Basic Training: Field Leader Title Tourney PT 1
Jan 27, 2013 2:18:34 GMT -5
Post by OrochiGeese on Jan 27, 2013 2:18:34 GMT -5
Field Leader Tournament - Phase 1
Field Leader: Matt Rivers
I am glad to see the positive response and excitement for this Tournament. Arthur Wingate has poured substantial resources into recruiting new talent and making this division even stronger then it has ever been before. It is an honor to preside over this show and see who will carry on the legacy of this Title that I have worked hard to establish. Let's get to the ring.
Match 1 - Land Storm vs. Tenshi
Land Storm is a member of Thunder Strike's J.U.S.T.I.C.E. group and has been invited by Arthur Wingate to participate in competition. I do not know anything about his ring style as he has not come to the gym yet. I will note how fitting the "Field Leader" title and "Basic Training" show would be for a man from the military. Tenshi joined the roster in 2011 and I still do not know anything about him personally. He is very quiet and mysterious but his skills are growing in the ring. Seeing as how Land Storm's style is not yet known, I felt it was most fair to have him face Tenshi because even though we have seen Tenshi in the ring before, he is capable of very surprising maneuvers and behavior that is not easily scouted.
Land Storm came to the ring wearing fatigues and immediately got to business with an impressive arsenal of submission holds. He seems very comfortable keeping his opponent out of "aerial combat". But as effective as his arsenal seemed, Tenshi did not react negatively. The challenge in facing Tenshi is that he is able to absorb a lot of punishment and not show any signs of pain or panic. Land Storm didn't know if his arsenal was even working so he picked Tenshi up and switched to a striking assault. This played to Tenshi's strengths as he is much more comfortable when on his feet and running around. Tenshi took advantage and his speed made it very difficult for Land Storm to know where the fight was even coming from.
After a few minutes of being kicked from every conceivable angle, Land Storm finally scouted one and grabbed Tenshi's foot in the air, pulling it into a very painful leg submission. Although Tenshi made the ropes and forced a break in the hold, it was clear that the damage was done. His decrease in speed took away a lot of his unpredictability and Land Storm went back to work on a submission assault that targeted every part of the body. However, what surprise Tenshi lost in speed he retained in his counters. After Land Storm attempted a takedown in the corner, Tenshi managed to jump and hook his legs around Storm's arms and turned the entire maneuver into the Tarantula! This was one of the most unique counters I ever saw...and was dwarfed by Tenshi's next move: jumping back off the turnbuckle and turning the tarantula into his praying powerbomb.
He got a very long 2 count but Land Storm still had some life in him. Tenshi then ran the ropes looking for his flying double leg kick which has knock out power. But Land Storm rolled forward gaining a lot of ground as Tenshi bounced off the ropes. As a result, Tenshi did not have the usual distance between himself and his opponent before he got to properly launch his kick. This allowed Storm to safely grab him in midair and then roll backward into a very impressive chokehold. For once, it was Tenshi being surprised by a counter and he had no where to go but the mysterious land of defeat.
Land Storm (O) ["Melee Lock" - 11:30] (X) Tenshi
Match 2 - Darius vs. Fantasma Verde
Darius has been an enigma in the gym as well. Although he communicates far better then Tenshi does, I still don't understand who Darius is claiming as his mentor. And he appears uneasy when the subject is brought up. However, whoever is coordinating his training is doing an admirable job. Darius is one of the most gifted rookies I have seen enter the Front Lines. He's been competing on the same level as the other top members of this year's class, like JET and Yoshiro. Meanwhile, Verde Fantasma is still adjusting to his new surroundings. He had a run of momentum right before UBL moved out of North America. A tournament like this could raise his stock back up again to where it was shortly after he debuted. The questions remain as to Verde's ability: does he have the weapons to finish matches and the improvisation needed to switch strategies when his aerial moves are either ineffective or taken away from him? I believe this match will test him further in regards to both of those concerns.
