Every battle fan can think of dream match-ups they’d like to see go down. Here at TOBattleBlog, we’re no different. Here’s our pitch for five dream battles we’d love to watch. We’ve called this post “Part One” because we plan to make this an ongoing series. As the scene evolves – and as new MCs emerge – we’d like to campaign on behalf of great match-ups, and hopefully convince the battlers (and leagues) in question to make the occasional suggestion come to fruition.

PAT STAY VS. CAUSTIC

Caustic wants a big battle before he goes on hiatus (or retires). Pat Stay desperately needs to prove himself on American soil and wants a battle in California. The solution is obvious: book a battle between the two at KOTD’s next Fresh Coast event. Here’s why:

At this point, Pat Stay’s match-ups are predictable: his only opponents (in KOTD) are URL guys. Pat battles with one of the more overwhelming home-turf advantages in the culture. (If you’ve been to an event in Toronto, you’ll know that Pat is virtually the only MC that drunk people actually shut up and listen to.) There’s nothing left for him to accomplish on Canadian soil, especially when he doesn’t (seem to) care about the KOTD chain.

He’s proven that he can hang with America’s best battlers. Now he needs to do it in the States, in front of an audience that doesn’t automatically revere him. In all likelihood, Pat Stay isn’t getting a call to URL. And besides, making your State-side debut against an unpredictable crowd is risky. That’s why he should make his first American match on the Fresh Coast, in front of a savvy crowd that knows his work.

Caustic is an interesting match-up for three reasons:

1. He’s just as mean (or meaner) than Pat, which might compel Pat to bring back the line-crossing style that’s been largely dormant against opponents like Math Hoffa and Head I.C.E.

2. Caustic would have the home-turf advantage in California, which would flip the dynamic that Pat is used to in Toronto.

3. And finally, Caustic is a cool guy. It would be impossible for Pat to style on him, like he so often has against inferior competition.

Sure, Caustic doesn’t get the views of URL battlers, but his stock is only growing, and if both guys perform well, there’s no reason why a battle between them couldn’t generate at least 500K in YouTube views.

On the other hand, Caustic wants a URL match before his hiatus. It’s entirely possible that URL – if they’re interested in him – would match Caustic against someone with a fraction of Pat’s talent. And if this is Caustic’s last battle for the foreseeable future, why perform in front of a boo-hungry crowd? This battle could be Caustic’s toughest to date. In many ways, you could say the same for Pat.

RONE VS. KID TWIST

This would be the whitest battle ever. It would also be amazing. At first glance, it seems that both battlers are riding different career trajectories. Rone is purposely taking big-view battles – against the likes of Protege and Blizzard – in a likely bid to better promote his music. On the other hand, Kid Twist has lost some cachet as battle rap has evolved from the heavy-jokes era of Grind Time’s heyday. Regardless, Twist still finished last season with a 2 – 2 record, with convincing wins over Uno Lavoz and Nils M Skils. And his rebuttal game still ranks as one of the strongest in any league. Those who think Rone would decisively win this battle are sorely mistaken.

BENDER VS. FRESCO

This one goes out to the battle rap nerds who prize lyricism over everything. Bender ups his game against great American competition (see: his battles versus Illmaculate, 24/7 and Syd Vicious), and Fresco’s stellar pen game would likely bring out the best in him.

As for Fresco, he showed against Rone that his talent didn’t erode during his hiatus. At this point, the angles used against both battlers (Fresco is gay; Bender is/was fat) are getting tired. Thankfully, both MCs are creative enough to skewer one another with fresh content, while battling for the unofficial Best Writer title.

HOLLOW DA DON VS. LOADED LUX

Smack will need to re-mortgage his home to match Loaded Lux’s asking price. After his Summer Madness 2 performance, Lux has received more mainstream recognition than any battler in recent memory. There’s no chance Lux is coming back – and risking his golden-boy legacy – unless he gets at least what Murda Mook received for his Iron Solomon battle, which was widely speculated as $25,000.

But if Lux does battle anyone, it should be Hollow Da Don. Both battlers are in just about everyone’s Top 5, even though Hollow hasn’t battled in ages, in part due to a spell in prison. That fact alone would give Lux plenty of material to mine. On the other hand, Hollow has a freestyle ability that Calicoe lacked, so if Lux tries to pull any slick shit on him – like, say, staging a mock funeral – Hollow could swing momentum with a well-executed rebuttal.

OSA VS. PASS

Osa’s last two battles – against Sonny Bamboo and 24/7 – were arguably his best. As we’ve written before, Osa is one of the most underrated battlers out there, and he’s clearly one of the best writers in KOTD. Despite being a lawyer, he’s able to rap about blunts and warfare without seeming inauthentic.

Pass is reality-check guy. There’s nothing he loves better than explaining why you’re a fraud. The “lawyer angle” against Osa gets used constantly, but it’s never been used well enough to body his career. Pass might be the best candidate to break down Osa’s battle persona. Still, Osa can clearly hang with great emcees, so pitting him against his toughest opponent to date might produce an instant classic.

Let us know about your dream match-ups via Twitter! Or Facebook!

Please tell Organik, Lush or Smack that you want to see any of these battles.

Already done that? Check out our other content:

Battlers react to Dizaster/Arcane

Who deserves the next KOTD title shot?