Last Chance Qualifer
Pastimes, Chicago, IL
Reported by Neil Gow

Here we are at the start of a weekend of massive Raw Deal action out of Illinois. The World Championship Qualifiers have been arriving from the four corners of the world over the last 24 hours, but tomorrow is their day. Today is about the brave souls how have come to battle for the final spot at the Big Table - winning a seat at the World Championship, a ticket to Wrestlemania and finally realising the potential that they have been building to for their entire life. Today is the beginning of the biggest ever weekend in the history of Raw Deal.

Pre-Tournament Excitement

There's definitely a buzz around the shop, with a LOT of people milling around and eager to sign up to the tournament. There are players from as far away as Australia, California and Canada - and two former world champions; Wess Victory and Bryan Witte, desperate to reclaim their former glory. The field is strong - very strong - and whoever wins this tournament will have earned their place at the championship.

The Greatest Judging Team in the History of Raw Deal

Pulling the greatest judging talent from around the world, this tournament has it all. Head Manager for the tournament is New York's own Tom McKelvey. Head Judge is Online Rules Manager Creed, tournament organisation and running is added to with the talents of Raw Deal Co-designers Barron Vangor Toth and Mike Foley, head playtester Jason Griffey and former UK Commissioner Neil Gow (hey, thats me and I'm doing the reporting as well!)

Facts and Figures

Number of Participants: 122

Superstar Breakdown:

7: Leader of the Peepulation
6: Big Freakin Machine, Bobby Heenan, Home Team
5: Roddy Piper, The Game
4: Chris Benoit, Doink, Sgt Slaughter, Vince McMahon
3: Hurrifriends, The Immortal One, Leader of the Edge Army, Paul Heyman, Rob Van Dam, The Rock, Shane McMahon, Your Freakin Hero
2: Batista, Cena, Christy, Eddie Guerrero, Edge, Flair, Triple H, JBL, Chris Jericho, The Phenom, Gene Snitsky, Tajiri, Teddy Long, Torrie Wilson, Victoria
1: Babe of the Year, Booker T, Carlito, Dudley Boyz, Evolution, HBK, Heatseekers, Kane, Highlight of the Night, Lita, Matt Hardy, MNM, The People's Team, Randy Orton, Rhyno, Shelton Benjamin, Stacey Keibler, Stephanie McMahon, Trish Stratus, The Undertaker.

Round Three Unbeatens

At the end of Round Three, the following players were blazing a trail, unbeaten on 3-0

Big Freakin Machine - Chase Dimino
Doink - Bryan Witte
Edge - Matt Fetting
Ric Flair - Ken Conely
Bobby Heenan - Jason Stoddard
Bobby Heenan - Mike Ohneck
The Home Team - Mitchell Frederick
Triple H - Eddie McNulty
Leader of the Peepulation - John Kurtenbach
The Peoples Champ - Steve Bondoch
Roddy Piper - John Macek
Randy Orton - Evan Camenzuli
Teddy Long - Adam Pecsi
Vince McMahon - Bryon Rickerson

Round Five Unbeatens

Edge - Matt Fetting
Bobby Heenan - Mike Ohneck
Triple H - Eddie McNulty
Roddy Piper - John Macek
Teddy Long - Adam Pecsi
Vince McMahon - Bryon Rickerson

Hordes of players in Pastimes	Check out the BIG timing clock...
Barron looks on, appreciating the play	Old School! Drexler vs Witte
Team Canada's Antigoth, Brian Mitchell	LaRoche, Kandyman and Creed

No Way Out Revealed!

Raw Deal Co-designer Mike Foley busted out The Bookerman for some demo games. Whilst we obviously cannot spoil the details of all the new cards, Barron cackled maniacally at the new characters Volley-based ability, knowing it would go down so well with certain notables in the UK....

Top 16 Cuts...

Matt Fetting and World Championship 2005 participant Mike Ohneck were both undefeated on 6-0 and go into the finals as top seeds.

Steve Bondoc (People's Champ) beat Matt Felling (Edge)
Eddie McNulty (HHH) beats Mike Ohneck (Heenan)
John Macek (Piper) beats Matt Laurie (RVD)
Cole Reukauf (Leader of the Edge Army) beats Brian Mitchell (Hurrifriends)
Adam Pecsi (Teddy Long) beats Dom Ranieri (Big Freakin Machine)
Mitchel Friederick (Home Team) beats Sean Hoover (Sgt. Slaughter)
Bryon Rickersten (Vince McMahon) beats Zack Sporen (Shane McMahon)
Bryan Witte (Doink) beat Niki Heber (Evolution)

Top 8 Cuts...

