So there's this country in Asia that loves wrestling...

I arrived home today after a lovely 3 week tour for Pro-Wrestling NOAH. To say I had a great time would be a massive understatement. It was absolutely amazing. Anyone that knows me understands that I am utterly fascinated with the Japanese culture and wrestling scene. My third trip to Japan (#1 - BJW, #'s 2 & 3 - NOAH) turned out to be rather successful both personally and professionally. Here are some of the highlights of my trip.

- Wrestling in Korakuen Hall for the second time. The first was 3 1/2 years ago for BJW. The crowd was really kind and I think they were a bit partial to "Sharp Dressed Man."

- Getting to wrestle NOAH stars such as Misawa (twice), Akiyama, Taue, KENTA (twice), Marufuji (twice), Sugiura, Kotaro

- Wrestling the young guys of NOAH. Aoki, Ishimori, Ito, Taniguchi all of which are going to be great, especially Aoki and Taiji.

- Teaming with the Briscoes. I *much* prefer teaming with them to wrestling them. We amassed a 3-1 record over 4 matches. We have some pretty nifty triple teams if I must say...

- Meeting the members of Kensuke Office, especially Kensuke, Hokuto & Nakajima.

- Seeing my non-NOAH wrestling friends, MIYAWAKI, Milano, KUDO, Ricky Marvin, Milanito, Shun the Kabuki Kid, Aaron, Antonio and seeing and meeting many non-wrestling friends Macky, Stone Cold, Udou, Hidehiko, Masa, Yuki Kasai, Kaede, Naomi, Hiro.


- Seeing two shows live. El Dorado @ Korakuen & AJPW @ Sumo Hall which included the following:
*seeing a kick ass match between Kagetora & Kota v. Kondo & Oyanagi (Yep!)
*seeing Kawada wrestle, live, in a good tag match
*seeing one of my trainers, Dory Funk, Jr., for the first time in 8 years and watching him wrestle.
*seeing and talking with SUWA, MEN'S Teioh, Onryu, Nosawa, TARU, Silver King
*meeting the following: Kondo, Kagetora, Kota, Owashi, Tanisaki, Kishiwada, Mazada, Mutoh, Tanahashi, Taiyo Kea (super cool), Fuchi, TENRYU, Hase, MASA SAITO & Kojima

- Meeting Kenta Kobashi

- Sharing a locker room with Takayama on a handful of occasions.

- Getting an AJPW roster towel (95/96) with a Baba autograph and getting it signed later by Misawa, Kobashi, Akiyama, Taue, Kikuchi, Honda, Kanemaru, Shiga, Inoue, Izumida, Momota, Asako, Mighty and Eigen. Check the photos.

- Running the length of the stage at Budokan whilst attempting a spaceman springboard attempt. Instead, Taue caught me with a Nodowa Otoshi on said stage. Ergh

- NBA 2K8

- Bill Sacho

- Enjoying various Asian cuisine such as yakiniku, okonomiyaki, takoyaki, yuke, ramen and plenty of mochi and anko.

- Daily Yamazaki

- Shaka Shaka Chicken @ McDonald's

- Saizeriya

- Accidentally happening upon Delfin Arena and browsing around the cafe inside

- Unko Man & Hashi Man

- TARU's Bar

- The Odaiba Onsen and my kick ass Yukata

- Getting an interview and a page of coverage in Weekly Pro Wrestling

- Lupe Fiasco's 'The Cool'

- My awesome new gear/ring jackets from Kondou!

- Calorie Mates. Not for me, for the other guys...

- Any and all gifts from the fans. I appreciate every last bit.

I figure that I could sit here and type for hours about all the amazing things about my trip to Japan. I could write mini novels on all the fantastic things I've been fortunate enough to experience thanks to wrestling. However, this will do for now. To anyone taking the time to read this right now, do yourself a favor. Figure out what it is that you want in life and go for it. Focus and concentrate with everything you have. If you start small and give it your all, you would be surprised at the things you're capable of. The power of positive influence is incredibly strong.

I don't discount the hard work that I've put forth, but I'm smart enough to realize all the luck that I've happened upon over the years. Thanks for the support and remember: hard work and luck go a long way. Until next time.

-CH

Results:

NOAH 2/15 – Korakuen Hall drawing 2,100 fans (G+)
Semi-Main Event
7.Jun Akiyama & Kentaro Shiga beat The Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero& Double C) in 12:59 when Shiga used a backslide on Hero.


NOAH 2/17 – Zepp Nagoya drawing 1,200 fans
5. Mitsuharu Misawa & Yoshinari Ogawa beat Chris Hero & Doug Williams in 13:52 when Ogawa used an inside cradle on Hero.

NOAH, 2/21/08 (NTV/G+)
Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium #2 Drawing 1,700 Fans - Super No Vacancy
5.Jay Briscoe, Mark Briscoe & Chris Hero beat Akitoshi Saito, KENTA & Taiji Ishimori (13:54) when Jay Briscoe pinned Ishimori after the Doomsday Device.

NOAH 2/23 – Kyoto KBS Hall drawing 1,400 fans
4.The Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero & Double C) defeated Akihiko Ito & Akira Taue in 13:42 when Hero used the Hero’s Welcome (KOW Edition) on Ito.

