Hello everyone, and welcome to the third annual edition of Wrestling March Mayhem, as presented by The Wrestling Blog! Sixty-eight of the best wrestlers working in these United States and Canada will be thrown into a no-holds barred, single elimination tournament in the vein of March Madness. The winners of each match will be decided by YOU the readers of The Wrestling Blog. There will be four match-ups a day (until we get down to the Final Four and Championship Match, which there'll be two and one, obviously), culminating in the crowning of the third annual TWB Super Champion.
There were 21 automatic bids, 43 at-large bids, and 4 staff picks to get into the tournament. Automatic bids were reserved for the following:
WWE Champion, WWE World Heavyweight Champion, NXT Champion, TNA World Champion, ROH World Champion, Chikara Grand Champion, PWG World Champion, SHIMMER World Champion, WSU Champion, DGUSA Open the Freedom Gate Champion, AIW Absolute Champion, AAW Heavyweight Champion, ACW Anarchy Champion, St. Louis Anarchy Champion, Metro Pro Champion, Rampage Pro Champion, CZW World Champion, CWF-Mid Atlantic Champion, ISW Champion, IWC Champion, NYWC Champion, 2CW Champion (because one person holds both the 2CW and ROH Championships, the auto bid for 2CW has opened up an extra at-large bid)
And now, it's time to name the top seeds in each bracket, and each bracket is named for a famous independent wrestling arena. The brackets are named as follows:
CM Punk! Punk is the top overall seed for the second year in a row because he spent most of the last calendar year as WWE Champion. He lost the title to The Rock at the Royal Rumble, but his entire resume was enough to propel him to the top seed in the Berwyn Eagles Club bracket. Joining him as the top seed in the Turners Hall region will be John Cena, who in his "shittiest year of his career," was in the main event of nearly every pay-per-view he participated in, and was still the focus of WWE. The top seed in the American Legion region is Kevin Steen, who got an automatic bid through his dual Championship. He terrorized ROH, anchored PWG, and was one of the most durable, reliable indie wrestlers in the country. Finally, rounding out the #1 seeds in the Easton Funplex region is Chikara Grand Champion Eddie Kingston. Kingston has had a stranglehold on the Grand Championship, getting himself back to the top line on the bracket.
Now, it's time to reveal our brackets, first with the Berwyn Eagles Club region, presented to us by our corporate Champion, Dr. James Andrews. Here are the matchups:
(1) CM Punk (at-large) vs. (16) the winner of the play-in match between Chiva Kid (at-large) and The Big O (NYWC Champion)
(8) Dolph Ziggler (at-large) vs. (9) BJ Whitmer (at-large)
(4) Robert Roode (at-large) vs. (13) MsChif (at-large)
(5) "Sweet" Saraya Knight (SHIMMER Champion) vs. (12) Jay Briscoe
(2) Sheamus (at-large) vs. (15) AJ Steele (Rampage Pro Champion)
(7) Athena (at-large) vs. (10) Nicole Matthews (at-large)
(3) Alberto del Rio (World Heavyweight Champion) vs. (14) Shane Hollister (at-large)
(6) Sami Callihan (at-large) vs. (11) Evan Gelistico (ACW Champion)
Next up, it's the Turners Hall region, presented by our corporate Champion, Fruity Pebbles. Here are the matchups:
(1) John Cena (at-large) vs. (16) the winner of the play-in match between Izzie Deadyet (ISW Champion) and John McChesney (IWC Champion)
(8) Ryback (at-large) vs. (9) Tim Donst (at-large)
