Monday, June 19, 2017

Weekly Rankings Recap - 6/18/2017

Supercard 95: Tower of Power XIX was a welcome return to the traditional tropes of the format. I really enjoyed seeing fewer matches, and a much stronger Tower than the chaos of XVIII! It was to see The Challenger 7 reach the peak [of 18], but fewer matches enhanced the stakes of the entire event. That's what this return to the main chase needed.

"The Chosen One" Damo is once again our Undisputed Champion. I have mixed feelings about the title picture's instability, but I cannot fault any of the players involved. Damo and ElJobber seem to have incredible chemistry each time they fight. In isolation, it was satisfying to see Damo get a win against ElJobber. Another notch of credibility to take him forward at the top level.

There's more to Tower of Power than just one match. There's usually one or two names elevated just by pure performance. VenoMark was clearly that fighter at Tower of Power XIX. The former champ had a tremendous showing with his four eliminations. This week's 2017 Mid-Year Grand Slam will inevitably have an influence on the title picture moving forward, but VenoMark is primed to remain a part of the conversation. His performance has earned him a seeded placement in the tournament, too.

Statix was the other big winner of the night. The #10 rung on The Tower can be a very unenviable place to be. Statix did well holding the line as gatekeeper to the upper tiers. He maximized his time with an impressive win against the reigning KFL Champion. I don't question Mime's position on the list of top contenders, but I'm always a little uneasy seeing a secondary champion put into a position to lose. This was a special circumstance, and I think it worked. I'd be very interested to see Statix take a shot at the title, but that would mean diverting his attention from The Invasion. It may not be the right time.

The timing was clearly right for TonyTheTiger. What a knack he has for coming out of nowhere to get back amongst the action! His fights with Genku and DECEPTION were fitting and squeezed more juice out of unexpected rivalries. An embarrassing night for Genku, who keeps over playing his hand and talking himself into difficult lies.

The 2017 Mid-Year Grand Slam is coming up. I always look forward to the major tournaments and this one's going to have a real distinct flavor. It's arguably the first time we'll see the draw loaded to the gills! The top seeds are now confirmed as: #1 Damo, #2 ElJobbver, #3 VenoMark and #4 DECEPTION. A lot of pedigree spread across the bracket. It should be a good week!

The Great Arena League Top Ten:
#1 (--) United: Mime [KFL Champion]
#2 (--) AlbertBeefcake
#3 (--) United: Artanix
#4 (+1) MKMaster
#5 (-1) Oozaru
#6 (+3) "The Guardian" CaTigeReptile
#7 (+1) Benjamin
#8 (RE) Statix
#9 (-3) Scott-Howell [Duo Division Champion]
#10 (-3) "Red Nightmare" LordSkarlet

The Great Arena Duo Division Top Ten:
#1 (--) CCShadow & Scott-Howell [Duo Division Champions]
#2 (--) "The Invasion" Jason_Voorhees & edge
#3 (--) AlbertBeefcake & Shen_DuHBK
#4 (+1) Benjamin & Mo2
#5 (-1) DaemonX & Banging
#6 (--) "Brexiteers" Liam & nif
#7 (--) Politics & Menas
#8 (--) "Red Reign" LordSkarlet & legoslayer10
#9 (--) Oozaru & PaganFreak
#10 (--) "Red Reign" Sekktor & hydraslash

The Division 2 Under 5k Top Ten:
#1 (--) AlbertBeefcake
#2 (+1) MKMaster
#3 (-1) Oozaru
#4 (+1) Benjamin
#5 (-1) Scott-Howell [Duo Division Champion]
#6 (--) SubScorpTile
#7 (--) Banging
#8 (--) United: Murdoink
#9 (--) DaemonX
#10 (RE) Baraka_MK

No comments:

Post a Comment