Abello-NeSmith, Chiongbian rule 2006 World Slasher Cup with two others

The highlight of the 2006 World Slasher Cup Invitational 8-Cock Derby finally came in fight 82 of the final round on January 21 at the Araneta Coliseum where the entry of King Cobra Farm, owned by Philip Chiongban and Raffy Blackwater-WRV of the tandem of Nene Abello and Chris NeSmith were pitted to a championship match that turned out to be one of the best fights of the finals.

Prior to fight 82, King Cobra Farm

On the other hand, Raffy Blakcwater-WRV also tallied 4-straight wins during the two-day preliminary round held on January 17 & 19. It routed the entries of NYJ-ARA Tribu Hiligaynon, Bald Eagle Ladico Lipa, Exodus RC WTJ and Moimoi Magic Island Combined.

Raffy Blackwater-WRV sizzled in the early going of the final round by trouncing Wow Woo Wee sa Araneta-I. It added one more point to its tally by beating fellow frontrunner, Winslet Winpill in fight 36. In fight 58, the said entry suffered a close-contest defeat to Feather River Blues, one of six teams that scored 4-straight wins in the eliminations.

The most awaited fight of the finals came in fight 82 when the two topnotch teams squared for the top honor. As for the entry of King Cobra Farm, whether or not it wins, draws or losses the said fight it would still end up as a champion. On the other hand, it was a "must" win situation for Raffy Blackwater-WRV in order for it to become a champion.

As earlier stated, the said match has turned out to be one of the best fights of the final round.

The two protagonists were evenly matched. In the first buckle, both feathered warriors traded shots, with Raffy Blackwater-WRV connecting "telling blows". As the battle continues raging on in the ground, King Cobra Farm furiously fought back but its foe was always in the striking position and not within the range of its deadly shot. AS the fight was coming to an end, more deadly shuffling blows were delivered by the winning rooster. It was a lopsided victory for Raffy Blackwater-WRV.

Right after fight 82, spectators made side comments about the outcome of the first championship match.

It was a feather's out victory said one of the spectators who witnesses the classic match of the two feathered gladiators; Jorge Araneta, owner of the Araneta Coliseum quipped that it was "the best fight" of the finals; sportsman, Raymond Velayo said, "It was a well-deserved victory"; and a Cebuano prominent cocker made a one-liner remark, "A lopsided win but a tough one."

By virtue of its victory, Raffy Blackwater-WRV shared the top honor with the loser, King Cobra Farm. Both teams tallied 7-1 win-loss card each.

Right after the first championship match, an interview was conducted with Chris NeSmith. He said that this year, Black Water Farm in tandem with their long time Filipino Counterpart, Rafael 'Nene' Abello, fielded two pure Sweater roosters, one 5/8 Sweater 3/8 Yellow Leg Hatch, two 3/4 Sweater 1/4 Yellow Leg Hatch, one 3/4 Sweater 1/4 Carol - which originally came from the 'left in' family, and one 1/2 Sweater 1/4 Yellow Leg Hatch and 1/4 Gilmore.

He adds that the rooster that they fought in the championship match came from a brood pen his father asked him to breed in order to test and see how it would turn out. It was a typical Sweater looking rooster with white bulging marks in the wings and tail.

Meanwhile, after the match between King Cobra Farm and Raffy Blackwater-WRV has taken placed, two more championship matches followd in the last four scheduled fights of the final round.

JOF-Patam Young Guns USA, scored 3 points in the eliminations and another 3-straight wins in the finals, prior to the scheduled championship match in fight 86. It went up against Catch 22. The title aspirant overpowered Catch 22, thus becoming the third champion of the competition with 7-1 (win-loss mark).

Its derby record showed that the only defeat that it suffered was the first fight loss against PPP Eagle Majestic. However, it bounced back to score 3-straight wins against Gold Cup Union TG-I, Ariva RPCD 777 and CMC Game Farm.

Earlier on the finals, it registered convincing victories against San Luis Agsur, JP Tbird-IV and Dada Guam SL Gapan.

The last scheduled championship match was between Partners Balani Winslets and Fantastic Dominator CPB. Both teams had a 6-1, win-loss card each and who ever sins the said match will become the fourth champion of the derby.

Partners Balani Winslets posted three consecutive victories in the two-day elimination round and then losses its fourth scheduled match, thus garnering 3-1 (win-loss) mark. In its first three fights in the finals it scored three-straight wins before finally going up for its final match against Fantastic Dominator CPB.

The said team record showed that it won against Wow Wow Wee sa Araneta-II, BJ Tagle Special-CAT and White Spartans, and then losses the second fight but was able to bounce back to score two-straight wins in the second day. In the finals, it registered three straight wins prior to its final match.

Fantastic Dominator CPB dashed DGPE Dyker Heights, and then losses to JF Farm, bounced back to defeat the same entry in a double-fight match during the second day of the competition and then advance to the winning column with 3 points after lopsidedly winning over JPE Ray Showdown-I.

Prior to its final scheduled match, Fantastic Dominator CPB prevailed against the entries of Exodus RC WTJ Spencer, Bald Eagle Ladico Lipa and San Luis Agsur.

The two contending frontrunner fought a close match battle, which was ultimately won by Partners Balani West, the fourth and the last team to bag the championship honor of the 2006 World Slasher Cup Invitation 8-Cock Derby.

The Elimination Round

The competition started on January 17 with 104 entries participating. Twenty entries tallied 2 points apiece, while nine others posted 1.5 points. Eighty one entries continued competing in the second day of competition held on January 19. Out of the said number of surviving entries, 6 teams registered a 4-0, win-loss card each, while 20 others tallied 3-1 (win-loss mark) apiece.

Those that posted 4-straight wins were the entries of Feather River Blues, Dada Guam SL Gapan, Raffy Blackwater-WRV, Winslet Winpill, King Cobra Farm and Rainbow Warrior.

Among the twenty teams that scored 3-1 (win-loss cards) were JOF Patam Young Guns USA, Catch 22, Parterns Blani Winslet, Fantastic Dominator CPB and Hatchet Tbird-II.