Dunkerton. Anyway, back to the point at hand, if you're free on the 30th, can be in the Reading area and are a wrestling fan, then Regal's endorsement should be more than enough impetus for you to go. Seriously, this is like hearing Mario Batali say that an Italian restaurant is must-eat-at, or Kirk Hammett give you the recommendation to listen to a guy shred on guitar.

Of course, that isn't enough. No, as you know, Chikarasaurus Rex weekend is two days long, and Sunday's card in Philly, a card I will be attending. Of course Chikara isn't content just to let Reading have all the awesome. Kidd and Saint will of course be sticking around the whole weekend, and just in case Saturday's card didn't feature an awesome enough match, well, they had to go and up the ante for Sunday, which for my sake, IS AWESOME FREAKING SAUCE:

Well-played.
Photo Credit: ChikaraPro.com

I was hoping for Colt Cabana to be involved in the proceedings for that weekend, and my prayers to the Wrestling Gods were answered. Quack being involved is just gravy. Seriously, there scant few wrestling matches that I look forward to watching with this much fervor. It's good that WWE is giving us one in Punk/Cena at Money in the Bank, but to have two in the same month? Especially one of this caliber? I'm in hog heaven right now.

All of this goes to reinforce how freaking epic Chikara is when it comes to running an extremely fun, supremely eminent wrestling promotion. You ask me why I act as their propaganda arm, and I will point to these matches, which are just a tip of the iceberg when it comes to their awesomeness, as incontrovertible proof. Chikara is wrestling, folks.

Chikara Presents The Flex Express

USA! USA!

Via Chikara's site

Just when you thought Chikara couldn't get any more awesome... well, backstory first. At the Fan Conclave this year for King of Trios, there was an open challenge to body slam Tursas, the 300+ lb. behemoth from the BDK. Several tried, fans, Chikara natives, even the curmudgeonly old-timer Matt Classic teased trying. None were able to succeed until Green Ant, the resilient rookie from the Colony, came out, dazed the big man with his "illegal" steel plate in his forearm, a repair measure from breaking it, and then got him off his feet. He looked like he would succeed until devious BDK ring announcer and "wrestler" Jakob Hammermeir chop blocked him, causing Tursas to squish the poor ant. Of course, later on that night, the BDK team of Hammermeir, Tim Donst and Delirious was eliminated from the KoT tournament by the Colony after Green Ant finished the job and slammed Tursas.

Afterwards, Green Ant stumped to get Tursas in a singles match, and he has one signed for Night One of Chikarasaurus Rex weekend. He's getting on the Flex Express, touring the United States, looking for support from the good ol' US of A for his quest to vanquish the Finnish monster with a righteous fake beard.

If this sounds an awful lot like the Lex Express angle the WWF did back in 1993, then good for you, you have a great memory. That's exactly why this is awesome. It's a great, tongue-in-cheek tribute to the old angle, using a real-life injury to help tell an awesome story. It also helps that the guy in the Lex Luger role, Green Ant, probably has as much muscle mass in his whole body that Luger maybe had in his right pectoral muscle in 1993. That's what makes this great though, it's lulz-inducing on one hand, but Greenie is one of the most endearing wrestlers on the roster. He's also become one of my favorite workers in the entire fed. His chain-wrestling exhibitions with Mike Quackenbush are among the best experience-contrast opening matches you'll see in any promotion on the planet right now. He has a great handle on tag wrestling, and I like his offensive game as well, especially his cloverleaf.

My only complaint is that this match won't happen on Night Two, when I'll actually be in attendance. Still, you know I'll be there in Reading in spirit. And hopefully, Green Ant gets a better fate in his match than Luger did in his fated SummerSlam '93 tilt against Yokozuna.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein - Please visit his site to view the plentiful amounts of pictures he's taken for DGUSA, ROH and other indie feds: Get Lost Photography

The Summit Hits the Heartland: Chikara Weekend Preview (and AIW too)

Haters gon' hate... but will they if Icarus gets bullied by SDR?

