THE TOURNAMENT TO END ALL TOURNAMENTS: Fourth Round, Brackets XXXIII-XXXVI

BRACKET XXXIII

"Rowdy" Roddy Piper VS Roman Reigns

Controversial, yes, but Roman Reigns wins this confrontation.  Piper might be the greatest talker in the history of the business, he may be one of the biggest icons in wrestling history, but the number of shenanigans that would be necessary for Piper to go over Reigns is too much for this tournament to bear.

BRACKET XXXIV

Terry Funk VS "The Scissor King" Joe Stecher

This was a tough one.  Both men have been World Champion, albeit in very different eras.  At that, Terry Funk himself was World Champion in two different eras (once in the NWA in 1975, then 20 years later in ECW; actually, he held the title in the first ECW in 1992 before the E stood for Extreme).  Then again, Joe Stecher was the first ever wrestler to be a multiple time world champion.  EVER.  He won it the first time in 1915 back when the shit was still real.  He's also the first ever three time world champion, because...the guy was real good?  Stecher could also go five hours in a shoot with Ed "The Strangler" Lewis (which ended in a draw).  Dude was good, and Terry Funk himself probably wouldn't feel ashamed jobbing to Joe "Scissor King" Stecher.

BRACKET XXXV

Jushin Bowling Liger VS Stanislaus Zbyszko

Liger doesn't have 'nuff flippity flop in him, as good as he is, to take down a two-time catch-as-catch can champion.  (Well, one of those may have been legit.  Stanislaus was on the cusp of the real and the worked.)

BRACKET XXXVI

The Crusher VS Haystacks Calhoun

After watching all I could handle on YouTube of both men, I have to go with The Crusher, because a) Haystacks was cool, but he wasn't that great in the ring, b) The Crusher was mad strong because c) He would train by putting two kegs of beer at opposite ends of Bradford Beach, run a relay to the first one, crush the keg both literally and figuratively, then repeat the process, and d) My great aunt Izzy was a friend of his.  Nepotism aside, The Crusher was much better in the ring and had the strength to take down this 600lb. behemoth.


Roman Reigns defeats Roddy Piper
Joe Stecher defeats Terry Funk
Stanislaus Szyszko defeats Jushin Liger
The Crusher defeats Haystacks Calhoun

Come on back for Brackets XXXVII-XL!