SEM 2/25 – Differ Ariake in Tokyo drawing 420 fans
Semi-Main Event
4.The Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero & Double C) defeated Naomichi Marufuji & Shuhei Taniguchi in 17:28 when Hero used the Hero’s Welcome on Taniguchi.

NOAH 2/26 – Keio Plaza Hotel Hachioji 5th Floor Hall drawing 1,300 fans
5. Jay & Mark Briscoe/Chris Hero beat Atsushi Aoki/KENTA/AkitoshiSaito in 18:07 when Jay pinned Aoki after an avalanche-style Cut-Throat Driver on Aoki.

NOAH, 2/28/08
Odawara Arena, Drawing 1,500 (No Vacancy)
Main Event
7. Mitsuharu Misawa, Yoshinari Ogawa and Kotaro Suzuki defeated Jay Briscoe, Mark Briscoe and Chris Hero in 16:23 after Ogawa used a Backdrop-hold on Hero.

NOAH 2/29 – Mito Citizen Gym drawing 1,000 fans
5. Jay& Mark Briscoe/Chris Hero beat Atsushi Aoki/NaomichiMarufuji/Takashi Sugiura in 14:40 when Mark pinned Aoki after the Doomsday Device.

NOAH, 3/2/08 (NTV/G+)
Tokyo Nippon Budokan
14,000 Fans - Super No Vacancy
4. Akira Taue & Junji Izumida beat Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli (10:59) when Taue used the Dynamic Bomb on Castagnoli.
  • Current Music
    Paris, Tokyo by Lupe Fiasco

"An Official Update on my Injury" or "I got on a plane, WITH MY BAD KNEE...."

It's about time that I posted something, regarding my knee. I would like to thank everyone for their support. There were a few days where I had no clue how things would unfold. Having everyone on my side definitely made the stress easier to manage. I will make it though this and I will be better for having done so. This is just one of the many speedbumps I will have to navigate through, as I become the Greatest of All Time.

The whole situation has been amazingly frustrating. Allow me to walk you through the events surrounding and following my injury. On Sunday, January 6, at PWG's All Star Weekend, I wrestled that goon, Eddie Kingston. As usual, he and I were taking out our dislike for one another in that always-entertaining fashion. I flew across the ring to hit one of my signature moves, the flip neckbreaker. I flipped with a little extra velocity, so when I landed, I felt something very wrong happen inside my left knee. As I got up, I felt like I couldn't put any weight on it but it wasn't necessarily painful. I continued the match, favoring my left leg. Queenston rolled to the floor and I attemped to pull myself out of the ring and when I did, my leg got caught on the bottom rope bending it back completely. That was it for me. Fortunately, when I got back into the ring, I managed to duck the Uraken and transitioned my way into a tight Skayde schoolboy to get the victory.

I hopped to the dressing room in great pain and packed my stuff so I could make an immediate trip to the ER. Up next was Candice LeRae's first singles match in PWG and it was against her biggest antagonist, Human Tornado. As I watched from the curtain, Candice completely held her own. However, when Tornado attempted to pull an "R. Kelly", I had seen enough. I foolishly made my way back to the ring where the Queen of Diamonds attacked me and only furthered my injury. Blah.

After Candice recovered, she took me to the ER. After waiting awhile they took X-Rays and informed me that there was no bone damage. I got crutches, an immobilizer, a prescription and they urged me to make an appointment with an Orthopedist when I got back.

Travelling through the airport with all my bags on crutches wasn't quite the definition of fun but, hey, it builds character, Right? I made my connection in Minneapolis and landed on time in Dayton. From there I managed to spend a little time with my Mom before making the 8 hour drive back to PA. Imagine driving yourself over 500 miles with one of your legs completely straight. You should try it sometime! Yeah, even more character building.

I got back, went to the Orthopedist on Wednesday, got an MRI on Thursday and was told that I would get my results on the following Tuesday (the 15th). So that meant I went into the last ROH weekend not really knowing what was up. This wasn't a comforting feeling in the last. I took Friday off and Saturday, in Edison, Larry Sweeney presented Sara Del Rey and myself a pair of beautiful belts. We are now the Official Ring of Honor Undisputed Intergender Heavyweight Tag Team Champions of the World. We defended the belts against Ernie Osiris and 'Lexa Thatcher and defeated them with ease. With only one leg I'm still the Greatest of All Time. Respect.

So this past Tuesday, I met with my Orthopedist and went over the MRI results. I have a partial-thickness tear in my MCL. Fortunately my ACL and Meniscus are both healthy. The Doctors made a pretty badass brace to help keep my knee in place and it will help me as I work through this injury. They gave me 2 months for a full recovery, provided I don't do anything worse to it. The Doc said, as long as I'm careful, I should be fine. I guess we'll see!

This weekend will be a huge test. Friday the 18th I travel to Dayton, Ohio for HWA for a rematch with Kingston. HWA is where we had our first singles match and I can extract some of my revenge on him for kicking me when I was down. I'm going to say this right now: If he goes for my leg ONCE, I will do everything in my power to grab the same ankle he broke at CZW and I WILL send him back to the ER.

