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)

Tournament 77: Grand Slam Launch - Quarters

The #1 seed, defending Grand Slam Launch winner, and 2016 Master's Series winner ElJobber showed the first signs of cracking against the challenge of Alliance fighter: Statix! They met in a competitive Semi Final match last year, and it was another hotly contested battle to begin the 2017 Quarter Final! ElJobber held his ground to advance to the Semi Final, but his grip may be slipping!

The rest of the field enjoyed comprehensive wins in their matches. Poasty looked fresh after coming off a bye walkthrough in Round 4. Shen_DuHBK's upset victory over Genku had clearly stretched him to the limit of his powers. He capitulated as Poasty blasted through to the Semi Final -- a career high for a fighter who faced extreme adversity in 2016 and almost ended his career because of it!

Throughout Tournament 77 one name has been rapidly emerging as a favourite to win! Damo took to calling himself "The Chosen One" early last year, and after sitting out December due to a disastrous loss at Supercard 86: Survivor Sequence, he's finally living up to the moniker! In a match expected to be the hardest fight of the round, The_Purple_Bunny found himself completely overwhelmed by the fighter he swindled just twelve months ago!

After taking out CaTigeReptile in the Fourth Round, proXade emerged as a dangerous wildcard in the Quarter Finals! Freshly minted KFL Champion United: Mime made sure that incongruity was put to an end with the extreme prejudice! The +7 impact of his winning fight left proXade having a Greek Crisis unto himself! A warning shot ahead of a hotly anticipated Semi Final!

Tournament 77: Grand Slam Launch - Quarter Finals Results:
1. ElJobber (#1) defeated Statix in a solid win. [+1]
2. Poasty defeated Shen_DuHBK in a comprehensive victory! [+4]
3. "The Chosen One" Damo defeated The_Purple_Bunny in a comprehensive win! [+5]
4. United: Mime (c) defeated proXade in a comprehensive victory! [+7]

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)

Tournament 77: Grand Slam Launch - Round 4

The complexion of the 2017 Grand Slam Launch completely changed in Round 4 as the favourites fell in a day of eliminations! ElJobber was the only seed to endure, overwhelming former Division 2 Champion Benjamin in a comfortable win.

Emerging tournament favourite Damo showed exactly why he calls himself "The Chosen One", warring with #3 seed "American Nightmare" LordSkarlet to secure a well earned win! Damo walks into a compelling Quarter Final showdown with The_Purple_Bunny!

It was a far more shocking turn when Genku's Invasion ally Shen_DuHBK earned a solid +3 impact against the controversial "Contender Elect". It was a Greek Crisis of epic proportions when #2 seed CaTigeReptile ran out of hope against proXade in the biggest upset of Tournament 77! She beat The Invasion and The Barons, but it seemed the Grand Slam Launch was one fight too many for The Guardian!

CTR's shocking exit means KFL Champion Mime will ride his dominant win over nightbreed_16 into the Quarter Finals. Ordinarily he'd be an overwhelming favourite against the Duo Division fighter, but proXade has emerged as a completely unpredictable wildcard!

Tournament 77: Grand Slam Launch - Round  4 Results:
1. ElJobber (#1) d.Benjamin [+1]
2. Statix d. "The Apprentice" DeathScepter [+1]
3. Poasty advanced to the Quarter Finals due to a bye.
4. Shen_DuHBK d. "Invasion Contender Elect" Genku (#4) [+3]
5. "The Chosen One" Damo d. "American Nightmare" LordSkarlet (#3) [+1]
6. The_Purple_Bunny d. NovaStarr [+3]
7. United: Mime (c) d. nightbreed_16 [+5]
8. proXade d. "The Guardian" CaTigeReptile (#2) [+3]

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)

Tournament 77: Grand Slam Launch - Round 3

"The Chosen One" Damo made a compelling case for himself as an emerging favourite in Round 3, advancing from his Grand Slam Launch match with "The Hitman" DECEPTION with surprising ease! The_Purple_Bunny breezed through the Third Round as well, executing a second MAX Damage win over a hopelessly out of his depth KurtAngle!

Top two seeds ElJobber and "The Guardian" CaTigeReptile were comfortable in their Third Round victories. Only "American Nightmare" LordSkarlet found himself stretched, under performing in his clash with Canadian Olympic stand-out Jerrod! LordSkarlet will need to compose himself if he's going to resist the momentum being built by Damo!

