Well, highlights from this event. It’s been a little while but here’s a reminder: each and every week there is not a major pay per view, the fine hosts at the At Odds with Wrestling podcast assign some wrestling viewing to each other and to listeners like myself. This time the entire show is not on the docket, but specific matches and some extra clips.

The show begins with a 10 bell salute to Sapphrie, the fallen pigeon. There were a few members of the crowd with perplexed looks on their faces. This sounded like a Chikara smart audience but there are always new fans and new faces in the crowd at every wrestling show.

I have asked before if Chikara borrows rings from local promotions and I wonder that again becasue of the squishy ring mat used this night. Feet appear to sink deeper than usual no matter the size of the wrestler or referee.

Mike Quackenbush and Jigsaw vs DeviANT and the Shard.

Wellllll….. it’s the Quack show! Even selling, I felt this match was all about Quack and the other three wrestlers were here as bit players. Mike is beaten down and mounts his comeback but becomes violent, unhinged, and eventually reckless. This attitude allows DeviANT to steal the pin. Jigsaw gets in Quack’s face after the match and says, “this isn’t how mentors act!” Loaded line now. They have my curiosity though and I wonder if this leads to a match between the two of them.

The Mysterious and Handsome Stranger vs Mr Touchdown.

This is the first time I’ve seen the pull names from the hat spot in Chikara. Unbeliveably funny. Every one playing their parts so well. I was clapping and smiling and enjoying the hell out of this segment. Which then went a complete 180 when the Stranger comes out and has an incredibly hard hitting fight against Mr TD. Stranger gets disqualified when he ignores the referee’s pleas to pin Mr Touchdown and instead hit him with a third lariat. Dasher tells Mr TD he got what he deserved because, “you killed the man’s bird.” This is such a hot angle and this might be my favorite fight I’ve seen so far in Chikara.

Sugar Dunkerton and Icarus vs Johnny Gargano and Chuck Taylor.

FIST is split. Or are they? Icarus is willing to be pinned and get the match over. Sugar wants to actually win and get the point. Icarus lets Gargano and Taylor beat the hell out of Sugar for half of the match. Icarus ends up as the legal man and lays down but Sugar breaks up the three count. There is some miscommunication and Icarus comes to blows against his fellow FIST mates. Icarus is all in for Sugar and the crowd erupts. The fans celebrate this face turn for Icarus, or is it? Sugar falls to the hurts donut. Gargano and Taylor leave, Icarus follows them, and the Sugar stands alone.

That’s it for in ring action. Next question on the homework assignment is a Kevin Steen promo hyping up his team for Cibernetico. This is an insane roster of guys and I hope the Cibernetico event will be a future homework. Wink Vavasseur is up next and he picks Eddie Kingston’s team to face Steen’s team. Not a bad team there either. Although, I see some potential for in fighting. The Cibernetico event center gives a little more detail. Jigsaw is confronted backstage and… was that Shard in the background? Who’s not acting like themselves now? Finally a plea to #ImmortalizeSapphire with … Jake “the Snake” Roberts? Who and how and what the fuck?! Oh. No swearing in Chikara. Someone tell Jake. Maybe the best promo ever cut on a passed pigeon.

I enjoyed this focused homework assignment but I wouldn’t want it all the time. If a show matters, the whole show matters. If only a couple matches matter, then lets jump around. I’m all for keeping the homework assignments fluid. That said, from the sounds of it I may want to watch the entire Cibernetico show should that be assigned in the future.