Playoff Bracket is Set for 2025 Tournament at the Mansion

After three grueling and demanding preliminary rounds things are about to become even more intense as the 2025 Tournament at the Mansion heads into the elimination playoff rounds.

The 2025 Tournament at the Mansion has been our most intense and competitive mixed wrestling tournament to date and has set the bar for tournament action going further at the Kinksports Underground Mixed Wrestling Club. While the club has frequent competitive mixed wrestling and female wrestling bouts, there is always an underlining theme of fun as two competitors try to dominate the other with a smile. 

Those smiles seem to fade away in the tournament fights. Maybe it is something about having a record tied to your name and the ability to crown oneself the champion that brings out an extra layer of competitiveness. Another factor is that we only invite the more competitive wrestlers to partake in tournament action; those who are visibly upset when they taste defeat.

For the 2025 Tournament at the Mansion we expanded the wrestling floor space so that fighters could have more room to maneuver around, as well as invested in more expensive higher quality mats that provide more safety for the fighters, allowing them to take more chances during fights as they go for takedowns without the fear of being injured. We believe that the better quality mats have also played a factor in the higher level of competitiveness at the tournament.

This tournament had everyone participating in three preliminary matches which gave everyone a rank from 1 to 8. Now that those rankings have been established we will have a traditional playoffs where the 1 seed will face the 8 seed, 2 vs 7, 3 vs 6, and 4 vs 5 in the first round followed by a semi-finals and championship.

Here are the standings and rankings following the three preliminary rounds.

Let's take a quick look at the first round playoff matchups. 

#1 Juliana vs #8 Claudia

Juliana has been incredible in this tournament thus far

If you would have told me that Juliana and Claudia would be facing off as the #1 vs #8 match in the playoffs prior to the tournament beginning, I would have thought to myself "Wow, Claudia is the real deal!".

All eyes were on the 6'1" Claudia coming into the tournament as someone who had the potential to take the Championship belt away from Tatiana. Following in runway model Yesenia's footsteps, Claudia's longer than life legs were intimidating to look at as she arrived at the tournament house for the first time. Towering over all of the other girls, many were fearful of having to face off against her. 

Meanwhile, quiet and sometimes shy Juliana, though she arrived with a 2-0 record, wasn't considered much of a threat coming in as the second lightest fighter in the tournament and voted as the second least likely to win the entire thing.

However, whereas Claudia struggled to find a strategy on the wrestling mats and often looked uncomfortable, Juliana always appeared cool and confident and right at home on the mats. She began the tournament by shocking the current Champion Tatiana, beating her just slightly by points, but showing throughout their fight that she was the superior grappler.

Juliana continued to impress everyone as she upset Kevin in the second round with another close win before completely demolishing then undefeated David in the third round to secure the number one seed.

Not only did Juliana go 3-0, but her three wins were against opponents who have a 6-0 record in the tournament against competitors not named Juliana; she beat the #2, #3, and #4 seeds in the preliminary rounds.

While Claudia ended with an 0-3 record she did show improvement throughout the tournament and had her moments. She easily could have gone 2-1 if the wind was blowing a slightly different direction. Claudia, with her 9 inch height advantage and 25 pound weight advantage over Juliana can still come out on top and even win the whole tournament. 

The preliminary rounds were just the appetizer, the playoffs is where we will really see who is the best fighter. Though Juliana is the number 1 seed in many ways she is the underdog in this match as she is giving up so much size. She is clearly the better grappler, much quicker, and has higher stamina than Claudia.

However, if Claudia can trap Juliana with her long legs and lock her feet in, it is going to make things very difficult for Juliana as she is being squeezed into submission. Claudia will try to keep Juliana close and in front of her where she can trap her with her legs while Juliana will use her quickness to try and take Claudia's back and put her in rear naked chokes which she has done successfully against all three of her opponents so far.

The smaller Juliana is the #1 seed but she might be the underdog going up against 6'1" Claudia

#2 David vs #7 Paulina

Despite going 0-3 the athletic Paulina feels she can upset David and make a run to the finals

David was on cloud nine heading into the third preliminary round against Juliana. He was 2-0 and on top of the standings due to his scoring output. He and the rest of the league had expected him to win the third round match and lock in the number one seed for the playoffs.

