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You
Pan starts now. We got your home side stream carry covered and sealed
Wow, we are just playing yeah, we part of six what a way to strike first and set the tone
Nice nice
I know you want more don't go anywhere. This is only the beginning man. We got a full weekend of great evil Japan action
What is up everybody we are back on the final day day three of Evo Japan 2026 at Tokyo Big
Sight.
My name is Justin Wong.
I'm with the Commiteter of the Year.
Tasty.
How are you doing man?
You know how it goes man look Evo Japan has been amazing so far.
Yes.
They told me to get here right in early because I heard about this Tokon announcement but
that's we're going to wait for that.
We're going to wait for that.
Hopefully people have been enjoying EVO 2026 here,
especially in Japan.
Bigside has been amazing.
We got more space.
We got sick games.
We got new champions.
Aircons?
Aircons, they're working like crazy.
That's kind of cool.
You saw Ikari's pose.
He was holding the people's photo.
That's what that was.
Okay, I thought we were talking about Wakanda for a second.
But regardless, it has definitely been a great improvement,
especially when it comes to the space.
Seeing all the friends again,
but also just the fact that we actually got
the start of our new season.
And we talked about this at the beginning of the show
on Friday that this is like the beginning of like the FGC travel season for like everybody
all the big tours, all the big tournaments start right now.
And the crazy part is you know we're in 2026 because you know it ain't an EVO without some
upsets right?
Men are D out of the tournament so there will be no three time back to back to back and
also Arsenal has got ninth place I saw.
So it is kind of insane that the level has gone up extremely high right when it comes
to fighting games.
When you're walking around the venue, it's packed.
Everyone's watching.
Even pool matches, people are sitting on the floor
just trying to watch their favorite players in general.
Right?
And the coolest part about it, if you just
don't want to watch games, there's a lot of stuff to do.
Right?
We got a grid.
You could play a grid over there at the camp, Mom.
Yes.
Right?
And it got like a cool, like the arcade board.
So they actually have arcade games over here
that have never been released.
I feel like I've never seen these on arcade before.
Yeah, bro.
Gundam Versus is active.
We got the Tekken shop.
I mean, we got the 2XKO booth right over here.
We definitely have an arcade section over with a lot of cool games, man.
They got 2xk over there, a bunch of, they got Psychic Force 2020 over there.
I love that game.
It has avatar and everything.
And I feel like, oh, what's the word?
You know what?
Oh, what's up?
Thank you.
Hey, you know, we're live, right?
Oh, yeah.
But anyways, you know, that's also what happened.
We're so raw and unfiltered.
You know, people just come through and just want to hang out with T.C.
because this is the commentator of the year right now.
Oh my God.
How? Why are you so hollywood?
I wish I was on here.
Are you serious, bro?
Man, we did the meat and grease,
and everyone wanted to talk to Tasty Steve.
Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah.
The Steve of the tastiest.
Lovin' peas.
That's not true.
Lovin' peas don't do that.
He knows I hate peas.
First off, how many heart and thumb-up emojis?
People was coming up to me and saying,
can we do the Justin Pones?
I was like, of course, sure.
That's my guy, Justin.
We can do that.
All I'll say is, it has definitely been amazing.
the meat and Greek was really cool.
It was really cool.
Shout out to the four yikes as well.
And they still have a lot of evil ledgers meetups.
And of course, this is a big part of the community.
I know a lot of people came over to meet us,
see us for the first time.
You met somebody's dad, who was like,
he's a big fan of you and he was nervous to meet you
and the son introduced him to me, it was really cool.
That was really crazy.
And also like they were asking, hey man,
can I get, I don't want to adjust the walls signature.
I want the walls signature.
Oh, that was, I've never, somebody ever done that.
I never thought the walls, I was like,
I was like, how do I write the wasp there?
Because I've never done it before, right?
But you know, we talk about all these experiences.
I bought like six controllers this weekend so far.
I might buy one more because there's one I just,
I was eyeing at it, right?
So definitely I love collecting the controllers.
Every time Evil Japan rolls around,
I see all these social posts about like this company
is releasing this controller at Evil Japan,
you know, Evil Japan exclusive, right?
And there's just like, you talk about the cabinets,
they're running side-term,
There's so many different sides.
So many different sides.
I saw Ohio, who pretty much had even won the 38.
He entered the Bayblade tournament.
They had, yo, you heard cleanin' and bangin'.
You know what that was?
They were Bayblading in his bad boy.
It was crazy, right?
And they even had the old Shufair 2 hyper fighting
on the Famicom.
They were running tournaments on that because that's
kind of how Shufair 2 esports started here in Japan.
I mean, and then look, even if you're not here for the games,
there was a lot of cool stuff to do.
The artist alley looks amazing around man.
They did an amazing job on that.
They had the stick museum.
You know this guy Mark man.
It's like the Steve Irwin in an arcade sticks man.
He guy goes out and collects them from all over the world.
I've been there shopping with them.
And it's actually been really cool man.
Shout out to the guy Mark man.
So a lot of times I've been in Japan a lot.
I've been just hanging out with Mark man.
Behind the arcade sticks.
You kind of live here.
Everybody loves Tee.
I feel like you and Vicious are always here, right?
And then also you were talking about the museum.
The museum is really beautiful and also like with Markman and also Shaz
should be your coho for making that kind of like art and
everything. But you know what? We all we're talking about the floor so much.
We got someone on the floor. Let's go to RobTV right now.
Ladies and gentlemen, of course, this is the final day for
Evil Japan is finals day on. And as you can see behind me,
of course, Steve and Jay Wong. Y'all see this is the cold
I see this is the calm before the storm fellas.
Look at all these empty seats right now.
And can we swing over there too just to show what's going on?
Now listen, a lot of events,
they wouldn't wanna show you all empty seats,
they're trying to hide them.
That's cause we know that we about to fill
all these seats up right now.
This is a historic event.
Tech in top eight, we actually have Arslan Ash
not making top eight.
I think that Autif or Ulsan probably gonna get it done
over there.
Ulsan of course the back to back EWC champion.
The high bar in the world of Street Fighter 6.
Knuckle dude dang, getting top eight, bruh.
Absolutely love to see that.
Hey, fellas, what y'all thinking on the side
of taking in Street Fighter 5's today?
Man, they happy.
I know, bro, that's the only punk I hate.
Yeah, punk has to fight Knuckle dude in the top eight.
Steve, are you able to hear me over there?
Yeah, we can hear you.
We got you, man.
You can hear me.
OK, I don't know if the guys are able to hear me right now,
or if I'm talking over you right now,
because I can't hear you in my calls.
But that's it.
Today, it's about to be Legendary Ladies and gentlemen.
You're not good.
You don't dress well.
TKT Steve dresses way better than me.
7,000 competitors that we started with.
7,000 all the way down to eight.
We are literally about to make this fighting game history
in Eastport history right here in Tokyo, Japan.
And you guys do not want to miss it.
Later on, Big Hollywood will be back with entirely
a filled up arena.
And we're going to check the temperature.
You do not want to miss it, Evil Japan.
Let's go ahead and send things back over to the desk.
I mean, Shia Sarab TV doing his thing.
I mean, he is not wrong.
All these seats are going to be filled.
I was walking here, right, from the train station,
and literally there was huge lines already outside,
waiting to come in, waiting to fill these seats,
and literally trying to buy as much product
because today is the last day of Evil Japan.
Lots of Evil Japan exclusive controllers.
You know, I was so sad.
I wanted to buy the Hori.
You saw that little bag?
Yes, yes, yes.
For the controllers?
I wanted to buy that yesterday,
It was completely sold out
Like we come here and then the thing is Justin I've seen him do is my man come
No, even if he's not at a big con he likes to buy stuff to commemorate the occasion
Yes, and I don't know if you guys have seen this stream, but the background is actually becoming a store
We need to have nothing but arcade like arcade cabinets
But when you come to events like this all the cool stuff almost sells out of me by day three
You need to have grabbed everything that you want to whether it's like the art pieces whether it's the figures whether it's the cool clothes
There's a lot of exclusive merch around that you're not gonna get anywhere else
Yeah, you have to be on site to get it and that's one of the reason I really like that
They're making this such a big thing
It's such an invitational field like coming at these items come get this FGC fun these FGC items that you're not gonna
Be able to get anywhere else man. What's the out of this weekend?
What's the coolest thing that has that you done or you seen these past two and a half days?
You know, I'm gonna be completely honest man
One of the coolest things I really like seeing is like I got a lot of friends in there
But when we get to actually commentate together yeah, I feel like we so spent them and Rob doing his thing
You doing his thing Obama the boy yikes, then we don't really get to talk
So actually seeing you guys is number one with to seeing what is like transpired with Marvel Tocca
I'm gonna tell you right now. I didn't get to play like the last bill
So the only bill I got to play was at the first evil USA when they showed it
Yeah, they have like a updated build here. I got ghost rider
Yeah, I got spider-man. They got pinning park on that bad boy and magic
So for me that was definitely my favorite part
Just getting to play Marvel token like that and play with spider-man for the first time because I'm a huge
Spider-man who isn't a Peter Parker fan, but you're you know, you're actually completely right
After I finished finishing the content see the wolves of hell pockets
I was the hell pockets and I went to the Marvel token booth and I had a session right had a session played
I'm sad to go my man Logan's overreads and everything and over different air dash is insane
I enjoyed it using penny parkers like web suit assist having magic as the antiracist and I love dangers
Kind of like the third assist where it's like a like this giant drill claw
And if you're just stuck there for a really really long time, so it's like constant pressure
Right everything about when it comes to like they took the feedback from a lot of community members
They're all like there. So it's like it just feels like a complete different game from close beta 2 and
That just makes me extremely happy because like they want to make sure that this game everyone loves
Yeah, no, that's that's absolutely facts man. Look, I'm a huge Marvel guy myself
You know already know where Justin is known from but also just saying a lot of like the Japanese homies man
Like they actually go out to these arcades that I get to see only when I come here
It's my first time getting to see these guys for a long time
I mean, obviously I'm here quite a bit but in the fighting game atmosphere seeing people lock in I haven't seen Anakin in a while
Bro, I got
Homies came out as well. I mean men has been here and I've been seeing him around but just seeing him
Cabba the crew. I mean no kudu is here
Which I didn't even know until I saw him up on the stage
Yeah, a lot of the fighting game homies coming together because you know, it's like a big family here
So it's always good to see the friends again, man. No, I completely agree with that. I just like besides seeing all the friends
I just love watching the different matches, right? Yes. Obviously, you know, we're gonna have taken a top 8 today and 3 fire 6 top 8 today
I'm really curious about 3 fire 6 top 8 because you know what modern ocky in winners top 8
That's actually Taiwan like a 17 year old modern ocky, right? The last time I think we had a modern player in top 8
Like a big event was play. Hey, Tony the first year she first takes an evil Vegas. That was the last time
Right, that's a really good point. Yeah, right because in Asia in general they really love modern if you're playing rank here
And you know, it's very
Addicting to play rank in Japan in general you fight against a lot of modern play. Yes, you do. I've seen it
I've done it. I've seen it with my own eyes
But I think there's also part of the reason people always talk about like my street fighters thriving over here
Yeah, and it's for a good reason and there's so many players that are taking to it
Especially with modern I feel like modern is definitely one of the big breakthrough points when it comes to like, you know
people playing a lot of Street Fighter 6, but even when I tell people to go try some Street Fighter 6 because they always show interest
You know, yeah, but I can't do like the complicated
I'm like, yeah, well
They actually got a fix of that modern mode and I'm glad you pointed out because there was a few players out there
I mean Chris G another one of those guys has been really strong on the modern
He really gave it like a try but also just all these other established players that was like, you know what I got time for this arcade stick
Nonsense, that's crazy. No, I say that but being able to adapt to a new way to learn a game
And I'm sure you're about this as well. Yeah, and then what else is really cool?
Obviously, you know when evil chooses kind of like the obscure games, right?
You have the Haku no Ken role the dribble combo. Yeah, literally every match was just an infinite or kind of like
Takeaway starts go fatal KO, right?
But the coolest part was when I was commentated with Mustang. I'm looking at the crowd
It was literally packed no seats like all the seats were taken and people were standing and they're all like
Like enjoying this broken fighting game, right?
I was standing in the crowd watching it and shout out to Mustang because like we said
before and the thing is I was talking to Mustang it's his first time in Japan and he was saying
like and it made a lot of sense because we've heard both from Mary with a lot of cool and
okay but there's a lot of people out there that has never actually seen a game.
I call it Japanese Marvel but the breakdown is definitely more broken than that.
But the way he like broke down the dribble combos y'all was talking about like it's
gonna get higher he's have to keep the same rhythm yeah I just gotta say man
kudos to Mustang and everybody that was actually working on that
commentating on that yeah I mean shout out to Eli Joe as well and James
Schimpf for holding out the dark stalkers as well like it's been so sick to
see these games and that's another unique thing about Japan. Japan evo
specifically we get these games that we don't typically get to see especially on
the US side of things. Virtua Fighter still being there. This is where you're
really gonna see the heavy hitters from Virtua Fighter and we had Shido Shiro on
the mic talking about that with the boys as well. Him and Ryan Hart on the mic. I mean
Ryan Hart a legend in his own right. Obviously did the exhibition with Betty and Street Fighter.
But I know Ryan Hart actually from Virtua Fighter. So seeing him on the mic with Shidoshia,
somebody that I first got introduced to commentary. And basically I saw him one of the first people
I saw, especially like as a homie, you know what I'm saying? On the mic talking about it.
So it's been a lot of cool things transpiring here at Evil at Japan. I implore you guys to come out,
enjoy Japan, especially for Evil if you get the opportunity. There's just a lot, right? You talked
about the exhibition, right? It makes me really happy that Betty keeps going with the OG hunt,
just because, like, you know, when I played her, I was the last match, and I was like,
man, did I retire her? I didn't want that, because I enjoyed watching the series and
everything. So the fact that she came back, she won against Ryan, like, that was really,
like, her strategy, her prep time was amazing, right? So that's really good. So I'm hoping to see,
like, who's her next opponent. And then we had the Marvel 12 kind of exhibition with
My god Sonic Fox that was really crazy just because like you know they've been all over the place
So it's like when did they have time to actually like?
Sweat up sweat a bit to actually show a cool exhibition match, right?
And you know me you and yikes was commentating and we were just losing it because we saw we were looking at all these references
Yeah, no where you know me bro
Yeah, I was gonna end on top of that another thing I was telling people look I really want Freeman in City of the
Wolves, right? Okay. But really want Freeman. I want Freeman the city of the
Wolves. But Mr. Karate, Robert Garcia, you got me with the tingle mask in the
jacket. We're done. You know, it's got me. I'm in there now. It's crazy because when
I first saw it, I just kind of called it out. But then it's like, is it really
gonna be that predictable? It was, but it was still the coolest thing ever. Yeah,
it was sick. I mean, look, there's a lot of things that's happened from fighting
games here. It's lore wise character, at least wise. We just waiting on this big
announcement from Marvel Tokyo and I'm gonna be real but I think we got the guys coming out on the
stage right now so we're gonna spin it over to the stage to get this announcement and final day
of D-Boat Japan 2026 underway let's go
Good morning everyone, it is about Japan 2026, Day 3.
I'm Takashi Yamanaka, the producer of Marvel Tochon Fighting Souls, and I know everyone's excited to watch some Tekken, but before that we do have some new information to share.
Thank you for coming.
I'm Sekinne, director of Marvel Token Fighting Souls.
Nice to meet you.
Good morning everyone. I'm in Japan, 2026, and everyone watching on stream.
Thank you so much. This is the director of Marvel Token Fighting Souls, Sekinne.
And?
Sorry, and I'm Amber, localization director at Arc System Works, and I'll be interpreting today. Thank you.
And now we have a localize director.
So, we are currently developing Marvel Token Fighting Souls.
And as you can see, it will be released on August 7th,
PlayStation 5 and PC.
We are currently taking the time to make a reservation.
So please take your time.
So currently, we're hard at work on development,
on Marvel Token Fighting Schools and we are happy to say that it will be coming out in Japan
simultaneously on PC and PS5 on August 7th and the pre-orders are currently available so thank you to everyone who sent them.
Yes, if you could briefly explain the concept of the game,
this Marvel game is a 4v4, but if you remember one character,
it's a team fighting game, which is a fairly different, special fighting game.
And it's designed for anyone to enjoy, from casual to core.
It's a very simple operation, and anyone can play the game with all the skills they have,
but it also has a very deep game system.
That's all I have to say.
So, to simply explain the game, it's a four versus four tag-based team fighting game.
However, you don't have to play as all of the characters on the team.
You can succeed at the game only learning to play as one character directly.
So, the idea is that it's something that can be enjoyed by both casual audiences,
but that there's also depth to the gameplay for the more hardcore audiences,
so it's something that everyone can enjoy.
Thank you for joining us today.
Thank you.
And Marvel Token Fighting Souls, the playable demo is available today at the Arc System Works booth here at Evo Japan.
And it will be available until 3pm today, so you can line up and get your hands on the game and experience it for yourself. Thank you.
Okay, so let's start with the new team trailer.
Before that, I'd like to talk about the new trailer for the next five months.
We're going to have a combo breaker in the U.S. in Chicago,
and we're going to have a play-off of some of the characters that will be announced in Hong Kong,
and we'll be developing them in Hong Kong.
So please, if you're in Hong Kong, please come.
So just one thing before we show you the new team trailer we have for you, we would like to announce that we will also have a playable demo of the game available at Combo Breaker coming up in Chicago as well as at Hong Kong Comic Con, so be sure to stop by.
Excuse me, allow me to explain the challenge of the champion!
We have a series of knockouts and the winner gets a crack at the beatguide.
All selected leaders have received their invites. Good luck!
You know what, promoter? This planet is not your playground.
Duty calls, and I am.
Tommy, let's give your stew to work out!
to work out saving the world sure I got you battle load initiative let's party
don't fit you can't fight the future the rest is up to you catch every blow
Well is a strike for justice!
Raaarrrrr!
Little flatmats and hulk away!
Calm down hunk!
Why you no need of a load!
Raaarrr!
Smash together!
All brain shields!
You got a big guy?
Kill from this one!
Kill yourself!
Invent the strikes!
One condom forever!
One condom must stand alongside the Outerworld Agents, this champion!
I'm sorry, sister.
As am I, sir. Let's fight with everything.
You got this, Shuri!
I'm going to spend it for this!
Take it!
Off you go!
Come on, big guy. Get to it!
Oh, stronger than anyone!
Oh, Spam!
Fight together, we win together!
Now you will see true strength!
Avengers, assemble!
Now the clumps come on!
Safety Busters, online!
Friday, let's show them something special!
Now, fight!
I
Play
Savage Hulk
Yo, look first and foremost if you know you know people don't know about the lineage of black Panther and of course this time around
We got shuri actually being black panther and being on the fighting Avengers
We were waiting a lot of people were speculating Hulk was gonna be there
We haven't seen him. Yeah, but now we know the fighting Avengers is a team that you will be playing in Marvel token fighting souls
Yo, damn, bro. Why was Hulk so fast?
He was so fast. You saw the clap, right? You saw him running. He got the command
He is running I'm like I'm so scared you understand that came blue river must be going crazy right now
He loves the big bodies and now he's got another one
We'll be talking about Penny Parker actually being a big body and Marvel token
But now we got one of the original big that's true the OG the OG big body the incredible Hulk
But also sure you got like the savage yeah
Like savage Hulk for sure he actually being a Black Panther. This is something we've never seen
I don't know what forms of content like this is the first time we get in this and
It's kind of like the MCU right now where Shuri is the Black Panther I said
I we talked about it earlier, but like Marvel token they their character choices are so unique
It's so good. Like obviously, you know, you're like thinking Avengers
You gotta give me like maybe Thor and hope but we're not gonna give you Thor
We're gonna give you somebody else we're gonna throw like kind of like a different path, right?
Bro, that was insane Shuri as Black Panther. She got the cape. She got the cape and everything
And they showed the Wakanda stage in the background.
It just actually looks amazing.
I don't think, I mean, look, first and foremost,
I got to say, bro, like you said,
the character choices have been phenomenal for Marvel token.
And I can't wait to actually play this game.
I'm so mad, bro.
I'm definitely gonna rewatch that trailer.
It's not fair, bro.
Because I want to look at the stage
and see like what's in the background, you know what I mean?
Because stuff like that, like they added so much stuff.
Did you know like when you pick your team, right?
Obviously they changed the names and everything but when you pick your team
I noticed that yesterday they got the comic book price
I did not look at this it is that like oh gee comic book prices no no no first off they used to be cheaper than that
Somebody who's been begging for comics for years. We used to have 199 comics out there
But also even on that what kind of stage it looked like I saw like that the child of like statue in the back
Yeah, yeah, like the OG like it's actually just crazy. Look you guys know I'm a Lord guy
You know, both of us love Marvel, but obviously for different reasons and same reasons just the same
Damn, I'm trying to press buttons and it's gonna be a combo breaker in Hong Kong comic-con
So what else do you want, bro? You know, I just I'm just looking at Hulk and he looks really fun
Yo gamma bomb was crazy. He just looks so fun to play
I really want to see like kind of like what makes what's the unique skill because every character is a unique skill round
I'm assuming it would be like some type of armor or maybe some type of tech
But we could talk about Marvel token all day, but I know you got a job to do you're gonna be commentating Tekken right Tekken 8 top 8
So stay tuned, but by the time you come back
I'm gone and you're gonna have the real Tekken commentators
Take the play and talk about this and crown your evil Japan 2026 champion for Tekken 8. So see you soon
No two competitors are the same. Some run on routine for the chance to win big. Some make
Time to rise through the brackets.
Some lock in with confidence.
However you prepare, there's a place for every kind of competitor.
PlayStation tournaments, sign up today on PS5.
If you can live with an IT skill, then it's Lebathek.
I participated in the tournament.
And then I got a prize money.
And I was very happy.
So it's much more than just playing as being a part of this community.
You can see that you're going to be getting much bigger.
The joy of the game is to drive the car.
You can see that you're getting much bigger.
You can see that you're getting more bigger.
You can see that you're getting more bigger.
Levatec Freerance
Hey, look at me.
What's wrong?
I want to apply it to Freerance, but...
Freerance?
We can continue to provide support.
We can grow the high-end or low-end experience you have.
Isn't it just a temporary job?
If it's IT Freerance, then Levatec Freerance.
You
Good morning!
I'm your MC, Shun Mizabuchi, MC's Mizabuchi Shunsuke.
And!
I'm your assistant MC, Itsuka. Nice to meet you.
And!
I'm your assistant MC, Gomari-chan and Gomimari-ka. Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
Evo Japan 2026 is the final day.
How is it? It's a competition.
How was it for the last three days?
It was so overwhelming.
There were so many things that I was able to do.
I think it was a great experience.
It was so much fun.
I was so happy that I was able to enjoy it.
So we need your support, so please keep it up and keep it up!
I was really looking forward to meeting you with the fans. I'm really sad and sad, but this is the very last day, so we would like your cooperation in making this a more heated last day.
So, we're about to start the main stage of Tekken 8.
We'll warm up a little bit with you guys after the meeting.
Hi!
We'll warm you up for the Tekken 8 Finals.
We want to cheer you up from the bottom of our hearts to keep you up to the finals.
Because there are 8 Finals that fought their way up to the finals.
They did their best. They tried so hard, so I want you to really cheer for them without your mic.
What we're going to do is, we're going to do some warming up.
We'll say,
KAKUGE, that means fighting games in Japanese.
Then you'll say,
SAKURO, that means it's the best.
We'll say,
IBOJAPAN, you say SAKURO,
WOSUITEKEN, you say SAKURO.
So, what we're going to do is, as you all know, we're going to do a revolution.
And we're going to say, it's the best.
And we're going to say, it's the best.
And we're going to say, it's the best.
Well, it's the first day in the morning.
But it won't be a good day or night, so...
Everyone's voltage is going up, right?
Thank you.
Let's do it for a while.
Let's practice and do it once.
So we're going to try.
Here we go. Ready?
Ready!
Evo Japan!
Tekken!
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much.
Today's guest is very good looking.
I was surprised because she was more energetic than I thought.
I thought she was more energetic than I thought.
Everybody here, your expressions, your facial expressions are really great.
But if you have a little more voice, you can do it.
I can do it. I can definitely do it.
Can you do it a little more?
Thank you for the interview several times.
Give us more of your voices and more of your sheath and more of your passion, energy.
That's it.
Let's get started.
Yes, let's do it.
Are you ready?
Here we go.
KAKUGE!
The best!
Evo Japan!
Tekken!
The best!
Thank you very much.
I think everybody is well prepared for the finals.
Evo Japan 2026, presented by Levatec.
Tekken 8 Finals start.
Evo Japan 2026, presented by Levatec.
Tekken 8, the finals.
This is the entrance for the players.
So remember, no surrender
I'm the only one left
I'm the only one left
I don't stand a chance
Over all I've had
And it's been been
It's been the same
And it's been the same
And it's been the same
And it's been the same
And it's been the same
And it's been the same
The end of the battle.
Here are your Top 8 finalists.
I
Happy Stumbie
I
Carim
Oh
Ah
Oh
I
The shot!
Evo Japan 2026 presented by left-tec Tekken 8, the finals.
以上8名の選手により争われます。
Let the games begin!
And there you have it our top eight for Tekken 8 Evo Japan 2026
Shibuya Tacey Steve joining by the legendary
Majinobama here we go Steve we've been waiting all weekend for this y'all been
complaining we've been seeing the complaint y'all been waiting all week for
this Tekken Top 8 so here we are Tekken 8 we finally made it here and man this was
a crazy bracket if you were following along on the on those cool
streets and as we made our way to round two, round three, of course, you know what they
expect with this game when you get to an event of this caliber and a stage this big.
You know when you get all these countries colliding and that was something that I'm missing
element from last year, right?
This is a tournament where you remember last year, Need had to put the fours up, right?
But if he's going to get one for the thumb this year, Steve, he's going to have a hell
of a pass to do it.
Let's take a look at that bracket and just break it down a little bit.
Right now, Olson in the driver's seat up against local really, really consistent player to
He's from Korea, but he lives out here in Japan.
He's been consistently competing in this game in every dojo event.
And look Steve, that's the thing, sometimes you just get a good player that has a good weekend
and right now he's having a really good one.
And Akazia on top of that, of course we got Hafiz Tanvir versus Atif on the second matchup.
That's actually going to be a crazy one.
I mean Hafiz Tanvir has just been a consistent player throughout the years.
Obviously he's always really good at cracking the top 16, those top eights.
but obviously this is probably going to be one of the biggest times he's going to be able to do this.
We saw him at Tiger Uppercut really perform a couple of years ago, so obviously he has a lot of work cut out for him,
but he's going up against Ahtib, one of the strongest weapons out there in the Tekken world,
especially considering he's probably one of the best players in the world when it comes to Tekken in general right now.
But obviously both of those guys representing Pakistan, and that's only on the winner's side.
