2022 Alliance World Championships

[Alfred]

2022 Alliance World Championships

CURRENT STANDINGS AND SCHEDULE 

(After Round 3)

[Alfred]

2022 Alliance World Championships

ROUND 4 - PREVIEW

My enthusiasm for writing anything has dwindled with the constantly growing rage quits, walk aways and bickering but out of my respect and appreciation for those that are just getting on with things, I've managed to put a few words together mainly just to highlight some of the cool matchups coming up in round four. 

The Stepdads vs. Team Panda

With Team Panda missing a fighter at 185lbs (bad news for the division as it essentially gives The Stepdads highly rated prospect Panagiotis Nikolau a bye round for extra training time) all the pressure will be on their 135lbs team captain Otto McBean and HW rep Joseph Henry Pageau. Both face tough matchups but none more so than Pageau who faces undefeated monster Jimmy Labradoodle (3-0 with all fights being finished in the first round via TKO)

Very unlikely to see Team Panda repeat their two man feat as against Super SMESH Bros 1 here so a 3-0 clean sweep from The Stepdads very much on the cards. 

Convicted Inc vs. Keyboard Warriors 1

Convicted Inc unsurprisingly keeping their team and morale in tip top shape whilst the reining champions seem to have come undone in the aftermath of the Super SMESH Bros power play. 

One of the biggest fights of round 4 will be between undefeated fighters Charles Eric Cheese and Eh Phuthong. Cheese of course has been absolutely killing it so far with three out of three finishes whilst Phuthong has been far more methodical with three decision wins out of three. Phuthong's manager PJ Jones was one of many who was very upset SMESH's decision to collude with each other so the focus here will be how focused he is on focusing his fighter for this big fight (also whether or not he'll be sticking around for the next fight too) 

Convicted's Willie Diggs will be facing a fighter now from a totally different alliance after Smash Adams manager decided to break away from the Keyboard Warriors in protest of something another alliance did. Not quite sure how this punishes SMESH but it was likely all Louie DePalma's fault anyway so we can blame him. 

Due to the turmoil within the Keyboard Warriors 1 camp it would be difficult to see them getting a win over the super happy and close knit bros of Convicted Inc.

The Guardians vs. Super SMESH Bros 2

The cobbled together Guardians team have managed to warp straight up into a qualifying position following their victory over Brotherhood and so breath new life into their beleaguered AWC campaign. They face fellow qualification chasers Super SMESH Bros 2 who I'm told had nothing to do with the super bad and totally not good collusion that took place in round three (66.6% innocent at least) 

Probably the best looking fight here will be between The Guardians team captain Cathal Doherty and SSB2's Gord Ryan. Both have identical records and look pretty even on paper. 

Manager Lincoln Hawks will be pulling double duty with his fighter Slim Slow and FA team pick up Mauricio Ascaciba in action but so far it's been rough going. Ascaciba picked up his first win against Brotherhood but he's going to have his hands full against undefeated meathead Danyaal Zahedi whilst Slim Slow is in a more winnable fight against SSB2's Rickson Bravo yet is coming in with an abysmal 0-3 record himself.

Certainly the balance of power is shifted towards the SMESH Bros in this one but with some good performances and a little bit of luck, this could end up going The Guardians way. 

Keyboard Warriors 2 vs. Super SMESH Bros 1

A chance to settle the score and right all the wrongs that the dastardly Super SMESH Bros alliance have inflicted on the reigning champions Keyboard Warriors. All the pain and hurt and suffering could be returned one-hundred fold here and also the chance to make fools of SMESH's brilliant plan to let their B team have a win over them even though they were ahead of them in the qualifying table in the first place (like wtf right?)

It's going to be tough though. It's almost as if some of SMESH's fighters have had an extra month to train uninterrupted.

Probably their most likely chance at victory would be those at HW and 135lbs with 1-1 Kush Cake taking on Marcel Thibodeaux and KW2 team captain Akio Kurosaki taking on Lester Green. Smesh will have at least a slight advantage in both of these but nothing like the middleweight match up with Adrian Adamos completely eclipsing opponent Afa Nbaku with his Wolf level glitch month long uninterrupted juiced up training cycle.

Unsurprisingly Super SMESH Bros look to be favourites in this one but the reigning champion's B team are full of experienced and capable managers so perhaps that would be enough to upset the odds? 

Golden Team vs. One Man Wolf Pack 2 

Golden Team look as though they will be a man down here against One Man Wolf Pack 2 as 185lber Freddie Hart seems to have flown the coop recently in their time of need. Likely wouldn't have mattered anyway as he was 0-2 with both losses coming via first round TKO but he would have been facing the utter garbage that is 1-2 Bobby Boucher (who now gets a free win and more training time. Whoohoo!)

A big opportunity for someone to get their first win here as Golden Teams 0-2 Unang Zemin takes on 0-3 Smoke Junior. Zemin looked to be well ahead of the pack in terms of skills but against Smoke Junior, there doesn't seem to be such a huge gap.

At HW, 0-2 Zac Zane looks as though he is in for a tough time against 3-0 Derrick Thomas though he will know that anything less than a win for both of his team mates will result in a loss for his alliance overall. 

Hard to see Golden Team overturning a 1-0 deficit from the get go mainly due to the difficulty of their HW match up. An upset there however could make all the difference with their 135lbs match up being a lot more winnable. Overall though, OMWP2 will be the favourites here in this one and who can perhaps move up into qualifying position with a win. 

FinnFighters vs. One Man Wold Pack 1

The biggest showdown of the tournament so far with the last two remaining undefeated alliances going head to head. 3-0 FinnFighters currently top the qualifying table and are looking absolutely rock solid so far but 2-0 One Man Wolf Pack are on their tail and looking to take the top spot for themselves. 

