100 Percent Fordified: CHIKARA 12 Large: Summit Compilation

”12 Large: Summit” Tournament Match (Block A)
Mike Quackenbush (0 Points) vs. Hallowicked (0 Points)
“Aniversario & His Amazing Friends” – Easton, PA – 5.21.2011

Both men trade holds on the mat. Hallowicked throws Quack over with a double-grasp armdrag. Quack grapevines Hallowicked’s legs. Hallowicked reverses into an ankle twist. Chikarason and Mantis on commentary passively ponder who voted for Hallowicked, if both Hallowicked and Frightmare and Hallowicked voted for Mantis. Meanwhile, Hallowicked traps Quack in a headscissors. Quack pops out and accidentally hits the ropes with his feet. Hallowicked delivers a couple different armdrags. Hallowicked stretches Quack’s back across his knee. Quack turns over and spins Hallowicked out with just his feet. Quack sits down to block an Irish whip. Quack evades a few attacks and small packages Hallowicked for two. Quack snapmares him over and Hallowicked pops him up. Hallowicked sends Quack to the floor with a step-up Frankensteiner and follows with a suicide dive. Quack responds with an Asai moonsault to the floor. In the ring, Quack traps Hallowicked’s arm and then kicks it away. Quack does considerable damage to Hallowicked’s arm in a variety of ways. Hallowicked runs the ropes to escape a courting hold, armdragging Quack out. Hallowicked hits a step-up enzuigiri and a snap neckbreaker for two. Hallowicked pulls Quack’s neck and upper back across his knee. Hallowicked puts on a cravate and snapmares Quack to the mat. He drops Quack with a cravate buster. Quack catches Hallowicked on the top rope and superplexes him. Hallowicked rolls to the floor, and Quack catches him with a springboard tope con hilo. In the ring, Hallowicked ducks a plam strike and drops Quack with a Rydeen Bomb. He hits a Michinoku Driver for two. Quack blocks the Gravewayrd Smash and a yakuza kick. Hallowicked delivers a step-up enzuigiri in the corner. Hallowicked rolls through Quack’s counter to a powerbomb for two. Quack takes Hallowicked over with a headscissors roll. Hallowicked blocks a super snapmare. Hallowicked tries for the Quackendrier I. Quack slips off and hits a palm strike. He then hits the Quackendriver IV for two. Quack tries the Graveyard Smash but Hallowicked fights him off. He then hits an Air Raid Crash for two. Hallowicked connects with the Quackendriver I. Quack rolls Hallowicked multiple times for two. They flip around in multiple pinfall attempts, only getting two. Finally, Hallowicked catches Quack in a forward leg-capture prawn hold for the pin at 18:50. This was an awesome back and forth match between two of the best CHIKARA has to offer. I loved that they tried to psych each other out by using each others big moves. The fans gave this a big round of applause and for good reason. A tremendous way to kick off the 12 Large: Summit. ***3/4

”12 Large: Summit” Tournament Match (Block B)
Brodie Lee (0 Points) vs. Vin Gerard (0 Points)
“Aniversario: The Legendary Super Powers Show” – Union City, NJ – 5.22.2011

Gerard ducks a few clotheslines and unwisely mocks Lee because of it. Gerard tries the “Finger Poke of Doom”. Lee lays down for Gerard, but then blasts him with a slap as Gerard goes for a pin. Lee follows Gerard to the floor and throws him back in the ring. Lee gives him a big hip toss, an armdrag, a bodyslam, and then dropkicks him to the floor. Lee suicide dives onto him. Lee gets a two count back in the ring. Gerard delivers some forearms. He trips Lee and dropkicks him in the head for one. Gerard twists on Lee’s face. Gerard chokes Lee in the corner. He hits a running knee strike for two. Lee throws Gerard off the top rope for a two count. Gerard boots Lee and hits a missile dropkick. Lee chops Gerard down for two. Gerard goes for a 2k1 Bomb but gets shoved away. He splashes Lee and hits the 2k1 Bomb for two. Lee nails Gerard with a superkick and drops him with a suplex for two. He nails Gerard with a Big Boot. He hits the Truck Stop for two. Gerard snaps Lee’s neck on the top rope. Gerard catches Lee in an inside cradle for the pin at 7:15. A surprising finish to say the least. Lee and Gerard pulled out a level of intensity that we don’t see very often (especially from Gerard). The intensity helped push the importance of this contest. I think Gerard could have a career resurgence if he keeps up performance’s like this. ***

”12 Large: Summit” Tournament Match (Block A)
Icarus (0 Points) vs. Sara Del Rey (0 Points)
“The Case of the Bulletproof Waldo” – Chicago, IL – 6.24.2011

Icarus tries to pull Sara from a handshake into a kiss. Sara forearms Icarus instead. He delivers a backdrop and biels Icarus across the ring. Icarus cowers to the corner after an armdrag. Sara flirts her way into giving Icarus a knee to the mid-section and a hip toss. She gives him three legdrops for two. Sara digs her knee into Icarus’ back while pulling back on his arms. She rolls Icarus into a pin for two. Icarus takes a walk, only for Sara to catch him with multiple kicks to the chest. Icarus hides by the ring steps. Sara catches him with yet another kick. Sara ties up Icarus in the ropes and kicks the crap out of him. Icarus dropkicks Sara on the apron and punts her in the face. Icarus chokes her on the bottom rope. In the ring, Icarus delivers a dropkick for two. Icarus throws her arm across the middle rope before placing her in an arm-capture choke. Icarus rolls her into a hammerlock, in which he headstands to apply more pressure. Icarus delivers two consecutive suplexes for two. Icarus slides through as he leaps onto Sara’s neck. Sara sends Icarus to the apron, so Icarus throws Sara down by her hair. Sara angrily hits Icarus with a Koppu Kick as he goes up top. Sara brings him down with a superplex. Sara lights Icarus up with more kicks. She hits three big boots for two. Sara delivers a flurry of knees and a back kick for a two count that was so close to being three. Icarus drops her with a Death Valley Driver for two. Sara evades the Shiranui. Icarus ducks a kick and drops her with the Shiranui for two. Icarus gives her a spear for two. Sara comes back with the Angle Slam. Icarus puts his foot on the ropes to break the pin. Icarus drops Sara neck first on the ropes. He goes for the Pedigree, but Sara rolls through with a bridge and pins Icarus at 13:56. The crowd here was great, as they cheered loudly for Sara while booing like mad for Icarus (as it should be). I heard some tremendous reviews for this live, and while this wasn’t what I expected, it’s certainly the type of match you rarely see these days. Donst’s commentary that essentially chastised and cheered for Sara simultaneously was icing on the proverbial cake. ***

”12 Large: Summit” Tournament Match (Block A)
Hallowicked (2 Points) vs. Claudio Castagnoli (0 Points)
“The Case of the Bulletproof Waldo” – Chicago, IL – 6.24.2011