Last year, Chikara made its debut in the Detroit area and returned to Cleveland for the first time in a few years. There will be no such wait for either area, and they even threw in a Chicago date for a rare tripleshot of shows that will surely take the Midwest by storm

The tour kicks off tomorrow night in Chicago with The Case of the Bulletproof Waldo. Doors at the Logan Square Auditorium will open at 7 PM CDT, and you can still get tickets. Trust me, if you haven't already, you definitely want to get them. There will be three big matches in the 12 Large Summit taking place at this event. There are two matches taking place in Taylor the next night as well. What is this 12 Large Summit? Well, if you don't know, it's the original 12-person round robin tournament to be announced this year. The winner will be crowned the first ever Chikara Campeon del Mundo. There are two blocks (A - Claudio Castagnoli, Hallowicked, Icarus, Ophidian, Mike Quackenbush, Sara del Rey; B - Brodie Lee, Eddie Kingston, Fire Ant, Jigsaw, UltraMantis Black, Vin Gerard), and I assume that the winners of said blocks will face off for the right to be the Champion

Only two matches have been contested so far, both of them being upsets with Gerard going over Brodie and Hallowicked defeating Quackenbush. This weekend's slate of matches for the tourney should be good. In Chicago, we have Claudio battling Hallowicked, del Rey locking up with Icarus and Fire Ant taking on Mantis. At the Taylor show, which takes place Saturday at the Taylortown Trade Center with doors opening at 7 PM EDT, Mantis will battle Kingston, while Quack tackles Ophidian. OF all these matches, the most interesting to me is the Icarus/SDR tilt. They're both rudos, well-entrenched rudos to be even more specific. Icarus' smarmy demeanor and heat-garnering back tattoo have made him the target of hatred to almost every crowd he's performed in front of. Conversely, del Rey, despite being a female wrestling in a man's ring, has become one of the biggest bullies in Chikara, really beating up on the smaller males at will. Of course, the crowd will gang up on Icarus early, but I have to wonder if he'll remain the de facto heel during the match if del Rey starts abusing him. If that happens, then Chicago would truly become one of the most special Chikara crowds instantly.

Aside from the tournament action, there are some really cool matches going on this weekend. Tomorrow night's main event in Chicago features native sons, Da Soul Touchaz, looking to exact some revenge for the heinous crimes perpetrated against them by the BDK since last year's The Germans in a six-man tag match against Ares, Tursas and Tim Donst. After dominating the BDK for the first part of last year, the Chicagoland trio has not been able to defeat them ever since the evil German stable decimated their manager, C-Red, in a sneak attack. This should be a pretty hot match. Another Chicago native, Colt Cabana, will take to the ring to battle Eddie Kingston in a special attraction match. I wonder how Cabana's comedic antics will match up with the War King? That one should be interesting to say the least.

Rounding out the Chicago card will be a trios match between the Throwbacks (featuring Matt Classic) and the Batiri, a tag match featuring Soldier and Green Ants from the Colony against Johnny Gargano and Chuck Taylor from FIST and a special attraction tag between Ophidian and Hieracon of the Osirian Portal and two standouts from Chicago's GALLI promotion, Emperador and Ripper. I'm not familiar with GALLI, but I've heard it's another American lucha libre fed, so I'm looking forward to seeing this one on DVD.

The non-tournament matches on the Taylor card are headlined by a rematch from last year's King of Trios final. The 2010 Champions of Claudio, Ares and Tursas will take on the 2011 Champions from the Colony in a match that's being billed as the war to settle who the ultimate Kings are. Both these teams are no strangers to each other, and I feel like this could be your match of the weekend.

Also on the card will be some guest stars from CLASH Wrestling. Greg Iron will tangle with Icarus in one match. Iron fell victim to Icarus earlier this year in Reading, and he's looking for some revenge. If he can beat the tattoo off Icarus' back, he'll be a fan favorite in no time. Also on the card will be a trios match featuring six of CLASH's best and brightest. Cameron Skyy, who participated in last year's Young Lions Cup, will team with the tag team Too Sweet to take on CLASH Champion Gavin Quinn and the H3RD. TWB superfan Dorian Jackson will probably be able to tell you more about this match than I can.

Rounding out the card, Hieracon will take on Gerard in singles action, Hallowicked and Frightmare will wrestle Taylor and Gargano in one tag match, and the Throwbacks will battle the BDK's team of Donst and Jakob Hammermeir in another.