At 135lbs, undefeated Rudy Beckwith takes on 2-1 Raja Jooseppi in what should be a very interesting clash of styles. Beckwith seems to be and out and out submission specialist whilst Jooseppi seems to be very much a brawling, ground and pounder. On the feet Jooseppi looks to be ahead but Beckwith hasn't really been tested there so it is something of an unknown. On the ground, you'd have to give Beckwith the advantage with his two submission victories in a row but Jooseppi has shown himself to be dangerous there too so Beckwith will needs to keep his wits about him. 

At 185lbs, both FinnFighters Seppo Maki and OMWP1's Jules Ann will be coming in with perfect 2-0 records (Maki received an automatic win/bye in round three)

A lot has been said about Maki's potential in the sport and though he will be coming in as the slight favourite in this one, he will need to be at his best as he faces the hard hitting Jules Ann. Ann has managed to finish both of his opponents so far which includes highly regarded Stepdads Panagiotis Nikolau. 

Finally at HW, FinnFighters undefeated Heke Jogert takes on 1-1 Orn Frostulfsson in what should end up being a very entertaining bout. Quite difficult to tell who, if anyone, has the advantage on paper, you'd have to consider Jogerts perfect run of form so far to be the biggest indicator of victory coming into this one. 

A very close looking match up to my eye but with FinnFighters perhaps just edging things slightly.

[Alfred]

2022 Alliance World Championships

CURRENT STANDINGS AND SCHEDULE 

(After Round 4)

[Alfred]

2022 Alliance World Championships

ROUND 5 - PREVIEW

(#6) Convicted Inc (2-2) vs. (#9) Keyboard Warriors 2 (1-2)

Convicted Inc coming in off of a tough loss to Keyboard Warriors 1 in the previous round but now get to take out their pent up frustrations on the Keyboard Warriors B team in round five. With a 2-2 record, it's been enough to keep them in a qualifying spot at #6 but things are getting rather close now and with only two more rounds left of the shitty swiss phase, the margin for error is decreasingly rapidly. 

Keyboard Warriors 2 team have probably not had that much fun so far seeing as their first matchup was against themselves and then their next couple have been against both Super SMESH Bros teams. Actually, I will take that back as I'm sure they had a great time spanking those naughty SMESH bro's in their last match up. Quite the result and quite the trash talking afterwards (but deservedly so I suppose) 

On to the match ups and to be honest, there's not too much of interest there individually speaking. Charles Eric Cheese remains an undefeated bantamweight KO monster at 4-0 and I really can't see Akio Kurosaki ending that run I'm afraid. Middleweight Willie Diggs has gone 2-2 so far but there's no way he loses against 0-3 Afa Nbaku who might just be phoning it in at this point. At heavyweight, Convicted's Andre Salaam has been having a nightmare of a tournament and is still looking for his first win after four fights. He faces 2-1 Kush Cake who will come in as the heavy favourite. 

Keyboard Warriors likely going to need an upset at bantamweight to have any chance of taking this one with the resounding prediction being a 2-1 victory for the Convicted boys. 

(#11) The Guardians (1-3) vs. (#10) One Man Wolf Pack 2 (2-2)

The Guardians shot right into #8 position after their victory over Brotherhood but have now slipped right back down into 11th place after their thrashing at the hands of Super SMESH 2 in round 4. With no one really knowing how many fights they will get by the end of this qualifying phase, it's difficult to say whether those near the bottom of the table can still theoretically make the playoffs but suffice to say, it cannot hurt to keep winning from this point on. 

One Man Wolf Pack come in with a middling 2-2 record but the quality of their opponents has not been enough to put them into a qualifying spot at the moment. They currently sit in 10th place and with four matches already to their name, a bye could very easily be forced upon them in the final round, meaning this match up could very well end up being their last chance at earning two points. 

Interesting for all the wrong reasons, the bantamweight match up features two fighters both coming in with very poor records so far. Guardians Slim Slow and OMWP Smoke Junior both sporting 0-4 records meaning that at least one of them is going to come away from this tournament with a win. Middleweight also something of a toss up with Guardians 1-3 Cathal Doherty taking on 1-2 Bobby Boucher from One Man Wolf Pack. Likely to be a stand up war if not for Boucher's thoroughly worthless BJJ Purple belt. Could go either way with Doherty perhaps being the very slight favourite. At heavyweight, One Man Wolf Pack 2 have been carried firmly on the back of Derrick Thomas who at 4-0 has yet to lose and yet to come across anybody that he couldn't knockout in two rounds or less. 1-2 Mauricio Ascaciba might just be tailor made for another nasty KO on Thomas' record and will be the heavy underdog going into this. 

Actually far more of a competitive match up than One Man Wolf Pack would like to admit. Heavyweight looks to be all sewn up but the remaining two weights really aren't clear cut at all and it would only take a couple of good performances from The Guardians to upset any hopes OMWP have of putting two teams in the playoffs. A bold prediction? 2-1 to One Man Wolf Pack (and now I've jinxed it)

(#3) Super SMESH Bros 2 (3-1) vs. (#7) Team Panda (2-2) 

Super SMESH Bros 2 will be riding high after their complete 3-0 domination of The Guardians alliance in their last match up and which is also surprisingly the second time they've managed a complete shut out of their opponents. I'm referring to their previous 3-0 victory over emerging rivals Keyboard Warriors 2. They currently sit comfortably in third place in the table and you have to wonder if even two bad results from this point onwards would be enough to drop them outside of qualifying? 

Two man Team Panda started off promisingly at 2-0 but have since found the strain of being a team member short a little too much to overcome and have now dropped to 2-2 overall. Still, they currently cling on to a qualifying spot and the big question is whether they can hold on for two more rounds. The odds are against them but is lady luck?

