By Chris Small
20 Competitors. 12 months of opportunity. 19 runner ups. 1 undisputed winner.
When it comes to Melbourne City Wrestling’s annual Ballroom Brawl, it’s all about the numbers.
Yet while the above digits make up the core of the highly anticipated spectacle, peel back the layers of this unique match and a bevy of data presents itself. Here are a select few key statistics to further fuel the excitement heading into Australian Wrestling’s biggest night of the year:
200 – The number of competitors that have entered the fabled Brawl up to this point. Come Saturday July 8th, with the 11th iteration of the beloved match taking place, 20 more wrestlers will step between the ropes for their shot at a championship title match at any time and any place of their choosing with a calendar years’ time. Who will be the 11th one to do it?
5 – KrackerJak and Adam Brooks equally possess the most experience in this unique match, with both men having entered a record number of 5 previous Brawls each. Practice seemed to make perfect for The Loose Ledge, who won the Ballroom Brawl in 2019. The Australian Wrestling Legend KrackerJak, on the other hand, is still working on adding this accomplishment to his resume.
4 – On the other side of the proverbial coin are 4 men whose success rate in the Ballroom Brawl is 100%. Danny Psycho, Carlo Cannon, Jonah Rock and, most recently, Buddy Matthews have all won the titular match their first and, to date, only time entering. One and done indeed!
160 – While winners of the Ballroom Brawl have come in all shapes and sizes, no one compares to Jonah Rock, the heaviest of heavyweights who tipped the scales at 160kg when he entered in 2017 and subsequently tossed every other person in the ring over the top rope like ragdolls.
2,325 – The total number of days that make up the combined reign of MCW World Heavyweight Champions who have carried the title as a direct result cashing in their Ballroom Brawl opportunity successfully. This number continues to grow, as the current Champion Buddy Matthews is holding the ultimate prize in Australian Wrestling after defeating fellow Ballroom Brawl winner Mitch Waterman by cashing in his opportunity during The House Always Wins.
Will Number One Contender Tommy Knight hit the pause button for the time being on this statistic by defeating Matthews for the Gold this Saturday?
11 – Before he was a member of the House of Black, Buddy Matthews helped build the House of MCW. Having first won the MCW World Heavyweight Championship as Matt Silva, the 11th Annual Ballroom Brawl will coincidentally mark 11 years since Matthews walked into the prestigious event as Champion, having last successfully defended the title in 2012 against Chris Basso.
Does 2023 provide Buddy with the same luck? Or will The Prodigy Tommy Knight be the one to fell The House of Black?
8.7.2023 – No matter where you stand on numerology, undeniably the most important integer is the one that spells out the date for this year’s epic event at Thornbury Theatre. On July 8th, 2023, a sold out crowd will be treated to a match for the ages!
Ballroom Brawl 2023 will be available on FITE+ from Saturday 15th July at 7:30pm (AEST)
Tickets are sold out.