On the 19th I head to Jersey City for JAPW where I will do battle Black Machismo, Jay Lethal and later that night I have a flight from Newark, NJ to Germany. I make my return to wXw and will team with my student Marc Roudin and defend the wXw tag team titles against Swiss Money Holding, Claudio Castagnoli & Ares.

So, after I survive the weekend and recover, I plan on pulling the ROH World title from McGuinness in Dayton next Friday. It's my belt anyway, so it's time for it to end up back in the hands of it's rightful owner, Chris Hero.

Late.

-CH

CHIKARA Wrestle Factory

Hey everyone. As most of you know, it's been a hectic few weeks for me. I've endured a lot of travel as well as plenty of shows and wild matches (ROH Champion what?!). As I take a look at things, I've come to realize that there really is no letting up in sight. We find ourselves approaching 2008 and that, to me, is just mind boggling. It seems like only yesterday that I'd met, for the first time, Mike Quackenbush. In reality it was over 6 years ago, September 7, 2001, to be exact. IWA Mid South held the 2nd annual Sweet Science 16 Tournament (the following year, the name would be changed to the TPI) and both Mike and myself found ourselves ousted from the tournament by BJ Whitmer and Adam Pearce, respectively. The next night, the 'Superfriends' were formed as the two of us teamed up against American Kickboxer and Colt Cabana. Mike didn't prove to be much of a super friend when his turn on me led to the three of them pinning me simultaneously.

A little over 9 months later, I was absolutely thrilled to have been invited, along with CM Punk and Colt Cabana, to represent the Midwest at CHIKARA's inaugural show in Allentown, PA. We came up on the losing end of a 6-man tag with Quack, Don Montoya and Reckless Youth, but a good time was had, not only by us, but by the fans in attendance. Over the next 2 years, I had built up a pretty strong, professional relationship with Mike, as evidenced by my appearances in the '03 Tag World Grand Prix and Anniversario in '04. Shortly thereafter, Mike invited me to come to the CHIKARA Wrestle Factory, not just as a guest trainer, but indefinitely, as a head trainer. I jumped at the opportunity and eagerly made my move to the East coast.

Here we are, nearly 3 and a half years removed from my relocation to the East coast. In that time, many wonderful things have transpired in my career, thanks to CHIKARA. I've had the pleasure of training and living with Jorge "Skayde" Rivera. I've been so fortunate, as to share a ring with some amazing international talents (Oriental, Milano Collection AT, Pantera, MIYAWAKI, Yago, Amigo Suzuki, Brute Issei, Magno, Incognito) as well as make a few trips, myself, to Japan and Mexico. I've watched CHIKARA rise from the Emmaus and St. John's days and I've seen the Wrestle Factory move from a back room in Allentown, to the former ECW Arena in South Philadelphia. As much time as I've spent making Mike Quackenbush's in-ring life a living hell, I will never take anything away from his abilities or his training methods. The opportunity he gave me at the school helped motivate me and turn me into a well rounded wrestler.

It pains me to say this, but I have stepped down as head trainer at CHIKARA. With my busy schedule, I am just unable to completely dedicate myself in the way that I know I should. This does not mean I will no longer wrestle for CHIKARA and it certainly does not mean there is any ill will between us. We will both continue moving forward only in different directions.

I want to thank Mike, from a professional standpoint, for the initial opportunity. I'm sure there were numerous occasions where Mike found himself lying on the mat, looking up at the bottom of my boot and asking himself why on Earth he brought me here. Of all the battles he and I have had, whether I won, or whether Mike won, the real winners were the fans and the students. I am proud to have worked with so many respectful and talented young wrestlers. There have been many that couldn't suck it up and stick it out. However, the ones that did know, in their hearts, that they have accomplished something and they are better off because of it. I am proud to have been able to watch the rise of CHIKARA, first hand.

If you're Mike Quackenbush, just because I'm no longer at the school does NOT mean you're safe from my wrath. If you're one of my many students, know that I am proud of everything you have and will accomplish, regardless of whatever successes you may or may not have. I will always be around if you need guidance in any way. If you're someone wishing to break into the wrestling business, do yourself a favor, check out the most well-rounded wrestling school in the US, the CHIKARA Wrestle Factory in South Philly.

Thank you.

-CH

Top of the Pops!

This evening, some friends of mine and I decided to take in a show. A British Rock/Pop show. And who better to put on said show than Art Brut? Anyone that really knows me knows the love I have for Art Brut's music.

Last fall, Bryce, Pineapple and myself headed to the District of Columbia to see Art Brut play alongside Tokyo Police Club and The Spinto Band. It was wonderfully energetic show and if I hadn't already been hooked by the first album, this show would have made me a fan for life. Unlike a lot of bands, Art Brut and especially their lead singer, Eddie Argos, do not take themselves too seriously. Eddie usually ends up jumping rope with the mic cord and can be spotted easily thanks to a pair of thick eyebrows and dress socks (no shoes). He urges his listeners to "Form A Band," which could mean any number of things as long as you're out having fun and doing what you love. Earlier this year, I found myself in Liverpool, England with Bryce Remsburg on what so happened to be a free night(?!?!). It just so happened that a 20 minutes of walking, from our hotel, would lead us to an Art Brut/Maximo Park show! As luck would have it, the show had been sold out for weeks. Piss.

