CHIKARA returns with two events on March 16th at the Wrestle Factory in Philadelphia, PA. This is the 15th edition of the Young Lions Cup for CHIKARA. Stage One will kick off at 3:00 PM and Stage Two will follow at 7:00 PM. Several of the matches for Stage Two depend on how the Young Lions Cup matches during Stage One go, so don’t worry that there isn’t much announced ahead for that. There is also a nice mix of Young Lions Cup matches and non-Cup related matches.
Stage 1
Missile Assault Man vs. Rory Gulak
Let’s kick things off for this preview with a first-time matchup! In non-Young Lions Cup action, Missile Assault Man will face Rory Gulak. Missile Assault Man started season 20 with a victory at National Pro Wrestling Day (NPWD) over Juan Francisco de Coronado. He seemingly has put his past with Lucas Calhoun, Professor Nicodemus and the Proteus Wheel behind him. We’ll have to wait and see if that is truly the case. Rory hasn’t been since in CHIKARA since Don’t Go to Sleep! in November 2018. There he was part of another first-time matchup with Ophidian. Rory was not successful there and was forced to submit to the Master of Snake Style. Everything starts anew when seasons change, so maybe Rory Gulak can start season 20 on the right foot.
Crummels/Defarge vs. F.I.S.T. (Travis Huckabee & Tony Deppen)
Cornelius Crummels and Sonny Defarge were originally scheduled to face The Bird and The Bee. However, due to an injury to Willow Nightingale, this match was changed. The team of Travis Huckabee and Tony Deppen were more than happy to step in to fill the vacant spot. Crummels and Defarge have not started season 20 off well, they lost two straight falls to the Campeonatos de Parejas at NPWD. They now have no points, and no wins on the board for season 20. These businessmen need to get their business back on track. Opposite of Crummels and Defarge, Huckabee and Deppen have forward momentum on their side. They currently have two points on the leaderboard, and a win here would earn them a shot at the Campeonatos de Parejas. Travis Huckabee, as part of the Rumblebees, ended Defarge and Crummels’ reign as Campeons back in season 18.
Young Lions Cup XV Quarterfinal Round 4-Way Elimination Match-Boomer Hatfield vs. Jaden Valo vs. Jay Sorbet vs. Blanche Babish
We have our first Young Lions Cup Quarterfinal match! We see two CHIKARA regulars and two very special guest stars in this one. Boomer is known for being the littlest Hatfield, having just debuted in Season 19. His heart is bigger than the entire Hatfield clan though. No matter how big or strong the opponent, Boomer doesn’t back down. Joining Boomer is one half of the Punk Relics, Jaden Valo! He’s a regular for the New York Wrestling Connection. A high-flying and risk-taking steampunk aficionado, he brings no fear into this tournament.
From the wrong side of the tracks, is another CHIKARA representative. Blanche Babish may pop her gum and serve everything with a side of attitude, but don’t let that fool you. Blanche made her CHIKARA debut at the Young Lions Cup last year and made it all the way to the semi-finals. She’s only grown with experience since then, so she’s got a leg up on the three others in this match. Jay Sorbet is the fourth competitor in this match. He is a young Australian making not only his CHIKARA debut but his United States debut as well. Australians have done well in CHIKARA historically, let’s see if he can do his countrymen proud!
Young Lions Cup XV Quarterfinal Round 4-Way Elimination Match- Green Ant vs. Brayden Lee vs. Allie Kat vs. Ricky South
Green Ant is another young CHIKARA star, he also participated in last year’s Young Lions Cup. He’s also one-third of the 2018 King of Trios. He must stand on his own legs here, with his antennae held high as he attempts to bring the cup home to the Ant Hill. Brayden Lee is proof that hard work can pay off. From Indiana originally, this young superstar attended a CHIKARA Master Class at the Wrestle Factory. His performance so impressed the coaches, he was invited to compete in the Young Lions Cup. March 17th will mark just one year in the business for Brayden, so it really would be a feather in his cap to hoist the cup at the end of the night.
