DECEPTION Enters Night of Champions

"The Hitman" DECEPTION reunited with his former Duo Division Championship partner "Mad Dog" Onryo just last July, following up their All-Star Summer Showdown win with Runner-Up turns in both the 2017 Summer Grand Slam and Grand Slam [Doubles] Duo Division event!

With so much success in both fields, it was obvious opportunities were stacking up for DECEPTION, but how would he use them? Today he revealed himself as the first official entrant into the Night of Champions Battle Royal. The winner of the match will be granted an Undisputed Championship match in the same night's main event!

Credentials:
DECEPTION first rose to top title contention as unexpected Runner-Up of the controversial King of the Death Match tournament in 2014! It wasn't until 2016 that he finally claimed his first Undisputed Championship win at Supercard 76: Ratt in a Cage! The title victory came by sheer force of charisma after a tenacious fight to the finish of Supercard 75: Tower of Power XV! The rematch opportunity not only delivered DECEPTION to his first solo title, but also the main event of Ultimate Grand Prix VI -- where he secured a stunning title defense against Hall of Fame legend Kron!

History:
DECEPTION was still Undisputed Champion during last year's Night of Champions V, where he successfully defended the title against Battle Royal winner Hokey. That means this year will be his first time competing in the Night of Champions Contender Battle Royal! He'll have to rely on his wits if he's to fare well in the match, but being a complete unknown could also work in his favour!

For the first time in history eligibility for the Night of Champions Battle Royal will be extended to both former Undisputed Champions and former ICWW International Champions! The only way to find out who wins is to be here later this month for Supercard 98: Night of Champions VI!

Supercard 98: Night of Champions VI (September 24th, 2017):
- [To Be Determined] versus "The Chosen One" Damo (c) [Undisputed Championship]
- Night of Champions Contender Battle Royal feat. "The Hitman" DECEPTION
- ElJobber versus Genku [#1 Contender]

History of the ICWW International Championship

The ties that bind the ICWW fighting organization and today's Great Arena run deep! Fighters like reigning Undisputed Champion Damo bridge the divide between two eras of competition, while the likes of "The Pacific Connection" Oozaru & Banging and Statix extend their legacy with fresh runs in today's league! The announcement of eligibility for ICWW World Champions in this year's Night of Champions Battle Royal keeps the celebrations going - but who will be able to compete?

The International Championship was created to be the most prestigious prize at that time, replacing the tarnished Heavyweight Championship as the pinnacle of competition. To forge this ultimate prize, the Heavyweight, National, and Eurasian Champions were merged, leading to the inaugural crowning of a world champion at ICWW: Breaking Point!

Today he's known as league official Chairman Mick, but as the first-ever International Champion he was a "Spirit of Vengeance" and one of the most respected fighters in the world: Michael Lucifer! He went on to hold the title a record three times, memorably feuding with arch-rival Marz!

Marz held the distinction of the longest individual reign as International Champion, retaining the title for 90 days straight in his first reign! The record pales in comparison to his 420 days as one-half of the Duo Division Champions in 2016, but the pace of competition was much faster in those days! His two reigns commanded a lot of respect, with some considering him to be the greatest ICWW World Champion of all time!

As the other half of Team Xtreme, Violent`J is well known for his 420 days as Duo Division Champ, but he also holds the distinction of being the only fighter in history to have held both the ICWW International Championship and today's Undisputed Championship! The long-time fan favourite had to work hard to get his World title reign late in ICWW's life, craving greater success. He had to beat his best friend to get it, but in the end he remains one of the most respected of the ICWW All-Stars!

Like Marz and Violent`J; Oozaru was an accomplished Tag Team Champion who found success as an International Champion! He earned his stripes over the course of ICWW's promotional lifespan, becoming an integral part in its development into the best remembered final year. His reign as World champ was brief, but there's no doubt he would've had many more had the opportunity been offered!

The final International Champion was Statix, who represented the exciting future that was cut short by ICWW's closure. Like other holders of the prestigious title, he worked hard to earn the right to call himself a World Champion. His enthusiasm and dedication will always be remembered. He's fought for the Undisputed Championship several times, including Dead Or Alive VII, but has only managed to win the KFL Championship so far.

As a former Undisputed Champion; Violent`J has already competed in previous Night of Champions Battle Royals! With the special eligibility, any one of the other former International Champions could soon join him! Will one of them rise to claim the Undisputed Championship? The only way to find out is to be here Sunday, September 24th for Supercard 98: Night of Champions VI!