Sunday's card in Cleveland doesn't have any 12 Large Summit matches, but it's still pretty loaded. The show, titled The Evil That Lies Within, Pt. 4, will emanate from St. Gregory's Byzantine Hall in Lakewood, OH, and doors will open at 3:30 PM. The top two matches on the card should be dazzlers. The assumed main event is an atomico match featuring Quackenbush teaming with the Colony against Team FIST and Gerard. That one should be standard operating procedure for a Chikara multi-man match. Good for the crowd in Cleveland, that usually means fireworks. The other big match is a Young Lions Cup defense by Frightmare against the devious Kodama. This is an extension of the greater feud between the Spectral Envoy and Sinn Bodhi's Batiri, and I fear that Frightmare's title reign could be in jeopardy here. Whatever it is, it'll have a lot of heat behind it.

As for the other two members of the Envoy, Mantis and Hallowicked will have other old scores to settle as they gun for Ares and Donst of the BDK. Wow, it seems like there are a lot of old BDK-related feuds and arcs coming to the forefront this weekend. Could we be seeing a lot of closure to some of the issues between Chikara and the marauding Germans? It's possible, but at the same time, while the Brotherhood has been somewhat castrated, they're still very much a threat. The other two Batiri are in action too with them participating in a four-corner elimination tag match. In the other three corners will be Aeroform (Louis Lyndon and Flip Kendrick), the Olsen Twins (Colin and Jimmy) and Los Ice Creams. It'll be interesting to see if any one team will garner three points so they can challenge the Campeonatos de Parejas of Quack and Jigsaw.

Rounding out the card in singles competition, Dasher Hatfield battles Tursas, Hieracon battles Kingston, Hammermeir takes on Cheech Hernandez and Dunkerton will meet Ophidian. As an added bonus, following Chikara's show will be Absolute Intense Wrestling's Absolution 6, which is their biggest card of the year. Their show will be headlined by Gargano, who is their Absolute Champion, trying to fend off a challenge by Donst, whose stock has risen in the Cleveland indie promotion in the last year. Also on the card, Facade will battle Sabu and Kingston will take on former ROH standout BJ Whitmer among other matches.

All three Chikara shows, and the AIW show even, look really cool. There may not be a whole lot in the way of guest stars, but I feel like if you want a real feel for Chikara, you need to see them when it's mainly their regulars in tow. They have a very talented roster, and that will be on display this weekend, whether it's deciding matches in the 12 Large Summit or just other business-as-usual action. If you're in Chicago, Detroit or Cleveland or if you're willing to road-trip, you gotta go and see at least one of these shows. It'll be worth it.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein - Please visit his site to view the plentiful amounts of pictures he's taken for DGUSA, ROH and other indie feds: Get Lost Photography

Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!

Wrestling Six Packs: Favorite Announce Teams

All hail the great and devious lord of Chikara's
Commentation Station!

Announcing is such a tricky beast. You can have great announcers, but what good are they if their partner's a dud, or if they're miscast? That's why you can't really look at single announcers as much as teams. Here are six of my favorite announce pairings or trios in wrestling today.

1. Bryce Remsburg and UltraMantis Black

Of course Bryce was going to be here. Hell, I love nearly everyone that has ever gone into the Commentation Station, and Bryce's exuberance is a huge reason. For whatever reason, I think he pairs best with Mantis. The Great and Devious One's macabre and methodical tone plays as a perfect canvas for Bryce marking out like a less smarky Joey Styles. It's just a perfect teaming.

2. Excalibur and Chris Hero

In addition to being a world-class wrestler, Hero takes to PWG's announce table whenever he can. The results are pretty epic. Excalibur, when left to work freely behind the table for the Guerrilla, is just a treat to listen to. He's a trove of wrestling trivia and move knowledge, and the excited calls and cursing don't hurt for me at least. He's there with a bunch of different partners, but for some reason, he and Hero gel the best. I think that it's a combination of Hero's natural charisma and knowledge as well as the chemistry and friendship that's easily sensed between the two. One of the reasons why PWG stands out above the fray.

