RII 2013 Matches To Watch Preview
Match 1: Eric O’Brien/Art Dutra vs. Jay Trzaskos/Jesse Stadtmueller
(The return of EOB, The Debut of Trzaskos, TX and CT All Over the Place)
You don’t have to look for long before running into a very intriguing match…match 1 to be exact. Here we have the return of two time finalist and perennial contender Eric “Father of the Year” O’Brien after a year layoff to multiply his own personal gene pool. O’Brien has come within striking distance of a championship on two occasions, and there is no doubt that getting so close without taking gold still burns him. In this match we also see the only remaining member of Team Texas duke it out with his fellow statesman as Art “Dutro” Dutra takes on newcomer Jay “Buffalo” Trzaskos. Rumor has it that Trzaskos is no joke of a player and this would be a perfect opportunity to make a major splash right off the bat. Dutra, however, is looking to establish himself as a major player in this event, and will be coming in with guns blazing to take down the young upstart. Finally, there is the matter of one Jesse “Statenheimer” Stadtmueller. Stadtmueller is coming into the event with one word on his mind: respect. He wants some, and winning the first match out of the gate will go a long way in helping him get some.
Match 3: Andy Grady/Joe Menassa vs. Rob Zeuge/Dan Larochelle
(Champs Debut, Zeuge Brings the Heat)
Rounds 1 and 2 are stacked with some major match ups with big seeding implications. Joe “NGL” Menassa plays in his first match since hoisting the 2012 RII Championship trophy, and he teams up with the one man hate manufacturer, former champ, Andy “The Legend” Grady”. On paper this seems like a pretty good pairing for Menassa, however, across the table from him is a major nemesis: Rob Zeuge. Add to this fact that Zeuge wasted no time in calling out Menassa, stating that “NGL” has never defeated him in RII play. In a match where “The Legend” usually overshadows the rest of the show with his antics, he will actually take second stage to what is sure to be a major rivalry coming to a head early. Also, what of Dan Larochelle? Larochelle was a hugely underrated player last year in his RII debut and you better believe he is poised to make a major impact early on in this competition. Expect a ton of noise coming from this big time match.
Match 5: Tim Moreau/Jesse Wilkinson vs. Pat Fagan/Andrew Shartenberg
(Monster Match 1)
Round 2, Match 5, yet another massive event with huge seeding implications before things even really start to get rolling. This one carries the debut of 2012 RII Champion Tim “Red Card” Moreau as he teams up with the only man who could strategize himself into a win during a beer pong match, Jesse Wilkinson. Moreau came of age last year and showed why he is a force to be reckoned with for years to come. His first match will not be an easy one, however, as he’ll be staring down the barrel of a gun loaded with two of the hungriest players in the game, Pat “The Heretic” Fagan, and Andrew “Sharte” Shartenberg. Fagan and Shartenberg are both extremely good qualification players who promise not to be fazed by the defending champ and his strategic monster of a partner. Without a doubt, this promises to be the major match of early play, setting the tone for the rounds to follow.
Match 18: Rick Blight/Rayvon Miller vs. Tom Schindler/Jay Trzaskos
(Who will drink more?)
Match 18 is a fascinating one. Three time finalist Rick “Big Bad” Blight teams up with a relative newcomer Rayvon “Mr. Worldwide” Miller to face Tom “The List” Schindler and Jay “Buffalo” Trzaskos. While Blight works hard to raise his game up and reach his elusive goal of RII Champion, Tom Schindler is looking to finally realize his potential and bring himself into the upper echelon of players. Blight and Schindler are sure to duke it out here, liver against liver in a match of behemoths. Both will be jockeying for high rankings, and there will be little room for error. This is where Miller and Trzaskos come in. Rayvon has skill, and Trzaskos will still be feeling out the field at this point. Whoever comes out of the gate hotter, might be the “X Factor”. Will “Mr. Worldwide” take it to the next level? Will the Trzaskos shine is a match against the big time players. Match 18 will give us some clues.
Match 22: Paul Vasquez/Dave Carter vs. Eric O’Brien/Karla Schindler
(Love Hurts, RII 3 Championship Rematch)
Match 22 has a pair of very interesting story lines to go with it. First, both Paul “Wait for It” Vasquez and Karla “The Other” Schindler stormed onto the circuit last year, surprising many with their pinpoint shooting, and solid nerves. They are also both due to be married, and there is nothing that can drive a wedge into a relationship more than a competitive battle like these two will be engrossed in with this match. Vasquez has the tools to be a major contender in this year’s event, while Schindler is highly underrated. The deciding factor in this match of heavyweights could rest on the second storyline in which Dave “The Show” Carter, will meet the man he and his partner defeated to become champions during RII 3, Eric “Father of the Year” O’Brien. O’Brien certainly remembers that day, and has been chomping at the bit for some retribution, while “The Show” has not been afraid to let the world know of his intent to go undefeated for an unprecedented second time in RII history. This one will come to a head quickly, and could shake the foundation of RII and beyond.
Match 32: Andy Morrison/Rob Zeuge vs. Paul Vasquez/Miki Oliver
(RII 1 Rematch)
Remember when everyone knew Miki “Keep Your Balls Wet” Oliver as champion? Fact: Oliver is still a good player. No one can attest to that more than Rob Zeuge, who dropped to him in the inaugural RII 1 championship. To this day, Zeuge has yet to be back to the finals, and without a doubt he would like to take out some of that frustration on Miki. Zeuge will be teamed up with a strong partner in Andy “The Preferred” Morrison. Morrison is no slouch at the table, and will likely be working on climbing up towards the top of the rankings. Oliver has Paul Vasquez who will be looking to keep his stamina top notch after half the competition has completed. This match will likely vault one of these four players into picking contention, and leave someone else in shambles. Could this be the year that we see Miki Oliver back competing for the championship? He’ll have to win this match to do it.
Match 41: JR Casey/Dave Carter vs. Chris Carnevale/Art Dutra
(Battle of the Dark Horses)
What do JR “Laser Rocket Arm” Casey and Chris Carnevale have in common? They are perennial dark horses who do not get the respect they deserve. JR is always a contender for the title, and usually gets into a zone about this time that makes him near automatic when shooting. The same can be said of Carne who seemingly gets better and better as his foot balance gets worse and worse. These two players will certainly clash with purpose, emboldened by strong partners in a battle of four big time players. Dave “The Show” Carter will likely be riding a wave at this point in the competition, and the same can be said for Art Dutra who is also expected to be carrying a strong record at this point. There will be major seeding implications, and the number 1 seed could very well be in the balance.
Match 59: Eric O’Brien/Chris Carnevale vs. Justin Foss/Joe Menassa
(Monster Match 2)
As things start to wind down, and everything comes to a head, match 59 could be one of the major deciders in the whole tournament. Here we have four contenders all battling out for what could be any one of the picking spots, high or low. Eric O’Brien and Chris Carnevale have a close personal history with each other. This should translate into a strong partnership in this match, and just in time for the money hour in qualifications. One person we have not talked about as of yet is Justin Foss. Foss made his debut in 2012 and gave a strong showing. Much like Tim Moreau last year, Foss has the chance to turn it up in his second year and make a major impact on the competition. No one would be more pleased by this than the defending champion, Joe Menassa, who will be fighting through a tough schedule to get into a picking rank. Menassa and Foss could prove to be an overwhelming force for EOB and Carne, but they will have to gel at just the right time to break the bonds of the team that the pair of Bobcats will form. All eyes will be on this table at the end of the day, that is a promise.