Sara Del Rey vs. Ophidian, CHIKARA Martyr Yourself to Caution (9/18/2011)

This was a Block A match in the 12 Large Summit to determine CHIKARA’s inaugural Grand Champion.

It’s another one of these little 12 Large Summit matches that keeps things  incredibly simple and excels for it. Like the Quackenbush/Ophidian match earlier in the tournament, Ophidian is so much better than usual because it’s a match that gives him both a role and something to do. This is less him trying to get one over on his trainer, and much more about him being a slithery little creep against someone who’s now become beloved overnight after abandoning the BDK post-Claudio, a role that’s far more natural.

Del Rey beats his ass until he lucks out for a moment and grabs onto the arm. Being that it’s the only thing in five to ten minutes that’s worked for him at all, Ophidian stays on it. He manages to make it feel like a lucky break, but then has to hold onto it through hard work, which is cool as hell. He gains something, but just enough so that it doesn’t ever feel like a put on. Del Rey is again perfect in what’s likely her career year, walking perfectly across the line between eating up someone beneath her and giving him enough to make this an actual accomplishment. The arm selling is immaculate, and walks along the same line too. She’s not dying or anything, but it is a real hindrance and she has a hard time with lifts and has a hard time working her holds with one arm.

Thankfully, Ophidian is not as smart as she is and winds up getting himself in a position where Sara doesn’t have to do quite as much. Her body has failed, but she still knows the science well enough to turn a standing Ophidian Death Grip around into the Royal Butterfly Suplex. Ophidian got himself in the air so she didn’t have to use the bad arm to get him up, only over, and it’s enough for the win.

The sort of match that’s made this such a great tournament. Super tight, all incredibly logical, and it absolutely flew by. A great match where one might not expect a great match, through one tremendous performance and the careful application of exactly the right amount of focus.

***1/4

Mike Quackenbush vs. Ophidian, CHIKARA A Demon in His Pocket (6/25/2011)

This was a Block A match in the 12 Large Summit.

Quackenbush once again leads a student by the hand and has a really fun match. Stunning. Ophidian is in the tournament to replace a hurt Amasis, who may never wrestle again. As such, Quackenbush prepares for Ophidian to be a singles wrestler and goes out of his way to try and make him as legitimate as possible in one match, while still going over because round robin tournaments are so intricately plotted out. A display of technique leads to bigger bombs, but with the wonderful little touch of Quackenbush continuing to sell his arm here and there for the rest of the match because of Ophidian’s work on it. This would have been a great match without it, but it’s a small little touch like that which makes it into something a little bit better than even that.

In his quest to help out, Quackenbush gifts Ophidian nearfalls off of both the QD3 and QD4, before winning with an avalanche-style Black Tornado Slam. It’s a little much and obviously doesn’t take, as Ophidian isn’t quite good enough to be at that level yet, but it’s a really admirable effort.

As good of a Quackenbush showcase as anything else, because it’s not like Ophidian is having matches this good by himself all the time, if he ever even approached having a match as good as this again.

***1/4