How You Betting? - Division Finals

[Conner Reid]

Alright, mates. It be the Division Finals and we guess we’ll go ahead and pick some winners and iffin you’ve got even a drop of bleeding sense in your head, you’ll go ahead and wager the opposite way we go. Last week we went zero-for-four in our picks which really suggests we should be finding a new profession.

But we already been paid for it, so here be our predictions.

Ilnaren Division Finals

(9) Jay Capistrano vs. (6) Gatito

Capistrano continued his impressive Madness run last week, besting the number four seed Jaycy Ashleana in an absolute barn burner of a fight. The pair were neck-and-neck until round 7 when Capistrano started to pull away. But Ashleana held him at matchpoint through four more rounds. This fight went the distance ending in round 15 when Capistrano were finally able to put away Ashleana for a 6-5 win. It were a fight truly worthy of a final four placement. We can’t say enough of these two fighters---Ashleana who gutted it out and did not throw in after falling behind 4-2---and of Capistrano for not getting rattled when he found himself all tied up in round 13 after teetering on the edge of victory. These two fighters got nerves of bloody steel, but it were Capistrano who came out on top.

Now Capistrano been in these here finals before---he were division champion in 2009, 2012, and 2013---placing himself in the Final Four in those seasons. But he never been able to make it out and see the championship fight. Will this be his year?

Iffin we were uncertain whether Gatito would be able to handle the intimidation of facing a veteran fighter, he certainly answered the question last week in his defeat of Myria Graziano. Coming into the fight, Gatito were looking strong after his previous round wins, but he were facing Graziano, a two-time Madness champion. During the fight, Gatito jumped out to a quick and early lead. But he couldn’t hold off Graziano who tied things back up at 3-3 by round 6. And yet, Gatito were not shaken. He scored in two straight rounds and took home the win 5-3 in round 8. Graziano never had a lead in the fight.

Last time we remember a first-time-Madness fighter do so well were in 2015, when 15-seed Mason Harrigan fought his way to the top of the Xenograg Division. But Gatito be not a low seed in this here tournament. In fact he were seeded better than Graziano. And in every fight he be showing exactly why that be the case. Gatito is here to win.

So who will it be? Capistrano repping the Wrecking Crew once again in the Madness finals? Or fresh-faced Gatito taking it all the way?

Gatito. There be no doubt that Capistrano has the skill, experience, and nerves-of-bloody-steel to take himself to the championship match. But Gatito has never looked better in the ring, and we want to see a first-timer go all the way.

Anderson Division Finals

(5) Ebon Ilnaren vs. (11) Suturi

There were but one person in the 1M pool who had Ebon Ilnaren picked to make it to this here Division Final. Do you know who that was? Aye, it were none other than myself. Did we think he’d be facing Hope Naharis when he did it? No, we did not. Maybe that be why we were the only one to go his way. In fact Naharis were favored to win that fight in the pools at a rate of 8 to 1. But there be some particular magic about Madness, and now two years running, Ilnaren be showing he got the magic. Naharis opened the fight with a quick lead, but in round 4 Ilnaren stole that early lead away from the Overlord. And he never gave it back. Even though Naharis tied the fight back up in round 8, Ilnaren went on to score two unanswered points and took home the win.

Ilnaren be looking to repeat his 2020 showing where he defeated number-one-seed Gren Blockman for the division and put himself in the championship match. Can he give himself another shot at the title?

We been describing Suturi’s fighting style as chaotic since she began in this here tournament and surely that were no more on display than when she faced Runt for this here spot in the Final Four. At the outset, the wee lass evened the playing field by magically sizing herself up to face the frost giant in the Outback. Together, the two of them near brought the place down, causing all manner of damages (and headaches) for venue manager Matt Simon. But we be here to talk about the fighting, and aye, the fighting too were a sight to behold. Runt jumped out to an early lead, but it were soon tied up by Suturi. That tie held in place for five more rounds before Suturi were finally able to break through. But the lead didn’t hold. As the two smashed up the Outback, Runt kept tying up the score keeping Suturi from maintaining any lead longer than a single round. In the end, it came down to the ever-dreaded sudden death. Unfortunately for Runt, he still could not manage to score first. Suturi came up with the winning point in round 12, securing herself the last lead that matters and a position in the Final Four.

Suturi brings big personality to her fights in the Arena and that chaotic energy we have so struggled to quantify in these here columns. But will that be enough to get past Ebon’s clear-minded dueling and secure herself a spot in the finals?

For Ilnaren, this looks a lot like the first round match-up he had against the well-skilled Skunk the Great---an opponent with a wild dueling approach that be challenging to adapt to. We don’t know how this looks for Suturi. Just another fun night in the ring? Another opportunity to threaten someone with a good time? We don’t know what she be thinking. And that seems to be the point, aye? So who will it be?

Ilnaren. Mates, when we sat down to pick our brackets at the outset of this here tournament, we believed that Ilnaren has what it takes to give himself another shot at the championship. And we still do.


Iffin picking winners in this here tournament were easy, we’d all be rich. Instead, this here humble columnist will be bringing sack lunches to work for the next decade.

But that’s how I’m betting.

Reid.