That's only on the winner's side, like you said, because we got the John on loser's side.
We're going to talk a little bit about that, too, how he got here going up against the
wonder kid.
Once again, out here in an Evo Japan with a chance in Lugus out of the bracket, but representing
the Philippines.
We used to write.
He's the wonder kid, but he like 20 break and be paying, taking, paying taxes and everything
now.
Let me get calling my boy anymore.
I can tell people when I met him, he was shorter than me.
My man is definitely taller than me now.
That's all I'm going to say about that.
Then of course, the last match round in the South, the crowd got loud.
gonna be knee versus Tetsu, which is actually gonna be a crazy matchup. Like you said before,
knee trying to crown it again and get one for the thumb and think about it. Last time
one of the arguments for last year was like, Austin wasn't here. What's gonna happen? Well,
Austin was here. He got eliminated. Knee is still here in this top eight making the spot.
I'm glad you mentioned that, Steve, because looking at this bracket, looking at where
all these dudes are from, I'm like, I'm looking at Japanese immigration like, yo, bro, we
We made a mistake somewhere along the way, right?
Y'all were talking, last year, like you said,
Arson was absent, so some people kind of look for reasons
to maybe diminish the win a little bit, right?
You cannot say that this year, Pakistan came with a squad.
And as you can see, I mean,
three out of eight spots in this bracket occupied,
or that's a something, and it very easily
could have been more, man, especially if you zoom out,
you start looking at the top 16.
There are a lot more Korean, Pakistan representatives
that were out there, but this is what we have here.
So the question is, I'm like, man,
me isn't the hunt for that one for the thumb,
but then also Pakistan.
I'm looking at our tip on winter side of this bracket.
I'm looking at old son on the other side of that one.
And you know, that's a destiny match.
But then the other thing too is like,
I'm getting flashback from the Tokyo Tech and Masters.
I remember in a wise honey and an odd tip,
but coming into Japan and silencing the crowd.
And it looks like, I mean, he's poised to do it again.
And you were talking about it, man.
You saw him out here.
It's one thing to me when you see Autif like, you know, he's gonna look like a pretty cold,
he has a cold, calm, collected kind of guy.
When you see him like feeling good bouncing around, I don't know man, that's kind of scary.
Listen, when I was doing my homework, watching the pools, right, and when I was walking around
I saw Autif and my man was bouncing, he was like, hey, I was like, oh, my man must be
ready to do some damage, but also not to be slept on, two-time EWC champion, Olson, holding
down the number one spot right now at the top of the bracket I was talking to
this guy and he was just like yeah man I'm lucky I'm lucky I was like yo he gave
me the commercial lens I'm like what character you using he's like hey man
you never know and that actually makes a lot of sense because he's definitely
been one of those players that was willing to change drag it off has
definitely been the character of choice but a lot of times he's had to like
adjust his game for some of these matchups I want to see what's gonna
happen a very unconventional matchup I feel like when we get to these top
eights outside of a couple of people the cause you got it like you said before
That is actually going to be something I want to see how that plays out because this is a matchup
We get to see at different kind of shots at this level
But now we get a copy with a new representation and like you said he's been out here planning these dojos
But this is the beginning of the Tekken world tour 2026
That was one of the big things I was trying to say when we first got here
This is the beginning point for a lot of big tournaments no matter what game you play
It starts here a lot of these people showing out and look when it comes to fighting games in general people will tell you
Japan is the place to be so it's no better place than the start all these big tours all these big fighting games all the
Announcements then here at evo Japan 2026 man. So thank you guys for joining us. Hopefully you've been enjoying the fighting game action
Obama know you had a crazy weekend. We've been talking about second all weekend
We feel like there's five days
It's been theorizing this whole thing
So we definitely about the crown of winner and hopefully you guys are ready to see and I'm glad you brought that up to the
the competitive calendar and how that's shifted a little bit with this being the start of it.
It always feels like it's kind of like a gold rush at the beginning, right?
You want to get your spots in. If you can get a chance to have a really good performance at the
beginning of the calendar year like this, and put yourself in good position not only for Tekken
World Tour, but like you mentioned, EWC, right? So three of the players in this top paper already
qualified for that event that showdown later in Riyadh, of course, being Olsson, Autiff, and the
John. So for these other players, they want to avoid that tiebreaker spot, be able to secure their
of their spots for that big event as well.
Well, of course, you know,
it's a lot of great players in this top eight.
And once again, this is only the beginning.
EWC is definitely a place they're trying to be
outside of being that EVO champion as well.
So, you know, everybody else who was not qualified,
they got a lot to prove at this point.
Been watching Twitter, seeing how all the players have been,
you know, reacting to them getting these spots
as well as this qualifying for top eight,
especially in a big tournament like this,
where, you know, a lot of the players, like you said,
they converge here to try to get that big important dub.
It's not only about the getting the W
getting that spot, but it kind of sets the tone for the year, man.
You're going to be looking at these guys to show up, steal claims some of those
spots because points are on the line as well.
So look, when it comes to Tekken 8, especially this Tekken world tour,
the button don't stop here. It starts here.
And speaking of which, we're getting locked and loaded for our first match.
Once again, it's going to be Kari going up against Olsson.
Bro, well, I want to see, man.
Look, we are definitely in a new version of this game, man.
And look, I love seeing how the players kind of adapt to these changes on the
fly, because a lot of times we're not seeing these characters play at this
level to later in the year, but the spake, the timing on the release of this
patch has really been something that I've been looking at.
I've been looking at so many different players coming in, different
character approaches, I mean, just different matchups for the first time.
I mean, just being one of them.
We say this patch, I guess, we've had two patches, you know, in the past couple
months, and this is really one of the first big marquee international showdowns
that we've had since then, outside of, like, what level up that happened last
weekend. But I wonder if that's also a sign of things to come. We had this
conversation last year. We were talking about it when season two started. I felt
like with the way that they were kind of pitching the game with more consistent
updates and stuff like that. That makes the game more difficult to compete in
at this level. You have to consistently keep up with a lot of changes. And even
though this time they had the benefit of a little bit of time, it's just the fact
that when you have such a great volume of changes made to your character, but not
just your characters other characters the one that you have to change your strategy and adapt to
I mean the entire system you know I'm saying you really gotta I mean those heat changes alone
really do kind of change up how you're going to fight a bunch of these matchups and obviously it's
not the biggest but not having an additional combo started me you got to change up how you use
heat how you're going to use those engines and it's really going to come to play here but here
we go these guys are getting set up to get ready for the first match of our top eight here and Evo
Japan 2026. It begins now. Eight
enter one leave and we're gonna have a
champion many people champion for
evil Japan technique. Here we go. And
the awesome center. I told you. What did I
tell you? He was like, yes, Steve. I'm
thinking about this awesome center.
He told me this yesterday. I didn't
believe him and we got it in action,
but Akari doesn't care. The thing is,
Steve, why would he do that? It's
about her microtech in like her
pokes or small pokes in the frames
she gets. It's about the stance weaving
that she can apply with pressure,
like what do you think attracts
the whole side of this kind of garbage?
I think what happens is first off the movement,
he's been very in love with these movement characters
that are heavy.
Bob's not here yet, Kasumi's not in the game,
and Dragunov is not the same as any one of those characters.
However, she's got a bunch of auto-perry moves
that you gotta have the knowledge to call out.
She also has a lot of tricky launchers,
especially at a liberation stance
that you need to be aware of.
And on top of that, just the fact that if you're not aware
of how to properly deal with these stances,
she gets an additional mix up,
and the carry is crazy as well.
And also Steve, we've been talking about the stances, but just look at the moves that he's been using so far too.
Building up the frame advantage. Checking you with the high mid-stream, just kind of seeing where Ikari's thinking.
Are you going to dunk? Are you going to try to block, hold just normal guard? Are you going to sidestep?
What are you looking for? Just kind of playing with his reactions after that.
You're trying to see how Ikari wants to guard and deal with some of these situations.
And you can see right now, like one of the things we already saw from Olsson is that little unfamiliarity of we see with the characters.
Obviously, we know that he's all tried and true dragon on player great block right there should be able to close out this second round
Akati making a good claim a quick first round. Opsan answers back two on the board and one of these
Two one series that high mid again. He card trying to duck there gets checked by it
Pressure in the throat this time the card rates, but he likes to see the air and here we go
That's a fat launch activation on the car. He's died
knockback this is a big stage so that wall is going to take a journey to get to
you have to take a journey to get to that bad boy power pressure get the
knockdown hell sweet for the mix up the Kasia classic still not dead and there it
is the down back for the stature kick to get the W yeah I got checked before the
wall we begin to play there sorry now confidently gonna sweep the opening
round the least week look we always talk about this if you're gonna play a
machema specifically cause you can't be afraid to hell sweet it has to be a
constant threat we gotta mix it in with the game otherwise I feel like whoever you're
fighting is gonna be a little less you know reluctant not to attack you're gonna
take that advantage every time engage but here we go in Karthik. And it's a given
especially at this level especially gets a play with reaction this gives all
thoughts but timing is everything too. You're the loner and the love to get in the
demon ball. We can ball with the wall.
I like the mids and the patricide fist to finish and he's glory.
You have to make sure you're sprinkling those hell sweeps.
Look at how often Olsang was comfortable ducking.
And I can tell you right now he wasn't comfortable.
That was fear.
You do not want to keep getting hell sweeps.
It's not a combo you get off of it.
It's the knockdown.
It's the pressure.
It's the weight dash pressure right after that.
Those are the things you really got to keep in play.
Showing the true cause of your play.
Especially like you mentioned at the end too, the situational advantage as well.
The wall to back him up all of a sudden the car he's not just pressing you just tap you with mids lows
Kind of just gets his mix off that way after with the wall pressure
See also I'm using a lot of lows on his side as well trying to for something the only differences
You get a knockdown with this character, but you don't get a big combo pick up her pressure
He's in this prominent as a character like cause you have for the notion
I feel like her standing is really where you want to get because you want to make a mix
You want to make the think happen and like I said, she got the back turn option as well as for auto period
Her stand pressure adds to it, which is being able to just kind of keep you like locked in and just bleed to her like that.
Where you just take chunks of damage.
Here we go Ikari after the armor.
Oh, Sniper Side Fist gets clean walked around with the wall break.
Allside now going to pick up with the knee conversion.
Trying to carry, get a double wall sequence.
Just short of it.
Down back three plus frames here.
Goes with the sweep.
Into another break, going to step into it.
Okay, big damage.
You know what, yeah, just chunks of damage with this wall pressure, plus frames, and the more
plus frames, you're gonna say it's precious.
This is what I was talking about.
He's calling you out on it.
He's like, yo, do you actually know how to interrupt these strings?
Are you brave enough to do so?
And is it worth your life?
Is it worth a ramp?
Yeah, that's the power of this character, right?
Like, per normal attacks are really excellent as well, but you gotta be able to use both
of them with the stances as well, the stance pressure.
You can use both of the conjunctions.
You can really, really shine.
Once again, finding a lot of hits on the side of Nakati.
Keeping these rounds really close, you can see that these guys are battling it out.
Double electric to the wall we go.
Sending her on a trip.
Wall break.
Mm-hmm.
And little catty corner combo.
Not full connection.
Ready with the will punish.
Wall splat as well.
Takes the stance, goes for the mix.
Get off of me with the armor.
Dash up the cameraman didn't even know where to go.
Nakati once again tying up the rounds in this game too.
And he's up again.
the way with the track and in this time delay mids
Try a sidestep left and find the opening on the heap
Now you can see that axe kick starting to come in
Just Jackson more like you get the wall as well
Patrick sidefists
Where's the jab a long-range jab there use the heat to try to make something happen
Oh, Simon also sent it back really close to the wall.
You got to be careful.
Spins the smash.
No heat left on either side.
Only 25 seconds left on the clock.
Dash and smash, Steve.
Now, Oh, Simon's backing up, trying
to use up the action to counter it.
And that's going to be a cookie car.
He's round.
Two rounds.
And remember, there's been a slight change.
Best of three, I believe, we get in these top eights now.
Best of three, we get to this.
Giving it to you, Long said style.
This time, Oh, Simon's trying to dash up.
use that one jab, one one strings.
That's the hell sweep.
Ever a repeating threat, tracking move,
nose, big and side stepping.
A lot of this is a 3D game.
The foreground in the background is in play.
Big counter hit.
There's that back turn pressure we was talking about
in Akati just taking a second, taking a beat,
and then going forward.
Armor, we've seen a lot more of the Britazord
than back turn from Olsson so far.
But there we go, gets the side step, clean launch,
and Olsson in position to be able to close out this round.
here in game two.
Like she was like, yo, I can't hear you.
Also, look, I hate Asus in it, but she
be grooving on the screen.
No break on the throw.
Small poke.
And every time Olsang has been trying to approach,
he's eaten multiple electrics just
because he wants to go forward.
Akati is looking for you to take a spin.
Cross the line, get electric.
Karsten, a really good job of space control with those.
But here we go.
Big block on the Hellsweep this time from Olsang.
Potential chance to reversal fortune
We haven't been seeing much of that actual ducking or blocking on the hellsweeps
But now that he smashed once again early usage right where we said in that last round
25 seconds left on the clock and catching your ducking
Olson gonna take that second game, but boy that was an actual fight
That was actually a fight great test on both sides either neither one of them afraid to duck
But both of them actually getting punished for it. That's how you know both of them are ready to deal with you
We're seeing a lot of wall standing 3 to build plus frames, a lot of flutter kick setups from all of us on, but what was really affected that, that's it to me, like, the big tie turner each time, dash up heat smash, dash up slight delay heat smash, Perz is quite walkable actually, it's not too uncommon to be able to rotate around her and get a clean strike, even though she's flying all over the place, you gotta change her down a little bit, but he's had really really good timing on intercepting him in mid range like this on approach with it, and it made a big difference in a couple of those rounds there.
I was just about to say Akati has no problem doing just the while rising to to get that big glorious game in Godfors or just challenging with electric
Big counter hit from also saying now also we're going to the wall
Yeah, we act properly to that string there pressed into the counter hit launcher
Hellsweep kills the power crush hellsweep again we do it twice and then we go for the mid
That's exactly the mix that we want to have right now, right? Hellsweep has always been on the table for Kazuya
Now he's got a lot of tools to deal with it a little too many times to the whale nice block big launch
Here comes Olson. I like that a car. He's still not scared of it though. He's still not scared to go to it
He's willing to take all this
Got some wall
Into the rage art the panic and he gets clipped we were talking about the back turn stance
My man cause you don't care about anybody. He'll wipe out the entire planet if it means getting the gym
I was talking about it, bro, in
the dub as well in the callout
on the stands. That's exactly
what I was talking about.
And he caught it filling himself.
He was like, yep, I did it. I hit
the button. Punnish gets the
one. She comes also. Let me get
the wall. I love the strut up
and still getting the big damage
on the wall. Yeah, post that
up and that move actually gives
you like that low wall splat a
Nice chunk of damage that you can rotate around, especially on this kind of stage when the walls are getting close together like that.
Still be able to maintain that positioning as much as you can.
Side step, oh my god, what a check from Ikari!
Hit you with your, yo, your shoes are untied. What? Counter.
He just waited.
Spring up. Went for a down forward to a pin, but the wall spoon.
One, two, and the splat behind it.
Olsson, good return there from Olsson Center.
My man hit you with the old school.
The old classic
The interrupts the car trying to get things started here early all Sun said no
Small poke sidewalk one two two got the hit but did not get the follow-up of the one plus two no break on the door again
Spring
So tried to sidewalk on hand me. I said on hand me they switch sides though
Wave a wave heat smash is gonna work this time
He burst, excuse me. Low parry looking for the low, but look, Kha'Zi is like looking real low, getting a lot back, and activating the heat.
Get a lot back here, but he has to keep momentum.
Okay.
Get options, but again, that reversal smash, Olsang.
Trying to go up two games to one here.
Cashing instantly.
Down for two again, demon paul. The side stepping is becoming really big right now.
Knows that you can actually sidestep it, but now Akati's mixing them up so well
He don't know whether to duck sidestep. He don't know what's happening the hell sweet back on the table
Another round now that is Akasia machine around that is Akasia round
But he set that up over two games like he he went away from the patch aside fist we're almost in the target
Just to bring it out that round. It's just like steal the Ralph free
Over blast there for the whip punish can't quite get it one two from up Olsson
Nice with the mid out of the stands.
Goal for what happens, Steve!
Whoa, the third dimension, that's what happened.
Physics, that's what happened.
Hail sweep.
Going for the axe kick again.
Threatening with the lows.
South-step left guard from Olsson.
One-two check on the homing attack.
Gets the punish.
South-step left gets the counter hit.
That next interaction could do it.
There's two games on the side of Akati right now.
You called it how Olsson is so active,
especially with lateral movement in some of these situations.
situation and it's one way that you can take advantage of Oz's center is kind of small attacking like that right with some of these
lighter attacks
Ikari is X
He's doing an excellent job of sniffing that out
Yes, whether it be with Hellsweep whether be that rockin at the very end to be able to clip him going going that way down for two in some
Such in some cases it's it he has done an excellent job of being able to call out these sidesteps in big moments
When it matters to be able to get returned for it and I like how they're kind of like cycling through is it the mid low game
or is it going to be the sidestep trackers again?
They're really playing the totality of Tekken right now.
Using the foreground and the background,
the highs, lows, and the mids.
This is what I like to see.
And the switch, this is what got them
to the big money at EWC.
Got them those championships.
We go back to the dragon off,
and you can't help but think,
Akati was thinking about this the entire time.
I was just about to ask you.
I was like, okay, if you're down to one
and a first to three like this,
do you swap if you're old solid?
I would think you have to, right?
I mean, but we've seen him in this position before, man,
where he's had to make these big comebacks.
And let's see if he's gonna be able to fight this.
But I also feel like this actually helps
how the Cotter you do more.
You don't have the movement available.
You don't have those check-based situations
where you gotta deal with the strings as much.
Olson actually, I feel like, put himself on the ropes right now.
And another launcher on the side of a Cotter.
Yeah, this might even turn in some of these interactions
into a more binary game, pretty funny.
Especially because he seems very well studied
for this player match on this match.
Like I said, bro, it ain't no way he wasn't looking for this.
Ducks the laser and just a back to the clothes and yo, this dude Akati is looking way too good right now
Making all son down right now Patrick side fist in the demons part of backing up
for any kind of swings here
Mid strikes there we go. We find the engagement
Okay, let's write it to the low chop
Oh
Wow try to make something happen right there that could have been a hell sweet being the power quest
She's trying to keep that momentum in his favor and oh my god the activity on the side of Akali
Oh, so I was not able to get anything out punish. Nothing. That's how you know
He's on the ropes two rounds in on this game all signs that I'm tired of playing takes off the air falls
He's not even listening any way. I don't want to none of it. I
Hate this all I
Hope they dance won't tell you oh my god with the hell sweet
My man, Kasia says, can't you see my girl sleeping in the back, bro?
Keep it down.
Oh, slow it down.
We get all weak.
Bro, everything.
You don't need to hurry.
Everything is working.
Hell's weak.
Go against that.
Down 4-1.
Rock in the mid-strikes.
Activate.
Try.
Activate.
Great patience on the side.
No touch armor.
Nice.
Looking for the counter hit.
He didn't get it.
Spins the rest of the heat.
Look for the hell's weak.
Small punish.
20 seconds left.
Heat smash.
Not gonna hit the person.
down forward to Akari, stays alive and knocks Olson to the loser side of this top eight here
and Evo Japan 20-26. Yo, what a set, leaving Olson. Yo, he said me, is it you? Is it me?
Yo, Olson in this first match and we saw, like I said before, I was actually talking to Olson yesterday
and I was like, yo, what are your thoughts going into this man? Because it seems like people know what they expect when they see you now.
they see you now, they know the dragon office coming.
What is the play?
He's like, actually Steve, I got the Osso Center
in the back pocket.
And I was like, really?
I was like, Osso Center?
He's like, yeah.
And we saw all those things we said come through ahead.
The back turn mix, what are you going to do with it?
Akati checked all the, whether it's just movement
or just being so sure in himself,
but also applying that Hell Sweep name early on.
It was actually just, like I said,
class Akati of play, man.
He did a really good job of initializing
Osso Center with just mid-range control,
especially in space control.
He was using like, it's the way he used the led tricks.
Then also a lot of those mid options that also have tracking in addition to Hellsweep,
he had a really good, you know, Olsans lateral movement and that came out in big, big ways.
Really, really played out in a big way there.
But like you said too with the Dragonall players, seems like a common trend this season.
A lot of them are talking about like either pocket, other pocket picks or maybe other
options to leverage in situations like this, especially in like, you're talking about like
first to three versus the first to two.
I feel like we've seen that conversation a little bit in the past few months.
But moving on to our next match, so if Ikari now wins, he's in winners finals now.
That means Olsson now is dropping into that...
Oh my gosh.
...back at five where he's going to play the winner of Knee vs. Tetsu.
Dude, look man, I swear every time I see me in these positions, I'm like, dang, he gets
hit so hard every time.
Not only does he have to take out Tetsu, he's been playing amazing this weekend, but then
he's got Olsson right after it, but 3-1 is going to be the name of that set.
again. It is now first of three for these top eights for TWT, but now Hoffa's 10-viel versus
Atef I believe is going to be our next match. And this is Pakistan versus Pakistan. And look,
Atef, look, no matter what and how you discuss it, who's going to be the top? Atef is definitely
in that top three discussion when it comes to Tekken 8, especially Tekken overall,
all the way through the end of Tekken 7 up until now. You can't say he's not one of the people,
if not the man to beat. It's not many people that have even taken a dub of eliminated Atef.
Who in this top eight has actually done that?
I'm not sure, but it's only been Olsson and now Olsson is on the other side of the bracket
That's how you know things are crazy in as much as I actually talk about and we see like Tekken 8
We've always seen how it always rounds out to familiar faces. Yeah, Tekken 8 top 8 top 16
There's no surprises here
I mean obviously we see Akati, but he's always been one of those players that's this only been one good run away from being into
Yeah, you can't even just I don't think it might be a surprise if you haven't been paying attention
especially to like JP Dojo system, there's a ton of players out here that's
just the nature of this tournament there's a ton of players out here that
are really high level but maybe they don't travel as much so they're
constantly on the cost of being able to break into like that Chikurin no D
Ranchu rank right but maybe like they're just one good day away from it and
this you just a pick the hell of a weekend to have that have that run and
really when you look at this bracket to see you I'm like looking at our next
match to be Hoffman's 10 beer versus Autif looking at it.
You know, I think a lot of people would look at this and be like, yo,
Autif this bracket is kind of out of favor now.
This is definitely not the favorite.
I'm telling you right now.
I mean, look, if you also look at the fact that office 10 beer is,
hey, my man is actually a Claudio player, bro.
Like he's one of them.
And I remember more gold actually looking at this and be like, man,
I feel like I feel short, but this guy office is actually making
me believe in the character again.
And everybody knows he's been one of the Claudios to be down here.
And he is not the representative to offices.
To be fair, they're a little dramatic.
They're a little dramatic.
They got a lot of passion.
They got a lot of passion.
They're a little dramatic.
Maybe some of those things should not have been that way
to begin with.
But anyway, he's put up a great performance in spot
of all that.
Yeah, like the fact that he's in the winner's side of this top
eight, of this top eight, especially should tell you
something, sitting down in the challenger seat up against
Ah-tip Butt, who I, like I said earlier, man.
I get a flashback.
Like, wait, I've seen this before.
I've seen this before.
This guy, Autif and Awai's honey, they came out of here
and it was, right, it was like.
It was a massacre.
It was like they put Mike Will in the crowd.
Everybody was asleep.
You know how you go watch that?
Watch this, watch this.
You know what was crazy?
I remember seeing Japan up on the stage
with the other players like we don't know what to do.
That's how you know, bro.
It was like they were all in a haunted house.
They was like, I don't wanna go around that corner.
I don't wanna go around that corner.
But speaking of, we're gonna go to the next piece
the puzzle. Ahtif going up against Hafiz Tanbir. Bro, look, Ahtif is definitely one of my favorite
players to watch out there. I've tried and true Brian player, but he will make the switch
if things aren't going in his favor. But if he was watching his matches over the weekend,
my man is looking crazy. He might want to play some bets. Claudio slicks it back. The
crowd makes some noise a little bit. Ahtif, Hafiz Tanbir, Pakistan versus Pakistan. Winner's
side action to stay alive.
You caught it out Steve coming into this tournament.
They put the video out.
He said, I'm running Brian.
It is what it is.
I'm going to show you all the truth.
There's been so much discussion the past year
to damn the tweets dog.
Let me show you the game play.
Hit these buttons with me.
Let me let me take you on a walk with these buttons, bro.
He said the proof is in the pudding.
Moke it punched with the spin.
Still actively showing what Brian's going to do
at the highest level at that.
I feel like there's a barrier of entry
to play Brian at a special level, right?
And his only need and octave that have actually been actively
doing especially to show up in this top eight,
but it means nothing in this first round.
Office Tanvir taking game number one.
Round number one.
You need a delusional almost level of confidence
to be able to play this character perform like this
at the highest level with him.
Just because of what he demands
at the highest level as well.
Oof, the trade, the wall splat.
Back to the wall we go.
And this is exactly what I was talking about.
great carry to keep the momentum hop kick wait a minute hop to stand big okay
fighting back already up around and the heat is running out for Brian low
Barry oh my god okay let me get the rest of the wall he's going on big damage on
the side to one string great side step guard from hafiz has a little bit of
You need to work with mid-strike and attack to be able to get the parallel wall situation here.
Into the range arc, yeah.
Let me get some of that life back. I like what we're seeing.
And it's only 10 seconds left on the clock.
You're gonna have to do something big to make our tip break right here.
And now, 10 seconds left. What are you gonna do? A little life.
A little life. 8 seconds.
That's hard.
Suck that ball from that ball.
He got the power up.
to 1-2 and he finishes the string well played a small delay on top of it
Hoffa's 10 beer two round straight remember this is first to three this
time because of the TWT rules and Hoffa's is looking damn strong right now
that brother got some long legs
running two sidesteps yo
how many steps he says I'm out of here crepes
starburst active sidestepping spin on him
Ram Steele spinning, 3-6 will be proud.
Activate.
OK.
Look at the defense.
Does not want to interact with that heat exchange,
but Steele gets the counter hit and a free follow-up as well.
Hop is on the run and a sidestep on the orbital.
What a read.
Two, three rounds already on the side of Hop.
It's not.
The way he uses 2-1 at the high midstring as well,
you see, you see it in the conjunction with sidestep.
Trying to just see what Hop is thinking about in terms
defense on it right came in to play at the very end there.
Autif now he's still gonna.
No, no, wait.
Look man, it's actually funny we've been talking about monkey yesterday.
It was like, hey man, has law been bad at all during the life of Tekken 8?
No, and now Autif.
