Middle-earth Gladiator contest

[Tuor in Gondolin]

If there's sufficient interest, what about a Third Age Middle-earth
tournament? It could consist of a series of one-on-one matches.
Since some pair good guys it need not be "to the death", more
late medieval tournament type. Each match could take about a
week, with participants giving votes, and hopefully, commentary
and/or reasons for votes.

here are some tentative matches (any suggestions, alterations,
additions, etc.)?

1. Eowyn vs. Shelob
2. Tom Bombadil vs. Galadriel
3. pteradactyl vs. Gollum
4. Eomer vs. Haldir
5. Lobelia vs. Bilbo (granted the winner being just the teensiest
bit of a longshot to win it all)
6. Saruman vs. balrog
7. Gimli vs. Legolas (obviously no arrows allowed for Leggy)
8. Beorn vs. Boromir

[Nerwen]

And surely we need the Balrog vs the Witch-King, just to keep Mansun happy?

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by Nerwen

And surely we need the Balrog vs the Witch-King...etc.

*Chuckles malevolently*

Ummm...moderation prohibits me from commenting further.

[Tuor in Gondolin]

I thought of the balrog but wasn't sure of the
opponent. Seeding will be tricky (perhaps like in
the NCAA's with some byes), so

9. Balrog vs. Witch-King.

Oh, and the tournament field is the Pelennor
(partly for seating. People with houses on upper
tiers of Minas Tirith will make a fortune scalping tickets).

Oops. Need a new opponent for Saruman now.
Ideas? Gandalf, Elrond, Faramir or ????? (I guess not the Gaffer , eh?)

1. Eowyn vs. Shelob
2. Tom Bombadil vs. Galadriel
3. pteradactyl vs. Gollum
4. Eomer vs. Haldir
5. Lobelia vs. Bilbo (granted the winner being just the teensiest
bit of a longshot to win it all)
6. Saruman vs. ??????
7. Gimli vs. Legolas (obviously no arrows allowed for Leggy)
8. Beorn vs. Boromir

[Tuor in Gondolin]

Tentative brackets:

1. Lobelia vs. Bilbo
2. Samwise Gamgee vs. Farmer Maggott
============================
3. Eowyn vs. Shelob
4. Balrog vs. Witch-King.
============================
5. Eomer vs. Haldir
6. pteradactyl vs. Gollum
============================
7. Tom Bombadil vs. Galadriel
8. Saruman vs. ??????
============================
9. Gimli vs. Legolas
10. Beorn vs. Boromir
============================
11. Bard vs. Thranduil (a dispute over a certain treasure)
12. Smaug vs. Ioreth (perhaps not so much a mismatch, Ioreth
could talk anyone to death)
============================
13. Ugluk vs. Grishnakh
14. Gorbag vs. Shagrat
============================
15.
16.

[Groin Redbeard]

How about Azaghal vs Smaug? I'd be interested to know how people think that fight might turn out.

[Tuor in Gondolin]

(See # 12 pairing change). Ideas for the last pairing
and Saruman's opponent)?

1. Lobelia vs. Bilbo
2. Samwise Gamgee vs. Farmer Maggott
============================
3. Eowyn vs. Shelob
4. Balrog vs. Witch-King.
============================
5. Eomer vs. Haldir
6. pteradactyl vs. Gollum
============================
7. Tom Bombadil vs. Galadriel
8. Saruman vs. ??????
============================
9. Gimli vs. Legolas
10. Beorn vs. Boromir
============================
11. Bard vs. Thranduil (a dispute over a certain treasure)
12. Smaug vs. Azaghal
============================
13. Ugluk vs. Grishnakh
14. Gorbag vs. Shagrat
============================
15. Theoden vs. Denethor
16. Perhaps Thorin Oakenshield or Dain Ironfoot ??? vs. Azog???

[Eönwë]

What about the Mouth of Sauron?

[Tuor in Gondolin]

Eönwë What about the Mouth of Sauron?

Done. A rather interesting matchup (#8)

1. Lobelia vs. Bilbo
2. Samwise Gamgee vs. Farmer Maggott
============================
3. Eowyn vs. Shelob
4. Balrog vs. Witch-King.
============================
5. Eomer vs. Haldir
6. pteradactyl vs. Gollum
============================
7. Tom Bombadil vs. Galadriel
8. Saruman vs. Mouth of Sauron
============================
9. Gimli vs. Legolas
10. Beorn vs. Boromir
============================
11. Bard vs. Thranduil (a dispute over a certain treasure)
12. Smaug vs. Azaghal
============================
13. Ugluk vs. Grishnakh
14. Gorbag vs. Shagrat
============================
15. Theoden vs. Denethor
16. Perhaps Thorin Oakenshield or Dain Ironfoot ??? vs. Azog???

