Post by swfhbdls24 on Feb 23, 2013 10:22:33 GMT -5
Once again, the time for an SWF CPV has come. This time, Game Over emanates from Verizon Arena in Little Rock, AR. Here with their predictions of the stacked card are SWF columnist Alan Marks and the “voice” of the Southwestern Wrestling Federation, Jeff Santos.
First up we have:
Pouncy vs Juan Valderaz (US championship match)
Two months ago, Valderaz put Pouncy’s brother into the hospital burn unit with a victory at Fanning the Flames. Since that time, he’s used Pouncy’s emotions against him to parlay a US title shot (which he won) last month, and basically be a thorn in his side all around. Pouncy’s last shot at revenge is at Game Over however, as this is his rematch clause.
Marks: This one should be quite interesting. Pouncy is still looking to avenge his brother's loss to Valderaz and if he happens to capture a title while doing it, that's just a bonus. I will admit that I have been guilty of underestimating Valderaz before, so I won't be saying this will be a push-over match, but I will say that I expect Pouncy to take this one, even if he is somewhat distracted with Madison's match later.
Santos: It’s difficult to say what the emotional state of Pouncy is. We saw him last week on ReVenge teaming up with his girlfriend, Carmen Madison and winning, but is he truly past the issues that plagued him in these two’s first meeting last month? If he is, I’d say he has a good chance of regaining the US Championship, but if not, I think we’re going to hear from Valderaz for a long time to come.
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Mike Kizzar vs. Kevin Martin (Intercontinental championship match)
In the midst of another battle between the Hollywood Heartbreakers and Kyle Andrews, this one has kind of been swept under the rug, but it’s almost as though Martin is fine with that. Kizzar won the right to this title shot 3 weeks ago when he defeated Eric Ridgeway on ReVenge, but one has to assume Martin would love to face a distracted Kizzar rather than one fully focused on the match.
Marks: This one could go either way, and I'll tell you why: Martin and Kizzar have completely different approaches to this and depending on who gets the upper hand early could completely alter the outcome. If Kizzar proves to have been too busy trying to "protect" Santoy from Andrews and ends up not being prepared for the technical onslaught from Martin, it could mean a submission victory for the champ. However, if Kizzar finds that he can still deliver a complete beat down on Martin and take away that technical edge, he MAY be able to capture the title. Put another way, it's hard to knock someone out when you can't feel your legs, but you certainly can't out wrestle someone when you're out cold on the mat. Ultimately I give this one to Kizzar.
Santos: I’ll be the first to jump on the Kizzar bandwagon, of course. I’ve seen the man win the SureShot contract against one of the best in the business in John Pirtle. However, he IS young and inexperienced, and with his attention being drawn in two different directions, I can’t help but think this match is a bit of an afterthought for him. And Kevin Martin is not one to be taken lightly. I’d say the champ keeps his title here.
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Connor House vs. Devlin Hunter(Hardcore championship-Falls Count Anywhere)
Last month, Devlin Hunter defeated Connor House in an absolutely brutal ladder match for the Hardcore title. Since then though, House seems to have gained an edge over the rookie in his quest to regain the title. That all changed last week, with the addition of Denise Albertus and Brooke into the mix, giving Hunter the ability to choose the stipulation AND have Brooke barred from ringside for the match, two things that will obviously help him in his title defense.
Marks: Okay, I must be just a sadistic fan because I am really looking forward to this. Hunter has shown some serious fire these past few weeks and with the ability to name the stip, won for him last week by Albertus, he finally might have the upper hand on House, especially now that Brooke is barred. I will say that House has shown time and time again that he will win by any means necessary, and a Falls Count Anywhere match requires just that type of madness. I'm going to give this one to House just because he is just that crazy, but I would love to see Hunter win and begin a LONG hardcore reign.
