Another week of homework! Each and every week there is not a pay per view, Joe and Adam of the At Odds with Wrestling podcast assign a wrestling event as homework to discuss on the following week’s show. As a day one fan and hanger on, I get in on the action too. This week’s event is Chikara’s The Contaminated Cowl taking place April 29, 2012.

This show is part of Joe’s recent pattern to rewatch a certain time in Chikara history. Now that I am watching these shows in order as well I have to adjust my feelings and reactions to the card. I’ve reviewed hundreds if not thousands of comics over the years and there are only so many times I can compliment how good the writer and artist are. By issue 5 or 6 or so I’ve said everything I can say about the skill of the professionals and now have to shift my focus to the story alone. Same thing is happening here. So this review might be a combination of the two.

Arik Cannon and Darrin Corbin vs the Throwbacks (Dasher Hatfield and Mr Touchdown)

Look at this theater set up for the show!

Quack and Mixed Martial Archie call the action. Archie is phenomenal here. Totally in character and I’m in tears laughing. A good looking cradle becoming moderately attractive was one of the funniest commentary lines I’ve ever heard. Veronica comes out and Archie’s color commentary skills drop at least 90%. Dasher’s baseball swing spot resulting in 2 strikes, a ball, and then a home run with a slide into the turnbuckle got me and the crowd to pop. Arik throws a flag on the field, the mat, when Mr Touchdown grabs Corbin’s tights. Dasher challenges the call! This slow mo instant replay results in a holding call and this is why I love wrestling. Dasher gets the pin when Touchdown holds down Corbin’s leg. Hatfield has no idea the cheating took place and this has to be leading towards a larger story for the Throwbacks.

Jeremy Hadley, Tripp Cassidy, Sue Jackson vs Billy Roc, Remi Williams, Dale Patricks.

I’m guessing this is the local talent show case match. Thomas Greene and Johnny Gargano call the action. To keep the heel team straight I nicknamed them Deliverance, Caesar’s Casino host, and Great Value Adam Page. Nice work by Tom on commentary getting unfamiliar fans like myself up to speed. Jimmy King 2 post massacre! Gotta love Ready to Rumble. Sue, boy named Sue thing here, is a good gimmick. His hands aren’t so good though when he doesn’t catch his opponent. Bad spot. How long have these guys been wrestling? I wonder if there’s too much green in the ring. There’s a lot of pauses, wrestlers stopping because they don’t know what to do next. The “normal” looking team – School of Roc – wins.

Four team elimination match.

Jacob Hammermeir and Tim Donst vs the Batiri vs the Young Bucks vs the Spectral Envoy.

Young Bucks with hair cut a promo. Jacob is out first to bother everyone. Quack and Gavin call the action. There is just so much happening in this match. Bucks absolutely destroy the Batiri. Spike tombstone and the Batiri are eliminated. This match moves so fast because not only can anyone be tagged in at any time, but it is also Lucha rules where when one member of the team rolls out of the ring, his partner can come in as the legal man. Donst pulls out some sort of cord to choke out Hallowicked but positions his arm so the referee cannot see this. The Spectral Envoy is eliminated. Fighting against the Young Bucks becomes a Bruce Lee fight. Instead of attacking all at once, everyone waits and takes their turn for one on two battles. Donst does a phenomenal job calling the action in the ring and getting everyone into place. More bang for your buck gets the final fall and the Young Bucks now have three points.

Sara Del Rey vs Obariyon.

Sara cuts a promo before the match. Referee is checking Sara and Obariyon comes in with a cheap shot. Quack and Gavin call the action. Obariyon has no problem hitting a woman and is super aggressive. Sara with a knee to the gut then rolls the back of Obariyon’s head into the turnbuckle. Obariyon licks Sara which stuns her and makes her freeze. Obariyon jumps from the top and catches Sara with a DDT for the pin. The rest of the Batiri come out and tie her up. This is super messed up for Chikara. Saturyne comes out to make the save. Wow she looks amazing. What’s her deal Joe?

Ants collide! The Colony vs the Swarm.

Colony promo. Joe and Donst call the match. The Swarm jumps the Colony and immediately start going for the masks. This match is all beat downs and mask work. The match moves like a battle royal. Any dives to the “front” side of the ring are tough to pull off because of the theater railing. I don’t know how Joe calls all of this action. Soldier Ant is ripping at the mask. 17 comes out to interfere. DQ. This leads right into.

17 vs Eddie Kingston.

17 just attacks Eddie’s knee. It’s brutal. 17 is merciless outside the ring as well. Eddie hits a great double under hook suplex. Shard comes out and distracts the ref, robbing Eddie of a pin. 17 locks on a figure four and Eddie is literally clawing into the mat to pull himself towards the ropes. That’s phenomenal. Seriously, what a small but powerful moment. Spinning backfist! That looked beautiful. One of the best I’ve ever seen from Eddie. Eddie celebrates but the Shard comes in with a cheap shot attack. Shard and 17 work over Eddie’s knee. The Colony come out to save Eddie. Eddie and the Colony stand tall.

Jigsaw vs Icarus

Icarus gets into a kid’s face at ringside. This feels like too much but is foreshadowing. Joe and Mantis call the action. Shadow puppets spot! One these two get going this match is great. Into the crowd and all the kids chop Icarus! This makes Icarus’s earlier move pay off so well. Joe and Mantis have amazing banter. Where is that podcast? Mostly Jigsaw in control of this match but he looks to tweak his knee pretty bad. Super brain buster and Jigsaw gets the pin.

3.0 vs Gargano and Taylor of FIST in a two out of three falls match for the tag titles.

A chair comes into the ring and immediately goes away. Joe and Mantis call the main event. Boston Crab! I’m popping so much now everytime Matthews does this. Taylor throws a shoe! Parker hits an elbow. Some poor kid is going to be very uncomfortable on the walk back to the car. Wow. 3.0 have masterful double team moves. Chuck Taylor his Scott Parker with a chair. FIST gets the first fall. Boston Crab! Gargano taps! This match is tied up one fall each. Taylor throws powder into Shane Matthews’s eyes. Joe, not knowing this is discussed on today’s episode of the podcast, not able to tell the future nearly 10 years ago, mentions the rules of 2 out of 3 falls matches and whether or not the titles can change hands when a DQ is one of the falls. Thank you! Parker is hurt on the outside of the ring. Matthews cant get control back. This is all FIST. Matthews pours a Red Bull all over himself to try to Hulk up but it’s not enough. Gargano attempts a DDT but Matthews reverses it into a Northern Lights suplex into the corner. Boston Crab on Chuck. Gargano in to punch Matthews but it has no effect. It takes a super kick to release the hold. Gargano lawn darts Parker into the turnbuckle in a sick spot. Pop up spear by 3.0. Gargano gets the powder but Matthews kicks it. A bit too much time to set up the next spot but Gargano kicks Taylor in his powder eye confusion. The referee gets distracted and here comes this damn chair again but 3.0 kick out. FIST with the double team and what is this – a reverse back stabber? It works and Gargano pins Parker for the deciding fall. We have new tag team champions.

The Bravado Brothers come out to bother 3.0 and this next feud is imminent.

Very good show but not in the upper level of Chikara shows I’ve seen. I think the best way I could put it is PPV level, weekly episode, house show. This depends on a variety of factors – who’s on the card, what level they’re wrestling at, if the crowd is hot. I would say this one is a good weekly episode. But there is a lot of great set up for future matches and stories. If Joe doesn’t continue down this path, I might do so on my own.