Blog: Heidi Lovelace (12.2.14)
In every professional wrestler's career, there is one event that supercedes all others. Just the mere thought of it makes your heart race, gives you butterflies, and pushes you to your absolute limit.
For me that event is December 6th - this Saturday night, at the former ECW Arena. It's the finals of the Young Lions Cup tournament.
Being crowned the Young Lions Cup Champion is an achievement I have longed for since the beginning of my career when my trainer, Billy Roc told me of his journey to the tournament, years prior. I forgot about his story, his quest for a while. I had my own battles in Wrestling is Heart. But it was something I saw at Wrestling is Heart that brought Billy's story back to the forefront of my mind.
There, I saw my classmate from the School of Roc, Joe Pittman, capture La Copa Idolo. I saw how he wielded that trophy like a justification for his arrogance. Well it isn't the trophy that makes the wrestler. It is the wrestler that makes the trophy. Maybe a cup for a man who idolizes himself is appropriate where Joe is concerned. And La Copa Idolo is gone, destroyed in the chaos back at National Pro Wrestling Day. I will be proud to carry the cup that demands the heart of a lion to capture it - the Young Lions Cup.
After defeating many talented competitors in the YLC semi-finals last month in Norristown, I watched Missile Assault Ant obnoxiously shout his own name and pick up the very trophy that we will compete for this Saturday. That moment has stuck with me for weeks now, because it reminds me of what it felt like seeing Joe carry La Copa Idolo.
Missile Assault Ant, the Young Lions Cup is not about yelling your name in a vain grab at glory. As far as I can tell, that's about all you stand for. This Saturday, I'm going to win the 11th annual Young Lions Cup and I will do it not just for me, or to make my trainer proud, but to prove that the YLC is about heart, and dedication, and honor. And so am I.
-HL
Blog: Bryce Remsburg (12.1.14)
I've been here for 12.5 years now, so this concept of unwelcome visitors at the CHIKARA house is nothing new. Despite many odds, and even 8 months of darkness, our world is still spinning. Resiliency has long been a defining characteristic of the spirit of CHIKARA. Through our fans, and our locker room, the power of "us" is what kept us afloat many dark days. This time, this batch of unwelcome visitors - specifically one - is different.
This batch of unwelcome visitors has claimed the careers of several of our brothers. Never have the stakes been higher, never have the consequences been greater. Sure, Kobald smelled like a pet store that hadn't been cleaned in weeks, but I miss the little goblin. He was one of us. When we needed him the most, he was there. I miss the inadvertent political incorrectness of the Estonian ThunderFrog. In a short time, he had become one of us. He earned his spot. I miss the unmistakable dance moves of the Latvian Proud Oak. What he may have lacked in proper grammar and style, he made up for in spirit. While I didn't get a chance to know them personally, I admire the gusto of 3quinox and Create-a-Wrestler. Most of all, perhaps, I miss Archibald Peck. That goofy marching band leader was OUR goofy marching band leader, and few will forget the moment he rolled to the rescue in a DeLorean at National Pro Wrestling Day. At our darkest hour, he shined a light. Most of all, he made me smile more times than I can count. That's an invaluable service, that Archie no longer can no longer provide. All due to this one unwelcome visitor.
I've been around the circuit with Jimmy Jacobs for 11 of my 12 years in pro wrestling. I've stayed at his house, I've met his family. His intelligence and deep understanding of pro-wrestling and psychology make him extremely dangerous. But in this case, he's the known enemy. He might be pulling the strings, but he's not the puppet that's moving. This puppet is named Deucalion. The unknown is terrifying. Everything we know about him is alarming. The way he ends careers with one move. The way I watched him manhandle UltraMantis and Hallowicked a couple weeks ago in Haverhill, MA. His lack of remorse for his actions. His disregard for our family and its traditions is chilling.
I didn't like the BDK. I didn't respect the GEKIDO. I'm physically scared of Deucalion.