That brings up to October 23, 2007. I enlisted then accompaniment of my Ring of Honor agent, Larry Sweeney, referee Bryce Remsburg and everyone's favorite bum Pineapple Andy to head toward the TLA in downtown Philly. Demander opened and The Hold Steady headlined but the middle act is what got our money.

I happen to have a few students that work the Philly area concerts. I boxed up some shirts, DVDs and pins in hope that, somehow, the package would make it's way backstage. I definitely had some good luck tonight.

As Art Brut took the stage, one of my shirts was hung on a speaker, most of the band members had my pins on and the drummer Mikey actually wore one of my shirts. They went on to put on yet another wonderfully fun show. I took some pictures and went to check out what kind of merch they had. They were kind enough to throw me some shirts and met with us for a bit of conversation. They said that they enjoyed wrestling and went on to mention the likes of Macho Man, Jimmy Snuka, the Bushwhackers and the unforgettable duo of Doink and Dink (?!?). We got some pictures and they were extremely friendly. The band went out of their way to make sure that each of us had a good time. I really hope they achieve the fame and fortune that I believe they deserve. What a fun night. Demander was surprising and The Hold Steady were wonderful

If you haven't heard of them, I recommend the tracks Emily Kane, Good Weekend, Bad Weekend, Nag Nag Nag Nag, Post Soothing Out and Modern Art.

The pics are up on MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/thechrishero

AB is on MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/artbrut

Thanks to Slade and Christian. Thanks to everyone reading this. And thanks to Art Brut for putting on fantastic shows.

Oh, and even Eddie Argos thinks that Virgil is a loser. "He never even won a belt...." I couldn't make it up if I tried.

-CH

(no subject)

Hey everyone. Although it's been awhile since I last posted, I haven't forgotten that people come here and check out what's on my mind every now and again. Words cannot express how appreciative I am of the support that I've been given throughout the years. September 12, 2007, marked 9 years since my first wrestling match. It's been a long wonderful trip thus far and I don't plan on slowing down or taking a break anytime soon. I truly believe that my best years are ahead of me.

I started out in a small garage in Middletown, Ohio shortly after graduating High School. I nudged my way onto some local shows and the contacts I made along the way proved invaluable. I'm thankful toward all that were kind and accepting of me when I first broke in. I often made mistakes, but my elders and peers alike were patient with me and led the way. The Internet proved itself a commodity by allowing me to branch out to other states, work for new promotions in front of new fans and meet and socialize with other, more experienced wrestlers. I spent time training with a handful of different people and I never looked back.

New opportunities led to situations where luck and being in the right place at the right time were all that mattered. At twenty years old I found myself in a Dutch airport catching a connecting fight to Germany. I didn't speak Dutch. I didn't speak German. I was just wandering around and trying to wrap my head around how this could have happened. Seven years since then, I've been around the world so many times that I often lose track. I've made friends that I will have for the rest of my life. From Ohio to Pittsburgh. From Louisville to Philadelphia. From Germany, to Japan, to England, to Los Angeles, to Chicago. I don't get to keep up with everyone as much as I would like to, but when I do have the opportunity, it's almost like no time was lost. We pick up right where we left off and I'm reminded of all the good experiences I've had. There are so many fun memories that I would need to write them all down to keep from confusing them.

Right now, things are amazing for me. I have a full schedule, a contract with Ring of Honor, I'm healthy and I'm surrounded by people that support me and drive me to do things I never thought were possible. I don't feel that there's anything that can stand in the way of my dreams and aspirations.

For those of you that believed in me and gave me a chance to prove myself, I thank you. To my fellow wrestlers that have pushed me beyond my limits both in the ring and out, I thank you.

If, at any time, you've looked up to me for advice, I hope that I was receptive and worthy of your admiration. I'm fortunate to have some of the most respectable, talented and humble students in the business. I am proud of you all. Many of you have and will continue to surpass me in different ways and there are many more on their way. If you think that doesn't push me to give it my all, every single time, you're crazy :-)

To my Mom, you've always supported me, right or wrong. Many things have changed since the Hara Arena days in the late 80's but I will continue to do my best to make you proud. I have an amazing girlfriend and although things aren't always exactly rainbows and puppy dogs, the good far outweighs the not-so-fun. I honestly believe that there isn't anything we can't do. Thank you for being you and being there for me.

Lastly, to all of you that love wrestling and appreciate what we do, no matter how flawed it may be at times, thank you. Without your continued support, we will falter and cease to be.

Here's to another 9 years. Not just for me, but wrestling in general. Let's keep this business thriving. By 2016, I hope that we all still love the sport and are reminded often of why we fell in love with it to begin with.

Thanks for reading.