Unfortunately for him he ran into Juliana who completely dismantled him in every way possible. He had no answers for the quicker Juliana who showed impressive stamina throughout the fight while David was struggling to find air.

The beating he took from Juliana will either serve as a wake up call that could help him step up his game and win the championship, or it might be a confidence killer that gives Paulina a chance to come in and get a first round upset win. Paulina went 0-3, however she had her moments showcasing her athleticism and strong pair of legs.

Paulina's powerful legs can give David problems if he is not careful

If she can become more agile on her feet - something she has been working on with her friend Patricia in preparation for the playoffs - she can give David trouble by keeping him unbalanced and go in for the bodyscissor attack at the right time. There is no doubt that Paulina has the lower body strength to upset David, she just needs to improve on her grappling on the mats.

#3 Tatiana vs #6 Alejandra

This will be an intense fight between two tough warriors. Tatiana came into the tournament with an overall 9-0 record which included the 2024 Dusk till Dawn Tournament championship where she defeated two previously undefeated women in Yesenia and Maria.

Two of our most aggressive fighters face off in the #3 vs #6 match - Tatiana vs Alejandra

She felt unbeatable, and her first round fight against Juliana was in her mind just a formality. However, a few minutes into that match Tatiana found herself on her back being held down by a schoolgirl pin by the smaller Juliana in a move that Tatiana usually dishes out to her opponents. Getting a taste of her own medicine, Tatiana was embarrassed by Juliana as she suffered her first loss.

She has since come back and won her next two matches against Paulina and Patricia. However, despite winning, in both of those matches Tatiana struggled to put the fight away and at times was close to being upset again. Paulina was able to pin her with another schoolgirl pin and Patricia caught her in a headscissors that almost caused a submission.

In order for Tatiana to win three fights in a row and defend her championship belt she will need to step up her game and wrestle like we have seen her in the past. Standing in her way is the voluptuous Alejandra who has the dangerous combination of thick muscular thighs and long legs, along with impressive flexibility. Tatiana is the better wrestler, has higher stamina, and though smaller in weight has a considerable upper body strength advantage. Alejandra's legs will give the leaner version of Tatiana trouble if she can get her thighs around her body, which will be her game plan: trap and squeeze.

Alejandra went 1-2 with her only losses coming against the two men, both of whom she fought well and could have won with a little more time. She has an aggressive style of fighting that she will lean on to try and make a run in the playoffs. The only fighter who might be more aggressive than her is her opponent, Tatiana.

#4 Kevin vs #5 Patricia

Both Kevin and Patricia went 2-1 in the preliminary rounds and for both anything less than a championship will be considered a failure. The difference, while Kevin came in as the fighter with the second highest probability to win the tournament, Patricia was voted as the least likely. 

Classic Size vs Quickness in this mixed wrestling showdown: Kevin vs Patricia

Following her Cinderella story in the 16 person Single Elimination Tournament where she secured three straight upset wins to make it to the Championship, Patricia continued her underdog story beating Paulian and Claudia, both of whom have significant size advantages against her, and then battling Tatiana tooth and nail to the final seconds.

This will be a classic mixed wrestling showdown of a larger and stronger male in Kevin against a more agile, quicker, higher stamina, and more flexible female in Patricia. The stamina factor will be Patricia's best chance at beating Kevin and it is how she upset him in the semi-finals of the Single Elimination Tournament.

In that fight the format was 5 rounds with each round being 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Kevin jumped out to an early lead in the first two rounds before he started to struggle in the third round with his stamina. Sensing his weakness, Patricia attacked aggressively in the fourth round and took her first lead in the match with a headscissor submission leaving Kevin shocked. He failed to retake the lead in the fifth round as his heavy breathing was no match for Patricia who never stopped jumping around and talking trash for the entire five rounds.

In this tournament that matches are shorter with two five minute rounds. This should favor Kevin as there will be less time for Patricia to wear him down. Patricia will need to strike early and often and never stop, while maintaining her high level of defensive grappling abilities to avoid Kevin from scoring points. If she can keep the score close in the final minute of the fight she will be in a good position to go on the attack and get a very late submission or pin to secure the upset.

Can Patricia continue her upset bull dozer run?