It’s Sigel vs. Reyes for King of the Hill!
In a dream match-up for pool fans, Hall-of-Famers Efren Reyes and Mike Sigel will meet in the finals of the International Pool Tour’s King of the Hill event on Sunday afternoon, playing for the biggest payday in the history of billiards.
Forty-two of the world’s best cue artists started play on Nov. 30 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. After four rounds of round-robin 8-ball play, Reyes emerged as the victor and earned a shot at Sigel and the $200,000 first-prize in the finals.
“This is the match that everyone of the planet wants to see,” said Sigel. “It’s classic. Half the people in the world think that he’s the greatest player, the other half think I’m the greatest player.”
In a typical gut-check performance for the legendary cue wizard, Reyes came back from a 4-0 deficit in a must-win match against fellow Filipino Marlon Manalo to win eight straight games and earn his berth against Sigel, 8-4.
“I’m coming after you – you wait for me!” Reyes said, after repeated promptings from the video production staff at the King of the Hill to say something for the cameras that sounded like he was taunting Sigel.
“I think it will be a very good match,” Reyes continued. “I haven’t played Mike Sigel in 10 years. He has a better record [against me]. Whoever gets the first break and breaks good may win it.”
Just six players were left standing for the final round-robin stage on Saturday, and, perhaps to no one’s surprise, three were ball-control mavens from the Philippines: Reyes, Manalo, and Francisco Bustamante. Perhaps the biggest surprise survivor was Hall-of-Famer Nick Varner, who underwent major heart-related surgery less than two years ago. The six were rounded out by Finland’s Mika Immonen and America’s Johnny Archer.
The Filipinos quickly took over the bracket, and going into the fifth and final match of the last round-robin, each Pinoy player had a record of 3-1. When Bustamante lost badly to Immonen to fall to 3-2, it was announced to the crowd and the players that the winner of the Reyes-Manalo match, which was still in progress, would meet Sigel in Sunday’s final.
It was a wild match to begin with, as Manalo took a quick 4-0 lead. Reyes began to mount a comeback, and the score was 4-2 when play was forced to stop for 20 minutes after an incredible and embarrassing gaffe by the match’s referee. Reyes had run out all the solids and had a clear shot on the 8, and decided to return to his chair for a moment before taking the shot. Evidently not paying attention, the referee absent-mindedly cleared the balls from the table before Reyes returned. Fortunately, each match at the King of the Hill was being videotaped, so the production crew soon was able to cue up a portion of the tape with the correct layout. After officials reset the balls, Reyes promptly sank the 8.
Soon, he was celebrating his big comeback and the potential to take home $200,000 from Sunday’s match. The runner-up will receive $100,000.
Sigel told BD that he was concerned with Reyes’ stellar record in high-pressure situations. Perhaps not so coincidentally, Reyes holds the current record for most money won in a pool match: $160,000 for a Japanese event several years ago.
IPT King of the Hill Kicks Off!
The International Pool Tour’s first large-field event has begun. The IPT “King of the Hill” shootout, going Nov. 30-Dec. 4, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., is offering a record-breaking top prize of $200,000, and a total prize fund of $1,000,000.
The field of 43 consists of thirteen Billiards Congress of America Hall of Fame members and thirty invited IPT members. Forty-two players will compete in a round-robin phase, and the top dog from that tousle will challenge Hall-of-Famer Mike Sigel in the final match.
TONIGHT – IPT’s Sigel vs. Jones on FSN’s Best Damn Sports Show
Tonight, Thursday, Nov. 17, the International Pool Tour’s first event, the “IPT World 8-Ball Championship,” will be showcased on a special one-hour edition of Fox Sports Net’s “Best Damn Sports Show Period.” The match was an exhibition-style 8-ball contest between Hall-of-Famers Mike Sigel and Loree Jon Jones, held at Mandaly Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nev, in August.
The show will be broadcast at 10:30pm local time on FSN – check your local listing for availability. In addition to the national airing on FSN at 10:30, the event will also be shown tonight on a number of FSN’s regional sports channels at 9pm and 11:30pm, according to the IPT’s press release.