Obviously the middleweight match up here is missing and so SMESH's Gord Ryan will be getting the automatic win and extra training time but the remaining matchups look quite interesting and will be of massive importance to Team Panda. 135Lbs features two capable submission artists going head to head in SMESH's 2-1 Rickson Bravo and Panda's 3-1 Otto McBean and at heavyweight, undefeated Danyaal Zahedi (3-0, SSB2) will be taking on Team Panda's 2-2 Joseph Henry Pageau. Pageau started off well with back to back KO victories but has since gone the other way which will be music to Zahedi's juiced up ears. 

Overall, things lean very much in SSB2's favour but they would be fools to take the remaining Panda pair lightly. 

(#13) Brotherhood (0-3) vs. (#12) Golden Team (0-3) 

Two struggling teams face each other in what could very well end up being the battle for last place. Bottom of the table Brotherhood take on 12th place Golden Team who will now have the added handicap of being a man down from here on out. The tournament organisers cannot confirm at this time but it looks fairly likely that neither of these two teams would be able to move on into the play-offs from this point onwards. With that in mind, this showdown takes on a whole new importance for the teams involved here and could well be the last realistic opportunity to walk away from the tournament with at least one win. 

At bantamweight, Brotherhoods Chillo Bloke has been far and away their best performer and in fact, the only one from both teams who has actually managed a win. He faces well rounded Unang Zemin who is the only fighter on his team to have gotten his hand raised at one point and is skilled enough on his feet to give Bloke a real test. The victory is definitely there for both fighters but Bloke will be coming in as the slight favourite. 

At middleweight, Brotherhoods Juha Meanpaa is likely to be given the automatically win against Golden Teams Freddie Hart as Hart seems to have gone AWOL. Definitely a boon for the Finnish striker who has not had the best of runs so far with his 0-3 record and will definitely relish the extra training time given to him. 

A super showdown at HW between alliance team captains, both of whom will be coming in with identical 0-3 records. Brotherhoods little butterball Android Eighteen will have a razor thin advantage on the feet over genetically superior Zac Zane but how much it will count for on the night, well that is what we will find out here. Whilst Zane has been poor during the course of this tournament, he did get off to a successful start to his career pre-tournament coming in with a 2-0 record. Is this his chance to get back to winning ways or will his rotund opponent seal the deal for his team. 

A real shame that Golden Team are hampered by an inactive manager as this epic battle for the bottom will now have an asterisk next to it. The fact that they start the match up 0-1 is enough for me to give Brotherhood the nod here with at least a 2-1 victory overall. 

(#2) The Stepdads (3-1) vs. (#4) FinnFighters (3-1)

Getting to the big boys now and a battle between two of the most experienced AWC alliances. 

The Stepdads, with a record of 3-1, currently sit in second place and look set to comfortably reach the next round whilst the FinnFighters just dropped from first down to fourth following their first loss of the tournament to One Man Wolf Pack 1. Regardless of that, they too seem destined for a spot in the next round. Some real big fights coming up in this one so lets get down to it. 

At bantamweight, the Finns might be considered to have the advantage as their man Raja Jooseppi (2-2) takes on underperforming Stepdad fighter Wingers Son (1-3). Son, who got off to a strong start in round one, has since managed to lose his last three and with two of those coming via first round finish. Jooseppi has been a little hit and miss himself so far so there's nothing guaranteed about this fight at all. Likely things hit the floor at some point and we should get to see who the better man is on the ground. 

A real intriguing clash at middleweight as the Finns undefeated and highly regarded prospect Seppo Maki takes on The Stepdads powerhouse Panagiotis Nikolau. Nikolau coming into the fight after suffering something of a surprise loss in the previous round but it's unlikely to deter him too much and we expect to see him giving Maki a run for his money here. Maki will be the slight favourite based on his recent performances but there's certainly no guarantees' here and any victory to be won will surely come at the expense of a tough fight. 

On to heavyweight where it's The Stepdads who have the advantage with their unfortunately named undefeated monster Jimmy Labradoodle (4-0) taking on FinnFighters prospect Heke Jogert. This is another fight that is sure to garner a lot of eyeballs as both of fighters look to have bright futures ahead of themselves after the tournament. Jogert will have to contend with overcoming his first professional loss suffered in the previous round but also the wrestling advantage of Labradoodle of which he has put to such good effect so far. Labradoodle the favourite but only by a small margin. 

With only two rounds remaining and both teams with a 3-1 record so far, it's difficult to see either of them dropping outside of a qualifying spot from here. Still, neither team is going to want to give any ground to the other and this should be a ferociously competitive match up between two experienced AWC alliances. The bookies have FinnFighters ahead in this one but only slightly. Very easily could go either way but a 2-1 win to the Finns is our prediction. 

(#1) One Man Wolf Pack 1 (3-0) vs. (#5) Keyboard Warriors 1 (3-1) 

Should it be considered a shock to see the newly formed super team of One Man Wolf Pack sitting undefeated at the top of the table at this point? Or are things going exactly to plan for the new kids on the block? Reigning champions Keyboard Warriors will send their first team into battle to probe for weaknesses as we near the play-off stages and they will be riding high from their superb recent victory over Convicted Inc as they do. 

At 135lbs, undefeated submission wizard Rudy Beckwith takes on 3-1 Eh Phuthong in what looks to be a very interesting clash of styles. Phuthong's methodical boxing heavy style had been working wonders for him over the first few rounds as he racked up decision win after decision win but in his most recent bout, opponent Charles Eric Cheese managed to crack the solid chin of Phuthong and hand him his first loss. Phuthong will be looking to get back into winning ways for his alliances but to do so he must first figure out a way to stay on his feet. So far 3-0 Rudy Beckwith has had no problem in getting his opponents down to the ground and even less trouble getting the submission win soon after. So far none of his opponents have managed to go even half a round with him and that will surely be playing on the mind of Eh Phuthong as we go into this top of the table clash. 

