Pre-Show 9: Destination Duo!

July 10, 2011 -- Forged in the fires of competition, a true champion must be ready to defend themselves at every turn. Surrounded by enemies of a personal creation, there can be no discrimination against rules or challengers! The only law of the champion is the will to win! As long as there is a title to be held, the perpetual cycle will be endured.

It began with the March inception of team competition at Supercard 3 and culminated just one week ago, July 3rd, with sixteen teams and one shot at history in Tournament 6: The Duo Championships!

Pink_Ranger & Ghostdragon defied status and expectation to rise to the occasion of becoming the first ever Duo Division Champions! Now, a mere week after their crowning achievement, they are forced to defend themselves against the very combination they defeated -- the favourites, Hokey & Ninja_Mime! For either team, this will be but the first of an infinite sprawl of challenges as a new phase is initiated into The Great Arena and the many envious teams plot their course to a Destination Duo!

12. Hokey & Ninja_Mime d. Pink_Ranger & Ghostdragon (c)
They had seemed overwhelming favourites to win Tournament 6 and go undefeated for an eighth time as they claimed the first Duo Division Championships, but when the titles were finally claimed, it was not Hokey & Ninja_Mime with their names in the history books! Pink_Ranger & Ghostdragon had been considered a duo ready for separation -- particularly with Pink_Ranger courting newfound singles success against the likes of CaTigeReptile (Supercard 8)! Instead, they lived up to the combined assumption of their potential, immortalized as the first-ever tandem Champions!

With all four competitors booked to appear in the twelve-person contender Battle Royal at Supercard 9 -- the demand of Championship defense could only fall one week after the Champions were decided. In the eyes of some, the match-up would provide Pink_Ranger & Ghostdragon the opportunity to prove their success was more than a fluke, but for others, this was a harsh decision, designed to render the previous unexpected result moot.

The latter suspicions were certainly relevant to the result, a confident performance by Hokey & Ninja_Mime creating new Duo Division Champions. Fortunately, Pink_Ranger & Ghostdragon registered an impressive performance, fighting for their right to retain at the highest possible standard. In many ways, the match was a reversal of the T6 Championship match, once again of a calibre that confirms the legitimacy of the two teams and the prestige of the Championships!

While the foursome remain cordial, the abrupt changeover will have to add a special dimension of tension when they make up a third of the twelve contenders who will appear in the 12-Person Contender Battle Royal! With a shot at the Undisputed Championship hanging in the balance, rivalries are sure to be created as ever person fights for themselves! Loyalty may prove an inconvenient formality even for these, the new Duo Division Champions.

11. Ken d. DECEPTION in a comprehensive result.
Suffering what seemed to be a setback in his second loss to Chiefin (at Supercard 8); Ken was theoretically going back to basics with his one-on-one encounter with duo star, DECEPTION!

DECEPTION's return to solo competition was to be a fond affair and potential launching pad, but instead of a down-on-his-luck ranger, DECEPTION found himself facing off against something akin to the Ken of old! Despite being incredibly well matched on paper, DECEPTION dipped considerably in his performance, allowing a strong Ken to take a comprehensive victory! The win keeps Ken within the competitive periphery, but it'll take consistency to garner the top contender status he once regularly held. A Supercard 9 win against Jammer2Omega, who lost out to Toryn, will surely be a great follow-up!

10. Toryn d. Jammer2Omega in a solid win.
It was a relatively straight forward affair as representatives of two tiers of competition butted heads with an expected result. Jammer2Omega has been blazing a trail as one of the next generation competitors heading for the top of the ranks, but was comfortably taken care of by a former-Champion, Toryn.

Most vividly defined by controversies early to his career; Toryn has again courted the antagonism of The Great Arena with an enthusiastic return to the extra-Arena fight scene. Having staged many unofficial battles in training, Toryn has skirted the line between fairplay and exploitation -- a tactic that may help him when he enters the Supercard 9 Contender Battle Royal, but will win him no new fans! Jammer2Omega, on the other hand, will take another shot at pulling a win for the new guard when he meets Ken in a more evenly matched clash!

9. SubMan799 & Casselman d. Bofh & Dolce comprehensively.
One of the unlucky First Round eliminations from Tournament 6; SubMan799 & Casselman had plenty to prove as the Duo Division Championships were contested above them, at the top of the card! Bofh & Dolce may have fared better with their Second Round berth in the Championship tournament, but looked more like lambs to the highly motivated slaughter of their keen opponents!

Fortunately for Dolce & Bofh, it was a relatively modest +2 rated impact in a SubMan799 & Casselman victory that could only be described as comprehensive. The confident result sets SubMan799 & Casselman up for their long awaited Supercard 9 clash with the fondly regarded 'first' team, Scott-Howell & Murdoink. The bout seems certain to shape the near future of contention stakes for the Duo Division!