Actually, this is terrifying because him playing a character like this where he
literally gets to keep going your toes, these quick strikes coming from law
Versus a character like Claudio actually makes a lot of sense, but you got to put pins of paper now
Especially if you get in on his terms to be able to stick to you like this
This dragon charge pressure
Mm-hmm down for three
Ash and loose strikes off is with the boss standing for trade it off his favor, but that pressing sky slash there
Okay, activate
It's a little bit of carry. Coliseum is a huge stage. We're going to take a journey before we get to that wall, heat dash extension, and man, my man is putting on a clinic right now. The law change seems to be having no effect so far.
You gotta show me something.
2-1 punish on the nunchucks in that range.
And again, just jab pressure with the sidestap and a good weave.
Unable to get a great return on it though, with Autif.
The 3 plus 4 there.
Wouldn't it just put the hand on it and then back up?
See what Autif is thinking.
Down back 3 action.
We've punished an armor through the nunchucks.
He's going to take the shots.
One, two, ready to counter hit, confirmed it.
Hoppers is doing such a great job of delaying these strings
and catching Hoppers axi over extending.
This should be the end of the round
and another one on the board for Hoppers 10 beer.
Give me the zoom.
Hoppers with really strong Yomi on Hoppers right now.
Every time he sidesteps, it's resulting in a whip on a shot.
Okay, wait a minute.
First signs of life here for Hoppers in the long.
Okay, run across chop. It's been a while since I seen one of those. Okay.
One nunchucks. My pressure so far from Hafiz, not trying to overextend and you can see him
trying to like push away from this wall. What a quicksides that left down for two should
be able to close out the round. Ah, tip. Stopping the round can't bleed. Gets one on
the board but is by way of the law not even the Brian the law.
With a good response there mid strikes this time from Office.
Step 4, armor check.
Fuzzy ducking starting to come into play right now you can see
Autif very very questioning on some of these pokes up close.
Another sidestep left in the down four too.
Trying to mix it in high you still have the running two there as well but
that got a little bit overzealous with that overhead kick.
Side step from Autif and it results in all this pressure now.
That low in the nunchucks.
Delay, lost any floor.
That was sick though.
Armor through.
Yo, the third dimension.
I'm skyd, what a pick up here.
You gonna result in the wall?
Splash!
Big damage.
Back one.
Mid strikes, mid strikes.
Back three.
He was fishing, he was fishing.
He got the launch, it's only nine seconds left.
You gotta use the rage.
He gets the wall, that's trouble to slide.
Get off the one plus two nun chucks.
This guy, this guy, look, Japanese cameraman,
you guys are so great.
Those zoom in are so on point, yo, damn.
Clean sidewalk there from Hop is slight jab string
touches so far.
Nice mix with the lows.
Side step four, bro.
This is all it takes now once you get that
law party started.
In this version.
Side step four, that's all it takes.
Lost it in four.
Squirt the low after, but a fat launch from Hoffiz.
At the nation now, just really trying to get this wall before that heat ignores, gets the splash.
Oh, I like it.
No touch, and the double low.
Okay, okay, okay.
As well as Asif played that, Steve.
It's 2-0 advantage Hoffiz right now.
Dude, like I said, he's definitely prepared for this match.
This is like a I know the player matchup. This isn't a character thing and I've locked in again staying true to the law
Yeah, it's still to me a lot of defensive decision-making that you see on the side of half his tambourine
He is very very good timing reads on the opposite for when he wants to go for options or press
Leveraging that Claudio mobility look at this movement on the sidestep guard as well. Everything's
Got the sidestep right guard working it
Mm-hmm lots of poking
Now fix it in the lows now just a sprinkle right
And I'm trying to get two overzealous and on top of that
That's gonna make sure those side steps aren't too prominent that lines them back up with them
And now you see odds of second yesterday now. He's in trouble cash is out on the heat on both. I like it
Counterhit one plus two the nunchucks
Feel like this whole weekend. We've seen a ton of he first defensive usage
Just as armor just to be able to break those pressure sequences that some characters can use see hop is there able to leverage it
Excellently and be able to get a pick up here
Look at the lock in hit the bell hit the bell bone
Counter hit he was fishing for it in the last game finally finds his mark hop is over extending and that carry it means it's gonna work
Mm-hmm poison arrow the one-inch punch Bruce will be proud
Run it away with it before three counting. Oh Steve everything's about to change activate
This changes everything
Bro the damage the double backpops circling the dash behind it testing in mid
Spends it. Let me get a little bit of life back. No, he don't either side old-fashioned taking the ground stabs and the wall standing to power to the people
I tried to tell you I tried to tell you in ever so slight over extension on that jab
string and it caused him around look at his face he means this try to leave the
logos in your chest they just do it right like him sure over to get a big
Check market, man, just like, ah!
That will be once.
Who did this to you?
Was it Michael Jordan?
You see?
Oh, shooting arrows out here.
Scott, the wall push.
Getting to this Claudia, wind conditions face.
Uh-oh, he was teasing.
Power crush.
The armor's going to save his life.
And now, the more he attacks, the more great life he gets back.
25 seconds left on the clock
Going to the strings to try to find an open and float them out of the air again scale damage walls not gonna give you as much
But still you keep that presser. We changed for autop. Oh my god, Steve
You ran me with the crouched like that and it results in this large
I told you didn't I
Told you
Step on his chest
didn't get the kill got a lot of life back to get up attack to run into eight
seconds left on the clock what are you gonna do with rage Steve never got him
out never got him out with four seconds left on the clock oh yeah they're
getting busy different gaming bro okay small punish I think about the
career verse Pakistan exhibition they were not afraid to put off isn't an
anchor position like yo we believe in this kid put him up there and he did
This is this kid's different. The young boys got guts. The young boys got guts
Break his legs
One with the follow-up armor in there
Exchange after he burst you do what I do it to sidestep on the nunchucks at the small
Side step blow the loose man
Tasty Steve we just got a match in winners final eat curry versus half his tan beer here at Evo Japan
2026. That was a hell of a set. Wow.
Hoff is handy. And I'm going to tell you right now that wasn't I feel like a character matchup.
That was a player. That's a player. Look, a lot of people, we always talk about Pakistan being
the strongest region when it comes to Tekken. But we've also seen how this played out in other
regions, man. Look, we know Korea is a beast when it comes to Tekken. But when you go over and see
the intricacies of the player matchups, how they deal with the matchup personally. And now we're
getting to see that in Pakistan. This is probably one of my favorite developments in Tekken being
able to see how these different regions match up against each other when it comes to these
high pressure situations.
I tip, undoubtedly one of the strongest tech and players on the planet goes down to Hopfist
Tanvir.
He not only beat the characters, he beat the players.
So let's take a look at this bracket once again.
Obama just told you we set up that winners finals match.
It's going to be Korea versus Pakistan, Akati versus Hopfist Tanvir.
But not who many people would think.
Now you wouldn't have thought it.
You wouldn't have thought it.
That's going to be setting the path to grand finals.
But of course, we still got the John versus a K coming up.
And the winner gets Autim in that second round of losers.
And then of course, we still got Ney versus Tetsu coming up.
And the winner of that gets Ulsan.
Look at this, bro.
You get an EWC champion, a TWC champion,
but winning on the loser side.
How do you look at this and say this game is not
giving you exactly what's expected?
Once again, we always talk about what's presented every time we see taking eight in the top eight.
We're still seeing these same players come out and get the results.
And it's always just a small fluctuation that a path, a one character matchup that can put one of these players ahead of the other.
And that's the development. That's what I like to see in these high pressure situations.
The other thing too is probably to see some rematches as well, Steve, because I mean most of the players on Lugerside, the guy that they lost to, was still in this bracket.
Oh, yeah man. That's the stakes even higher.
That's pride on the line. That's points on the line.
EWC spots on the line.
But of course, look, we got to pay some bills.
Look, I got to catch my breath. It's getting crazy out here.
Take a break. Go get yourselves a snack.
When we come back, Evo Japan 2026.
Top 8 of Tekken 8 returns right after this.
Devalidates.
Fire 1
Fire 2
Fire 4
Fire 5
Fire 6
Fire 7
Fire 8
Fire 9
Fire 9
Fire 10
Fire 11
Fire 12
Fire 13
Fire 16
Is it true?
I can't say I can't use my skills.
So there are people who can easily use their skills.
If I can use my skills, I'll be able to use my level.
Evalucius.
Well, Viya is laughing right now.
Look at Viya laughing right now.
Oh, he's doing a dance.
What is he doing?
He's too ready.
I'm not today, man.
I'm back!
Oh, my God!
Oh, my God!
And then, I joined the team, and then I got promoted to the top of the team.
So it's much more than just playing as being a part of this community.
Lebathek.
How are you?
Lebathek is the best career I've ever met.
What are you talking about?
What are you talking about?
What are you talking about?
What are you talking about?
There is a huge data about the engineer.
If you can do IT skills, then it's Lebatec.
Lebatec Freerance.
Hey, look.
What's wrong?
I want to cry for Freerance.
Freerance?
We can continue to make a proposal.
A proposal that you can grow.
Isn't it just a change?
If it's IT Freerance, then it's Lebatec Freerance.
AK vs. the John, the wonder kid has become a wonder man.
Going up against the John, who played, bro.
I'm judge, Destiny Swap or Arslan Ash, very interesting.
We were supposed to get a rematch, Steve, this is supposed to be a Destiny match.
Destiny Swap, the John's here now, fighting for his life, and losing the side of the rack.
So first, let me tell you something, I saw the John before he played his match.
He's like, yo, Steve, I got one more match for top eight, it's Arslan Ash.
You seem very confident about that matchup and it just calls back to it
But the John arguably the best king player on the planet, bro
You know I'm a fan as a king player
But once again, he's going up against that the homie the nephew young a k
The Philippines versus Pakistan a growing rivalry if you ask me a k
We always talk about Evo Japan 2019. You know who else was in that top 8 a k
Consistently showing up to your combo breakers taking that over some of the strongest taking players in the world
Now we've got an opportunity to get a huge W on this side, especially versus Pakistan
But he's got to make his way versus the John. It's gonna have to be through loses bracket
It is not gonna be easier. It's got a lot harder looking at the pad
But he's gonna deal with this and I'm in front of them look right. I look y'all know how tasty Steve get down, bro
You know you know you bro you were free to bra you
People out of the man as a king player as a king but what do you see woman of John this weekend given that a season 3?
You had some changes, right?
What do you see from his gameplay that is changed at all, if anything?
I'm gonna say right now, one of the things I always critique him on is that he doesn't do the craziest combos, right?
He does not. It's more about his post, his consistency. His mix up between his strike throw.
Sounds crazy to say in a Tekken game, but his strike throw is crazy and the miss gets the back 1-2 counter hit.
Small combo, but this is exactly what I said before. We don't need to maximize. You just need to die.
That's all the matter.
I was just about to say it, Steve.
I feel like when you watch him play,
even if you don't play game,
you can watch the way he plays
and the mindset that he plays around certain tools.
He's very good at simplifying the game.
He's like, I think they're gonna do one of these three things.
This object covers those things.
So I'll play around this.
You can see it in his mentality,
and he focuses just on the only
and breaking down those patterns based around those options.
He doesn't think too much.
And look, I'm gonna tell you right now,
let's just say things get out of his control
and he's not sure what to do.
His dash, giant swing, and shining wizard is gonna kill him.
Cuz you're not gonna know when he's coming in.
You just saw it right there.
He sprinkles in muscle armor.
He wants you to know that it's steel, Gary.
That's gonna make you question the highs.
And we just saw him first shining wizard.
That's exactly what I was talking about.
And the perfect with the soot bot.
This is what I'm talking about.
Nothing too flashy.
My manager's just here to get the job done.
You say he sprinkles at this, Steve?
I'm gonna eat the magister.
But he was all kind of crazy tonight out there.
Hey, the facts.
He was dumping it on Arsalaia yesterday.
They're useful to armor and brought the kids out there, huh?
Time to play
Hey, hey
When that trust you but here we go
Do you see the pressure that shoulder shopping losers action right now one of these way
I'm playing money from a cave trying to get some push get some kind of pressure on one and three
Missed the soul by he was off axis also all the axis a k gets the down for two also
We got to say AK probably the premier you need that you looking at out here low
I sometimes pull the character out and what a proper punish with the cross throw not gonna get the kill
15 seconds left on the clock plenty of time lots of gray on the side, but it might not be enough
8k 2 rounds to one game number one neither one of them want to go home neither one of them want to go home
No, no, no
And watch the four apps such a good call the opera cut a game out pushing the wall
the wall. Damage. Yo, the special get up. Yeah, the moon. Yo, the navigation there.
Yo, the punish. Yo, AK now cooking. To the wall. Scorpion steams to the wall. Let me
get the damage. Hockey takes the special get up again. Look, it's special only he gives
it maybe armor king, but if you block it, you're in trouble. I'm telling you right now.
And this is when you see like the real play come in because obviously AK definitely has
experience in the matchup so now he has to go to some of the smaller tricks to see how well he
knows how to fight King. King is a long-time legacy character and I'm going to tell you right now
this matchup personally I see it gets a little finicky for King.
The quick pose the downfall one the annoying lows from the side of Shaheen.
Exactly super aggressive crouch dash right in your face see how you react to it hop kick if you
you don't like he's one of those
they something to speak to a little bit of respect that he gives the job we
haven't seen AK running that slide game yet
most of them spoke around the mid-strike like you mentioned
string on a little few lows here and there but he's been able to get these
back turns in a situation that no great return out of consistently AK right
now on a roll remember first to three this time
around because of the TWT change i like that
Recent changes to the game. He's starting to use down 4-3 with K1 at a better slower mids than he has now,
but it's definitely something that they changed up and it's a little more effective.
Hey K, he's approach 2. We've been watching over him, but the way he mixes up between side step 2, side step 1 goes to the splash drops.
No break? You do no break. Okay, I was about to say it.
Giant swing. Giant swing, we break that.
AK in the red dress.
Touchdash is showing it, that side staff he had to opening for just a spin second.
And then the John takes advantage of the hesitation and flips him after.
The John now on the board this game too.
Philippines versus Pakistan.
Yo, there's that slide.
The touching slide.
There's that slide.
You was just talking about it a little while more.
That's AK probably.
Now he'll take it away for a little while perhaps.
Then bring it back later and it's getting about how defensively, how you want to play against the threat of that versus the hop kick.
the hopkick or the other hit strike option that he has.
Oh nice, Jaguar step back makes it whip down, back two whiffs on top of it.
Yo, that's, AK is just fishing with, just right on it too.
Oh, giant swing coming, throw you better attack that.
Okay, alright, okay, okay, okay, okay.
Gash spins the rest, King with a little bit left.
Nice, the staggered low pressure there.
Four clutch down, four two, he's gonna get the full combo.
Double four, three, uh-huh.
No heat, so he's gotta do it raw.
BOOM!
Damn, the damage was crazy though.
LOOL PERRY!
A, K, straight into the raider, that's how you close out a round.
You better make it count.
Look, there's a lot of people you like to go for the flash.
You like to go and finish in these combos.
Bro, take the raider, close it out,
just in case you don't get the very light back anyway.
It's not about flash, man, it's about pain.
Take the round.
Back to dancing.
Jaguar stepped back.
I like that.
Steps forward this time.
There's the muscle armor we was talking about, back 1-2 for the Punisher game.
Can you see the John a little bit more hesitant to use it in this matchup?
Just because of how AK likes to apply pressure.
Hop kick out of nowhere this time.
AK gonna put the John in rage.
Okay.
Surfboard under.
Ooh, down 4-2 floats him out.
Yeah, went for the jump in there.
The John with the clutch reaction, and we get this float conversion.
Into heat.
Takes the L keep.
AK still with heat of his own to work with.
Oh down one two we're going to the old tools counter hit teal on a twister
Oh break on the shiny
That was so good
Incredible reaction still just doing the swag combos to a k of two zero on the John
Man that hot kick from a k straight out of the playbook. I'm telling you right now
He's used to this when I tell you the whip punishes have been on point
But also we were talking about how he likes to play that aggressive game
We have crouched dash in your face mixing the lows
But if you know you get even just a little bit afraid boom hop kick
You better hope there's not a wall in sight because you're going in you're giving you a first-class ticket
There's a certain kind of player where he likes to do that makes up to them and play that mind game
It's really interesting and seeing how some players who are really really strong defensively react to it and deal with it over time
over long set specifically. Here's to see how the John answers it.
Nice side step. Side step, offer a cut bro. You give AK the basic tools like just like make them work.
He'll find these openings especially after size it was just like man. Nice engage. He's one of these
players like I hate when he has a cheap uppercut. All this, I'm feeling like a lot of characters
when he, he'll play like when he's playing Paul, when he's playing regime. I think I'm like really
Really good uppercuts.
Bricks to throw.
Oh, 4-2.
We've been seeing a lot of that string.
Spending a little bit of the heat,
the rest of it on top of that.
Great life is there.
Little Jaguar step back.
It's not going to be enough.
AK starting to run away with it.
Momentum on his side right now.
The Johns, you're going to find an answer right here, baby.
Like I said, this is a matchup that you really
got to be careful for.
One of the things we haven't seen in one of the main tools
of King Net down 4-2, the spacing from AK
makes it not as big.
That's why we start to see the down four three from King, but AK just running away with see the tools to see why the job
Maybe it's a little more hesitant to start an interaction beginning this round. Why do you use things like muscle armor?
Those are all those in the threats of the AK has but this battle on this wall sequence
We'll kick a case still going slides on it's slipping. That's the real slip and slides
Yeah, AK on set point here in top. They lose your side threatening this and the dog
I'll pack it!
Two-one, and look at that jab.
Not sure what that was, back one, two, wall tornado.
Trying to get the wall, he gets it.
He...
Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
Wall damage, 84 on the board.
I'm out of that.
Wall jump, got your back!
Wall splat, my man, you got a combo for that?
Jimmy J will be proud.
Jimmy J will be proud.
Man, this song gets me so hyped.
Giant swing oh you ain't breaking that
You about to take some naps real quick
Don't count them out lock in John lock in John
Yo, you hear the hawk in the background
Okay, do not give a Katie's openings man in his reads with the lateral movement
Yeah, plus I step hop kick size them up a cut how many times we seem to the sense of heart
Okay, I'm reading with it. Hey, he knows it's close
John for one pressman
Back up. You wanted the Irish went to the wall. That's a free combo. Get it. Yeah, I'm a spin
Okay, what's going to do it roaring drop kick out of the sprint. Oh my god back one two back to the wall
we go. You still got work to do. Try to go for the running king all slot. Spend the
rest of the heat. The offense not gonna be enough. Almost got the walls flat.
Down one two. The classic moves always doing walls flat. What are you gonna do
with it? Eight seconds. Five seconds. The rage art. The rage art should be enough.
Lots of scaling. It's only you better hope he's dead. You better hope he's dead.
Oh, he's not.
Oh, no, maybe you ain't got enough on the board.
You still got to play the game.
And it's going to be a time matching favor of AK.
He sends the John away as he moves on
on the loser side of the bracket.
You know, I'm a king player.
You know, I'm a huge fan of the John
and it's still an amazing run.
One of the things I've always talked about about the John
and you can't say otherwise is that if you look back
over these matches, these big tournaments
over the last two years, four taken eight,
it's always been players like him in the running.
Well, whether it's the LCQ, whether it's your evos,
it's always him in the running to make a claim for that spot.
But now we got AK.
Once again, this building rivalry of I feel like the Philippines,
AK specifically, versus all of Pakistan.
My man be taking out names when it comes to Pakistan.
And that's what's going to keep him alive here at Evo Japan.
But of course, we go on.
AK moves on, and it sets up a crazy match
on that lower bracket, bro.
Oh my god.
Hopefully you guys have been enjoying Evo Japan 2026.
Me and Obama holding it down, look,
we've been talking about tech in this entire week,
actually, but the matches have not failed to deliver.
We got an amazing top eight building up
and we still got some killers,
but of course we got to show the love
to the people out there that support us as well.
Absolutely, look, if you're looking to get
in the PlayStation tournaments,
let, I mean, just take a look at all the games
that we've had here at Evo Japan this week.
You can play any of those and more
on PlayStation tournaments.
Make sure you can do it right from your PlayStation box.
That's true.
That's true.
Check it out at home.
If your PS5 is there, you can sign up for PlayStation
tournaments, their competitions across all your favorite
fighting games that you see on display this weekend.
So make sure you sign up today.
You can win some exclusive prizes
and be able to get some good tournament experience
so that next time when you come out to Evo Japan,
or Evo proper, or Evo France, or Evo Timbo,
do out of this one all over the place, man.
And after you show up, you'll have that experience
to back you up.
Of course, man.
Look, PlayStation tournaments has definitely
been sending people to these big tournaments.
Last few years, they've sent people
to try to claim those spots across all your favorite fighting
games, like Obama said.
And you can do it from your very home,
sitting there playing games.
You can join us here as a player, obviously not
on a desk, but you can make your claim itself.
Shout out to PlayStation 5 and those tournaments.
We used to have to go outside, catch a plane,
get on a bus to do this.
You now get an opportunity to do it from your home.
And we can possibly see you here.
So shout out to PlayStation for holding us down
with PlayStation tournaments.
With that said, moving on in this bracket,
We got to look at that next matchup.
So that sets up for Auti versus AK.
They're on Luzha's round two side.
But this next one, man, oh man, Steve.
I got to take them, talk about the journey real quick.
Me over you each, you each one of the shining stars
out here in the JPD.
Joining Team Yamasa alongside Haru recently.
So he's one of the top dogs there.
You know that there's that respect given.
Over the John, over Mongja, over Kha-Sin-Yu.
Had the loss to Hafiz Tan-Mir.
to make it to this point here and lose your side of the bracket.
Tetsu though, oh my, yo, Tetsu jumps off the stage yesterday.
I know this smile.
This smile is like, when you really scum some people out
with the character and you know what you're doing,
he was like, hey, Tee, I made top eight.
Like, bro, shut up, Tetsu, you know what you're doing.
You know what you're doing.
First off, my man got a million dollar smile,
so I can't be mad at him.
But you can't tell me he ain't scumming people out right now.
But he's got his word cut out in front of him.
He is going with the Lydia, but he's going up against the four-time champ of Evo.
Knee on the stage, the Brian, like I said before.
You gotta be proud of a special pedigree to play this character and get him this high.
Knee on the other side, Tetsu on the other.
This is the stay alive and top eight loser side.
First to three, let's go.
Looking for one for the thumb.
Tetsu standing in the way, and again on Tetsu's side.
using all that armor, using all those stances,
just to go through coup d'oeuvres, go through G,
go through farzine, took the lost odd tip on the way here.
There you go, five plus frames, then do a mix.
Picking up rivalry by Fuff last night.
Okay.
Now you're gonna answer back here.
Whoa, geez, one to four counter hit,
Tetsu swinging a little too much,
hit the button for the radar,
lock in with the blind, and look,
I'm gonna tell you right now, that's a test round.
Tetsu was definitely checking
how he was gonna react to certain stances,
I was going to react upon us to certain moves.
This character can easily.
We talk about characters that can snowball.
Lydia will actually roll the option
and push you down a hill.
That's how good she is at it.
But I love that he has the experience.
I saw him over there where she nailed.
You know he's here giving them some coaching.
Letting them know how this match will probably work out.
Yeah, especially for Tetsu-San, it's not easy.
What options are you going to go to
with some of these stance transitions
when he's framed advantageous like that, right?
When he's plus frame, out of course,
when he's going into wall stance,
what are they looking to do defensively?
What are they doing?
He's trying to scout that out a little bit.
It's a little bit harder for it,
just because some of her smaller Tekken bugs,
like you're down for a one.
Yeah.
Frayton doesn't, not as a Frayton,
generous, it's making some other characters, right?
But Tetsu, he knows that going into it,
it's something that you have to represent.
He's really just looking for opportunities to run,
that stance pressure,
and he will leverage any form of armor
to get into it that he can.
Oh, I like that.
Going to the cancelling stance,
knows that you're looking for the mix-ups out of the,
especially when you're in heat and stance.
And I like them canceling the gopore,
Different move, not even expecting it at all.
Low down back three action to keep the pressure going.
So that's the thing too, there's two points to this,
especially with the course of the first to the three.
How is Tetsu going to layer these mixups like that,
especially with delayed timing or option selection?
How is he going to answer overtime
and how are those going to change from there?
I can tell you right now,
one of the things that we've already noticed from Tetsu,
he knows the need is using more strength
than one, two, four, nine, 10, four, two, but no combo.
He knows that he's going to test.
That's why you see him rock with the 4124 to get the counter hit because if you try to swing in there
He's gonna get that counter hit engage
He's on the board but he's about to go down goes for the big mid as well if he stands forward to for the follower
That's of course one of Germany's shining stars man
That squad out there always doing work man. Look what I tell you
They have always been like the forefront of like teaching each other and like rising up like the upper coming players
Tetsu is one of the reasons for that man, but look, he's obviously an example, especially making plays like this.
He's up two rounds to one in this first game versus me here in Evo Japan.
Shouts to Seth, he's shouts to...
Even Ace came through here, I remember those days, Tetsu is still...
No, Shouts, you know I love Ace came through, that's my guy, bro.
Tetsu's still carrying the flag like this.
Up against this wall, don't be gonna clock out, take this round.
We go to final round here again, one of this first to three face off.
Sorry, two rounds of peace in this first game.
One of these guys are going home.
Obviously, we don't want it to be needed because he wants to get that other way.
He wants one for the thumb.
But that's if we don't want to work.
We have to get this work counted.
What's his name?
What's his name?
Me, baby.
Activate.
Engage.
Follow up like you said, the knees.
Out of the slither.
You have to snake eyes active now.
Showing taunt, backs up.
That's willing to take advantage of the hesitation.
Testing with the Vulcan punches.
The low chop sidestep this time he's down back, oh my god that's clipped.
That's what I was talking about he's checking, he's like yo you won't let me get away with
that.
Obviously he's plus he tried to go for another mix, he answers with the jab to test it, that's
what I like to see.
They just left the 4-2 straight rock after that.
Tetsu, down one game not out.
You knew what you got as soon as you locked in for this top 8 bracket and you saw you
had to fight.
He's also trying to make a statement as he cars his way through this bracket.
Get ready for the next battle, Elegant Palace.
Look, first and foremost, I feel like once you get to the wall versus Brian,
especially a player like me, he's really going to take full advantage of it.
You see he's not afraid to go for the taunt mixup after Okie mid-screen.
So if you've got a wall in play, that makes it even more prominent.
The Tetsu's movement, you can see him using that stance, back dash as well,
just so he won't be stuck in these positions.
As soon as I say it to the wall, we go.
Give her the tour and in this situation. It's not strange to get the bouncing situation after as well
Oh, he's fishing. He wants up big
Can't involve straight this time
It option broken punches gets checked. I like that
It's the punch and once again you get some tips you delay some of those string follow-ups
And he has an answer every time whether it's a jab or the down jab
Every nerve this guy goes with the mid option
charge it
More one-hander now? Yes. Mid strikes. Focus punches and we finish it.
