Reigning King of Bowling Wes Malott will defend his title for the third time in another special Xtra Frame pay-for-view showdown that will take place at AMF Riviera Lanes in Fairlawn, Ohio, prior to the start of the PBA Tournament of Champions. Fans will again be invited to vote to select his opponent.

Xtra Frame, PBA’s online bowling channel, will stream the best-of-three-game exhibition event live at 6:30 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, Feb. 6.

Pictured above from left to right: EJ Tackett, Wes Malott and Jason Belmonte.

Voting will take place in two parts. From Jan. 15-19, fans will be invited to vote on pba.com for four players from a list of former Tournament of Champions winners who are entered in this year’s event.

The top four vote-getters will then advance to a ballot where fans can vote for one player on either pba.com or Twitter from Jan. 22-26. The player receiving the most votes will challenge Malott for the title.

Fans can purchase a one-time subscription to watch the event for $2.99 beginning by visiting www.xtraframe.tv.

Malott won the original King of Bowling in 2009 in Lake Worth, Fla. and successfully defended his title when the event was revived after an eight-year absence in April in Portland, Maine.

Malott, 40 years old and a 10-time, Hall of Fame-eligible PBA competitor when the special event was revived in Maine, rolled games of 238, 256 and 227 for a 721 three-game total pinfall series and a convincing victory over 2016 PBA Player of the Year EJ Tackett of Huntington, Ind., and Jason Belmonte of Australia, who recorded 664 and 640 series, respectively.

In the second edition of the renewal in Shawnee, Okla., in June, Malott faced Tommy Jones (right) of Simpsonville, S.C., who had been selected by PBA fans, in a best-of-three-game match. Jones won first match, 278-200, but Malott rallied to win the next two games, 258-238 and 212-204, to retain his crown.

Special fans from Mexico travel to WSOB IX to watch EJ Tackett bowl

Reigning PBA Player of the Year EJ Tackett was surprised to learn he had a special group of fans in the audience at Reno’s National Bowling Stadium when he won the Pepsi PBA Scorpion Championship presented by GoBowling.com, the final animal pattern event in the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling IX presented by Eldorado Resorts Reno Properties, a part of the 2017-18 Go Bowling! PBA Tour series.

“There was a family from Mexico that came here just to watch me bowl,” Tackett (left with the trophy) said. “They have an 11-year-old son who has a medical condition that’s very bad. It’s very cool to be able to put on a performance after they came all this distance just to watch me bowl.”

WSOB IX Chronicles look inside PBA World Championships

The new “GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling IX Chronicles” produced by Xtra Frame’s Jef Goodger for PBA’s YouTube channel wraps up Tuesday with the debut of the PBA World Championship finals recap.

Earlier in this post-Christmas week, the Cheetah Championship presented by PBA Bowling Challenge Mobile Game finals (WSOB IX Chronicles Part 11) and the Pepsi PBA Scorpion Championship presented by GoBowling.com (Chronicles Part 12) were posted to PBA’s Facebook page and to Xtra Frame.

The final two animal pattern finals were followed on Thursday and today, respectively, by WSOB IX Chronicles Part 13 (PBA World Championship Chameleon and Shark cashers round qualifying) and WSOB IX Chronicles Part 14 (PBA World Championship Cheetah and Scorpion cashers round qualifying).

The video features, which also are being posted on PBA’s Facebook page and on Xtra Frame, provide fans with a glimpse of PBA competition they never get to see on national television.

Check PBA’s Facebook page for WSOB statistical insights from Specto

Fans also should check PBA’s Facebook page for new statistical insights into the WSOB provided by Kegel’s Specto tracking system. The Specto data explains the line to the pocket each player used, ball speed and rev rates, and more. Click here for a link to a sample a Specto.

Can you beat 246 in the “beat the cheetah champion” challenge?

Can you beat Jesper Svensson‘s 246 (left with the trophy) by bowling a game in the PBA Bowling Challenge Mobile Game‘s “Cheetah Challenge?” You have until 12:59 p.m. EST on Tuesday to give it your best shot.

The rules for the contest are simple: open your PBA Bowling Challenge app and select the “Limited Tournament” button on the landing page.

“Bowl” one virtual game and if your game score beats the actual PBA Cheetah Championship winner’s score, you will be automatically entered into a drawing to win 5,000 Gold Pins (in-game currency) and a pin signed by the Cheetah champion.

Multiple entries are allowed. Click here for the official rules.

Speaking of the PBA Bowling Challenge Mobile Game, the third PBA League venue has been added to the game. This week’s addition was the Portland Lumberjacks venue.

Last call if you need help with your game

Another reminder: If you’d like expert assistance in solving a problem with your bowling game, submit a video with your question about help you’d like to improve your bowling game, and you might be one of nine lucky winners to be featured on ESPN’s Go Bowling Fan Tip of the Week where your question will be answered by PBA Hall of Famer and ESPN color analyst Randy Pedersen.

The entry deadline is Wednesday. To enter, click here.

PBA Regional Update: Regional program takes a holiday break

PBA’s Regional tournament program is taking a break over the holidays, returning to action in the PBA Central Region over the Jan. 19-21 weekend with the PBA/PBA50 Don Vay Memorial Central Classic at Legend Lanes in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.

The PBA South Region returns to action in February with the PBA and PBA50 Break Point Alley Challenge events, both open to players who have not won a PBA title. Break Point Alley in Tavares, Fla., will host the doubleheader over the Feb. 9-11 weekend.

The PBA South Region’s second weekend of competition includes the PBA50 Dave Edwards Toyota Spartanburg South Open at Paradise Lanes in Spartanburg, S.C., over the Feb. 16-18 weekend.

For complete PBA Regional schedules, rules and entry information, click here to find the event(s) in your area.

Quick Notes

Bowlers Journal International senior editor Bob Johnson has reported that five-time PBA Tour champion Glenn Allison was involved in an automobile accident on Christmas Eve while on the way to La Habra “300” Bowl, where he works the desk part-time.

Family members said the 87-year-old Allison fractured his sternum and has two fractures in his back, and is expected to remain at Pomona Valley Hospital for “a couple of weeks.”

Allison is best known for rolling the first 900 series in sanctioned ABC league competition on July 1, 1982, only to have official recognition denied due to non-complying lane conditions.

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