Some real firepower on offer at middleweight as OMWP's 2-1 Jules Ann faces 3-1 Smash Adams for the Keyboard Warriors/Not Keyboard Warriors. Adams has racked up back to back wins coming into this fight whereas Ann has just recently suffered his first loss to FinnFighters middleweight monster Seppo Maki. Ann is a strong striker but Adams looks to have a dangerously clear advantage in the wrestling and that could spell disaster for the Columbus, OH native should he get caught in the clinch. A tough fight but possible leaning towards Keyboard Warriors in this one. 

Once again, it could be down to the heavyweights to decide the result and here we have OMWP's Orn Frostulfsson (2-1) taking on Keyboard Warriors 2-2 Kurt Zweihander. Both fighters have been at least a little up and down up to this point though Zweihander seems to have been finding his form of late and will be coming in off the back of a two fight winning streak both by first round KO. This is unlikely to phase Frostuflsson however as he is likely to share Zweihanders kill or be killed attitude and will be coming out swinging all the same. Interestingly, both fighters share a common fi loss to The Stepdads Jimmy Labradoodle in which Frostulfsson fared just a little better by almost making it to the end of the first round. A very tough fight to call with no clear winner to be seen. 

Overall, this clash is razor thin and could easily be taken by either team. Can't quite see a clean sweep happening however so a score of 2-1 the most likely. 

(#8) Super SMESH Bros 1 receive BYE

Currently sitting in 8th place, the Super SMESH Bros first team will receive a much needed break. It's been a non stop war of attrition for these plucky newcomers and they've barely had time to breath in between all of the fight action they've been subjected to over the past few rounds. Luckily for them, fate has intervened and handed them a life line, a perfectly timed Round 5 bye in which to rest and recoup. 
 

[scottxbandz]

On 4/2/2022 at 4:38 PM, Alfred said:

(#8) Super SMESH Bros 1 receive BYE

Currently sitting in 8th place, the Super SMESH Bros first team will receive a much needed break. It's been a non stop war of attrition for these plucky newcomers and they've barely had time to breath in between all of the fight action they've been subjected to over the past few rounds. Luckily for them, fate has intervened and handed them a life line, a perfectly timed Round 5 bye in which to rest and recoup. 
 

x)

[Alfred]

2022 Alliance World Championships

ROUND 5 - RECAP

Keyboard Warriors 2 def. Convicted Inc

Keyboard Warriors needed a big result at bantamweight to upset Convicted Inc's band of merry men and for the first time in his pitiful existence, Louie DePalma stepped up and guided his young charge Akio “Didn't he use this name last year?” Kurosaki to a superb victory over the undefeated man/boy love advocate Charles Eric Cheese. Cheese's facilitator Freako Epstein will no doubt be particularly aggrieved at the result as the rest of his alliance have come to learn heavily on his performances. 

Convicted's Willie Diggs got the win over KW2 autobot Afa Nbaku with a brutal effort via the clinch. Nbaku's toughness was in full effect but even a chin made of pure granite cannot hold out forever against such a beating. 

It came down to the heavyweights to decide the match but everyone had a fair idea of how this was going to go down as Convicted winless Andre Salaam shuffled into the cage with all the confidence of a bespectacled D&D nerd asking that weird loner girl with greasy hair to the prom. Suffice to say that opponent Kush Cake didn't care for such prostrations and as soon as the bell rang, simply walked up to Salaam and punched him square in the chops ending the fight in a record five seconds and handing Salaam his fifth straight loss. There are some that now believe Salaam to be some kind of fetishist who gets off on this kind of treatment but either way he will be in the Convicted dog house as cult leader Kristian K. Karter demands nothing but daily golden showers of pure excellence. Something Salaam is currently nowhere near. 

2 fights to 1 for Keyboard Warriors 2 team and they move up into a qualifying position at #7. A great win for them certainly but still a somewhat precarious position to be in going into the final Swiss round and they will very likely still need to pick up a win if they are to guarantee themselves a spot in the tournaments knockout stages

Convicted Inc basically swap places with their opponents here tonight and drop down into 9th place, just outside of a qualifying spot. It will be all hands on deck going into the final swiss league round where they will face a must win situation if they are to have any chance of moving on in this competition. 

Super SMESH Bros 2 def. Team Panda

Team Panda were already down a fight coming into this as their middleweight Amazing Billy turned out to be not so amazing after all having ducked out on them a few rounds back. It's been hard going ever since but the Panda boys have been plugging along regardless and trying their best. 

Team Panda got the win at bantamweight courtesy of their Capitan Otto McBean who scored a beautiful submission victory over fake brown belt Rickson Bravo after a brief scramble for control. 

It was always going to be a lot to overcome if any upset were to occur and whilst heavyweight Joseph Henry Pageau gave it his best shot, it wasn't enough to topple undefeated SMESH Bro Danyaal Zahedi. There was a brief moment of hope for the Panda's after Pageau dropped Zahedi in the first minute but Zahedi shook it off, clinched up and put on a clinic to end the bout in just under three minutes. Another impressive performance from the Australian man and hats of to the pharmaceutical engineer responsible for getting him past these drug tests.

Super SMESH Bros 2 actually drop down a spot from #3 to #4 but that doesn't change the fact that they look to be one of a handful of teams guaranteed a place in the play-offs. It's doubtful that even the worst result in the sixth and final Swiss round would affect that. 

As for Team Panda, they too drop down a spot and now cling precariously to the final qualifying spot at #8 and will need something truly special if they are to defend it. 

One Man Wolf Pack 2 def. The Guardians

OMWP2 winless bantamweight Smoke Junior picked the perfect time to turn things around as he faced fellow struggler Slim Slow of The Guardians. Slow looked to be the better man on the feet so Junior showed some good IQ in taking the fight to the ground and taking advantage of Slow's weakness on the ground. 

