Reloaded: Fonz Is Made For The Big Stage (Summer Madness)

By / September 23, 2022 / Battle Rap, Editorials

(Republished Article)

Danny Myers vs Fonz did not go down on Battle of The Bayou in NOLA. The battle has officially been rescheduled for Summer Madness 12. Danny & Fonz will both make their debut on a Summer Madness stage. None the less, Danny has still performed in various stages of this capacity and magnitude. As for Fonz, he will still be making his first appearance on a URL big stage card, post his UM1 run.

We are republishing this article with an updated QnA with Fonz’s manager, Ref Nelson.

(Article below Was Published August 19th 2022)

We are a few years removed from the first installment of Ultimate Madness and it’s safe to say that the Ultimate Madness 1 class alongside the original 2011 & 2014 Proving Grounds class, is regarded amongst some of the greatest collection of talents to ever touch URL

The UM1 Class is a consolidated group of talented emcees that had been flirting with admission into the league around 2018/2019, but didn’t yet establish their position to be in consistent rotation on URL. 

This collection of talent has names like Ace Amin, Eazy The Block Captain, Kid Chaos, Real Sikh, Jey The Nitewing, Swamp, Lu Castro and the champion of the Ultimate Madness 1 tournament, Fonz. All of these names have reached a commendable level of success within the league and have all hit unique career milestones along the way.

Such an accomplished group of individuals. In the year 2020, 5 of these names made a Top 20 COTY list, which was a great indication of how deep and talented the league was becoming. URL found theirselves with 4-5 new stars to build around. 

After some success in their rookie year, the UM1 class was stilled riddled by narratives. There was a lot of hesitancy in the belief that they couldn’t render the same success nor adapt on a big stage, as opposed to battling in the empty COVID rooms

Once society began to open its doors again (due to the aftermath of COVID) we seen everyone from this class get featured on big stage card with large audiences and they all rocked the crowd and proved the doubters wrong.

We’ve seen Eazy &  Lu Castro touch Summer Madness in Houston, Real Sikh & Swamp perform at NOME in Houston, Ace Amin battled John John Da Don on Bullpen, in the first big stage event since the inception of the Pandemic. Jey The Nitewing & Kid Chaos touched a Civil War stage with 700+ fans in attendance. 

Almost every battler from the class has gotten the opportunity to perform on a big stage post UM1…except Fonz.

Danny Myers Presents A Unique Challenge

U̶R̶L̶’̶s̶ ̶B̶a̶t̶t̶l̶e̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶B̶a̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶C̶a̶r̶d̶,̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶N̶O̶L̶A̶,̶ ̶w̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶h̶o̶s̶t̶ ̶D̶a̶n̶n̶y̶ ̶M̶y̶e̶r̶s̶ ̶v̶s̶ ̶F̶o̶n̶z̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶C̶o̶-̶M̶a̶i̶n̶ ̶e̶v̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶c̶a̶r̶d̶.̶ ̶
(Danny Myers vs Fonz will now be battling on Summer Madness 12)

Danny Myers presents a unique challenge for Fonz. When you look at Fonz’s resume, you’ll find names like JC, Ave, Calicoe, ill Will, Real Sikh, Eazy The Block Captain and K Shine (in a 2on2). You can certainly make the case, that Fonz has battled more talented emcees than Danny Myers. So individually, Danny may not be the most difficult opponent he’s faced. But when you take into account, the setting  of this battle will take place on a stage of 1000+ fans in attendance, you then realize that this will be the first time in Fonz’s career, he has ever stood in front of this large of an audience. Factoring in the big stage combined with a dangerous opponent like Danny, Fonz will have a tough assignment on his hands. 

Danny Myers is a relentless competitor and presents a dangerous ability to rebuttal at a high level. Danny will have battled Ave, Rum Nitty & now Fonz, all within the same year. He has no fear going against the best punchers in the game, as he also considers himself to be one of them. If Fonz looks to climb the ladder of being regarded as the best puncher in the game, there is no better opportunity to solidify that stamp than in this battle. 

Battling a fan favorite seems to be a challenge that Fonz hasn’t been able to overcome. There seems to be a deficiency when it comes to him winning the fan vote or public perception against battlers that are fan favorites. Fonz current URLTV App record is registered at 9-6. It’s worth noting, that 5 out of his 6 losses have come against battlers with a higher ranking in reactions, which in more nuance terms could be synonymous to his opponents having a bigger fanbase than him, 

Fonz Reaction Rank #29 

App Losses to opponents with higher reactions:
Rank #9    Eazy TBC
Rank #22  Jey The Nitewing
Rank #18   Ave
Rank #7     JC
Rank #14   Swamp 

For some context, 2 of his app losses are actually recorded as judged victories. But when it comes to the fans perception, for some reason, he hasn’t been able to be triumphant against people who are more beloved.  

Danny Myers is currently ranked #6 in reactions on the app, so the statistical history would indicate this trend isn’t favorable for Fonz.  

Danny Myers is regarded as a fan favorite. Most battle rap fans have a sentimental bond with the product that Danny Myers presents. His grit and grind work ethic is admired by the culture, so fans will always want to see Danny win. Winning over a crowd against Danny is a very tough assignment for the likes of anyone. 

The Statistical implications of this match.

Fonz URLTV App record at the top of 2022 was sitting at 5 wins and 4 losses, he was ranked #42 on the App. After his early loss to Drugz at the top of the year, he goes on to have a 4 battle winning streak. Beating names such as Tink Da Demon, Shooney Da Rapper, Pristavia & Real Sikh.