KFL Champion Mime scored payback against his Supercard 87: End Of Days opponent: "The Predator" TonyTheTiger! Their rivalry goes all the way back to last year's All-Star Summer Showdown, where TTT got the better of The United fighter. The fated grudge match swung decisively back in favour of the KFL champ - a comprehensive win!

In the biggest twist of the Third Round: Shinnokxz and unlikely Round 3 competitor Ghrimm fought to an inconclusive draw! The unexpected result means Poasty will be gifted a bye in the next round, walking into the Quarter Finals thanks to his convincing win over MKMaster!

Tournament 77: Grand Slam Launch - Round  3 Results:
1. ElJobber (#1) d. Dez-Burnett [+8]
2. Benjamin d. Porygonix [+3]
3. Statix d. SubScorpTile [+3]
4. "The Apprentice" DeathScepter d. Scott-Howell [+1]
5. Shinnokxz & Ghrimm fought to a complete standstill!
6. Poasty d. MKMaster [+2]
7. Shen_DuHBK d. edge [+1]
8. "Invasion Contender Elect" Genku (#4) d. Chromatose [+2]
9. "American Nightmare" LordSkarlet (#3) d. Jerrod [+1]
10. "The Chosen One" Damo d. "The Hitman" DECEPTION [+1]
11. NovaStarr d. DaemonX [+1]
12. The_Purple_Bunny d. KurtAngle [+MAX]
13. nightbreed_16 d. Menas [+1]
14. United: Mime (c) d. "The Predator" TonyTheTiger [+2]
15. proXade d. "Mad Dog" Onryo [+1]
16. "The Guardian" CaTigeReptile (#2) d. JoelKatz [+2]

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)

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

Tournament 77: Grand Slam Launch - Round 2

The favourites remained strong as Tournament 77 reached the Second Round. #1 seed ElJobber couldn't quite live up to his old "Mr. MAX Damage" mantle, decimating Division 2 Champion Murdoink at a mere +26p rating. #2 seed "The Guardian" CaTigeReptile found herself fighting for her survival in a surprisingly hard fought match against PaganFreak! The MAX hit came from an unlikely source - MKMaster delivering a total annihilation to Rhyno!

KFL Champion Mime kept The United's hopes alive with a solid win over Loopster. He delivered the first casualty of the Grand Slam Launch on Day 2. On Day 3, it was TonyTheTiger who added to the Injured List - Unknown265's battles with Team Xtreme and The Invasion finally catching up with him. The result sets up an intriguing clash of rivals for Round 3, where Mime and The Predator will continue their rivalry in a Supercard 87 rematch!

The biggest match of the Third Round is expected to be "The Chosen One" Damo versus "The Hitman" DECEPTION! Damo won the Grand Slam Launch in 2013, and will be eager to get his year off to the right start after a high profile loss at Supercard 86 derailed his run. DECEPTION's crushing win over McDaniel sets him up as one of the major favourites to win Tournament 77, meaning this bout could have major implications for the Finals!

Invasion seeds Genku and "American Nightmare" LordSkarlet also remaining strong prospects, but can expect to face two dangermen of the Third Round. Chromatose may have been an ally in The Invasion, but will make no bones about flexing his sometimes impressive muscle! Jerrod has been a stand-out since the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, thriving under competition pressure!

Tournament 77: Grand Slam Launch - Round  2 Results:
1. ElJobber (#1) d. United: Murdoink (c) [+26]
2. Dez-Burnett d. __-Standards-__ [+2]
3. Benjamin d. redman [+2]
4. Porygonix d. Jauger [+2]
5. Statix d. Jason_Voorhees [+5]
6. SubScorpTile d. "Portuguese Pegasus" Zentile [+1]
7. "The Apprentice" DeathScepter d. Baraka_MK [+1]
8. Scott-Howell d. Kiara85 [+1]
9. Shinnokxz d. "The Rocket" MKR [+1]
10. Ghrimm d. legoslayer10 [+1]
11. MKMaster d. Rhyno [+MAX]
12. Poasty d. "Bad Bad" Leroy [+1]
13. Shen_DuHBK d. ]{0MBAT [+1]
14. edge d. BilboFett [+1]
15. Chromatose d. Methuselah6463 [+1]
16. "Invasion Contender Elect" Genku (#4) d. GohanSon [+11]
17. "American Nightmare" LordSkarlet (#3) d. Nephrite [+4]
18. Jerrod d. little-mac [+4]
19. "The Chosen One" Damo d. Stealth-Ninja [+8]
20. "The Hitman" DECEPTION d. McDaniel [+19]
21. DaemonX d. KittyKat [+1]
22. NovaStarr d. maxilos [+10]
23. The_Purple_Bunny d. xort [+5]
24. KurtAngle d. Maridany [+1]
25. nightbreed_16 d. Bronzie [+1]
26. Menas d. Coltess [+2]
27. "The Predator" TonyTheTiger d. Unknown265 [+3] [-1up]
28. United: Mime (c) d. Loopster [+1]
29. "Mad Dog" Onryo d. foahchon [+1]
30. proXade d. MercWithMouth [+2]
31. JoelKatz d. WilliamRegal [+1]
32. "The Guardian" CaTigeReptile (#2) d. PaganFreak [+1]