3. Scott Stanford and Josh Mathews

I don't know what it is about Scott Stanford that makes me like him so much. Maybe it's his cheesy, over the top delivery, his palling around with Zack Ryder, his nicknaming, the seeming non-sequiturs... he's such a throwback, kinda like a Vince McMahon, only a little more knowledgeable about how to call an actual match. Mathews serves as a good foil for him just because of how understated he is. He seems the most comfortable with Stanford. Matt Striker was too pompous. Michael Cole and he had too much of an inside relationship that got old more quickly than I thought (without some mediator in between, as we'll see later in the list). But with Stanford? Yeah, it's a shame no one watches Superstars, because they're missing out.

4. Lenny Leonard and Leonard F. Chikarason

There's nothing really flashy about this team, but then again, they call matches for EVOLVE... that's the meat 'n potatoes fed. Wins matter. The action matters. They're pitch perfect for the fed, and they're both really informative, both with the history and with the actual action. I really dig it.

5. Josh Mathews, Booker T and Michael Cole

Booker T makes this broadcast team. He absolutely does. I've noted before that he's an anomaly in that he's a true neutral voice. I also love his banter with Michael Cole, with Cole needling him and Booker playing it off pitch-perfectly. His bewilderment at certain happenings is just priceless too. Booker is just like Dusty Rhodes as an announcer. He really shouldn't be all that good, but he just fits and is memorable for what some might term "all the wrong reasons". But if liking Booker is wrong? I don't wanna be right.

6. Bryce Remsburg and Mike Quackenbush

And we come full circle with another Commentation Station pairing. While Mantis' theatrical style plays foil to Bryce in one way, Quack is similarly a counterweight in a totally different style. He's authoritative, cerebral, calling matches like us nerds would write announcers in our random e-feds. Like Excalibur, he knows all the moves, all the history. And he's got such an announcer's voice too. It pairs brilliantly as the straight man to Bryce's super-fan.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein - Please visit his site to view the plentiful amounts of pictures he's taken for DGUSA, ROH and other indie feds: Get Lost Photography

Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!

Feliz Aniversario, Chikara!

Only in Chikara

Nine years ago today, Chikara Pro Wrestling was founded by "Lightning" Mike Quackenbush and Reckless Youth. Over the near-decade, Youth left and several men and women wrestled under the Chikara banner. They've also proven themselves to be on the cutting edge of what wrestling can be and frankly should be. No, I'm not saying that the WWE should hire a bunch of masked wrestlers with comedic-tinged gimmicks. However, I do think the WWE could stand to learn from the tone and tenor of Chikara. Same with TNA. Tell you the absolute truth, same with ROH as well.

The atmosphere of Chikara is the biggest reason why I'm such a major fanboy for the fed. They know how to have a sense of humor about themselves while knowing when to keep things serious. Even the serious stuff is never too intensely humorless to the point where you can't get a laugh. The major difference between wrestling and "entertainment" to me is that I think there should always be a tinge of comedy, of a sense of humor, mainly because of crowd involvement and interaction. Quack and company know this, and thus there are always a ton of smiles to go with the oohs, aahs and oh nos involved in any show.

Over the last 2+ years that I've been following, I've seen them really hit their stride. Each year seems to be better than the last. 2010 was amazing, and so far, from what I've seen in 2011, they're improving upon that product, which to me seems astounding given how high they set the bar last year. The rep is only growing, as they attract more and more name guest stars to weave within the tapestry of the amazing native roster on their watch. And as more and more people find out about the promotion, more and more people fall in love with it.

It's never too late to get in on secret. What better birthday present can you give to Chikara than to give them a look, give them a chance? You can start out by peeping their Youtube page. It includes their move spotlights - the Throwdown Lowdown and Video des Kreuzes - as well as the Podcast-a-Go-Go, which now has taken to airing full matches. If you like that, then go to Smart Mark Video and order a DVD, or go right to their page and see if/when they're coming to your area. Trust me, you'll be hooked, just like me.

And then next year, when their anniversary comes around again, you can be just like me and wish them more and more years of continued success.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein - Please visit his site to view the plentiful amounts of pictures he's taken for DGUSA, ROH and other indie feds: Get Lost Photography

Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!