Greatest Comebacks?

Bobby

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Someone on another post mentioned Reyes coming back
from a big deficit to win the Color of Money in
Hong Kong, it got me thinking; what are the best
comebacks you've ever seen or heard about?

Well, although I didn't actually see it, I heard that
Jim Rempe was playing in a major 14.1 final against
either Sigel or Mizerak, I forget who. They were
playing a 200 pt. final and Rempe was down something
like 190-15, and managed to come back and win it.
Also Steve Davis beating Reyes 9-8 at the WPC
after being down 8-2 is very strong.

I once saw Ginky gambling with a good local player
in a race to 9. He was giving up 2 games on the wire,
and his opponent was shooting lights out and got up
8-2. Well, he scratched on the break and Ginky ran the
7 racks and out! The amazing thing was Ginky's demeanor,
he never looked worried when his opponent was gaining
the big lead.

Bobby
 
Bobby said:
Someone on another post mentioned Reyes coming back
from a big deficit to win the Color of Money in
Hong Kong, it got me thinking; what are the best
comebacks you've ever seen or heard about?

Bobby

This isn't going to be on anyone's radar, but I was down 10-5 one time going to 11. My opponent scratched on the break and I ran out the set. The funny thing was he drubbed me the next set.
 
Ive got a tape somewhere - McCready vs. Dominguez. Dominguez was up I think 10-0 ..race to 11...and Keith ends up winning the set. Dominguez on the hill for like an hour and a half! Just goes to show..the balls dont know the score.
 
Archer/Bustamante

This may not qualify as a "comeback", but some years back, Archer and Bustamante matched up after a Southern California tournament..... It was a race to 13, 2 out of 3 racks for 5 dimes...Busta won the first race 13-7. They lagged for the 2nd, Archer won the lag, broke and ran 13 racks (as I was told). Then before the final race, Busta asked him if he wanted to double the bet....(he declined)....The 3rd race went to Busta, 13-7.
 
Years ago on tv Mizerak had Irving Crane down 142-0
in sraight pool and never made another ball. Crane didn't
run 150; he played safe a few tomes.
 
I have a memory of reading the unbelievable-almost-comeback in history, it took place in 9-ball World Championships in the 90's. Can't remember the players but one of them was Roger Griffish. Anyway, let's say it was Roger who was trailing 12-0 in a race to 13. Well, Roger made the rigorous task to climb up all the way to 12-12 and broke in the hill-hill rack and saw 4 balls drop on the break and to his horror the cueball as well !! His stonecold opponent just managed to run the remaining 5 balls and the set.

Anyone remember the players and the actual winner or has anyone heard this story ?
 
Mikko,

I was there watching that match as well. I couldn't remember if it was Roger or Tony Ellin. I know it was a great match with a horrible ending. For some reason I am thinking it was one of the Asian players that won that match. That was a long time ago...1994!

Sarah
 
sarahrousey said:
Mikko,

I was there watching that match as well. I couldn't remember if it was Roger or Tony Ellin. I know it was a great match with a horrible ending. For some reason I am thinking it was one of the Asian players that won that match. That was a long time ago...1994!

Sarah

Hey, Sarah. You were quite young at the time ? :)
I think it was Roger Griffish, because that's when I heard about him for the first time and his name kind of stuck to me, I always have empathy for people who go through serious drama on pool table... and that's because I always get all the bad rolls and my opponents get none :p

One nice comeback was in Finnish 14.1 championships many years ago. In semifinal (race to 125) Mika Immonen was leading with 122 on the scoreboard and his opponent Rafael Blomstedt (a very good player) had 3-something or 4-something. Well, Blomstedt got to the table and run out with a break of eighty-something. Blomstedt has also run 125-out in one ranking event final on his second inning (first inning was his breakshot). Not bad :)
 
Mikko,

You are right, I was 11! That was one of the first huge tournaments I went to and from that moment I was hooked. Isn't it strange that we can remember the person that went through the pain and suffering in the match and we cannot remember who won!?

Sorry I can't think of any other great comeback stories. I know I have seen a ton and been part of many of them. Nothing really sticks out right now.

Sarah
 
Short stop comes back

Bobby said:
Someone on another post mentioned Reyes coming back
from a big deficit to win the Color of Money in
Hong Kong, it got me thinking; what are the best
comebacks you've ever seen or heard about?

