Column of Honor: 11.06.10: Survival of the Fittest 2010 Tournament Preview Part One

Welcome to the Column and my annual feature on what has become one of Ring of Honor’s traditions, the Survival of the Fittest tournament. There’s plenty to discuss so let’s get to it.

It seems that November is a huge month for the concept of survival. WWE has its annual “Survivor Series” Pay Per View, recently taken off the extinction list and remaining as a name (if not necessarily its original concept). Meanwhile, Ring of Honor is set to go with another one of its Survival of the Fittest tournaments. It is the second consecutive year for the return of this show’s concept, after almost dying out itself in 2008 when ROH scrubbed the tournament due to weather and travel problems.

However, the Survival tournament concept is itself a survivor, returning last year and now again as a Fall tradition where one wrestler can make a huge leap in their career progression in just one night’s worth of work. The spoils of victory are plentiful, as the winner receives a guaranteed future ROH World Title shot. The road to ultimate survival won’t be easy though, as the tournament format makes wrestlers work for the prize. Wrestlers will have to win an initial qualifying match to make it to the six-man elimination final. The last man standing wins the tournament and the title shot.

This year’s twelve-man field is evenly split between first-time participants and wrestlers with previous tournament experience. There is also only one former tournament winner in the field (Chris Hero, who took it in 2007) as opposed to previous years where there were multiple former winners involved (2009’s field included Hero, Roderick Strong (2005) and Delirious (‘06), while the ’07 tourney included Strong, Delirious and 2004 inaugural winner Bryan Danielson). An open-field means the odds are very high that this year will see another first-time winner.

Interestingly, there is also another common theme, in that several regular tag teams have been placed into the tournament. ROH World Tag Team Champions The Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli), The All-Night Express (Kenny King & Rhett Titus), regular tandems Colt Cabana & El Generico, Steve Corino & Kevin Steen and the newly formed rookie team of Kyle O’Reilly & Adam Cole are all participants. These teams have been split-off (but not matched against each other) and forced to fend for themselves in singles qualifying matches. The big hope would be for each man to make it to the finals, where they can once again join forces and combine efforts while also knocking out the possibility of other teams reforming in the finals. As a team, these wrestlers would have the competitive advantage against the other four finalists. Hopefully, if the other finalists were a part of a team, they won’t have their luxury of having their partner in the match as well, and thus are cut off from any immediate help.

Ultimately, the tournament is every-man-for-himself and any tag teams that make it will have to fight at some point. Of course, tag partners will likely decide to team up throughout the match to ensure they make it to the final two. From there, all bets would be off and may the better man win.

Then there are some men without a country, namely Grizzly Redwood and Eddie Edwards. A study in contrasts-one the small but spry perpetual underdog, the other a hunter who has only grown more capable and accurate in his pursuit of greatness. Redwood has his share of allies from over the last few years including Colt Cabana and Balls Mahoney, but never a regular tag team partner. Edwards’ regular tag partner in the American Wolves, Davey Richards, will not be involved in this year’s tournament. So it will be up to these men to go their own way towards ensuring their own survival, depending only on their own abilities and willingness to fight, to endure and to win.

By the end of the night, the field of twelve will be slowly weeded out until there is not two, but only one man. Not one team, but only one wrestler can make it out of the testing ground. One person will be the fittest. One man will be the best. One man will survive.

Here is a closer look at the twelve men who will compete to be the ultimate survivor. Included are some vital stats, past performance in the tournament (where applicable), a breakdown of what makes that wrestler “Survivor”-worthy and some final odds on the win.

In addition this year sees the return of the handy-dandy “Survival Factor” chart. This is an analysis of each wrestler for qualities that guarantee survival in a tournament such as this or in any wrestling match. These factors include:

Cunning: How smart or depending on the situation, how cutthroat, is the wrestler? Does he have the ability to come up with the right strategy in order to win and then execute it? Will this wrestler play the “survival game” to win?