Striking Viking Resigns as WPBA President
Tied to a hectic schedule and hoping to make a last big splash in the competitive arena, Ewa Laurance has decided to step down as president of the Women’s Professional Billiard Association with a full year left on her two-year term.
The position will be filled after the WPBA’s board of directors election on Wednesday, Nov. 9, at the WPBA Nationals in Lincoln City, Ore. Once a new seven-person board is constituted, the board members will elect a new president.
“I have never been busier in my life,” said Laurance, who maintains a schedule filled with tournaments, exhibitions, and appearances for sponsors. “I don’t have time to breathe. I barely see my family.
“Plus, I’m starting to play well again, and if I’m ever going to give it a shot, this is going to be it,” she said.
Laurance’s resignation comes as she and several other top WPBA players prepare for the first $1 million International Pool Tour event, to be held Nov. 30-Dec. 5 in Orlando, Fla. Laurance is among 12 Hall-of-Famers who will participate in the “King of the Hill” event, which has promised prizes of at least $30,000 to each Hall member participating.
Laurance also is among the 150 players pegged to participate in the IPT’s 2006 season, and one of only 15 women. Of those 15, nine are regular competitors on the WPBA Classic Tour.
Although her participation on the IPT tour potentially could be seen as a conflict of interest with her presidency, Laurance disagreed with any such assumptions and said they played no role in her decision to resign.
IPT Will Air in Prime Time Nov. 17th
The International Pool Tour has sealed a prime-time television deal with the national Fox Sports Network. The IPT World 8-Ball Championship, a challenge match between hall-of-famers Loree Jon Jones and Mike Sigel which took place Aug. 20th in Las Vegas, Nev., will be broadcast several times on FSN. It premiers nationwide at 10:30pm local time on Thursday, Nov. 17th, showcased on a special one-hour edition of FSN’s “Best Damn Sports Show Period.”
According to the IPT’s press release, FSN reaches more than 81 million homes nationwide. “We look forward to this event attracting more than just billiard fans,” George Greenberg, Executive Vice-President of Programming and Production at FSN, told the IPT. Sigel and Jones are scheduled to make appearances on the “Best Damn Sports Show Period” in the days leading up the to Nov. 17th broadcast date.
In addition to the national airing at 10:30 pm, the IPT World 8-Ball Championship will also be shown on the same date on a number of FSN’s regional sports channels at 9 pm and 11:30 pm.
IPT Announces the Lucky 150
Marketing maven Kevin Trudeau’s new International Pool Tour has announced the 150 players who were accepted for membership in the IPT for its first regular tournament season, which kicks off with the IPT Masters’ 8-Ball Championship, January 31-February 4, 2006, at the Orlando Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. The advertised prize money for that event is an unprecedented $1 Million, with a first prize of $200,000. Only those players on the 150-person IPT membership list are eligible to enter the tour’s regular tournaments, though there are open events planned that will not have that requirement.
All events are to be 8-ball, on slow-nap cloth with 4 1/2-inch pockets. Jump cues and breaking from the side rail is prohibited, and the format is round-robin with the exception of the final match.
The IPT’s Web site, www.internationalpooltour.com, notes that, now that the 150 have been announced, it is no longer accepting applications for regular tour players.
At the end of 2006, the bottom 50 money earners on the tour will lose their tour card. An open qualifying tournament will be held to determine who gets those 50 spots for the 2007 season.
