I’m back and I have the first-round matches for the New Year’s
Tournament. These matches were decided
by random lottery, with the exception of the wild card debut, which always
takes the 16th slot in the final match of the first round.
The rules of the tournament are as follows.
All matches are one-on-one. All
partners, mangers, cornermen, etc. are barred from ringside for the duration of
the tournament. Winners can advance by
pinfall, submission, ring out, or disqualification. In the event of a double ring out, double
disqualification, or time limit draw, BOTH wrestlers are eliminated from the
tournament. All first round matches will
have a 10 minute time limit, second round 15, semifinals 20, and the final will
have a 30 minute time limit just like an AWL Grand Championship Match.
Without further ado, the first-round matches:
1. Ganba vs. Tiger Mask II
An
appropriate start. The man who has been
a symbol of what the AWL is all about since Season 0 versus the man who
spearheaded the campaign that saved the AWL from GWM. Even better it should be a great match.
2. Matt Classic Jr. vs. Chiba Akagi
Two
young studs with excellent technical acumen more fitting of wrestlers with
twice their experience. The biggest
question mark here is Matt Classic Jr.
This will be his first match back from injury, so ring rust is an
obvious and legitimate concern.
3. Azteckaizer NEO vs. Lee Masters
The
first big mismatch this year. A partly
supernatural powerhouse versus a technical wizard. Which will win out? Youth and power, or experience and technique?
4. Estralla Dorada vs. Okada
This,
children, is what we call an unlucky draw.
The Gold Star of Lucha Libre is simply out matched here. The only hope Dorada has is if Okada makes a
mistake due to being fatigued or injured between now and then. NOTE: The New Year’s Tournament is taped on
January 1st, three days before Wrestle Kingdom 12. No matter what happens on that show, Okada
will still be the IWGP Heavyweight Champion at the tournament.
5. Sammy Nix vs. Project Tetsu 2.0
Much
to my surprise, this is Project Tetsu’s first time competing in the tournament. As strong and skilled as the Suplex Master
is, he’s a serious underdog in this match.
But it wouldn’t be the first time Project Tetsu has fallen at the hands
of an obvious underdog. Sammy Nix, on
the other hand, has the extra motivation of being the defending NYT winner and
the desire to become the first wrestler ever to win back to back
tournaments. Still, he has a steep hill
to climb.
6. Erupcion Solar vs. Hassan
An
intriguing match. Both these men have
somewhat similar styles. Their entire
game plan revolves around wearing their opponents down before hitting a
signature move to finish them off. In
Hassan’s case, the Paradigm Shift. In
Solar’s case, the Supernova. The obvious
diffences include style, American vs. Lucha Libre, and experience, the youngest
member of the roster vs. a Season 0 Original.
Frankly, I think this one’s a tossup.
7. Wyvern vs. Big Jerry
A
classic David vs. Goliath situation.
Wyvern is a high-flying cruiserweight and Big Jerry lives up to his
nickname by being a superheavyweight and currently the heaviest man on the
roster. The key here may be the lack of
backup. While Wyvern typically travels
with Shin Jidai, he has plenty of experience wrestling on his own. Big Jerry, on the other hand, has had
relatively few singles matches and this may be his first match without his boss
and tag team partner, Frederick Victor in his corner.
8. Ma-Ji-Ku vs. X
Not much I can say
about this one, is there? Ma-Ji-Ku is
simply one of the best wrestlers ever to set foot in an AWL Ring. But he’s getting on in years and has be
contemplating retirement for a couple of years now. In a way, the fact that GWM wouldn’t touch “a
Mexican midget” (their words, not mine) outside of a single appearance in the
Fukumen World Tournament was probably a good thing for him as he’s had months
to heal some nagging injuries. This will
either be his best tournament performance in years…or his last.
There you have it wrestling fans, the stage is set for the 2018 New
Year’s Tournament. I’ll see you on
January 7th as we start the new year and the new season off with a
bang with the return of the Animated Wrestling League!
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