-CH

Better late than never

In '03 and '04 I compiled my year end statistics. I had put things off for quite awhile but recently I sat down and finished '05 and '06. Here goes:

Promotions Worked for during 2005

Name - # of Shows - Link

CHIKARA - 25 - http://www.chikarapro.com/
CZW - 12 - http://www.czwwrestling.com
CAPW - 2 - http://www.capw.net/
IWA East Coast - 4 - http://www.iwaeastcoast.com/
IWA-MS - 17 - http://www.iwamidsouthwrestling.com/
IWC - 5 - http://www.iwcwrestling.com/
IWS - 2 - http://www.syndicatewrestling.com/
MPW - 2 - n/a
NEXT - 5 - n/a
NWA No Limits - 4 - http://www.nlwrestling.com/
PWG - 7 - http://www.prowrestlingguerrilla.com/
wXw - 3 - http://www.wxw-fanz.net


Only Once-

AAW - http://www.aawrestling.com/
Ballpark Brawl - http://www.ballparkbrawl.com/
DCW - http://www.dcwrestling.nl/
Enigma Pro - n/a
FCW - http://www.futurewrestling.co.uk/
FWA - http://www.frontierwrestling.com/
FIST Wrestling - n/a
GBW - http://www.gbwrestling.com/
ICWA - http://www.icwacatch.com/
IWA Switzerland - http://www.iwa-switzerland.ch/
LSWO - n/a
MAW - http://www.midamericanwrestling.com/
NEW - n/a
WXW - http://www.wxwwrestling.com/


26 Promotions


Areas Worked in-

State - Cities

CA - Hollywood
IN - Hammond, Highland, Holton, Lafayette, Plymouth, Valparaiso, Vincennes
IL - Beryn, Midlothian, Morris, Peoria, Streamwood
IA - Burlington, Muscatine
OH - Cleveland, Mt. Healthy
MI - Climax
MN - Maple Grove
NY - Buffalo
PA - Allentown, Collegeville, Emmaus, Hanover, Hellertown, McKeesport, Monroeville, Newville, Philadelphia, Pittston, Reading, Uniontown
WV - Dunbar, South Charleston
WI - Milwaukee


12 States, 35 cities


Countries - Cities

Canada - Montreal, Quebec
England - Lower Gornal
France - Rethel
Germany - Essen
Netherlands - Poeldijk
Switzerland - Gutenbrunnen Schübelbach

6 non-US Countries


Shows - Matches
Jan. 4 4
Feb. 7 10
Mar. 6 6
Apr. 12 12
May 11 13
Jun. 9 9
Jul. 13 14
Aug 7 7
Sep. 8 9
Oct. 12 12
Nov. 8 10
Dec. 5 6


102 shows and 112 matches


Opponents and number of matches:

Marek Brave - 3
"The Anarchist" Arik Cannon - 8
"Double C" Claudio Castagnoli - 4
Danny Daniels - 3
Equinox - 3
Deejay Hyde - 3
Jigsaw - 9
"King of Diamonds" Eddie Kingston - 12
Mickie Knuckles - 4
Milano Collection AT - 4
Mister Zero - 3
"Lightning" Mike Quackenbush - 15
Sabian - 4
Skayde - 5
"Wonderman" Glenn Spectre - 5
Lance Steel - 5
Shane Storm - 8


Opponents wrestled twice during 2005:

"Trendsetter" Josh Abercrombie
Tyler Black
"Wildcat" Robbie Brookside
Ryan Cruz
Jon Dahmer
"The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels
Trik Davis
Jimmy Jacobs
Jolly Roger
Ruckus
Sumie Sakai
Tracy Smothers
Kevin Steen
Tank
Brandon Thomaselli
Vito Thomaselli
Beef Wellington


Opponents wrestled once during 2005:

Afa Jr.
Chuchiro Arai
B-Boy
JC Bailey
Billy Ken Kid
Blind Rage
Chris Candido (R.I.P.)
Orlando Colon
Darin Corbin
"Kind of Old School"Steve Corino
"American Dragon" Bryan Danielson
Delirious
Jimmy Demarco
El Drunko
Ebessan
Joey Envy
Excalibur
Frankie the Face
Frankie the Mobster
Marshall Gambino
Mickey Gambino
El Generico
"Badass" Billy Gunn
Nigel McGuinness
Alex Pain
Green Phantom
Drew Gulak
Hallowicked
Chris Hamrick
Heretic
Kamala
Vries Kastalein
Cory Kastle
"Mr. Insanity" Toby Klein
"The Outlaw" Adam Knight
Kid Krazy
LA Smooth
Brad Lamen
"The Professional" Scott Lost
Dave Moralez
"Fabulous" John McChesney
Necro Butcher
Eric Priest
Rainman
Reckless Youth
Marc Roudin
Joey Ryan
Chris Sabin
Samoa Joe
Samu
Mike Santos
Todd Sexton
Shun the Kabuki Kid
"Superfly" Jimmy Snuka
Steve Stone
Andy Sumner
Super Dragon
Sal Thomaselli
"Spyder" Nate Webb
BJ Whitmer
Mark Wolf
Zebra Kid


97 opponents

Tag Partners during 2005 and number of matches teamed:

Akuma - 6
Arik Cannon - 9
Claudio Castagnoli - 24
Hallowicked - twice
Icarus - 6
Mike Quackenbush - 6
Ian Rotten - twice


