The Spring Classic has become an annual tradition! A carnival to celebrate everything that came before at Ultimate Grand Prix VII -- and everything that will be in the coming months! The Spring Classic attracts some of the greatest fighters in Great Arena history, giving them one final stop on the UGP Season calendar to engage in legendary exhibition bouts, and bitter grudge matches! In 2017, The Classic delivers something for everybody with UGP dynasties tested in exciting ways!
14. "The Chosen One" Damo defeated VenoMark (c) in a hard fought victory! [+1] [Undisputed Championship]
Damo officially earned the right to challenge for the Undisputed Championship in a #1 Contenders match at Pre-Show 92, but his journey to The Spring Classic has been much longer. He started the year right as Runner-Up in the 2017 Grand Slam Launch, and made good on his promise to win the 7th Annual UGP Battle Royal at Ultimate Grand Prix VII! Everything about his run suggests he truly is "The Chosen One", but it was a very different story at the end of last year! An intense rivalry with VenoMark culminated at the All-Star Summer Showdown with a Steel Cage Fight that placed Damo's career in serious jeopardy! He only fought a few more times after the brutal grudge match loss, staggering from one defeat to the next. On the flip side: VenoMark rode his success to the final elimination of Battle Royale (2017), an unprecedented 6-fighter Eliminator win for the Undisputed Championship at Pre-Show 90: Venomous Creatures, and a main event title defense at UGP!
VenoMark's path had been hard fought and well earned, so at The Spring Classic he was naturally expected to beat an opponent he'd long since put behind him. Everybody thought it would be hard and fast, an easy finish to a brutal month. The only person who wasn't aware of that was Damo! He declared himself "The Chosen One" under false pretenses over a year ago, but at the 2017 Spring Classic he was determined to make his claim a reality! In a hard fought heavyweight encounter, he threw everything he had at his old rival! When the dust settled, Damo was everything he said he was -- and the new Undisputed Champion! A shocking conclusion to another Spring Classic!
13. "The Invasion" CCShadow & Scott-Howell defeated Ratt & NightHawk (c) in a competitive contest! [+1] [Duo Division Championship]
Ratt & NightHawk set a new bar for the Duo Division Championship when they dethroned Team Xtreme in one of the biggest moments of Ultimate Grand Prix VII! Earlier that same night: "The Invasion" CCShadow & Scott-Howell followed up their Grand Prix Show tournament win with another solid victory! The long serving combo have been reinvigorated since joining The Invasion, and promised to make an exciting challenge for titles they've unbelievably only held once before! It was the perfect storm for a momentous Spring Classic showdown -- and the battle did not disappoint! Both teams showed incredible desire, representing a standard for team competition rarely seen! Ratt & NightHawk entered the contest as favourites, but their uneven chemistry showed signs of weakness against the studied cohesion of the challengers. In a moment that will go down in history, CCShadow & Scott-Howell turned the new Duo Division Championship era on its head - claiming a well earned second reign in a classic match!
12. "American Nightmare" LordSkarlet defeated United: Shoe in a brutal battle! [-2/-6] [Steel Cage Fight]
Tensions between The Fallen and The United have been present since the night after members of The Fallen reorganized at Tower of Power XVIII -- but they escalated dramatically this week with the unexpected fatal defeat of hydraslash during VS United! LordSkarlet immediately lasted out to upgrade a scheduled team match to one of the most vicious challenges a fighter can issue: The Steel Cage Fight! The "American Nightmare" was a pacing predator as United: Shoe made a nervous entry into the dread metal construct! LordSkarlet has made an unlikely habit of turning the cage into his own personal chamber of horrors, using it to viciously beat King Ken as recently as Ultimate Grand Prix VII! In his first time inside the steel, Shoe made an admirable attempt to control the fight much as he has on Mondays. The order was short-lived, however, as LordSkarlet gave in to his primal urges! Slamming and raking Shoe against the cold metal, he announced the beginning of his Red Reign! A heinous victory that left Shoe unable to stand, but clearly took a toll on both fighters.