A series of ferocious lock-ups sees Claudio break all of them nefariously. Hallowicked and Claudio lock arms. Claudio throws Hallowicked by his mask to the mat. Claudio pulls the strings of Hallowicked’s mask. Hallowicked backs Claudio to the corner. Claudio grinds on a front chancery. Hallowicked whips him down to his back. Claudio does the same before Hallowicked reverses. Hallowicked armdrags Claudio and applies a single leg twist. Claudio breaks and clotheslines Hallowicked in the mid-section. Claudio twists on Hallowicked’s ankle. Hallowicked headstands and twists out of it.Claudio puts Hallowicked in a headscissors. Hallowicked escapes. He traps Claudio’s legs and applies pressure to his knees. He keeps the legs trapped while putting on a front chancery. Claudio turns him into a pin for two. Claudio tries to slam his way out of a cravate, but Hallowicked keeps it on even when slammed. Claudio pulls Hallowicked by his mask to the ropes to break the hold. He snapmares Hallowicked in a cravate for two. Claudio pushes Hallowicked’s hands to the mat, but Hallowicked bridges up to break the pin. Hallowicked Mexican catapults into a sunset flip for two. Claudio twists Hallowicked’s ankle again. Hallowicked draws Claudio into a side headlock. Claudio shoves Hallowicked to the corner. Hallowicked somersault sentons onto Claudio’s waiting knees for two. Claudio applies a Camel Clutch. Claudio sits down on Hallowicked’s back upon Hallowicked’s escape. Claudio nails an uppercut for two. Claudio digs his knee into Hallowicked’s back while stretching his arms back. Hallowicked struggles, but gets a sunset flip for two. Claudio stomps on him after a clothesline. Claudio drives his knee into Hallowicked’s back as Hallowicked hands from the ring apron. Hallowicked fights out of a handlebar stretch. He takes Claudio over with a step-up Frankensteiner. He hits a step-up enzuigiri and small packages Claudio for two. Hallowicked delivers the Monster Mash for two. Hallowicked turns an uppercut from Claudio into a backslide for two. Hallowicked ducks a bicycle kick and hits a yakuza kick for two. Claudio blocks the Graveyard Smash with a suplex. Claudio crotches Hallowicked as he goes for a step-up enzuigiri. Claudio puts his feet on the ropes to get the pin at 14:34. This was the excellent back-and-forth wrestling match you’ve come to expect from these two. The finish was appropriate given the circumstances, as it showed even Claudio wasn’t convinced he could beat Hallowicked cleanly. You know what both these guys are capable of, and they did not disappoint. ***1/2

”12 Large: Summit” Tournament Match (Block B)
Fire Ant (0 Points) vs. UltraMantis Black (0 Points)
“The Case of the Bulletproof Waldo” – Chicago, IL – 6.24.2011

Mantis breaks a lock-up cleanly in the corner. Fire Ant takes him over in a fireman’s carry. Mantis ducks a kick and reaches a stand-off with Fire Ant. Fire Ant kicks Mantis in the shoulders after a double wrist clutch. He hits the Yahtzee Kick and a brainbuster for two. Fire Ant delivers a rolling forearm, an antzuigiri and a dropkick. Mantis rolls to the apron. Mantis drops Fire Ant neck first on the ropes and runs him back first into the ring apron. He whips Fire Ant shoulder first into the ring post. Fire Ant rolls in after a breather, and Mantis pins him immediately for two. Mantis chokes Fire Ant with his boot in the corner. Mantis gut wrench suplexes him for two. Mantis traps Fire Ant’s arm while twisting on his ankle. He turns it into a quarter crab and Fire Ant grabs the ropes to break the submission. Mantis chops him in the clavicle. He delivers a spinebuster and rolls into the Safari Stretch. Fire Ant sends Mantis to the apron to avoid the Praying Mantis Bomb. Fire Ant knocks him to the floor and follows with a suicide dive. He runs back in for a tope con hilo. Mantis and Fire Ant fight on the ring apron. Mantis powerslams Fire Ant onto the ring apron, wowing the fans. Mantis is surprised to only get a two count. Mantis delivers a Sweeney Stomp. Fire Ant blocks Cosmic Disaster with a stunner. Mantis goes for a double underhook superplex. Instead, Fire Ant pushes him off and hits the Heat of the Moment. Fire Ant hits the Beach Break for two. Fire Ant brings Mantis up the ropes. Mantis throws him off with a double underhook suplex. He hits the Cosmic Disaster for two. Mantis follows up with the Praying Mantis Bomb for the pin at 12:46. You could feel just how badly both men wanted to win this match, as demonstrated by the crazy moves and such they threw at one another. This is yet another unique and top notch match that the 12 Large: Summit has made possible. ***1/4

”12 Large: Summit” Tournament Match (Block A)
Mike Quackenbush (0 Points) vs. Ophidian (0 Points)
“A Demon In His Pocket” – Taylor, MI – 6.25.2011

As you’d expect, we start off with some chain wrestling. Ophidian rolls out of a half crab and asks for a wrist clutch. Quack takes to Ophidian’s leg instead. Ophidian grabs a butterfly lock. Quack transitions into a wristlock. Quack grabs Ophidian’s leg. Ophidian throws Quack down with a headscissors. Quack sweeps his leg and applies a cross-leg stretch. Ophidian rolls him into a small package for two. Quack sits down and forearms Ophidian to prevent an Irish whip. Quack pontificates as Ophidian taunts him with a headstand in the corner. Ophidian rolls out and schoolboys him for two. He tries a few more pin attempts before bridging back in a leg nelson. Quack powers Ophidian out. Ophidian applies a modified Anaconda Vice. Quack picks him up and slams him to break the hold. Quack sits down on a half crab. Quack drops Ophidian to evade the Duat Driver. Quack rolls him into his own leg nelson submission. Quack puts him in a modified Romero Special. Ophidian escapes, but Quack puts him right into an STF. Ophidian grabs the ropes to escape. Ophidian gives Quack an arm-capture neckbreaker and a divorce court DDT. On the mat, Ophidian hyperextends Quack’s arm. Ophidian applies a straightjacket choke. Quack manages to escape with an elbow smash. Ophidian goes for the Death Grip, so Quack smashes him in the corner. Quack monkey flips him to the opposite corner. Ophidian dropkicks Quack to the floor as Quack handstands in the corner. Ophidian rolls out. Quack palm strikes Ophidian on the way down. Quack places Ophidian stomach first on a beam. Ophidian clutches on the beam and rolls off to give Quack a huracanrana. In the ring, Quack catches Ophidian with a powerslam. Quack knocks him down with an elbow. He drops Ophidian with the Black Tornado Slam. Quack’s arm is in too much pain to go for an immediate pin. Quack moonsaults into a reverse DDT position. Ophidian turns it into the Ophidian Death Grip. Quack gets to the ropes to break. Ophidian brings Quack down into a lungblower. He misses a springboard lionsault. Quack palmstrikes Ophidian and delivers the Quackendriver III for two. Angry, Quack delivers the Quackendriver IV for two. Quack rolls him into the Lightning Lock Beta. Ophidian uses the ropes to break. Ophidian turns the Quackendriver I back into the Death Grip. He bridges forward to apply more pressure. Quack escapes so Ophidian goes up top. Quack follows him up. After some struggle, Quack drops him off the second rope with the Black Tornado Slam for the pin at 17:31. This was a hell of a match. Quackenbush is one of the best when it comes to the game of counter wrestling and Ophidian hung in there every step of the way. Both of them stuck with the body part they worked over and each guy milked it for all it was worth. The fans went nuts for every nearfall and immediately stood and applauded as it was over. Now the rest of the Summit will be playing “can you top this?” ****

”12 Large: Summit” Tournament Match (Block B)
UltraMantis Black (2 Points) vs. Eddie Kingston (0 Points)
“A Demon In His Pocket” – Taylor, MI – 6.25.2011

