Dallas DOA Dominance

Posted by: DrDogg

At the conclusion of the inaugural Championship Gaming Series Combine and Draft back in 2007, it seemed as though Alex Conroy had a solid team on his hands. Fast-forward to the end of the season and he was left out of not only the World Finals, but the North American playoffs as well. His number one draft pick in 2007, Emmanuel "Master" Rodriguez, had a decent season at 8-4, but it clearly wasn't what Conroy was expecting. A year later he would place his faith in Master once again as he was named the DALLAS VENOM franchise player.

With Master as the cornerstone of his team, Conroy needed a DOA partner that could stand up to the troublesome western conference. Vanessa Arteaga of the SAN FRANCISCO OPTX wasn't going anywhere, and it seemed inevitable that Jason Lake would be improving his DOA squad for the 2008 season. At the 2008 Draft, Conroy picked up Michelle "Phoenix" Pleet, who had hit the training blocks hard after failing to make it through the 2007 Draft. Was her determination enough to bring in the points Conroy was looking for?

As the new season began, the duo of Master and Phoenix was looked at as a force to be reckoned with. If Master had another second place season, Phoenix could fall to Vanessa and the VENOM would still have the most dominant DOA duo in the league. But Master and Phoenix did not plan to fall to anyone, and they quickly proved that Conroy had made the perfect choice during the off-season.

Out of the gate, Master showed that he was the player to beat in the DOA-M division. He slaughtered his first three opponents, each with a score of 5-1, then floored the number one draft pick, Carl "Perfect Legend" White, with his first 5-0 victory of the season. Some assumed that Master had yet to face a real challenge with Perfect Legend not playing up to his normal skill level. So when Master faced off against his 2007 rival, Ryan "Offbeat Ninja" Ward, it was a battle of epic proportions. Master narrowed escaped defeat, with a 5-4 win over the former CGS champion, then went on to steamroll the rest of his competition, matching Vanessa's point differential. He ended the season with an astonishing 11-1 record, losing only to Offbeat Ninja in his the final match.

Meanwhile, most assumed that Phoenix would have to adjust to playing in the CGS. However, she surprised many by winning her first game against the number two DOA-F from 2007, Tanya "Coolsvilla" Underwood. Phoenix seemed nervous at first, but nerves would not trouble her long as she beat the 3D.NY player with a score of 5-1.

Heading into the first televised match, Phoenix had a record of 4-3, with two of those losses coming from Vanessa. It was at this point that Phoenix was no longer able to simply accept defeat at the hands of the number one female gamer in the world. Everyone else may have given up hope on defeating Vanessa, but Phoenix wasn’t ready to give Master all of the DOA glory. She would fight Vanessa once more during the regular season, in the first DirecTV game, and she would not go down without a fight. She trained vigorously against the top Kasumi player in Los Angeles. She knew Vanessa would use Kasumi and she would be ready for her.

When it came time for the match, Phoenix had a look of destruction on her face. This wasn't a pleasant match between two friends; this was presumably Phoenix last chance to take on Vanessa, and a virtual fight to the death. Phoenix won the first round of the match, but to many this was no surprise. Vanessa was known to lose early, then comeback with a big win. However, Phoenix won the next two rounds to take a commanding 3-0 lead over a visibly troubled Vanessa. The undefeated OPTX star would mount a comeback, taking the next two rounds and breathing a sigh of relief as it seemed as though the fight was already over. But then it began, Phoenix won the next round to become the first player ever to get four rounds on Vanessa. For the first time ever, Vanessa was on the verge of losing. She fought back to win the next round, placing the score at 4-3 in favor of Phoenix, but it was too little too late. Less than 60 seconds later, Phoenix had done the impossible; she had become the first DOA-F player in the history of the league to defeat Vanessa.

The amazing feat sent a powerful statement throughout the CGS; Vanessa was human and the DALLAS VENOM were well on their way to North American dominance. The win took an emotional toll on Phoenix as she lost her next game to Coolsvilla, but she bounced back to win the last three games of the season. She finished the season with an 8-4, second only to Vanessa. But their rivalry wasn’t over yet, as the VENOM faced the OPTX again in the playoffs where Phoenix defeated the superstar a second time.

It was an amazing year for VENOM DOA, and one that will live on in the history books. Master went 11-1, a record that's not likely to be challenged anytime soon. Phoenix did the unthinkable in her rookie year, putting a blemish on Vanessa's perfect record, not once but twice. The scary part is that these players aren't even at the top of their game yet. Master and Phoenix will head back to the dojo to further improve their skills and ensure they stay ahead of the pack, because next season they don't plan to go home without the Dew Trophy.