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B-boy Mouse said on TV last year “The Russians are coming!” and he wasn’t wrong. They powered their way to the World Final only to be undone by the Koreans in an epic battle. In every battle leading up to last years Grand Finale, the Russian crew "Top 9" had given everything in a bid to secure their place and when that final battle came, they had simply run short of energy and moves!. This year, they seem to have learnt their lesson, but rather than holding back , they have built on their arsenal of moves and routines and are even stronger! The Ukraine eliminations are always hype but this year it seemed to rise to another level. The crews comp featured 8 of the best crews from across the regions of Ukraine, Russia, Moldova and Belarus, 16 solo b-boys and 8 Poppers. Staged on the historical steps in the city of Odessa,  "B-Boy Cypher, before the battles at Ukraine eliminations 2008" this free event drew a massive crowd of over 5,000 people. Starting in the afternoon and running till nearly midnight, the crowd who were as live as any hip-hop audience from London or New York, witnessed battling at the highest level, which saw Top 9 meet East Side B-Boys in the first round, South Front B-boys in the second and Back 2 Skool in the Finals. T9 , who were only 5 due to injuries were completely dominant and sent out an early warning to the rest of the World, that this time they are ready! With Top 9 joining the line up of TIP (Korea), Trinity (UK), Rugged Solutions (Holland) and 36th Chamber (China) who have all already qualified and events in Scandinavia , Japan and USA yet to come, this year’s World Finals are set to be the best yet. As for the Russians, well they are definitely coming, the question is can anyone stop them? Watch this space!
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