Middle-earth Gladiator contest

[Morthoron]

And what precisely is the 'pteradactyl' you are referring to? I know a 'pterodactyl' is a Triassic/Cretaceous Period winged reptile, but are you referring to the 'Fell Beasts' the Nazgul rode?

[Tuor in Gondolin]

And what precisely is the 'pteradactyl' you are referring to? I know a 'pterodactyl' is a Triassic/Cretaceous Period winged reptile, but are you referring to the 'Fell Beasts' the Nazgul rode?

Yep. As not infrequently, Tolkien liked to keep some
ambiguity, and wasn't against contradicting himself.
For example, this article about the subject in Wikepedia:

In book V, chapter 6 of The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien describes the Witch-king's mount thus:

"...it was a winged creature: if bird, then greater than all other birds, and it was naked, and neither quill nor feather did it bear, and its vast pinions were as webs of hide between horned fingers; and it stank. A creature of an older world maybe it was...."[2]

A few paragraphs later it is said to attack with "beak and claw".[2]

Tolkien once wrote that he "did not intend the steed of the Witch-king to be what is now called a 'pterodactyl'", while acknowledging that it was "obviously ... pterodactylic and owes much" to the "new ... mythology of the 'Prehistoric'", and might even be "a last survivor of older geological eras."[3]

So to change wording:

1. Lobelia vs. Bilbo
2. Samwise Gamgee vs. Farmer Maggott
============================
3. Eowyn vs. Shelob
4. Balrog vs. Witch-King.
============================
5. Eomer vs. Haldir
6. Fell Beast vs. Gollum
============================
7. Tom Bombadil vs. Galadriel
8. Saruman vs. Mouth of Sauron
============================
9. Gimli vs. Legolas
10. Beorn vs. Boromir
============================
11. Bard vs. Thranduil (a dispute over a certain treasure)
12. Smaug vs. Azaghal
============================
13. Ugluk vs. Grishnakh
14. Gorbag vs. Shagrat
============================
15. Theoden vs. Denethor
16. Perhaps Thorin Oakenshield or Dain Ironfoot ??? vs. Azog???

[Groin Redbeard]

How about an archery contest? So far everything is hand to hand how about the first person to shoot an apple off of John Fillis' head wins (that one was for you Hookbill). How about Beleg Strongbow vs Bard of Dale?

[Tuor in Gondolin]

Done. (See # 16). But Thranduil is now out.
Was in 11. vs. Bard. Any suggestions for that slot?

1. Lobelia vs. Bilbo
2. Samwise Gamgee vs. Farmer Maggott
============================
3. Eowyn vs. Shelob
4. Balrog vs. Witch-King.
============================
5. Eomer vs. Haldir
6. Fell Beast vs. Gollum
============================
7. Tom Bombadil vs. Galadriel
8. Saruman vs. Mouth of Sauron
============================
9. Gimli vs. Legolas
10. Beorn vs. Boromir
============================
11.
12. Smaug vs. Azaghal
============================
13. Ugluk vs. Grishnakh
14. Gorbag vs. Shagrat
============================
15. Theoden vs. Denethor
16. Beleg Strongbow vs Bard of Dale

[Tuor in Gondolin]

Oops! Beleg not in the Third Age. Hold on,
need to correct candidate list.
Will try to set up a Bard vs.
Legolas match.

How about?

1. Lobelia vs. Bilbo
2. Samwise Gamgee vs. Farmer Maggott
============================
3. Eowyn vs. Shelob
4. Balrog vs. Witch-King.
============================
5. Eomer vs. Haldir
6. Fell Beast vs. Gollum
============================
7. Tom Bombadil vs. Galadriel
8. Saruman vs. Mouth of Sauron
============================
9. Gimli vs. Dain Ironfoot
10. Beorn vs. Boromir
============================
11.
12. Smaug vs. Azaghal
============================
13. Ugluk vs. Grishnakh
14. Gorbag vs. Shagrat
============================
15. Theoden vs. Denethor
16. Legolas vs. Bard of Dale