Chikara's King of Trios across three days with huge names

This weekend, Chikara Pro is hosting its first huge event since returning last May – the King of Trios! The annual tournament showcases one of Chikara’s biggest strengths, its fast-paced, high-flying tag team action. Along with 16 big trios signed for this tournament, there are several exciting non-tournament matches along with a Rey de Voladores (King of the High Flyers) mini-tournament beginning on Night Two.

Since Chikara’s return, the heroes – led by Grand Champion Icarus and the Campeonatos de Parejas, The Throwbacks – have been battling The Flood for the future of the company. The Flood is a super group of former villains (the BDK, Dr. Cube, the Gekido) who have banded together with new villains (the Bloc Party, the Devastation Corporation, Colony Xtreme Force and Kizarny’s Odditorium) to destroy Chikara once and for all.

But Chikara has its heroes to oppose the villains and protect the company for the technicos and all the fans. Leading the charge is reformed villain Icarus, the current Grand Champion, and Campeonato de Parejas (tag champs) the Throwbacks (Dasher Hatfield and Mr. Touchdown) in the tournament itself as the Golden Trio. Other technicos in the tournament are The Colony (Fire Ant, Silver Ant and AssailAnt), 3Peck0 (3.0, Scott Parker, Shane Matthews and Archibald Peck), and the Spectral Envoy (Ultramantis Black, Hallowicked and Frightmare) will do their best to keep the Flood away from the tournament championship.

The announced tournament matches are:

Team UK vs The Bloc Party

KE4TPG (Jolly Roger, Lance Steel and Princess Kimber Lee) vs GEKIDO

The Flood vs Spectral Envoy

Team Extravaganza vs the Devastation Corporation

BDK vs 3Peck0

The Colony vs Colony Xtreme Force

Golden Trio vs LAX

Spirit Squad vs Kizarny’s Odditorium

My guesses as to first round advancements are – Team UK, GEKIDO, The Flood, Devastation Corporation, 3Peck0, Colony, Golden Trio and the Odditorium. This leaves both heroes and villains with four teams a piece in the second round. I figure at least one brought in team will advance and I can’t see Golden Trio losing in the first round and since the Bloc Party is awful (bring back the Baltic Siege!), I figure Team UK will be the team to advance.

But those tournament matches aren’t the only reason to attend King of Trios this year, as Night 2 offers some huge nontournament matches as well as a mini-tournament as the Rey de Voladores makes its return to Chikara! Rey de Voladores translates to “King of the High Flyers” and will feature two four-way elimination matches, which I’m assuming will lead to a one-on-one to decide a winner.

Also on Night Two will be several outside talents that were a big surprise to me as several TNA stars and a former WWE wrestler are booked. TNA stars Tigre Uno and Great Sanada will take part in the Rey de Voladores and in non-tournament matches, TNA’s Rockstar Spud will face Juan Francisco de Coronado and former WWE star Yoshi Tatsu will face “Smooth Sailing” Ashley Remington. (If Remington doesn’t enter to Christopher Cross’ “Sailing” or a Michael McDonald song they clearly have never seen the “Yacht Rock” series on YouTube.)

The first elimination match features Shynron vs Chuck Taylor vs Tigre Uno vs Rich Swann

The second elimination match features Orlando Christopher vs Great Sanada vs AR Fox vs Amasis

Also, on Night 3, there will be a 10-team tag team gauntlet match and the first teams announced at the Batiri and Oleg the Usurper and Jaka, representing the Devastation Corporation. I’d imagine a student team will be involved (Kid Cyclone and someone), a Submission Squad team, Los Ice Creams, the Orisian Portal (who I was surprised wasn’t in the trios tournament) and probably even a TNA team.

Since Chikara returned, there have been several interesting events that have occurred. While the Flood has been running rampant in Chikara, their leader/massive monster “Deucalion” has been killing off characters. So far, he’s killed Kobald, deviANT, Estonian Thunderfrog and Latvian Proud Oak with a Choke Breaker. Also, before Thunderfrog was killed, he used his magic hammer to vanquish BDK’s Tursas.

You can bet that Deucalion will show up at King of Trios and he’ll probably be killing someone off. I’d imagine he has to kill off someone big to really make an impact. So far, he’s been killing off smaller characters. Kobald, deviANT, Thunderfrog and Proud Oak are lesser tier characters but at King of Trios he needs to make a big impact. If I had to pick someone, I would say he should target Archibald Peck. Peck was integral in bringing Chikara back (during the “Ashes” video series) and has been an integral member of the Chikara roster for a long time now.

There’s also the matter of Soldier Ant and Delirious, who are under the control of the Flood. Many were speculating that they would return for tournament action and are conspicuous by their absence. My guess is that they will show up with Deucalion and if they don’t cost a technico team the team in the finals, they will definitely be attacking the winners.

King of Trios promises to be a huge event and should be a major milestone in the current storyline. Even if a technico team manages to win, Deucalion and the Flood will definitely be doing whatever they can to disrupt the festivities.

On another note, Jervis Cottonbelly and Juan Francisco de Coronado were interviewed by a local TV news station and it was pretty great to see the Ecuadorian Aristocrat and the World’s Sweetest Man on TV.