Kingston knocks him down with a shoulder bock. They do a little bit of lucha before reaching a stalemate. Bryce has to remind him that he learned all this back in 2002. Neither man can get control in a collar an elbow tie-up. They exchange chops in the middle of the ring. Mantis headbutts Kingston in the chest to the floor. Mantis follows out with a cannonball senton off the apron. Mantis Mongolian chops him. They exchange forearms around the ring. Mantis shoves Kingston shoulder first into the ring post. Mantis gets a two count in the ring. Kingston drops a knee to Mantis’ neck from the second rope for two. Kingston traps Mantis’ arm while cranking Mantis’ neck. Vin Gerard comes out to watch the match, just like he did last night with Kingston’s match against Cabana. Kingston boot scrapes Mantis’ face. He drops Mantis with the Rude Awakening for two. Kingston twists his neck whilst pulling his right arm back. Kingston gets distracted by Gerard momentarily, but drops Mantis with an STO. Gerard grabs Kingston’s leg as he hits the ropes. Mantis drops Kingston with a DDT. Gerard forcefully tells Mantis to get up and Mantis tells Gerard that he doesn’t need his help. Mantis back elbows Kingston and drops him with a full nelson slam for two. Kingston blocks the Cosmic Disaster. He hits an enzuigiri and a yakuza kick. A lariat gets him two. Mantis gets in a chin breaker before delivering the Cosmic Disaster. He gets a three count, but Kingston’s foot was on the ropes so referee PJ Drummond voids the decision. Mantis goes for the Praying Mantis Bomb. Kingston rolls out of it twice. Kingston headbutts Mantis off the second rope. He nails the Sliding D for two. Kingston applies the Guillotine Choke. Kingston puts his body weight on top of him. Mantis escapes with a gord buster. Kingston dros him with a Saito suplex. He hits two Backfists to the Future for the pin at 11:56. The false finish was brilliant, as Drummond made the pin when Claudio had his feet on the ropes the night before. Him not repeating the mistake was a nice touch. This had a tough time following the previous match, but both guys worked hard and did an admirable job. ***

”12 Large: Summit” Tournament Match (Block B)
Jigsaw (0 Points) vs. Fire Ant (0 Points)
“Chikarasaurus Rex: King of Sequel, Night One” – Reading, PA – 7.30.2011

Jigsaw gets Fire Ant in the Romero Special. Fire Ant escapes, and they reach a stalemate. Jigsaw stretches Fire Ant in a Gory Gallows. Fire Ant rolls out into a wheelbarrow armdrag. They go back and forth off the ropes until Fire Ant rolls him up with an armdrag. Jigsaw gives him an armdrag of his own and kicks Fire Ant in the face. Fire Ant puts Jigsaw in an Octopus Stretch, then takes him down with a headscissors. Jigsaw sends Fire Ant down with a toreador, then hits the floor due to pain in his bicep. When Jigsaw re-enters, he goes for a lock-up, but steps back due to more bicep pain. He whips Fire Ant and delivers a sole butt. He grabs his arm and kicks Fire Ant in the chest. Fire Ant kicks Jigsaw in the arm, causing Jigsaw to immediately hit the floor. Fire Ant follows with a suicide dive. He then hits a tope con hilo. Fire Ant twists Jigsaw’s ankle. He delivers a senton for two. Fire Ant kicks him in the chest. Jigsaw avoids a corner attack. He hits a slingshot doublestomp and suicide dives onto Fire Ant. In the ring, Jigsaw hits a springboard dropkick and a deadlift German suplex for two. Fire Ant kicks Jigsaw in the arm. Jigsaw hits a fallaway enzuigiri. Fire Ant turns the brainbuster into a stunner. He delivers the Yahtzee Kick. He connects with the brainbuster for two. Jigsaw superkicks Fire Ant. He goes for the Jig N’ Tonic, but Fire Ant rolls out. He applies a short key lock to Jigsaw’s bad arm. He has no choice but to tap out at 11:40. This was a great way to kick off the show; a high energy bout with two fan favorites and a great, simple story. This tournament has produced some surprisingly great matches. ***1/4

”12 Large: Summit” Tournament Match (Block A)
Mike Quackenbush (2 Points) vs. Claudio Castagnoli (2 Points)
“Chikarasaurus Rex: King of Sequel, Night One” – Reading, PA – 7.30.2011

Claudio knees Quack in the stomach and sledges him on the back. He lands an uppercut. Quack armdrags him to the floor. Claudio brings Quack to the corner and delivers a right jab to his face. Claudio takes him to the mat. Back on their feet, Claudio applies a headlock. Quack escapes. He rolls up Claudio and delivers an armdrag. He trips Claudio into a leg-cross submission. Claudio grabs Quack’s leg and picks his ankle. Claudio pins him for two. Claudio tries for a monkey flip. Quack lands on his feet and monkey flips Claudio instead. Quack cartwheels off the top and sends Claudio to the floor with an armdrag. Quack rolls out into a rana on the floor. Claudio shoves Quack into the side of the ring. He rams Quack ribs first into the ring post. He does it a second time in a different corner. Claudio discreetly digs a portion of the wooden stick from an American flag into Quack’s neck. Claudio drives his knee into Quack’s mid-section multiple times. Quack kicks Claudio down from the corner. Claudio gorilla presses him into a gutbuster. Claudio applies a stomach claw. Claudio clubs Quack in the chest. Quack sunset flips Claudio for two. Claudio cuts off his comeback by headbutting Quack in the stomach. Quack breaks an abdominal stretch but eats Claudio’s boot for two. Quack monkey flips Claudio to the floor. He follows up with a beautiful Asai moonsault. In the ring, Quack nails a corner elbow and a low running single leg dropkick. Quack springboard flips into a huracanrana. Claudio gets the ropes before Quack can fully apply the CHIKARA Special. Claudio pitches him to the apron. Quack side steps an attack and kicks Claudio in the chest. He goes for the Tail of the Dragon. Claudio pops him up into a European uppercut instead and gets two. Claudio gives him the U.F.O. for two. Quack blocks the Ricola Bomb. He prawn holds Claudio for two. Claudio Ricola Bombs Quack through the ropes from the apron. Quack kicks out at two. Claudio applies a front facelock to further wear Quack down. He goes for another pop-up uppercut. Quack flips off his shoulders and gets Claudio in the CHIKARA Special. Claudio taps right away at 19:59. Up until the finish, this was fairly pedestrian for these two guys. Very good, but basically everything you’ve seen from these two in their other encounters. However, the finish was pretty great and the crowd ate it up. ***1/2

”12 Large: Summit” Tournament Match (Block B)
Jigsaw (0 Points) vs. Eddie Kingston (4 Points)
“Chikarasaurus Rex: King of Sequel, Night Two” – Philadelphia, PA – 7.31.2011