Darius isn't a large guy and it's going to be rare when he has the kind of significant size advantage that he has tonight. Whether or not his style can be effective against larger opponents will remain a question but he started this match in total control. He went to work on the arm of Verde and the power advantage allowed him to hold onto him despite the attempted lucha style counters. Verde was flipping every which way, except out of Darius's substantial grip. Verde was practically manic in his evasive maneuvers but he could not shake Darius. I have to give this man credit, he knows how to stick with a body part.
Darius is a devotee of the double arm suplex. That is usually a more technical minded suplex where you use a softened body part and leverage to aid in throwing a larger opponent. But tonight we saw what a double arm suplex can do when you can concentrate solely on power. After two of these suplexes, Fantasma learned an important lesson: If you jump while you are being double armed suplexed...you will go flying. But Darius also learned an important lesson: If you turn your back on Verde Fantasma, bad stuff will happen to you. Even though Verde went flying, he also knew how to land on the top rope. And then he launched himself into a twisting hurracarana that was one of the most crowd pleasing moment of the night.
Once Darius regained his balance, he held his hand out as a sign of respect. Verde took it and the crowd applauded again. We're seeing the right attitude from Darius, that is for sure. Darius challenges Verde to a test of strength and it is accepted. This wasn't one of the more dramatic moments of the match. After Darius easily won, he actually picked Verde up off the ground using the test of strength clutch. But Verde fell backwards with his feet in Darius' stomach, yielding a back monkey flip. However, Darius holds on to his grip and used it to transition into a sequence of ground holds further targeting Verde's arm.
After a while the crowd started to support Verde and got him rallied to his feet. We were back to the test of strength clutch we saw before but this time Verde had some new ideas. When Darius tried to lift him up again, Verde vaulted on his own accord and transitioned into the "Estrella verde que tira", his own Shooting Star Press! Two count but it's still early. It was his first major turning point in the match so the momentum is now his to lose. And he wasted no time in getting Darius up again and applied the "TirĂ³n del fantasm," his Asai DDT. This resulted in a much longer 2 count and almost won Verde the match.
But Verde got greedy and went for another one. This time, as he set it up, Darius was able to grab Verde's arms from behind and land a highly effective Tiger Suplex. Darius covers but Verde manages to flip out of the cover using his leg strength. Both men get up and Verde is first to strike by sliding under Darius' legs and going for a school boy cover. But Darius grabs the arm and then twists his body around so that Verde is facing him but bent over. Darius grabs the other arm and transitions into a powerful Tiger Driver whip! This time when Darius covers, he floats over and Verde's escape route is cut off due to his smaller size! The ref counts to 3 and Darius has won this match using an impressive array of counters and improvisation.
Darius (O) [Tiger Driver - 13:00] (X) Fantasma Verde
Match 3 - Kurt "The Hurt" Sanders vs. Yoshiro
Kurt Sanders is proving to be a difficult man to handle in the gym. I am starting to question my decision to involve him in this tournament. He has raw talent and an appreciation for an old school stretching approach but his lack of respect for his competitors concerns me. Yoshiro has been a joy to work with since his debut here. His work ethic and passion is top level and he has the utmost respect for those he steps in the ring with. Yoshiro may want to be on guard though as that respect he learned from sumo may be challenged in professional wrestling due to some of his competition not sharing the same values.
If I didn't know better, I'd have sworn that these two were life long enemies. Kurt barely even waited for the bell to ring before running and jumping on Yoshiro, raining down punches. But if you jump in to the arms of a sumo wrestler, you're either in love or a fool. Yoshiro easily suplexed Kurt over his back in an impressive display of strength. For his part, this did not deter Kurt who jumped right back in there. This time Kurt planned his angle of attack a little better and made sure his forward momentum knocked Yoshiro back into the corner. But once again, Yoshiro used his knowledge of sumo momentum to turn his cornered situation into a positive one. With no chance of ending up even further into the corner, Yoshiro pushed as hard as he could and Kurt went flying halfway across the ring. The average person really underestimates the combat wisdom and physics aptitude that sumo masters possess. The sport really is not reduced to large guys slapping each other mindlessly. Sumo is judo for super heavyweights. And under further tutelage by the Marauder, Yoshiro has made great strides in the ring.