A back and forth rock em sock em slugfest at middleweight between The Guardians Cathal Doherty and OMWP2's Bobby Boucher. Neither fighter had been setting the division alight with their performances but Doherty decided tonight was the night he gits gud, much to the dismay of Boucher and his team. 

There was little doubt as to the final result going into the heavyweight bout with OMWP2's undefeated Derrick Thomas peacocking into the ring. He faced The Gaurdians Mauricio Ascaciba who had only managed 1 win in 5 so far in the tournament. The fight actually went longer than expected but perhaps that was just for Thomas to show off his Anderson Silva matrix like evasion technique. Ascaciba threw plenty of strikes but didn't manage to land a single one. Thomas moved into the clinch and proceeded to put the beat down on his opponent and secure a big win for his alliance. 

A big win and a big jump in the table for OMWP2 who now join their first team in a qualifying spot for the next round. Up from 10th place now into 6th, OMWP have a good chance of making the knockout stages if they can avoid an upset in the final qualifying round. 

The Guardians actually climb a spot despite their loss but unfortunately for them look to be out of the running for a place in the play-offs. It does seem likely however that they avoid the humiliation of last place like their previous AWC run but that will depend on whether Brotherhood can get a win in their final qualifying round match up. 

The Stepdads def. Finnfighters

The FinnFighters were the slight favourites coming into this showdown but Stepdad bantamweight Wingers Son wasn't having any of it as he manhandled opponent Raja Jooseppi with a first round submission victory and also shattering his own three fight losing streak in the process. This loss marked the second in a row for Jooseppi and both by submission indicating that he might just have a weak spot against those sneaky butt scooting pyjama types. 

The big fight of the night was here at middleweight with Stepdads top prospect Panagiotis Nikolau taking on the Finnfighters undefeated monster Seppo Maki. It's no secret that many were picking Maki to get the victory over Panagiotis but the Greek striker set about imparting a flawless game plan that saw Maki absolutely chewed up inside the clinch and spat out late in the third round for the TKO victory. That isn't to say Maki was outclassed at all as he made a real fight out of things at range and contributed to a well deserved fight of the night award though that will likely be small consolation for the loss of his perfect record and the loss for his alliance. 

At heavyweight it was the turn of The Stepdads to suffer something of a shock upset as their own undefeated monster Jimmy Labradoodle suffered his first loss at the hands of Finnfighters Heke Jogert. It was a brutal affair with Jogert doing real damage with the shots he landed and Labradoodle relentless trying to keep the Finn contained within the clinch. The tactic just didn't pan out with Jogert able to break free each time and proceed to cut open Labradoodle even more. Close to the end of round two, after the second big knockdown of the fight, the doctor was forced to intervene and called a stop to the bout due to a cut giving Heke Jogert the win. 

A tough loss for the Finnfighters and their second in a row marking a disappointing turn around in form for the former table toppers. They now drop down into 5th place with a record of 3-2 but you would imagine they would still be safe for a spot in the knockout rounds regardless of result in their final qualifying round match up. 

An impressive scalp for The Stepdads who now move up into second place with a record of 4-1 and who have pretty much guaranteed a spot in the next round (nothing is certain in this crazy swiss format)  

Keyboard Warriors 1 def. One Man Wolf Pack 1

The last remaining undefeated alliance team and current table toppers One Man Wolf Pack 1 finally came unstuck as reigning champions Keyboard Warriors continued to find that championship form.
 
One bright spot for the Wolf Pack boys was 135lber Rudy Beckwith as he managed to maintain his own impressive undefeated run of submission victories this time over Keyboard Warriors Eh Phuthong. Beckwith's record now stands at 4-0 with all four wins coming by way of first round submission. 

The black handed Keyboard Warriors team evened things up when their middleweight Smash Adams got one over One Man Wolf Packs Jules Ann who was overwhelmed by both Adam's barrage of kicks and punches at range and total body annihilation inside the clinch. Adams record now stands at 4-1 marking him as one of the better performing middleweights in the tournament. For Ann, the loss was his second in a row and represents a disappointing turn around in form especially after such a big win against Panagiotis Nikolau

The writing was on the wall for the One Man Wolf Pack going into the heavyweight match up with their undefeated record resting in the hands of autobot Andy Down and his young charge Orn Frostulfsson. His opponent Kurt Zweihander had managed to turn things around after his disappointing start to the tournament and was coming in on two fight win streak. A dangerous opponent like this would need the utmost care and attention to detail but reports coming out of Frostulfsson's camp was that his manager Down had gone full South Korean and spent the past couple of weeks inside an internet cafe playing a shitty MMO for twenty hours of the day. Suffice to say that Frostuflsson got spanked inside the first round and One Man Wolf Pack lost the match up and it was all Andy Down's fault. 

So yes, no more undefeated One Man Wolf Pack 1st team and all fingers point to old triple A as the sole focus of blame. Still, whilst OMWP1 concede the top spot to Keyboard Warriors 1 they still likely earn a spot in the final eight regardless of result in their round six match up.

A big win for the Black Hand Keyboard Warriors abomination and they now climb to the top of the table with a 4-1 record and seem certain* of a spot in the play-off phase. 
*nothing is certain with the Swiss

Golden Team def. Brotherhood

Two struggling alliances came face to face in what was likely to be their last realistic chance at walking away from the tournament with at a win. Brotherhood looked to be in good shape for the showdown by virtue of actually having a full team of ready and able fighters. Golden Team on the other hand were coming in a man down after losing their middleweight fighter Freddie Hart. This obviously meant that both of their remaining two members needed to be victorious in order to win the overall match up. A massive ask for any team but on this occasion the Golden Team really lived up to their name. 