Jigsaw takes a quick kick to Kingston’s bad knee. Kingston breaks a lock-up in the corner. Jigsaw does the same. Kingston takes Jigsaw to the mat in a test of strength. They trade wristlocks. Jigsaw kicks Kingston in the stomach which pisses him off. Kingston delivers a chop. Jigsaw armdrags him into a low dropkick. Kingston comes back with a Manhattan drop and a modified DDT for two. Jigsaw kicks Kingston to keep him away from his bad arm. Kingston however manages to snap Jigsaw’s arm down. Kingston of course continues to focus his attack on Jigsaw’s weak arm. Kingston suicide dives onto him. He whips Jigsaw into the guardrail. Kingston throws his arm into the ring post. As they’re getting back into the ring, Jigsaw dropkicks Kingston in his hurt knee. Jigsaw repays Kingston’s earlier transgressions by targeting his knee. Kingston fires up, so Jigsaw nails him with a barrage of chest kicks and chops. He hits two low superkicks for two. Jigsaw dropkicks him in the corner. Jigsaw delivers a suplex and a slingshot doublestomp. Kingston rolls to the floor and Jigsaw follows with a tope con hilo. Vin Gerard comes out to attack Kingston. Jigsaw superkicks him and brings Kingston back in the ring. Kingston delivers an overhead suplex for two. Kingston applies a key lock. Jigsaw escapes. He hits a German suplex for two. Kingston drops him with a release Dragon suplex. A shotgun lariat gets him two. Kingston lights him up with a flurry of chips in the corner. Jigsaw blocks a yakuza kick with three consecutive superkicks. He hits a top rope doublestomp for two. Kingston avoids a superkick. He hits the Backfist to the Future and a Saito suplex. He nails the Sliding D and Jigsaw miraculously kicks out. Jigsaw ducks a Backfist. He drops Kingston with the Jig N’ Tonic, and Kingston kicks out at two. Both men trade strikes on their knees. They slap the bajesus out of each other. Jigsaw delivers an enzuigiri, and Kingston fires back with one of his own. Jigsaw hits one from the apron. He delivers a slingshot doublestomp. Kingston avoids the coast to coast dropkick. Kingston hits three Saito suplexes for the pin at 19:43. I’ve seen these two have singles matches in plenty of other companies; this match was by far the best of the bunch. The importance of winning was so greatly portrayed that each man kicking out of the others finisher seemed believable. Both of their injuries added to the drama of the bout, and it was nice to see that it just took Gerard showing up to advance his and Kingston’s issue. This match picked up the pieces the previous bout dropped. ***3/4

”12 Large: Summit” Tournament Match (Block A)
Sara Del Rey (2 Points) vs. Claudio Castagnoli (2 Points)
“Chikarasaurus Rex: King of Sequel, Night Two” – Philadelphia, PA – 7.31.2011

Tursas is in Claudio’s corner while Daizee Haze is in Sara’s. Derek Sabato is the referee. Claudio demands that Sara lay down for her. She refuses, so Claudio shoves her down. Sara gets in his face and eats a slap for it. She kicks Claudio multiple times in the chest. She hangs him in the ropes and delivers more kicks to the chest and face. Sara gets a one count. She knees Claudio in the chest and hits an axe kick for two. She goes for the Royal Butterfly, but Claudio shoves her to the corner before she can do so. Sara delivers more kicks. Tursas trips Sara, allowing Claudio to land an uppercut. Claudio throws Sara by her hair twice. Sara fires back with multiple forearms. One forearm gives Claudio control again. He chokes her on the bottom rope. He hot shots her on the ropes for two. He hit a gutwrench suplex for two. Claudio backdrops her. Sara tries for a sunset flip, but Claudio legdrops Sara to counter. Sara successfully sunset flips him for two. Claudio boots her to the corner. Sara counters a suplex with a small package for two. Claudio hits the suplex and four elbow drops for two. Sara avoids a spear, sending Claudio into the corner and then to the floor. Sara kicks Claudio in the arm, then cannonballs off the apron onto Tursas. In the ring Sara crossbody’s onto Claudio for two. She grabs a Fujiwara armbar. Claudio quickly gets the ropes to break. Sara delivers multiple kicks to Claudio’s shoulder. Claudio hits the Swiss Chin Music. Sara gets the ropes to break the pin. Claudio delivers the U.F.O. for two. Sara avoids a corner uppercut. She hits three Koppou kicks. He rolls Claudio back into the armbar. Claudio picks up Sara and drops her down. Sara momentarily lay dormant, but grabs Claudio’s arm immediately. He gets to the ropes to escape. She kicks Claudio’s shoulder again. Claudio hits a clothesline for two. Claudio hits a lariat and the Ricola Bomb. He purposely picks up Sara at a two count. Claudio nails an uppercut, and once more picks up Sara at the count of two. Sara catches Claudio with a crucifix pin at 13:15. Loved the story here; Sara rebels against Claudio, regains the admiration of the fans and defeats Claudio due to his own arrogance. Sabato’s dismay for counting three against Claudio was a nice added touch and showed where his loyalty lies. Major props to the live crowd for staying hot the entire time as well. ***1/2

”12 Large: Summit” Tournament Match (Block A)
Hallowicked (2 Points) vs. Sara Del Rey (4 Points)
“Young Lions Cup IX” – Easton, PA – 8.27.2011

They look for control on the mat. Back on their feet they exchange arm holds. Sara clamps on a headscissors, which Hallowicked rolls out of into a side headlock. Sara grapevines his legs. Hallowicked grabs the ropes to escape. He puts Sara in an abdominal stretch. She turns it into a cross armbreaker. Hallowicked turns over and grapevines her legs. Sara crucifix pins him for two. Sara backs Hallowicked to the corner and rams her posterior into Hallowicked’s mid-section. She snaps Hallowicked down and sinches her legs around Hallowicked’s arm. Hallowicked armdrags his way free. He baits Sara to the apron and kicks her in the chest. He comes in with a sunset flip for two. He delivers a step-up enzuigiri which sends her to the corner. Sara snaps Hallowicked down by his arm. She armdrags Hallowicked to the corner and delivers a single-leg dropkick. Sara seatbelt pins him for two. They forcefully exchange arm wringers, ending with Hallowicked whipping Sara arm first to the mat. Sara gets the ropes to break an arm submission. Hallowicked continues to target her arm, much like Sara did to him in the early going. She forearms Hallowicked and nails him with three running boots. She ducks a yakuza kick and crossbody’s him. She immediately rolls away and grabs her arm in pain. She holds her arm while kicking away at Hallowicked. An axe kick gets her two. He hits a step-up enzuigiri and yakuza kick for two. She hits a Koppu Kick for two. Hallowicked hits the Go Too Sleepy Hollow. He Magistral Cradles Sara for the pin at 11:56. The finish was anticlimactic, but up until then the action was really solid and told a good story. I like Hallowicked getting two victories back to back in the same building in the same manner and how he used Sara’s tactic of isolating the arm to ultimately best her. ***

”12 Large: Summit” Tournament Match (Block B)
Fire Ant (2 Points) vs. Vin Gerard (2 Points)
“Young Lions Cup IX” – Easton, PA – 8.27.2011

This is a rematch from the Young Lions Cup VI finals, which I think is one of the best matches in CHIKARA history. Fire Ant ducks a chop and Gerard rolls him up for two. He nails Fire Ant with a forearm, who responds with a headscissors takedown. He side slams Gerard and delivers an armdrag. He quesadora’s Gerard then takes him down with a fireman’s carry. Gerard pulls Fire Ant’s antlers to block a suplex. A running clothesline gets him one. Gerard curb stomps Fire Ant multiple times for a two count. Gerard delivers a running knee to the corner. He doublestomps Fire Ant from the second rope for two. Fire Ant rams Gerard to the corner, but his knee buckles. Fire Ant blocks a 2k1 Bomb with a stunner. He hits an antzuigiri in the corner. A brainbuster gets him two. Fire Ant delivers the Yahtzee Kick and tries for the Beach Break. Gerard fights down. He powerbombs Fire Ant twice for a two count. Gerard hits an inverted curb stomp for two. Fire Ant catches Gerard coming up the ropes with a kick to the side. Fire Ant follows up with a crossbody and a suicide dive. Fire Ant quickly comes back so he can hit a tope con hilo. Gerard legmares Fire Ant by the steps, but barely even touches them. Gerard drags Fire Ant back to the entrance in the hopes of a count out victory, as well as a call back to their YLC VI bout. Gerard breaks the count and smiles while looking towards Fire Ant. Gerard drops him on the floor with a 2k1 Bomb. Gerard brings him back into the ring and gets a two count. Gerard rolls up Fire Ant for two. With that failing, Gerard tries a standing shooting star press (a calling card of his as Equinox). He misses, so Gerard puts Fire Ant in the CHIKARA Special. Fire Ant kicks free, so Gerard transitions into the STF. Fire Ant rolls into a cradle for two. He drops Gerard with a Burning Hammer for the pin at 11:45. I actually watched this twice and I enjoyed it much more the second time. All the call backs to their previous YLC encounter was enough to satiate my appetite in terms of what I was looking for out of this match. This may not have been the epic match I was hoping for to get Gerard back to do something of substance, but it served it’s purpose. ***