The History of the ICW W International Championship:
1. Mick (1) March 2, 2003 Breaking Point⁴
- d. TheNomad on March 7, 2003 (Aftershock 03/07)

2. TheNomad (1) March 14, 2003 Aftershock 03/14
- d. Rhyno on March 23, 2003 (End of Infinity)

3. Marz (1) May 11, 2003 Kingdom Come
- d. TheNomad on May 23, 2003 (Aftershock 05/23)
- d. TheNomad on June 8, 2003 (The Reckoning)
- d. ElJobber on July 8, 2003 (Civil Action 06/08)
- d. Mick on July 20, 2003 (Highway To Hell)

4. Mick (2) August 10, 2003 Bloody Sunday
- d. Statix on August 24, 2003 (Dead Or Alive 4)

5. Oozaru (1) August 26, 2003 Civil Action 09/02
- Did Not Successfully Defend the Championship.

6. Mick (3) February 15, 2004 Fatal Attractions
- d. Violent`J on February 29, 2004 (Breaking Point)

7. Marz (2) April 4, 2004 Panic Attack³
- Did Not Successfully Defend the Championship.

8. Violent`J (1) April 18, 2004 Worlds Collide III
- d. AlbertBeefcake on April 23, 2004 (Aftershock 04/23)

9. Statix (1) May 16, 2004 Kingdom Come
- Did Not Successfully Defend the Championship.

Monday Night Games (September 4, 2017)

History beckoned United: Mime as he arrived for his KFL Championship Open Challenge in the main event of the Monday Night Games! He was supposed to be on the fast track to equaling the record for consecutive KFL title defenses -- but his surprise challenger clearly had different ideas!

Poasty has been called "Champion of Champions", but how can you have a moniker like that if you don't have gold? He came close to winning the Undisputed Championship just two weeks ago in the main event of All-Star Summer Showdown. As the fighter answering Mime's KFL Open Challenge; he seized the element of surprise to overwhelm a stunned Mime! Instead of a fast and easy way to the record, it turned into a championship upset as Poasty brought an unexpected end to Mime's reign!

Poasty's old rival Murdoink was the only other member of The United to suffer a loss during this week's Games. Shaggy2Dope made up for last week's disappointment with a three-way win that also saw The Invasion's Jauger getting involved in an attempt at payback for Murdoink eliminating him from the All-Star Summer Showdown Survival Sequence match!

The Invasion may've lost at the Summer Supercard, but they've continued to harass The United on Mondays! Artanix earned a hard fought win against Loopster after suffering a bitter defeat last week. Evil AlbertBeefcake made the trek to pursue hostilities with Shoe, but came up short. Even rookie member zelse bounced back from his loss last week, knocking back Ghrimm!

Monday was also host to "The Greek Crisis" maxilos & proXade, who were looking to work off some of the rust of proXade's months out of action. After falling out of Round 2 at Sunday's Grand Slam [Doubles] tournament, Lays & piledlobster gave them a chance to find their footing.

Monday Night Games: Week 30 (September 4, 2017):
7. "Champion of Champions" Poasty d. United: Mime (c) [+1] [KFL Championship]
6. United: Artanix d. Loopster [+1]
5. United: Shoe d. Evil AlbertBeefcake [+1]
4. "The Greek Crisis" maxilos & proXade d. Lays & piledlobster [+2]
3. United: zelse d. Ghrimm [+1]
2. giandavil d. Cyber-X [+2]
1. Shaggy2Dope d. United: Murdoink and Jauger [+3/-2/-1]

Weekly Rankings Recap - 9/3/2017

Talk about a case of deja vu! This weekend's Grand Slam [Doubles] ended the same way as the 2017 Summer Grand Slam with DECEPTION in the Runners-Up position! The New Generation came up short in a great match against "The Pacific Connection" Oozaru & Banging! A top quality duo tournament all around, but a reversal of the result I thought we were going see!

The tournament win finally gets The Pacific Connection a deserved place in the Top 10 Duos, but it's created a difficult lie for the Duo Division Championship. I'm not sure this alone can justify another match with CCShadow & Scott-Howell so soon. I'm also not convinced The New Generation are positioned to step right into that spot. It's a real conundrum and it could mean the Duo Division titles skip this year's Night of Champions!

The Undisputed Championship picture isn't any more specific, but at least we know the parameters by which it will be decided! The annual Night of Champions Battle Royal is an interesting tradition and I'm glad it'll remain in tact, despite Genku's delusions of grandeur. As much as Genku may've overstepped the mark by declaring himself #1 contender at the 2017 Summer Grand Slam, I'm not totally convinced he needed to be kept out of the Battle Royal. I wouldn't be surprised if this only fuels the fire of his conspiratorial rants - and his hatred for Chairman Mick!