Brotherhoods Chilli Bloke was coming in as his teams most successful fighter thus far with a record of 2-1. On a two fight win streak, Bloke was thought by many to be a fairly decent favourite in this one despite his opponent Unang Zemin's clear superiority in the stand up. Zemin had been underperforming for his team thus far but stepped up when it mattered to deliver a second round TKO over Bloke. 

With the score officially 1-1 due to Golden Team forfeiting at 185lbs, it came down to the heavyweights to decide their teams fate. 

Zac Zane's pre tournament success had so far failed to transfer over to the AWC tournament and he found himself coming in winless and on a three fight losing streak. Brotherhood team captain Android Eighteen was also having an abysmal run and coming in winless with an identical losing streak. Both fighters came out fast and furious but it was clear from that start that Zane's punches had far more zing of them. A big right hand barely grazed Eighteen and yet opened up a horrific cut that draw gasps of revulsion from the crowd. A second cross damn near levelled the rotund little guy. A couple more shots from Zane and Eighteen was done, for the fourth time, each in similar fashion and left in the same way; a bloodied and bruised unconscious heap on the floor. 

So there we have it folks, Golden Team pick up their first win of the tournament and in doing so pretty much guarantee that they won't be finishing last in their first AWC outing. Of course that's not 100% certain and we will only know for sure after the results of the final qualifying round coming up. 

A terrible loss for Brotherhood who had the upper hand coming into this. They now drop down to bottom in the table with an unfortunate 0-4 record. They will have one more chance to depart with a win but quite honestly, their chances are extremely slim. 

[Alfred]

2022 Alliance World Championships

CURRENT STANDINGS AND SCHEDULE 

(After Round 5)

[Gator001]

so how does this draw work now? Its not making much sense to my simple brain

[poraan]

11 hours ago, Gator001 said:

so how does this draw work now? Its not making much sense to my simple brain

I believe that all that mattered were tied, so K is before T at ABC's.

 

Kind of pointless to fight against all top teams at starting stage, just to get brackets into semis. Then most teams are tied anyway. Some teams got kind of easy way into semis. 6 rounds and all opponents were bottom 6 teams..

 

In the end i have always liked alliance tournaments and will join in future too. Starting league was just not optimal, AWC is still my favourite.

 

[imcool]

5 minutes ago, poraan said:

I believe that all that mattered were tied, so K is before T at ABC's.

 

Kind of pointless to fight against all top teams at starting stage, just to get brackets into semis. Then most teams are tied anyway. Some teams got kind of easy way into semis. 6 rounds and all opponents were bottom 6 teams..

 

In the end i have always like alliance tournaments and will join in future too. Starting league was just not optimal, AWC is still my favourite.

 

I think a good ol' single elimination bracket from the very start would've got the job done.

[Rambo]

21 minutes ago, imcool said:

I think a good ol' single elimination bracket from the very start would've got the job done.

everybody gotta face each other or results inconclusive for alliance vs alliance imo but should've been 1 team per alliance.

[imcool]

1 hour ago, Rambo said:

everybody gotta face each other or results inconclusive for alliance vs alliance imo but should've been 1 team per alliance.

That's like saying an individual 16 man single elimination bracket has an inconclusive winner because he didn't fight everyone :).  Also, even if we faced someone in group stage and beat them, then lose to them in the final, that makes it inconclusive too, doesn't it?

[Rambo]

51 minutes ago, imcool said:

That's like saying an individual 16 man single elimination bracket has an inconclusive winner because he didn't fight everyone :).  Also, even if we faced someone in group stage and beat them, then lose to them in the final, that makes it inconclusive too, doesn't it?

no it's like sports. regular season. playoffs. championship. team tournament. at least how i kinda look at it. everybody fight everybody. and never give away your stash smokey.

[Alfred]

I think that a tournament like this should always have a league phase to weed out the underperforming teams. Just this swiss format has been garbage. Utterly confusing and very unpredictable.

It was the only way to do it with an uneven amount of teams though. It was either this or two divisions. One of 7 and a division of 6 meaning that those drawn in the smaller division would have all had extra training time. Didn't seem fair but then some teams ended up having byes and some didn't anyway so meh....whatever. It's done now. 

I think that, regardless of the format being not so great, everyone would agree that the most deserving teams have all made their way into the playoffs? I did a few trial simulations before confirming this format and it always seemed to finish up without any obvious contentious issues. I think this live run has worked out the same. 

Updates have been added on discord channel but I will be putting up the preview for the first round of the knockout stages soon. 

For now, here are the match ups and final league standings. 

[Alfred]

2022 Alliance World Championships

FINAL STANDINGS OF QUALIFYING PHASE

(After Round 6)

[Alfred]

2022 Alliance World Championships

KNOCKOUT STAGE - QUARTER FINALS

(A) (1st) Keyboard Warriors 1 (5-1) vs. (8th) Convicted Inc (3-3)

(B) (2nd) The Stepdads (5-1) vs. (7th) Finnfighters (3-3)

(C) (3rd) One Man Wolf Pack 1 (4-1) vs. (6th) Keyboard Warriors 2 (2-3)

(D) (4th) Super SMESH Bros 2 (4-2) vs. (5th) One Man Wolf Pack 2 (4-2)

KNOCKOUT STAGE - SEMI FINALS

(X) Winner A vs. Winner D

(Y) Winner B vs. Winner C

FINALS

Winner X vs. Winner Y

3rd PLACE

Loser X vs. Loser Y

[Rambo]

Playoff Willie activated.

[scottxbandz]

i had a lot of fun in this tourney as well. thank you for hosting it.

[Mannetosen]

The horrible abomination I manage is tucking Phuthong in once and for all.

[j666]

Andre Salaam showed up for an interview, got a little too close to the microphone and was knocked out cold.