11. Genku defeated "Y2Juggalo" Violent`J in a comprehensive win! [+4]
The man called Genku has been walking a bitter path since his short-lived title reign ended at Pre-Show 90: Venomous Creatures. He was beaten soundly by VenoMark, but has found no shortage of targets to receive his blame. Violent`J had a legitimate part to play as the man who falsely accused Genku of Invasion Election fraud, but in a twist of fate and parody, its the "Y2Juggalo" who went after Genku, blaming him for costing Team Xtreme their Duo Division Championship at Ultimate Grand Prix VII! Genku beat Violent`J for information on the March 24th edition of Friday Night Fights, unlocking the key to an actual conspiracy! It was another act of contempt shared between two fighters who never respected each other - even when they were fighting for the same side. That dislike was plainly evident as Genku took advantage of his upper hand, beating the Hall of Famer mercilessly to the tune of a heavyweight +4 impact. A much needed win for the beleaguered fighter.
10. "Pacific Connection" Oozaru & Banging defeated "The Invasion" Jason_Voorhees & edge in a comprehensive victory! [+1]
It was Jason_Voorhees & edge who issued the challenge for The Spring Classic, but both teams had reasons to fight coming out of Ultimate Grand Prix VII! Oozaru tried to take on the entirety of The Invasion at UGP, fighting for the soul of his Pacific Connection partner Banging! He succeeded in taking out edge, but was bundled out early in a surprise elimination by Jason! Banging had been part of Oozaru's team all along, and The Spring Classic was a chance for The Invasion to strike back at their wayward son. The only problem was overcoming the awesome reunion of one of the greatest tag teams in ICWW/Great Arena history! The Pacific Connection have been on fire since reconnecting, dominating the division during Friday Night Fights! Jason_Voorhees & edge may have earned their way to the top of the Duo Division, but they were no match for the fan-favourites! The damage was minor, but the result was never in doubt. Oozaru & Banging were dominant at The Spring Classic!
9. Poasty defeated MKMaster (c) in a comprehensive victory! [+6] [Division 2 Championship]
2017 is turning into a breakout year for MKMaster! He was completely unexpected as Runner-Up in the 2017 Grand Prix Warm-Up tournament. He surprised again, leveraging the result into a last minute Div. 2 Championship win, that also saw him successfully defend the title at Ultimate Grand Prix VII! MKM's title win took full advantage of Poasty's intense focus on slaying his dragon at UGP. With both fighters victorious at the Supercard of Supercards, it could only mean a highly anticipated rematch at The Spring Classic! The champ showed signs of his impressive momentum, but destiny was on the side of Poasty! With the crowd in attendance on their feet, Poasty set the record straight, winning the Division 2 Championship for a glorious third time!
8. Pink_Ranger defeated "The Guardian" CaTigeReptile in a solid win. [+1]
She may've lost the KFL Championship at UGP7, and been rejected by the women of the league at Pre-Show 92, but CaTigeReptile will always have the distinction of being the league's only Women's Champion -- unless you ask Pink_Ranger! The original "Queen Bee" of The Great Arena returned to The Spring Classic to prove you can't crown a Women's Champion without going through her! It was an unexpected challenge that brought an even more unexpected result! CTR had showed tremendous strength two days prior, but languished in her battle with the returning legend! In front of a stunned crowd, Pink_Ranger backed her chutzpah up with a stunning Spring Classic victory!
7. United: Mime (c) defeated NovaStarr in convincing fashion. [+3] [KFL Championship]
With his win at Ultimate Grand Prix VII: Mime ended the reign of the KFL Women's Championship begun in February. With so many women still positioned to be contenders, fifteen of the league's top ladies were invited to compete in a final gender-exclusive Contender's Elimination Battle Royal at Pre-Show 92: Revolution & Retribution. There; NovaStarr endured as last woman standing after they all turned on self-appointed "Guardian" and former champ: CaTigeReptile! CTR was NovaStarr's only elimination for the entire match, but it was the one to counted! With her title shot secured, NovaStarr marched into The Spring Classic -- only to be convincingly defeated. It's been controversial, but the position that the Women's Championship lowered the gold has been hard to disprove.