Instinct: Crazy and unforeseen situations can happen in the heat of battle. Does this wrestler have the innate ability to react and respond to his environment? Can he adjust, almost without thinking, to advantageous or disadvantageous events?

Skill: Sometimes instinct alone cannot rule the day—sometimes talent is involved too. How skilled is this wrestler? Can he use his abilities—whether technical wrestling, brawling, flying, submissions—to give him the best possible chance of advancing further?

Brute Force: Sometimes skill alone is not enough to control the match—sometimes its just the strongest bull in the woods that wins out. How much strength, muscle control or out and out brawn does this wrestler have that when all is said and done, “might” will be able to make his situation “right”?

Endurance: How much punishment can a wrestler take before he gives in? How much stamina does he have? Wrestlers need to have both great pain-tolerance and effective cardio-vascular conditioning in order to have a shot at lasting through the six-man finals.

2004: Defeated Trent Acid in qualifier; pinned Samoa Joe in the finals; Eliminated in the finals by Mark Briscoe.
2005: Defeated Rickey Reyes in qualifier; Eliminated in the finals by Roderick Strong.
2006: Did Not Appear
2007: Did Not Appear
2009: Defeated Kevin Steen in qualifier; pinned Claudio Castagnoli in the finals; Eliminated in the finals by Delirious.
2010: Colt has been all over the map in terms of emotional and physical conflicts in the past year, but if anything his talents and abilities have only continued to contribute towards his success. Foes tend to underestimate the heart and will to win that lies beneath his comedic veneer. That costs his opponents in the long run, because they are susceptible to his tricks and traps. Cabana can maneuver around an opponent to gain strategic positioning and find a pinning package that works, or go for the Billy Goat’s Curse and gain the submission win. Cabana also has a surprising amount of endurance and pain tolerance, as recent street fight style matches against Steve Corino and Kevin Steen have proven. He can bleed and keep going. He can take the hits and keep going.

Cabana is one of the more experienced wrestlers appearing in the tournament this year and he has made it to the finals in every outing. If there is any weakness in his game, it his uneven strategic decisions in the final round, usually deciding to participate in the match early on while there is still a full complement of participants. Cabana has eliminated some in the final six, but ultimately falls prey to the law of averages. He’ll need to time his participation and think his way through the finals (if he gets there) in order to win the whole thing.

Final Odds: 6-1 Cabana is looking to move onward and upward past the last year of bitter struggle and bloody battle against the likes of Kevin Steen and Steve Corino. However, that desire may come crashing down to reality as both Steen and Corino are in the tournament and could make it to the finals. Though Cabana defeated Steve Corino to end their feud in Chicago (he even was able to make Corino say their issue was over), it would be a perfect opportunity for either Corino or Steen to exact final revenge by eliminating Cabana and that’s should he make it to the finals. Rhett Titus is trying to become more serious and he may just surprise Colt with an upset win.

2007: Defeated Davey Richards in qualifier; Eliminated by Chris Hero in the finals.
2009: Defeated Petey Williams in qualifier; Eliminated by Colt Cabana in the finals.
2010: As one-half of the ROH World Tag Team Champions, Claudio took his “Very European” lifestyle and translated it into a kingdom of golden riches. He has dominated the tag team scene with partner Chris Hero throughout the last six months. It wasn’t just luck, or an elbow pad that got them through. Claudio is at the peak of physical conditioning, with muscles from Brussels (as his pal Ah-nuld might say) and cardio to match. He demonstrates a brutal efficiency with his strikes, but is also very adept at a power game with suplexes and powerbombs. Spending time again with Chris Hero has also paid off in honing his cunning and intelligence. It’s not just the caffeine from his coffeehouse of choice fueling his actions, but rather a cutthroat and well-executed plan of attack that dominates the competition.

