Diamond Quest Results

[DUEL Rory Laurent]

Diamond Quest Results - July 17
Courtesy of the Acme Autoscorer Results Generator.

On the evening of Saturday, July 17, the Outback held the cyclic Diamond Quest. The Acme Autoscorer was pre-programmed to hold a double-elimination style tournament with the following seven competitors -- Max Blue, Gork, Xerzes, Harris D'Artainian, Cassius Maximus, Matt Simon, and Bode Bojangles.

As the top seed according to the latest Emerald Rankings, Max Blue received the first bye. Gork met up with Cassius and immediately went to work. Cas was only able to manage a mutual connecting strike before being taken down by Gork with a final score of 5-1. Matt managed to handle Xerzes a bit better. The score remained neck-in-neck and was in a dead heat in the final two rounds. Eventually, Xerzes managed to strike out with a chop to seal Matt's trip to the Loser Bracket. Bode and Harris were also evenly matched but when the score reached four all in the thirteenth round, Bode made an error by attempting to better position himself while instead taking a blow from Harris.

End of Round 1:
Max 0-0
Harris 1-0
Matt 0-1
Gork 1-0
Cas 0-1
Xerzes 1-0
Bode 0-1

In the Winner's Bracket, Max made his first appearance by facing Xerzes in a ring. With a series of defenses and hand attacks, Max dominated his opponent in a 5-2 win. Gork started off with a strong lead over Harris but began to falter in the sixth round as Harris began a slow but steady comeback. Gork did manage to get the final two points needed to finish the match, gaining himself a 5-3 win. In the Loser's Bracket, Matt got the bye as Cas and Bode fought it out to see who would advance and who would take the first ticket home. Cas couldn't seem to get into the tournament and got sent home early.

End of Round 2:
Max 1-0
Harris 1-1
Matt 0-1
Gork 2-0
Cas 0-2 (OUT)
Xerzes 1-1
Bode 1-1

A heated battle lit up the final match in the Winner's Bracket. Max and Gork spent ten rounds trading points. Although, it remained close, Max was never able to get a hold on the lead and Gork took the 5-4 win with a final sweep in low. The Loser's Bracket was a flurry of action as well. Xerzes and Harris also remained neck-in-neck the whole duel as Harris relied on defense and Xerzes on jabs and chops. In the final round, it was Xerzes' chop that stood the test while Harris' defense failed to protect him. Bode didn't waste any time starting in on Matt. He immediately attacked, first with a sweep and then using Matt's momentum against him. Matt was never able to mount a comeback and the duel ended with dual sweeps in the final round for a 5-3 win for Bode.

End of Round 3:
Max 1-1
Harris 1-2 (OUT)
Matt 0-2 (OUT)
Gork 3-0
Xerzes 2-1
Bode 2-1

Gork then was able to take a break until a winner emerged from the Loser's Bracket. Max had already had one bye so the bye instead went to the next top seed -- Xerzes. Without much of a break, lowest seeded Bode found himself facing top seeded Max. The action was fast and hard-hitting. Max would connect and Bode would respond in kind. A pair of jabs tied it up at 4 and then Bode went in for the sweep but Max was there to block for the 5-4 win.

End of Round 4:
Max 2-1
Gork 3-0
Xerzes 2-1
Bode 2-2 (OUT)

Gork still remained seated as, this time, Max and Xerzes stepped into the ring for the second time of the tournament. Max was not able to take the strong commanding lead that he had managed in the first duel. Instead, Xerzes again relied on a chop followed by a jab to take an early lead. The two took each other down in the third round but it was the only point that Max was able to score. Xerzes followed up with a snapkick and then a jab to finish Max off.

End of Round 5:
Max 2-2 (OUT)
Gork 3-0
Xerzes 3-1

The long-anticipated matchup between Gork and Xerzes finally came to ahead but not for IceDancer as expected. Instead, the Diamond was the prize. Xerzes again relied on his snapkick, chop, and jab to cut down Gork who, while he kept close to Xerzes, never really seemed in command of the round. With a final score of 5-4, Xerzes was named the winner of the first duel.

End of Round 6:
Gork 3-1
Xerzes 4-1

The matchup preceded without a pause as Gork needed to be defeated twice for Xerzes to emerge the winner of the tournament. Xerzes again opened with an arm technique -- jabbing for the opening point. He followed up with an attempted sweeping but Gork leaped over it to tie up the score. Xerzes' reliance on the snapkick failed him as Gork chopped in for a point. The lead didn't last long as Gork followed up with a jab that Xerzes was able to duck beneath to tie the score up at two. Xerzes followed that up with yet another jab, taking back the lead. Xerzes snapkick again failed to do damage as Gork's block stopped it, bringing the score to a tie again -- now 3 all. Gork followed that up with showing Xerzes how a snapkick is supposed to work but his lead didn't last long either as the crowd saw Xerzes cut Gork down with yet another chop to bring the match to SUDDEN DEATH! The two warily approached each other but nothing came of it and then Gork went in for the grab but Xerzes was no where to be found. Xerzes took the point and the win.

End of Round 7:
Gork 3-2
Xerzes 5-1

The Acme Autoscorer Results Generator congratulates the seven competitors for their fine performances and names Xerzes the current Diamond of the Duel of Fists.

[Maria Graziano]

All hail the challenge-ducking, panzy Diamond!

MGB