The last round saw three of the top four seeds topple, leaving the field wide open.

Mitchel Friedrick (Home Team) beats Eddie McNulty (HHH)
Bryon Rickersten (Vince) beat Adam Pecsi (Teddy Long)
Cole Reukauf (Leader of the Edge Army) beats Bryan Witte (Doink)
John Macek (Piper) beats Steve Bondoc (People's Champ)

Top 4 Cuts...

Mitchel Friedrick (Home Team) beats Bryon Rickersten (Vince)
John Macek (Piper) beats Cole Reukauf (Leader of the Edge Army)

The Final

Their lives have lead to this moment....only to be surpassed (possibly) by events tomorrow. The Final of the Last Chance Qualifier starts NOW.

John Macek, from New York, playing Roddy Piper plays Mitchel Friedrick, from Dubuque, playing The Home Team

Mitchel reveals The Home Team, Backstage Signature, Signing Appearance

John reveals Rowdy Roddy Piper, Signing Appearance

M: Washington, DC
M: Back to Basics
M: Old School Manager
J: Managed by "The Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart
M: Old School Psychology
J: Through All the Years
M: Old School Antics
J: U.S. Title Belt
M: Old School Antics
J: Piper's Pit (blanking Old School Antics)
J: The Champ Is Here
J: Vince GRA
J:Restart the Match
J: WWE Championship Belt

Mitch draws 9
John draws 8

M: resolves Signing App
J: resolves Signing App, WWE Chamionship Belt (Back Fist), declines to Restart

M: You Feelin' Lucky TB
J: Volley This

M: The Shhh! Chop
J: Vince GRA

J: draws Back Fist
M: Sustained Damage, reversed on 1

M: draws for turn, Arm Bar
J: Back Fist

J: draws, Reverse Clothesline
M: discards to Sustained, reversed on overturn, discards for SSA, recovers 4 cards

M: draws, The Road to Victory, pass
J: draws, Commission-er Rules

M: Volley This!

M: draws, pass

J: draws, Shake It Off TB
M: Volley This!

M: draws, Face the Music
J: Unscrupulous SOB, discarding 1 for Old School Psychology

J: draws, Baseball Slide TB
M: Hold the Phone

M: draws, Head Butt
J: Clumsy Opponent

J: draws, Baseball Slide TB
M: reversed on 3, uses Home Team ability

M: draws, SSA - Just Bring It!, Roundhouse Punch
J: Elbow to the Face

J: draws, Underestimated Prowess, Gut Punch Body Slam
M: Once Is Enough

M: draws, Russian Leg Sweep
J: Clumsy Opponent

J: draws, Cold-cocked
M: reversed on 1, uses Home Team ability

M: draws, pass

J: draws, Living the Good Life (puts 8 on bottom, takes 8 cards from Ringside), Gut Punch Body Slam (discards3, removing Volley This x2 and Sustained Damage)
M: reversed on overturn, uses Home Team ability

M: draws, passes

J: draws, Commission-er Rules
M: Volley This!

M: draws, uses ability for I Will Not Die, passes

J: draws, Back Fist
M: revesed on 2

M: draws, passes

J: draws, Underestimated Prowess, removes 4 to get Kidney Punch, Kidney Punch
M: reversed on 1

M: draws, passes

J: draws, Commission-er Rules (JBI), Raw Deal Explosion (Escape Move, Face the Music), What a Maneuver
M: reverses on 5, uses Home Team ability

M: draws, uses ability for Just Bring It, Ready to Fight
J: Cowboy Bob Interferes

J: draws, STF

M: no overturned reversals

THE WINNER OF THE LAST CHANCE QUALIFIER, AND THE FINAL ENTRANT INTO THE WORLD QUALIFIER

"THE CENTIPEDE" JOHN MACEK !!

And thats the end of the tournament! It's been a long day but thanks to the superlative efforts of the Judging Team the tournament started on time (2pm) and finished on the projected finish time, 10pm.

Remember to join us tomorrow for the blow-by-blow coverage of the hottest Raw Deal World Championship yet.

Goodnight folks
Neil, Tom, Jason, Creed, Barron and Mike