Another wrestler debuting for CHIKARA is Allie Kat. Just two years into her career, Allie Kat hasn’t stuck to hanging around her local animal shelter. She’s worked for promotions like NOVA Pro, Absolute Intense Wrestling (AIW) and Women’s Wrestling Revolution (WWR). Hiding underneath that cute cat demeanor is a real tough alley cat! The other Australian sensation making his debut is Ricky South. The purveyor of Flamboyant Aggression is coming to make an impact in CHIKARA. Still young in his career, his unique and unorthodox tactics have kept people guessing and gained him wins back home. With four young, hungry competitors, this one will surely be a barn burner!
Young Lions Cup XV Quarterfinal Round 4-Way Elimination Match- Davienne vs. Still Life With Apricots and Pears vs. Cam Carter vs. DL Hurst
Davienne is Not America’s Sweetheart, she’s more of a slugger. She’s a graduate of the New England Pro Wrestling Academy, where last year’s Young Lions Cup winner Cam Zagami trained as well. She would be the first female graduate of NEPWA to win the Young Lions Cup if she were to be successful. She also competes regularly for WWR, Beyond Wrestling’s sister promotion. The war between Beyond and CHIKARA could very well go on if she walks away with the trophy. Still Life With Apricots and Pears is one of the Nouveau Aesthetics’ greatest masterpieces. Following his loss to Penelope Ford though, his master BLANK is not high on his art. Winning the Young Lions Cup would certainly curate BLANK’s favor.
Cam Carter, like all the other competitors in this tournament, is a young star on the rise. He debuted at the 2018 Rey de Volodores tournament and had an impressive showing against Juan Francisco de Coronado. The Skywalker will be walking into competition with the hope of walking out with a little extra hardware. DL Hurst is another graduate of the NEPWA, like his opponent Davienne. He also competed in last year’s tournament but he lost in the first round. Now he has a second chance at going all the way!
Young Lions Cup XV Quarterfinal Round 4-Way Elimination Match-Air Wolf vs. Jaden Newman vs. Thief Ant vs. Frantik
Air Wolf made his debut at last year’s Young Lions Cup. He was unsuccessful there but came back later in the season to win the 2018 Rey de Volodores tournament. Now the young cub is flying in again hoping to change his luck. Jaden Newman is a Southern sensation out of Chattanooga, TN! He was discovered by Mike Quackenbush during a tour of the Southeast area. Being impressed by this youngster, he recommended Jaden to the Director of Fun for this tournament. The CHIKARmy will be waiting to see what skills Newman has that impressed Quack to recommend him so highly.
Thief Ant joins Green Ant in representing the Colony in the Young Lions Cup. He, like Green Ant, has been in CHIKARA for just over a year. However, this is his first foray into the Young Lions Cup competition. And if he’s able to advance along with Green Ant, they may just have to face each other in the semi-finals! Our final competitor is a fearsome one, another of Professor Nicodemus’ dastardly creation. Frantik may not be as big or imposing as the other members of the Proteus Wheel, but his strength is deceiving.
Lucas Calhoun vs. Volgar
The war between Calhoun, Axel Ford, and Jeremy Leary had with Professor Nicodemus and the Proteus Wheel was finally ended at Let’s Get Invisible. Well, almost. Lucas Calhoun can’t call this feud truly dead until he is able to vanquish, on his own, the current incarnation of Volgar. Therefore, Lucas implored the Director of Fun, Bryce Remsburg, to give him this match. Volgar heartily accepted as he is a creature built and bred for destruction. There is nothing he loves more than an opportunity such as this. Facing the pressure from both sides, Remsburg had no choice but to grant the match.