A lot to look forward to this month! I'm very intrigued to see if United: Mime can follow through with his goal to break the record for most consecutive KFL Championship defenses! He's been rock solid since winning at Ultimate Grand Prix. A great stalwart of the arena! That goes down later today, so be sure to keep your eyes out for MNG results!

The Great Arena League Top Ten:
#1 (--) United: Mime [KFL Champion]
#2 (+2) Oozaru [2017 Grand Slam [Doubles] Co-Winner]
#3 (-1) MKMaster
#4 (-1) Evil AlbertBeefcake
#5 (+3) "The Hitman" DECEPTION [2017 Summer Grand Slam Runner-Up, 2017 Grand Slam [Doubles] Runner-Up]
#6 (-1) Statix
#7 (-1) Genku [2017 Summer Grand Slam Winner]
#8 (RE) Banging [2017 Grand Slam [Doubles] Co-Winner]
#9 (-2) United: Artanix
#10 (-1) Scott-Howell [Duo Division Champion]

The Great Arena Duo Division Top Ten:
#1 (+1) "The Invasion" Jason_Voorhees & edge
#2 (-1) CCShadow & Scott-Howell [Duo Division Champions]
#3 (+2) Politics & Menas
#4 (new) "The Pacific Connection" Oozaru & Banging [2017 Grand Slam [Doubles] Winners]
#5 (-2) "Brexiteers" Liam & nif
#6 (-2) "The Invasion" Evil AlbertBeefcake & Shen_DuHBK
#7 (+1) "The 5 Minute Kismet" Baraka_MK & MKMaster
#8 (-2) Benjamin & Mo2
#9 (+1) Jammer2Omega & Porygonix
#10 (-3) DaemonX & Banging

The Division 2 Under 5k Top Ten:
#1 (+2) Oozaru [2017 Grand Slam [Doubles] Co-Winner]
#2 (-1) MKMaster
#3 (-1) Evil AlbertBeefcake
#4 (+3) Banging [2017 Grand Slam [Doubles] Co-Winner]
#5 (-1) Scott-Howell [Duo Division Champion]
#6 (--) United: Murdoink
#7 (+1) Baraka_MK
#8 (RE) "Mad Dog" Onryo [2017 Grand Slam [Doubles] Runner-Up]
#9 (RE) Jason_Voorhees
#10 (--) SubScorpTile

Tournament 83: Grand Slam [Doubles]

Tournament 83: Grand Slam [Doubles] 2017 got off to an explosive start with the very first match of the First Round! The Pacific Connection put everybody on notice with a dominant victory over "The Invasion" Evil AlbertBeefcake & Shen_DuHBK! It was a bloodless victory, but so total that it immediately rendered the legendary pairing of Oozaru & Banging favourites to win!

An unfavourable draw put "Brexiteers" Liam & nif on the fasttrack to early elimination. They were the most noteworthy team to bow out in Round 1, with rxvt & deadly slightly disappointed to go down to Mark & Leroy in a competitive clash. An all-Invasion battle produced another close fought bout, with Loopster & Jauger upsetting more frequently paired WilliamRegal & TripleH.

The Second Round turned up the heat as the favourites continued to press their advantage. Statix & The_Hurricane came closest to upsetting the balance in the final match of Round 2. "King of the World" Ken & Bee_07 were a mild surprise as they derailed the international effort of "The Greek Crisis" maxilos & proXade, who returned to active competition at All-Star Summer Showdown.

It was an All-Star Summer rematch when Jammer2Omega & Porygonix did their best to overcome the Duo supremacy of The Pacific Connection! They pushed the legends with a tenacious fight, but were unable to overcome their years of experience! It was similar disappointment for their rivals "The Invasion" Jason_Voorhees & edge, who were overwhelmingly defeated by emerging favourites "The New Generation" DECEPTION & Onryo!

The resulting Semi Final was a perfect blend of fresh faces and old favourites! "The 5 Minute Kismet" Baraka_MK & MKMaster have only been a combination for the past few months, but they made a serious challenge to The Pacific Connection! It was slightly less competitive for their rivals The New Generation, who didn't have too much trouble dealing with the new combination of "The United" Shoe & zelse. The United dominated in the earlier rounds, but the rookie status of zelse means there's still work to be done as Shoe guides him through the world of duo combat!