Castagnoli has proven adept at making it to the finals and he has done it against some good competition (Richards was no joke even back in ’07 and Williams provided a good effort in his losing effort last year). He was in the final two against then-enemy Hero but the first to be eliminated in last year’s final round. Claudio has also yet to eliminate anyone in the final round. That’s not the most stable involvement and obviously Claudio looks to improve upon that this time. Bottom line, due to his size, power and ability Claudio is always a threat to win this tournament and this year is no exception.

Final Odds: 4-1 Claudio Castagnoli has all of the physical and mental tools to break through and actually win the whole series. It is almost a lock that Claudio will make it through the opening match against Grizzly Redwood—and while an upset is always possible, it’s not all that probable given the physical disparity between the two competitors. Claudio is just too much for a massive underdog like Redwood to unseat him. That means in all likelihood Claudio will be in the finals. How far he gets to the last survivor is a matter of how he can manipulate his opponents. His tag partner Chris Hero being in the final six can also help his chances if they were to combine their efforts, although Hero was directly responsible for Claudio’s elimination last year (he was blasted by a KO elbow aimed for Cabana). Ultimately Claudio can make it to the final two on his own if necessary and he is one of the favorites in any tournament—he did it during the Race to the Top tournament in 2007 and he can do it again here.

2010: The Panama City, Florida resident is a combination high-flier and mat technician. He has succeeded in Combat Zone Wrestling, taking the blows and moving through from being a CZW graduate into winning their Junior Heavyweight Title. Impressive showings in EVOLVE, CHIKARA and other independent promotions landed him in ROH, where has been spending much of his time in tag team work with partner Kyle O’Reilly. Never forget though that Cole started as a singles competitor and can get it done on his own.

Cole comes in as somewhat of an unknown and an underdog (especially bracketed against veteran Steve Corino), but his most dangerous moves could be the equalizer. The Panama Sunrise is essentially a souped-up version of the incredibly lethal Canadian Destroyer and it has helped him win matches in other promotions. Add to that Cole’s ability to take a licking and keep on ticking, his speed and athleticism and his ability to get into an opponent’s head with mind games and that adds up to an impressive overall package. It would be foolhardy for an opponent to take Cole lightly, because if he’s still conscious and alive in the match he will keep on trying to find a way to win.

Final Odds: 12-1 Despite all of his skills and proficiencies, Cole is still matched up against Corino in the qualifying round and that’s a tough out for anyone. Corino is just coming off a major loss to Colt Cabana and will want to quickly recover with an impressive display of force. No one should be jumping up for joy if they are matched up against him and Cole is in that position. He’s going to have to survive a beating but he may, may just have what it takes to pull off the upset. If that happens he must dig deep and find the endurance necessary to survive the final round. It’s a lot to ask of an ROH rookie.

2010: He is known by several monikers: “The King of Old School”, “Trouble King” and “Mr. Wrestling III”, but Steve Corino prefers if you simply refer to him as a “legend”. The long time veteran of ECW and countless independent promotions in America as well as Zero-1 MAX in Japan has also been an off-and-on member of the ROH roster throughout the years. However, this will be his first year of participation in any Survival of the Fittest tournament. Even so, the tournament format should not really throw a man with such depth of experience and wrestling knowledge as Steve Corino. The man is, after all, a legend.

It is the devious mind of Steve Corino that is his greatest advantage. He may not be the most fit, the most athletically gifted or the biggest man in the fight. However, he knows what it takes to win and he has no compunctions about doing what he needs to do in order to win. Usually that involves mind games, including the subtle art of misdirection through either words or body language, manipulation of referee’s position and the timely use of weaponry when no one can see it. What else can one expect from a legend?

This year was a career comeback for Corino, especially as far as his presence in ROH. However a recent loss to Colt Cabana has taken some wind out of the sails. Corino could use a major win to make a statement and this tournament could provide that opportunity. Being the last survivor could only help to enforce that Corino is, in fact, a legend.