Santos: I hate to say it, but the streets of Little Rock are probably going to run red after this one. I’ve seen and talked with both of these men, and neither is backing down from a fight anytime soon. Plus anytime you add weapons into the mix, the chances of mayhem go up exponentially. I’d look for this one to be a knock down, drag out affair, but in the end, I believe Connor House will come out on top on sheer toughness and experience with the match stip.
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Alex Knight vs PG-13
Last month on Uncivil Dispute, PG13 turned on his longtime friend John Pirtle, injuring him perhaps for the rest of the season in a vicious attack. Fast forward though, and you find that Alex Knight, the young protégé of both men, takes exception to PG13 cutting his training short. The two have exchanged verbal barbs for the last few weeks, but now they finally get a chance to show what they have in the ring.
Marks: In our first of three non-title grudge matches, we have two of the Repeat Offenders going toe to toe. Somehow Pirtle is the cause of this, but really anyone could've seen this coming from a mile away: PG-13 never works well as a team player and Knight is still looking to make a name for himself after failing to capture the SureShot from Kizzar. With no stipulations on this I'm giving this one to Knight, as I just don't think that 13 has it in him to win a standard match. He was the longest hardcore champ for a reason, but that same reason is why he sometimes struggles in standard matches.
Santos: It’s difficult to call this one. On the one hand, you have the experience of PG13, but on the other, the sheer athleticism of Alex Knight. Both men are going to come to Little Rock ready to fight, and a fight it will be. In the end though, I have to go with the streaks. Aside from his loss last month at Uncivil Dispute, Alex Knight is on a hell of a hot streak, and while I don’t doubt the abilities of PG13, the steady diet of losses he’s taken for the last few months can’t have done wonders for his confidence.
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Carmen Madison & Chalie Williams vs Emma Kiwi & Becky Raines
The web in the Femme division is twisted to say the least. Former friends and enemies Williams and Raines meet up for the first time since Mind Games IV, with the added elements of the new generation, Kiwi and Madison. This marks Raines’ first match since that fateful Mind Games encounter, while the history of Kiwi, Madison and Williams is well documented this season. Can Madison and Williams work together as a unit, or will they lose out to the champ and the hall of famer?
Marks: This is our second grudge match and I honestly am not sure what is going on here. Madison and Raines seem to be just thrown into this for no real reason at all, while Williams and Kiwi continue to battle for the title. Raines interjected herself into the fray, but Jackie Blue has power to keep things like that from happening, so why ignore the titles (both of which are not being contested in this show) and allow for these women to re-hash old feuds? The Femme division was on a hot streak for a while, but lately the titles seem to have gotten lost in favor of drama and bickering. I'm giving this to Kiwi and Raines, but only because they seem angrier. I sincerely hope that Blue gets things back on track with the Femme division, and soon.
Santos: To be hoenst, I never thought we’d see Becky Raines again, let alone in an actual match. There’s obviously the drama of her facing the woman who forced her to retire all those years ago, Chalie Williams, but there’s a subtext many are overlooking. Williams and Raines were THE two women during their time at the top of the Femme Division, something that is oddly mirrored by Madison and Kiwi now. To be honest, for a match with nothing actually on the line except pride, I’d expect these four to give a match for the ages, even if their alliances are shaky at best. If pressed for a winner though, I’d have to go with Raines and Kiwi. They seem to both be on top of their games, and possibly a bit more unified than the thrown together team of Madison and Williams.
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Big-D and T-Roc vs The Devil Dogs(Scooter Pondoff and Travis Grant) (SWF Tag-Team Championships)
Big D and T-Roc have been on a tear since re-emerging a few months ago, and they’ve finally reached the top of the tag team division. Standing in their way, however, are the Devil Dogs, who have been the tag champs the entire season. Who will walk out of Verizon Arena with the tag titles?