Well, although I didn't actually see it, I heard that
Jim Rempe was playing in a major 14.1 final against
either Sigel or Mizerak, I forget who. They were
playing a 200 pt. final and Rempe was down something
like 190-15, and managed to come back and win it.
Also Steve Davis beating Reyes 9-8 at the WPC
after being down 8-2 is very strong.

I once saw Ginky gambling with a good local player
in a race to 9. He was giving up 2 games on the wire,
and his opponent was shooting lights out and got up
8-2. Well, he scratched on the break and Ginky ran the
7 racks and out! The amazing thing was Ginky's demeanor,
he never looked worried when his opponent was gaining
the big lead.

Bobby

Several years ago at the Hardtimes in Bellflower, CA, Tang Hoa and his backer played a race to 9 vs Don Phom and his backer Buttermilk for a few. Tang is on the hill to Don's goose egg when Don comes back hill hill then Tang runs the last rack but a little too hard on the nine so the cue ball goes 3 rails and scratches - b :D arely like slow motion. Don and Buttermilk win.
 
LAMas said:
Several years ago at the Hardtimes in Bellflower, CA, Tang Hoa and his backer played a race to 9 vs Don Phom and his backer Buttermilk for a few. Tang is on the hill to Don's goose egg when Don comes back hill hill then Tang runs the last rack but a little too hard on the nine so the cue ball goes 3 rails and scratches - b :D arely like slow motion. Don and Buttermilk win.


He pulled a "Silky Sullivan". I guess horseracing fans would know this term. I read it in the LA Times.

"On this date in 1958 Silky Sullivan ridden by Bill Shoemaker won the Santa Anita Derby by 3 1/2 lengths after trailing by 19 after 5/8ths of a mile.

But that was nothing. A couple of weeks earlier, Silky Sullivan trailed the 8th horse in a 9 horse field by forty (40) lengths early. And he won by 1 1/2 lengths."

Apparently coaches in sports use this term after a big comeback. So the next time I pull one everyone will know I pulled a "Silky Sullivan".
 
my favorite comeback was steve davis, beating efren reyes at the 2000 world championship in cardiff. man oh man, davis an unknown in the world of the small table large pockets known as pool, and reyes the master of pool! davis, playing pure straight and clean, and killing reyes! the comeback was like from 2 down in a race to 11 with reyes sitting at 10 or something!!! davis, good luck in 2004, hope you win in tawian, you DESERVE it!
 
Bobby said:
what are the best
comebacks you've ever seen or heard about?
Bobby
Rumor has it that "Cigar" Tom Vanover ran 10 racks on Mike Sigel at the Last call for 9-ball in Atlantic City, and lost 11-10.
 
wahcheck said:
This may not qualify as a "comeback", but some years back, Archer and Bustamante matched up after a Southern California tournament..... It was a race to 13, 2 out of 3 racks for 5 dimes...Busta won the first race 13-7. They lagged for the 2nd, Archer won the lag, broke and ran 13 racks (as I was told). Then before the final race, Busta asked him if he wanted to double the bet....(he declined)....The 3rd race went to Busta, 13-7.

They matched up in Columbus Ohio at the Glass City Open. The bet was $2500 a set. I asked Johnny what he thought of Bustamante offering to double thebet and he said that it was a good move and that he probably would have done the same in Bustamante's position.

I once saw Ralf Souquet come back from 8:0 going to nine to win. I just recenty started saying to myself when I am down in the set, "find your inner Souquet" :-))

I once asked Rafael Martinez what he thinks about when his opponent is running racks. He said he just prepares for when he gets a shot and wonders how many racks he will run.

I posted this in another thread but for me personally the best comeback was when I was two sets stuck and 200DM down and 5:0 in the third going to 7 for a 100 and I raised the bet to 500 and ran five racks to tie it and won 7:5.

I do think that Efren's comeback in the Color of Money thing is probably the greatest ever though. IIRC he was down like 112/91 going to 121. Strickland needs 9 games and Efren needs 30. Efren wins 121:117 so basically he won 30 games to Strickland's 5. That's pretty strong considering Strickland's break.

