5/4/2009: It wasn't all that long ago that the only points I had toward tag title contention were with Shane Storm - the last guy on Earth I'd want at my side to challenge Los Campeones. But starting in January, I was on my way to picking up another three points with Jigsaw - my protege, my partner, my little brother. Even though it was just 26 months ago that Jig, Storm and I were named King of Trios, a lot has changed for the three of us since then.

For starters, Jigsaw went fulltime with ROH for a while, he upped his game, wrestled on pay-per-view, and the next time we saw him at CHIKARA, it was without a mask. Shane Storm betrayed everyone in the tecnico locker room for a win over Hydra, and later, transformed into STIGMA, the snorting warpig of The UnStable. And as for yours truly? Well, since the three of us won King of Trios 2007, I went onto win the Ted Petty Invitational, I lost some belts, I won some new ones, I even lasted long enough to see that perennial pain-in-my-butt Chris Hero up and vanish from CHIKARA without a trace at the end of 2007. I accomplished quite a lot in that span of time, but one thing eluded me. I needed three points. I needed the perfect partner. And I needed an opportunity.

With Jigsaw at my side, those three points came easily. On Night 3 of King of Trios 2009, we picked up the last point we needed for our title shot, and we took it - at "Behind the 8 Ball". But just as quickly as we picked up those points...they were gone. That night, The Osirian Portal got the better of us, and our chance to be champions slipped away.

At "Behind the 8 Ball", and especially since then, I've been in a lot of pain. I knew sometime this year, I was going to have to bow out to allow time for much-needed back surgery, but I was hoping that it would be on my terms, my timetable. Evidently not. The surgery I had hoped to put off until the end of the year is calling for me now. When I'm back in the saddle - back at 100% once again - maybe then it will be time to renew our quest for those golden belts, Jig. But until then, I've got a project for you, little bro.

There's a group of up-and-comers in our ranks that really impressed me. I got to watch them from the Commentation Station on March 29th, and they've got all the tools to make it to the top. But, maybe they could use a little advice, a little direction, from a guy who's done the miles. A guy that's wrestled not just across the US, but in Canada, Mexico and in Europe. That guy is you, Jigsaw. And The Future is Now have got all the promise in the world, if they can stay on track. I need you to make sure they don't get derailed. They've wrestled with identity and mask issues, and I think maybe your perspective is just what they need to hear. They're starting to taste real success, and maybe you can keep that from going to their heads. They've already got the potential. I think you can help them realize it.

Make me proud,
LMQ


READ OPHIDIAN'S BLOG FROM 4/27/2009 HERE