The Tournament 77 Impact Players:
- ElJobber +MAX (R1), The_Purple_Bunny +MAX (R1), 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), McDaniel +4 (R1), redman +4 (R1)

The Tournament 77 Shock Eliminations:
- Sekktor (R1), Banging (R1), Artanix (R1), AlbertBeefcake (R1), hydraslash (R1), legoslayer10 (R2)

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

Tournament 77: Grand Slam Launch - Day 2

Day 2 confirmed another Grand Slam Launch without any Hall of Fame participants, as well as the rise of two top seeds: "The Guardian" CaTigeReptile and "American Nightmare" LordSkarlet both earning convincing, hard hitting wins!

No impact player was better on Day 2 than The_Purple_Bunny. He got his run into 2017 back on track with a MAX Damage decimation of Grayback! 2016 Summer Olympic stand-out Jerrod upped the stakes for the rest of the field with a noteworthy blow to Zengeance.

"The Chosen One" Damo found himself with a tough draw, but lived up to his moniker by beating reigning Duo Division Champion Shoe. The loss completed the tandem champs' removal, but it wasn't all bad news for The United. Newly crowned KFL Champion Mime earned a convincing victory over Corrupt MINION, delivering the first casualty of the year in the process! The shock must've been too much for Corrupt hydraslash to take -- he was a shock exit at the hands of WilliamRegal!

"The Hitman" DECEPTION and "The Predator" TonyTheTiger bounced out of a tough New Year's Resolution to pick up expected wins in the First Round. They should be among the favourites moving forward to Round 2. Battered Invasion leader DaemonX also returned to competition with a surprise victory over triumphant Alliance leader AlbertBeefcake!

Tournament 77: Round 1 - Day 2 Results:
33. "American Nightmare" LordSkarlet (#3) d. Green Lantern [+24]
34. Nephrite d. Jesseman [+2]
35. little-mac d. Jericho [+1]
36. Jerrod d. Zengeance [+9]
37. "The Chosen One" Damo d. United: Shoe (c) [+1]
38. Stealth-Ninja d. Mk_FrEaK [+1]
39. "The Hitman" DECEPTION d. CCShadow [+2]
40. McDaniel d. MattHardy [+4]
41. DaemonX d. AlbertBeefcake [+1]
42. KittyKat d. J1sy [+1]
43. maxilos d. Shaggy2Dope [+1]
44. NovaStarr d. NightHawk [+2]
45. xort d. Dolce [+1]
46. The_Purple_Bunny d. Grayback [+MAX]
47. KurtAngle d. AlexanderLuthorJr [+2]
48. Maridany d. fraysol [+1]
49. nightbreed_16 d. deadly [+1]
50. Bronzie d. deadpool [+1]
51. Coltess d. Shadaloo [+1]
52. Menas d. nif [+1]
53. "The Predator" TonyTheTiger d. avenger45 [+2]
54. Unknown265 d. Killswitch [+1]
55. United: Mime (c) d. Corrupt MINION [+8] [-1up]
56. Loopster d. Sgtf [+5]
57. foahchon d. Piccolo [+1]
58. "Mad Dog" Onryo d. J-Spit [+1]
59. proXade d. ArtemisFlow [+1]
60. MercWithMouth d. NosajSamoht [+1]
61. WilliamRegal d. Corrupt hydraslash [+1]
62. JoelKatz d. IAmAce [+1]
63. PaganFreak d. shin [+2]
64. "The Guardian" CaTigeReptile (#2) d. kingjolly [+13]

The Tournament 77 Impact Players:
- ElJobber +MAX (R1), The_Purple_Bunny +MAX (R1), LordSkarlet +24 (R1), CaTigeReptile +13 (R1) Jerrod +9 (R1), Mime +8 (R1), Chromatose +5 (R1), Loopster +5 (R1), McDaniel +4 (R1), redman +4 (R1), Genku +4 (R1), Statix +3 (R1)

The Tournament 77 Shock Eliminations:
- Sekktor (R1), Banging (R1), Artanix (R1), AlbertBeefcake (R1), hydraslash (R1)

The Tournament 77 Casualties:
- MINION (R1)

Tournament 77: Grand Slam Launch - Day 1

With no time to waste for announcements, the 2017 Grand Slam Launch is under way!