”12 Large: Summit” Tournament Match (Block A)
Icarus (2 Points) vs. Claudio Castagnoli (2 Points)
“Young Lions Cup IX” – Easton, PA – 8.27.2011

Both men boot each other in the stomach simultaneously. Icarus goes to the apron to avoid being hit by Claudio again. They lock up and pull each other’s tights. Nick Papagiorgio breaks them in the corner, but both men poke each other in the eyes before doing so. They both yell at the referee for not catching it. Claudio monkey flips Icarus. Icarus rolls through, so Claudio chops him on the top rope. Icarus armdrags Claudio and stomps on his hand. Icarus delivers a headscissors and stomps on Claudio’s hand again. Claudio snapmares Icarus and stomps on his hand. Claudio stands on it. Icarus gets mad at Papagiorgio because he steps on Icarus’ hand to break it, missing Claudio’s boot. Claudio prevents Icarus from going to the back. Icarus pescado’s onto him after being put back in the ring. Claudio dropkicks Icarus off the apron. Claudio seesaw’s him into the bottom of a merchandise table. Claudio slams Icarus stomach first into the ring post. Icarus throws Claudio off of the top rope. He goes to the top rope himself and gets thrown off by Claudio. Claudio drops an elbow for two. Claudio applies a Camel Clutch. Claudio throws Icarus to the corner to block a Shirnaui. Icarus rakes Claudio’s face across the top rope. Claudio blocks a kick and punches Icarus in the mid-section. Claudio chokes Icarus on the middle rope. Claudio blocks the Shiranui. Icarus tries the Pedigree. Claudio goes for an uppercut instead. Icarus tries a backslide but Claudio reverses it. Icarus kicks the referee down by accident. Both Claudio and Icarus drop to the mat and pretend that they got kicked in the groin. Icarus superkicks Claudio for two after Papagiorgio decides to not make a call. Claudio delivers Swiss Death for two. Icarus recovers and comes off the top with a huracanrana. He hits a spear but Claudio gets his foot on the ropes. Claudio uppercuts Icarus in the neck for two. Icarus tries to sunset flip out of a Ricola Bomb. He sits down on it and grabs the ropes for a pin, but Papagiorgio catches him. He catches Icarus with his feet on the ropes as well. A series of pin attempts ends with Icarus grabbing the ropes in a reverse prawn hold and pinning Claudio at 12:45. Both guys trying to out Rudo one another was quite entertaining, and the fact that Icarus eventually won by grabbing the ropes after failing to hit the Shiranui and Blu-Ray was good storytelling. A good match that you don’t see usually from these guys. This would end up being Claudio’s final match in CHIKARA before heading to the WWE. ***

”12 Large: Summit” Tournament Match (Block A)
Jigsaw (0 Points) vs. Vin Gerard (2 Points)
“Odyssey of the Twelfth Talisman” – Brockton, MA – 9.17.2011

Gerard makes a quip about being the true “Last of a Dying Breed” since Eddie Kingston is on commentary. Jigsaw mocks Gerard’s flabby physique by doing some sit-ups. Jigsaw does more sit-ups to escape Gerard’s leg hold into a headlock. Gerard rolls into a pin forcing Jigsaw to release. Jigsaw does sit-ups after locking Gerard’s legs in a figure seven. He kicks Gerard and breaks the hold. Jigsaw armdrags Gerard into a kick to the head. Jigsaw sunset flips Gerard from the apron, then crucifix pins and Gedo clutches him for two. Jigsaw goes through the same pin sequence again. The fans mockingly chant “STIGMA” at him. Jigsaw baits Gerard into the pin sequence again. Gerard blocks it the fourth time, so Jigsaw sends Gerard to the floor and follows with a suicide dive. In the ring Jigsaw digs his knee into Gerard’s back and stretches his arms back. Gerard blocks the stunner and drops him with an STO. Gerard tackles Jigsaw’s knees and applies pressure to it in the corner. On the floor Gerard puts Jigsaw in the STF. Gerard waits till the 11 count to release, then kicks Jigsaw’s leg some more. He back rakes Jigsaw and slams his leg against the ring apron. Gerard stalls enough for Jigsaw to roll him up for two. Jigsaw trips Gerard and goes for the Stunner. Gerard block so Jigsaw falls back and kicks Gerard in the head. Jigsaw elbows and kicks Gerard in the corner. He comes in with a corner stomp for two. Gerard kicks out Jigsaw’s knee and hits an enzuigiri for two. Gerard blocks the brainbuster and backfists Jigsaw. Kingston has to be held back at the commentation station. Gerard mocks some of Kingston’s mannerisms some more. Jigsaw however comes back with a pair of kicks and a brainbuster for two. Gerard ducks a low superkick and turns Jigsaw into the STF. Gerard misses the Sliding D and eats a low superkick for the pin at 12:48. I really like how Gerard spent so much time on Jigsaw’s body part, but his arrogance got the best of him and cost him the match. Jigsaw put in a good effort but Gerard seemed a little off. Regardless, they told a good story and got a good reaction throughout. Kingston has to be held back as Gerard exits the ring. **3/4

”12 Large: Summit” Tournament Match (Block A)
Mike Quackenbush (4 Points) vs. Icarus (4 Points)
“Odyssey of the Twelfth Talisman” – Brockton, MA – 9.17.2011

Icarus goes for Quack before the bell. Quack side steps the attack and chops Icarus in the corner. Quack sends him to the floor and follows with a tope con hilo. Icarus tries to hide in the crowd. Quack finds him and throws him back in the ring. He sweeps Icarus’ leg and drops double knees on his chest. Icarus rolls to the apron and berates a fan. He snaps Quack’s neck on the top rope and hits a top rope dropkick. Quack small packages Icarus for two. Icarus knocks him down with a clothesline. He legdrops Quack twice for a two count. Quack escapes a headlock. He connects with a running crossbody for two. Icarus drop toe holds Quack on the middle rope and leaps onto Quack’s back and neck. Icarus slams Quack chest first on the ring frame. Quack gives him a quebradora on the floor. Icarus legdrops Quack’s neck as Quack tries to come back in the ring. Quack catches Icarus’ top rope legdrop and puts him in the sharpshooter. Icarus gets the ropes to escape. He thrusts his hands into Quack’s throat and applies a choke. He then chokes Quack with his own wrist tape. Quack blocks a monkey flip and turns Icarus over in a reverse figure seven. Icarus crawls to the corner to escape. He throws Quack’s face into the second turnbuckle. Quack blocks the Pedigree with a backslide for two. Icarus blocks the Black Tornado Slam with a roll-up. Quack blocks the roll-up with the CHIKARA Special. Icarus taps out at 6:59. That was a super effective match for the time allotted. It was a nice competitive sprint that made both guys look strong. **3/4