[Morthoron]

And what precisely is the 'pteradactyl' you are referring to? I know a 'pterodactyl' is a Triassic/Cretaceous Period winged reptile, but are you referring to the 'Fell Beasts' the Nazgul rode?

[Tuor in Gondolin]

And what precisely is the 'pteradactyl' you are referring to? I know a 'pterodactyl' is a Triassic/Cretaceous Period winged reptile, but are you referring to the 'Fell Beasts' the Nazgul rode?

Yep. As not infrequently, Tolkien liked to keep some
ambiguity, and wasn't against contradicting himself.
For example, this article about the subject in Wikepedia:

In book V, chapter 6 of The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien describes the Witch-king's mount thus:

"...it was a winged creature: if bird, then greater than all other birds, and it was naked, and neither quill nor feather did it bear, and its vast pinions were as webs of hide between horned fingers; and it stank. A creature of an older world maybe it was...."[2]

A few paragraphs later it is said to attack with "beak and claw".[2]

Tolkien once wrote that he "did not intend the steed of the Witch-king to be what is now called a 'pterodactyl'", while acknowledging that it was "obviously ... pterodactylic and owes much" to the "new ... mythology of the 'Prehistoric'", and might even be "a last survivor of older geological eras."[3]

So to change wording:

1. Lobelia vs. Bilbo
2. Samwise Gamgee vs. Farmer Maggott
============================
3. Eowyn vs. Shelob
4. Balrog vs. Witch-King.
============================
5. Eomer vs. Haldir
6. Fell Beast vs. Gollum
============================
7. Tom Bombadil vs. Galadriel
8. Saruman vs. Mouth of Sauron
============================
9. Gimli vs. Legolas
10. Beorn vs. Boromir
============================
11. Bard vs. Thranduil (a dispute over a certain treasure)
12. Smaug vs. Azaghal
============================
13. Ugluk vs. Grishnakh
14. Gorbag vs. Shagrat
============================
15. Theoden vs. Denethor
16. Perhaps Thorin Oakenshield or Dain Ironfoot ??? vs. Azog???

[Groin Redbeard]

How about an archery contest? So far everything is hand to hand how about the first person to shoot an apple off of John Fillis' head wins (that one was for you Hookbill). How about Beleg Strongbow vs Bard of Dale?

[Tuor in Gondolin]

Done. (See # 16). But Thranduil is now out.
Was in 11. vs. Bard. Any suggestions for that slot?

1. Lobelia vs. Bilbo
2. Samwise Gamgee vs. Farmer Maggott
============================
3. Eowyn vs. Shelob
4. Balrog vs. Witch-King.
============================
5. Eomer vs. Haldir
6. Fell Beast vs. Gollum
============================
7. Tom Bombadil vs. Galadriel
8. Saruman vs. Mouth of Sauron
============================
9. Gimli vs. Legolas
10. Beorn vs. Boromir
============================
11.
12. Smaug vs. Azaghal
============================
13. Ugluk vs. Grishnakh
14. Gorbag vs. Shagrat
============================
15. Theoden vs. Denethor
16. Beleg Strongbow vs Bard of Dale

[Tuor in Gondolin]

Oops! Beleg not in the Third Age. Hold on,
need to correct candidate list.
Will try to set up a Bard vs.
Legolas match.

How about?

1. Lobelia vs. Bilbo
2. Samwise Gamgee vs. Farmer Maggott
============================
3. Eowyn vs. Shelob
4. Balrog vs. Witch-King.
============================
5. Eomer vs. Haldir
6. Fell Beast vs. Gollum
============================
7. Tom Bombadil vs. Galadriel
8. Saruman vs. Mouth of Sauron
============================
9. Gimli vs. Dain Ironfoot
10. Beorn vs. Boromir
============================
11.
12. Smaug vs. Azaghal
============================
13. Ugluk vs. Grishnakh
14. Gorbag vs. Shagrat
============================
15. Theoden vs. Denethor
16. Legolas vs. Bard of Dale