Tag Partners for only one match:

Josh Abercrombie
Bane
Blind Rage
Dr. Cheung
Darkness Crabtree
Sebastian Dark
Shirley Doe
Daizee Haze
Deejay Hyde
Jimmy Jacobs
Kevin Matthews
Bull Pain
Corporal Robinson
Axl Rotten
Gene Snitsky
Super Hentai
Ultramantis Black


24 partners


Managed By-
Don Jakobi



Opposing Managers-
Ed Chuman
Jim Fannin


Types of matches:

2 out of 3 Falls - 2
3 Way Dance - 2
6 Man Tag - 12
8 Man Tag - 6
European Rounds - 2
Singles Matches - 60
Tag Matches - 17

Only One:

Battle Royal
Gauntlet
Handicap Tag
I Quit
Last Man Standing
Mixed Tag
Six Way
Ten Man Tag
Torneo Cibernetico
Ultraviolent Underground
War Games


Tournaments, etc. -
CHIKARA Tag World Grand Prix '05,
CZW Best of the Best,
MPW's World Series of Wrestling,
ICWA Title Tournament,
IWA Mid South Revolution Strong Style Tournament

Titles Held -
CZW Tag Team - w/ Claudio Castagnoli (The Kings of Wrestling)
September 10th from The Tough Crazy Bastards (Necro Butcher & Toby Klein)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------



Promotions Worked for during 2006

Name - # of Shows - Link

AULL - 2 - n/a
CHIKARA - 15 - http://www.chikarapro.com/
CZW - 11 - http://www.czwwrestling.com
FWA-Academy - 2 - http://www.fwatraining.co.uk/
IWA-EC - 2 - http://www.iwaeastcoast.com/
IWA-MS - 12 - http://www.iwamidsouthwrestling.com
IWC - 2 - http://www.iwcwrestling.com/
IWF - 3 - http://www.iwfprowrestling.com/
MBA - 3 - http://www.uvunderground.com/WrestleFactory/mbafaq.htm
NWA Upstate - 2 - http://nwaupny.com/
PWE - 2 - n/a
PWG - 11 - http://www.prowrestlingguerrilla.com/
ROH - 19 - http://www.rohwrestling.com/
STF - 2 - n/a
UWA Hardcore - 2 - http://www.uwahardcorewrestling.com/

Only Once-

1PW - http://www.1pwonline.com/
APW - http://www.allprowrestling.com
Ballpark Brawl - http://www.ballparkbrawl.com/
CAPW - http://www.capw.net/
DCW - http://www.dcwprowrestling.com/
FTW - http://www.ftwpro.com
ICW - http://www.icwwrestling.it/
MXW - http://www.mxwwrestling.com/
New Japan Lucha Libre - n/a
Premier Wrestling - http://www.premier-promotions.co.uk/
PWX - http://www.pwxplosion.com/
Toryumon Mexico - n/a
TNT Pro Wrestling - http://www.wfpromotions.com/
URW - http://www.urwwrestling.com/

29 Promotions

Areas Worked in-

State - Cities

AL - Elkmont
CA - La Habra, Hollywood, Reseda, San Francisco, Reseda, Santa Monica
CT - East Windsor
DE - Middletown
IL - Harvey, Midlothian
IN - Plainfield
MA - Braintree, Somerset
MI - Detroit
NJ - Boonton, Edison
NY - Albany, Buffalo, Long Island, New York City, Rochester
OH - Cleveland, Dayton
PA - Barnesville, Elizabeth, Hellertown, Philadelphia, Reading
VA - Staunton
WV - South Charleston

14 States, 31 Cities

Countries - Cities

Canada - Mississauga, Ontario
England - Bognor Regis, Broxbourne, Horndean, Hull, Liverpool, Worthing
Italy - Sardegna
Mexico - Coacalco, Pachuca, Mexico City

4 Non-US Countries

Shows - Matches
Jan. 9 10
Feb. 8 11
Mar. 12 12
Apr. 11 11
May 7 7
Jun. 8 8
Jul. 12 12
Aug. 7 7
Sep. 10 11
Oct. 10 11
Nov. 12 12
Dec. 6 6



112 Shows 118 Matches

Opponents and number of matches:

Austin Aries - 3
B-Boy - 3
Mark Briscoe - 3
Colt Cabana - 7
Claudio Castagnoli - 4
Darin Corbin - 3
Ryan Cruz - 3
Bryan Danielson - 3
Trik Davis - 3
Delirious - 5
Equinox - 4
Hallowicked - 4
Homicide - 3
Eddie Kingston - 7
M Dogg 20 - 3
Milano Collection AT - 3
Necro Butcher - 3
Adam Pearce - 3
Mike Quackenbush - 6
Quicksilver - 3
Ruckus - 4
Skayde - 7
Shane Storm - 8
Roderick Strong - 6
Super Dragon - 4
BJ Whitmer - 3