[Alfred]

QUARTER FINALS

Well, some very interesting results after the first round of the knockouts.

Convicted Inc, who just managed to squeeze into the playoffs with a last ditch win in the qualifying rounds have managed to beat half of the reigning champs Keyboard Warriors 1 by 2 fights to 1

The Finnfighters have managed to get a big win over tournament rivals The Stepdads again with a 2-1 victory

Possibly the biggest shock of the round was the cobbled together One Man Wolf Pack 1 team defeating reigning champs Keyboard Warriors 2 with a big 3-0 win

And then finally those dirty underdogs Super SMESH Bros 2 have managed to edge out the utterly crappy One Man Wolf Pack 2 team by 2-1. Unfortunately that means undefeated HW fighter Derrick Thomas goes out with them

So this brings us to the SEMI-FINALS

Convicted Inc vs. Super SMESH Bros 2

Can Convicted finally live up to their all star reputation or will the new boys Super SMESH Bros 2 show them up as relics of a time gone by?

One Man Wolf Pack 1 vs. Finnfighters

This patchwork Wolf Pack are still holding on but will they come undone against the might of the OG finnish contingent Finnfighters? 

[Alfred]

2022 Alliance World Championships

KNOCKOUT STAGE - QUARTER FINALS

(A) (1st) Keyboard Warriors 1 (5-1) vs. (8th) Convicted Inc (3-3)

Convicted Inc def. Keyboard Warriors 1 by 2 fights to 1

(B) (2nd) The Stepdads (5-1) vs. (7th) Finnfighters (3-3)

Finnfighters def. The Stepdads by 2 fights to 1

(C) (3rd) One Man Wolf Pack 1 (4-1) vs. (6th) Keyboard Warriors 2 (2-3)

One Man Wolf Pack 1 def. Keyboard Warriors 2 by 3 fights to 0

(D) (4th) Super SMESH Bros 2 (4-2) vs. (5th) One Man Wolf Pack 2 (4-2)

Super SMESH Bros 2 def. One Man Wolf Pack 2 by 2 fights to 1

KNOCKOUT STAGE - SEMI FINALS

(X) Winner A vs. Winner D

Convicted Inc vs. Super SMESH Bros 2

(Y) Winner B vs. Winner C

Finnfighters vs. One Man Wolf Pack 1

FINALS

Winner X vs. Winner Y

3rd PLACE

Loser X vs. Loser Y

[poraan]

On 5/16/2022 at 2:01 AM, Alfred said:

When it mattered most Raja Jooseppi pulled super victory against Wingers Son. 

 

Im not actually really surprised about most of the results. Because fighters got differend paths at this tournament. Wich means that there is fighters that have had harder or easier opponents,differend style opponents, luck etc.

 

[Alfred]

SEMI-FINAL PREVIEW

Things are really starting to heat up now in the AWC as we approach the semi-finals of this year's tournament and the four teams we have remaining really make for some compelling viewing. 

The reining champions Keyboard Warriors are gone. Both of their teams eliminated in the quarter finals and meaning that once again no alliance will so far have managed to defend the title. 
The Stepdads are also eliminated after a tough matchup against tournament rivals Finnfighters marking a third year of disappointment from such a strong and well performing alliance. 

Convicted Inc vs. Super SMESH Bros 2

Convicted Inc have somehow managed to up their game and now find themselves with as good as chance as any of actually winning this thing. For a moment there it was looking as though they would follow in the footsteps of their abysmal 2021 teams performance and crash out with a whimper but a late push in the qualifying phase and big efforts from bantamweight Charles Eric Cheese and middleweight Willie Diggs against the reigning champs Keyboard Warriors 1 in the quarter-finals has propelled them within reach of the championship gold

New boys Super SMESH Bros are enjoying a fine run in their first AWC tournament largely off the back of heavyweight Danyaal Zahedi who up until the previous round, had been absolutely demolishing the opponents put in front of him. Interestingly enough, it was efforts from their other two members that was responsible for their victory over One Man Wolf Pack 2 in the quarter-finals as Zahedi crashed to his very first loss of the tournament. The mark of a good team is the ability of others to step up when one falters and this is exactly what has brought them to where they stand now. 

(135lbs)
“The Midnight NAMBLA” Charles Eric Cheese (6-1) vs. Rickson “Matrix” Bravo (3-3)

These two fighters have already faced each other in the first round of the tournament where Cheese gave Bravo a quick lesson in the art of NAMBLA. Waking up in the middle of the cage disorientated and sore, Bravo's shame was just as much due to the length of the bout (which clocked in at just a little over a minute) as anything that happened afterwards

A lot of time has passed since then and both fighters have made noticeable improvements. In terms of match up however, little has changed. Cheese has a massive advantage on his feet and Bravo's only chance at victory is to get in close and take Cheese to the mat. Something he was unable to do in their first meeting. 

Very likely a victory here for The Midnight NAMBLA. 

(185lbs)
“Playoff” Willie Diggs (4-2) vs. Gord Ryan (3-2) 

Some controversy in their first match up which saw Willie Diggs hiding weights in his underwear at the weigh ins giving the illusion that he was packing heat. Eye witness accounts of him in the shower after his TKO victory however prompted an investigation which revealed that he was actually 1lb underweight and not gifted at all. The result should have been a technical victory for Ryan but due to a clerical error and the strict Swiss system of which the tournament was dictated by, the victory stood for Diggs giving Convicted the undeserved overall win. 

A chance for Gord Ryan to get his revenge here but with “Playoff” Willie Diggs activated, Convicted Inc have been able to turn it up to eleven and Ryan will do well here to avoid another KO loss on his record. 