(4) Jessicka Havok (WSU Champion) vs. (13) Davey Vega (at-large)
(5) Adam Cole (PWG Champion) vs. (12) Jon Davis (at-large)
(2) Daniel Bryan (at-large) vs. (15) Darin Corbin (St. Louis Anarchy Champion)
(7) Christopher Daniels (at-large) vs. (10) Eddie Edwards (at-large)
(3) ACH (at-large) vs. (14) Mark Briscoe (at-large)
(6) Bully Ray (at-large) vs. (11) Eric Ryan (AIW Champion)
Now, it's time for the American Legion in Reseda region, brought to us by corporate Champion GI Joe: Retaliation. Here are the matchups:
(1) Kevin Steen (ROH and 2CW Champion) vs. (16) Courtney Rush (at-large)
(8) AR Fox (at-large) vs. (9) Jimmy Jacobs (at-large)
(4) The Big Show (at-large) vs. (13) Kane (at-large)
(5) Jeff Hardy (TNA Champion) vs. (12) the winner of the play-in match between Mark Henry (staff pick) vs. Tucor (staff pick)
(2) Austin Aries (at-large) vs. (15) Jaykus Plisken (at-large)
(7) Cheerleader Melissa (at-large) vs. (10) James Storm (at-large)
(3) El Generico (at-large) vs. (14) Kyle Matthews (at-large)
(6) The Rock (WWE Champion) vs. (11) Wade Barrett (at-large)
Finally, it's the Easton Funplex region, sponsored by corporate Champion Worldwide Media Development Corporation. here are the matchups:
(1) Eddie Kingston (Chikara Grand Champion) vs. (16) Arik Royal (CWF-Mid Atlantic Champion)
(8) LuFisto (at-large) vs. (9) Portia Perez (at-large)
(4) Antonio Cesaro (at-large) vs. (13) Silas Young (at-large)
(5) Masada (CZW Champion) vs. (12) the winner of the play-in match between Amazing Kong (staff pick) and Pierre Abernathy (staff pick)
(2) Johnny Gargano (DGUSA Champion) vs. (15) Big E. Langston (NXT Champion)
(7) Michael Elgin (AAW Champion) vs. (10) Jeremy Wyatt (Metro Pro Champion)
(3) Rachel Summerlyn (at-large) vs. (14) Steve Corino (at-large)
(6) Mark Angelosetti (at-large) vs. (11) Mercedes Martinez (at-large)
There are your brackets. Voting begins tomorrow with the play-in rounds. You will be able to find the polls in the upper-left hand corner of the page on the regular blog. If you're reading this on a RSS feed or Google Reader, then click through to the main page and vote.
In the interest of full-disclosure and discussion, here are the last four guys in and the first four guys out:
Last Four In
Mark Briscoe
Jaykus Plisken
Courtney Rush
Chiva Kid
First Four Out
Willie Mack
The Miz
Kalamity
Green Ant
Alright, discuss seeding and what you think the committee got right and wrong here. Voting commences tomorrow!
There were 21 automatic bids, 43 at-large bids, and 4 staff picks to get into the tournament. Automatic bids were reserved for the following:
WWE Champion, WWE World Heavyweight Champion, NXT Champion, TNA World Champion, ROH World Champion, Chikara Grand Champion, PWG World Champion, SHIMMER World Champion, WSU Champion, DGUSA Open the Freedom Gate Champion, AIW Absolute Champion, AAW Heavyweight Champion, ACW Anarchy Champion, St. Louis Anarchy Champion, Metro Pro Champion, Rampage Pro Champion, CZW World Champion, CWF-Mid Atlantic Champion, ISW Champion, IWC Champion, NYWC Champion, 2CW Champion (because one person holds both the 2CW and ROH Championships, the auto bid for 2CW has opened up an extra at-large bid)
And now, it's time to name the top seeds in each bracket, and each bracket is named for a famous independent wrestling arena. The brackets are named as follows:
Berwyn Eagles Club, Turners Hall, American Legion in Reseda, Easton FunplexNow, the top seed. The Number One Overall Seed for this year's tournament is...