Opponents wrestled twice in 2006

Jay Briscoe
Arik Cannon
Christopher Daniels
Dunn
El Generico
Human Tornado
Hydra
Jigsaw
Low Ki
Marcos
John McChesney
Justice Pain
Ricky Reyes
Davey Richards
Sabian
Samoa Joe
Andy Sumner
Matt Sydal
Brandon Thomaselli
Ultimo Vampiro

Opponents wrestled once in 2006

Josh Abercrombie
Akuma
Azrieal
Batman
Chris Bishop
Tyler Black
Black Sabbath
Blade
Jason Blade
Marek Brave
Robbie Brookside
Brain Damage
Kerry Cabrero
Cheech
Cloudy
Crazy G
Dave Crist
Jake Crist
Josh Daniels
Darkside
Disco Machine
Dottor Dispiacere
Deranged
Il Drago
Dragon Aisu
Excalibur
Jason Gory
Drew Gulak
Felino
Frankenstein
Shane Hagadorn
Dan Head
El Hijo de Pierroth
Icarus
Genki Horiguchi
Jimmy Jacobs
Joker
Kid Mikaze
Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Sterling James Keenan
Toby Klein
Lionel Knight
Brodie Lee
Big Cat Lemmer
Jay Lethal
El Ligero
Nigel McGuinness
Maestro Manuel Majoli
Il Marchese
Maximo
JD Michaels
Robby Mireno
MIYAWAKI
Mr. Prime Time
Nemesis
Jimmy Olsen
Onyx
Payaso Tirantin
Tank Toland
JJ Perez
TJ Perkins
Pierroth Jr.
Pelle Primeau
Rainman
Rey de Corazones
Ranmaru
Rocky Romero
Ian Rotten
Chris Sabin
Sumie Sakai
Alex Shelley
Scorpio Sky
Harry Smith
Tracy Smothers
Ace Steel
Kevin Steen
Takashi Sugiura
James Tighe
Dick Togo
Matt Turner
Ultimo Gladiador
Hade Vansen
John Walters
Beef Wellington
Shiima Xion
Yoshiaki Yago

133 Opponents


Tag Partners during 2006 and number of matches teamed:

Akuma - 3
Claudio Castagnoli - 42
Icarus - 4
El Magnifico - 2
Necro Butcher - 5
Super Dragon - 22

Tag Partners for only one match:

Ape Atomica
Chris Bosh
Black Thunder
Chad Collyer
Danny Havoc
Hydra
Kaio
Eddie Kingston
Scott Lost
Il Lupo
Slacker Martin
Rocky Romero
Rocky Santana
Chip Stetson
Brandom Thomaselli
Sal Thomaselli
Vito Thomaselli
Nate Webb

24 Partners

Managed By-
Larry Sweeney

Opposing Managers-
JJ Dillon
Robby Mireno
Julius Smokes


Types of Matches:

3 Way Dance - 4
4 Way - 2
6 Man Tag - 5
6 Way - 2
8 Man Tag - 5
European Rounds - 2
Lucha 6 Man - 5
Lucha Tag - 7
Singles Match - 43
Tag Match - 34

Only One

4 Way Tag
Cage of Death
Handicap Elimination
Ironman Match
Ladder Match
No DQ Tag match
Tag Team Scramble
Torneo Cibernetico

Tournaments, etc.

CHIKARA Tag World Grand Prix
IWA Mid South Ted Petty Invitational
CZW Tag Team Title Tournament

Titles Held -
CHIKARA Campeones de Parejas - w/ Claudio Castagnoli
February 26th from Skayde & Milano Collection AT (Tournament Final) to Team FIST (Akuma & Icarus) on November 17th

CZW Tag Team - w/ Claudio Castagnoli (2 times)
to February 11th to Eddie Kingston & Joker (BLK Out)
October 14 from Human Tornado & Justice Pain (Tournament Final) to BLK Out (Sabian & Robby Mireno) on November 11th

ROH Tag Team - w/ Claudio Castagnoli
September 16th from Austin Aries & Roderick Strong to Christopher Daniels & Matt Sydal on November 25th


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Enjoy all the details. And while you're at it, visit http://www.ivpvideos.com/ and pick up some DVDs. Check it out.

-CH

A Homecoming of Sorts...

This weekend is another BIG weekend for wrestling fans in Philly. But before I get into that I have a few other things I want to make mention of.

1 - Trik Davis is officially gone from IWA Mid South. His loss to me at this year's TPI was such a humiliation that he called Ian Rotten and informed him that he will not be coming back. Boo hoo. The saddest part, though, is that I genuinely enjoyed beating him senseless and crushing his spirit on a bi-monthly basis. Ah well, that's what DVDs are for!

2 - Congratulations go out to one of my students and proteges, Icarus. Last Saturday he outlasted 15 other wrestlers, including Claudio and myself, and pinned Eddie Kingston to win CHIKARA's 3rd annual Torneo Cibernetico. Icarus has come a long way I'm proud of the progress he's made thus far. The sky is the limit for he and Gran Akuma, otherwise known as Team FIST.

3 - I finally squared off with Low Ki and we wrestled to a 30 minute draw. Now don't get me wrong, he's tough. But he's not THAT tough. He's definitely no King of Wrestling. He sure hits hard for a little guy though! Ha.