8. JRF d. SlumDunk in a near draw!
In a twist of irony, two of the least successful fighters in The Great Arena found themselves entering Pre-Show 9 for a marquee encounter! The "Battle for the Bottom" would pit the two lowest ranked fighters in the League Rankings, JRF (#141) and SlumDunk (#140), in an unlikely banner bout to guarantee one man his first victory, whilst condemning the other to remain at the bottom of the ranks!

The hand of fate, cruel as it is, very nearly condemned the two to a hideously ironic mutual destruction. Fighting for pride and placement, both men gave it everything they have, resulting in a near stalemate! With absolutely nothing separating them, it was JRF who stole victory from the clutches of The Great Arena's first ever draw, exhausting himself to get the win! Taking his sixth defeat under controversial conditions, SlumDunk now dips to ranking #141, while JRF follows in the famed footsteps of STEROLIZER with an overdue win.

7. NightHawk d. Piccolo & GreenLantern in an exceptionally close fought, three-way blockbuster battle!
The three-way format has only existed since May, when it was introduced by Cr0w as part of Supercard 7. Even so, this match will surely endure the test of time as one of the greatest matches of its type!

Relative newcomer, Piccolo, appeared to be in the driver's seat early on, leaving NightHawk and GreenLantern to lock up in a close fought struggle. Resuming the three-way threat, these incredibly close matched warriors continued the fray, with NightHawk muscling his way into a comeback that saw him overcome both of his opponents. While NightHawk undeniably fought to win the match, his valiant efforts do nothing to overshadow the incredible determination and tenacity of Piccolo and GreenLantern! Truly, no battle in The Great Arena has ever been so dramatic in its plot, or closely contested by its fighters! A feather in the cap of all three!

6. ZachAngel & Angelia d. NovaStarr & Poasty in a close battle!
Suffering back-to-back losses at Supercard 8 and Tournament 6; NovaStarr & Poasty were looking for much needed success at Pre-Show 9. Alas; the fighting faithful combination of ZachAngel & Angelia were the better performed pairing on the night, overcoming their opponents in another Destination Duo close fought encounter! Well matched at the outset, the battle highlights the intensifying competition surrounding the Duo Division, capped by the Championships being defended in the night's main event. Both teams will no doubt take away valuable experience from the match, but it will be ZachAngel & Angelia who take the all important step toward the top of the ranks!

NovaStarr returns to The Great Arena July 17 for Supercard 9, ditching her partner (Poasty) to take a second stab at a grudge match against fellow fighting femme, Dolce!

5. SmokeRulz d. Zedox & foster177
By its very nature, the three-way format invites an element of unpredictability, but strength and experience could not be denied in the first clear win of the night. SmokeRulz was cool under pressure, surviving the assault of an eclectic pair of competitors! Zedox proved instrumental in taking out the most long lived competitor, foster177, but would receive no favours from the most powerful of the trio. This confident win for SmokeRulz is his second under three-way conditions, having picked up a surprising win at the special event, The Rapture & The Madness!

4. plfx d. Mandijadeee in a close encounter!
Making only their second and third appearances respectively, it was to be another well earned victory for plfx against the evenly matched Mandijadeee! Having clashed with Simon and rxvt in the past, plfx is quietly establishing himself as a name to watch, while Mandijadeee walks away with the taste of defeat for a second time.

3. bfk d. CAMK in a close encounter!
The theme of close matched opponents continued as bfk added his name to the winner's list! Tournament experience could not provide CAMK with sufficient reply to bfk's energetic attack. Despite making his first appearance in the fight, there is some degree of buzz around bfk -- a fighter with great potential for success!

2. kibble d. EasterBunny in a narrow fought blockbuster!
If the calendar were slightly different, perhaps it would have been a different result! It was to a measure of surprise that kibble battled through an intensely matched assault from EasterBunny, finding the strength to pick up a narrow fought win!

1. nface d. MinnyBean in a close encounter!
It was to be a close fought but convincing debut for nface, who asserted himself over the similarly first-appearing MinnyBean! As one of the affectionately termed 'fighting faithful', MinnyBean will have something to work toward in the future, while nface launches ahead with the strongest possible start to his career!

Celebrations will be shortlived for the new Duo Division Champions as they turn their eyes toward the possibility of individual glory! Hokey, Ninja_Mime, Pink_Ranger, and Ghostdragon will be joined by Mimik, Genku, Toryn, CaTigeReptile and more as twelve enter July 17's Battle Royal to determine a new number one contender to the Undisputed Championship! One will face the winner of a blockbuster clash as ElJobber attempts to break a 1-1 tie when he meets record-breaking reigning champion, Cr0w!

PLUS! The Duo Division continues to heat up as SubMan799 & Casselman finally catch up with Scott-Howell & Murdoink, and Ratt fends off the advances of an over enthusiastic STEROLIZER! All this and much, much more July 17 as The Great Arena plays host to Supercard 9: Royal Roulette!