Over the past two years, The Great Arena has established certain calendar traditions that seem destined to stick. The first half of the year has the annual spectacle that is Ultimate Grand Prix; while the latter half enjoys the celebration known as the All-Star Summer Showdown. Both events hold distinctions of being rallying points around which the biggest and best talents in the league gather to test their might. For two years running, each supercard has become the most exciting event of its time -- but neither can quite claim to have the unique appeal of the annual Battle Royale!
The origins of Battle Royale can be traced back to the earliest days of The Great Arena.
It was at the very first Supercard that the Battle Royale was first unleashed. The January 31 event defined the tradition, bringing together forty hopeful competitors in an all-out rumble to declare one ultimate Championship contender! Tradition dictates there may be a certain quotient of guaranteed entrants via qualification, but that the Battle Royale draw be essentially random, with participants entering every 90 seconds in an undetermined order.
When fewer than forty competitors enter, the event is described as a Battle Royal (sans Royale). This smaller incarnation has also come to support an all-in elimination format as well, starting an entire field in the match without sporradic random entries. Though similar to the annual Battle Royale, even July's Royal Roulette -- which upgraded in 2012 to the forty-man format -- lacks the annual excitement of the January classic!
January's Battle Royale holds the distinction of providing the winner a guaranteed Championship match at Ultimate Grand Prix -- the biggest event of the year! In this sense, it is the official beginning of the UGP carnival season, and has typically been the first official Supercard of the year, as well. With such obvious gravitas, it's little wonder the event has been a major milestone in the careers of many fighters -- even those who haven't claimed ultimate victory!
It's difficult to talk about the Battle Royal match type without mentioning Mimik. His BR2012 victory cemented his status as King of the Battle Royal. To date, he remains the most successful Battle Royal competitor in history, having won four seperate rumbles. Mimik alone represents 23.5% of the winners from seventeen matches that have occurred. An impressive statistic, double that of his nearest and most recent competitors! [CaTigeReptile, Ratt, Genku and Kron have won 2.]
ElJobber and Ratt are the only other competitors to have claimed victory in a forty-man Battle Royale (at Supercard 1 and Supercard 28, respectively). Ratt made history when he lasted 1hr 19mins 53secs in the first Battle Royale [which ElJobber won], earning the mantle of the original "Iron Man" of The Great Arena. From three Battle Royale matches, Ratt has eliminated a record 15 total opponents. Kron set a record for most opponents eliminated during a Battle Royale at Supercard 19, when he single-handedly took out 13 competitors in one match -- 32.5% of the field!
As we countdown to Battle Royale 2013 it's impossible to predict a winner!
There is no guaranteed formula for winning a Battle Royale; no strategy for overcoming the vast array of variables involved. Previous winners have entered at #29, #33 and #35, suggesting a late entry is some advantage, but in a random draw, that's not a lot of use. Nevermind that many early entrants have only narrowly missed out, their momentum carrying them right to the finish! In 2011, Ratt entered at #9 and was eliminated #38; in 2012, Kron entered at #4 and was eliminated #35!
Strength, endurance and willpower have a lot to do with victory, but so does luck!
Luck of the draw is a major factor, but so is the luck of the battles that breakout during the course of the match. Staying out of trouble can be as good as building momentum with a strong attack!
Battle Royal History:
ElJobber (#33) d. Genku (#36) - Supercard 1: Battle Royale 2011 [40] (Jan. 31)
Toryn (#6) d. Ratt (#1) - Supercard 2: Triple Double - The Eliminator [6] (Feb. 21)
Ratt (#18) d. Shoe (#11) - Supercard 4: Ultimate Grand Prix 2011 [30] (Apr. 3)
Mimik (#2) d. DaMo (#12) - Supercard 6: Team Cr0w vs Team Kron [12] (May 1)
CaTigeReptile (#16) d. Pink_Ranger (#6) - Supercard 7: A Bird's Eye View [18] (May 22)
Genku (#10) d. Mimik (#8) - Supercard 9: Royal Roulette [12] (Jul. 17)
Mimik (#12) d. m0s (#13) - Supercard 13: Spirit of Vengeance [16] (Oct. 2)
Kron (#6) d. DigbyRigby (#4) - Pre-Show 19: Battle Royale Qualifiers [10] (Jan. 15)
Mimik (#35) d. ElJobber (#38) - Supercard 19: Battle Royale 2012 [40] (Jan. 29)
CaTigeReptile d. avenger45 - Pre-Show 22: Ultimate Grand Prix-Show [15] (Mar. 25)
Violent`J (#16) d. Oozaru (#17) - Supercard 22: Ultimate Grand Prix 2012 [20] (Apr. 1)
Shen_DuHBK (#11) d. Dez-Burnett (#4) - Supercard 24: The Reckoning [16] (May 20)
Ratt (#29) d. Genku (#23) - Supercard 26: Royal Roulette 2012 [40] (Jul. 15)
Genku d. ElJobber - Olympic Games 2012: Battle Royal [22] (Aug. 3)
Mimik d. avenger45 - Supercard 27: All-Star Summer Showdown 2012 [26] (Aug. 19)
Kron d. TonyTheTiger - Pre-Show 28: Night of Champions [9] (Sep. 9)
VenoMark d. NovaStarr - KFL: Halloween Battle Royal Special [25] (Oct. 31)
Supercard 32: Battle Royale 2013 takes place January 27, 2013!
Former victors ElJobber (2011) and Mimik (2012) return, with Pre-Show 32 qualifiers: "The Prodigy" nface, McDaniel, "The Iron Man of War" Ratt, Ken, Ninja_Mime, DeathScepter, "The Charmed" Hokey & "The Predator" TonyTheTiger! PLUS: "Lord Daruma" m0s challenges undefeated Tournament 25 winner Reign of the DaMo for the Undisputed Championship!
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