”12 Large: Summit” Tournament Match (Block A)
Sara Del Rey (4 Points) vs. Ophidian (0 Points)
“Martyr Yourself to Caution” – Manhattan, NY – 9.18.2011

Sara breaks a lock-up cleanly in the corner. Ophidian trips her into a seatbelt pin for two. Sara goes for an armbreaker. Ophidian grapevines her leg but Sara steps over into a leg lock. Ophidian rolls free. Sara kicks Ophidian in the back and chest after a snapmare. Ophidian rolls up Sara for two to break a leg hold. Sara blocks a Magistral cradle. Ophidian breaks a side headlock. He kicks Sara but Sara kicks back even harder. She traps Ophidian in the ropes and kicks him multiple times in the chest. When she’s finished, Ophidian and her exchange chps. Ophidian pummels her into the corner. She turns the tables and lays in her own barrage of strikes. Ophidian hits a modified chinbreaker to block the Royal Butterfly. He then slams her shoulder first to the mat. Ophidian targets Sara’s shoulder on the mat. As Sara looks to fight up, Ophidian applies a Fujiwara armbar. Sara escapes. Ophidian misses a springboard moonsault. Ophidian ducks a kick and backslides Sara for two. Ophidian goes for another Magistral Cradle and seatbelt pin, but again gets a two count on both occasions. Ophidian stands on Sara’s arm and then back bridges on Sara’s neck and shoulders. He rolls into a pin for two. Ophidian headstands in the corner but is met with a kick from Sara before he can do anything else. Sara kicks Ophidian as Ophidian comes off the top ropes. She boots Ophidian thrice. She can’t get a piledriver so she hits the Koppu Kick for two. Ophidian rolls Sara into a prawn hold for two. Sara then tries a modified Gedo clutch for two. Ophidian hits the Duat Driver for two. Ophidian hits a 450 splash and Sara kicks out. She goes for the Ophidia Death Grip on Sara’s bad shoulder, but Sara throws him off right away. She stomps on Ophidian and powerbombs him for two. Ophidian goes for the Death Grip again. Sara turns it into the Royal Butterfly for the pin at 13:59. I loved this match. The moment Sara went for the Royal Butterfly, Ophidian targeted her shoulder right away and didn’t let up for a second. Even when the Death Grip failed, he went for a second time and his foolishness caused him to find himself in the very move he was looking to avoid the whole time. THAT is storytelling my friends, and a real exciting opening match to boot. ***1/2

”12 Large: Summit” Tournament Match (Block A)
Eddie Kingston (6 Points) vs. Fire Ant (4 Points)
“Martyr Yourself to Caution” – Manhattan, NY – 9.18.2011

Kingston delivers quite the lip service to a pair of fans in the balcony. Kingston throws Fire Ant to the mat. Fire Ant mares his way out of a chin hold. Fire Ant grabs his leg that has been hurt for the past few months (because he’s fantastic). Kingston calls out a fan who gave him some guff. Focusing his attention back to Fire Ant, Kingston body drags his way out of a courting hold. The pace quickens with a little lucha from Fire Ant. He Stops, Drops and Rolls Kingston to the opposite corner. Kingston delivers a haymaker and peppers Fire Ant with various strikes. Kingston delivers a Manhattan drop and boots Fire Ant to the floor. He follows with a suicide dive. Kingston whips Fire Ant into the guardrail twice. Kingston suplexes him on the floor as well. In the ring Kingston hits rapid fire forearms to his face while holding him in a Camel Clutch position. Kingston gives him a Perfect neck snap for two. Fire Ant tries to chop his way up but eats a jab from Kingston instead. Fire Ant makes his way up but gets mowed down with a clothesline for two. Fire Ant knees his way out of a modified Dragon sleeper. Kingston drops Fire Ant with a neckbreaker for two. Kingston misses a yakuza kick, allowing Fire Ant to hit him with an enzuigiri. Kingston rolls to the floor so Fire Ant sends him into the crowd with a suicide dive. Fire Ant flies onto Kingston with a springboard tope con hilo. Fire Ant recovers then hops onto him with a crossbody from the top rope. Vin Gerard disguised as a fan attacks Kingston and jams a chair into his bad leg. Some attendants take Gerard away. Fire Ant begs Bryce Remsburg to not call for a disqualification and Remsburg agrees. Kingston gets in the ring and grabs at his leg while Fire Ant comes off the top rope with a senton for two. Kingston goes for a corner attack but his leg buckles. Fire Ant smartly targets his attack on Kingston’s leg. Fire Ant gets another crossbody from the top then delivers a tornado DDT for two. Kingston clobbers Fire Ant with a clothesline to the neck and chest for two. A capture German suplex also gets him two. Kingston hits a relatively weak yakuza kick and a release suplex for two. Fire Ant victory rolls him for two. Kingston fires back with a hard lariat for two. Fire Ant counters a powerbomb with a stunner. He delivers the Yahtzee Kick and goes for a brainbuster. He fails but drops Kingston with the Beach Break for two. He applies a knee bar to Kingston’s bad leg. Fire Ant fires away with forearms. Kingston fires up and lays in some of his own. Fire Ant goes right back to Kingston’s leg. Kingston gets the strength to hit the Backfist to the Future. FIRE ANT KICKS OUT AT ONE! WHAT THE! Kingston hits the Backdrop Driver and the Sliding D for two. Kingston hits one to Fire Ant’s neck for the pin at 22:27. That was an awesome hard hitting, clobberific good time. I am so pleased to see Kingston’s leg injury carrying over from show to show, especially over the course of four months. Now Kingston tops the B Block and it will be nearly impossible for anyone else in the B Block to catch up. Him vs. Gerard will be interesting. Huge kudos to Fire Ant as well for putting together a really fun narrative with one of the top singles guys in the company. ***3/4

”12 Large: Summit” Tournament Match (Block A)
Hallowicked (4 Points) vs. Icarus (4 Points)
“Small But Mighty” – Burlington, NC – 10.7.2011

Each guy takes the other down to the mat with a top wristlock. Hallowicked does so again, placing his knee on Icarus’ head. Icarus transitions into a side headlock. Hallowicked applies a headscissors. Icarus escapes but fail to kip up. Hallowicked shows up Icarus by kipping up out of a wristlock. Icarus tries another kip up and once again fails. Icarus shoves Hallowicked to escape a headlock. Hallowicked shoulder blocks him down, then gets two with a schoolboy. Hallowicked escapes a courting hold by running up the ropes into an armdrag. Hallowicked puts Icarus’ track jacket back on to cover his tattoo. Hallowicked locks his legs in order to zip the jacket up. Icarus lifts Hallowicked up in a stretch. Hallowicked drops back down and zips up the jacket. Icarus escapes and continues the battle of keeping his jacket zipped. Hallowicked ends I with an atomic drop. Hallowicked sunset flips Icarus after Icarus takes his jacket off. He throws the jacket to the referee, allowing Icarus to poke Hallowicked’s eyes and hit him with a spear. Icarus chokes Hallowicked on the middle rope. He gets two count with a slingshot senton. Hallowicked lights up Icarus with overhand chops in the corner. He avoids a spear with a schoolboy for two. Icarus dropkicks him for two. Icarus legdrops him for two. Icarus Mongolian chops Hallowicked from behind and goes to the top rope. He misses a frog splash. Hallowicked and Icarus exchange shots mid-ring. Hallowicked takes him over with a step-up Frankensteiner. Hallowicked drops him with a super snapmare and Go 2 Sleepy Hollow for two. Icarus avoids a yakuza kick but eats a step-up enzuigiri for two. Icarus blocks a Rydeen Bomb with a huracanrana for two. Icarus rolls through a sunset flip with a dropkick. He connects with a Shiranui for two. He fisherman suplexes Hallowicked for two. Icarus then hits a frog splash for two. Hallowicked slips out of the Blu-Ray and nails a yakuza kick for two. Hallowicked goes for the Graveyard Smash but instead takes the Blu-Ray for the pin at 15:16. This was quite surprising considering Hallowicked had a shot to tie up the A Block if he were to win this match. With this, both men are definitively out of the running. All that aside, this was an excellent blending of humor and technical wrestling. ***

