There it is, CHIKARAmigos.

A match, quite frankly, we never thought would see happen, even with all the strife going on between The Order of The Neo Solar Temple and The Sea Donsters in the past six  months. Can you imagine Batman fighting Robin? Crockett fighting Tubbs? A handicap match pitting Tony Orlando against the members of Dawn? Its unimaginable. But on December 14th, at the New Alhambra Arena in Philadelphia, at our Year Six Finale, entitled “Duel & Duality”, the unimaginable will come to pass as the maniacal, and mystical UltraMantis Black comes face-to-face with “The All Natural, Nautical Nuisance”, and gay rights crusader, Hydra.

The history here is almost too big to summarize - for 2 years, these two were absolutely inseparable, with Mantis taking on the role of mentor, big brother, and best friend to the still-new-to-land Hydra, who was in desperate need of guidance and direction. Over time though, the relationship began to sour - UltraMantis, ever the domineering personality, tried to restrain and extinguish Hydra’s natural curiousity for the new world he was calling home. Whether it was listening to an Amy Winehouse CD that he found at a bus station, or wanting to voyage to the local playground without a chaperone, the once cozy confines of the teacher-student relationship began to chafe both sides, and when UltraMantis Black’s sudden, and bizarre decision to induct a semi-conscious Tim Donst into the Order this past April made one thing clear - a replacement for Hydra was being sought. Like the new puppy who matured into the regular size dog that they don’t make calenders of, Hydra had become the 2nd favorite of his spiritual guru.

But oddly enough, the person to help Hydra cope with first bout of real rejection was the man intended to be the The Order’s new center-piece, Tim Donst. Donst secretly encouraged Hydra to explore the world, to soak in the eclectic work of King Diamond, and even try gum WITH sugar. It was unknown to The Order at the time, but Donst was working to sabotage UltraMantis from the inside-out, including showing his prized pupil, and Donst’s new BFF that there is a world larger than tree-bark stew and pond water for dinner. Even after Donst was exposed as a spy for the CHIKARA locker room, the seeds that he had planted in Hydra’s head kept growing. And the more Hydra lurched for independence, the more violently UltraMantis yanked on the proverbial chain around Hydra’s neck.

And then finally, after both sides tried to ignore the inevitable, the conflict between Mantis and Hydra reached its boiling point. After an errant shot placed by Hydra to Mantis’ mid-section cost him his revenge bout with Tim Donst, UMB proceeded to unleash a verbal torrent of what some might call “da bidness” on “The Mini-Man Monster”, who had seemingly grow used to regular drubbings at the hands of Mantis. Only this time, enough was enough. Mantis struck, but Hydra mustered up the courage to strike back, forever shattering a bond that many thought was unbreakable.

Since that day, these two men have bore a grudge towards each other more serious than any ex-roommate, ex-friend, or ex-lover could muster. This is something akin to father and son coming to blows to see who the real dominant male of the family is. And on December 14th, Hydra and UltraMantis Black will step inside the CHIKARA ring and settle their issue once and for all. There is no turning back from this point, and for one of them, there may be no going forward after this epic battle takes place. The only question left is - will CHIKARA ever be the same afterwards?

The only way you can find out is by making your way to EASTON, PA on December 12th for “Face With A View” and PHILADELPHIA, PA on Decemeber 14h for “Duel & Duality” - CHIKARA’s final events of 2008! If you love to watch us on DVD or through the Podcast, we can’t stress how much more you’ll us live and in person! There’s nothing out there quite like the CHIKARA live atmosphere, and now is not the time to hesitate! Bring your friends, family, brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews - the more, the merrier! And seriously -what would be a better early Christmas gift than seeing your favorite CHIKARA stars up close and personal? Nothing. That is the answer. There is nothing better. So head on over to CHIKARAPRO.com right now and get your tickets in advance, along with tons of other great CHIKARA swag that will make for the perfect holiday gift. And we’ll see you at the matches!