Here are some of my picks.
Seeds #1 - #8 (top left of the bracket)
For my money, give me DAVE. He's building quite a name, he isn't a drama magnet, his posts are pretty solid. 48/7 left, Milenko is spotty, Ricky is off a lot lately for school. Ricky would be a great choice if he were full time. GuyCompton has stepped up quite a bit lately, but I still say DAVE takes that section.
Seeds #9 - #16 (left side, 2nd section)
I haven't read the other sections, but I find it hard to believe there's a harder draw anywhere. I don't see a clear cut winner. TM is a machine, but he's becoming known as more of a facilitator. He can post with the best of them though. Gelgarin is a knowledgable and passionate poster, but his attitude in arguments puts a lot of people off, myself included. Lariat is an old school master, I just don't know if versatility will be an issue. Lee has a rep for WZCW and Video Games, and he's up against Tenta, a terrific all-around poster. Give me TENTA for the upset.
Seeds #17 - #24 (left side, 3rd block down)
XFear vs JMT is likely the best first round match you'll ever see. X is well-rounded and VERY active, though his emotions get the best of him at times. JMT is amazing, though it seems more than 80% of his work is MMA, which is great, since he's the Mod there. CM and Shocky shouldn't even be occuring - CM doesn't post, and Shocky retired. Either one would lose to either X or JMT, unless people give Shocky a lifetime acheivement award, which would be a travesty. Blade vs Phoenix is a sick match, both men have made HUGE strides this year. I'll say JMT, narrowly over Phoenix.
Seeds #25 - #32 (left side, bottom)
Leafy is solid but VERY new (I think, unless he's a good poster with 4 name changes) and Jake is a grizzled vet with a cult following. This region has a few heavy hitters, and that's it. Overall, I'll say KLUNDERBUNKER takes it in a terrific match over D-Man.
Seeds #33 - #40 (right side, top)
For me, this block comes down to two men. On the one side, SavageTaker, who is a solid poster who just needs to find his niche. On the other is CH David, a terrific new-comer who is well-rounded in wrestling and NWS. In the end, and in another classic, I can see SAVAGETAKER winning, but I won't be shocked it CH David pulls it off. It wouldn't be an upset at all.
Seeds #41 - #48 (Right side, 2nd block down)
Some decent names here. LJL is so under rated it's a crime, but Tastycles is well known as one of the best posters the forums has. NorCal's leave of absence and his very forceful posting style put him well behind FTS, who has revitalized the Cigar Lounge and is a great all around poster. Becker is a sports expert who can still surprise people when he gets out of the Bar Room and Sports sections and starts posting wrestling. In the end, give me FTS in a narrow win over Becker, though the real final in that bracket is going to be FTS vs Tastycles.
Seeds #49 - #56 (Right side, 3rd block down)
A lot of wild cards here, but I'll pick NIGHTSHIFTLOSER to take this one, defeating Ty Burna. General Disarray is a good poster, and Ty Burna is terrific in the music section, but NSL is extremely versatile.
Seeds #57 - #64 (Right side, bottom)
Weakest bracket there is. Sam surprises people - some say he's a bar room comedy act, which is true, but he did some great work in the Tag Tournament, posts well in MMA, and has carried TNA at times. Becca posts, but school and G-Modding has taken her away from that a bit. She's a wonderful manager, but she won't win this region. Jonny is as semi- as retired gets. In an upset, I'll put my weight behind THRILLER.
So my elite 8 are:
Dave
Tenta
JMT
KB
SavageTaker
FTS
NSL
Thriller
