Shadow Weaver challenge results (01/22/03)

[DoF Archive]

Date: 1/23/2003 1:49 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: HOST Game Court


January 22nd, 2003
The Outback
by Courtnall Chambers

Tical M. Carter versus Angelina Darkling
Fight for possession of the Black Opal, Shadow Weaver

OUTBACK -- Tical Carter brought challenge to Angelina Darkling for the right to hold the Black Opal - a battle that would come down to a single round.

Balancing Act
The first match would assure that Styx would claim another victim in an Opal Challenge.    The Defending Opal and the Challenger started off hard and fast, sweeping each other down before rising to posture at one another.  It would be Carter that would claim the first lead of the match, quickly sweeping Darkling down once again before she can lock him up in a grapple.  The straightforward approach would work again for Carter in the following round as he would land a hard left inside of Darkling's attempted roundhouse kick. 

Darkling would immediately attempt to work her way back, however, landing a straight jab even as Carter attempted to get some air.  Try as she might, Darkling would not be able to pull even, though as her mistimed sweep would land her back in a two point deficit after Carter's mid-level kick. 

Although down 4-2 after round 6, a series of stall tactics would put Darkling in a better position, and soon the old adage "defense wins games" was put to work by the Defender.  Two counterstrike moves brought the match to a very quick tie at 4 point apiece after 10 rounds.  And round 11 would be no different in outcome than the previous two - Darkling avoided a straight jab from Carter, counterstruck, and stole the first match of the best of three right out from under him, 5-4. 

Can It
Challenger's choice brought this match to The Can for fight number two.  Challenger's choice would also put him ahead of the Defender by an almost insurmountable score after just four rounds.  A quick punch and double counterstrike combination gave Carter a 3-0 lead going into round 5.

Although Darkling would manage to get on the scoreboard in round 5, matching Carter's sweep attack with one of her own, it was perhaps an energy saving tactic that possessed Darkling to ridgehand into the waiting arms of Carter - a quick body toss and the second match came to a 5-1 end in the Challenger's favor.  This challenge would be decided by a final, winner-take-all battle in the Pit.

Blind Match leads to a brutal finish
The third match fell into the bowels of the Pit for a "blind" match to determine who would leave holding the Black Opal.  With only a minimal amount of light available to the duelists thanks to the closing of the Pit above them, the shadows were the only live witness to the match, as the crowd of seven watched the fight through a live camera feed. 

Mud was churned immediately as both fighters swept at each other, colliding hard and fast to open up the deciding match.  A stalling tactic from Darkling would immediately give her the position over her opponent in the following round, but she would not press it, despite putting her Opal's abilities to good use.  Round three would be a direct attack from both fighters once again, and once again it would be low sweeps - the score stood tied at 2 after 3 rounds.

The following two rounds would be nothing but fighters attempting to feel each other out - first it was Carter trying to fake out Darkling and then it was Darkling trying to fake out Carter.  Round six saw Carter sneak into the lead as he continued a defensive approach, counterstriking under Darkling's straight jab to score the full point.  He would not hold onto the lead for long.

A miscued leap would send Carter sliding back through the mud as Darkling landed a jump kick and then both fighters would stand toe-to-toe in the darkness and slam each other in an exchange of fists.  The final match would not come to an easy end for either fighter - the score was 4-4 after 8 rounds.

After a single series of posturing, Darkling would launch the fight ending jab ... and Carter would toss her away to claim the Black Opal as its newest holder. 

Match notes: The revolving door of the Opals continues as Tical M. Carter defeats Angelina Darkling 2-1 (4-5, 5-1, 5-4).