In front of a raucous crowd who cheered every shot made, Johnny Archer won the Scorpion Challenge in the beautiful island of Puerto Rico. The man who made it to the special main event, which was no easy task, was 4-time National Champion Alan Rolon. With precise shotmaking and great safety play, Archer didn't let Rolon get into his game and won the match by scores of 9-3 and 9-5.
By the start of the second day, only 4 players had the chance to meet up with the Future Hall of Famer, 3 of them being past National Champions. On the loser?s side, Edgardo Ramirez, considered by many as the best pool player ever from the island battled the young hot-shot from the tournament, Miguel 'Pito' Batista. 'Pito' quickly jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but a missed 6-ball and two 9-balls on the break changed the momentum and proved to be the difference in that one, as Ramirez gutted it out for a 5-3 win.
On the winner's side, 4-Time National Champ, Rolon, battled current champion German Hernandez. Rolon had his groove on and made shot after shot for a 7-1 win to reach the hot seat. Hernandez was headed to the loser's bracket where Ramirez was waiting. Hernandez, clearly frustrated from his match with Rolon, couldn't do much, and Ramirez advanced to face his long time nemesis in the finals. Rolon wouldn't be denied the chance to play with Archer before the hometown crowd. He went to work from the 1st rack and got a 9-5 victory, while the whole crowd grew with expectations awaiting to see the legend Johnny Archer. Rolon got $700 cash, a brand new Scorpion Cue and a weekend hotel stay for a total of $1,075. In addition, he would represent Puerto Rico in the Scorpion Challenge for an additional $500. The only problem is he ran into Archer, who put on a dazzling display of quality pool.
With over $2,500 in prizes and hundreds of fans on both days, the tournament was a huge success. Fernando Calvo, owner of Players Pool Hall, in Yauco, Puerto Rico, who hosted the event, credited Johnny Archer and Scorpion Cues for the success of the event. 'Mr. Johnny Archer is as classy as they come. He's been amazing on every aspect. I really want to thank him and Scorpion Cues for all the help they've given us.' he said.