Here is the complete 2006 IPT membership list:
2006 IPT Players (Last, First – Country)
Adkins, Dee – USA
Alvarez, Frank – USA
Amine, Ouahbi – France
Amir, Ibrahim bin – Malaysia
Appleton, Darren – UK
Archer, Johnny – USA
Bartram, Chris – USA
Basavich, Daniel – USA
Beaufils, Yannick – France
Blyzes, Brian – USA
Brienza, Paul – USA
Broadhurst, Jackie – USA
Bryant, Charles – USA
Bustamante, Francisco – Phillippines
Butera, Lou – USA
Butera, Sal – USA
Calderon, Jerry – Venezuela
Carte,r Linda – USA
Carvajal, Alejandro – Chile
Catledge, Wayne – USA
Cemero, Michael – USA
Chamat, Marcus – Sweden
Chenman, Lee – China/Hong Kong
Chohan, Tony – USA
Colenso, Colin – China
Corr, Karen – USA
Coutts, Glen – New Zealand
Crane, Wade – USA
Czetli, Aaron – USA
Daulton, Shannon – USA
Davenport, Kim – USA
Davis, Mike – USA
Deuel, Corey – USA
Di Liberto, Dany – USA
Di Toro, John – USA
Dodson, Robin – USA
Dominguez, Ernesto – USA
Eberle, Max – USA
Eckert, Ralph – Germany
Edey, Tyler – Canada
Ellerby, Sarah – USA
Facquet, Vincent – France
Feijen, Niels – The Netherlands
Fisher, Allison – USA
Fisher, Kelly – USA
Frank, Troy – USA
Franken, Aaron – Aruba
Friend, Bernie – USA
Fusco, Jimmy – USA
Fusco, Pete – USA
Gay, Leil – USA
Goh, Tuan Kiat – Singapore
Gonzalez, Rafael – Venezuela
Gulyassy, Mike – USA
Hall, Buddy – USA
Hann, Quinten – Australia
Harrison, Philip – England
Hatch, Dennis – USA
Hill, Mick – UK
Hofstatter, Gerda – USA
Hohmann, Thorsten – Germany
Holtz, Patrick – UK-Scotland
Hopkins, Allen – USA
Hundal, Raj – United Kingdom
Hunter, Bobby – USA
Immonen, Mika – USA
Incardona, William – USA
Jahnke, Bernd – Germany
Jakulj, Zlatko – Croatia
Jones, Loree Jon – USA
Jones, Sammy – USA
Jones, Tammy – USA
Jones, Jeremy – USA
Juva, Markus – Finland
Kelly, Ed "Champagne" – USA
Kennedy, Thomas – USA
Kenniston, Mary – USA
Klasovic, Andreja – Serbia/Montenegro
Kutcher, John – USA
Laurance, Ewa – USA
LeBron, Mike – USA
Lely, Alex – The Netherlands
Leonardo, Gunnar – Aruba
Lin Sheng – Young Taiwan
Lipsky, Steve – USA
Lohtander, Marko – Finland
Macias, John – USA
Manabu, Mori – Japan
Manalo, Marlon – Phillipines
Martin, Ray – USA
Massey, Mike – USA
Mathews, Grady – USA
McCready, Keith – USA
Mckenna, Robert – United Kingdom
Minici, Joe – Australia
Montal, Edwin – Canada
Morris, Carl – UK
Morris, Rodney – USA
Murphy, Austin – USA
O’Sullivan, Ronnie – UK
Owen, Gabe – USA
Parica, Jose – Phillipines
Petroni, Fabio – Italy
Potier, Paul – Canada
Putnam, Shawn – USA
Putnik, Ivica – Croatia
Raney, Jim – USA
Raybone, Neil – UK
Reljic, David – Australia
Rempe, Jim – USA
Reyes, Efren – Phillipines
Roberts, James – USA
Robles, Tony – USA
Runnels, Ike – USA
Sabtu, Suhana Dewi – Malaysia
Sakai, Miyuki – Japan
Saleh, Brian – UK
Salvas, Luc – Canada
Sambajon, Santos – Phillipines
San, Souci George "Ginky" – USA
Santl, Stefan – Germany
Schmidt, John – USA
Schwartz, Larry – USA
Sigel, Mike – USA
Soquet, Ralf – Germany
Stalev, Evgeny – Russia
Storm, Tom – Sweden
Strickland, Earl – USA
Thornfeldt, Helena – USA
Thung, Denny – Indonesia
Tourangeau, Stan – Canada
Townsend, Scotty – USA
Travers, Laurent – France
Van den Berg, Nick – The Netherlands
Varner, Nick – USA
Vickery, Howard – USA
Watson, Gerry – Canada
Webb, Monica – USA
West, Dallas – USA
Wetch, Jimmy – USA
Wheeler, Adam – USA
White, Jimmy – UK
Williams, Charlie – USA
Wims, John – Australia
Yee, Kwan Suet – Malaysia
Younger, Johl – Australia
Yuen, Ooi Fook – Malaysia
Zimmerman, Michael – USA
Jones No Match For Sigel
Mike Sigel leaned on his experience to secure pool’s biggest bundle.
