Chikara's about to get too sweet Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein |
The landmark event on the indie calendar has taken place in the Lehigh Valley for the last two turns in 2012 and 2014. It makes sense to hold it there because of the reduced venue cost and higher margins and stuff like that, but I was holding out hope that it would return to the ECW Arena for selfish reasons. Still, the Funplex remains Chikara's signature arena, and Trios has been a banger there for the last two tourneys. This year should be no different.
And in the tradition of starting things off with a bang, the first trio announced was a doozy. The Young Bucks will be making their return to Chikara for the first time since the Tag World Grand Prix in 2013 in Chicago. The former Campeones de Parejas will be bringing AJ Styles with them. Yes, the Bullet Club is invading Chikara. Hail Hydra and the the like. No lie, this announcement is about as big an announcement that the company could make without dipping into the former WCW/WWE pool. Styles is the current IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, and the Bucks hold the Jr. Heavyweight Tag Championships. All three are considered near the top of their game right now. It's going to be hard to top them from a name value standpoint, and they have the pedigree to back up the hype.
One other thing to look out for in terms of the tournament this year is the Challenge of the Immortals. Will the new, round-robin team-based concept play into the Trios tourney? Some teams remain united in some respects. For example, the defending Champions the Devastation Corporation would be able to defend its crown without disrupting its COTI rhythm, but what about The Colony? The Osirian Portal should Ophidian and Amasis take up a third? Will those separate teams put up teams in the same vein as Chikarametrics split up traditional teams in 2012? The native Chikara announcements may not be as straightforward as they were last year or as they've been in 2011 and years before.
Either way, I'm glad Trios is back, and I'll be looking forward to attending either night two or night three this year and covering it like the marquee event it truly is.