Iron Solomon vs. Dizaster: What To Expect

To the surprise (or disappointment) of very few, Iron Solomon versus Dizaster has been confirmed. As the league did last year with Hitman Holla vs. Shotty Horroh, KOTD has announced the most predicted top tier match-up as the Day 1 headliner of "Blackout 6" while the rest of the card remains shrouded in mystery. There’s no real history to speak of here, aside from some jabs exchanged way back at "Grizzlemania 2" and, uh, this video from Diz in 2012. Still, the sheer logic of this match-up is what made it so obvious to fans.

To be fair, Diz mentioned Solomon by name when he recently declared that he’d no longer settle for small names, so that narrowed things down quite a bit once the full BO6 card had been announced. He didn’t really need to say it though; he’s coming off what amounted to a bodybag versus Gjonaj and a clear win over Dumbfoundead, and fans have recognized that he’s back in his prime. Diz is pretty clearly gunning for battle rap’s biggest names — and don’t be surprised if this battle serves as an opportunity to call out Mook — but taking a legend like Solomon is a smart move in the meantime.

After his flawless performance versus Daylyt, it was obvious that Solomon wasn’t about to stoop to smaller names either. Intentionally or not, that battle was essentially a test to determine whether Solomon could hang in battle rap’s modern era, and it turned out to be a classic. With that under his belt, Solomon needed someone approaching legend status that was still considered dangerous today, and Diz is that dude on KOTD at the moment.

Dangerous is a particularly accurate descriptor for Diz right now. He’s been bringing more aggression than anyone seems prepared for, and his recent ability to keep his performance smooth and focused has basically erased his biggest weaknesses. This will put Solomon in a tough spot. Even though he was incredible versus Day, he had relatively few explosive moments. His success in that battle stemmed more from the overall cohesiveness of his material than from haymakers, but maybe that’s exactly what he needs to do to beat Diz.

If Solomon shows a fraction of the insight and wit he did in his last battle, he’s going to have a hell of a lot to say to someone like Dizaster. With the amount of contentious material Diz has constantly supplied over the years, it’s safe to assume Solomon will bring a dissertation to break him down. Add the caliber of wordplay and jokes he had versus Day and, perhaps, some more aggressive moments to throw Diz off, and you have something arguably even more threatening.

Considering what this win could do for either emcee, there’s no reason to doubt that they’ll both be at 100%. Solomon is an incredible writer, so there will be a ton of pressure on Diz to keep his composure and not flub any lines, but I can’t see his chaotic style being overshadowed if he’s at his best. I’m expecting a classic, but I’ve got Diz taking this 2-1.

Let me know your predictions in the comments below.