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The International Challenge of Champions is an annual nine-ball pool tournament held at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut. It has always been broadcast on ESPN and is sanctioned by the World Pool-Billiard Association.
As of 2009, four invited notable players compete in this single-elimination event. Different from other pool tournaments, this is a winner-take-all event: The winner earns the entire purse of the division (men's or women's);[1] in 2009, the men's-division pot was US$25,000. Winners of either division earn the title "Champion of Champions".
Format edit
Promoters describe the geared-for-television event as "international champions ... battling in short, sudden-death shootouts with pressure-cooker formats".[1]
Each match is compose of two sets; each of them is race to 5 and in alternate break. Players lag to determine who shall break in the first set. The player who loses that set will break in the second.
A 30-second shot clock rule is used. This means a player must make a shot within 30 seconds lest the other player will receive ball-in-hand. Each player, however, can call for an extension but only once per rack.
Unlike other 9-ball tournaments, a player must call the 9-ball before pocketing it. Failing to call the shot or the 9-ball going in another pocket other than the one called will result the 9-ball being respotted and the player loses his turn at the table. Also, a player can't win a rack by pocketing the 9-ball in the break.
To win a match, a player has to win both sets. If the sets are split (one player winning the first but other player winning the next), players again lag to break at the one rack decider.
Winners edit
Chao Fong-pang holds the most wins (3) in the tournament.
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 1991 |  Mike Lebron
|
| 1992 | Buddy Hall
|
| 1993 | Allen Hopkins
|
| 1994 | Nick Varner
|
| 1995 |  Chao Fong-pang
|
| 1996 |  Ralf Souquet
|
| 1997 | Oliver Ortmann
|
| 1998 | Lee Kun-fang
|
| 1999 |  Francisco Bustamante
|
| 2000 | Oliver Ortmann
|
| 2001 | Chao Fong-pang
|
| 2002 | Efren Reyes
|
| 2003 | Francisco Bustamante
|
| 2004 | Thomas Engert
|
| 2005 | Chao Fong-pang
|
| 2006 | Johnny Archer
|
| 2007 |  Niels Feijen
|
| 2008 |  Fu Jian-bo
|
| 2009 |  Mika Immonen
|
| 2010 | Mika Immonen
|
| 2011 |  Darren Appleton
|
| 2012 | Darren Appleton
|
| 2014 | Thorsten Hohmann
|
| 2015 | Shane Van Boening
|
| 2016 | Jayson Shaw
|
Associated events edit
The tournament is held in association with Trick Shot Magic – the highest-rated pool tournament ever shown on ESPN – and the special Hall of Fame Challenge Cup (for the title Challenge Cup Champion), a two-player contest between female members of the BCA Hall of Fame.[1]
References edit
- ^ a b c "Meet the Players in 'Champion of Champion' Tournaments (Sept. 29 – Oct. 1)". Pool & Billiard Magazine. 2015. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
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