Chikara comes to Minneapolis

In just two weeks Chikara will make it's Minnesota debut. Thursday October 22, 2015 in Minneapolis, MN at Mill City Nights. All ready announced to appear at this event are The Colony, Chuck Taylor, Dasher Hatfield, Icarus, Eddie Kingston and Arik Cannon.This may be the first time that Chikara will promote an event here in MN but it's not the first time that a group of Chikara wrestlers have made the trip to MN for another wrestling promotion.

MPW Invitational

Back in September 2003 Midwest Pro Wrestling had a weekend training camp with Skayde ( who later on became the head trainer at the Chikara Wrestle Factory). Attending this training camp were 6 Chikara wrestlers. MPW had two events that weekend on Saturday and Sunday night and called them the MPW Invitational.

On Saturday night September 20th Chris Hero defeated Casanova.

 The Midwest Shockers (Cody O'Neill & Joey Envy) defeated Eddie Kingston & Sitoci and Icarus & Gran Akuma in 3 way tag team elimination match.

 Sumie Sakai  defeated Ran Maru and had her hand raised by Chikara referee Bryce Remsberg.

 On night two, Sunday September 21, Arik Cannon defeated Chis Hero.

The Midwest Shockers (Joey Envy & Cody O'Neill) defeated Gran Akuma & Shawn Daivari.

 The main event was American Gigolo & Ran Maru VS Skayde & Sumie Sakai with referee Bryce Remsburg. Skayde & Sakai won the match when Sakai pinned Gigolo. I love in ring posed photos.

My first published photo in Pro Wrestling Illustrated was from this match. It appeared on the last page of the February2004 issue of PWI.

World Series of Wrestling

In 2005 MPW was visited by 7 wrestlers and 1 referee from Chikara. This time the two promotions battled against each other in the World Series of Wrestling, a best of seven match series. The guys from Chikara were at MPW for two nights April 30 and May 1, 2005.

In the first match MPW cruiser weight champion The Prophet defeated Icarus. MPW 1 Chikara 0

 Emil Sitoci VS Joessiah ended in a draw when both men could not get to their feet before a 10 count.

 "Sweet and Sour" Larry Sweeney pinned The Punisher (Rob James). MPW 1 Chikara 1

 Claudio Castagnoli (WWE's Cesaro) defeated Casanova. MPW 1 Chikara 2

 Kid Krazy defeated Hallowicked. MPW 2 Chikara 2

MPW Universal champion Joey Envy defeated Chris Hero. MPW 3 Chikara 2

 "Lightning" Mike Quackenbush pinned Arik Cannon. MPW 3 Chikara 3.

 On Sunday May 1, 2005 the main event was a 6 man tag to determine  the winner of the World Series of Wrestling. Quackenbush, Hero & Castagnoli defeated Cannon, Krazy & Version 2 (Ryan Cruz) to win the MPW/Chikara World Series of Wrestling. That's right, the visiting promotion won.

Be sure to check out Chikara on Thursday October 22 at Mill City Nights. Then mark your calendar for the next F1rst Wrestling event at First Ave, Friday January 8, 2016. 

R.I.P. Alex Whybrow AKA "Sweet & Sour" Larry Sweeney

Various pro wrestling news sites reported today that Alex Whybrow, AKA "Sweet & Sour" Larry Sweeney died today at the age of 29. Sweeney trained at the Chikara Wrestle Factory and went on to wrestle and manage for Ring of Honor.

I first saw Larry Sweeney back in April of 2005 when he came to Midwest Pro Wrestling.  He was there with other members of Chikara to take on MPW in the "World Series of Wrestling". This was a best of seven match series pitting wrestlers from MPW against wrestlers from Chikara. Sweeney won his match against The Punisher (now known as Rob James).

Sweeney retuned to Minnesota in June 2006, this time for Northern Impact Wrestling's Impact Invitational. In the first round of the tournament Sweeney lost his ICW-ICWA Texarkana TV title to Darin Corbin. Corbin then lost the title to Cody O'Neill at intermission as the ICW-ICWA Texarkana TV title is defended under 24/7 rules. O'Neill then lost the belt to referee Bryce Rumsberg seconds later. The title changed hands a few more times that weekend but Sweeney won the belt back before leaving the Midwest. Sweeney was a very entertaining performer.