The KING of TRIOS

Robbie Ellis:
“On the weekend of February 17, 2007, I was invited to be a member of a team of three guys for a new tournament, King of Trios, organized by Chikara Pro’s unmatchable and unstoppable promoter/wrestler Mike Quackenbush in three cities on three nights in Pennsylvania ending at the legendary ECW Arena in Philadelphia with biggest audience in Chikara history. To my surprise, it turned out to be the highlight of my more than forty years as a professional wrestler. My team members were Larry Sweeney and Mitch Ryder, two of the most talented wrestlers on the independent circuit and particular favorites of wrestling fans. Guys from Japan, Mexico and America made up the teams. Many of them are big stars in their home countries. To smart fans, the American guys are not only stars in America but among the best wrestlers in the world. My two partners are not only big talents. They have big, big hearts. This is not an idle compliment. They were incredibly generous to me, giving me a lot of the glory that in reality belonged to them. They will both be at the top of my list of great friends forever. Quackenbush has already been there for years and for some of the same reasons. If you don’t already know it, read the reality: at the ripe age of 30 (or so), he has already been a legend in the world of pro wrestling for many years. To hear other wrestlers in this tournament talk about him in the locker room the way I have been talking about him at home and to friends in New England was not surprising, but it did serve to corroborate and justify my feelings.”

http://www.theburninghammer.com/forum/topics.html-t-11214
CHIKARA KING OF TRIOS TOURNAMENT NIGHT ONE IN HELLERTOWN, PA LIVE REPORT
Ed Sherriffs:
“CHIKARA’s 2007 season kicked off this past weekend with the three night King of Trios tournament. Representatives from the world over came to southeastern Pennsylvania to participate. It was a huge success for the company, and every night featured outstanding wrestling. Night One was held in Hellertown, Pennsylvania on Friday, February 16th. Ryder punches Vito to start. Ryder with a headlock on the mat. He gets two with a shoulderblock, followed by another headlock on the mat. Sweeney tags in and kicks Vito. Sweeney with punches in the corner. Vito applies headscissors on the mat. Brandon tags in and connects with a big boot. Sweeney comes back with Bionic Elbows. Sweeney gets a headlock, then multiple shoulderblocks. A hiptoss, then atomic drop send Brandon from the ring. Sweeney hits a Suicide Dive onto Brandon. Ellis and Sal square off in the ring. Ellis with a headlock, and satellite headscissors takedown. Ellis then hits Sliced Bread #2 on Sal to a huge pop and Robbie chant.”

“Sweeney comes back in with a double axe handle off the top, then a butterfly suplex. Ellis back in with a snapmare. Sal tags Vito in. Vito hits some chops and gets two with a suplex. Vito stomps Ellis. Brandon with a body slam and Vito with a senton. Sal tags in and punches Ellis in the gut. Sal gets a headlock, but Ellis fights out and punches Sal. Sal charges him into the corner and Brandon tags in. Brandon hits a European Uppercut. Ellis ducks a double team, bringing Sweeney and Ryder into the ring. Sweeney with a scoop slam to Brandon. Ryder and Sweeney with atomic drops to Sal and Vito. Double reverse elbow to Sal, then a double back body drop. The Iron Saints take out Ryder and Ellis, then triple team Sweeney with an assisted Lungblower/top rope senton combo for the win. Ellis gets a big ovation post match. He was one of the most over [popular with the audience] workers during the weekend.”

“The Iron Saints (Sal, Brandon & Vito Thomaselli) beat Larry Sweeney & Mitch Ryder & Robbie Ellis. Robbie Ellis was PURE GOLD! He is like, 65? I've never seen a 65 year old man do a huracanrana and a head scissors take over before. He took a lot of punishment and doled out plenty. He worked really well, I was surprised. I also really liked Mitch Ryder. He was like this sandman/ken kennedy/chris candido combo, worked really well. Sweeny was sweeny of course, thats always a good thing. Larry Sweeney, Mitch Ryder, & Robbie Ellis Who: Sweeney’s one of CHIKARA’s top heels, and is quickly becoming a bigger star on the entire independent scene. He’s wrestling in FIP now, and is on his way to being the top manager in ROH as Chris Hero’s super agent. Ryder is another heel, one who just made a return to CZW in the area. The wild card of the team is Robbie Ellis, who has been wrestling for over FORTY years. He is most famous for a Sports Illustrated piece that detailed his double life. Ellis’ day job is in dealing expensive pieces of art. For years, no one knew that he wrestled all over the world. When they found out, it only helped his business.”

Tim Walker
(Freelance photographer, Pro Wrestling Illustrated):
“It was great to hear the people chanting for Robbie Ellis on Sunday. The fans in Philadelphia are notoriously hard on the talent, and it was great to see and hear that they respected him and his work. It was really refreshing for me to see and hear their actual appreciation for the wrestlers. I told Mike Quackenbush that it looked like Ellis was really touched [by the standing ovation] when he was walking to the back after your match on Sunday. Hopefully, he will make the trip back to Pennsylvania again soon. It is always a pleasure to see him wrestle and to photograph his matches.”

Robbie Ellis:
“When you work hard at something you love all your life, as I have at both wrestling and my “day job” as an art dealer/auctioneer, it is astonishing to find support in such a spectacular way. The experience at King of Trios has changed everything. Because I have been incredibly lucky to have had an unusual amount of mainstream publicity from Sports Illustrated to the Today Show and have managed to continue to take the bumps and lumps for far longer than I ever dreamed would be possible, there has been some resentment among a few of my much younger peers. With this extraordinary King of Trios experience, I now have a clearer understanding that you can’t please everyone and that the two or three exceptions don’t matter either to me or to professional wrestling. So, why mention them at all? Because it feels so good. It doesn’t hurt either when you make new lifetime friends: Mitch and Larry, of course, many of the other wrestlers — even the Japanese guys despite the language barrier — and Mike Quackenbush, who no one doubts is among the few best wrestler in the world. To hear the locker room talk — behind his back! — is to hear praise like wrestlers hear about no other wrestler or promoter anywhere. These guys came long distances from everywhere because the tournament is a Mike Quackenbush/Chikara Pro Wrestling Factory event. My coach, my correspondent, my cheerleader, my friend. I can retire now a happy man. Well, not yet.”