Nolan lost to no one in Battle of Champions

Nolan Cultura, standing second from left, won the Battle of Champions held last Nov. 7 at the New Bamboo Bar in Saipan Las Vegas Resort along Middle Road. (MARK RABAGO)

Nolan Cultura went unscathed in winning the Battle of Champions held last Nov. 7 at the New Bamboo Bar in Saipan Las Vegas Resort along Middle Road.

The 50-year-old services agent at National Alamo Enterprise needed only to win one game in the finals to hoist the monthly championship and he did just that by beating veteran Jerry Soriano to take home the $500 first place purse.

It wasn’t an easy victory by any stretch of the imagination though, as Soriano almost cleaned the rack after pocketing his first striped ball before misfiring on the 8-ball. Seeing the opening he needed, Cultura capitalized and wiped out his solid balls before pocketing the 8-ball to avert a second game and win the monthly championship.

Cultura said it was plain and simple luck that made him win that particular Sunday, but it’s not often that you go undefeated en route to the championship.

The Surigao City, Surigao del Norte, Philippines native started the evening with a win over Ed Mariano. He then followed that up by triumphing over Juancho Mendoza before advancing to the semifinals with a victory over Randy David.

Cultura, who started playing billiards in 2011, then defeated Jess Fariñas to book the first finals ticket and the all-important twice-to-beat advantage in the championship round.

Soriano had a more winding road to reach the finals. After winning his opening round match against Rowell “Cobra” Mariano, the 50-year-old native of Mexico, Pampanga in the Philippines then lost to Fariñas and was relegated to the losers’ bracket.

There, he made hay while the sun shined winning against Roel Baretto, Rey Hermongenes, David, and Jesse Guerrero in quick succession to forge a finals matchup with the undefeated Cultura. That’s where Lady Luck continued to smile on Cultura as he put a stop to Soriano’s four straight wins by beating him while playing with the solid balls despite sinking nothing on the break.

Soriano settled for the $250 runner-up purse, while Fariñas and Guerra went home with $100 and $50 for finishing in the Top 4.

A total of 16 pool masters took part in the monthly 8-ball tournament at the New Bamboo Bar. The tournament, sponsored by New Bamboo Bar, Saipan Vegas, and Budweiser, gathers the champions of the past weekly competitions and is held every month. For more information, call Soriano at 588-1971.