One of our favorite annual events is right on top of us, derby fans, and we hope you’ll join us this Saturday night for the 2019 Rink of Fire at Memorial Hall!
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Current Standings
Knockouts: 6-0
Victory Vixens: 2-4
Black Eye Susans: 2-4
Dreadnought Dorothys: 2-4
Yes, the Knockouts have notched an undefeated season at the expense of the other three house teams, who all languish at 2-4 on the season.
At this point, the common question becomes: how do we know who plays the Knockouts for the Rink of Fire championship?
We’ve actually discussed this kind of thing before, so we’ll spare you the finer points, but it boils down to this:
When multiple teams boast identical win-loss records on the season, the tie is broken by the point differential, which is simply the difference between a team’s total points scored and their total points allowed.
The team with the highest point differential wins every single time, and this year, the Victory Vixens came out of nowhere at the tail end of the season to pull a Cinderella and go to the big dance.
We say “Cinderella” because if you’ll recall, the Vixens didn’t win a single game all year until Game 5 on May 4. They started the season 0-4, then won the two remaining games in May and June, racking up enough points in the process to beat out the Dorothys and Susans for a championship run.
Given the standings this year, we’re predicting a Knockouts win by a considerable margin. Having said that, we’ve been equally confident in our Rink of Fire predictions in the past under very similar circumstances and wound up dead wrong.
Remember in 2017 when the 6-0 Dreadnought Dorothys faced the 3-3 Black Eye Susans for the trophy? No one expected the Black & Yellow to take the win, but they did — by 82 points.
If the Victory Vixens pull off an upset this weekend, it will be even bigger than that. Never in the history of the Kansas City Roller Warriors has a 2-4 team bested a 6-0 team for the Warder Cup, but this Saturday night, the Red, White, and Blue will attempt to do just that.
This year’s Rink of Fire celebration will actually feature three bouts and begin at 4:00 as the Kansas City Junior Warriors take the track in their first bout of the 2019 season.
Next, at 6:00, the Dreadnought Dorothys and the Black Eye Susans face off in this year’s grudge match. The Ketchup vs. Mustard bouts are always some of the most competitive and entertaining of the entire season, and we’re looking forward to seeing who comes out on top this year.
Then, immediately following, the undefeated Knockouts face the resurgent Victory Vixens one last time to see who takes home the coveted Warder Cup and bragging rights until next year. Regardless of who comes out on top, it’s going to be an amazing event you won’t want to miss.
Doors open at Memorial Hall at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. Be sure and get there early to support the Juniors, who kick off the weekend’s festivities.
As always, adult tickets are $15 at the door — probably the best value in town for what you’re getting this weekend. Kids ages 6-12 are $10 each, and kiddos 5 and under are admitted free.
L.A.’s Cuisine will be on hand serving up some of the best BBQ in a town famous for BBQ, and the afterparty will be at the 403 Club immediately after the championship bout.
We can’t wait to see you at Memorial Hall this Saturday night for the 2019 Rink of Fire Championship!