Presented with bundles of cash that totaled a highest-ever $150,000 top prize, Sigel tried to put the moment into words. The only thing that came out, however, were tears.
“Six weeks of practice, and all the hype, and what this means for pool, it was too much,” said Sigel of the much-anticipated “battle of the sexes” head-to-head match.
Jones, who admittedly was no match for her own nerves, still received a tidy $75,000 paycheck for the afternoon’s work.
The Sigel-Jones match will serve as the launching pad for bigger and more elaborate events for pro pool in the future, according to entrepreneur/promoter Kevin Trudeau.
“Just think,” Trudeau said after the match. “Mike Sigel just earned the biggest single payday in the history of the sport, and it will be the smallest first prize in IPT events!”
As expected, both players were shaky at the start of the match, played in an elaborate arena setting and witnessed by 500-plus fans, including numerous sports and entertainment celebrities. Jones missed several chances to put pressure on Sigel, who rolled off from a 3-2 lead to a 9-2 first-set win. In the second set, a relaxed Sigel played more to expectations, while Jones again missed several critical shots.
“BD Live Chat” Tonight with Kevin Trudeau
Who is the man behind this weekend’s $225,000 Battle of the Legends match between hall of famers Mike Sigel and Loree Jon Jones?
It’s millionaire entrepreneur Kevin Trudeau … the informercial pioneer and author of The New York Times bestseller, “Natural Cures.” And Trudeau’s grand plan for pool extends well beyond Saturday’s marquee match-up at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Trudeau’s International Pool Tour is the buzz of the pool world.
Tonight at 8:00 p.m. EST, Trudeau will be live on “BD Live Chat,” answering YOUR questions about Saturday’s big match, the IPT, his formula for bringing pool into the big time, and why 8-ball is pool’s future.
The BD Live Chat room will open at 7:30 p.m. EST to give users an opportunity to begin posting questions.
Sigel, LJ Ready To Lay Down Some Smack!
Bring on the Hype! In advance of their epic $225,000 face-off in Las Vegas, Aug. 20, Loree Jon Jones and Mike Sigel, as well as promoter Kevin Trudeau, will share their thoughts on the Battle of the Legends showdown LIVE on BilliardsDigest.com next week.
BilliardsDigest.com will feature live chats on three separate nights leading up to the mega-match. Eight-time world champion and Billiard Congress of America Hall of Famer Jones will offer her views and answer questions from site visitors on Tuesday (8pm EST). Sigel, nine times world champion and also a BCA Hall of Famer, will surely bring his A game to the BD site on Wednesday (8pm EST). And Kevin Trudeau will talk about his involvement in pool and his grand plans for the International Pool Tour on Thursday (8pm EST).
Each night visitors can log on at 7:30 EST and begin submitting questions for that night’s visitor. A button on the BD home page will direct visitors to the BD Live Chat page.
Let’s get ready to rumble!
Sigel-Jones Battle of the Sexes to Launch Million-Dollar Tour
The International Pool Tour, a major new pool organization founded by media mogul Kevin Trudeau, will launch on Aug. 20 with a high-profile, made-for-TV battle of the sexes between Hall-of-Famers Mike Sigel and Loree Jon Jones.
Titled the IPT World 8-Ball Championship, the match will take place at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, and will be broadcast on national television and in some foreign markets in September.
The winner will take home $150,000, the richest single payday for a tournament win in the history of pool. The runner-up will receive $75,000. The format will be best 2-out-of-3 sets, with each set a race-to-9.
Hoping to stimulate mainstream interest in the event by grafting poolroom conditions to tournament pool, Trudeau has mandated several unusual rules for the matchup. There will be no shot clock, jump cues or breaking from the side rail. Winner will break, and slow-speed cloth will be used.
Trudeau expects a full-fledged series of televised 8-ball tournaments to follow in the next year under the International Pool Tour banner. Each will have a minimum of $1 million in guaranteed prize money.
IPT founder Trudeau, who launched and owns the Golf TV Channel in the United Kingdom, has built a $2 billion global business empire in television, publishing and marketing. He is best known in the U.S. for his many infomercials hawking self-help and holistic health products.