Final Odds: 7-1 He has an easier (but by no means easy) draw in Adam Cole compared to some of the other brackets. I think Corino knows how to manipulate younger wrestlers into losing their cool and their focus, and that tactic is what can place Corino in the finals. His chances afterwards are entirely dependent on if he can stay away from more dangerous and physically imposing finalists and use his smarts to outlast and outthink whoever is left until he is the only one. Corino can definitely do it on his own, but the odds would be better in his favor if Kevin Steen makes it to the final round as well.

2010: Edwards has been TV Champion since March and is finally living up to the ideal of the fighting champion, taking on all-comers, putting up a great fight and winning, winning, winning. He has been dominant in title fights, using his wrestling ability and high-octane offense to overwhelm his challengers. There is no one who has yet to survive his hunt. Meanwhile Edwards continues to roll with Davey Richards in the pack known as The American Wolves. Together they have proved to be a continual and present threat to any other team in the tag team division. However, this hunt for the Survival of the Fittest must be done on his own.

Edwards has what it takes to survive this tournament. He has the wrestling skill and can use his technical abilities to ground an opponent and prep them for his Achilles Lock submission. He can choose to use his speed, flying into his opponents with kicks and jumping enziguiri attacks, stunning his enemies and priming them for elimination. He has the stamina and endurance, lasting forty-five minutes against the tandem of Bryan Danielson and Tyler Black at Tag Title Classic in 2009. He can take and live with the pain, as his decision to wrestle with a broken arm during Ladder War 2 has proven this Wolf has a survival instinct. About the only weakness in Edwards’ wrestling game in 2010 is his lack of sheer brute force, but that doesn’t mean Edwards isn’t capable of power moves like powerslams and suplexes. All-told, Edwards is the kind of wrestler who is well built for a tournament such as this one.

Final Odds: 5-1 Edwards was one of the clear early favorites to win the tournament before the actual qualifying matches were announced. However, his first round pairing against former tournament winner Chris Hero has somewhat downgraded the odds of Edwards winning. Hero is a tough out under any circumstances, but it is obvious Hero will want to defend his turf here and show he can repeat. Edwards can meet Hero’s offense firepower with his own, but should he win a strike-for-strike close affair it will then leave Edwards in a bind for the finals. He will have to play a smart game to win against Hero and then being the lone wolf in the tournament will also have to look out for himself in the finals. It is absolutely possible that can happen, but it won’t be easy.

2010: He was a Race to the Top tournament finalist in 2007, but El Generico has actually never participated in a Survival of the Fittest before. Now, the Generico of last November may not have been prepared for the kind of struggle and effort it took to succeed in a tournament format. He was spending his time as a part of the highly successful championship team with Kevin Steen. However, this year Generico has already experienced a setback in tournaments when distraction from Steve Corino knocked him out of the ROH Television tourney. Has El Generico learned from that failure? Will he come to battle with a clear focus and mission of winning?

Generico may not look like it, but he has the physical tools to win. He may be the perpetual underdog, but he has the speed and the velocity on his attacks to make up for being outmatched against larger opponents. Generico’s flying game and ability to surprise an opponent by attacking during unexpected moments should serve him well here. Bottom line, if Generico catches someone with his Yakuza Kick to the head or the turnbuckle brainbuster, chances are that person is counting the lights. Again, the main determinant of whether Generico can survive is his self-confidence and his ability to think through a situation to avoid being bushwhacked by mind games or cheating. If anything, the past year has shown that Generico can move beyond cheap shots or ambushes or any other trickery and that he can dig down deep and find what it takes to win.

Final Odds: 8-1 Despite Generico’s past successes in the company, Generico is not a favorite to take it all in this year’s tournament due to the tough draw in the first match. Kenny King is a stylistic problem for Generico, because not only can King match Generico in the speed and athleticism department, but he also has the intellect advantage. While Colt Cabana has toughened Generico up this year and that will help for much of the match, King’s lack of compunction means that he will try anything at any time in order to gain the advantage. For me, that means one well-timed cheating moment from King could be the end of Generico’s run in this field. Not to mention, that if Generico does make it into the finals, there’s always the chance that Kevin Steen, Steve Corino or maybe both of them could be waiting for him.