(265lbs)
Andre Salaam (1-6) vs. Danyaal “Muscle Aussie” Zahedi (5-1) 

This heavyweight bout has been a real pain for the AWC tournament organisers who have been bombarded with calls from medical professionals and government officials alike demanding an explanation for sanctioning what is likely to be a live televised execution. Luckily such people are easily "persuaded" and were satisfied with the explanation given (as well as a couple of small brown envelopes) 

The one small glimmer of hope for Andre Salaam is the fact that Danyaal Zahedi will be coming into the bout after suffering his very first loss of the tournament. A loss that put a halt to his seven fight undefeated streak (5 AWC, 2 before) If there is any possible way of capitalising on that then best of luck to him otherwise this one is surely going down as yet another CTE inducing loss on his record. 

Prediction:

Convicted Inc have defeated SSB2 once already in the first round of the tournament and though everyone would have improved their overall game since then, not enough has changed to make me believe SMESH can overturn that first result. A 2-1 win for Convicted Inc would be a very safe bet indeed. 

One Man Wolf Pack 1 vs. Finnfighters

It's entirely accurate to say that One Man Wolf Pack are not the same team as which started this tournament with only one original member of the trio left. Losing not one but two current and former #1 managers should have completely destroyed them but somehow they have managed to keep things together well enough to get a win over the Keyboard Warriors 2 team in the quarter-finals. Luckily for them, their best performing fighter Rudy Beckwith has been taken under the wing of another former #1 manager and that should bolster their confidence going into this semi-final match up. 

Finnfighters started off this tournament absolutely splendidly but around the halfway mark their form took a sharp turn for the worst. Fortunately for them, their hard work early on was enough to get them through the qualifying phase but there were some serious concerns for them going into their quarter-final match up against powerhouse alliance The Stepdads. The Finns managed to rally however and scored a great victory over their long time AWC rivals earning them their second semi-final appearance in this tournaments history. 

(135lbs)
Rudy Beckwith (6-0) vs. Raja Jooseppi (3-4)

The last remaining undefeated fighter of the tournament Rudy Beckwith steps up to face Finnfighters Raja Jooseppi, a man he has previously defeated though under different management. When they first met, Beckwith easily dispatched Jooseppi with a submission in under a minute but that was then and this is now and Jooseppi is coming into this bout have just got revenge in the quarter-final over another fighter that he had previously lost to. The correct adjustments were made and so fans of the Finnish team will no doubt be hopeful he can do it again. 

This one isn't as clear cut as it might have otherwise been. Beckwith was looking unstoppable under his previous management and though off to a good start under his new team, it certainly adds an extra few question marks to proceedings. Jooseppi hasn't been Finnfighters best performing member but he is no pushover and has always managed to step up at key moments. Odds probably still in Beckwith's favour but definitely a fight to keep an eye on.  

(185lbs)
Jules Ann (4-2) vs. Seppo Maki (5-2)

The last time these two warriors met, Seppo Maki was the one getting his hands raised in the centre of the cage after a very close but unanimous victory over One Man Wolf Packs Jules An. Since then, both fighters have managed to put up 2-1 records though without a doubt Maki can claim the tougher path in terms of competition. 

Both fighters are predominately stand up fighters and while both have different strengths in certain areas, the fight remains pretty close looking on paper. Ann with a better record of finishes and Maki the more methodical points fighter. Slow and steady won the race last time. Will that be the order of the day once again this time around or are their some tricks up sleeves to surprise? A real close one to call but Maki likely to be the favourite once more

(265lbs)
Orn Frostulfsson (3-3) vs. Heke Jogert (4-3)

This alliance match up could very well end up coming down to these two fighters right here. Similar records and similar kill or be killed fighting styles. Last time these two fighters faced each other, it was Orn Frostulfsson that got the victory over Heke Jogert and in truth, it was a bit of one sided ass whopping. Since that time however, Frostulfsson has lost his former #1 manager and instead has been picked up but a bumbling try hard wannabe. With the tactical expertise now out of the window, Frostulfsson will need to figure things out for himself. 

Quite similar in style, there isn't too much difference between the two aside from a slight advantage for Jogert in the wrestling and Muay Thai. Clearly both fighters can dish it out but neither are particularly good at taking it. Fight will simply come down to who can dish it out the best. As for a prediction, it's really too close to call. 

Prediction:

One Man Wolf Pack already with a win over Finnfighters during the qualifying phase but the team that faced them then is not the same team as now. With the weight of that victory now without much relevance, you'd likely have to lean towards the more experienced Finns to get the win here

[Alfred]

SEMI-FINAL 

1M PRIZE PREDICTION COMPETITION

24hrs to go until the Semi-Finals!

Should have probably have offered this earlier but whatever.

In an effort to drum up some extra enthusiasm, I have 1 million on the line for whoever can pick the most correct results (just winner needed. not round and method)

In the event of a draw, money will be split

Convicted Inc vs. Super SMESH Bros 2

Charles Eric Cheese vs. Rickson Bravo
https://mmatycoon.com/scoutfight.php?fida=380324&fidb=380110

Willie Diggs vs. Gord Ryan
https://mmatycoon.com/scoutfight.php?fida=380088&fidb=380307

Andre Salaam vs. Danyaal Zahedi
https://mmatycoon.com/scoutfight.php?fida=380029&fidb=380004

One Man Wolf Pack 1 vs. Finnfighters

Rudy Beckwith vs. Raja Jooseppi
https://mmatycoon.com/scoutfight.php?fida=380133&fidb=380637

Jules Ann vs. Seppo Maki
https://mmatycoon.com/scoutfight.php?fida=380009&fidb=380627

Orn Frostulfsson vs. Heke Jogert
https://mmatycoon.com/scoutfight.php?fida=380028&fidb=380071

Those in the tournament can predict as long as they choose their own fighter as a winner. Don't want anymore SMESH shenanigans