The final battle was a dream match of sorts, directing the two strongest duos from All-Star Summer Showdown towards a collision course of epic proportions! The Hitman reaching the Grand Final of last week's Summer Grand Slam may've been a double-edged sword, showcasing his ability to fight in the elimination format - but also diverting his energy! With some of the hottest new teams falling to The Pacific Connection, the need for The New Generation to be at their best was great! For the second time in two weeks, DECEPTION was forced to accept 2nd place! A hard fought contest ending with Oozaru & Banging claiming total tournament victory!

With the ICWW 15th Anniversary celebration on-going, it was a fitting result, but after several failed opportunities against Duo Division Champions CCShadow & Scott-Howell, the title prospects for The Pacific Connection remain uncertain! The fate of the gold will likely be determined in the coming weeks as we count down to Supercard 98: Night of Champions VI! Stay tuned!

Tournament 83: Grand Slam [Doubles] - Round 1:
1. "The Pacific Connection" Oozaru & Banging d. "The Invasion" Evil AlbertBeefcake & Shen_DuHBK [+1]
2. Mark & Leroy d. rxvt & deadly [+1]
3. Jammer2Omega & Porygonix d. Hidin & Learn [+4]
4. SubScorpTile & ErmackDaddy d. rick991 & kentei290 [+1]
5. "The Greek Crisis" maxilos & proXade d. nav-gone & MinnyBean [+3]
6. King Ken & Bee_07 d. Lays & piledlobster [+1]
7. McDaniel & fraysol d. Bofh & Dolce [+2]
8. "The 5 Minute Kismet" Baraka_MK & MKMaster d. Piccolo & GohanSon [+2]
9. Killswitch & jack4813 d. KurtAngle & EricAngle [+3]
10. "The United" Shoe & zelse d. ]{0MBAT & tabmok99s_wife [+3]
11. "The Invasion" Loopster & Jauger d. "The Invasion" WilliamRegal & TripleH [+1]
12. Politics & Menas d. kororaa & vaiisekk [+1]
13. Kiara85 & Stealth-Ninja d. Sgtf & BilboFett [+1]
14. "The Invasion" Jason_Voorhees & edge d. Benjamin & Mo2 [+1]
15. Statix & The_Hurricane d. "The Invasion" MattHardy & Ghrimm [+1]
16. "The New Generation" DECEPTION & Onryo d. "Brexiteers" Liam & nif [+1]

Tournament 83: Grand Slam [Doubles] - Round 2:
1. "The Pacific Connection" Oozaru & Banging d. Mark & Leroy [+2]
2. Jammer2Omega & Porygonix d. SubScorpTile & ErmackDaddy [+1]
3. King Ken & Bee_07 d. "The Greek Crisis" maxilos & proXade [+1]
4. "The 5 Minute Kismet" Baraka_MK & MKMaster d. McDaniel & fraysol [+1]
5. "The United" Shoe & zelse d. Killswitch & jack4813 [+1]
6. Politics & Menas d. "The Invasion" Loopster & Jauger [+1]
7. "The Invasion" Jason_Voorhees & edge d. Kiara85 & Stealth-Ninja [+1]
8. "The New Generation" DECEPTION & Onryo d. Statix & The_Hurricane [+1]

Tournament 83: Grand Slam [Doubles] - Round 3:
1. "The Pacific Connection" Oozaru & Banging d. Jammer2Omega & Porygonix [+1]
2. "The 5 Minute Kismet" Baraka_MK & MKMaster d. King Ken & Bee_07 [+1]
3. "The United" Shoe & zelse d. Politics & Menas [+2]
4. "The New Generation" DECEPTION & Onryo d. "The Invasion" Jason_Voorhees & edge [+1]

Tournament 83: Grand Slam [Doubles] - Semi Finals:
1. "The Pacific Connection" Oozaru & Banging d. "The 5 Minute Kismet" Baraka_MK & MKMaster [+1]
2. "The New Generation" DECEPTION & Onryo d. "The United" Shoe & zelse [+2]

Tournament 83: Grand Slam [Doubles] - Grand Final:
1. "The Pacific Connection" Oozaru & Banging d. "The New Generation" DECEPTION & Onryo [+1]

ICWW Champs Eligible for Night of Champions

In August, the 15th Anniversary of ICWW was celebrated at Dead Or Alive X. Now league officials have confirmed the celebration will continue into September: announcing eligibility for the Night of Champions Battle Royal will be open this year to former ICWW International Champions!

The contender's match has been open to former Undisputed Champions since the inaugural Night of Champions in 2012. It became part of a one-night double header the following year, launching the Battle Royal winner directly into a title match in the same night's main event!