Finishing his Tournament run being ranked at #14 on the app.

A loss to swamp costed him an opportunity to rank within the Top 10 of the URLTV App leaderboards. A win over Danny Myers only further pushes the envelope for Fonz, as he will the have a 10-6 Record. And will take Ave’s spot for being ranked #10 on the URLTV App. 

So not only would a win be a massive statistical upset, it will also elevate Fonz into higher a status and be further proof that he belongs on the big stage more frequently.

What Makes For A Good Performance On The Big Stage ?

The big stage is the perfect environment for Fonz’s style, which is a combination of aggression, performance & a hard hitting explosive double entendre. Sounds simple enough right ? Well there is a lot of more technical details that coincide with this.

Smack White gave some advice earlier this year on how to adapt to the big stage.
“You gotta adjust your material and rap catered to a larger audience for crowd reactions. You have to move in harmony with the crowd, so you can pace yourself.” – Smack White

 

Pace… that seems to be one of the most used terms I’ve heard when it comes to performing on a  stage. I’ve conversed with a lot of battlers who have performed on the big stage, names like Loso, A.Ward, Charlie Clips, Jakkboy Maine, Tsu Surf, Eazy The Block Captain and more and they all have highlighted that one word. Pace

Having a pristine sense of timing is what is going to aide a battler. There is an awareness that comes with performing for a large audience of balancing your delivery, tempo & performance to amplify your material. It’s all about Knowing when to speed it up or slow it down, knowing when to remain confident and poised when you aren’t connecting, knowing when to engage the crowd or be direct towards your opponent.

Fonz has enough charisma, lyrical dexterity, potency, aggression, explosiveness and performance to execute at this level. 

Fonz possess all the skills to succeed

I don’t think its by any lack of merit that Fonz hasn’t gotten the chance to touch a big stage since winning Ultimate Madness 1. Just simply a matter of timing, availability and a handful of his matches being postponed. We do have a small 2 battle sample size of what Fonz was capable of. Back In 2019, Fonz made an appearance on 2 Born Legacy cards. Born Legacy 6, in Tampa & Born Legacy 8, in Cleveland, both events took place in front of a mid level sized audience of about 500 people in attendance. And as a rookie, he completely shook the building in both of those showings. He gave us a sneak peak into what his ceiling could manifest into becoming. 

While the Born Legacy level stage still renders a significant gap from the NOMEs/Summer Madnesses, his Born Legacy performances are viable enough sample size that exemplified his style and skillset can seamlessly translate on the big stage. 

It’s not uncommon for any pure puncher to register big haymakers with a crowd from time to time. If you punch at a high volume, you are bound to connect eventually after several attempts. But the big stage is all about the ability to establish, match and steal momentum. It requires a level of explosiveness to give your round a high peak that puts you in driver seat and in command of the  battle’s tempo. Landing explosive haymakers is the dopamine the crowd is yearning for.

Fonz possesses all the traits to deliver this. He tends to write uphill so he doesn’t show his hand too early in his battles. He is filled with charisma and punches in a variety of methods. 

He can be a name flip specialist, he can land a performance bar, he can go into a more traditional 4 bar build up. He can have two set up lines and go into a haymaker, he can chain punch back to back in the same rapping pocket, he can use his set up lines as an angle for a more angle based punch, he has a slogan which is like a charged up special move. He can transition from all these styles and set ups to connect with the crowd. 

I have no doubt, his skill-set will be extenuated on the big stage. The delivery of his material, the potency of his hardest hitting punches, his ability to be direct and tailor his punchlines, his charisma and humor. 

He will show that his style is probably best suited for the big stage and I believe we are going to witness another level in Fonz’s game.

Updated Q&A with Ref Nelson

Got the opportunity to chop it up with Ref Nelson, (Fonz manager) to ask him a few questions in regards to  Fonz preparation for Danny Myers & what would a victory entail for him.

(These Questions were asked in September 2022, as the Summer Madness update was made)

Q: What was the conversation like with URL in regards to getting this battle rescheduled for Summer Madness ? 
A: It was last minute and I think some battles fell through so our battle already being scheduled and both of them already having material done weighed heavily on URL considering to add it. Reschedules don’t usually make a bigger card so we’re thankful for the opportunity.


Q: How much more different is Fonz viewing this opportunity on Summer Madness as opposed to the NOLA Card ?
A: It’s much different. Every battler dreams of getting on a Summer Madness and while Fonz has been on some of the biggest cards, this is the Super Bowl of battle rap and is exponentially more important now. It’s time to show and prove. This battle can set up the trajectory of the next year of his career.

 

(Questions below were asked in August 2022)

Q: Do you think this is one of Fonz’s biggest test ?
A: Danny is an incredible talent, but with Fonz already battling the likes of Ave, JC, Ill Will, Calicoe, Shine (2v2) etc it’s hard to say he’s the biggest test from a talent standpoint. The setting will definitely be something new though, but I feel his style will translate well.

Q: Has his preparation  in terms of writing has been any different knowing this crowd will be new for him and also knowing this is a new market for URL ?
A: You always have to adapt to your environment, but at the same time the fans want to see Fonz be what they’ve become fans of him for. So it’s a balancing act.

Q: How does Fonz view this battle and what would a victory mean to him ?
A: I think Fonz is having an incredible year and beating Danny, who is also in the running for Champion of the Year will increase his ranking and cement him as one of the best in 2022.

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