Marks: This is my pick to be the surprise hit of the night. Both teams are built mostly the same way, with one partner having speed while the other holds the power. Both teams have been doing this for a while and know how to operate as a unit and both teams have no desire to see the other holding the titles. I would say that history favors the Dogs, having held off the likes of D-squared, the Hollywood Heartbreakers, and Smoking' Aces, but all of the teams have lacked one thing, and that is the sneaky factor. The Aces pushed it, but ultimately they respected the Dogs. Big-D and T-Roc have no respect and will stoop to new lows to capture titles. I'm giving this one to them, but I will go out on a limb and say that karma always hurts: if you wronged someone out of a title, don't be surprised if they return the favor.
Santos: On paper, two evenly matched teams. However, I have to agree with my partner that Big D & T-Roc bring the added element of not stopping at anything to get those tag titles. I believe, if anyone can repel them, it would be the Devil Dogs, but the odds are stacked heavily against them.
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Josh Arcanum vs. Chas Dohanich(w/ Jason Powers)
For the entire season, Arcanum and Powers have been battling, but last month, a new wrinkle was added to the mix, as Chas Dohanich interjected himself on Powers’ behalf. Obviously Arcanum won’t let that slide though, and he challenged Dohanich to a match, which will happen at Game Over. Can Arcanum overcome Dohanich, or will Jason Powers’ new pitbull make the Suicide Phoenix a victim again?
Marks: This one is built more around the beef between Powers and Arcanum than
Dohanich and Arcanum, but knocking someone out has a tendency to make them mad, so I'm sure Arcanum will have no trouble focusing on the task at hand of putting Dohanich away. However, Powers has no trouble injecting himself into things, like a virus, so this really turns into a two-on-one handicap match, which Arcanum may struggle with. I'm not sure if Arcanum can hook up with a friend and even the score, but for his sake, I hope he does. This one goes to Dohanich and Powers
Santos: This one almost has a bit of the same overtones as the Pouncy/Valderaz match. Basically, if Arcanum can hold his emotions in check, I believe he has a chance, but if not, Dohanich can be almost surgical in the ring, taking apart even the best superstars if they aren’t having a good day. And I’m almost certain my old broadcast colleague will be out there, egging Arcanum into doing something foolish. I don’t like Arcanum’s chances here, but perhaps the referee will see reason and banish Powers to the back.
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Daniel Santoy vs. Kyle Andrews(SWF Heavyweight championship)
On the season premiere of ReVenge, Kyle Andrews called Daniel Santoy out to a match. Since then, the two have taken their own separate paths, but Andrews called again three weeks ago, and Santoy finally answered. The two are meeting for only the second time in their careers, the first time being Andrews’ first match at Mind Games V, a match that Santoy won. Now, in Santoy’s hometown, Andrews is looking to get respect. Can the veteran take Andrews down and become the only five time SWF champion in history? Or will Andrews gain that respect by literally beating it out of him?
Marks: This is the main event of the night, and rightly so. These two men have been on a collision course and the time has come. Andrews continues to cement his legacy as a star of the SWF and a force to be reckoned with, but he hasn't met a technical master like Santoy. The sparks will fly during this one and I expect it to be a long, long match. I would say that the length pays to Santoy's strength, but I'm not sure that Andrews is really any less dangerous after 20-30 minutes than he is in the first 5 minutes. This is sure to be a match for the ages and both men will brawl, but I have to give this one to Santoy, the man who is hungry to prove to the world that he is not too old to tangle with the new generation.
Santos: I’ve watched men take on Daniel Santoy for close to 12 years now, and it is NEVER an easy task. Add to that that all of Andrews’ title defenses have been somewhat spotty for the last few months, and you begin to see where I think Santoy will become champion in front of his hometown crowd. That being said, never underestimate Andrews. There is no length he won’t go to to maintain his hold on the SWF Championship, and while Santoy seems to think he can handle whatever Andrews can dish out, I’m not so sure…
SWF Game Over will be live from Verizon Arena in Little Rock, Arkansas.