Tournament 77: Grand Slam Launch - Finals

The 2017 Grand Slam Launch had provided a highly competitive start to the new year. There were two clear favourites destined to meet in the final, but with a wave of shock exits in the Fourth Round, and unexpected wildcards surviving as deep as the Quarters -- there was still considerable uncertainty ahead of the conclusion to Tournament 77!

#1 seed ElJobber had all the right moves in the early rounds, still flying after his tournament win in the year-end 2016 Master's Series! His greatest threat arguably came in the Second Round, where he destroyed reigning Division 2 Champion - Murdoink. Poasty too had his history with Murdoink, foiled by him in his quest to recapture the title, both at Supercard 87, and Tournament 75! Robbed of the chance to return the favour, Poasty instead set his sights on overcoming the traumatic flashbacks that plagued him late in the year. The Grand Slam Launch had clearly been the acid test Poasty needed. Though he couldn't overcome the overwhelming offense of ElJobber, he faced the challenge head-on without hesitation! The Semi Finals berth will almost certainly assure him the Division 2 title rematch he so keenly desires!

"The Chosen One" Damo had emerged early as a favourite to win the 2017 Grand Slam Launch. He did it the hard way, facing a remarkably tough draw that forced him to overcome Shoe in Round 1, DECEPTION in Round 3, LordSkarlet in Round 4, and The_Purple_Bunny in the Quarter Finals! The gauntlet run had been re-energizing for Damo, whose disastrous loss at Supercard 86 had begun a crisis of confidence. Newly crowned KFL Champion Mime was having a similar resurgence, earning his best win against arch-nemesis TonyTheTiger in the Third Round! An upset win would've suited Mime perfectly, avenging the fall of his teammate in Round 1. The battle proved to be evenly matched, going down to the wire as Damo dug deep to secure victory!

Damo rode the momentum of his Semi Final win into the Grand Final! The opportunity to bounce back in the biggest way was now before him, but ElJobber too had grand designs for going back-to-back as defending 2016 Grand Slam Launch champ, and the reigning Master's Series winner. Both finalists turned up to fight, delivering peak performance for the hotly anticipated finish, but the difficulty of Damo's bracket may have made the difference maker. Another victory for ElJobber!

Controversial "Contender Elect" Genku was in The Great Arena to watch Tournament 77 come to an end. He spitefully congratulated ElJobber on booking himself another tournament win, casting aspersions about the advantages afforded the #1 seed. He warned ElJobber he intends to be a counter-puncher. He's going to prove recent accusations are fake, he is the rightful Contender Elect, and he will be sworn in as Undisputed Champion. An obvious reply to ElJobber's remarks at the end of the 2016 Master's Series, but where will it go? Stay tuned for updates as Season '17 gets under way!

Tournament 77: Grand Slam Launch - Semi Finals Results:
1. ElJobber (#1) defeated Poasty in convincing fashion. [+1]
2. "The Chosen One" Damo defeated United: Mime (c) [+1]

Tournament 77: Grand Slam Launch - Grand Final Result:
1. ElJobber (#1) defeated "The Chosen One" Damo [+1]

The Tournament 77 Impact Players:
- ElJobber +MAX (R1), The_Purple_Bunny +MAX (R1, R3), MKMaster +MAX (R2), LordSkarlet +24 (R1), DECEPTION +19 (R2), CaTigeReptile +13 (R1), Genku +11 (R2), NovaStarr +10 (R2), Jerrod +9 (R1), Mime +8 (R1), Damo +8 (R2), Chromatose +5 (R1), Loopster +5 (R1), Statix +5 (R2), The_Purple_Bunny +5 (R2)

The Tournament 77 Shock Eliminations:
- Sekktor (R1), Banging (R1), Artanix (R1), AlbertBeefcake (R1), hydraslash (R1), legoslayer10 (R2), Scott-Howell (R3), DECEPTION (R3), DaemonX (R3), TonyTheTiger (R3), Genku (R4), LordSkarlet (R4), CaTigeReptile (R4)

The Tournament 77 Casualties:
- MINION (R1), Unknown265 (R2)