Me looking real sharp right now. Tetsu is an insurgent job of getting his game started.
It's more about having a flow, keeping that momentum. And I think that's what's going to be doing in the real world.
Look how quick you just lost 60% of your part versus a character like him. Nothing but post.
Now mind your scheme that carries risk too. Especially going with that wall flow like that that he did.
That no one's throwing a good strike shot like that.
Ooh, he's block break, punish.
He is taking this here.
The knee, the timing needs working out in his favor, big time.
Cancel.
Cancel that time.
Tetsu with the answer here.
One of the coolest hot kicks in the game, by the way.
Okay, one.
I like the mid option.
Great range.
Changed up the approach a little bit for baby baby flashed up in the launch touch the sky
activation
Like a snake leave the body smoking bite you
We go
Shoot the arrow from the shore they play a bad fight
Here we go. Have it go
Cannonball straight this time you see them both back it up respect on the space
Oh, counter hit this time.
And, yo, he's got his will.
Yeah, that's going to be the round.
Oh, yeah, yeah, that's going to do it.
Me keeping that round leading straight,
we're doing a great job at it as well.
Yeah, and he's had a lot of good bends,
but not great defenses.
Well, Tetsu's doing a really good job
of making himself possible.
He's giving the different looks,
giving the different options,
changing his timing.
He's just going to be one step ahead.
I don't think that's the hard part
about you, right?
I've just got a lot of stands.
I'm going to call you out to see how you're reacting.
But what if you never get back on?
What if they keep checking you?
You still got to go back in the stands.
Just to try to get those big combos.
Just to try to get those big hits.
Especially if they're used to what you're doing.
Using the top perfect as well.
And Lee is warming up, bro.
This is not looking good for Tetsu right now.
The delays to Tetsu.
You can see defensively he kind of stood there.
He was waiting for his opportunity.
Knee showed him the delay, he could tell the hesitation was there.
Kind of pressed into the pressure after which parallel to the wall, but knee now.
Trying to make this thing a three-poop man.
Trying to make this thing a three and out, but Tetsu.
Got to find some kind of way to...
Take a stand and kind of impose his will with some...
He hasn't had the greatest return out of Heaven and Earth?
Yeah.
I mean, but that's exactly what I'm talking about, like.
Yeah.
That's the thing about Lydia.
Look, we were talking about how this character was definitely a criminal and
the Earth of their Seasons, definitely a criminal and still pretty much so.
Unless you know how to call it out.
I'll say she's on parole right now.
She's on parole.
She's in good behavior.
Got the ankle monitor on.
She can't leave the house, you know what I'm saying?
Right, Red and Shawshank.
I don't give a damn.
I don't give a damn.
But here we go.
One of our favorite stages in fighting game history right now.
Let's go.
If he gets this match, he will be staying alive, but the match after is not going to get it easy.
Let's go, Tetsu. Aren't we on the boat?
Tetsu's trying to go fishing though.
Looking for anything that any kind of opening deal given.
And look at how much slower this game is.
Yeah.
You know what I'm saying? Like, that's what you're looking for.
And look, Punch, see, this is exactly what I'm talking about.
And Profane will hurt you for those.
Especially don't give him the wall, don't give him the hat.
The next role, the picking a part of his current delivery.
If he can't touch the sky, good, I like to touch and stay down in this situation.
Man, it's just tough that you can get off the wall and get back.
You call it, it's like the match is slowing down, you're not seeing so much like,
not so many opportunities are really forced to stay and stop like that.
So he's having to rely on some of our other tools to be able to even get an opening.
And he's just shutting him down.
I told you once you know those instances now you're wasting your trying to force your turn again back in the states
and it's not gonna happen because we testing every opportunity he gets and making sure you never get to play again
We thought it earlier when he was going in the wolf stance like that.
He had a round where he was able to get chunks of damage like that,
but that carries risk and he is punishing for it,
going for that same option out of the wolf like that.
Bro, my man is taking advantage right now.
My man is taking advantage right now.
Are we going foes on the map too?
Okay, going for the tracking move.
I like that because he knows he's been side stepping left,
but we're right quite a bit, so he goes to the track, if we get scared.
Alright, here we go. Engage.
Finally get something and I love that he's canceling out of that stance.
Yo, now this is what I'm talking about, board 2 out of stands, you see him put a little
crook out of his neck.
Now, Tetsu getting around on the board, stopping that round count bleed, let's see what he
does here.
The one with a lot more homing options, trying to seal these steps, Jaff float sequence though.
Y's ready for that, great checks on the side of me.
Almost got the wall, hatch it, hatch it again.
Caught ya, duck it.
The ones you have to step, Tetsu's last chance, not gonna happen, me with the haymaker.
Yo, look, we talked about how like Hoffman Standbear was playing in these matchups.
Look at what he is doing.
He definitely sees it.
He definitely sees that EVO championship once again in his future.
But of course, look, Tetsu, we got to show some love to.
Always comes out, gives his heart, especially when it comes to giving these points,
especially to showing like good tech and man and a character.
obviously we saw a lot early on now not too many after I still survive it Tetsu
making this character still looking valuable Tetsu always coming out always
have a good attitude always a threat in the bracket always a threat to ruin some
people's tournaments like he did yesterday let's take a look at this
bracket one more time as we set up that losers round two as well as winners
finals which we already got in the back losers round two as we see
on tip versus AK it's gonna be Philippines versus Pakistan again
arguably a larger challenge. That is something I can't wait to see, but also this sets up Olsson versus me Korea versus Korea on that round to second hand side of loses round two. So of course, we got matches. We got bangers. Nonetheless, dude, one of my favorite things that I've been like a part of in a preview to see is how Tekken 8 has evolved in the story of region versus region champion versus champion. And we definitely don't see more of that. But of course, it's going to be on the other side of this break. The top eight for Tekken 8.
He continues here in Japan and Tokyo, big site.
It's gonna come on the other side of this break.
Make sure you stay tuned for more.
5th game castle
The first game in the game
It was a tough match
4th game castle
1st game castle
That was a good situation, the formation
For the main formation, you can't speak with the skill
So the person who appeals to him is that kind of person?
Do you know what this is?
If you can live with IT skills, it's Lebathek.
Everybody says...
Well, Viya is laughing right now.
Look at Viya laughing right now.
Oh, he's doing a dance.
What is he doing?
He's too ready, you know.
I'm not today, man.
Baka-baka! Baka-baka!
Oh, my God!
Baka-baka!
Shit me!
I participated in the show, and I was very happy when I saw the show.
Can you play a little more?
I will meet you in the best career.
What did you say?
If you're a engineer, there's a huge data about the engineer.
You can live with IT skills, Levatec.
EVO sunglasses available now.
Where is he?
It's your mother, Ayurveda!
It's your mother, Ayurveda!
We are getting deep into this Tekken 8, Top 8 action.
We're down to our Top 60s.
Yeah, man, it's getting interesting, bro.
Look, I'm going to tell you right now,
I'm not going to call them upsets,
but the matches are definitely not going the way
you'd expect them to do.
But they've been exciting, nonetheless,
setting up the rest of what we have here for this Top 8.
I mean, man, the path that all of these players have taken
so far has already made it.
So the next matches you see will be nothing better
than the best Tekken you've seen so far.
I can't wait to get into it, man.
I mean, we got Atif versus AK.
Coach, like you were talking about it, right?
Autif versus AK coming up with Pakistan versus Philippines.
But I was looking at Autif's path even up until the point
where he lost to Hafiz Tambir, 3-0 in winners.
Up until that point, Tetsu was the only person
to take a game off of Autif this whole tournament.
Yo, that's crazy.
He had only lost one game the whole tournament,
and then Hafiz Tambir just 3-0.
I mean, look, if you need to see what a good,
crispy play looks like, especially to succeed in the top eight,
well, you got the best-tecking players in the world.
Once again, that was one of the large part of contentious,
Bro, Pakistan not being here.
What would that look like?
Well, now everybody's here and we still have it.
I mean, we were talking about it.
It was a possibility of having six Pakistani players
in this top eight.
It went down to three, like I exactly called.
You didn't call, you didn't call, you didn't call.
And it ain't no save to anybody.
But let's talk about this next match.
Bro, this dude AK putting the Philippines on his back,
but also, shout out to the other Filipino player
that actually made top 16 top 24 yesterday.
The Lilybust?
Yeah, yeah, he did that.
But AK now, I mean he's taking out Austin in tournament now
He I mean and we just saw well she's taken out
But now he's got to take out one of another big guns for Pakistan
I think Steve this runs afar AK over Nabdo over low-high
Yo, right yo over farzine. Yeah over the John took the elderly car. He
But he's up here against Autif now. I'm losing side of the bracket
threatening the tread into the top four territory of this tournament.
He's been here before too.
I'm gonna pump the brakes on it as lorally as lorally.
But the fact that he just got over the John the way he did, bro,
and now you locked him up against Autif,
it's one of the more confident players coming into this event, right?
I have a question.
AK, look, I went to the Philippines,
and I was playing Tekken against grandmas.
My man's got a legacy skill.
How do you pull Brian up against AK
and expect him not to be prepared?
How?
That means you're either the best or that much better.
I know AK has some understanding of this matchup.
That means you're gonna have to outplay this guy, Autif.
And it ain't many people on the planet that can do so.
It's like one or two.
And it might be AK, Autif versus AK,
Pakistan versus Philippines.
It's gonna be Shaheen versus Brian.
Let's go.
There's maybe some use he could take from Hopfist as well from that matchup earlier.
Rage, timing, you know what I mean, that played out in big ways with sidesteps and grid punishes.
I mean, just the same though. Oh, that could have been something crazy. I'm out of there.
And still with the punish he was ready, tries to sidestep on the string, gets a clip from the tail end.
White bars, they're matching right now.
Sidestep mid-swipe, it's time for you to take the guarantee after the guard break.
You see Dash, you get the force pressure at the wall, but now Autif at the driver's seat,
cannonball straight, got the wall, got the finish.
And you notice what Autif is doing.
He does not want you to feel comfortable side stepping up close, so he double dashes, and
then does it.
He does, he realigns to make sure you're in axis, then he can do it, but now AK tightening
up the side steps, and now you see him being even more compact in the side steps, looking
for a move this time around.
You can see it visually too just the main mix-up sidestep with the dash the double dash like that
It's time a K now character with the law big health advantage big damage
Okay, a K with the answer back a K with the answer back
I
Mean the low
Stagger in his face. This is what we was expecting to see versus the John he pulls him out of this eight. Oh my god
It's out to me
Okay, it gets scary on the wall big trades the slide doesn't lead to anything
That's huge when things get dicey goes right back to the hopkick even after that situation
To the wall
Just to put this heat on you, just to put that low smash down!
And AK now, strong round.
That's also a tell that's where the match is going to develop a little bit more too.
With some of those steps, those crash-dash threat situations like that.
Running the slide, running the hop kick, and the reactions after.
Autism now, they control. Got the wall.
AK on the wall!
Mmmmm!
Oh no! I'm going to push my necklace off the board!
Time out! I said time out!
I said put you in time out no dessert no dinner no nothing that's around on the board
Hit him with the mr. Anderson at the end to mr. Anderson
Okay, trying to force the duck you can see it coming from a k side
Yeah, this is more kind of the a k pressure that I was expecting right the mix between the low chop
Besides that big chop as well and then the double cannon
and he went with the man that the laser at his time too.
With the perfect look, he saw it in literally the first round.
You know what AK did?
He came out swinging.
He's like, one, two, four.
I want to see, because he wants you to get comfortable moving
in that range so he can clip you with the counter.
And a lot of times it only leads to a knockdown.
But when he delays those strings enough,
once you get to the wall, that pressure is too strong.
And all of a sudden it has more reward as well.
Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
Here we go, game two.
AK one up over Optic remember this is first to three this we need back at that
range AK is gonna sign for men uppercut wall puff
what a duck and a punish the awareness from AK what did I say there's no way a
legacy player like AK a man's been splancy been in the in the cradle ball
look at how he's been playing this matchup bro 12 years old he's beaten some
of the world's best.
Oh, it's a counter hit.
And bro, my man is cooking right now.
Now, we saw what happened last time.
I took May the switch to the wall.
We'll see it again.
Damn.
You're already calling out the character
to save Bruce?
Oh, I'm sorry.
I might be jumping the gun.
Uh-oh.
Hold on.
But AK is cooking right now.
And yet this is the mental warfare we're talking about with AK.
When he starts cutting, he slides.
When he starts rotating around, he still has his gun.
Using the third dimension.
Using the third dimension.
Oh, okay, all right, now, all right, you keep the start up on the count, you start up.
I'm just saying, bro, my man is dead, he's got his foot on the death pedal, isn't he
an old enough to drive?
My man is taking a test right now, are we going on the highway?
He came in on a bicycle.
Double dash now, Austin, watch this wall.
Watch these mids.
Boom, he's okay.
There we go.
At the plaster, comes from the Washington lift bunch.
Wow rising one big launcher very close to closing it out with a perfect but the answer is great
Hatch a double swarping
Hits now stopping that round count for me. Okay, I took like this thing shut up, bro
Shut up, bro. Let me let me cook. Let me cook
I need a gauge right through the cross chop guard break. Just gonna take the guarantee here
Breaks the glass
Once again, I'll take back on the boat right now. He needs to do something spin for heat
He's got great life to recover armor dude
Great block great. Oh
Back on the board is gonna get a huge chuck of life back to this and he's got he raises there as well
And he's got the wall do something with it. He's still on the table damage
Yeah, dammit. Hold on
Autif says hold on man pull over here. We need to see if you compare well parts
We need to see if you know how to parallel park
low bury dash up low carrying
Just to skill the wall
50% off. Side step mid swipe.
Activate some octaves. Gonna be able to get the space to be able to create this win part of you.
The wall gonna mess up the combo. I gotta say, great usage of this.
I'm taking my back, though.
Great usage of making it here by octaves.
Nipah, not gonna be enough side step.
Down back to one.
Surfboard. Switch sides. You know we got a combo.
Oh my god, the body hop. The corpse hop.
Hop kick! Yo, stay that ball for me, bro.
I'm gonna try to get this.
Oh, trust the combo.
You're gonna give Artem another chance.
He's not gonna get another chance.
Two on the board on the side of AK.
Well, my man is, when I tell you he's a one-man wrecking crew,
AK bro.
AK bro.
I'm just glad he switched the water, Steve.
All that's over there.
I'm kind of alive, bro.
You get orders.
The kidney stones start happening.
Look, look, look.
I'm just saying, you gotta be careful out here.
He's old enough now to know.
He's old enough now to know.
My man's got a water flask up on the stage.
That's what I'm talking about.
But you just heard it.
Autif locked in on the Bryant.
I like it.
I mean, look, I also like the fact that he's like,
yeah, I'm going to go back to character select,
and I'm going to double down on the Bryant.
We go to the underground arena already
where the bad guy, hey, we switching outfits.
The T7, Bryant.
The T7 should be here.
Here we go.
An opportunity for AK to send Autif home.
the Zend Object Home, an opportunity for Object to bring it all the way back.
Get over after the back, Dad.
You might not get in the way.
That's how we're gonna start this game.
Hey, KG, what's the matter with you, man?
Start over after the object.
Leave the body smoking.
Get a bonus ball.
My God, explosions everywhere.
Hop kick, don't you try to dance on me.
I don't know how to do that.
I know how to hop kick and cross that.
That's it.
What up, man?
Yo, it's the Mach Breaker.
Fishing for the counter hit, he finishes first.
Not a clean hit, so he's not gonna get the side switch.
Yo, damn, they are fighting.
Snake eyes, back when I close out,
Isaac says, you know what, I'm tired of playing.
I'm tired of playing with you.
I'm tired of playing with you.
Off the cage, he's timing up a little bit as well.
Saw in that same situation, that exchange after,
that upper cover to play in there before,
the first few games, it felt like it was the same timing
as you saw.
slow the matchdown too
what a duck, oh I know what that was, miss on a punish little too quick, break on the throw, slide, get up
something in the side-swap, still slide though
yo, establishing and he could finish the string, switching to that low down for a one-off axis
AK moves too early, gets clipped, get up
pick off
Okay, rounds for Ata, you'll see you chill out, you'll see you chill out.
Ata now, you've seen hesitating in so many situations where before he would be more aggressive
with the press, would eat these upper cuffs than AK's.
AK still hasn't started timing.
Ata for Justin.
Great work.
Now to stop victory early.
Back, back, forward.
What a dog the Wild Riding One!
I said, my dog, hold on, I'll carry you.
Activate!
To the wall, we can go. There's an explosion there.
We're doing some construction over there. Leave the body smoking.
What a size gap.
Hold on. Activate!
A.K.?
What an answer. Three rounds.
Bro, the look, I said, are you serious?
The look on his face when we came back to him after that round was okay.
No.
Then over to the hesitation.
He eats the cross.
And then Autin able to rebound here.
Take this game.
That got really scary though.
Especially since AK had a lot of resources on the side.
Especially with the wall blast behind him.
Been able to convert to something big.
But Autin able to navigate out the situation.
And again, a lot of that game was, it felt like his timing,
including the left court that lays some of his decision-making and that AK was still on the previous time
You see it really worked out the same same in the couple situations
I feel like I'm so happy you talked about the timing
It's really easy to get into this flow of moves with Tekken, especially when you have the lead
Close things, yeah bro, it has to go right
But that's how you know I took this world-class talent when it comes to Tekken
My man switched up his timing, still using the same moves, but that delay doesn't lie
Speaking of switching it up, AK, sidestep left is the down four to restart things off in this next game
Look at the two step all the way to the wall on the beach. How do you do that in Sam Steve?
Sam bro. It's the cybernetic parts on Brian bro. Engage wall splat.
Put your hands up on this wall. Big damage.
Quick block on the low. Instead of taking some long, or actually taking the punish, yes.
Take the space. You want to get away from the wall.
Deep Fizz was crazy about it right there.
Can't hurt him, can't hit ball straight.
What you gonna do with it?
Lots of right to recover as well.
Got the snake eyes.
Running each simulator straight.
AK not willing to play into the straight game with the Fizz strikes.
Yo, yo.
It can't cross this upper combat.
It goes to the cross job.
Yo, the Fizz strikes.
Yo, yo.
Oh, it's right in those seconds.
That was okay.
Oh my, and then he hit him after the bear.
Stopping the thorn of the towel.
Double bash him, Chad.
Fly, get him.
No, goes for the low.
Keep the pressure here.
The one two sequence, two one sequence.
Great flow, activate.
Give it a small push.
I like that position.
One jump, two more bearing.
Cheese, activate, they need to.
Oh, my wall.
Sly.
Tapping the legs.
Hit up attack to stop the pressure.
Go for the mid.
The track is not going to do it down 3-1.
Round the piece again.
Sly, trade.
Nobody gets a hit.
Spot the annotation.
They came to seize the moment.
He's big with all opportunities.
Now you see AK taking that extra step forward to real on.
Octane answers back with a quick side step.
Like, he's gonna get the launch, he's gonna get his will.
Octane, they intercept.
AK has resources to work with, trying to get as much carry as possible.
Activate here.
Oh my god.
Set point to save on him.
Slide.
Okay.
Not gonna get a full combo.
Tricky counter hit.
Get up with the step.
He needs the bathroom.
He's gonna hit it.
No pulse to anything.
They can't just sharp shooting.
And finally the counter hit uppercut!
The surfboard off the wall.
Hatch.
He burst.
Step here.
Stepping right by another counter hit uppercut.
Steve, he's gonna burn this on the-
Eat activation here.
Is he gonna be able to find anything after though? Is this enough? It is!
AK-3-1!
To send Ahtib packet.
Bro, the government sent AK out here to check back.
That's crazy.
Bro, first off, let's talk about the history of AK right now.
He has taken out not only Artsin and Ash, but Ata.
Hop is ten beer.
This man is a one-man Pakistan record crew.
And it ain't many people out there that can even get a dub
on Tekken Pakistan.
But look at what AK has accomplished.
Look, people always talk about these reasons out here
that are very strong and techy.
And the only reason I say all this is that you better
put some respect on the Philippines name.
And now they got the dumb killers out here taking bodies, taking names, Obama say,
taking them back to the Philippines.
Come on, I don't want to say anything too early, man.
But at this point, he's, he's, he's in Loser 70s, right?
You and Rip got able to see again in person.
Yes.
That huge moment.
He had a combo breaker a couple of years ago, right?
Where he got that awesome win because how many times has this kid been the
bridesmaid and never the group, you know?
I mean, look, you said you had a very good point.
Let's take a look at this bracket real quick.
And like I said, people forget about, you know,
in Evo Japan 2019, we all know about the coming of
Arslan's ass chicker and being there,
the books, everything.
But you forget that my man was also right up there,
we have all of them in that top 8 AK and now.
Second place, he, Arslan made his name,
getting over the AK like that.
So now it's like, okay, he's got no one before.
It's not that, but for him to be able to come to
Evo Japan like this and be cutting up this lucha
side of the bracket, you know he's only got one thing
on his mind at this point.
Let me get my dog back.
He's trying to get his looks back in a big way.
Well, look, Olsson versus me is the next spax
that I believe that we're gonna feed here.
And once again, hopefully you guys have been enjoying
this Tekken 8 action.
It is top eight Tekken 8 action from Evo Japan.
It's been a pleasure calling the games
with my guy Majin Obama.
And hopefully you've been enjoying it,
but we're not done just yet.
And of course, I forgot to mention,
there's definitely some kind of video
or something that they want to show us right after.
It's sort of over going anywhere.
It's gonna be after the after ceremony.
Yeah, you gotta watch great fire. Yeah, you gotta stick around for a bit
But if you're interested in what's gonna be coming up for Tekken 8 this year
I we strongly advise you the Illuminati's requested that you stick around
Thank you guys once again man for tuning in man
It's been an amazing weekend an amazing kickoff to the fighting game season as I like to say especially being here in Japan
Coming to see the homies again all the amazing announcements all the amazing matches and now we go to Korea versus Korea
It's knee versus all sign. This is definitely going to be a banger tournament. Life is on the line
You know, he is trying to run it back so he can put the hand up once again
Hit the John Cena. You can't see me up on the stage, but he's got to get through all side
Gotta get through all sign gotta get to 8k and Lord knows what's gonna happen between the car and office
But we'll get to that later. You got a fight dude in front of you first
This is a legacy matchup of generations from the Korean scene obviously
I mean, the question is, the
character selection, you alluded
to it earlier, but against me,
also goes drag, right? I mean,
look, right? I would say, yeah,
but the fact that he was so willing to run awesome center game
one, you could never send anything. Exactly. Exactly. You can never just
of course, took that LB, Kari over in Winner's side, over Take, over Pecos, over Gowgondi,
over Arslan Ash to make it to this point of the tournament.
Where are we going?
Steve.
Selection underway.
Talk to me.
Man.
I mentioned earlier, he took that lost to Hafiz Damir, but his run too, man, over Kostin,
over Mamjo, over the John, over Uechi, and finally over Tetsu.
To make it here, loser quarterfinal, first to three face off, and it is the character
the matchup that we were anticipating. It's gonna be me on the trade bar Brian.
Volsan on the drag. Remember, this is first to three. Long set style.
Give it to me. You can see already we're playing around with you.
The timing in this kid range like this. Show you some delays.
Yo, look at the boost. The twitch death. Yeah. Yeah.
Okay, interrupt.
I think it's there for 1 and 2.
Just hit the boost up on it.
That's Russian assault.
There it is.
Oh.
Wow.
One pull from around the position.
Play from Olsang.
That's small points.
Sparkle, middle, tech in on display.
Especially when he's been using this role to kind of make
you sick against your approach.
How does Steve?
Steve, how does he adjust to that?
Like, what are you trying to do?
I mean, look, and you see this very
aspect of which move is from Olsang.
He's got a fish for the speed counting.
He's going to anticipate, or potentially, I mean, he saw the realignment and how that works.
Dash up, maybe it's down, pull down, pull three, you're going to have to actually commit to some of those big things.
But need now getting the counter hit, trying to reset, need to screen,
and it does not stop Ozark from swinging in some of these situations. That's why you know these things.
Not afraid to swing off the wall.
Against Brian at that.
Attach.
Action is the activation.
Somebody committed to an attack.
Camera activation, and no low touch from that range at the upper knee.
Okay. Okay.
Over the course of a first and three.
See how he's done some of that mobility that Olsang's putting on in his pressure.
And two. He's starting to sprinkle it in.
Okay, let's see. Good for jab, Jags. Good for one, two.
Ready for salvo. This is much back doors.
Much so far in the center. He's done some good as well.
Okay. All right. The one plus two gets the edge of the stage in the jab to pull it out.
And the other thing we got to point out is like the tempo of every round that we've seen between the games all day
They've been so different you could double the different styles clash in here in Texas
This is special because it feels like they have so many opportunities to play each other so much
And don't forget the floor is lava one big one I can take a huge big combo
Implications here if you get that first one
Hey, what are you going to do to get that throw?
See, bitch, that's all right now, the jab.
OK, here we go.
Get that shot, post activation, drop it,
pose on the stage.
Oh, little crispy deep crowd.
Oh, oh, oh, oh.
Oh, the flow.
Trying to make it a climactic first round here.
Cannonball straight, cannonball straight.
No pressure.
Get him back up on the wall.
No jabs, just straights.
Roe, hey, make yourself at home.
Sweep their balls on.
Yo, I can do it, too.
Return fire for me.
The buffer.
What a side step.
No space, and I can't hit the ball straight.
Going to a little bit too much, but now it gets the wall.
Straighten it up.
Huh!
Huh!
The activation here, what's the result then?
Oops.
Sweep the slide, and counter hit me once again.
Okay.
You gotta close it out.
The wall says no, I wanna see some more.
I don't blame you all. What a fucking spawnish.
Finish me getting the first game.
Well, my man, he gonna get up there. My man, Lee, he get this W for this tournament.
He gonna get up there. Joe Jones' pose, he gonna be standing up with a five in front of his face.
I'm like, that's what I'm talking about.
One for the thumb.
Right, I'm sad though.
I want to get excited, but it still feels so far away, steady flight, bro.
This is just to get the right to face AK.
Bro, I'm just throwing it in here, bro.
I'm just throwing it in here.
Who knows what comes back down.
But now, Olsang, not liking the way things are going, going back to the Austin Center.
Dragno first, also sent on the back end.
Let's see if there's going to be a difference in how this match turns out.
Let's see if Ni knows how to defend.
We saw it earlier. Can we see it again? Game 2.
Specting a similar kind of approach to lead jab.
Trying to find Raynardman. This is like wall standing 3.
The Flutter kick set up in the stance.
But also even just using 2-1.
Orc one of the best wall standing countering and launching punch like this.
Give it a result. Wall pressure.
After this big chunks of damage that enters the opponent's air pressure.
Can't flat stance. Goes with the 1-2 punch.
Work in the 2-1 with the mid-vulcan punches and the rusting.
So nice.
Catch him out of movement.
