CHIKARA Removed Kobald. Then the Company Closed.

In June 2020, CHIKARA removed Kobald from its roster after the promotion said it had been made aware of a recent allegation about him. Kobald had last competed for CHIKARA in February 2020, according to Fightful. The removal followed a documented run that Fightful described as regular since 2011, and CHIKARA described the action as a roster removal rather than a criminal or adjudicated disciplinary finding.

CHIKARA said it took all allegations of misconduct very seriously and was looking into the matter. The promotion said its priority was the safety of its fans, cast, and crew. In that statement, CHIKARA said the roster removal had been made in accordance with that priority. The company did not describe a separate disciplinary process or legal judgment in the statement reproduced in reporting.

Gerweck.net reported that multiple women had accused Kobald, identified there as Anthony Wilson, of being physically and mentally abusive. The report described the accusations as allegations. Fightful's account placed Kobald's regular CHIKARA work in a period that began in 2011 and continued until his last reported competition in February 2020. By June, his roster status had changed while the reported accusations remained attributed to the women who made them.

The claims also produced decisions by other performers. Cageside Seats reported that at least three CHIKARA stalwarts—Hallowicked, Frightmare, and Jacob Hammermeier—announced they were leaving the company as a result of the mounting claims. Their announcements extended the documented response beyond Kobald's removal and changed the company's roster through the choices of performers who had been associated with it.

On June 24, 2020, Mike Quackenbush said he had been made aware of recent allegations about himself and people in his employ. ProWrestling.net reported that he announced he was discontinuing CHIKARA and resigning as head trainer at the Wrestle Factory school. The announcement placed the promotion's continuation and Quackenbush's training role in the same decision: CHIKARA would be discontinued, and he would leave the Wrestle Factory.