Warlords White – Knyaz USA

Match #1

For the first minute and a half, the underdogs put up a tough fight. For almost 40 seconds, one of the Knyaz rail men has a hold of two warlords. the free man on the Knyaz team has his back turned to the double team and is watching two one on one fights on the opposite rail. When the Knyaz axe man does turn to finally engage the two on one matchup, he attacks the fighter with a free shield hand. The Warlord is able to defend the axe shots and the axe man is confronted from the rear by another warlord. When his team mate comes from the far side to assist, the new Knyaz fighter loses the head of his axe from a top down strike onto a helmet. As he attempts to pull his back up, he’s taken down. Seconds later Knyaz loses their second fighter because he attempts a head over taken down and it slips off causing the Knyaz fighter to fall to his back. The tides are turned against the team and the fight is won by the Warlords.

ANALYSIS

Knyaz lost this match because the of two fatal mistakes: 1.The center/free radical did not capitalize on his rail man holding two opponents at once. His engagements during that time were pensive and non specific. He was not able to switch his stance/swing direction and strike with a left handed hit. Being able to do so would have allowed him to do significant damage to the exposed fighter tied up on the far rail. And, 2. The fighter that came across the rail ran into the center of the pit of people. If this fighter would have stayed back and swung at legs and shoulders, he wouldn’t have lost the head of his axe immediately. And… because of this he had to draw his back up weapon. The secondary mistake was him attempting to do so when he was a step off the rail with an opponent behind him. He should have sought safety first… then drew his back up.