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Predator World 10-Ball Championship Raymond's Recap Bankshot Billiards
May 23-27, 2007
Jacksonville, Florida ProPoolVideo.com contributor, Raymond Linares, gives his take on the World 10-Ball Championship with both words and pictures. Story and photos by Raymond Linares 4428 views Click image below to view gallery
 PPV contributor Raymond Linares gives his take on the Predator World 10-Ball Championship in words and pictures Predator World 10-Ball ChampionshipStory and Photos by Raymond Linares Epic and historic are two words that can describe the inaugural Predator World 10-Ball Championship. The landmark event was held May 23-27, 2007 at Bankshot Billiards in Jacksonville Florida, and was produced by Dragon Promotions. Capped with a 96 player star-studded field, the 10-Ball World Championship pitted the world’s finest men and women players against each other in a five day marathon of skill and mental endurance. Twenty different countries were represented in this tournament, bringing the largest international field the Sunshine State has ever seen. The Predator World 10-Ball Championship made history by marking the first time in over a decade that a rotation game World Championship was held on American soil—not since the 1994 9-Ball World Championship had that occurred. 
Day four, the last day of the double-elimination stage of the tournament, produced powerhouse pairings and colossal clashes of cueing skill. Such as Johnny Archer overcoming a four game deficit and defeating Filipino star “Marvelous” Marlon Manalo. Georgia native and current Derby City Banks Champion Steve Moore trounced Filipino standout Santos Sambajon. American veteran Danny Harriman also fended off another Filipino master with an impressive victory over former world champion Alex Pagulayan. It was clear that the American players were making a statement: they would not allow the Filipino contingent to run away with this tournament. The road to the championship would have to lead through the USA. 
Even after suffering those day-four defeats, the Filipinos seemed poised to dominate on the final day of competition. The single elimination stage of the tournament found Filipino greats Francisco Bustamante, Alex Pagulayan, Dennis Orcullo, and Warren Kiamco all ready to pounce on the field and take the world title. The USA would counter with their own group of strong shooters including former world champ Johnny Archer, Steve Moore, Shane Van Boening, Danny Harriman and Cliff Joyner. The two countries squared off in multiple encounters, exchanging blow for blow in the alternate break format. 
Dennis Orcullo defeated Steve Moore to advance to the semifinals. And Alex Pagulayan was regaining his championship form by defeating American favorite Johnny Archer. Shane Van Boening would counter for the American side by taking out Warren Kiamco. After surviving a hill-hill thriller with the talented Spaniard Manuel Gama, Cliff Joyner was ready for his chance to test his mettle against the Filipino onslaught. And so the stage was set, semifinal number one would be a rematch of last week’s Enjoypool.com 9-Ball Championship, as Filipino juggernaut Dennis Orcullo would once again face American young gun Shane Van Boening. In the second semifinal, backroom legend and one-pocket specialist Cliff Joyner would take on Filipino superstar Alex Pagulayan. 
Both matches definitely met expectations. Van Boening had Orcullo dominated as he reached the hill and left him facing a daunting 10-5 deficit. But Dennis Orcullo would not be so easily dismissed, as he rattled off the next four games to bring the score to 10-9. Van Boening however would not allow a repeat of his last tournament with Orcullo, and managed to ward off the Filipino’s late barrage to advance to the final. There, he would meet Cliff Joyner who came out the victor of a hill-hill shootout with former world champion Alex Pagulayan. 
The Championship Final of the inaugural Predator World 10-Ball Championship was set. And fittingly, it would be an all American final—the first in many years. The two American shooters would prove their worth in a world-class display of pool. Van Boening and Joyner stayed right on each other’s heels not giving an inch of breathing room to the other. The finalists exchanged the lead six times throughout the match. The final lead change came after the 22nd game with the score tied at 11-11. At this point Shane Van Boening would capitalize and win the final two games to capture the championship. 
Both competitors received an uproarious standing ovation from a truly appreciative crowd. By reaching the finals of this already historic event, Cliff Joyner became the first African-American player since Cicero Murphy to compete for a World Championship of pool. During his speech, Joyner became slightly emotional upon hearing the magnitude of his accomplishment. Gracious in defeat, Joyner acknowledged the new champion and congratulated him on his excellent showing. Newly crowned World 10-Ball Champion Shane Van Boening also commended Joyner for being a terrific competitor. Both men exuded class and tact and are a credit to the sport. 
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