One place this animal belongs is inside of a cage. That's where he'll be on Saturday night. To be honest, I'm not looking forward to being in there with him. I'll be in there due to my love of CHIKARA, and if there's a main event of a CHIKARA iPPV, in my heart, that's where I belong. Luckily, there will be someone else inside that steel cage with us. He has heart for days. If it weren't for him, I'm not sure there would be an event this weekend, I doubt there would even be a CHIKARA. Icarus is our pulse. Our lifeblood. The concept of odds clearly hasn't phased or deterred him. Being locked in a cage probably isn't his idea of a fun way to spend a Saturday night. He knows he has to, though. For him, for us, for you, for CHIKARA. It's the only way. This "engine of destruction" must be checked, and taken off the roads for good. This cannot continue. If anyone can do it, it's our Grand Champ. He doesn't care about odds. He defies them.
It's hard to describe the feeling of being inside a steel cage. You feel trapped, you feel claustrophobic. You feel as if the walls are closing in. The last time we saw one at a CHIKARA event was September 7, 2008. I was in there with who you now know as WWE Intercontinental Champion Luke Harper and Cesaro. On that day they were known as Brodie Lee and Claudio Castagnoli, and all three of us had a bit more hair. They were rivals, they did not care for each other, but the stakes weren't this high. It wasn't this personal.
This isn't about championships. This isn't even about winning. I don't claim to know how, but Icarus must destroy Deucalion. For all of our brothers that Deucalion has destroyed. For our locker room. For our fans worldwide. For CHIKARA. If you have plans Saturday night, make sure they include "Tomorrow Never Dies." Feel the cage in the room in Philadelphia. See the cage live on iPPV. Somehow, some way, be with us. Icarus will need you more than ever. We will need you. We are CHIKARA.
-BR
Blog: Shane Matthews (11.12.14)
23 minutes. That’s how long I’ve been staring at this dumb blank screen. I’m supposed to write down my thoughts and feelings like some pro-wrestling Margret Atwood? What’s that about? You want to see how I’m feeling, you take a look at what I do in the ring. You want to read about my feelings, about what’s on Big Magic's mind? Ok, fine! Let’s make it easy and start with the loudest one.
ANGER. There’s a lot of anger on my mind, and it’s ALL IN CAPS! People might find that surprising on account of my usual understated way of expressing myself. But no one has ANY idea of what me and the Jagman have had to go through since Virginia. CHIKARA might have lost one of the boys from the locker room. Me and Scott lost our brother. 3peckO is no more!
Traveling from city to city, we got to know an Archibald Peck that nobody else got to see. He talked about all of the things that mattered to him outside of that ring. His family. Famous marching bands. Time Travel. Missionary work. Cowboys. Favorite composers. Trees. You name it, Peck talked about it. A LOT. Thank goodness that DeLorean cut down how long we spent on the road.
Now all that’s gone. We can’t just hop in the car and go back to a point before Archie sacrificed everything to save Gavin Loudspeaker. Nobody but Peck can drive that thing. And we can’t go on another trek to find another Archibald Peck. He’s gone! Gone at the bloody hands of Deucalion.
Well, get this. As long as I’m breathing, Deucalion won’t hoist another one of my brothers on his shoulder! We’ll tear the whole ring apart and bring the entire arena down on The Flood’s heads if that’s what needs to be done. We’ve played the defense long enough! Icarus showed Deucalion what kind of offense CHIKARA can bring. Imagine what happens when we all hit back, all together, all at the same time!
Peck: me and Jagged can only hope this goodbye isn’t forever. Not putting it past you to have some hare-brained scheme to save yourself if something like this ever happened. Right? You’d be happy to know UltraMantis delivered a good eulogy for you to the folks in Parts Unknown. He might be devious in the squared circle, but he makes for a decent mayor.
To the rest of The Flood, I hope you’re all reading this because CHIKARA is about to finally eliminate all of you vermin running around! YOUR TIME IS UP!
-SM