John
 
THE SILENCER said:
my favorite comeback was steve davis, beating efren reyes at the 2000 world championship in cardiff. man oh man, davis an unknown in the world of the small table large pockets known as pool, and reyes the master of pool! davis, playing pure straight and clean, and killing reyes! the comeback was like from 2 down in a race to 11 with reyes sitting at 10 or something!!! davis, good luck in 2004, hope you win in tawian, you DESERVE it!

I watched that match and Davis had to pull off a table length reverse bank in the case game to win it. This is not something you would expect snooker players to be comfortable with and Davis split the pocket. Pretty strong.

John
 
mjantti said:
I have a memory of reading the unbelievable-almost-comeback in history, it took place in 9-ball World Championships in the 90's. Can't remember the players but one of them was Roger Griffish. Anyway, let's say it was Roger who was trailing 12-0 in a race to 13. Well, Roger made the rigorous task to climb up all the way to 12-12 and broke in the hill-hill rack and saw 4 balls drop on the break and to his horror the cueball as well !! His stonecold opponent just managed to run the remaining 5 balls and the set.

Anyone remember the players and the actual winner or has anyone heard this story ?

Roger told me this story himself...sad but true!!
 
Efren's Comeback in Hong Kong

instroke said:
They matched up in Columbus Ohio at the Glass City Open. The bet was $2500 a set. I asked Johnny what he thought of Bustamante offering to double thebet and he said that it was a good move and that he probably would have done the same in Bustamante's position.

I once saw Ralf Souquet come back from 8:0 going to nine to win. I just recenty started saying to myself when I am down in the set, "find your inner Souquet" :-))

I once asked Rafael Martinez what he thinks about when his opponent is running racks. He said he just prepares for when he gets a shot and wonders how many racks he will run.

I posted this in another thread but for me personally the best comeback was when I was two sets stuck and 200DM down and 5:0 in the third going to 7 for a 100 and I raised the bet to 500 and ran five racks to tie it and won 7:5.

I do think that Efren's comeback in the Color of Money thing is probably the greatest ever though. IIRC he was down like 112/91 going to 121. Strickland needs 9 games and Efren needs 30. Efren wins 121:117 so basically he won 30 games to Strickland's 5. That's pretty strong considering Strickland's break.

John


I have that tape, John.....The actual score was Earl 104, Efren 87, when the comeback started......so Earl was 17 racks ahead and needed to win 16 more.....I think Efren finally cought up and tied the score at 117-117..and won the next 3 out of 4 racks for a final score of 120-118...The comeback was one of the greatest, I'm sure, but I think the final score showed just how close in ability and talent both of these champions were...Think about it, these guys played a total of 238 games of 9-ball and the margin of victory was just a couple of games!
 
mjantti said:
I have a memory of reading the unbelievable-almost-comeback in history, it took place in 9-ball World Championships in the 90's. Can't remember the players but one of them was Roger Griffish. Anyway, let's say it was Roger who was trailing 12-0 in a race to 13. Well, Roger made the rigorous task to climb up all the way to 12-12 and broke in the hill-hill rack and saw 4 balls drop on the break and to his horror the cueball as well !! His stonecold opponent just managed to run the remaining 5 balls and the set.

Anyone remember the players and the actual winner or has anyone heard this story ?

Hello Mate,

It was in chicago.I was there and watched the match.Shame on me...I do not remember the other player`s name.cheers
Vagabond
 
instroke said:
They matched up in Columbus Ohio at the Glass City Open. The bet was $2500 a set. I asked Johnny what he thought of Bustamante offering to double thebet and he said that it was a good move and that he probably would have done the same in Bustamante's position.

I once saw Ralf Souquet come back from 8:0 going to nine to win. I just recenty started saying to myself when I am down in the set, "find your inner Souquet" :-))

I once asked Rafael Martinez what he thinks about when his opponent is running racks. He said he just prepares for when he gets a shot and wonders how many racks he will run.

I posted this in another thread but for me personally the best comeback was when I was two sets stuck and 200DM down and 5:0 in the third going to 7 for a 100 and I raised the bet to 500 and ran five racks to tie it and won 7:5.

I do think that Efren's comeback in the Color of Money thing is probably the greatest ever though. IIRC he was down like 112/91 going to 121. Strickland needs 9 games and Efren needs 30. Efren wins 121:117 so basically he won 30 games to Strickland's 5. That's pretty strong considering Strickland's break.

John




Howdy,
It was in Toledo and not in columbus.cheers
vagabond
 
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