CHIKARA folding?

[Warner2BruceTD]

Fans have taken notice that Chikara has no tickets on sale beyond this Saturday's iPPV, prompting all sorts of rumors. Turns out Mike Quackenbush's ex-wife is making some sort of claim on the company, since her family apparently bankrolled the thing way back when it opened.

PWInsider is reporting that the company will either go on an extended hiatus (thus cancelling the rest of the shows this year, which would explain why they pulled ticket sales), or splinter into a bevy of promotions under different names. Think: NWA, and they way they operate.

You know all of those mysterious "Wrestling Is" promotions that popped up last year, all using Chikara talent, and all seemingly part of the Chikara universe? Check this out...

C - Cool
H - Heart
I - Intense
K - Kaiju Big Battel
A - Awesome
R - Respect
A - Art
(!) - Fun!

So all of the "Wrestling Is" groups, plus Kaiju Big Battel, with Wrestling Is Fun! represented by either an exclamation point, or the "F" in commissioner Leonard F. Chikarason's name, are represented as part of the acronym.

This would explain why the whole "Wrestling Is" thing has been shrouded in secrecy. Looks like Quackenbush may have found a slick way to keep the company away from his ex-wife. Delirious "owns" Wrestling Is Respect, Billy Roc "owns" Wrestling Is Heart, and so on. He can "close" Chikara, and keep things running with figurehead promoters until the dust settles.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Quack was fired in storyline and all his stuff was sold at clearance on the CHIKARA site. On his Twitter he has removed all reference to CHIKARA in terms of his bio and background images. There might be a real element to that.

Wow. It's all coming together, and apparently this was all well planned.

Could also be a gigantic work, but I don't see the benefit of scrapping the Chikara name after 12 years of establishing the brand, especially since they have all sorts of momentum right now with record crowds and the launch of a successful iPPV business and on demand service.

Plus if it's a work, they've fooled Mike Johnson at PWInsider.

Hopefully Meltzer has some details in the Observer that comes out later today.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

His twitter account, with all Chikara references removed: https://twitter.com/MikeQuackenbush

And then there is this, pulled from his timeline:

 

[Bigpapa42]

Interested to see how this unfolds. I've never really gotten into the Chikara product but always appreciated what it did.

If true, there is a moral here... bitches be bitches...

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

I'm guessing we'll know a lot more on Saturday, which is the iPPV and the last scheduled event where tickets are available.

An interesting throw away comment at the time, when I asked Pierre Abernathy on the podcast what the deal was with the "Wrestling Is" promotions and who was behind it, it got sort of awkward and his reply was "I know who's behind it, but i'm not allowed to say". I think I then said something to the effect of "well, we all kind of figure it's Quack..." and he said nothing. I just figured at the time it was a kayfabe deal or whatever because Quack/Chikara has always been careful with that stuff (such as closely guarding the identities of various gimmicks like The Colony, for example). Who knows.

 

[EmpireWF]

What is the timeline storyline going on about?

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Hopefully a judge doesn't see right through these shenanigans. Obviously though, seems like Quack and CHIKARA was being taken to the cleaners so he liquidified his asset and "sold" it off to 8 different entities to try and protect himself in a claim against the company. So, he has a bunch of his closest friends in the business holding them for him. So, when the lawyers come knocking, he can say "I got nothing from it! Whats half of nothing, bitch?"

 

[FedEx227]

I wanted to mention this yesterday on the podcast but I was still trying to understand what was going on and if it was truly something with steam. Looks like it may be.

Here's a good article that gives you some background on what Warner is talking about: http://olewrestling.com/chikara-wrestling/is-armageddon-near-for-chikara.htm

 

[FedEx227]

I'm trying to get the guy from the Ole! Wrestling blog on the podcast to talk about it. There's too much smoke here.

 

[BigBiss]

Quack going out of his why to save some cash? ... never!

 

[SuperKevin]

Hopefully a judge doesn't see right through these shenanigans. Obviously though, seems like Quack and CHIKARA was being taken to the cleaners so he liquidified his asset and "sold" it off to 8 different entities to try and protect himself in a claim against the company. So, he has a bunch of his closest friends in the business holding them for him. So, when the lawyers come knocking, he can say "I got nothing from it! Whats half of nothing, bitch?"

My friend did that in real life. He was about to get divorced and spent all of his savings on a Mercedes SLK and when they went to court the judge ruled he needed a car in order to go to work so he kept the car and she got essentially nothing

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

 

[JimLeavy59]

Didn't he get blown up with a grenade?

 

[EmpireWF]

Damn, Sunday's show has me intrigued. If I'm around Sunday afternoon, I may have to plunk down teh $15 and check it out.

 

[FedEx227]

I'm going to have Vince Morales of Ole! Wrestling on the podcast today to talk the theories. We won't go into the backstage stuff just what's been presented by CHIKARA. So prepare for a nerd-fest of epic proportions because of all the Watchmen references.

 

[FedEx227]

It's short but gives some decent insight into what's going on:

Rich Kraetsch talks with Vince Morales of OleWrestling.com about what very well may be the end of CHIKARA as we know it this Sunday at Never Compromise. The guys discuss Archibald Peck's involvement, time travel theories, where Mike Quackenbush falls in, why there are no tickets available for future events, how the Wrestling Is promotions are involved and much more!

http://www.voicesofwrestling.com/2013/05/30/chikara-insanity-vince-morales-olewrestling-com/

 

[EmpireWF]

CHIKARA issued the following statement to PWInsider this afternoon:

There is no issue regarding ownership of the CHIKARA name, brand, its assets or intellectual properties. Any speculation to the contrary is 100% false.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Mike Quackenbush speaks. He joined Dr. Keith Lipinski on the DKP Show...

http://media001.f4wonline.com/free/053113dks.mp3

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

listening now

Quack says the "nasty rumors" are false, then despite saying he is no longer affiliated with Chikara (storyline), goes into full shill mode for the iPPV. lol. Like, match by match shill mode.

nothing to see here, unless you want to listen to a fun preview of the show

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Two free iPPV events leading up to "Never Compromise" here: http://www.smvod.com/chikara

Saturday is a countdown show.

Sunday at 3:30 is a free preshow featuring a live Mr. Touchdown vs Saturyne match for the Young Lions Cup.

Just have to sign up at smvod (if you dont have an account already) and then "purchase" the events.