But he still has some limitations and being on his back appeared to be the biggest one tonight. After Kurt got up from being launched. he shows that he's smarter then he looks and starts kicking the legs of his larger opponent, eventually doing it with such force that Yoshiro finally falls down. From here, Kurt seemed very comfortable using numerous submissions targeting Yoshiro's arms. And by keeping Yoshiro on the mat, Kurt has completely taken over this match. We now see what his true abilities are they are considerable. His knowledge of holds is impressive and he is not a lazy striker. Even with all the mass Yoshiro has, Kurt's blows are hitting solidly and doing some damage. And for a man of Kurt's strength, he moves surprisingly well. Yoshiro doesn't even see him coming with a running jumping knee. Kurt gets a two count and Yoshiro seems to have been taken out of this fight. I have to give credit to Kurt for this early domination as well as sensing that he has the edge. He then makes an unnecessary show of cutting his throat, runs the ropes, and kicks Yoshiro in the face.
But... he only gets a two count! Kurt screams at the referee but two seconds is two seconds. Now, if you ask me, he tried to finish this way too early and should have built to that maneuver a bit better. I think Kurt has a lot of confidence in that move and figured it would end it but Yoshiro is a world class athlete and you don't finish him off in 6 or 7 minutes. And now Kurt is getting increasingly frustrated that he did not put the big guy away yet. This is, of course, a mistake. If you can not defeat your opponent with the maneuvers you have already used, you need to be of sound mind to come up with alternative strategies. Throwing a tantrum all but ensures your defeat. Unfortunately, Kurt appears to be going down that road. Yoshiro is still down from that running kick and Kurt starts stomping him. Yoshiro drags himself to the ropes but Kurt continues his stomping assault. The ref is trying to stop Kurt but he isn't listening. Finally Yoshiro turns to face Kurt and yells at him to keep going, which Kurt obliges. Yoshiro is still in the ropes but doesn't appear to even be hurt by the stomping and Kurt keeps foolishly doing it. Finally, the ref forces a break between them. Kurt slides out of the ring and grabs a chair then BLASTS Yoshiro over the head! In addition to a stern lecture from most of the locker room, Kurt has also just earned himself his first UBL disqualification.
Kurt Sanders (X) [Disqualification - 8:05] (O) Yoshiro
For those who are unaware, Yoshiro's ancestry is partially Japanese and partially Samoan. As a result, the chair shot was ineffective in doing anything besides angering Yoshiro. He pops up to his feet and heaves Kurt over the ropes with a belly to belly suplex. Security has come out to stop this from getting any uglier then it already is. Yoshiro is bleeding from the chair but appears to be in good health. Kurt wants to get back in the ring but thinks better of it due to the damage the suplex did and all of the security. I am guessing that Kurt will not be the first choice for any future Field Leader tournament invitational spots.
Match 4 - Helmar vs. Thomas Mills
Cultivating a talent exchange with the FPCPP was one of the greatest achievements of Orochi Geese's UBL ownership tenure. Some of our best wrestlers have come from that promotion and Helmar Hammerstrom is the latest to sign a contract here. What I have seen from him in the gym is nothing short of inspiring. He has a big body but a larger heart for in ring competition. While his brawling style is not exactly one I have personally employed, he knows what works for him. His opponent tonight is Thomas Mills, a man who has been trying to reinvent himself after an underwhelming debut. Mills was one of the first members of the Front Lines, along with me, but his heart was not in it at that time. Ever since then, he has re-dedicated himself to working harder and living up to his family's legacy. For those with a short memory, it was Mills' billionaire father who bought the old Peter Venkman Memorial Arena from Geese. Thomas has large shoes to fill and he is making strides in the right direction.
Thomas shows his improvements a few ways. First, in a large departure from his original run, he doesn't slide out of the ring and take a nap to start the match. In fact, he doesn't appear hung over at all. And secondly, he figures out very quickly that he should not stay on his feet and brawl with Helmar. That knowledge would have been better gained by scouting Helmar out before the match rather then taking a quick barrage of punches. But credit to him for eventually picking it up.