2010: Grizzly Redwood is looking to discover new countries after a long-standing war against Necro Butcher, Erick Stevens and Prince Nana’s Embassy stable. Therefore, he has entered the Survival of the Fittest tournament for the first time in his multi-year Ring of Honor career. The favorite son of the Yukon Pass has a huge heart and an optimistic outlook about traveling the long and winding road of his wrestling career. However, can all of that strength of character combine and coalesce on this night such that he can win the whole competition?

It has never been easy for Redwood in ROH—as he is almost always outmatched in the physical categories. Redwood’s best strategy is to hit-and-run on his opponents, hence his usage of fast but effective moves like the tilt-a-whirl head scissors and the log roll that can shake up an opponent and throw them off course enough to gain the advantage. Grizzly loves to chop his foes down to size. It worked several times against Stevens (he even won several matches against him) but less so against Necro Butcher this past August. His game plan will almost surely be the same against his opening round rival, Claudio Castagnoli. Whether or not it works remains to be seen.

Final Odds: 99-1 “The Littlest Lumberjack” is actually the biggest long-shot in this tournament due to his small stature and extremely difficult first round draw against Claudio Castagnoli. This is the classic “big man versus little man” stylistic match-up, which more often than not ends with the little guy getting demolished. I don’t see Grizzly having much of a chance at all against the more dominant Castagnoli. However, one can never say never about the upset, unlikely as it may seem.

2007: Defeated Karl Anderson in qualifier; Swept the finals and eliminated, in order: Human Tornado, Rocky Romero, Austin Aries, Roderick Strong and Claudio Castagnoli.
2009: Defeated Kenny Omega in qualifier; Eliminated by Tyler Black in the finals.
2010: The most successful entrant in previous tournaments to compete this year is also the only former Survival of the Fittest champion in the twelve-man field. He is also the only man in tournament history to have a clean sweep of the final round. He didn’t do it through outright physical overpowering his opponents, or through stamina and endurance. No, he used his cunning and smarts to execute the perfect strategy—wait out his opponents and take all the advantages when they open up. Therefore, current ROH World Tag Team Champion Chris Hero is clearly one of the most dangerous contenders involved and a clear favorite to win again.

Excelling in nearly all of the Survival Factor metrics, Hero is incredibly smart, has extensive wrestling technique, has power in his attacks (especially his now notorious concussive kicks and knock-out elbows), and has proven that he can endure lengthy battles and emerge the victor. An out-and-out striking battle is ill-advised as Hero can always come through in the clutch with a KO shot (and his manager Shane Hagadorn is at ringside to provide the winning help in the form of the golden elbow pad, which some speculate to this day is loaded with some heavy foreign object). He also has the physical conditioning to survive a physical battle, as no one on the Ring of Honor roster other than his current partner and co-tag team champion Claudio Castagnoli has a better physique.

In addition, Hero’s self-confidence is always through the roof. He believes in himself and in his superior wrestling acumen. That kind of fighter’s mentality helps a man like Hero overcome adversity. However, it does also mean that if things go too far in his favor he may tend to “shut it down” in favor of running down his opponents and taunting the crowd. It is in those few moments where Hero loses his focus that an adversary can take advantage and regain control.

Final Odds: 4-1 Despite a tougher first round draw than most in the form of Eddie Edwards, “That Young Knock-out Kid” is still a heavy favorite to win and repeat as Fittest champion. Edwards has a real chance at defeating Hero, but should he fail Hero becomes the most dangerous man in the final round. He had the winning strategy in 2007 and all he has to do is repeat it to win again. Above all else, he has the tournament experience and knows what it takes to make it through to finish line. He is just the superior physical and mental athlete compared to the other eleven men who are competing here. Hero’s odds improve even more if his tag partner Castagnoli makes it through to the finals with him. Together they can prove that Kings Reign Supreme…and survive.