”12 Large: Summit” Tournament Match (Block B)
Mike Quackenbush (6 Points) vs. Sara Del Rey (6 Points)
“Small But Mighty” – Burlington, NC – 10.7.2011

The winner of this match wins Block A of the 12 Large: Summit. Sara does not shake Quack’s extended hand. Quack shoulder blocks her down, but Sara pops up and kicks Quack in the leg. Sara snapmares Quack to end his arm work and kicks him in the leg once more. Sara delivers more kicks to the chest and headbutts him. She traps Quack in the ropes and kicks him multiple times in the chest. Quack evades a splash in the corner. He knocks her down but misses a one legged dropkick. Quack kicks Sara’s leg out and takes hold of it. Quack drives his knee into her upper thigh and sits down on the leg. Sara grabs the ropes to break the hold, but Quack takes her right back down. Quack gives her a kneeDT. She rolls to the ropes as Quack sits down on a spinning toe hold. Sara goes for a German suplex once coming back in from the apron. She schoolboys Quack head first into the middle turnbuckle. Quack rolls her into a leg-crossed hammerlock stretch. Sara grabs the bottom rope to escape. Quack throws her with a dragonscrew leg whip. Quack butterfly stretches her while keeping her legs crossed. He throws her out of the hold for two. Quack misses a senton. Quack tries to sit down on Sara after she goes for a sunset flip. He misses and she crucifx pins him for two. Quack stomps Sara’s knee into the mat and takes control once more. Quack applies a cross-legged STF. Sara gets the ropes to break. Quack misses a corner elbow. Sara delivers a series of forearms. Quack blocks her kick and forearms her in the head. She catches him with a kick as he runs off the ropes. Quack turns another kick into an ankle lock, but Sara rolls forward to send Quack to the corner. She gets two with a delayed Northern Lights suplex. Quack blocks a Royal Butterfly and rolls her into a modified sharpshooter. Sara finds the ropes to escape again. Quack grapevines her legs around his. Sara fights free and goes to the corner. Sara catches Quack with a Koppu Kick for two. She puts him in the Royal Butterfly. She suplexes him out of it for two. Quack kicks Sara in the head to block a piledriver. He punts her knee and goes for a figure four leg lock. Sara cradles him for two. Quack palm strikes Sara and rolls her into Lightning Lock Beta. He adds a Stretch Muffler causing Sara to tap out at 15:00. This was so brilliant. Quackenbush, now the Block A winner, spent almost the entire match working on Sara’s knee. Who has a bad knee in the tournament? Eddie Kingston, the guy in Block B who currently has the most points and was on commentary for the match. Sara had to go to the ropes to stay alive, but once she was mid-ring it was all over. The audience was captivated by all of this as well and it made for a great watch. ***3/4

UltraMantis Black vs. Archibald Peck
“Small But Mighty” – Burlington, NC – 10.7.2011

This was supposed to be Mantis’ Summit match against Vin Gerard. Gerard however did not show up, so he forfeits the match to Mantis. Mantis will now face Peck, who has Veronica and his new mascot, Colt Cabunny, in his corner. Mantis slams Peck and delivers a low clothesline for two. Peck flips to the apron ala Ric Flair. He sends Mantis to the floor and turns a fake dive into a march. Mantis Cactus clotheslines Peck to the floor. Mantis grabs a chair. Peck puts Veronica in the chair’s way. Mantis of course stops short, allowing Peck to boot the chair into Mantis’ face. Peck chokes Mantis on the middle rope. Peck drops him with a neckbreaker for two. Peck drops him with a front flip neckbreaker for two. Peck drops an elbow from the second rope for two. Mantis gets his boot up to block a second one. Mantis lights up Peck with strikes in the corner. Peck throws Mantis shoulder first into the ring post. Peck tries to boot him but Mantis moves out of the way. Mantis and Peck fight on the ring apron. Cabunny grabs Mantis’ leg to block a Praying Mantis Bomb. Mantis kicks Cabunny away and comes off the apron with a somersault senton to Peck. Peck drop toe holds Mantis into a steel chair. Mantis responds by backdropping Peck on the entrance ramp. Peck manages to crotch Mantis on the top rope. Peck follows Mantis up to throw him off. Mantis brings Peck off with a super Finlay Roll. Peck blocks the Cosmic Disaster with a slam. Peck heads up top. He misses the Cranial Crescendo. Mantis blocks a boot and drops him with the Cosmic Disaster for the pin at 8:28. This was pretty remarkable considering that this match was impromptu. Mantis and Peck showed they have the tendency to be aggressive and put on a very good match when the occasion calls for it. Veronica is very unhappy Peck lost. **3/4

”12 Large: Summit” Tournament Match (Block A)
Hallowicked (4 Points) vs. Ophidian (2 Points)
“Klunk In Love” – Kingsport, TN – 10.8.2011

The bottom rope is now completely gone. Ophidian snapmares his way out of a hammerlock. Ophidian uses his legs to apply a full nelson. Hallowicked escapes and trades pin attempts with Ophidian. Hallowicked runs the ropes to armdrag out of a courting hold. He throws Ophidian with a super snapmare and rolls him up for two. Ophidian drops him with an arm capture armbreaker, then DDT’s Hallowicked’s arm into the mat. Ophidian targets Hallowicked’s arm while keeping him grounded. When Hallowicked gets to his feet, Ophidian kicks his arm and boots him right down. He picks the arm apart some more but can’t manage to get a pin. Ophidian misses a quebrada. Hallowicked hip tosses Ophidian with his good arm. Ophidian dropkicks Hallowicked’s arm for a two count. Ophidian locks his legs around Hallowicked’s arms and leans back on his neck. Ophidian headbutts the arm and drops it over the top rope. Hallowicked blocks his double knees with the Rydeen bomb. Hallowicked brings him to the corner with forearms. He delivers a step-up enzuigiri. Ophidian headstands in the corner but gets caught with a step-up kick to the chest for two. Hallowicked breaks the Ophidian Death Grip by ramming Ophidian in the corner. Ophidian grounds Hallowicked to reapply it, but Hallowicked escapes again. Ophidian rolls through a super snapmare and successfully locks in the Death Grip. Hallowicked rams Ophidian into the corner head first, then takes him over with a step-up Frankensteiner. A yakuza kick gets him two. Ophidian fights off Hallowicked’s shoulders. Ophidian turns the Graveyard Smash into the Duat Driver. Ophidian connects with a 450 splash for two. Hallowicked catches Ophidian coming off the top rope with a kick to the stomach. Hallowicked rolls him up in La Magistral for the pin at 14:28. You have got to love Ophidian’s limb work and how it stunted Hallowicked’s attack plan. He couldn’t get the Graveyard Smash because of it and ended up having to use Ophidian’s vulnerability to sneak in a cradle for the pin. Ophidian yells at the referee claiming he kicked out. Perhaps that aggression is a sign of things to come. ***1/4