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| Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Now, it's time to reveal our brackets, first with the Berwyn Eagles Club region, presented to us by our corporate Champion, Dr. James Andrews. Here are the matchups:
(1) CM Punk (at-large) vs. (16) the winner of the play-in match between Chiva Kid (at-large) and The Big O (NYWC Champion)
(8) Dolph Ziggler (at-large) vs. (9) BJ Whitmer (at-large)
(4) Robert Roode (at-large) vs. (13) MsChif (at-large)
(5) "Sweet" Saraya Knight (SHIMMER Champion) vs. (12) Jay Briscoe
(2) Sheamus (at-large) vs. (15) AJ Steele (Rampage Pro Champion)
(7) Athena (at-large) vs. (10) Nicole Matthews (at-large)
(3) Alberto del Rio (World Heavyweight Champion) vs. (14) Shane Hollister (at-large)
(6) Sami Callihan (at-large) vs. (11) Evan Gelistico (ACW Champion)
Next up, it's the Turners Hall region, presented by our corporate Champion, Fruity Pebbles. Here are the matchups:
(1) John Cena (at-large) vs. (16) the winner of the play-in match between Izzie Deadyet (ISW Champion) and John McChesney (IWC Champion)
(8) Ryback (at-large) vs. (9) Tim Donst (at-large)
(4) Jessicka Havok (WSU Champion) vs. (13) Davey Vega (at-large)
(5) Adam Cole (PWG Champion) vs. (12) Jon Davis (at-large)
(2) Daniel Bryan (at-large) vs. (15) Darin Corbin (St. Louis Anarchy Champion)
(7) Christopher Daniels (at-large) vs. (10) Eddie Edwards (at-large)
(3) ACH (at-large) vs. (14) Mark Briscoe (at-large)
(6) Bully Ray (at-large) vs. (11) Eric Ryan (AIW Champion)
Now, it's time for the American Legion in Reseda region, brought to us by corporate Champion GI Joe: Retaliation. Here are the matchups:
(1) Kevin Steen (ROH and 2CW Champion) vs. (16) Courtney Rush (at-large)
(8) AR Fox (at-large) vs. (9) Jimmy Jacobs (at-large)
(4) The Big Show (at-large) vs. (13) Kane (at-large)
(5) Jeff Hardy (TNA Champion) vs. (12) the winner of the play-in match between Mark Henry (staff pick) vs. Tucor (staff pick)
(2) Austin Aries (at-large) vs. (15) Jaykus Plisken (at-large)
(7) Cheerleader Melissa (at-large) vs. (10) James Storm (at-large)
(3) El Generico (at-large) vs. (14) Kyle Matthews (at-large)
(6) The Rock (WWE Champion) vs. (11) Wade Barrett (at-large)
Finally, it's the Easton Funplex region, sponsored by corporate Champion Worldwide Media Development Corporation. here are the matchups:
(1) Eddie Kingston (Chikara Grand Champion) vs. (16) Arik Royal (CWF-Mid Atlantic Champion)
(8) LuFisto (at-large) vs. (9) Portia Perez (at-large)
(4) Antonio Cesaro (at-large) vs. (13) Silas Young (at-large)
(5) Masada (CZW Champion) vs. (12) the winner of the play-in match between Amazing Kong (staff pick) and Pierre Abernathy (staff pick)
(2) Johnny Gargano (DGUSA Champion) vs. (15) Big E. Langston (NXT Champion)
(7) Michael Elgin (AAW Champion) vs. (10) Jeremy Wyatt (Metro Pro Champion)
(3) Rachel Summerlyn (at-large) vs. (14) Steve Corino (at-large)
(6) Mark Angelosetti (at-large) vs. (11) Mercedes Martinez (at-large)
There are your brackets. Voting begins tomorrow with the play-in rounds. You will be able to find the polls in the upper-left hand corner of the page on the regular blog. If you're reading this on a RSS feed or Google Reader, then click through to the main page and vote.
In the interest of full-disclosure and discussion, here are the last four guys in and the first four guys out:
Last Four In
Mark Briscoe
Jaykus Plisken
Courtney Rush
Chiva Kid
First Four Out
Willie Mack
The Miz
Kalamity
Green Ant
Alright, discuss seeding and what you think the committee got right and wrong here. Voting commences tomorrow!