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So what am I saying exactly? I do understand that I might be the only one who knows, but I will endeavor to explain. In each bout there is a round that stands out, whether that is the opening blow that surprises everyone, or the finishing move that ends a fight. It could be the point where a comeback is shut down or mounted. I'll be looking, and I'll pull the round that I believe was the pivotal point in each bout in a match. Then I'll make my own determination which of them was the most important of that match up. Once I've established my choices, I'll look at those rounds against those chosen from the rest of the match-ups of the week and reveal what I believe to be The Blow of The Week.

Team Dirty vs. Royal Pain

I was at the first duel for the 2014 season between Claire of Team Dirty, and Jenai of Royal Pain. Going in I was convinced that I would pick the initial blooding in that duel as my blow of the week. I had, in my excitement for the beginning of the season, romantic ideas of calling it the shot heard round the league. I was prepared to stand up when Claire's opening kick sped in faster than Jenai's and just begin writing this piece. Something stopped me. It could have been the defiant answering punch that Jenai fed to Claire. You know, the one that had everyone glued to their seats in round two? Sure this is where Jenai tied it up, and the duel became a seesaw match between the ladies of the IFL. I could say that this was the perfect blow of the fight, it told everyone that they need to pay attention. As good as both of those shots were, there was an even better one. Yes Claire came back and took the lead from Jenai. Yes Jenai managed to hold off Claire's match point for the following two rounds. And it is just as true that in round 9 Jenai brought the match to sudden death. All amazing shots, no question about it. There will be those who believe that the final round, a nice little jump kick from Jenai that secured her the upset, was the most important blow of the fight. That is not my opinion.

What is the perfect fight? An argument can be made for shutouts being perfect, and perfect shutouts five points scored in five rounds being epic. The perfect bout to me turns out to be one that works along the lines of the fight between Claire Farron and Jenai Ravenlock. Why? Because the lead changed twice, because the score tied three times, and finally because in round 10 these two ladies laid the hurt on one another to raise the score to five all. For me it no longer mattered who won the fight. Whatever else happened, the victor could only score the points for the weight of the bout. The loser had earned their team the most possible points for a loss. Despite what many of you may believe when you see me in the ring, I am not crazy, at least not about this. Round ten's double impact marks the pivotal moment in this fight. In fact, I'm going all Anvil on your asses. Since we have The Keeper of Earth and a Fire Elemental, I'm naming Round Ten The GeoThermal Event!

Team Fist vs. The Rock Hards

Bias, I am subject to this I have to admit. Looking at The Rock Hards I am tempted to hold up all the blows as pivotal. I am tempted to use my position here as a means to cause an influx of Anvil propaganda. Don't hold it against me, I really love my team. I am going to take a serious look at the fights in their match up against Team Fist. Why would I scrutinize so when my urges pull me towards bias? Because I am a fool! I am, but mostly an honest one. For instance some might have an opinion why I am addressing ROC first after the opening duel of the new season. The answer is fairly plain, the other match-ups were spread further apart. ROC and TMF had three done in a single night. The lethality of the duels gave a wealth of places to take my data from. In point of fact, since this night determined the winner of the match-up so early I didn't need to wait for Rachael (ROC) and Andrea (TMF) to face one another. I did wait but the need wasn't there.

I'll admit that I was torn upon reviewing the fights. I labored over Gren/Blondie, Andrea/Rachael and Kheldar/Minam. They each had a point where the fighters did everything they could for their respective teams. In fact I was leaning heavily towards Kheldar's ending of Minam's comeback because it showed tremendous resolve from Kheldar. I kept coming back to the Anchor Bout, I wanted not to be impressed. I wanted to not call out this shot because those who see might not believe that while biased I remained neutral in my assessments. I could call out all of Blondie's strikes, but let's face it Blondie's last blow managed to nearly negate the points gained by Kheldar in his win. Minam managed to score just enough points to put the score out of reach, and Andrea's final two rounds gave Team Fist a pair of bout wins and a much closer score. The Anvil in me can't ignore one, no matter how much justification I can make for the others.

Audacious! That's what I call the final blow in the Anchor bout between Juliane Smith and Darik. This week is full of upsets, and I am not sure which was least looked for. Juliane started strong, and finished six degrees left of vertical. To finish the fight with a leg block that had a little something extra on it says to me that she's got a degree of unpredictability that she's planning to show off. It wasn't the wisest of moves, and ninety nine times out of a hundred she's going on to another round. She made the right move at the right time, she could have worked to trade, it still would have ended the fight, and been just as exciting. Darik's second round attacking avoidance would be the last point he scored, but it was perhaps the blow that changed the match. It may be that he forced Jules to change up her strategy of attack on the power house fighter.

