Truthfully I've never been one to watch much CHIKARA. I've dabbled here and there but it's not a promotion I dedicated a lot of time to. So this review may lack a bit of context, but will hopefully be good for an outsider's perspective. At the same time, this match is very accessible due to how simple (that's not to say bad) the backstory to this match is. CHIKARA as a whole has always had its clear identity within US indies, and that identity plays into the story of the match. Vin Gerard is despised within the promotion for being an antagonist against the masked wrestlers of the promotion. Fire Ant meanwhile came into this tournament as a replacement for Worker Ant. This is the finals of the 6th Young Lions tournament.
I thought this was a great match with an easily digestible story that is effortless to get into. Prior to the match, Gerard slaps Fire Ant across the face, setting the tone for the entire match. Once the match starts, Fire Ant begins with an aggressive flurry. It doesn't take long from there before Gerard takes control of the match, taunting Fire Ant and the crowd. Early on, we've quickly established the characters and their personalities. Once Worker Ant comes out on crutches to support Fire Ant, the stakes of the match are set out. Worker Ant isn't the only man to come out in support of Fire Ant and the sight of the masked wrestlers from CHIKARA coming out in support of Fire Ant is by far my favourite part of the whole match. It's always a fantastic moment when a heel gets his comeuppance from multiple sources in a single match or moment. It's that sort of touch that heightens the importance of the match while also making it feel unique. Similarly, I loved the moment later on where Gerard hit a powerbomb and tried to use the ropes for leverage purely from the reaction to it. The reaction from the wrestlers on the outside and the commentators put the spot over fantastically.
The emotion of the match is heightened by the character performance of both wrestlers. It's remarkable to see how good Fire Ant is both with and without the mask as Orange Cassidy. It's reminiscent of how effortlessly Sami Zayn went from being a masked wrestler to unmasked while still being a fantastic babyface. I guess being a great babyface just comes naturally to them.
That's not to say the match is without its faults. Part of this is due to the inherent rules of the match, namely the 20 count on the floor. After Fire Ant hits a sick looking fireman's carry to the floor, it begins a very, very long 20 count to tease a countout finish. Gerard, in fairness, sells this well - both visually and audibly. The problem is it comes relatively early in the match, isn't a believable finish, and you feel every second of that 20 count. That's not a problem in and of itself, but later in the match they repeat a count out spot. After a couple of long STFs by Gerard, including one on the outside, its clear that he's trying to win by countout. It also includes a neat spot where he moves Fire Ant further from the ring. The problem is that I found it brought the pace match to a screeching halt for a second time in this 15 minute match. I don't think this is an inherent flaw of the 20 count either - if the workers know they have a 20 count, then I think the should work around that a little smarter.
Nonetheless, the finishing sequence with Fire Ant firing up is great, and even the no-sell of the Burning Hammer didn't bother me too much based on what we had been shown earlier in the match and the importance of it. Overall this was a thoroughly enjoyable match that is easy to watch and show to anyone. While it may not be technically spectacular, the emotion and story of the match made this feel special and gripping.
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