However, he could not sanction both of Calhoun’s request. Seeing the destruction that went down in the Philly Street Fight, a chain match simply couldn’t be sanctioned. Therefore, this match will be an unsanctioned chain match. Calhoun will have no friends at his side in this fight. No other members of the Proteus Wheel will be involved. And at the Young Lions Cup XV, Lucas Calhoun and Volgar will clash one final time.
https://twitter.com/ThatOlJukeJoint/status/1100591347407425536
Mr. Touchdown vs. Chris Dickinson
Mr. Touchdown is technically the Grand Champion of CHIKARA. In a sad twist of fate, Mr. Touchdown’s leg was broken during the King of Trios tournament. Due to this, he had to appoint someone to perform as interim Grand Champion while he recovered. To Mr. Touchdown, there was no question who it was going to be, his step-cousin-in-law, Dasher Hatfield. Dasher performed beautifully as interim champion, defending it successfully four times. At Let’s Get Invisible, Mr. Touchdown returned to CHIKARA. He attempted to take back possession of the Grand Championship. However, Dasher wasn’t ready to let it go. He ripped the title back and knocked Mr. Touchdown out. When season 20 began, Mr. Touchdown had to face the challenge of Callux the Castigator of the Proteus Wheel. After this match, Dasher Hatfield had this to say to his step-cousin-in-law:
Now, of course, this begs the question, why doesn’t Mr. Touchdown simply attack Dasher or challenge him to a match? That is not as clear cut as it would seem. He gave this answer in a video for the CHIKARmy:
So, to preserve the Hatfield Family, Mr. Touchdown is going to do exactly as Dasher has asked. He’s gained one point by beating Callux, and now it’s onto the second. The opponent for this match is not an easy one either. He’ll be taking on the Dirty Daddy, Chris Dickinson. We first saw Dickinson in the cross-promotional showdowns with Beyond Wrestling. Dickinson proved himself a very formidable wrestler, beating Dasher Hatfield not once but twice. He’s also the man who broke Mr. Touchdown’s leg. With revenge on his mind and the mission to prove Dasher he is ready in his heart, Mr. Touchdown will march down the field to the Young Lions Cup XV.
Stage Two
The Colony (Worker Ant & Fire Ant) vs. Creatures of the Deep (Hermit Crab & Cajun Crawdad)
Worker Ant makes his return following his injury at the hands of F.I.S.T. at Clan Feuds. Worker Ant being in peril is what brought Fire Ant back to his senses. Fire Ant sprung to Worker Ant’s rescue and began to work together with his new Colony including Thief Ant and Green Ant. Now, these two will reunite to take on two of Oceanea’s Creatures of the Deep. The crustacean connection of Hermit Crab and Cajun Crawdad will look to keep the momentum going. At Let’s Get Invisible, the Creatures of the Deep were finally able to put a big victory on the record books. If they would like to have the chance to capture the Campeonatos de Parejas, they’ll have to first get past The Colony.
Grand Championship Match- Dasher Hatfield (c) vs. Solo Darling
At Stage Two of the Young Lions Cup XV, we will have a Grand Championship defense. And no, it won’t be Mr. Touchdown defending it. It will be the man who still possesses the gold, Dasher Hatfield. His opponent is Solo Darling, cashing in her three points for a shot. This isn’t what Solo had originally envisioned for this event. She was supposed to team with her friend, Willow Nightingale and compete against Crummels and Defarge. But in late February, Willow suffered an unfortunate neck injury which will keep her out of action for some time.
Solo was unsure of how to proceed, so she conferred with her partner. Solo concluded that there was something she could do at the Young Lions Cup. She requested a match with Dasher Hatfield. She needed to show someone that she looked up to, her favorite wrestler, that he’s lost his way. Solo Darling will stand strong for her sister/partner and fight for her family. The Dasher Hatfield we’ve met since that moment at Let’s Get Invisible is a different Dasher Hatfield. Who knows what this “new” Dasher Hatfield will bring to the ring?
https://twitter.com/SoloDarling/status/1102750947346919425
Also scheduled for Stage Two are the two semi-finals and the finals of the Young Lions Cup tournament. The Regime, comprised of Juan Francisco de Coronado, Rick Roland, and Sloan Caprice will also be in action. The former golden trio of CHIKARA find themselves still without gold and they are not happy about it. You can catch both epic events on March 16th at the Wrestle Factory in Philadelphia! If last minute travel is out of the question, it will also be streaming and available on CHIKARAtopia and IndependentWrestling.TV.
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world.