Sign step, micro step, activate.
What a block on the low.
Trying to use that stand transit in the back.
Neat.
Instantly has an answer.
Look at the staffing.
He aligning there.
But before he doesn't get more great,
we talked about that earlier.
Get that smash.
If you let the tick fly in range.
Hmm?
The awareness to know he did have a closeout on the string.
Olson checking instantly.
Neat having an answer.
That's another round on the board for the second game.
Once again, this is loser's side.
What are these guys going home?
going home. Plus, in the late
stands off. Olsang giving me some
different looks here. Layered
offense. Looking for a reaction
right there. Going for the mid
after the long breaks the throw.
I'm going to run a tree.
What's not going to be a
great counter hit on you with the
haymaker.
He's got a hook.
Olsang's trying to get a timing
I think at a time degree he's going through these big counter hit launching options.
He's back even at munch.
He needs to slamming up on me.
Close him to shield.
I'll take the plus range. I'll take that shift low. That's fine. You got it.
You got to pick up. You got to pick up.
Had the counter hit. They believed in the bottom wall.
Oh my god. Shit. I'm back to the side still.
10 seconds left on the clock. Rage is there. Don't play with it though.
Use the heat to extend it like it's possible.
Oh man.
Did I close it?
Oh my god.
Oh my god.
Oh my God.
Take us right with the clock expiring speed.
Leave right now.
Try to forge his path to move.
Stay.
Stay.
Perry's working out.
Big time for us on there.
Got some decent return.
Counting.
Four, three.
Welcome to the knees.
The namesake move.
Engage.
Oh, that was a delay.
I see a little fussy guy there, but he needs to put the board forward.
Oh man, gotta be careful there.
Floor to kick, delay, nothing.
Mm-hmm, with the running speed, he's got the offense a little bit.
Knee back to the wall still.
One jab, running three.
The low is quickly, the low is with the honking attack, but again, the jab!
They're gonna beat the round another one.
Two on me right now over Osa.
My man is playing crazy right now.
My man, Osa, I'm looking like he just saw a ghost.
Me like, bro, I ain't dead yet.
That's pure lock-in, too.
Some of these sequences, it felt like we were going like eight to ten seconds where he didn't press a button,
and then the one that he does counter hit launch.
I mean, on both sides.
Yeah, well, Ozone 2 was going with, especially a lot of options that could return at the wall,
especially if you're able to get your phone in pressing a jab or something like that.
So I'm good with that. What was to the 8-maker punch that she has to get counter hit and launch her players' matching like that.
So I'm good with the basic hook at the wall, especially if you have a clock-out big return.
Neat wasn't giving him any of that.
It wasn't giving him much.
Remember, this is what I was saying.
Like you know and dragging off versus me like that matchup is something what you're gonna be like
I'm leaning on fundamentals more than anything right dragging us pretty slow when it comes today
There's have like a little pigeon or movie to move around
But I also send us a lot more one of these characters like yo, do you know how to properly defend versus what I'm doing?
Let's play around that he's all the back turn mix and now the large
It's been a while broke the crowd hit a collective all when the large came out. That was crazy
Fucker storm warning Steve. I think we're gonna see some light
Everybody get out the water
And not afraid to dance up to try to get a reaction out of
I don't think she has too much damage at this point, so I'm just slowing the matchdown a little bit, trying to understand how all of a sudden I want to apply pressure, trying to get a weed on him.
Wait, just take advantage of the big way.
Back one, back it up.
We'll begin the sidestep.
Poke, poke some lows.
Poke some lows.
Wow. Season 3 also got those
sidestep pieces.
We go big launch.
You looking to be sending them at that?
It's time.
Cider Raider runs it back.
Damn.
Humps the brakes, just goes right back.
And look one round of peace already you let you know that not I know about this to
That's what you're trying to do, but I know about this to
Finish is the string
Side step
Got the back shot
It's like we now set point here loser's ground to against Olsang
Okay, wait a minute. I'm gonna get this started off this time Olsang. You've got to do something. I got it. It's not looking good
Okay
I need something started
Feel that that's
We're fine. Still gonna play it in my face though. I'm still gonna play it in my face.
Finish the string as well. And this time, Olsang's got a big life lead.
I like using the back one more now, because he knows he likes the side cut.
He's the big counter hit though, to the wall we go, spins the heat.
No great likes on the cover, so we gotta do it as is.
And just like that, he's back in the game, but it might be over and Olsang gets another touch that's gonna do it.
Okay, all right, old son, all right, old son,
and now you definitely want to get this round.
We set it a little bit, obviously not going to do too much
editing in your game on the board,
but at least the momentum is in your favor.
I have a final round scheme and full of roster
from far range like that.
As the testing admitted at the beginning of the round,
he right now in position.
Okay, okay.
Step off, Delphi Slicer.
That's what comes from playing multiple characters at the same time that combo will slip your mind, trust me, I know.
Drop there, hope it doesn't cost him Steve right now.
Negan, the dash up, activate, get the focus punch.
The float!
Dash, we're 15 seconds left on the clock.
My top!
Okay, okay, Olsang. He gets sensitive. He gets sensitive. He knows he's in danger right now and what a great pick up.
And on top of that, utilization of the Heat to be like, no, I'm gonna use it right here to get the close out.
Like I said, there were changes to those scenarios where you're not getting the same combos.
A lot of times you're not getting the flow. Olsang had an answer. It actually just kept him alive.
It's two games to one. Me in favor. Olsang fighting back, but now he's gotta do it with the Lars. Let's see what happens. Art Blast.
We're just gonna roll some of those combos.
This is the situation.
Right now, one class to start these off, like you said.
Let's lead.
Back to the wall here on the arena.
Steady four.
No touches in the nades to pack four.
Writhing you up in shock.
And now, also, it's gonna get a little bit loose with the movement.
Keep double dashing.
Being very brave, crouching in the face of me right now.
Counter hit, gunshot, grab.
Hatchet, do it again. It would have worked.
Hatchet, more range there than a good size to promote Sonny, but a whip on it.
Put him ahead here, he's getting the 4th.
So we get back now.
Olson definitely getting a little bit more since the set goes on.
Oh, what an answer. Even the duck right there, brave.
Okay.
She shunned me.
I wanted to delay time with his lows.
The side steps.
No arc blast. I thought we were gonna see them.
4, 3, S, 4, 3.
Y'all's at time.
And finally, the counter hit came full screen.
Activating to get the ball as well.
And the finish.
Oh!
Big damage on the board.
I'm sorry.
How relating.
Me.
What's the game?
What's the game?
What's that?
It's only 111.
Well, it almost happened again.
County last time saved his life.
Kepa was live in his tournament actually.
He chaps.
Low touches.
Low parry.
Cashes.
Back bomb.
Stop the corner.
Okay, he's got heat. He's got heat. He's got to activate. He's got to find a way to activate and he's not gonna do an old son fighting back
Another round could send us to a final game
Going back to the poking game
And he's just picking him apart chop it slowly at the roots of the tree making them second guests are standing there
The lows are definitely adding up
He actually walked forward, he didn't want him to be able to sidestep just like that.
Big jet upper, big damage on the board and he is there as well so he knows what he's
going to use.
Oh, the agent Smith, Mr. Anderson, didn't even need to get to the knee.
Both of them were crazy.
Get that guy right here.
He's so funny on that point.
No counter hit there.
No counter hit there, now looking a little bit more to stand jab, rotating onto the right
side, looking for a Molosson to give him an opening.
Side step attack Molosson, making it a really nasty match, trying to find the wall, activate
on the whip.
Not looking good for me right now, Molosson doing a damn good job of fighting back, but
he's got plenty of heat.
Oh my god that's gonna hell out of me.
as he has rage. Take the punish with the Delta Scythe from Osan. Immediately, Delta Scythe, back one low touch. Activate.
Step, blow it. Wait a minute, Steve. And it goes great. Step in with punish.
Osan still alive. Damn. Damn. Look at this dude, Osan. Played out of his mind right now.
Now my man was on the verge of going home on the verge of going home
Huh, what what a fitting what a fitting stage the Colosseum of fate the Colosseum of fate
It feels like some of these players are fighting against that right now
Locked it on this character matches now Brian
Versus Lars and Ozone as the set is going on as well more and more comfort
And what's crazy is he had such a need on the Lars at the beginning of these games and now he's in danger
Still kind of committed to the bro's right up for Linda just
That five thousand guys intercept you can
Take my good guard on these lows be able to take the punishment and find my opportunity to create something big
I'm glad you said that that five thousand guys. We haven't seen many combos, right?
He's always been these counter hit strange scenarios and speaking of counter hit scenarios
That's been ditches yet goes for the low and of course you're looking for that incinerator in some of those situations
So taking right there you look at the time as well
Stacking it against the big counter hit on the side of Olsson in the second round big game
Get the full combo though
This is what he's been looking for.
We need to get the lead on these tops.
We need to get these future turn options.
Well, he does do that.
107.
Ow.
Stepping sweep.
Action.
Give it a pressure.
Back one.
I love you using this back one.
You want a sidestep?
This is exactly what I'm going to do.
Back one.
Hold that.
One round away from staying alive in this loser's side of Evo Japan.
Every interaction that round,
Osamu's pressing Steve and he was right every time he gets it. He understands now.
Not gonna spend the hit just yet. I like that. Saved it for later to close out the game.
But now you give Osamu a chance. That pressure is not as heavy. Hatch it. Do it again!
Endage goes for the mid this time. He knows Osamu was sweating the lows.
He's got a little gray. Lord's got a chance. He gets his back. Not a combo though.
Jack sidestep this with the smash option testing mid counter activation hold sign goes low a
Lot of sending in mix ups
post smash where's he going with it?
Just lightning axle seven seconds
five seconds
two seconds
Oh my god, oh my god, bro. Come on
Oh my god.
System attack, good guard for me.
Okay, time for these lows.
Stance low, man.
He has been so good at checking the stance.
Transition lows like that.
Remember to find that.
Now you see Olsang getting a lot more aggressive with the offense.
Not close enough, finds the whip.
Arc blast on the side of Olsang.
Big life lead in this game.
Okay.
Look at the carry.
Look at the combo.
Entry for the low final, final round between these two
to see who's gonna go home, who's gonna go on.
Korea versus Korea, knee versus Ulsan, bull sin.
We gotta do it.
Nice block, small punish.
Get up, the entry, engage.
life bars looking pretty similar life bars looking pretty similar even the
great cannonball straight engage on the side and neither crowd wakes up great
block on the low that should do it need going further into the tournament
it's staying alive and even Japan's 2026 old son goes home but damn is it by
not way I'm trying what a single what a set though three characters from the side
of old song one orbital that all set and it was to win the set like that come on
come on how many times he was able to check oh my god the low defense from me
that entire set was excellent and finally when he had to read on the timing
when that last one was coming the one move that he had not used the entire set
only one. Only one. Dr. Stray
Center. We only need one. Olson
goes home. Imagine if there had
been anybody else going up against
Olson with the crazy rebuttal. He
was down to games. That's crazy.
He bought it back to a final game.
Final round. It took him three
characters, but he did it. Knee
stays alive. Let's take a look at
this bracket to see exactly what's
going to happen. These guys are
absolutely playing out of their
minds and look, loser semi final
is going to be a K versus me. Oh my God. How do you say this is not ridiculous? But of course,
winners finals Korea versus Pakistan, a card versus office 10 beer and we only got four remaining.
Oh my gosh. Listen to Korean representatives one Filipino player in a K and then you have hopped
this 10 beer, the X factor in this bracket. Tasty Steve, we are here at Evo 2026, Evo
Japan 2026, sorry. For Tekken 8, this is going to be like we've been saying, right, this
is going to be starting off the competitive season for Tekken 8. I did not have half of
this top four bend to be the ones leading the way at this event like this. I don't know,
I don't know too many other people did either. But look, before we find out the conclusion
of this tournament, we're going to take a quick commercial break and give shout out to all
people that help make people to fan possible, we'll be right back.
It's over!
What is he doing?
He's too ready.
I'm not to be in him.
Oh my God!
And he took part in the tournament.
He got a little nervous and he felt like he was going to win.
Oh, Troy!
Come on, Troy!
So it's much more than just playing.
It's being a part of this community.
three of us.
Oh my god.
Oh man.
Creating memories forever here man.
Seeing you all here year after year after year, we're all part of one big family and
And it's truly something special.
And as you can see, May 4th registration closes for Evil World's Vegas.
Make sure you get signed up.
But we are here at Evil Japan 2026.
Big site Tokyo is where we're hanging out.
It's your boy Tasty Steve, the legendary Majin Obama.
And this top eight is getting crazy.
Good ass Tekken has been displayed all day.
But we only got four players remaining.
And I'm telling you right now, your fantasy brackets, they're in shambles right now.
right now. I'm telling you right now, but the games have been so good. Thank you guys for
returning back with us. Don't forget to stay tuned after it, because I'm sure we got something nice
to show you. And then we got Street Fighter Six down the way on the pipeline, but the games have
been crazy. Some of the best tech that I've seen all year. And it's only the beginning of the tournament
season. Steve, when I look at the bracket that we have laid out in front of us, we've got winners
finals between Ikari and Hoppy's 10-year. Both of these players, too, these appeared new to this
kind of stage like this in this especially in this region, this environment, right?
Office 10, of course, had that standout performance a few years ago at Tiger
Opera Club, and he's come through in huge moments, especially in the I always go
back to the Pakistan versus Korea X edition where he just thought they put
him and they gave him the keys to the car and they're like, yo, drive and he did.
And he did, definitely stepped up. But for him in a singles event like this at
Evo Japan, last year we didn't have any Pakistani representation in this event.
this year they came with a squad but he's the one right now putting everything
on his shoulders and he's in position to do something crazy here and here's the thing Steve
Ikari also local legend right he's been at all these dojo events you can't
understand it if you're not really paying attention JP community it's you got
become really active with running dojos and doing dojo events in the past few
especially Ikari is at a lot of those events, man
He's consistently always on the run always trying to compete and be able to try to get to that upper cross to the players
That perform the most consistently out here
So for him to be having the weekend that he's having if you find yourself in winners finals of evo Japan the biggest tournament in this
Reason that's a new again. This is a new thing for them. Yeah
No, I have to decide of the bracket a k trying to get his lick back
He's trying to I've had an evil Japan title robbed the robbed of me before right?
He's trying to get it back knee trying to put one on the thumb another championship ring another notch on the bed post
So you got two completely different worlds in both sides of this bracket right now stories, bro
They write themselves man
You can see a cave race me gonna be there losing semi-final match
But Akati like you said before super active out here and definitely like you said before if you know you know
Akati's been around for quite some time and of course office tan beer
definitely the young man and everybody was talking about how last year Orson wasn't here
Optif wasn't here Pakistan wasn't in the building. They were here and they made a huge step and still to this point
Well, hop to stand beer is sitting in this winners final side with his work cut out form obviously going up against the Coddy
But look, this is one of these characters. Kali is one of these legacy characters that has been on the screen multiple times
I feel like that's from Tekken 101. How are you gonna deal with the hell suits?
Do you know how to properly move around these electrics?
You know we're gonna see it, but the thing about Hopfist that he does better than most is that he knows how to annoy you
He knows how to make you second against some of your options
And that's when he starts hitting you with the lows to sidestep force
He's very big ambitious running twos. He wants you to freeze up. He has excellent reactions. He has excellent patience
Yep, he may be able to read your defensive habits be able to break you down like that
But the biggest thing is that combines those he's able to find the win conditions for Claudio so well
I'll find that wall. I'm gonna rotate around and you know what you're gonna be looking at back one sidestep for
Mid-strike option with the wall splat behind it and then the heat just makes it all that more obnoxious
Especially when you have prodigy players who are so good like this pop miss Tampere stepping up the e-cari
Here in the finals in either Japan
Here we go
Korea in Japan face-offs
setting the stage like a real-life fighting game.
What did I say?
You gotta know how to play around the electric.
Big damage on this side, off the stand here.
Back to the wall, Akati likes having this kind of momentum.
Like I said, back to the side, missed at the wall.
Bought it earlier, Steve.
Thunderstorm warning. Watch out.
Breath. Breath.
You don't want to be in that mid-page with new duty cars.
You let them fly like that.
Tested with the 1-1 this time in Carl.
If you stand there and they see you with pressure a little bit, running two, right into the cliff.
Yeah, you're trying to bang on ours, Rob. We see you. Hoppedy-step here.
No!
Wrong option against the wall to put yourself in danger.
Oh, we call you so wrong for that.
Oh, no. Oh, no.
With the wave. Step, you trying to tip up? Stay down.
Rob, you've got an answer for everything, whether it's the low bar strings, up for a three-ree wall splat,
two rounds to none in game number one.
I want that man tested, bro. How is he seeing?
He's gonna run up just here.
He's gonna light the way, he's gonna go down 4-1.
Hop his 10-3.
With the step not deep enough, he's gonna have a counterhandy car this time, gonna get launched.
Back to the wall, activation.
Hop his 10-3, you're gonna catch.
He's gonna keep his side step forward, this is my win position.
He's gonna give me that sweep, I'm gonna keep you all this damage, just flash.
The balcony right there, old back three action, okay, okay, off his 10-view.
He got some big shots, he's tracking a little bit, you know.
Ooh, counter-aided, tried to get the electric through, but did not work out, but doesn't
even need it because the momentum is still in his face.
Okay, two in pistols, back to the wall, three alignment, uses the heat.
And back, oh shit.
Tracking the size that he knows you want to move on the wall, the first came to be in
and Jeffrey is going to go by way of Akati. Game number one.
And man, he's just seemed so comfortable sitting up here playing,
no matter what the character, no matter who he's fighting against,
he just seems like he's very calm.
Here we go.
Yeah, it's kind of surprising too.
Like I said, it's not as though he's a stranger making a deepening racket like that.
Even some of the dojos here, they'll put the lights on and stuff like that.
You know, when you're getting up to play in Chikorin, Nobby, those guys.
But he just has a level of comfort right now. They're just like I mean it's since we started this top this top day
It's he just feels unshaken
That was electric and that would have hit but now he gave her on the side of office back here
the wall
Time walk got the wall got the counter hit got the whole
Dog the weed on office came here. So we've been right now is right here
I like the option
because even if you're gonna block that,
you're still gonna think about it now.
You know he's gotta read like, you know,
all I want the sidestep and another round on the board,
the body is running away,
trying to get a huge lead in his winners' finals.
Now watch for that long situation next time it comes up.
Humphries, Tampere probably gonna be a little bit more hesitant.
Steph might just hold back and give it more hits.
Grant finals on the line right now.
Besides that long activation,
but yeah, he cut the sky with that.
Mm-hmm.
To the wall we go.
Great preparedness on the side of Office Tampere.
That's the 4-3, I forgot they made it high recently, but easily I'm gonna check in it.
Sweet, no conversion up to sidewall, but the trade in his favor.
Ooh, in the H, hold on.
Splash armor, oh my god.
Doss boots.
Oh, this dude, Akati's boots.
Great endgame. Everything is a resource, Steve.
Heat? HP? I'm not gonna burn at all, right?
If you give me the space you give me a little bit of leads on nothing's off the table right now. Talk to the sky
Hop you stay here. You're in trouble right now
No, touch
Yes, the armor. Oh, he's been used in that
That's the entire time. Yo Steve, Steve. The car is on one right now. He's on one
Look at how comfortable one man is sitting pretty right now trying to get the slam find shoes
Pop, that's the most equally stressed expression that we've seen on Hoppins
Danvers face this whole tournament.
Once again, look, obviously on the winner's side, you do have another place
where you could go to make it all the way back through, but you don't want to do that.
Right now, Cotty's like, no, bro, my ticket is for Grand Finals.
I don't know where you're going to go, but I'll see you in Grand Finals.
a
Switches
Wow definitely reaching right now. What do you think he's looking for?
He wants to keep it more compact and like pressure on him or not
I think being able to have a more consistent down for a one like you said that compact pressure
You got to be a lot more careful for it towards the size of demeanor gonna launch it for those
You don't have to commit to a hop kick in a lot of those
Okay, sorry, it's kiss working out here in the mid-range. I'll be standing here gonna work the throw. All right, not like
Dog nice block launch
He also found some big enemies that round some pretty quick lures as well on the side of Nina
Yeah, there we go working to be in the gunshot
There's that down cool woman I can see a copy on the brakes right now
We're pumping a lot of back to as well
So I said it's rough
It's safe out of the armor
We on that move you got to be careful respect the space
I
Yo and the run back three rounds straight down straight to the eyes yo camera man you're going off as fast as that
Two-0 belt that's how fast that response
What's the answer here first time I feel like we've seen a cottage even blink
What is on his mind right now, I'm wondering and like I said, the only thing I feel like
he can really switch up is his spacing, right?
We didn't see any electors that time around.
The Lowes really made sure that Akati did not feel comfortable going for Lowes of his
own.
We didn't see him down for two's, most of the time, distance.
He's trying to get him to swing when he's down, as opposed to Hoff is not taking the
bait.
As you said, Steve, it feels like a lot of the first, that first game since Galio switched
10 years terms, keeping real close, the car was not with the back of them,
too many got the space to hold the electrics or anything like that.
So, as we have a fun way to back them and disengage at least a bit of them before you engage on them.
Speaking of backing up, got a little space, found the electric Boston salute though.
Notice that, it's going to help.
Oh, almost had the whip up!
Hold the duck, the gun shot so hacked, it then finds the little aftery, car each.
punch the bell punch the bell those are those those are really heavy man
Sam bro trained by Hey Hachi machine glorious demon god face on the side of
cops
trying to find the temple walls here
and he indicates the power wave at the wall
Don't go wave on him!
Yo!
He's hurrying right now, threatening to change the nature of this tournament.
He wants to go to Grand finals on Winner's side.
Engage into the Hell Sweep.
And that's how you're gonna start this round?
Laser!
Okay, wait a minute.
Blah blah blah.
What's the pull?
Music going hand.
We're pushing the Stiletto heal.
What a block.
Fucking punish.
Okay, okay, obviously, didn't us with a surprise pick with Amina.
He's put him back alive over here, he's yielding to another game to make this count,
and only around on the side of Akari to close it out and go to Glantvital.
I'm not getting another chance, Steve, because Akari just took Grand finals.
Winners side, we'll see you there.
Hoppy's came here, gonna have to swim with the Sharks, and will play the winner of AK&E.
Oh my god.
Oh my god, but we've seen what he's been able to do so far.
First time touching the loser's bracket all tournament and it ain't many that's been
able to put a dent in that car.
But of course it will come by way of McCarty and he is now sitting in grand finals but
on that lower side of the bracket like you said, there's sharks and it ain't no cage.
You ain't got no suit, you're only snorkeling baby and you might get bit and when there's
blood in the water championship is on the line.
I'm trying to tell you right now, bro.
Kari is having a hell of a weekend, man.
Yeah, boy.
Showing up to this tournament like this and having,
running through the players that he's run through first
to three over Hoppy.
Wow.
But speaking of which.
Pecking so good you can smell it.
Go on, I'm sorry.
Oh, my gosh.
Speaking of which, though, man, our next match
is going to be AK going up against me.
But here's the thing, man, if you're
looking to get in on some of the action
that you see here, right, you guys
You just gotta remember that PlayStation tournaments let you compete straight from your console.
It's true, it's true. You don't even have to look. You don't even have to leave your house.
You don't have to do nothing crazy. We want you to come out and play offline,
but you can do it online thanks to PlayStation. PlayStation tournaments,
you can log in from your PlayStation home dashboard. You never even need to leave the house
and you get access to some of the most exciting action as well as we've seen before
where PlayStation tournaments has done us a huge favor of flying some of those winners out to tournaments.
I've called some of those matches, some of your favorite commentaries have called those matches,
Competition gets even better. Look, PlayStation tournament sign up play from your very own home and shout out to them for actually giving us access to these
Kind of things. Look, I've been wanting to play PlayStation tournaments from my house for the longest time
You have the opportunity PlayStation tournaments
Thanks again, but this AK versus knees that both of them have been playing so sharp on the loser side of the Bragg and Steven
This is a hard one. They call man. I think
the winner play especially since it's first to three I want to see these
approach to how a K wants to impose his offense we watched him throughout that
set against all son right the defense kind of shifted all son invention was
able to get like a lot of momentum to build up especially with Lars right
especially going into the second game with Lars going into the third game
that one went down to the wire with a K in the way he's been playing the sheen
with the ways with emphasizing some of these tools like size that doubles
by mixing in the lows or down one, size of two.
If they're being able to find maybe guard break scenarios
when he has the ball depending on what kind of environment
or what kind of stage we're talking about,
with the way AK was playing,
but especially against Sly, Nixon.
Yes. The threat of Sly and the threat of half kick.
How does he do against this?
I mean, look, we know how AK is.
AK is a very active player.
He really wants to see how you're gonna like
respond to what he's doing.
And we're gonna see a play out,
but the thing is about it,
A lot of times over history, we've seen when AK goes up and tries to play this super aggressive
game play, he kind of sways away from it and plays a little more fundamental, a lot more
sidestep heavy, which we saw versus Atif, right?
We didn't see that implication of like those lows be a big thing until we got to those
later games.
And it definitely seemed like it was a run, but it was also about how he applied it.
I think we're going to see a lot more of the same.
He knows who he's going up against.
This is not just some regular everyday player.
This is need.
Of course, your tournament in Evo Japan Life Tournament is on the line right now.
This is loser semi-final for real versus the Philippines.
It's knee versus AK, Brian versus Shaheen.
Let's go.
A lot of those options, especially over the course of a first to three,
it's not going to be, he just goes to it.
It has to get layered.
You've got to layer.
He's not going to take that easily.
And as you can see, you're already looking for the over extension from me.
He eats it down for a two because of it.
and then beat on the timing, simple uppercut, space control, uppercut, open bottom, big return.
Okay, and interrupt, man, I gotta say, that's one thing he has been doing differently that we've not seen so much before.
It's interruption of these strings that have gaps, gets his back, but then get anything.
And another side step, and this, like I said, he's not gonna go through the lows immediately.
He wants you to know he's trying to side step, he's gonna make you stand still.
Then he's going to commit some of those lows, but it's not going to stop him from swinging, okay?
Back to this mutual game in the round two. Steel's sprinkling in the loads
Great punish on the side there
Trying to side step because not want that wall to his back. AK does such a good job of being able to apply that pressure
pressure, knee once into his face, and looking for a big whip-punishment.
You can see now he's playing a little further back because he wants the whip-punishment.
Yeah, there's the activation on AK's side.
How is the unit utilized?
It's a whip-punishment.
That's great.
Get the slide counter.
Oh, the cleat walked around and uppercut.
Once again, getting his back and taking full advantage.
Damage, dead.
Two rounds on the side of AK here.
This kind of pattern isn't that strange, where AK comes out the gate squigging like this,
right?
I'll take my three launcher, I'll take all this combo damage.
Warframe takes the guarantee there, get to the blue sponge.
And once again, a clean game, three rounds to none
for AK versus me.