”12 Large: Summit” Tournament Match (Block B)
Jigsaw (4 Points) vs. UltraMantis Black (6 Points)
“Klunk In Love” – Kingsport, TN – 10.8.2011

The bottom rope is back! Jigsaw escapes a waistlock into a wristlock. They exchange front facelocks, then chops in the corner. Mantis rolls Jigsaw into a pin out of an alita. Jigsaw hops over Mantis and rolls him into a low dropkick. Jigsaw comes off the second rope with a dropkick. Mantis grabs the bottom rope to break. Jigsaw gets two after a couple kicks to the back. Jigsaw double stomps Mantis after putting his neck on the bottom rope. Jigsaw gets two with a modified backbreaker. Jigsaw kicks Mantis to avoid a corner attack and rolls him up for two. Jigsaw applies a bodyscissors. Mantis grabs the bottom rope which pops the crowd huge. Mantis evades a top rope double stomp. He delivers rapid fire strikes and a full nelson slam. Mantis headbutts Jigsaw from the apron. Jigsaw enzuigiri’s him and goes for a sunset bomb to the floor. Mantis fights his way free. He goes for a huracanrana and ends up powerbombed onto the ring frame. Jigsaw lands the double stomp back in the ring for two. He follows up with the brainbuster for two. Mantis ducks a superkick and schoolboys Jigsaw for two. He drops Jigsaw on his head with a wristclutch suplex for two. Mantis gets two with the Cosmic Disaster. He goes for it again. Jigsaw slips out and German suplexes Mantis for two. He calls for the Jig N’ Tonic. Mantis reverses into the Praying Mantis Bomb. Jigsaw rolls to the floor. Mantis immediately rolls him back in. Jigsaw catches Mantis with a cradle for the pin at 12:48, spoiling Mantis’ title aspirations. This was quite weird, as Mantis really got beaten down the whole time. I’d just assume we’d see him be more aggressive and cunning considering how much was on the line. Regardless, I loved the finish and am happy we will have a one on one title match. ***

”12 Large: Summit” Tournament Match (Block B)
Eddie Kingston (8 Points) vs. Vin Gerard (2 Points)
“Maiden Flight of the Great Condor” – Williamsport, PA – 10.30.2011

This is grudge match since Gerard was the main reason why Kingston’s knee has been hurt these past few months. Gerard would attack Kingston during and after his matches because he wanted to collect on a bounty that Claudio Castagnoli put on Kingston to keep him out of the tournament. Kingston tries to bring a chair in the ring but Bryce won’t let him. Kingston brings Gerard to the floor after blocking a cheap shot. Kingston throws Gerard into multiple rows of chairs. Kingston brings Gerard to the top of the bleachers and throws him into the wall. Gerard kicks at Kingston’s knee, but Kingston keeps on him with punches. Kingston chucks a football at Gerard’s chest (literally). The brawl winds up back in the ring with Kingston chopping Gerard in the corner. Gerard rakes his eyes to block a Saito suplex. He puts Kingston in the STF, trapping Kingston’s bad leg. Gerard stomps the back of Kingston’s leg when the hold is broken. Gerard reapplies the STF and Kingston immediately grabs the ropes. Gerard bits Kingston’s hand after jumping down with a toe hold. Gerard drops an elbow on Kingston’s knee as it drapes on the ring apron. Gerard chop blocks Kingston and throws him knee first into the ring steps. He gets a two count back in the ring. Gerard applies the STF again in the middle of the ring. Kingston crawls to the ropes. Gerard picks Kingston up off the mat and eats the Backfist to the Future. Gerard rolls to the floor to prevent being pinned. Gerard throws a wrench into the ring to distract Bryce. Gerard low blows Kingston and puts the STF on again. Kingston gets the ropes again. Gerard pulls Kingston back to the middle of the ring and puts on the STF again. Kingston taps out at 9:47. I loved the story telling here. Kingston’s knee injury saw its biggest challenge in this match with Gerard relentlessly taking Kingston out for no reason but sheer selfishness. It put Kingston over as the injured challenger going into the title match at “High Noon” and is hopefully the beginning of a big relaunch that Gerard’s career needs. ***

CHIKARA Grand Championship; “12 Large: Summit” Finals
Mike Quackenbush (Block A Winner) vs. Eddie Kingston (Block B Winner)
“High Noon” – Philadelphia, PA – 11.13.2011

Jigsaw is in Quack’s corner while Tommy Dreamer is in Kingston’s. Kingston has a noticeable limp from the get-go due to months of opponents damaging his knee. This is the first time these two have ever faced one another in a singles contest, and to say that this match has a big fight atmosphere would be a severe understatement.

The inaugural lock-up is broken cleanly in the corner. Kingston shoves Quack away as he goes for his arms. Quack ends up twisting Kingston’s arms anyways, with Kingston having to forearm Quack to free himself. Kingston chops Quack to the mat, and pulls him up to chop him twice more. He stops Quack’s momentum off the ropes with a spinebuster for two. Quack trips Kingston and slams his bad knee against the ring apron. Quack flips over the ropes to counter an Irish whip, but Kingston clotheslines him on the apron. Once again, Quack trips Kingston and slams his knee into the apron. Quack sweeps his legs and drives his knees into Kingston’s chest for one. Quack of course goes for Kingston’s knee. Kingston chops Quack, so Quack kicks him in the head twice so he can go back to work on the knee. Kingston puts Quack in a rear-naked choke. Quack drives his elbow into Kingston’s knee so that Kingston has to release the hold and grab the ropes. Quack stomps on Kingston’s knee to prevent him from standing up. Kingston tells Quack that he will have to break his leg off to win as Quacks its down on a spinning toe hold. Kingston kicks Quack away and gets to his feet. Kingston elbows Quack and sunset flips him. Quack rolls through and applies a tight grapevine stretch. Kingston is close enough to the bottom ropes to grab them. Quack stops Kingston’s chops by poking him in the eyes. Quack kneeDT’s Kingston as the locker room empties and surrounds the ringside area. Quack applies an arm-capture leg stretch. Kingston claws Quack’s face to escape. Kingston gives Quack a Manhattan drop and a big boot for two. Quack kicks out Kingston’s leg to bring him back to the mat. Kingston fires up as Quack puts him in a cross-legged submission. They begin to slap and forearm each other until the submission breaks. Quack palm strikes Kingston, but Kingston takes him overhead with a belly-to-back suplex. He delivers a lariat for two. Quack blocks the Backfist and drops him with the Black Tornado Slam for two. Quack hits a super somersault senton for two. Quack rolls Kingston into Lightning Lock Beta. Kingston again gets the ropes. They each block some of each others’ bigger moves. Quack delivers the Quackendriver III and Kingston kicks out right away! Quack heads up top. Quack misses double knees from the top rope and is wobbly when he gets up. Kingston now kicks out Quack’s knee multiple times. Kingston fights Quack on the top rope. Kingston backfists Quack’s knee, causing him to crash to the mat. Kingston turns him into Kondo Clutch. Quack gets the ropes to escape. They trade blows on their knees. Kingston fires up from a pair of palm strikes. Kingston nails a lariat and a Saito suplex. He drops Quack on his head with a Dragon suplex. Kingston delivers two Backfists to the Future to get the pin at 17:52.