The additional eligibility will increase a field of fifteen former champions, expanding beyond past Hall of Fame winners: Kron, Ratt, and Hokey! More information about the newly eligible fighters will be made available in the coming week. Check out past events for some of the other contenders:

History of the Night of Champions Battle Royal:
1. Kron elim. TonyTheTiger - Pre-Show 28: Night of Champions (Sep 9, 2012)
2. Kron elim. TonyTheTiger - Pre-Show 40: Night of Champions II (Sep 8, 2013)
3. Kron elim. Genku - Pre-Show 55: Night of Champions III (Sep 14, 2014)
4. Ratt elim. The_Purple_Bunny - Pre-Show 70: Night of Champions IV (Sep 13, 2015)
5. Hokey elim. ElJobber - Supercard 83: Night of Champions V (Sep 25, 2016)

An announcement during this week's Friday Night Fights confirmed 2017 Summer Grand Slam winner Genku will skip the Battle Royal, instead projecting forward in a #1 Contender's match with another former Undisputed Champion: ElJobber! Stay tuned for more announcements.

Supercard 98: Night of Champions VI (September 24th, 2017):
- [To Be Determined] versus "The Chosen One" Damo (c) [Undisputed Championship]
- Night of Champions Elimination Battle Royal
- ElJobber versus Genku [#1 Contender]

Friday Night Fights (September 1, 2017)

The Invasion accompanied Genku in the night's main event as the 2017 Summer Grand Slam Winner attempted to stake his claim to the Undisputed Championship during the returning Friday Night Fights! The controversial fighter was instead treated to a rude awakening as Chairman Mick arrived to officially announce the annual Night of Champions!

Genku proclaimed he beat everyone at the Summer Grand Slam and should obviously be granted an immediate Undisputed Championship shot. That brought Chairman Mick out, explaining that there was actually one fighter Genku did not beat! ElJobber was forced to withdraw from the Grand Slam after his Steel Cage Fight at All-Star Summer Showdown. Therefore Genku will get an "opportunity" to check him off the list in a #1 Contender's match at Supercard 98: Night of Champions!

Furious with the championship denial; Genku attempted to get his one-on-one fight with Chairman Mick right then and there! The Chairman waved in a trio of ICWW All-Stars to wage a rematch of their All-Star Summer Survival Sequence instead! Statix, The_Hurricane & PaganFreak were all too happy to help, flying into a frontal assault against The Invasion! It was an explosive contest, but this time Genku, DaemonX & Shen_DuHBK were the ones to taste bittersweet victory!

Statix and The_Hurricane have had issues with The Invasion since Evil AlbertBeefcake went to fight by DaemonX's side. The Evil one was unforgiving earlier in the night, executing a +5 impact on an unsuspecting NOOB. It wasn't all good news for The Invasion, though.

Jammer2Omega & Porygonix secured a confident victory against Jason_Voorhees & edge just two days ahead of the Grand Slam [Doubles] tournament! Both teams were pipped by The Pacific Connection at All-Star Summer Showdown. They'll face thirty of the league's best duos in a random bracket at this Sunday's event, September 3rd! Politics & Menas prepared for the event with a fresh win as well, knocking back McDaniel & fraysol in a Summer Battle Royal grudge match!

Fallout from the All-Star Summer Battle Royal match also saw G0LD earn a competitive win against ]{0MBAT. The Red Reign's redman handled dual opponents when he and KombatKid both went after eliminator Onimike! redman's teammate Red_Spaniard was dominant in his grudge match against opening elimination getter Darfus!

All eyes were on Benjamin and xort when they clashed in a tie-breaking rematch of their First Round standstill at the Summer Grand Slam! Benjamin lived up to favourite status, but a tenacious fight from xort left many impressed with his ability to hang with the former Division 2 Champion!

Friday Night Fights (September 1, 2017):
10. "The Invasion" Genku, DaemonX & Shen_DuHBK d. Statix, The_Hurricane & PaganFreak [+1]
9. Jammer2Omega & Porygonix d. "The Invasion" Jason_Voorhees & edge [+1]
8. Evil AlbertBeefcake d. NOOB [+5]
7. Politics & Menas d. McDaniel & fraysol [+1]
6. Benjamin d. xort [+1]
5. Killswitch & jack4813 d. Piccolo & GohanSon [+1]
4. G0LD d. ]{0MBAT [+1]
3. redman d. KombatKid and Onimike [+1/+1/-2]
2. Red_Spaniard d. Darfus [+3]
1. SubMan799 d. Nemesis316 [+1]