2009: Lost to Tyler Black in qualifier.
2010: The “Pretty-Boy” Pit-bull is looking to correct the missteps from last year’s first round loss to eventual winner Tyler Black. This time around, the ultra-cocky and confident King brings a full year’s worth of extra experience. That includes all of the master tutelage by former manager Austin Aries and his dabbling in the main event scene with such heavy hitters as Black, Davey Richards and Jerry Lynn. King and his tag partner Rhett Titus have found that killer instinct and finishing stride, as demonstrated in recent efforts against The Briscoes. Of course, King has also shown no compunction in injuring opponents like Lynn and Delirious, whom both he and Titus recently put out of action with a spike-piledriver.

All of that growth and development over the last year should help King a long way in this year’s tournament field. He’s already shown adept ability to succeed in tournament formats, going to the semi-finals of the ROH TV Title tournament in March and advancing with Titus to the Ultimate Endurance finals of Tag Wars 2010. Of course, the difference between the latter tourney and this one is that King will have to go it alone for the qualifying round. He and Titus already have a competitive attitude about this year’s competition, with an “I can do better than you” mentality where both are pushing each other to excel. That can actually work wonders for the overall success of each man.

King brings a very effective physical game based on athleticism and working circles around his opponent. He uses the ropes for momentum and is at home on the top turnbuckle. His top two moves (The Coronation and The Royal Flush) involve using motion and impact to deal heavy damage and both are deadly when performed off the top rope. King has the same weakness as Chris Hero though, in that both men are great talents and know it, and that knowledge often leads to being over-confident. That means King winds up over-looking his opponent, only to have to then work from behind when that lack of focus comes back to cost him. If King can nip that braggadocios nature, he may be the surprise hit of this show.

Final Odds: 6-1 I favor King in his first-round battle against El Generico due to his physical advantages and his lack of shame in cheating when the opportunity presents itself. That is a tough combination to beat and it will serve him very well should he make it to the six-man final round. Like Hero, if his tag partner makes it to the final round the numbers game will shift to his advantage, if he and Titus are on the same page at bell time. King has all of the tools to win, but he has to prove that he can put them together while avoiding his downfalls.

2010: The hot prospect Kyle O’Reilly has been trained and mentored by current top ROH star Davey Richards and is drawing comparisons to Bryan Danielson by fans even this early into his career. That is a nice one-two combination pedigree to have but it also is a lot to live up to in terms of what O’Reilly can deliver in the ring. As one would expect, one of his early specialties has proven to be his striking ability and O’Reilly has learned the art of delivering vicious kicks well from his mentor. In addition, he is already a competent grappler and has some strong sense of submission skills. His string of butterfly suplexes is both a spectacular visual and effective.

As far as what is still a question mark in O’Reilly’s tool belt are his stamina and endurance. How much can he take? When the chips are down, will he be able to dig deep and use his reserves to overcome the pain? Can O’Reilly put all the offensives tools together and find a winning attack strategy to advance on November 12th in Detroit? So far he and tag partner Adam Cole have performed amicably against stiffer competition in the tag ranks, but have yet to find the win. If he were to advance in the Survival of the Fittest it would be O’Reilly’s best showing to date in Ring of Honor. A promising career could gain a huge boost here, if he is able to prove himself fit enough.

Final Odds: 12-1 On paper, I would actually have given O’Reilly the best chance out of all the underdogs to win and advance. However, that was all before his opponent was announced. Kevin Steen has proven to be dominant and merciless over the past year. O’Reilly will no doubt be game enough to test Steen and challenge him in the qualifier. He won’t be bullied and if Steen pushes him, he will push back. I just don’t see it as being enough to overcome Steen given where each man is in their current in-ring experience. O’Reilly has a decent chance, but he’s going to have to give everything up front to defeat his first round opponent. That means should he advance there might not be enough strength or energy left in him to do much in the finale.