This year's event features the customary opening round of a randomly drawn 128-fighter bracket. Day 1 of competition reveals a four seed selection with 2016 Grand Slam Launch and 2016 Master's Series winner ElJobber positioned in the number one spot. He proved exactly why he's in that place, beginning the year with a devastating MAX Damage domination of vaiisekk! Day 2 will introduce #2 seed "The Guardian" CaTigeReptile and #3 "American Nightmare" LordSkarlet!

At the bottom of the Day 1 half, "Invasion Contender Elect" Genku is seeded #4, having suffered key losses at both Supercard 87 and The Master's Series Heats. The random draw was unforgiving, pitting him against VenoMark in one of the matches of Round 1! Genku was able to rise to the challenge, beating out VenoMark in an impressive win!

Division 2 Champion Murdoink had a tough time beating G0LD in one of the stand-out clashes of Day 1. His arch-rival Poasty impressed, overcoming recent trials with an upset victory against one-half of the Duo Division Champions and Master's Series Runner-Up: Artanix! It was a hard day at the office for Baraka_MK, as well. He met Jammer2Omega in a clash of Duo Division stars, earning a hard fought victory! Statix picked up a solid win in his First Round fight with Alliance teammate The_Hurricane. A hard hitting, but fair contest filled with respect.

Despite some prominent exits, there'll be plenty of names to watch in Round 2: Benjamin, Porygonix, Jason_Voorhees, SubScorpTile, Zentile, Scott-Howell, Chromatose and Shen_DuHBK all advancing. Along with big names already mentioned, Banging, Sekktor, UlcaTron, DemoniaX, and Politics suffered early elimination.

Tournament 77: Round 1 - Day 1 Results:
1. ElJobber (#1) d. vaiisekk [+MAX]
2. United: Murdoink (c) d. G0LD [+1]
3. Dez-Burnett d. EasterBunny [+1]
4. __-Standards-__ d. Nemesis316 [+1]
5. Benjamin d. UlcaTron [+1]
6. redman d. Reptile1112 [+4]
7. Porygonix d. Cukier [+2]
8. Jauger d. Sekktor [+1]
9. Jason_Voorhees d. "Big Johnny" Bofh [+1]
10. Statix d. The_Hurricane [+3]
11. SubScorpTile d. Jeeves [+1]
12. "Portuguese Pegasus" Zentile d. Liam [+1]
13. Baraka_MK d. Jammer2Omega [+1]
14. "The Apprentice" DeathScepter d. The_Rock [+2]
15. Scott-Howell d. Politics [+2]
16. Kiara85 d. Miller [+1]
17. Shinnokxz d. Banging [+1]
18. "The Rocket" MKR d. DemoniaX [+1]
19. Ghrimm d. "The Prodigy" nface [+1]
20. legoslayer10 d. Torchia [+2]
21. MKMaster d. mwgrant0 [+1]
22. Rhyno d. Mark [+1]
23. Poasty d. United: Artanix (c) [+2]
24. "Bad Bad" Leroy d. Red_Spaniard [+1]
25. ]{0MBAT d. TripleH [+1]
26. Shen_DuHBK d. Bee_07 [+2]
27. BilboFett d. giandavil [+1]
28. edge d. Lays [+1]
29. Methuselah6463 d. Mojo6 [+1]
30. Chromatose d. chaos_Drone [+5]
31. GohanSon d. BIGkev [+2]
32. "Invasion Contender Elect" Genku (#4) d. VenoMark [+4]

Tournament 77 Impact Players:
- ElJobber +MAX (R1), Chromatose +5 (R1), redman +4 (R1), Genku +4 (R1), Statix +3 (R1), Porygonix +2 (R1), DeathScepter +2 (R1), Scott-Howell +2 (R1), legoslayer10 +2 (R1), Poasty +2 (R1), Shen_DuHBK +2 (R1), GohanSon +2 (R1)

Tournament 77 Shock Eliminations:
- Sekktor (R1), Banging (R1), Artanix (R1)