What do you change up about this now?
And like I said before, this is one of the things about AK.
He knows the weight of the factor.
Like, look, I'm fighting me.
Can't get away with some of this unconscious play.
I'm going to keep it a lot more simple.
I'm going to keep it a lot more compact.
I'm going to keep it a lot more at home
to see how he's going to respond.
first game on the board 8k.
Now you can see how 8k, especially let's see.
He starts hitting punches like these on slot attempts.
That's a very impressive first game from him.
You can see how he tries to change it up against these annotations.
Slap the mech.
And zap the bar.
No recoverable life and exact infection right after it.
Break the glass again.
The success rate needs to be studied.
Nobody wants to duck anymore.
They're gonna duck it, they're gonna guard it, or they're gonna get hit by it in this case.
I mean, if you look at that first round, one of the things AK picked up on, big counter hit here by me,
is the fact that he is definitely present, trying to take that offense.
So he's stepping into some of these big launches.
I'll take 50% though, match it.
Jabs them out of the heat activation, but he gets his back,
but he gets the full string and the heat activation.
Yeah, that's a recent change to me that made it a little bit easier to walk like that.
A.K. taking advantage.
Playing a little bit further back so we can find something. A.K. takes the opportunity to get in there anyway.
Cannonball straight.
Engage.
Mhmmm. Spins it all.
And now it's working. Now the overactivity is working. He catches A.K. trying to do something a little too early to counter hit him.
Spins it.
Now being with the sidewalk next to our ship,
by the path, mid-punches here, gets the wall,
91 damage, double-sport beam with one of ship.
That's similar bulkhead punches, one-two slides this time.
Double-cross Thompson and the counter, activate.
That was scary, he gave it an opening.
Okay, two rounds on the board the work floor is lava.
Neek and tight things up.
He gets this round big size step punish jet upper and now he's gonna use that explosion
of course.
Bam.
Oh.
Oh
He wants you to think about it once again need not afraid to interrupt the strength in an amazing way punish
The body smoke leave the body smoking flames at the spin
Okay, okay
Bro, I've been seeing me around the floor. I'm gonna talk to you more than the lock in. I see I'm watching the games
I'm like bro. Just lock in me. I'll talk to you later, dude
Are you
I'm just thinking about that time where you would we saw him in the gym
Did he ask you that simple questions like so? What do you think about this Steve Steve talk today for like 40 minutes in like the most normal
English like sit down
You're the bar you understand you're the
Look first off I had the adrenaline problem we need to go to the gym okay. I had to let it out
Bro you were like you understand these he was like
Yeah, I bet you did though I bet you
Oh my god.
This is the kind of, the movie you've been watching, the sets all weekend, AK opening
games off like this, just like side-tips like, swipe, swipe, swipe, stabs you in the
pressure like this and just take these chip blows.
Alright, here we go.
They're mixing it up with the other little options.
Look how much more aggressive AK is being now in the office.
Oh, that was, was that Orbo?
Shad, upper once again, the sidestep that they've been adding up.
It has definitely been the key to getting big damage and getting me back in the game.
These are the knock stand on the ground, wake up, hot kick.
Big damage, he's not dead yet, goes for mid.
What a block for the low, what a punish.
He's got great life, get up attacks.
Get up attack.
I'm trying to break it into a pressure that they have.
The whole thing coming to play there.
Punish?
Cut it to the Jenna, cut it to something big.
It's the Punish on the slide.
It's the wall.
Activate.
Back on the wall.
Knocks over the serveboards.
Oh, we're you guys, we're not done yet.
You're putting pressure.
My man is cooking right now.
Where are you going?
He have a man alive.
Where are you going?
He have my man in the jail cell.
You going to jail now.
How are you going to jail, man?
Okay,
overstate your pieces, stay locked up, yeah, yeah, you know what you did.
You know what you did.
Nice punish on the ball.
I don't size that's past here.
Show gets older.
The shot shooter.
For the size of those slides, that could have been dangerous.
Can it ball straight?
Encounter me!
Activate!
Leave the body smoking at the beach!
Like a bonfire on the beach!
This dude is not messing around, bro!
You ain't fishing!
Engage!
Just right behind me, just with the gas.
I just want the wall!
Okay, okay.
Good stuff from AK gonna come up with a big punish after these side-smart people.
He's close to the seal of the wall, man.
I want it all.
I like the 8090 with the side-smart at some city.
He's still got plenty of his need.
Call me with his light bar and rage disable.
Boom, the wall.
Sliding.
The timing mix right now from AK is too good.
Long touch, long touch!
Okay.
the back
Okay, yo, we're game three tied rounds
But the sidesteps the third dimension
Just one two chapter like challenge that approach from a K and it worked out up until
Okay
Both engage. Both engage.
Both engage.
Sight to back today.
Reckon you dash.
Draven AK's rage for this time.
Okay.
Sight to Q.
Take out on the orbital.
Down back three.
Almost at the down back two on walls.
Blackness side step is not done yet.
Okay. Okay. A-K.
Alright. Alright.
Oh man.
This map, this set by itself
has such crazy implications.
Oh my god
Man I like to get this extra game now the switch up on the rules means we get extra games
I'm about it
No, small punish, hatch it, get up, do it again, I said do it again!
What a block, okay, okay, wait a minute, wait a minute.
AK head gone to that option the entire sense of far, the one time he didn't even break with the most appropriate aim.
multiple floors
slide not close enough not sure that
what a side step on the back of one
got a cross job side step chop again
side step attack pressure from AK
swipe I don't care how much it costs
He almost dies for that. He almost died for that.
He can't get a little bit of life but not enough to survive the hit.
He hits us back again. Two rounds straight.
Prepare the option for the late timing for me.
Able to intercept it.
Watch the top of the moustache. You're after it. Here we go. Slide.
What are you crying?
Break on the grab.
He's getting a lot more active now when you're like this, but here we go, double barrel.
What's going on?
He probably does it.
Mid check.
Activate.
Step.
Can it ball straight?
He actually clipped him out of it.
Counting it.
Gonna break the floor with this as well.
Still pushing.
rotating around and just raw dog smash like that need to to we're going to a
final game in this sense. Yo the games have been crazy the games have been
crazy. Yo we're going to a final game between these two. Tournament life is
on the line. Obama told you always bride made it's never the bride I mean
We've seen the big Ws at combo breaker before from the AK, but an evil win,
especially at the beginning of a second eight season, who do something special.
I'm telling you right now, I would love to see AK at more of this tournament.
He is putting the Philippines on his back, but he's going up against one of the
goats, one of the greats, Ney, who's on his opportunity chance to actually get
back to Grand Finals and put another ring on the hand.
Just saying, man, five, you can't see him.
Ney has an opportunity, but we're going to the final game between these two.
It's the first to three rounds.
Loser semi-finals tournament life on the line. Let's go. Let's go
Now we get a little bit active dead in this grill rolling towards these jab strings a little bit
Going some more fours three out there and here we go
The breath we in the cannonball straights
AK you better be careful about whipping or putting anything out there on block
Looking on the purple grass now three immediate immediate of Arctic. Bro my man
Okay, counter hit.
Can't make it for me.
Get some more spots in that corner.
Okay.
Four combo pick up here.
Steve was active, goes for the port,
looking for a reaction out of him.
He didn't get a turn though.
Okay.
Okay.
Goal!
No!
Tragic!
First round of this final game goes to me.
By way of a missed time,
Mojit smashed great sidestep,
and he takes the advantage.
Back to the Pope friendly game.
One Javid and just stepping with him, stepping with him.
There's no rotation.
Counter hit confirmed.
Get to be engaged in here, another counter hit, double barrel once again.
Hatch.
Armor, immediate armor, no hesitation.
Get up attack.
Straight to your face.
Activate.
Side step and check from the AK.
One round a piece.
straight to your face, activate, side step and check from AK.
One round of peace, one round of peace in this final game.
This game five, early engaged.
Slip and slide.
I'm having too much fun running back.
Mid check, didn't finish it.
The gap strings are low, but man, he's offense is so great.
Slides though, working out big time for AK.
Big like lead on the side of AK2.
Sliding.
We were wondering at the beginning of the set,
when is he going to start to bring out this game, right?
Wait until the very end just to bring it out.
Fine.
If we're going to get to this point,
we're going to have this kind of mental warfare like this.
Wait until the very end when you're stressed.
Big gamble right there on the side,
and you want for that mid AK.
Wow, that could have been a jet up.
Low touch, and again, delay slide this time.
The mix-up between the high-mode pressure of AK has been phenomenal. Oh my god, take out the legs.
Take out the legs and the body will follow. Down jab and we did it. A final final round.
Shout out to my boy. You know what time it is to stay alive at Evo Japan 2026. AK or knee. Somebody's
What's going on?
Hop is tan beer is your prize though, congratulations.
They gave lots of tune.
It could have been big.
Well, I'm kicking medium armor after.
Yo, the tech.
Tell, give the cook my thanks.
What a whip punch.
Big blow across your ear.
Just because of the real estate and the setup for this activation.
Post-wall interaction.
I like that.
The awareness.
AK rolls away.
Hatch.
Do it again.
Not gonna work.
There's the heat, the whip punish!
Oh my god.
Hold on Steve, fast.
Pull, pull, but a block!
Block the guard god!
Sixteen seconds left on the clock.
He put the advantage.
So like ten seconds-
The handshake below!
Knee over AK!
Three to two!
Damn!
The games are crazy!
You gonna tell me that's not some good ass tech.
Y'all gonna tell me y'all not enjoying this.
You're not gonna think to cook for that. That's crazy. That's crazy
Knees staying alive with an opportunity to put another championship on the hand
Make it a five-timer the John Cena
But we got a show love to AK man
Dude look AK my man has taken some of the craziest bodies in all of Tekken
And he almost had another one and he almost had another one versus knee
But me is going to stay alive for the back and forth that we've seen and that entire set was absolutely crazy
And we saw those low start to come in the mix and maybe like game two game three
But in the outside of that it was nothing to post the first
Really really put a twist on that some of the tools that we're used to seeing an employee lot
We were like, okay, how's he gonna approach this?
He saved a lot of that pressure which is banging on some of those options at the very very end
You turn turn into almost a completely different kind of game but that with that you got to give a congratulation of course to a K
Great performance here at Evo Japan gonna go out at fourth place, but check this out man our next match
Let me talk to you something Steve hop his tan beer
over Aladar over big day Shows the day over Al over XCC over octave
He did take the loss to a car in winners final, but guess who else he beat on the way there
Me. Dog. We're gonna have a run back here in Loser's finals at Evo Japan 2026 for second 8.
But we're gonna have to do it after this break, so don't go anywhere. We'll be right back with more Evo Japan.
You can't order this, Will!
Too easy!
B-b-b-bam!
This is coming in!
Fire Activate!
With great power, comes a great speeddown!
Together, we can achieve anything!
Ha!
Oh yeah!
Ha ha ha!
Huh?
The End
I'm not today man.
Oh my god!
Oh my god!
Oh my god!
Oh shit!
So it's much more than just playing. It's being a part of this community.
I mean,
Lebathek.
No such a little idea.
Lebathek, I'm going to give you the best career.
What are you talking about?
What are you talking about?
There's a huge data about the engineer.
If you can do IT skills, Lebathek.
I don't have a choice.
If it's IT Freerance, then it's Levatec Freerance.
Is the most familiar sound saving the world?
It's showtime!
Prepare!
Mortal Kombat Next Round
trying to enter this upper echelon and really, really add a huge accolade to their record.
And one player who is a legend trying to add another ring to the, another ring to the hand,
but also just another notch on the bedpost to get things started with this season three.
Silence all the, the, the not, bro, he said, what did he say?
He said, if you can do it with Brian, do it.
Yeah.
I mean, I'm just saying, bro, I think people really kind of like not understanding how much
time has been put into by like a player like me.
Like of course, I love the fact that we now have an evil Japan where Pakistan was present
Yes, you have their presence and now it's a fighting evil Japan. That's exactly what I want
It's like it feels bad when like the tournament is over. You're like, oh, yeah
You know like how it goes like but that guy wasn't there, but this guy wasn't there was these guys
We don't even have to do that at this time, right? Everybody was here. Everybody was here and your top three so far
Look at the players who are left in this bracket, man. It's a car
I don't think a lot of people even probably overseas are super familiar probably means to cause you players or mission players would know
But this is a local player out here in this region and he is just having a hell of a weekend
In in driver's seat grand finals. That's good side and look at who we got facing off the face to have the right to even face him again
Me and hafiz tanbir Korea Pakistan the rivalry is still hitting but in a completely different context
They said, you know what?
You know, I'm going to take a weekend off.
I'm going to take a weekend off.
The John said, you know what, you go ahead.
I've seen this before.
Steve, we talked about the Korea-Pakistan exhibition.
They were AOK.
It was just like, bro, hop is, go under.
You hit the paint, jump up.
We're going to lob it to you.
Bring it down with the house.
And that brother can jump.
He can jump.
Yeah, bro.
And he definitely puts this care.
Like I said before, we don't get many Claudios out there.
Obviously, we've seen the switch to the Nina.
But Claudio is typically his character of choice going into matches like this
But now playing out to the point where he's making it into this top eight with that same character
That we've not seen represented like that on winter side nonetheless to tell you more than anything
But I'm glad Akari is in the spot that he is in because one of the reasons I like coming to Japan and just I mean agent
General you get to see some of these powerhouse players that don't get to travel as much that we know are just as strong as if not stronger
There's some of your favorite players out there
The beard is in the trenches.
They are in the trenches.
Sometimes you might not see him pop up
until an event like this, where you've
got a ton of players who are just landmines.
And then all of a sudden, one pops up, and you go, oh.
But people who have been paying attention, they know, right?
But this hop is tan beard, and he said,
you've got to remember, hop is tan beard
is the one who puts the knee into either side.
So I think for a hop is tan beard,
it's probably coming into this with a considerable amount
of confidence.
Me, though, if he's going to impose his will on this bracket,
to be able to get to a point where this can be another legacy win for him, he's going to
have to go over not only half his time here, but also what's a guy to a novel either a
car is playing, he car is playing like yo are that stuff else helps me.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, and I'm still waiting on that new Frank Alvin, but that's not the point.
The point is, is that there's a lot on the line here.
There's legacy.
That's the fact that you have an opportunity like you said, that is a huge notch on any
players bill to actually be like yo I got a Evo Japan victory and it went by
way of defeating me Akati's watching from the rafters because we know what's on
the line we have once again Korea versus Pakistan the next chapter is about
going full knee versus half a stand beer Brian versus cardio your tournament is
about to get exploded let's go
Japan and we're gonna open up with a low parry hop his damn beer starbursts man I
I love those things.
Yo, you gotta bring something next time you come alive.
Say less.
I got you.
Say less.
I got you, my guy.
Don't bring a whole big bag.
I'm going to get them all.
All right, bro, I got you.
Stay left.
I don't bring them back just for you.
Mid-check's right now from me.
And you see, you can't be going to that dispel magic,
that mid-strike.
Just bring them.
He has the threat of the high-spiting one.
Follow up with the sidestep four there.
Going with the circle of judgment screen this time.
High mid, high mid.
Not letting the trigger pull on the third hit.
That's a float out of there.
Just kind of just seeing what he wants to do on guard.
Sidewalking the bow up luxury you know where you're going
Yo, push the bell yo at the same time
Trying to poke them out, but it's not working
Actually, I take that back. It is worth chipping at that light.
The passives is running too pressure, the chip damage,
but also the Mila state doesn't matter.
Lift punch.
Touch under the 4-3. It's the big launcher.
He gets the wall two and still gets the heat activation.
Give me a little bit more.
Stoke of the late.
Oh my. The last action makes it right.
I love it. I love it.
Brian, go off.
That was a big delay.
They really play with Hoppy's campers reaction there.
Whoa!
Jump over the hatch!
Whoa!
Ooh, counter hit, free follow up.
Engage.
Man in ball, straight.
Bro, his usage on this has been amazing so far.
Thanks for the really high hit vicinity.
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh!
Leave the body smoking right next to the trees!
Great block, great punish, get the knockdown.
Get the shoot, stand at the spot.
Huffing, stand here, trying to find the wall somehow.
He wants to get into this wing position positioning.
Needn't not making it easy for us.
Yo, bounce and hit my chest!
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh!
Not dead, just get in the small duck.
And the weight need taking game number one.
Is he trying to change history?
the composer and patients in that last sequence when you see that kid right in front of your face
he's like no wait wait see what the deal with the lost 84 like that man
man your video games bro you talk about reactions and just being whatever age you all play video
games most people ain't reacted to that most people ain't reacted to that bro we play video games
we lived in the highest frames this is discipline too on the side of me
office came here testing blow up open up this game to remember gotta get the
three games before you got to be able to pose your will here you're so close
especially to get back into the final spot like this but you got to get it
over over the boss activate your knees really crazy as well
Both of these guys trying to steal the steps, you see the homing option on both sides.
Great cancel right there, gets a reaction out of Office and he spins the rest of his heat.
Gone on both sides now with 23 seconds left on the clock,
Lee getting a little bit of life back because he's got a nice chunk of gray over there.
Office came for your dash, you got one of those double dashes on top, just go for the back and things like that.
Lee with the wow, get the quick punish.
Wow!
You can't defend in this, my man is side stepping right in front of your face!
I
Stash it take them in
What a duck crazy back one finds the knockdown the side step flashed up off the stand your side
He's been starting up a little bit now
No touches back and forth, but
He's gonna just block, he's gonna block it up.
And look, he's been sidestepping a lot and now you see Hopper's axis encroaching on that space.
Dashing up before he does anything. Small punish, a little bit of gray life there as well.
And now he's ducking, now he's ducking.
He's been trying to make him sidestep a lot more. Hopper's taking a more simple approach and just ducking.
But now he got counter hit with the back one. Something he has been gradually using more and more as he got further and higher.
That's the sense that's going on longer too.
2.
Water from the coffee stand here, but okay, big strike, low conversion from me now.
This is the snake-eyes power-up, and Spiel chooses to cash out using the lead.
So your territory got the wall, Steve.
He's active.
He's on hold.
That was terrifying.
The cannonball straight clips the hop kick.
Not dead yet.
Hawkins needs to do something.
He does not want to hold.
Right 2.
Activation lead.
Watch your hands.
Your side step.
He's got a lot of life back there.
It's sidestep 4 and in stage 2.
What a reversal.
Second game, he was on that game point to send him into a two round, two game lead, but now Hop is still fighting back.
Think about how much, man that adjustment was so good, the wall gave him so much health back.
What's about the damage he did, it was about how much health he got back.
Like saying the new games, kick it in, big counter hit.
No one's just been playing that range thrift, swinging especially with the size of the fourth jab.
Big counter hit on the side, big damage on the side of Hop to stand big.
You gotta finish it right now, because you do not want Hoffman to get another opportunity
and then come back.
Game 2 goes to me, and he is one game away from going to Grand Finals.
One game away from being a set away from being another Evo Japan champion, but once again
we know who's waiting in the rafters.
next thing in WCW days, waiting to drop down and swoop in.
That's going mad strong.
Dropped it with the bat, but we're going to get to that point first.
It's a personal three affair here.
Please stand here. No stranger to long set for sure.
Counting it. First follow up.
And the stalker is followed.
Hatcher.
You see him teasing with the 4-3, mixing in the loads, White will speaking of what a block.
Hop is in the awkward position, back to the wall, you see him side stepping right because
he doesn't want to keep his back there.
We've seen what happens when he has your back to the wall.
Uh-oh, uh-oh.
Wow!
He went sniped.
He's crazy right now.
It's insane. Patience with precision, anticipation with precision, but it's not like he's just doing the stuff of like, greedily and then it just gradually works.
He's waiting, waiting to pull the trigger and he sees and then it hits.
I'm gonna say patience and precision. You sound like a Mike Shenmuele song right now. Okay, Obama. Okay, Obama.
Hopefully not a beat. Hopefully not a beat.
Ha ha ha ha.
He burst.
Man that could have been danger.
Oh that could have been danger.
Trying to read the side step on Lee with the back one.
He's just not budging at all.
The fake out once again pops his budges.
But actually find the big hit.
Key dash.
OK, 3-2, some short of the wall but a good position for Claudio.
Rotation round for me.
Looking the side step right.
Hats you, kick.
You come under the homie attack.
Circle screen.
Side step forward.
Low.
It strikes for me.
Office in trouble, my young boy's in trouble.
Look at that.
Step in the counter to me.
No.
And he right just like that.
He is on set point to go to grand finals.
Office can't fear complete turnaround.
Remember, he's the one to put him here.
He's the one to put him on the other side of this branch.
He in the long set.
You have to touch with the walk
around right side to help you stay
behind the way.
Over there.
Yeah, that's real.
Yeah, that's real on the show.
He.
He.
He.
Four, three, three, follow-up.
Okay.
Surfer to engage here.
The defense can lead to defend
through all of the heat.
They still get flipped back one
on the wall.
Confiscate here, finally gonna stop that round count, please.
Okay, okay, and look, it ain't over just yet.
No matter how big the cards are stacked against you,
it's not over just yet.
He had guarded sidestep guard on deck the entire time.
Confiscate, we're just squeaking away.
Kind of poke away in the mid-range like that.
Break up the floor as well.
Break the floor counter-activation.
Gonna break the glass though of V-Stanvere.
With the armor breaking the floor.
And now with the goons, finding the treasure.
Run, run!
Big block.
Move is so fast, you gotta be careful.
Running this thing's you're free to...
To what?
The cardio isn't good.
Slow touches, adding up for a piece of here as well.
Right back at you, back three, testing with the mid strikes.
Those back 3s starting to add up, very good for the up close pressure.
When you know your opponent's side step is quite a bit, step up, back 3, the quality of it is definitely what you want to do.
He finally decides to over extend the back 1, clips me, and now Hoff is 2 rounds tied up in this third game.
You'll get me some more games, bro. You'll get me some more games.
Right now that mid-range control Hoff is inside with the side walk from me.
His movement and defense has been what he put him over the edge of some of these players in long sets.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
And he's got the wall too?
You want to converge and to hatch it after?
Four, three.
Hop is you got to do something if you're trying to stop me.
Trace the step and smash!
Geez.
One interaction away from being two sets away from being EVO champion again.
Hop is has to do something and it's going to be nothing.
Knee is going to Grand Finals and successfully giving Office 10
for a third place showing here at Evo Japan, 20-26.
And you can see it affecting Knee already.
He knows what's in sight, but he's got another game to play.
It's going to be versus Akane.
But man, go back and look at how Knee has been playing
this entire day.
It has been amazing.
The evolution from dealing with all the lows,
the sidesteps, the adjustments.
Knee has done it all to get back here.
But once again, is he going to be able to do it?
Will he be able to hit you with the five timer?
Will we see it?
Steve, with his approach and his style,
he enters this top eight on Lugia side,
but you give him this first to three
with the way he is playing these sets.
This format, I think, is really favorable for him.
Yeah, yeah.
Up until this point, obviously,
like when Winner's final, Lugia's final doesn't matter,
but the sets up until this point,
think about how he has been breaking down
these players over the course of three, three, four, five games.
Bro, nothing to sneeze at, bro.
It's like a lot of just timing reads.
You saw it so many times.
Side step jet uppers, side step launches.
He's able to read their timing and just use lateral movement
so well.
And it's patient.
Like we said, patient.
It's not like he's just swinging for the fences.
He's reading it.
He's seeing the gap there.
It's actually crazy, man, because I always hear, like, man,
I don't know how to defend.
And I mean, look, I'm going to tell you right now.
I've been looking at how he was playing last year.
You can be playing the same way the same thing is crazy.
That's his style.
It's the style that he found in his game.
It's traditionally his, but he just found a way
to impose it on people.
And when you give him more games to work with like that,
I think this is really good for him, actually.
Obviously.
Obviously planning.
Let's take a look at the path that he even
got to grand finals with.
You got to remember, he started on Lugerside of this thing.
3-0 over Tetsu.
3-2 over Olsson that went the distance,
went down to the very last round.
3-2 over AK, same scenario.
3 over Hafiz Tanbir, who put him in Luchas to begin with.
You can see, of course, Ikari having the craziest tournament
run of his life right now.
Over Olsan, over Hafiz Tanbir, over Zugal, over Chikarin,
over Amonja, over AK.
This two's having the hell of a weekend.
Man, the games have done nothing but been
immaculate this entire time, for I've been looking at these guys
taking all weekend and it has been the shortest ridiculous. You could not call
who was gonna make it here but I can tell you right now I know somebody that was
hoping right now bro the DRX 4th under the building. Ney has an opportunity to
crown it. Cash it. Five time EVO champion could be in the building Obama.
Steve, the Cyborg is here. What do we, I don't want to get two or two weeks of fanboying.
We might see a reset, right?
It isn't going to be a first and three affair,
but the thing is, Ikari right now,
is he Marvel?
No fear, bro.
Some of these situations that we've seen him fighting out
in this Top 8 alone.
It's like, he will take the punishment,
and he's still like,
no, this is the mix that I have to learn,
and I'm going to do it.
You haven't really seen him
have too much discomfort this entire Top 8?
I mean, if we just look at how Akari's been playing,
Once again, we don't get to see Kazi as that much right like they're very rare far few and in between
There's a reason why they have such a fanboy element around it. Yeah, you know, everyone's leaving. Where's case game like he's not
He's not the only cause he out there. He's been the most effective
He's been the most successful, but they've always been like scattered sprinkled in there
But the thing is his gameplay is very much still intact. Are you blocking these hellsweeps?
You eat three of those and you have nightmares about hellsweep. He still got like a ways to open you up
He's got that axe kid.
He's got these poking loans, the downback threes, the statues.
But they, unless you say you try to fight them heads up.
And I feel like this is the most fundamental part of it.
Do you know how to fight against electrics?
People do not know how to fight against electric.
They get too close.
They get clipped next thing you know they're in the air
and then they're shook for an entire cent.
That's the game.
Me has been doing this, fighting this character for years.
Akari, what are you gonna bring new to the table
to put the goat on his heels
and maybe on his back and claim
that championship of EVO Japan in 2006.
And how are you going to change in a draft?
And count us after what he's going to do with you.
Especially seeing again the way he's played these sets out
this top eight.
He has been bending but not breaking.
And then he's finding ways to break people's cards down.
And any way that they want to impose offensive pressure,
he's finding these caps.
And the set begins anew.
The tournament season begins anew.
The TWT begins anew.
Where about they did anew?
champion, our returning champion. Points are on the line. Let's see who's going to do it. It's me,
it's Akari, it's Grand Final, it's Evo Japan 2026. Let's get it.
Right away, the size of 24.
Pantheon size difference.
John Moore, one next find, they've been going from me.
Come to you to be able to get this thing off. Activation with the ball.
Go on.
Once again, he needs to reset this. That means he's going to get three games and then another
of three games he needs six of the things if he wants five of them things
look at the pressure yeah see how the mix can be harried in balance over time
see if we emphasize the pattern side bit so far early on here in this set
when he's gonna start breaking those sweeps out so far the mix after
wants the load to be able to take this round he's hurry right now
The no mixup mixup, baby.