2009: Lost to Colt Cabana in qualifier.
2010: The worst thing about the past year of Kevin Steen running roughshod and his corruption at the hands of Steve Corino is that he now has no moral compass. Without any compassion or morality, Steen is not only unpredictable, but he is uncontrollable and almost unstoppable. Steen is in such a ruthless and maniacal mindset after his dealings with former tag partner El Generico and rival Colt Cabana that he could do anything to anyone and it almost wouldn’t be a shock. He has bitten men in the ear the face and the shoulders, hit people with chains, chairs, ladders, tables and wrenches, has bled buckets and kept fighting, has been attacked in the chronically injured knees and kept on walking, has suffered defeats and kept on coming back to win. Steen has proclaimed himself to be the “anti-Christ” of Ring of Honor, and with good reason.

Steen’s agenda ever since he broke his tag team partnership with Generico has been to win singles gold. Aside from his one title shot against Tyler Black in July, this tournament is the best chance Steen has to accomplish that objective. A Survival of the Fittest win grants him another title opportunity and gets him one step closer to being ROH World Champion. He has innate wrestling intelligence backed by the superior intellect of Steve Corino. Together they have no doubt continued to work on a great, maybe perfect plan to win this tournament. Even worse, whatever cruel devices they can think of, Steen has the brawn and the will to put it into reality. Steen may not look like Claudio Castagnoli, but nonetheless he has the physical strength to deliver powerful beatings and a high stamina threshold that ensures he can go the distance. About the only weakness Steen has is his temper—if he gets too angry and too hate-filled then maybe the chance will come to take him out.

Final Odds: 2-1 Along with Claudio and Hero, Steen is the clear odds-on favorite of this year’s tournament. In fact, I believe he has the best chance of winning the whole thing. Now, he does have a competitive first round bracket against Kyle O’Reilly (see above), but Steen is the favorite in that bout. Then, if Steen advances, he will do anything and everything it takes to win the whole thing. He will lie, he will cheat and he will destroy anyone in his way. So much the better for Steen if its Generico in the finals with him, because then he can continue to crush him as well.

2009: Lost to Roderick Strong in qualifier.
2010: Rhettski has become (somewhat) more serious for this year’s tournament and that means he is actually more dangerous and far more worthy a candidate than before. He has vowed to put aside the bowtie and the women (at least for now) with the glitz and glory of this tournament on the line. Titus has remained fit and well-built, but he has made significant strides in his in-ring game. He has several pet holds and finishers, is a threat from off the top turnbuckle and has learned more mind games from his running buddy Kenny King and former manager Austin Aries.

From dropkicks to mid-air thrusts and from knee drops to top rope X-factors, Titus’ in-ring game has solidified. He has the confidence in himself to win and now the focus needed to activate all that improvement towards a real accomplishment. If there are any holes in Titus’ game it is that he may not be quite the brawler or have the power game compared to others. He may also still be too easily flustered or distracted by his opponents. It also remains to be seen if he is serious about being serious, or if an attractive woman in the crowd will dominate his attention.

Final Odds: 9-1 Titus acting more serious and focused on his in-ring means a better chance of winning compared to last year. Many fans are even expecting him to win against Colt Cabana in the first round. However, Cabana is a challenge for anyone due to his versatility and his bag of tricks. Titus could be doing well and all of a sudden fall prey to a quick pinning trap. That said, it isn’t unrealistic for Titus to make it through the final round this year. If he does and he finds his tag partner King there with him, Titus could be rolling on through all-night in Dearborn, headed towards victory…and a sweet after-party.

PART TWO of the Survival of the Fittest 2010 preview continues with even more information and analysis, including a catch-up on last year’s participants, match-by-match preview and my own predictions as to who will come out on top!