Hello Schmoedown fans, Tim here with the third part of six in this special preview to the Schmoedown Spectacular! It’s the second of four championship matches on the “Grand Showcase of the Schmoedown,” and this one is particularly controversial because it was made with the most corruptible ingredients ever conceived by KOrruption.
Will justice prevail, or will the division be corrupted by the fury of one man? It’s the rematch of the Innergeekdom Finals as “The Amazing” Mara Knopic defends her title against Mike “The Killer” Kalinowski.
To understand why this controversial rematch was made for the title, we must go back to the Innergeekdom Tournament. After ditching The League for good due their extensive absence, Mike Kalinowski proceeded to blackmail the Commissioner Thadd Williams with newfound powers given by the mysterious lawyer Paulie G. He forced him to make an Innergeekdom Tournament not just because he believed it would enrich the division, but because he wants to win what he calls “my championship.” In that tourney, he slayed everyone in front of his path (including two KOs) until he met Mara Knopic.
Mara Knopic was waiting for her opportunity to join the Schmoedown for years, and the Innergeekdom Tournament was her chance to prove that she can do trivia with the very best. From her debut onward, she dazzled everyone with victories over Coy Jandreau and Emma Fyffe. When it came to what many consider the Match of the Year, Mara Knopic took Rachel Cushing the distance, plus eleven Sudden Death questions, to face Kalinowski in the Finals. And that was with neither Mara nor Rachel in their very best health.
In her first match with Kalinowski it was down to the wire in the Fifth Round, where Mike had the 5-point question to finally play for the title he craved. Unfortunately, he could not answer the question and Mara advanced to face Jason Inman for his Innergeekdom title at September’s live event. That question Mike could not answer was what many considered the most difficult 5-point question ever given in the Schmoedown: the names of Tony Stark’s robotic arms DUM-E and U. It really shook Kalinowski to the bone, and he acknowledged Mara as the better competitor.
When Mara Knopic finally defeated Jason Inman to become the next Innergeekdom Champion at the live event, Mike decided to pull the trigger and unleash the biggest abuse of his corruptive power. He congratulated the new champion Mara, and then announced that she will be defending the title against him at Spectacular. Unafraid and unshaken, Mara accepted the challenge. It was the most surprising moment at that live event, and the most controversial amongst the Schmoedown community. Many argued the rematch was unfair, saying Mike Kalinowski should face Rachel Cushing, Adam Hlavac, and Jason Inman first before being considered the challenger for Mara’s championship at the “Grand Showcase.” Mike went on Facebook to silence those critics saying that they are part of the sheep that will, regardless, be entertained with this championship match, and that the Innergeekdom league “is my league now, get over it.”
If there’s anything that we can analyze from Mike Kalinowski, it’s that his last-minute loss to Mara Knopic has fueled his fury to rip the championship away from her. His blind fury fuels the abuse of the powers given to him by Paulie G. There is no doubt that he was performing mightily in the Innergeekdom Finals for all five rounds, including the speed round. For him to take the belt, Mike needs to enter this match with a calm mindset. He cannot let his silent rage be his downfall. However, the Mara that Mike will face could be a very different one.
After defeating Jason Inman for the Innergeekdom title, Mara Knopic is in an interesting position. She is undefeated at 5-0, a lock-in for the Innergeekdom Player of the Year, and a frontrunner for Rookie of the Year (along with Ethan Erwin). This Innergeekdom superstar has won the hearts of many, on and off the stage. Considering that she has beaten both Kalinowski and Inman, Mara is not afraid of defeating her challenger again to further cement her brilliant status. The key to victory for her is the speed round. For both of her five-round matches, she has not been fast enough to answer the questions in the speed round. She needs to be more familiar with the buzzers to gain the edge over Kalinowski. As long as she does this and stays aware of how Kalinowski aggressive will be, then she should be able to keep this competitive to defend the title and most likely win Rookie of the Year.
Their last matchup in the Innergeekom Finals was an exciting one, and it’s possible that the rematch will meet or exceed that level the Schmoedown Spectacular. Between the two, Mara will be the slight favorite to defend her Innergeekdom Championship. However, both know their Innergeekdom categories very well, so this could be a close match to call. Will the “Brown Dwarf Star” outlast the fury of “The Killer?” We will find out in this rematch for the Innergeekdom Championship at Spectacular!