First up, an epic bout that hasn’t happened in a CHIKARA ring in nearly 2 years, as two of the cornerstones of the CHIKARA foundation collide when “Double C” Claudio Castagnoli meets “The Last Of A Dying Breed” Eddie Kingston in Wallingford. These two competitors are no strangers, having gone to war with each other throughout the years in CHIKARA, but this time, the situation is a little different. You see, Eddie Kingston has been a little bothered by the ending of THE GLOBAL GAUNTLET in Philadelphia some two weeks ago, and it finally came to a boiling point today when we were discussing potential bouts with him for Wallingford. Kingston doesn’t think much of Claudio’s GAUNTLET performance against Big Japan powerhouse Daisuke Sekimoto, and feels that Castagnoli was the final entrant (and subsequent hero) of the CHIKARA squad because of political favoring more so than actual talent. In short, Kingston thinks he could have done the same thing (only more efficiently) that Claudio accomplished in the GAUNTLET, but wasn’t allowed the opportunity because he isn’t part of CHIKARA’s “in crowd”, and he wants the chance to prove it.

All it took from there was a 2 minute phone call from our beloved Director of Fun, the guy we call “CHIKARLIE MANUEL”, Leonard F. Chikarason, and the match was signed for Novemeber 16th in Wallingford. Claudio Castagnoli has never had an issue with defending his position in the CHIKARA landscape, and called Kingston’s gripes about the GAUNTLET “typical King nonsense - he’s never happy, and he never wants anyone else to be either.” When speaking to him on the phone about the issue, we could definitely pick up the tone of annoyance in Claudio’s voice that generally spells trouble from the otherwise mellow Swiss Strongman. Claudio feels that his track record speaks for itself, and his slot as the CHIKARA anchor in THE GLOBAL GAUNTLET was something he earned, not politicked for.

And with that, the bout is on for “I, McMahon” - can Eddie Kingston put together a performance worthy of the spot he feels belongs to him? Or will Claudio’s monster year continue with a victory over one of CHIKARA’s fiercest competitors?

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And speaking of fierce competitors, “The Big Rig” Brodie Lee is seemingly ready to careen out of control after suffering the first-ever back-to-back defeats of his CHIKARA career. Now granted, those losses were hard-fought efforts against Claudio Castagnoli and Daisuke Sekimoto, but that seems to make no difference to Brodie, who is more ferocious than ever as of late. To prove his point, Brodie Lee extended an open challenege to anyone who had the gumption to fight him in Wallingford. We sent the challeneg invitation to everyone on our roster with out a scheduled bout, and in one of the more mind-boggling responses we’ve ever recieved to an open challenge, Steve “The Turtle” Weiner was the first man to step up to the plate.

Naturally, we tried to explain to Turtle that a fight with an enraged Brodie Lee may not be the smartest move in the world, but to no avail. Steven told us that he’s been dying to a part of a New England CHIKARA card for nearly a year-and-a-half, and that he would take any opportunity to do so. He also wants to prove to everyone that he’s more than just a novelty in the CHIKARA landscape, and isn’t a competitor to take lightly. We’ve seen Turtle put up good efforts against established opponents like Ophidian and F.I.S.T. in the past, but Brodie Lee is an entirely different level of fight. Reluctantly, L.F.C. is sticking by the “first come, first serve” rule we keep in regards to open challenges, as Turtle as he recived fair warning as to what may happen in this bout. Upon recieving word of his opponent, the reaction of Brodie Lee was a distrubing one at best - we can’t be 100% sure, but we think we heard his skin stretch as he might have smiled for the first time in his life, before breaking out in an unnerving fit of laughter at the thought of what might happen in Wallingford.

Will Steve “The Turtle” Weiner do what’s best for his own survival and flee the country prior to “I, McMahon”? Or will he really do the unthinkable and step inside what is tantamount to the cave of a rabid Grizzly Bear when he goes one-on-one with Brodie Lee in Wallingford?

Lastly, a match jammed to the gills with show-stealing potential as 4 of CHIKARA’s top tandems do battle for an 8-man Relevos Atomicos bout! On the rudos side of the equation, it will be an unusual Can-Mex explosion as Jagged and Shane Matthews, the North-of-the-Border bad boys known as 2.0 team with one-time enemies El Hijo Del Ice Cream and Ice Cream, Jr. - Los Ice Creams! Meeting them in Wallingford are two teams who spent our last show in CT going at each other with everything they had - the Hang 10 hombres known as Cheech and Cloudy, and the former Campeones de Parejas, Player Uno and Player Dos, The Super Smash Brothers. It took some convincing, but Player Uno managed to convince Player Dos that they could take at least one match outside of The Quest (Pt. 2) in order to fine tune some of the kinks their teamwork. Dos relented, if only because the fellow Canadian duo of 2.0 are “a couple of goofs”, which is apparently big time fighting words in the Great White Liberal North.

Will these two pairs of duos be able to co-exist in Wallingford? With all 4 teams looking to become the next contenders to the winner of the Osirian Portal/Lince-Equinox Campeonatos de Parejas bout that takes place that same night at “I, McMahon”, anything is possible, but only one side can win. Who will it be?

The only way you’ll know for sure is by joining us LIVE AND IN LIVING COLOR for CHIKARA’s huge return to New England with “Cibernetico Begins” on Saturday, November 15th in Framingham, Mass. and “I, McMahon” on Sunday November 16th, in Wallingford, CT. Framingham will feature our fall juggernaut, TORNEO CIBERNETICO, as Vin Gerard and Equinox captain 8-man squads into an elimination tag war, and Wallingford will see The Osirian Portal defend Los Campeonatos de Parejas in Connecticut for the first time against the high-flying duo of Equinox and Lince Dorado, plus Vin Gerard defends the Young Lions Cup against Worker Ant, and tons more! Be there, be hip, be excited - because CHIKARA is coming to blow New England away!