After Helmar drops Thomas, Mills manages to trip him up with a drop toe hold. He then transitions into a grapevine leg lock and this really is a new Mills we are seeing. But I would describe Helmar, without being insensitive, as a "thick" individual. His body parts appear resistant to applying submissions to due to their size. It is clear that Helmar spends more time doing squats then some people do drinking water. And it has paid off for him as he is able to basically "pop" Thomas off of him. But Mills transitions to a camel clutch, putting all of his weight on Helmar's neck. The crowd does not love this as they are cheering for Helmar to start "Hossing up". But it's not Mills job to be a punching bag for the audience, he is trying to win the match.
But Helmar is just too strong. Mills is still on the thinner side of most wrestlers and Helmar actually stands up while Mills is on his back applying the camel clutch. I am not quite sure that my commentary does this maneuver justice. In Helmar we're looking at one of the strongest men on not just the Front Lines, but the entire UBL roster. Mills doesn't even know what to do at this point, and is piggy-backing Helmar out of sheer confusion. Helmar holds his hands up, screams something in a foreign language, and falls onto his back, crushing Thomas below. The crowd is big into this display of strength and urges Helmar further to "toss that tosser." Ahh, England. Helmar obliges and press slams Mills, lifting him up a few times before dropping him. When the crowd asks for this again, Helmar obliges but Mills desperately rakes the eyes to break free. I can't say I approve of this maneuver but from a realistic point of view, I am not sure what else Mills could do given the imbalance of strength. Mills takes advantage again by tripping up Helmar and now he tries an arm bar. After a few seconds, Helmar gets up and then hits a "Dwarven hand shake" (short armed clothesline) while still being held in the armbar. This may be a lost cause for Mills.
But where the old Thomas would have given up by now, this one is just getting frustrated. And while frustration didn't work for Kurt Sanders, at least it's a sign that Thomas cares about his performance here. He just also needs to care that he just got clotheslined a second time by Helmar. A third is attempted but Mills ducks under and grabs Helmar in a back slide. Mills manages to get a 2 count due to Helmar's surprise but there was no real danger here. Helmar charges again but gets hit by a low dropkick. Mills is making slow but substantial progress. He looks to apply his "Straight Shooter" (Sharpshooter) but is unable to actually lift and bend Helmar's legs in the proper position. Instead, he drops a few elbows on those legs and then goes up top.
Mills then delivers a "Stop the Presses" (Giant Press) on Helmar for a longer 2 count and I definitely am impressed with the effort he is showing. But that splash may have taken as much out of Mills as it did his opponent and Helmar is up first. Mills takes his time and walks right into a gutwrench suplex. When Thomas gets up and tries yet another trip up, Helmar is ready and blocks his attempt, transitioning Mills into a spinning powerbomb he calls the "Mjolnir falls". This would have put the Thomas Mills of 2009 away but only gets a long two count here. Both men are slow to get up and the ref actually applies a standing 10 count. Finally, they get up at the same time. Mills kicks Helmar in the stomach and attempts his "Lazy Days" (Bisontennial) finisher. But Helmar lifts Thomas up yet again into a back body drop. He then begins running the ropes to the opposite side of where he dropped Mills, who has just gotten up...then gets sent right back down for the count with an Axe Bomber called the "Dwarven Thunderbolt".
Helmar (O) ["Dwarven Thunderbolt" - 14:00] (X) Thomas Mills
Mills bodyguard, Calvin Corbett comes out to ringside to collect his woozy charge and jaw a little with Helmar, who seems as adept at screaming as he does brawling. Finally, security gets Calvin out of there as Helmar celebrates with the fans.
Our next event will feature the two semi-final matches of the tournament as well as an exciting double main event. In the first main event match, JET Hamada and the Marauder will defend their Universal Battalion Championships against a team to be announced. This encounter should provide enough rest for the winners of the Semi-Final matches to then wrestle one more time in the main event for the Field Leader Title. Given the frequency that I have had to defend my Title, it is important that the next Field Leader be ready for such a challenge. Both matches in the double main event will be presented through video recording.
We'll see you then.
- Matt Rivers