6. "The United" Artanix, The_Purple_Bunny & Murdoink defeated "The Fallen" Sekktor, legoslayer10 & redman in a comprehensive victory! [+7]
Hostilities between The Fallen and The United began the night after Tower of Power XVIII, where LordSkarlet orchestrated a re-organization of fractured allies, and used that week's Monday Night Games to test their might. The Spring Classic was supposed to pit the two teams against one another in a 5-on-5 Survival Sequence -- but the unveiling of new member redman during an edition of VS United also cost them hydraslash! The shock injury dramatically escalated tensions between the two groups, with Sekktor, legoslayer10 & redman insisting on carrying on the fight in a contest of trios! An admirable challenge, but an overwhelming one as lethal victor Artanix was joined by legendary 6-time Undisputed Champion The_Purple_Bunny and Murdoink! The Fallen trio were hopelessly outmatched as The United utterly decimated them! A devastating result ending in a fortune +7 impact, but not the final word on the feud! "American Nightmare" LordSkarlet would still have a chance to even the score in a Steel Cage Fight against United leader: Shoe.
5. "The Predator" TonyTheTiger defeated United: Mimik [+1]
History will remember Mimik as a three-time winner over TonyTheTiger at Ultimate Grand Prix, but The Predator could not let his loss at UGP7 be the final word on their rivalry! He was desperate to rewrite his fate at the 2017 Spring Classic, and used that fire to fuel the attack on his Hall of Fame nemesis! Mimik put up a solid defense, but TTT found the ferocity he'd lacked on the big stage, using it to secure a modest but clear victory!
4. Statix defeated DArqueBishop in convincing fashion. [+2]
When Statix went to Friday Night Fights the week after UGP7, he was looking for DArqueBishop -- but got Ghrimm instead. A subsequent attack confirmed Statix' hunch that a chess piece dropped by Shen_DuHBK at Ultimate Grand Prix VII might have something to do with The Invasion. The Spring Classic gave Statix the platform he needed to draw DArqueBishop into the open. A convincing win gave him the leverage to challenge DArqueBishop on his role as the Invasion's newest kingpin. DAB produced another bishop after the match -- revealing that he received the chess piece from DaemonX upon accepting the position as The Invasion's new management. He offered no further details, leaving Statix to ponder the latest twist in The Case of The Italian Bishop.
3. Mark & Leroy defeated Jammer2Omega & Porygonix in a solid contest. [+1]
An underdog victory at Ultimate Grand Prix VII brought Mark & Leroy one step closer to the pinnacle of the Duo Division that Jammer2Omega & Porygonix have guarded since rising in 2016. The Spring Classic was the perfect stage to test these two teams in titanic tag competition. Their clash was a close one, but in another mild upset - it was Mark & Leroy who took the next step toward the Duo Championship! A stunning follow-up to their demoralizing defeat of The New Generation!
2. "The New Generation" Baraka_MK, Onryo & DECEPTION defeated The_Hurricane, GreenLantern & AlexanderLuthorJr in a comprehensive trio victory! [+3]
Despite going their separate ways after Ultimate Grand Prix VII: The New Generation were happy to reconvene as a trio to help Baraka_MK deal with a triple threat of super-foes who've vexed him during the Monday Night Games. GreenLantern has dogged BMK since the night after UGP, with AlexanderLuthorJr taking his turn April 17th, before the pair double-teamed BMK on April 24th! "Mad Dog" Onryo helped BMK beat both at Pre-Show 92, and now "The Hitman" DECEPTION was on target to even the odds with The_Hurricane stepping in to help the "dynamic duo". Even with The_Hurricane's help, their super-team could not negate the awesome force that is The New Generation! The Spring Classic granted them a nice reason to celebrate as a team!
1. Politics & Menas defeated McDaniel & fraysol [+1]
The Brexiteers were the target of McDaniel & fraysol when they went to Ultimate Grand Prix VII, but it was Politics & Menas who walked away from the three-way duo battle the ultimate victors. Liam & nif were dealt with at Pre-Show 92: Revolution & Retribution; advancing McDaniel & fraysol to a UGP grudge match at The Spring Classic! Without the burden of a second rival team, they were much more competitive. Politics & Menas were just too strong in the end.
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