Hydra vs. Asian Invasion

Finally we come to a match up that I am not emotionally vested in. Then again perhaps I am emotionally involved here. Perhaps I cared what team won and what team lost. Look at it from my point of view folks. Next week my team faces Hydra, if they come to me off a win maybe they underestimate us, then again a loss could make them hungrier for a win. But, that is strategy, and I am not here to talk strategy. I am here to determine what I think was the pinnacle blow of the match. In Essence I am here to tell both teams, The Anvil was watching when it happened. They know this already because The Anvil was your ring announcer for two of these fights. Now I am at bias again, and since the world knows I can fall to it. I should just raise my hands and say every blow that The Anvil presides over is the most important one in the IFL. To me at least, this is true.

Look, that fight for Charlie was impressive. You could hear everyone in the garden's holding their breath at round 5. We all wanted to know if Charlie Nine was going to put in the first Perfect Shut Out! So was Sylus' defensive maneuver the blow of that match or was it when Sylus finally got on the board. I don't think blocking Charlie from the top of the leaderboard quite fits. You did great indeed Sylus, I'm sure there were a lot of disappointed people over on the Asian benches. Xanth was a good candidate too. He managed to comeback twice and just edge out Lena for the high points. The problem is that he let her score when he couldn't afford to. Love the win, overcoming the odds and all, but it isn't quite what I am looking for.

JC's bout was a powerful statement to begin the match up. She took command let a few blows through to reach her but then ended it. A really strong start for Asian, on the surface it looks like a five to three duel. But opening strong is very important in team dueling. It can rouse your team to a win... and Asian did win in the end. 7-3 is a really good point spread. One that makes you pause for a moment and say... that was good.

Anubis, you magnificent cerulean wearing Egyptian! Okay so here's the thing about Anubis fight with Melanie. You had her early, but we all know that Mel's a fighter even when she's down. I know I've had her down, so I put nothing past her ability to come from behind. The really big hit, and the blow I like for the week is the one that ends the scores so that Hydra and Asian are tied at eleven! I hated it! You made me wait so long to see what happened. I was taking out contracts on the heads of both teams... okay maybe not but I wanted to. So Anubis you gave us the turning point, and left the rest up to the rest of your team. The Anvil has a name for The Blow of The Week, Breaking Bad, Breaking Even!

Top Flight vs. Discombobulators

This match up wasn't what most people that I have talked to expected. I'm not here to discuss that though. There was some good dueling done here. Top Flight is loaded with, well, Top Flight fighters. They are all proven within the Iron Fist League. Discombobulators' fighters are relatively unknown. Gaius led MRC last year, Sal's been in other team competitions. The rest are wild cards. Sometimes Wild Cards are all you need .

Vinny came in and dominated Sal that fight's score managed to make up for the Anchor Bout where Skid overcame Bane. Sal had the early round lead and dropped it, no shame Sal Vinny is Vinny. The Vanion Cass fight was something I had wanted to watch. Cass took control of that bout and never looked back. The Iron Fist bout was crazy. I didn't even know Mav dueled! He does, and he did beating Sin Jin. Now I've seen Sin Jin fight before, and I will admit that I might have had expectations. Not anymore.

These duels are crazy, and finding one point where things changed has been difficult for me. Now I have a question that is semi-serious. Is it stranger that round 7 in the Iron fist bout matches round six in the push bout, or that it was successful both times? I have to call these two rounds though as The Blow of The Week! I don't know why it happened but it happened not just once but twice! So here I am making things up as I go and giving out sound advice.... No that was my other article it went to psychology today. I'm still changing the rules because The Anvil can... I'm calling the pair of rounds The Double Dragon!

In Conclusion

The Anvil is calling The GeoThermal Event, The Blow of The Week! From that one I believe in my heart the balance of the IFL was set on its ear. Wild and outrageous things happened! I've given you the few I saw. I stick to what I said before... my opinion doesn't have to be statistically correct. It just has to entertain!

I'll be back next week with my thoughts and gut feelings. I'll be just as nauseating. You will all read not because you don't expect it to be that, but because you can't believe your eyes! I will say this I know I didn't take things nearly as in depth with the RPN/ DRT match or the TOP/BOB match, and here's why. I was really excited about the beginning of this season, that first segment I knew that bout number one of the new season would have my blow of the week. I just had no idea it would come down to the wire. As for TOP/BOB, I found myself writing about the outcome of the match. I'd prefer to have better minds than mine make those remarks.

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