Strong confidence against thee here at Grand Park.
It's the no mixup mixup.
We know that the hell's sweet is coming.
But the question is when.
A single move can get you a W in any fighting game.
And a huge part of that definitely
comes by way of the hell's sweet when we come to the top.
It's when that whatever happens, it's when you make it.
I'm trying to get the most respect you'll touch me.
He's gonna be able to turn out of this.
He's got the heat.
He's got the wall.
Will he be able to take the round?
Hey, this is a spin.
Yo!
Yo!
That move is so sick.
Jeez.
The fact that I see it so much more in Tekken 8
makes me so happy.
They break on the throw.
Low parry.
Oh my god, this dude is playing crazy right now.
He's not like he's rolling over either, he's just playing, he's just playing his game.
Oh!
He tried to do it too.
Yeah, he tried to do it too.
Dude, it was awful, it was so clean.
It was quiet in this battle.
I found it. I did return here counter hit low.
That's a good man.
And the low touch from me.
Yo, my man, they're gaming right now to get that right.
That's what it's all about.
Steer the hell sweet.
We're still there.
Don't you forget it.
Oh, and now we're all rising to big damage right there.
The crowd size one plus two on the follow up.
The big damage 83 on the wall.
He needs 60% advantage for playing the game.
He engaged.
Bring this incinerator string up.
Pass.
Pass.
Loads.
After.
After.
With one.
Run the smash.
Pass.
Pass.
There we go.
Counter-counter hit two and that's going to be the first game on the board.
He needs three to get the reset.
I know you might be getting a little happy.
A little angsty out there.
He needs three to get the reset.
He needs three more to get the championship.
Coddy only needs three.
If he can turn this around in any capacity
and get three games first, that's his trophy
and not needs trophy to win.
Long way to go, Steve.
Now I get two and two excited.
This is the first of three affair here.
It's true.
But I hear something.
Yo, the terminator is a cyborg?
The cyborg?
That's him, man.
That's him.
And you fighting?
Why is Lady sleeping in her back?
You know he don't play that.
My girl trying to take a nap
I like that
Burning all of that
I like the great challenge
I like that charge the last hit you better not move and it'll cause you around
Control that hit range
I was talking about, he wants you to duck, he wants you to duck.
Whoa, the third dimension, there's not only up or down.
Get up.
Do it again.
Can't it go straight?
The dog in the large.
My man, he is locked in.
The dog, the dog.
That sound is getting louder.
Somebody at the door? Do you hear that?
Don't answer it!
Don't answer it!
Do not answer the door!
Do not answer the door!
Oh!
Do not trust it! Do not trust it!
Oh my God!
Chopped and enhanced!
Field kick, side kick...
Now we get in the tag here!
Punish on the homie!
The side step!
It's a-
He's-
It's a clinic seat!
Dog!
It's a-
Dog! It's a techie!
Who hasn't been done it to you now?
Who has not built that bro?
Oh, I love them
Oh, we were to try to go for the change of his right?
He can we saw what happened last time that counter hit this guy me has taken two games away
one more game and we get a reset and then the boards are leaving the charts are
square don't answer that door should I answer it don't do it just don't do it
listen to the police officer huh John where are you the dogs where he's sick
give me the phone that's not your money she's already dead
Like that, like that.
Ready, go on, go on.
Considerate it, back up on.
You eat my activation.
Punish me once again.
Mmm, the punch parry.
Okay, oh, there, sweet.
The Kati set up to out of block.
Side step!
Side step!
Oh, I'm crushing her.
Oh!
Okay, try to go for a top on object.
Like, yo, I can side step double electric.
No combo though.
15 seconds left.
Gray on both sides.
Heat for the side of the Kati.
Any side step of the zone, that should be it.
Not much fighting them all side the wall you got to be careful with this combo
No, we ready for the hell sweet spins the heat
That's on the tail end. Oh, Cody's got a chance, but it's gonna be a perfect for me
She's to he had that cross on lock is like
Speaking of
That's a side garden nice delay in the option selection. He called it there. Okay, job
coming out a little bit more. He can manage this brown.
That's this time. Yeah, follow up. Now back three. This is exactly what I was talking about.
I think it's the first one we've seen as a tire set so far.
out slow their plumber. Akati knows that he can't over extend the counter answer there.
He knows the danger of the electric so he's playing it out. He knows this. Give it all.
Hit the extension. Electric from Akambo. This isn't gonna kill Brandt. Got a little heat left and he can't doubt me.
Akati in range. But that makes it the wall. I get Akambo. And that's gonna do it. Two games to one.
Akati with a huge exhale. The first time we've seen him even remotely show emotion, bro.
Oh my god!
He was like, I just need to sip it in his water and we're going right back in.
It's enough of this farce.
We'll get this machine out of my face.
Man, that Crap Dash 1 plus 2, I call you using it so well.
You think it's a boxed-up machine, right?
Right side, man.
It's a bunch of things.
Like, it layers to make something it wants to do.
Good speed as well, but then also the chip damage that is done, it's like multi-functionals, it's really good at that.
And he's been using it for a great effect, it's pretty much every set that he's played this whole weekend.
Right beside the top, what happened to him?
Well how did he decide to hit him?
What?
This dude is amazing, he just finds a way to thread the lead away and makes him pay in the worst way possible.
God, I'm the sweet, the low parry for McQuarrie, you've got a chance here.
You see, we're coming in great light this time as well.
Wait.
Too far for the punish.
The hell, sweet little wave of wave of...
The potential's at me!
Fisherman, with the blue stuff on the top, you gotta pay extra for that.
Knees willing to do it.
No, these approach there. One jab at them.
Stash them, Blast them.
Look at his face! Look into his face!
Press the plus.
Get the counter hit and get the launch. Get the activation.
Oh, that could have been dangerous.
Almost got you.
Wall is flat.
Thanks for this territory.
It strikes the armor through this.
Trying to side some of the sidewalk left on the wall.
Card with a big ball.
Passing homing on that attack.
Back one.
What a side step.
Small punish.
Knees back into the wall.
17 seconds left on the clock with a lightning in favor of Akane.
but he's got a lot of gray light to cover cover.
Boom, boom, boom.
Oh, he's got a fly!
He's getting spikes in the run.
Steve.
One round away.
Steve, he's one round away.
Look at the wave that pressure.
Bruh.
Akati, enough.
Enough.
Enough.
Dog, you finally decide to pull the turn on the one two.
tried to make him pay for it, not close enough.
A quick recovery on that move anyway.
And the ball straight, finally wrecked with an engage here.
And she's in the mid-strikes.
The mold, the Wastani floor, finally.
Damn.
Big launch here for Big Mari.
You trying to seal this round?
Gets the mid after.
OK.
OK.
Akagi up there talking to himself.
That's how you know it's an internal battle.
I ain't a physical battle, but else we pull.
not close enough
went too early for that tracking move and gave me extra breath and now they're fighting
them up engage
all the demons fall here
wall pressure that's a patch side fist that could have been bad
activation now need bite back off the wall trade trade in his favor
uh-oh next series
punishing them in the smash and we just got a
a reset from your defending Evo Japan champion here in Tekken 8 Grand Finals.
Ikari and Ni now, it's a first to three for everything.
But with the way that set went, and with the way he looks like he's playing right now.
No, don't do it. James Cameron tuning up the band.
James Cameron at home like, let's go, Ni.
We got it. Well, he've been he've been roasted all the cinematic universe. We got to get him on the second
We do we actually do I'm down yo James Cameron directing the tech and movie
I'm so oh my god, that would be crazy because you know he would animate a volcano scene easy
Sorry Denzel Washington as tasty
Oh my god dog
Oh, set up, bro, it's so stupid.
Starring me as himself.
Who do you get to play as?
Oh, no, I feel like you can't get nobody else.
Oh, man.
No, man, what's old dude?
They always be slapping people.
He's always in the mafia movies, the Korean actor.
Cover that damn net he can get to play me.
Yo, that'd be crazy, actually.
Oh, we go shout out to everybody at home watching go tell a friend to tell a friend. We might be able
Go ahead. Go ahead. Michael McConaughey as Michael Murray
They got the same hair
That's right. They got the same hair. Oh my god
Can't watch the knobby is
Horata, okay, okay
Oh my god.
But if you would need fanboy,
I'm just saying last year we were saying put your
cores up around this time. It feels different this time.
You might not be able to see him with the lady.
I don't want to call it early.
We got a reset.
But like you said, he's been walking around with the
scouts on his face this whole weekend.
I was like, hello, he didn't even budge.
Oh, it's one of those weekends.
He's clocked in and locked in, Steve.
Joe punching the car to try to punch his ticket
to get another one on the board.
Hey, Kari, you made it this far.
You ain't playing finals.
But if you're going to get this legacy kind of scene here
at Evo Japan for Tekken 8, you don't want to make it this far
and get second.
You don't want to make it this far in second place.
You've been having a hell of a weekend.
And he's still playing out of his mind.
still playing great. It's just right now he's just imposing his defense in this
game on every player he comes in, even the players that run it. It's crazy
because I always see people like man I don't know how to defend this is that
another this dude me does it all. These side steps blocking the loads taking full
advantage and now it is truly a first of these three games and we will have a
champion of Evo Japan Grand Finals reset. It is Korea versus Korea, knee versus a
This is Grand Finals for EVO Japan 2026.
We are gonna reset first of three.
Let's go.
He's trying to make history.
He's trying to repeat it.
Obama chill.
Chill bro.
Chill bro.
I'm gonna try to trust.
Oh!
It's gonna get started like this.
Snake Eyes active.
Yo!
The wall.
Spike.
Smoke.
Blades.
Yo!
The fire has...
Spam!
The fireball!
Yo-ho-ho!
Yo!
Care to pull straight to open it up!
But we got some electricity, okay?
We keep the power on this house.
Generators on backup!
He quarreled right now!
Wall pressure!
This is the case of emergency.
Nice block, the tsunami!
What's all this technology?
We'll assign one of my devils.
Ooh, ooh, it's about the scriptures for me.
It's about the future for you.
He said no, he said no, Joe.
Got the axe kick.
Here we go.
Here we go.
Kari not rolling over, not going to make it easy for him.
Hatch the side fist.
Now the wheel of rotation.
It's off to the rotating back around.
Got a little greed.
He's wheeled around in shape.
He's first working out, life lead in favor, ground in favor, he caught him.
Look at these guard timing as well.
You see a lot of times he's getting these blocks on patch side because at the last second he's
shifting his mark.
Armor.
Oh, demon paw.
Trying to sidestep the electric, and I told you we keep the power on in these houses.
The chip.
The slam, the chop.
Still got the wall, damage to a missus,
both wild standing punish, you know, a point for E-Cardi.
Nice, proper, big punish, full launch, and there's the kill.
First game of the reset, Yucati stakes his claim.
He's like, nah, but he ain't walking over me.
He's already doing better than he did last set, just being able to even get that one game like that.
He got it later in the last set, but being able to start this one off that way
and stop any sense of bleeding or momentum on these side, that's a big deal.
Okay, let's go to the beach.
My man, I ain't here to play games.
I got on a full blown triple patent leather jacket, bro.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Catch a blinkin'.
The counter hits as well.
Look at that damage.
Laser.
50% advantage right off the bat.
Side step on the cannonball straight.
Getting decent return here.
You like it or not?
The lighting to the electricity!
Yo!
Yo! Yo!
I'm gonna say chill!
That's a block!
Down 4-2!
Akati making a claim right now!
Akati's like,
nah bro, you're not walking over me!
You thought it was gonna be easy?
Nah!
The first game of this game as well!
He has to readjust here look at a passion up to it
Down for one else we went right back to
Flying against the game that electric ain't gonna do it all there it is cross-dash one plus two
Activation!
Should be the round and man Akati has turned it on now.
He's definitely turned it on now.
Music picking up.
Sandal in the shoes.
Oh!
Bro.
He's been fighting them with a complete turnaround.
The wind punish comes just to get the sweep.
Blazers!
And he glories on two, game advantage on me.
Post reset.
And look at it, look at it.
Now he's taking it out of here.
Now he's getting close.
He can feel it.
He's this close, he's one game away.
And everything that has happened so far,
everything he has fought through to this point
is now at a head.
Whatever character you lock in, you're stuck with.
You gotta beat them three games straight.
Good luck.
I love that you've already heard us talking and even put the whole script in front.
This is a crazy run.
Bro, you gonna tell me this is not some good ass tech and I don't smell that outside.
Yo big site, I don't smell that outside.
They in this bad boy cooking and the tech in this great.
I would recommend.
All right, right now, don't get too anxious, stay with the gameplay patterns,
look at the development, but this set is completely different from the last set.
Just in terms of tempo and his option selection.
And the redrawing point, the redrawing point.
The speed at which they're playing definitely picked up in favor of Akati.
He's been a lot more offensive when it comes to letting these set up his game,
which has really been one of the differences, right?
His defense is so crispy, he'll wait for that time to get that big block that won not them.
And then he plays his games, and he pulls out the old man!
The fight, the lore fight!
Yo, I'm telling you right now, no idea!
No idea, and it's actually sick that he's wearing the mask.
My man said you're supposed to be dead.
Needs you're supposed to be dead.
Why are you here?
On the common-headed back to Earth.
Steve, why do you think you would go with this character?
I mean, I'm gonna tell you right now,
one of the tools back for him has a lot of range.
He's crazy on the whip, but you gotta get that first,
and also he's got an electric of his own.
You don't have to rely on orbital.
You don't have to worry about these things
Don't get a combo started.
If you call them right, they're in the air.
You think it's about the testing of the mid-range?
Yes.
So far, it's hard for you like that.
100%.
You got a better downfall, one no combo,
but you also got downfall, one two
to make it get a little chip as well.
And you got a hell sweeper, you know?
Yeah, you can vary it with timing a lot more as well,
but of course, culture instinct as well.
Yep, and that's what I was about to say.
Warrior instinct, so far.
Oh, friend.
If I'm happy, I'm happy.
It might as well be.
It might as well be.
Rocking.
That's where it's supposed to be.
You're talking about side-fuckin'-well, I just need this time on me side!
Yo, God, this graveyard is so sick!
Walking through the graveyard to put you in the ground!
Hey, I see you!
Yeah! Oh, my God!
Oh, my God, I didn't see it coming.
But he's gotta stick to this. You can't only do it for one game, dude.
It's gotta be three games straight.
It's gotta be three games straight.
and
still is there
and look your health speed doesn't work the way that it used to
but that's why those big pokes are going to be important
so you see there's a lot of double dashes as well
punish on that uppercut
great use of these hands with attacks to the
plus he gets in heat
Tokyo one of his own now down 412 the stance cancels the asking pressure stands cancelling as well into a sidewalk
Just a flash punch in the exchange after but that's the kind of scary stuff
Oh glory is demon godfist the way that this guy is playing right now should not afford to keep in those kinds of openings over and over again
the crowd is in love with this right now bro when he picked i killed him nice block tsunami
into stance stand on the ground i like that option a lot more important than the tech
in a stand-up. Stand on normal when you keep down.
Down, forward one, then step and activate.
Any tsunami in the stands, I like that.
Not over-committing. Punish.
Okay. Spends it.
Wave, wave, wave.
Now back to me, and again, these backboards.
No punish on the sweep.
Full punch down.
Four, two is what you need to get that punish now.
It's a new move.
It is a little tricky to do, I can tell you right now.
Now I got a pocket. Hey at you, but it did not stop the W gets the big launch and now the floor is lava
The car he can play this right and be right back in the running. You know, he's gonna catch
So the wall
How this last interaction works out one round away
Oh, Japan, wait for Ikari against Awaken Me with the Instinct Activeness.
Sweep on my sweep.
And again, it's the same move too.
It's that same instance.
You either gotta commit to the electric or you're focused down for two.
There's the electric no.
For big combo.
Big combo.
With the Instinct Activeness, put the heat on top of it.
Big damage on the wall.
The wall.
Sweep right.
That's weird that is weird
You're supposed to be dead, how are you still alive?
Feel great here we go
Elected first the lecture first one's going to a time like you said through that last game
That didn't play a role in the game,
it didn't really give a new version to give a hockey-like base.
But baby, the damage as well,
that it's getting on these big conversions.
Oh, the charge from the back too.
Spins, they heat.
Oh, oh, I want it all.
And the push!
On the wall.
Nidget.
Well, out, stash, one plus two, that passes the spin.
Oh, god.
And that's why back, forth, and make it whip,
my man is in recovery for a long time.
There it is!
It's the electric ready to try to get the splat on the wall
because the explosion is there. Get up.
Stop.
A little bit more down for one as well.
Whoa.
Whoa.
Ten seconds.
Oh, yeah.
You're going to get an answer back this round.
Oh.
You're just going to start the fight.
Yep.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
First round, once again, if Akati wins this game,
that will be his tournament point,
will be the champion of Evo Japan 2026.
Oh, regular Godfist.
Okay, you gonna spin that?
Back to.
Back to with the activation, got the wall as well.
This is gonna be damage, 93.
Sorry.
The axle still has heat to work with.
It options looking how much great
healthy Kari has right now.
Damn, get the hit, you gotta,
you gotta cast that out.
Oh my god.
He hurt you.
He's gonna recover a lot of that life as well.
He's gonna be about even on health, yeah.
Ooh, looking for the Hellsweep.
Looking the wrong way.
The cottage.
And there's the Hellsweep.
There's the explosion.
One round away from Pune Aichi, where he was supposed to stay.
By the way, the winning ego, Japan, 2026,
he called him, he's a flash punch.
Punched me?
Oh, the demon's ball, down back four, Max Cage.
Dancing a little bit, trying to keep that wall from behind.
A lot of passage here, two on the side of me.
Need to be walking on these demon balls.
The hell, sweet.
Staying ducking.
Whoa
The electric on top of that the old man still got it what a challenge what a conversion here
Anyone break on the graph
All the heat snaps the cold it out me is fell a lot. You'll give me another game
Give me one more game. I don't care what happens after this. It's get dice. You stick this in play here
Looking for the mid, the sidestep, that Hellsweep.
Whoa.
This is the game, just out of range.
Huge, with punch from Ikari.
That wall, trying to adjust for it, actually saved me his life.
Hellsweep again, two interactions away.
He's gonna activate, right?
Gotcha, but you know what Kati's looking for, and that's why he's keeping that range.
What a whip punish, do it, do it!
That's the opportunity now.
No!
Ikori does not care!
He's the Japan Champion!
Ikori!
And he can't believe it himself, taking out Nita to be the Champion, and he bows to the
Goat.
What a play, bro.
Oh my god, he can't believe it.
He's looking at the monitor himself.
Yo, what the set, bro?
He's still in shot!
Bro, he's looking around like, is this a dream?
No, baby, wake up.
Wake up.
I thought my dad was dead.
you were right and you did it Akari looking at himself on the big screen as your evil Japan
2026 champion and the start of the TWG season comes to an amazing start bro.
Speed that is incredible he was so locked in this entire weekend ever since he came here look at him rip it off.
He's in shock you cannot believe him how often did he crack today even like right before he just
They all saw Iggy scratching on his face.
Up until some of these tights on his very head.
He went, he didn't even register.
He didn't register, he couldn't believe it bro.
And like he said before, the emotion that we've seen
was nothing but a lie.
He was so confident, confident, confident.
No matter where he was at in the track,
he got to meet it the first time he's seen him sweat.
And after the recent, that's when he saw the ship.
That's when we saw the change in the game plan.
And that's what got him that big W.
and the Hell Sweep sent him home with that trophy, but on top of that,
it just seems like a great day for Kazuyo Mishima.
He killed his dad, he got the W, and now he's the champion.
Mishima players right now riding a nice high, and check out this one, man.
Ikari over Zubal, over Chikorin, over Mangya, over AK, over Ni,
over Hothis Tanbir, Ni and Double Jeopardy gets to dub in the win here at Evo Japan 2026 Tekken 8.
Me some of users you gotta be you gotta be you gotta you gotta highlight this one brother
This is a hell of a start to y'all's calendar this year
Look man, and I started off by saying this man
We've come to a lot of tech in eight grand finals top eight stop 16
But the consistency of the players that we've been seeing there has not changed and everybody's elevating their game
No matter what version of the game we're playing that need making a huge statement getting that second place showing
Hopfist 10 fear being the best stand player to make it all the way to that third place showing and this the top eight overall
Man, it's actually been amazing and there was some people that got blown up in that top eight
And it was still heavy contention across the board. We had some really good sets and even though this was first to three format
It really kind of showcased
just how much
How much more fun and how much more you can see this game play develop when it's first to three versus even like first
to see. Yeah, really like a couple of the sets just the back and forth adaptation
counter adaptation was really, really fun to watch. But congratulations to Ikari,
local warrior out here. He's been, I'm telling you, go check the stage, check the star gg pages.
This brother has been at Mandojo events out here grinding. And again, that's also a big
dub for the local communities here as well. Both Korean community and JP community. This is one
of their own somebody who's been out here hustling and grinding and when they get
the big dump like this one that you know I don't think a lot of people would
have expected you gotta give props you gotta give thanks to the community good
stuff the car is back bro when you win and you like when you win if you can't
He went straight to the ground!
He was like, oh my god, thank you, D!
Bro, what a setup, bro.
Evo just painted the workers again.
The presenters are Itsuka and Marika Gomi.
You can't say anything, man.
We had representations of every country.
That stand was here.
We had you as I needed it.
the finalists.
The top three players will receive the EVO Japan Collaboration Model of Amido HA10 Plus
and the leaderless controller, gold model for the champion, silver for second place, and bronze for the third.
And the winner, Ikari Ikari, will receive 250,000 yen.
Our champion will take home 2,500,000 yen.
Now, let's hear from Ikari, who won the tournament.
Your next award is from our champion, Ikari.
Hello.
I want to make my friend regret it. Thank you.
project and you did not watch elementary school with a game of win and get that
up like that.
Can I say this take a look?
Take it back to the stage though.
Let's stay together forever, Reina-san.
You were training with your father, right?
Hey, pick up to them over and bear that damn goon or that bait was crazy.
I thought we were about to get something to reveal right now.
Oh my gosh.
Yo, this bad boy, he old out.
You can see right there.
Getting our first look at the gameplay of Kunimitsu.
They showed the character early on,
but it was the first time we got to see what she's capable of.
And definitely, I was thinking we were going to get more the same
from like what we got from T7,
but there's a lot of additions to the character you can tell.
A lot more visibility, like graphically as well,
but mostly when it comes to the gameplay.
It seems like she's definitely going to be a lot different.
That mixture again, I'm thinking like, you know,
with heat effects and stuff like that.
Kind of thinking about how that's gonna work out
against some of the characters that have
big range of options like that,
but I'm still tripping over how they flashed that last panel,
bro, that was an incredible bait, bro.
That was dirty, that was dirty.
I was ready to bust it.
Right, y'all, look at the balls!
Why would you do it right now?
But Combo Break is gonna be our first look at whoever
that mystery character may be.
And it's coming up soon.
It's not far at all.
Combo Break, or what?
What?
End of the month.
End of the month, and you guys are gonna see
who the next character is,
But I mean, look, I said this before and I'll keep saying it every time.
And these top eights for Tekken 8 have always delivered, man.
It's been amazing to see these top players come out and try to get these points,
try to get these spots, whether it be points for the Tekken World Tour or EWC.
They put it all on the line, man.
So I just wanted to say shout out to the players that continue, man, to show love
and to grind it out and try to get these points and put in on these amazing matches
for us and the people at home.
It feels like similar to what it did last year where it's like the players going to play, man.
Some of these guys, especially, they're locked in.
This is the game that they play.
This is what they're going to do regardless.
So when you see the players come out and play and perform,
and then you get new champions like that,
people who just had a good weekend
and would have been walking like that,
that's a great feeling.
Congratulations once again to Ikari.
And of course, all the other competitors that signed up,
put their names on the dotted line,
showed up to play this weekend.
Good stuff to everybody, of course.
Thank you all for tuning in
from wherever you watch it from all over the world.
Teemo Japan 2026, we got things started off this morning
with the Tekken 8, don't go anywhere.
We're not done yet.
You guys know what everybody else is packing in here for.
Street Fighter 6 is gonna start soon.
We'll be right back, but we'll catch you guys next time.
Everybody be easy.
You
Let me do my thing, wait too much, no time to think
Hey, first week diving in, both hands up to the sky again
We live and laugh, screaming like nobody around
It's what it's all about, so get ready, get up, get ready
Let me do my thing, let me do my thing
Let me do my thing, let me do my thing
Let me do my thing, let me do my thing
Let me do my thing, let me do my thing
Stream like nobody around
It's what it's all about
So get ready, get up, get ready, yeah
So get ready, get up, get ready, yeah
Oh
Let's go!
EVO Japan 2026, presented by Leftech.
Are you all having fun?
Thank you.
Here is the announcement.
Evolution Championship Series, as you all know,
Evo has a new world record today.
We will officially announce the Guinness World Record,
the second place winner, Fujibuchi.
We have an announcement to make.
Today at Evolution Championship Series, also known as EVIL,
a brand new world record has been set.
We will now have it officially announced by Ms. Fuji Buchi and an adjudicator from Guinness World Records.
Fuji Buchi, please.
Hello everyone, I am the official adjudicator from Guinness World Records.
Hello everyone, I'm Fujibu Chimika, a official member of the Guinness World Record.
The Guinness World Record was born in the UK in 1955.
Over 70 years from now, it has been recognized and registered in many countries in the world.
And today, a new history is born in this place.
The official name of the record that has been recognized this time is
largest tournament for a single fighting video game.
In Japanese, it's the largest tournament in the world.
The limit record is 7,083 people who achieved in the US in 2023.
And this year's EVO Japan, in 2026,
7,168 people participated in the Street Fighter 6 tournament as a contestant.
Congratulations on being recognized for the world record!
Now, let's hear the award ceremony.
Now, please welcome the winners.
Rick Fire, Matsuda Yasuaki, Inaba Hiroaki, and Toyota Fusuke.
Please stand by.
The biggest tournament for a single fighting video game consists of 7,168 streets and a total of
168 Street Fighter 6 participants and was achieved by eSports Evolution, LLC, at
Evil Japan 2026.
Omehata Lozaimus, you're officially amazing!
Hi, I don't speak any Japanese.
Arigato gozaimasu.
Matsuda-san.
I can't believe I won the first place in Street Fighter 6, but I'm very happy to win the first place.
The title of the title is the top of the whole, so I will do my best not to lose to a solid fighter.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much for watching.
So, after this, Street Fighter 6 Finals will begin.
Don't go away, the Grand Finals for Street Fighter 6 is coming right up after this.
You
Hey, hey, welcome back to Evo Japan, 2026, presented by Laptick.
I am your MC, Shun Mizubuchi, MC's Shunsuke Mizubuchi.
And...
I'm your assistant MC, Itsuka.
Nice to meet you.
