BANKIE'S HOT TAKE #81 - The ACE Fight for Flight Championship
In American Championship Entertainment, there has been a lot of reinvention going on ever since the promotion returned after a year's absence with Hero’s Celebration in February.
Currently, there are all new champions across the board. However, the one that intrigues me most of all is “Bad” Brad Benson.
Benson won the vacant Fight For Flight Championship on February 3. The young upstart has promised that “bad things” are coming for any opponents gunning for his championship on a video posted on ACE’s Facebook page.
However, I hate to tell Mr. Benson that “bad things” might be coming for him. The Fight For Flight Championship is the most difficult championship to retain and hold onto for long periods of time.
Just look at the “multimetrics”.
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The ACE Fight For Flight Championship was introduced at Crossroads IX on November 2, 2013 after years of the promotion putting on, in my opinion, the best multi-man matches in the Northeast.
“All Star” Lou Torres survived “the Magnificent” Giovanni Marranca, Blake Morris, Chris Raze, Chris Taylor, and Josh Starks in a six-way gut check to become the first champion. However, his reign didn’t last long.
After only three shows, Torres fell victim to the statistical disadvantage and lost the title on March 8, 2014 to “the Lost Boy” Raze in an Aerial Assault six-way.
Raze survived the same amount of time, only three shows, until losing the belt in a five-way match to New York native Chris Taylor on June 14, 2014.
My own investigation has led me into my own study called “Multimetrics”, which is the statistical look into multi-man matches. I have watched nearly every single multi-man match in ACE during the “Fight For Flight” era, and I can state, from my “professional” point of view, that no matter the competitor, whether a young, fiery upstart or an experienced veteran, you can never hold the Fight For Flight Championship for a long period of time.
Trust me, MANY have tried. Experienced multi-man match legends like “the Good Guy” Azrieal? Four shows in the Summer of 2015. Future superstars like Sonny Kiss? One successful defense in 2016. ACE veterans like Mike Donovan? Four title defenses only.
PLUS, the injury factor quickly comes to play when it comes to trying to withstand the abuse in Fight For Flight Title defenses.
Former WCW Cruiserweight, Hardcore, and Tag Team Champion CROWBAR had been in wars over his long career, but in his first defense of the Fight For Flight Championship in January 2017, he suffered a serious injury trying to survive high-flying offense from Sebastian Cage and strong style striker Ricky Reyes and was forced to vacate the title.
I’ve also heard through my sources through the independent wrestling pipeline that former Fight For Flight Champions like Prince Akkanatan, Love Jones, Mouse, and Ryan Clancy that the rigorous defense schedule as title holder has forced them to alter their styles to adapt and be more defensive in the ring than offensive.
“Multimetrics” is no joke.
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“Bad” Brad Benson might have big aspirations as ACE Fight For Flight Champion, but he has to look at the big picture. Winning the title is one thing; keeping your health and consistently adapting to the statistics of each title defense is another thing entirely.
On March 30 in Teaneck, NJ at Destined 4 Greatness, Benson will have his first championship defense. Let’s hope that it’s not his last.
The “multimetrics” don’t lie.