4 - October 14th saw Claudio and myself plow through three tag teams to become two-time CZW tag team champions. You know what that means? CHIKARA, ROH and now CZW. The Kings of Wrestling hold Independent Wrestling's Tag Team Triple Crown and we don't plan on losing it any time soon. That means we're the best in the Independents and if you ask me, there isn't a better tag team in the WORLD than the Kings of Wrestling. Somebody, anybody, I'm beggin' ya, PROVE me wrong.

5 - Last Saturday I made my triumphant return to the area where I started wrestling 8 years ago, Dayton, Ohio. My 75 year old grandmother even came and sat front row to support me. Unfortunately, my talents were showcased not in a tag match or a singles match but in a four corner match. Lame! Of course Roderick Strong had to take advantage of the circumstances. After nearly overcoming the 3-on-1 odds I got trapped in the Strong Hold and instead of straining myself I decided to save it for another day. I'm smart like that. It's not over though. Roderick, you WILL pay for attempting to humiliate me in front of my own flesh and blood. That brings me to this Saturday....

The ROH "office" isn't too pleased with the KoW. We decided to put the ROH belts on the line at CZW and I see no problem with that whatsoever. WE won the belts so they're OURS. We can do with them as we please. If we want to defend them against DeeJay Hyde and Rick Feinberg, we will. We do what we want, when we want. Especially this weekend. We're in OUR home. Philadelphia.

Philly is where I made my ROH debut and brought the Necro Butcher through the front door. Philly is where Necro, Super Dragon and myself stole the show and destroyed ROH in their own main event. Philly is where Claudio Castagnoli swerved EVERYONE and shocked the Independent wrestling world. Philly is also where MY team was cheated out of a Cage of Death victory. It took a 6-on-5 advantage and, even then, they BARELY beat us. Philly is the home of CZW and Philly is where the Kings of Wrestling will embarrass Roderick Strong and Austin Aries in their rematch. Our September 16th title victory was NO fluke.

Philly wants to see the KRS-1 and who are we to let them down?

It's gonna be an electric atmoshphere that only WE can bring to ROH in Philly. Get your tickets, bring a friend. You don't wanna miss when the best tag team in all of wrestling delivers the best tag team finisher in the HISTORY of wrestling to Aries and/or Strong. Do yourself a favor, see it live.

One more thing and don't you forget it,

Kings
Reign
Supreme

Always and forever

-CH

Injury and Defeat

I've had a few days to gather myself and recover from the weekend. I've been getting asked a lot of the same questions since Saturday night. I figure if I came on here, it might shed a bit of light on my current situation..

I had a pretty terrible weekend. Saturday afternoon, at CZW, not only did I lose the heavyweight title to Eddie Kingston, but I also sustained an injury in the process. Since I'd rather die than give him the satisfaction of knowing he hurt me, I want to be sure to let everyone know HOW I hurt myself.

Kingston was leaning against the guardrail and I ran at him with a dropkick. I got him pretty good, but when I landed I felt an extreme amount of pain. Anyone that has seen my matches knows that I have a high pain threshold. Yes, it was stupid and I take full responsibility for my actions.

I landed on that concrete and, even with adrenaline pumping through my body, I didn't want to get back up. Well, I did get back up and I continued to have one of the most brutal matches of my life. Think about that.

Homicide, Arik Cannon, Necro Butcher, Samoa Joe, 93 minutes with Punk

Even after all of those matches, I think last Saturday was the hardest match of my career.

Hard on my body.
Hard on my mind.
Hard on my ego.

I threw everything I had at Eddie but I let my guard down. Of all people, Ricky Reyes slid into the ring and dumped me on my head. This allowed Eddie to take my head off with a clothesline and pin me to win the CZW heavyweight championship.

Eddie, I'm not done with you. Not by a long shot. You're a scumbag. You cost us the Cage of Death match and now you have my belt. Blackout's not going to be by your side forever. I will find you. I will get you in the ring and I will take what is rightfully mine. Your days as a champion are numbered.

Reyes, you might as well consider your death certificate signed and sealed. I'll be at the TPI later this month to deliver it personally. You will forever regret making an enemy out of Chris Hero.

Now back to my injury. Landing on the concrete at that angle, with that force, gave me a deep bone contusion that had me writhing in pain all night. I was schedule to wrestle on the evening show but I knew if I did that I would risk a more severe injury. I felt like a disappointment but I didn't think I had any other choice. Canceling a show because of an injury is not something I've done before and it's not something I want to do again. Who would have thought that one dropkick could be so painful?

I woke up Sunday morning and was barely able to roll out of bed.

I've been advised to take some time off but I wouldn't be me if I did that. If I took time off, Claudio and I wouldn't be able to take the ROH tag titles from Roderick and Aries this Saturday in NYC and trust me, we are taking those titles.

I'm not just pretty sure, I'm absolutely sure. I'm sick and tired of everyone talking about how I got punked out at Cage of Death. Yes, my team lost. I did not lose. Chris Hero will not go away that easily.

This Saturday the Kings of Wrestling show up in NYC.

After this Saturday, Ring of Honor will never be the same.

Kings
Reign
Supreme

-CH