And...
I'm your assistant MC, Komari-chan, Komori-chan, and Komori-san.
Nice to meet you.
Thank you.
We'll be waiting for Street Fighter 6 Finals to be held here on the main stage.
But first, we have a lot of great news from Capcom.
Before we dive into action for Street Fighter 6 Finals,
Capcom has some announcements.
First, we have news about Street Fighter League.
現在CAPCOM ではSFL mascot character design contestを開催中です。
応募方法はX2でオリジナル先頭、ハッシュタグ、SFL mascotをつけて投稿をするのみです。
First off regarding the Street Fighter League, Street Fighter League.
Calcom is now running the SFL mascot character design contest.
All you have to do is post your original design on X with the hashtag SFL mascot.
The winning design will be brought to life by Ryuta Fusei and become the official SFL mascot.
The final product is the SFL special illustration, which is designed by Ryuta Fusei, a mascot of the youth.
We have received a lot of great works, so I would like to introduce some of them.
received a lot of great entries already so let's highlight a few of them.
Sticky.
Kawaii.
Yeah, Kawaii.
There are many characters.
Yeah, there are many characters.
They're very cute.
Yeah, Kawaii.
All variety.
Yeah, Kawaii, isn't it?
Very cute.
Hi.
The deadline is May 6th, so don't miss your chance for entry details and rules.
rules, please visit the official Street Fighter League website.
Updates on the Capcom Pro Tourer 2026 World Warrior.
As one of the tournament series in the Capcom Pro Tourer 2026,
World Warrior events will take place multiple times over the coming months.
Hosted by tournament organizers across different regions worldwide.
The final tournament will be held on the 10th place.
The 5th place will be held on the 5th place.
The 8th place will be held on the 6th place.
And the winner on the top will be held on the 3rd place.
The tournament will be held all over the world.
8 players in the standings.
Top finishers will qualify for the World Championship.
Capcom Cup 13.
These events are being held all around the world right now.
In Japan, all the entries will start from the 2nd to the 5th.
The entries will be closed on June 29th, 23rd, 59 minutes, so please make sure you don't forget the entries.
Everyone is a beginner at first, right?
Yes, of course.
Mr. Itsuka and Mr. Gomari are also beginners, right?
Yes, they are beginners.
There were also beginners at the time, so please don't lose anything because they are beginners.
Please subscribe.
If you like it, I would be very happy if you would like to participate, so please participate.
Yes, so the beginners are also waiting for the first prize.
For the Japan Tournament,
Entries are now open for events number 2 to number 5, but the deadline for number 2 is June 29th at 11.59 p.m.
So don't forget to enter. Everybody is a beginner. Everybody is a beginner.
So just jump in and please go for that first one. So before that be sure to enter.
You can also join Nintendo Switch 2.
For more information on the tournament, check out Capcom's official website.
You can even join this tournament on Nintendo Switch 2.
For full details, check out the official Capcom Pro Tour website.
The new movie's teaser is finally released on the Paramount Pictures official YouTube channel!
And some exciting news!
The teaser trailer for the highly anticipated live action movie, Street Fighter!
The movie is finally out now, on Paramount Pictures official YouTube channel!
Ryu, Ken, Jun Leader, and the other fighters have gathered.
The tournament will now begin, and the rules will be set for the top of the world tournament.
The Japanese fans will be excited to see the fans of the series.
Please take the spirit of the original, and the passion to fight.
Ryu, Ken, Jun Lee, and other legendary fighters unite.
No rules, only the strongest will prevail.
The ultimate tournament to decide the world's best begins now,
featuring a star-studded voice cast returning for the Japanese dub.
Witness a fairy battle that carries on the spirit of the original.
Experience it for yourself.
The live action sheep fighter, the movie hits theaters worldwide on October 16.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much.
Please watch the whole movie and enjoy the fight.
Thank you very much.
I'm sorry to keep you waiting.
I'm sorry.
We are all signed up, everyone, please say we're awesome!
What we're gonna do, we're gonna warm you up, warm up your voices, warm up your bodies,
so that you'll be able to cheer with all your might to the top 8 finalists.
What we're gonna do, we'll say,
Kagei, Yosei, Saiko, Yosei, Ibojapan, Yosei, Saiko, Yosei,
Storoku, Yosei, Saiko.
That's all.
Everyone, I'm sure you're all set, so just hit it!
Let's go once!
Are we going to the final?
Thank you so much for coming from the bottom of my heart!
I really can't believe it!
Just one more thing.
Everyone who is there,
everyone who is there,
please don't look at me like I'm not feeling well.
Let's all warm up and warm up.
Let's go!
It's already the first round,
so let's go straight to the finals.
Let's go!
Confirmation!
I'm ready!
Evo Japan!
Strong!
Great!
Perfect!
Great!
Perfect!
I'm ready for the match!
Yes!
Yes!
Then...
Evo Japan,
2016,
presented by
RevaTec,
Street Fighter 6,
Final 2,
startless.
Evo Japan,
2026,
presented by Leptec, She Fighters 6, The Finals.
This is the end of the battle!
Oh, to the top, to the side, to the side, to the side, to the side, yeah
The winner of the Top 8, the players who climbed up to the top 8
Here are your Top 8 finalists
I
No!
Yeah
Yamaguchi
Oh
Ta Kei Hee
Shoot!
Oh.
Oh
Not a
I
Let's go!
Let's begin!
Coming to you all the way live at Tokyo Big Sight from the Guinness Book of World Record Holders.
We got Evolution Japan 2026 for Street Fighter 6.
And it couldn't be without the legendary players up on stage as well as the host,
but also with my two on my left and my right.
right evil award-winning commentators a ridge and yikes to take us all the way
through this legendary topic oh man I can't wait brother obviously this topic
like all the top eights and Street Fighter 6 got a mix of familiar faces and
new blood looking to make a name for themselves and we're gonna see them
clash real quick of course we got some bias in the race as well with doing
punk making it into top eight but we got some names that I've seen take some
bodies and put them in bags real quick including that you right actually beat
two to one, I believe in the earlier bracket and took a lot of other people
down to get here in the first place. I was definitely one of the famous, I know
Punk took them out as well to actually get here for the top eight, but I'm excited to
see the boys represented. Of course, the band is here to showcase their
talents, but I'm here for the NA boys rooting for the online locals at NoLabs,
so I'm very excited to see how this plays out. Now looking at the one outlier
that a lot of people are starting to take notice of is hope coming in from Taiwan
with that modern Akita Lone modern player surpassing all of these 7,000
opponents up until these last final other seven for this top eight.
It's gonna be absolutely while going into it.
I'm so excited to see how this is gonna play out because again,
this is where we get a brand new Evo Japan champion.
Yeah, for the first time in three years, right?
Obviously with men are going back to back.
Let's take a look at that bracket and see who is actually up in contention
to take the crown this year.
We're gonna start with Hope as you mentioned from Taiwan on the modern
hockey, going up against Yamaguchi on the Mai and the Neon versus
Higuchi on the other side with Akuma versus Kyle.
Let's take me to the losers.
Now we got knuckle dude versus punk it is going to be a team kill the lone two
Rangers from the USA going up against each other then chuto versus tucker
tucker piano otherwise known as tucker feet. Listen if I'm a betting man you
already know the obvious same type of looking at but that's lead to me one of
the most dangerous ones in this whole tool and I would say one answer would be
Higuchi and chuto for sure being one of the favorites here. So I'm just trying to
see who's going to advance forward man there's so much free fighters so much on
the line obviously we got a lot of the contenders that we usually see from the
from the name brands, of course, MenRD, of course,
did not make it this time around.
But I'm all about that fresh sneaker smell.
So I want to see who's going to take that championship home.
And it's easy to pack as well.
So we're starting to see.
Most definitely, man.
And Nick will probably start at the very top, right,
with Hope and Yamaguchi.
He's going to be interested in his team, the modern Aki
versus somebody like Mai.
And how Yamaguchi has been adjusting to his style
since some of the changes to Mai, right, obviously.
A little bit easier to combat.
She's still very much a full Fletch force in this game
as we got two in top eight, so don't get that twisted.
But I think maybe some of the modern stuff
could potentially open up some avenues
that we don't particularly see in the matchup a lot.
Ryan, I think one of the things we had talked about
is what she loses and what she has access to
more frequently, right?
We talked about some of the normals
that she might not have access to,
which is gonna get into the gameplay itself
when we talk about it.
Right, there always is that one underlying factor
of being able to use these shortcuts
and take advantage of certain situations
at the blink of an eye, essentially.
Yeah man, I mean look, modern and the Aki is definitely chicken out some of your favorites
including you know what the prodigy definitely suffered to do that Aki situation throughout
this whole tournament.
So we're going to see how this fends off against everyone else doing the bracket.
I mean I feel like that's like unfamiliar territory obviously you got something that
you can just react to real fast, you can drive impacts, you can just drive rushes in general
with level one throughputs pretty easy.
We're going to see what's in a bag and strict smooth and cold.
That's actually one of my favorite parts about tournaments being in Japan is that there's
There's so many strong modern players here, right?
Which is an absence in a lot of the other parts of the world.
So when we get North Americans coming over here,
they always are like taking a bag.
And if you don't get to practicing against it,
if you don't arrive here early,
get some rango and see these strong modern players,
it's a whole different ball game going up against them
in tournament, right?
So no surprise, somebody like Hope has made it all the way
here to winnors side with the Aki as well.
I want to see, because we talk about obviously
the shortcuts, some snipes with the supers and whatnot.
The level two has some distance.
I wonder if he can snipe a fan or two from Yamaguchi,
especially if it's buffed up.
You know Mines are gonna wanna do it after all.
And on top of the lone warrior from Taiwan,
I just wanna put that out there, man.
Yeah, man.
Well, man, you see the favorites over Japan, USA,
but I always like other representations in the bag too.
So this is going to be pretty cool, pretty pretty cool.
It might just be his debut in regards to the big stage
in terms of one of the biggest majors
he's probably ever competed in.
I know he's part of the Gamer B Cup
and he's also been a part of like the online qualifiers
for the CPT via World Warrior.
He's actually been ranging within the top three,
top eight very very consistently taking a couple of second places as well so him
getting his highlight here at evo says a pretty big deal now one of the things I
was kind of focusing on now we got to see a lot of players go through a lot of
these changes in the meta do you think with regarding the character diversity
right now do you think that's really kind of skyrocketing a lot of the players
being able to stick with their main characters like noble do for example
he's not going back to my but you see Higuchi still maintaining the dial do you
think that has a lot to talk about or a lot to say in regards to how the meta has
shifted so far. Yeah I think especially when we're just getting into the meta
still right this is the first big tournament on this patch right so I
think people are gonna try to stick with what they're familiar with as they
get to feel out what other people are bringing to the table right we even saw
Bloss actually go back to the Rio a little bit in this tournament as well
right in addition to the Sagat so I think people are definitely trying to bet
on the comfortable factor more than anything else as we try to figure things
out and that hope is definitely comfortable on that modern hockey and
Yamaguchi has been a monster on mind for a hot minute now. I want to touch up on that
in terms of comfortability.
I mean, just a highlight enough to do
definitely one of my favorites here, this whole tournament.
I mean, he was in that little stage
of just taking my all day,
but I think he's been super comfortable
with the guile and camey as of late.
Mainly the guile, but that's here nor there though.
We're gonna focus on this match here on the stage.
Man, it's so much pressure.
I wonder if this is like, well,
Hope's like biggest debut in terms of a tournament
like this, of this caliber, you know what I'm saying?
I think it might be.
I genuinely think it might be,
according to Liquipedia, right?
Just looking through all of the events
you did happen to find, what,
Top 32 over in Voltage Cup, not too long ago again.
CPT, he's been doing a lot more for himself as well.
I was looking to know it, excuse me.
But overall, let's see, I will take a look.
There it is.
Okay, I had the wrong information of, excuse me.
But yeah, he was part of Asian East Regional Finals.
Top 8, B Pro Cup, top 24, Fight Club Champion,
6th, Chengdu.
He's been everywhere.
Dude, 2025 Asian Youth Games second place.
He has been a dominant force over in Taiwan.
Yeah, absolutely.
He's been knocking on the door for a while
in his region, right?
And now this is a very much international competition.
And getting into this winter side top
is a whole different feat.
So I would definitely say so, yeah.
So I think this is the biggest stage
he's got to perform on so far in his young career.
And hopefully we get to see him a lot more.
That's my hash stage right here, man.
There's a lot on the line.
And of course, whoever wins this,
we'll be going straight into the Capcom Cup.
And of course, qualifiers for EWC this year.
So there's a lot at stake, man.
At this point, you can't worry about nobody else but yourself.
That's why I love fighting games, man.
One on one.
And what this reminds me of, just seeing hope
in this exact scenario facing off against Yamaguchi.
It has the Mickey effect and how much his stardom
essentially skyrocketed after his performance
over in Evil Las Vegas.
His hope manages to take it down
against one of the fan favorites, which is Yamaguchi,
representing Zeta, one of the biggest organizations
here in Tokyo, in Japan.
I should say, it might just be a pretty big deal
coming back to Taiwan.
Speaking of Zeta, so sorry.
I left my glasses over there when I went and visited
after we celebrated Mena and Daigo's match.
So please if you guys are hearing my voice right now, please,
could you have delivered my glasses, please?
I was wondering where you were going with the story.
I was like, is this like a plea to just get your glasses back?
That's it, that's it.
I hit up men up like, hey, man, can you pick it up for me?
Now he hasn't responded yet.
So I'm going to have to send out the message out there.
You're going to have to do it immediately after Yamaguchi
plays, I feel like.
Imagine.
I got shot.
Well, let's see what Yamaguchi has to say to the table.
Because he got the vision for sure.
I'll tell you that.
Well, that's man.
Yeah, he's been one of the premier players
on by out here in Japan, right?
One of the four fronters that I think really picked her up
early on and kind of adopted just trying to abuse the fan game
as much as possible.
And obviously this has been normalized a little bit
toned down.
So Yamaguchi, that experience is coming into play here, right?
You could see that he's obviously figured out enough
with the character to know that I'm
going to have other tools that are going to be of use,
besides just fanshots.
Yeah, and his pressure is just so intimidating
once you get into the corner, right?
That's going to be something that's always hard fun
when it comes to Street Fighter in general.
Once you're in the corner, sure, everybody's going to have pressure against you.
The way that Yamaguchi kind of spaces himself out and reads accordingly to every player he's faced off against
is what leads him into this exact moment, right?
He showcased that off being a substitute, putting himself in SFL Japan halfway through
to kind of swap out for Kakarou, and has shown that he's well worth the pick,
going in with the My Pick afterwards.
Again, he still has a Kami in the back pocket, if need be, for certain occasions,
but we'll see, man, his My has been so, so commanding at such a tough pace to even catch him off guard,
or at least at the terrain from moving on forward.
I mean, let's talk about hope a little bit
and the modern, modern Aki.
I mean, what do we lose?
We lose six, well, six H, we lose two M.
I know we lose the roundhouse slide, right?
There's a couple of options that's not there available
in terms of dealing with the fans, shenanigans.
I got you.
Trying to see exactly what he's going to bring
to the table, or there you go.
So a couple of missing normals,
some of them that kind of are linkers, right?
To go into extra combo, extra damages.
Standing light kick is one of them.
One of the biggest pokes that she has
in her arsenal, catching medium punch,
getting a buffer out of that no longer in contention and also one of the bigger tools
to kind of get off of a counterpulp like low medium kick off a counter hit you can kind
of connect crouching medium punch to go into whatever you would need to she does miss that
it's a 6 hp forward hp one of the bigger pups that she does have as well really far extending
being able to cancel into a super alpha that she's going to be missing that command normal
and she's going to have very specific shortcut only specials like cool fate that's going to be
the heavy version the snake step that's going to be the medium version only actually both
both going to have access to OD as well.
So it's going to be very interesting to see,
but one of the other things on top of having like quick reactions
with modern being able to utilize specials, et cetera,
is the fact that they're going to have a lot of auto-confirmed
combos if need be off of a crouching light, right?
You get to see whether it hits.
You get to fully commit with the auto button,
press the lights, go into your full combo, possibly a knockdown,
right?
And it leads to serpent lash as well.
So you're going to keep them a pretty significant distance away.
Plus, you're going to apply that poison, which
is going to be a pretty huge deal.
if they end up blocking, it's only going to stop after that initial coaching light punch.
Man, I just had so kind of taken aback by the modern hockey because of that light kick missing, right?
It's a four frame stand light kick, right? It's one of the best light kicks in the game.
It's got a bit of a disjointed bottom hitbox, third box as well to dodge some of the low pokes.
It's one of the key tools in her game and hope has made it the top eight winners in the biggest
Street Fighter tournament of all time without it. So I just can't wait to see what this dude
is really exemplifying and how he makes his modern hockey work so well because he's been winning a bunch of stuff and doing really well in Taiwan in his region.
So getting to see this on an international level on the new patch. Oh, I'm excited.
There it is. Open and give it time. First off, many ladies and gentlemen.
Yo, man, first and foremost, shout out to the bros right here on the Deaths With Me range. And of course, Vicious is going to be an excited one.
Just another day in the living room watching some Street Fighter 6. Only this time we're in front of a big ass crowd here in Eagle Japan.
We I just turned around yes indeed brother
It is time. We know how much Japan loves Street Fighter 6 and they have come out in full force for this game
As they should here we go ladies and gentlemen Street Fighter 6 top 8 and evil Japan starts now
Already with the poison on that even immediately delivers the normals to get rid of it and already in the corner for the normals
And he just talks about it right, Yamaguchi's corner control, ooh, even got the parry, but
he, I think, is the second perfect parry, and oh, right back at ya.
Big punish, of course, big starter as well.
All hands on deck, big quick poison.
What's it gonna be here? Throw, City, no.
Awaiting the reversal on the side of Yamaguchi, no bite.
Ooh, buffer that stand, media punch with the drive-breath cancel.
More than believe-it-now-what, we got to spin the number one to end it.
I think so.
Yeah, spend that cash always never be cheap on the first day. I'm pretty sure these guys
This is the first time you got to meet each other
this is going to be a
Exciting way to get to know each other
And we have the Gucci starting so aggressive right in that last round that we try to nullify the space that hockey can
Kind of occupy. I like that
Okay, the overhead slot that was nice to write the fans for the Espacio
There's the folk I mean we lost we lost slightly standing like it but I think standing me to pick is still an option
Right is yeah, you see that kind of use as a space tool
The punish counter being able to get this food follow-up afterwards a little bit shy on the stand jab
So this is gotta be just chance to start a shine now that he has it in for ready
Hope does have the level two of those on interest they see when he's nice start to come out
considering the modern controls
Possibly in that stand immediate point
Okay
It's so difficult to drop these fans nowadays, right because you do have cool fake access to it
But we do get the Punish on the erroneous drive reversal.
Oh, we all hold up.
I swear that was a back dash on the side of Yamaguchi.
Wow.
I really like that idea from Poco, though, right?
Thinking Yamaguchi was going to progress and follow up the fan,
try to cut him off in the pass, but very smart discipline from Yamaguchi to stop.
Now you have a little bit more space now with the current pass, right?
In between the block stand, but now Yamaguchi again, back to that install,
pretty much brings those fans back to normal.
Love that early representation of the overhead.
lands a bone for skinny representative.
I love the ODNI shape post that I prioritize the firefam.
It's a lot of sense, dude.
You wanna win that fireball war?
You don't wanna get mad?
Magmine started.
Oh, that was a deep uppercut.
Oh, indeed.
She's sniping out for the punish,
and I see you, oh.
Oh, don't press, who's gonna press first?
All right, kick it back and relax.
Yamaguchi playing is a strong way to keep me masked.
The block's done with the parry and butts out.
That is a professional choice by Zedizone.
The air is strong control from Yamaguchi in that final round right there.
He's been able to really push hope to the corner at the beginning of every single round.
So we're going to see if Hope, I think he needs to get a little bit more active in the
neutral before we get there to kind of stop being in this poor position.
He strikes so hard, right?
Like we've talked about some of the spacing tools that Aki does have and some of the ones
that she kind of lets go of when it comes to being in modern.
Standing medium kick has been like the primary tool to keep Yamaguchi away temporarily, but
it doesn't lead to anything massive, right?
You get a punish counter, you get a sweep.
What do you do afterwards?
You back up, you set up for fan,
you set up for puddle, et cetera?
Like, what happens?
Yeah, exactly.
See if Hokey make more happen
when she does get an offensive turn.
Whoa!
Yup.
Time for them to walk up with the fan.
Who's not a fan of mine, huh?
Let's go for another throw.
Yes.
We got the throw, Lucez, as we usually have.
But you're old, conditioning, and-
That was mad late too.
He walked up like a mile,
backed it up just a little bit,
whole hook line and sink.
I hit the defensive call too.
Mm-hmm.
There we go.
How are we going to get the comeback though?
Obviously we need the voice armor up back though.
Looks like he's delayed a little too hard,
but a little too close for Kofi.
Yamaguchi puts that in his back pocket.
So aggressive in that corner, right?
It's just so difficult to even try to contest the way
Yamaguchi's been playing so far.
When you get the target combo,
applying the poison, what do you do out of that?
Hope.
There we go.
There is no hope.
Trying to go for the open up head.
Trying to push it.
I feel like hope is more on the defensive end.
I don't know if we're just trying to anticipate too much fan play, right?
Trying to look for some counter-vegetarian.
And now we back.
I like the back dash.
Atticipating to throw this time.
Oh, wow.
That's that spacing that you highlighted, Vicious.
Yamaguchi is so good at setting up shop in the corner
and just outspacing his opponent,
making them over commit to something
and then counter poking them down one pixel away
with the overhead.
That's already a two only.
So difficult because most of the time he's playing just like that
and then sub-intensives he'll give you a different look of both,
which is what we saw with a lot of the throw baits,
a lot of the back-to-back blows.
There was only small instances,
and it's still enough to keep hope guessing.
Yes, Sara.
That's really, I think, the big difference
when it comes to these expert corner play
from the top-level players, right?
Being able to save yourself all that,
the optimal spot to kind of counter-press backs,
knowing that the opponent's going to have to commit
to something longer duration.
Super good.
Yamaguchi does that just the best from now.
Here we go. I like the perfect barrier test from Yamaguchi.
You got one out of the two.
Nice. Wow.
Instead of a button, walk up and throw.
That is a classic. I'm seeing a lot more and more as the game progresses.
They're taking those minus frames and getting the throw afterwards.
Oh, Punish counter here.
Little juggle action too.
I mean, that wasn't sick too.
Take that. We're going to have to stretch that.
I don't know what you got in terms of what you lost, but you got to gain a lot.
Nice to stand face, of course, the classic.
Nice anti-air.
Oh, right back to answer them.
All right. No momentum on the side of hope, of course.
Oh, the mentality is higher set, man.
Oh, finally some momentum here, though.
Looks like it's at the barrier and it was not blocking the high afterwards.
I'll spend that. Absolutely. Don't even play with your food.
Unless you can't fit without. Nope.
We shall finish our plate.
Hope, okay? Showing signs of life.
A little bit of a delay going into the standing roundhouse.
I like it. Smooth like butter going into the purple rain.
Hope, off the board now.
I like that cover. You a big fan, huh?
Yeah, I was that.
Ooh, expecting Yamaguchi. I guess to take to the skies.
A little bit of oversell is there. Once again,
has been answering that fire fan with an OD nightshade pose every time.
I keep Yamaguchi honest.
We feel for the track.
I could go on the dirty bubble.
Clash all day with the fans, of course.
You got no more in the tank, but we got to leave.
That's all that matters on the side of Yamaguchi.
Looks like he's trying to walk back.
The legs is getting clippin.
Clippin, that shit's nippin, that shit's
a visual scissors on the shirts.
Yeah, I was tasty, Steve.
All right, immediately, uh-huh, no answer, though, to the side of Yamaguchi, he's gonna sit there and take a...
Ooh, the way of smart choice!
Look at what he's sending me on the side of the hole.
100% he tried to jump to base something out, but you can't do that against me!
Her level one goes up anyway, bro!
Oh, man, that was tough.
I thought it was gonna be like something delayed.
I thought that would be like forward heavy kick, right, to kind of catch maybe attack.
Either way, Yamaguchi with a smart choice to go immediately to her level one.
A lot of his reversal decisions happened, really paying off against Hope.
I like the spacey hips now, moving the cuticles, but as soon as I speak, alright, early level
three, why not?
Let's destroy the drive gauge, shave those nails, yes, file them down, file them down.
Okay, one button, just one secret for the burnout, there it is, the driver's roundhouse,
house clean.
First time we get to see one of the main things that Aki can take advantage of, and that's
putting somebody in the burnout.
Drive and back the first we've seen so far should be lights out. Hope's got a game
That would have been so clean if you would have just made it over that would have been a big combo like the attempt
They obviously that was just for survival in that case. I wouldn't even say that was for reaction
But good stuff. We have hope for the obvious, huh? Do what they say
Yeah, see that's a one game right now bring up that three straight take down Yamaguchi here
Like that.
Getting shoved into the corner.
The sticking move. Standing meter kick back that to the side of the hole.
And I feel like every time we try to stick it more, we put this up in the corner.
Plus frames. Back throw. Absolutely. I need all this real estate.
Port Fajor.
I like this readjustment team coming in from home. We can kind of throw immediate button press coming in from the top of the hole to create some space for himself.
The mid-stream shoot me. Everybody getting hit with that. Time to time. I hate it.
Perfect Barry.
Okay Hope, he's out here now.
That's right, get a little bit of that momentum on your side.
Spending all of that cash just to get that corner position.
I was waiting for it.
No!
The proof is so quick with the reactions of the moderns.
Dump the level 2 as well.
Burn them out.
Yamaguchi has nothing and stop this DI and Hope keeps rolling.
Excellent call out from Hope.
Nice work with the modern reactions on both ends.
Both the special and the super.
That's right.
That's right.
That's right.
That's right.
That's right.
That's right.
That's right.
That's right.
That's right.
That's right.
That's right.
That's right.
Nice work with the modern reactions on both ends, both the special and the super.
Okay, looks like we learned more in the defensive end.
We don't see no mid-screen shimmies on the side hole.
The conversion's off of that medium punch counter hit.
Yamaguchi still might get burned out here.
He's trying to bait something out.
He has him using it on the driver's cancel.
Yeah, that's corner carry.
On the killer beat bump, by the way.
Folks, I got a little bit of space left to create something for myself.
And the OD Nightshake Bull just brings Yamaguchi all the way back.
And look at how much chip he's taking.
If you find the gap in level one, that might be a little bit extra mental hope.
I thought it was gonna be baited.
It looked like it right there.
You just put the brakes on and blocked it, but nah, committed it's something.
Now we got the fire trying to force the issue.
Okay, watch it.
The back dash all right.
We looking for something here for the whiff punish.
I'm pretty sure there's more respect on the side of the face than anything.
Oh, nice, that bird's in.
That's a throw and a half.
No, goes to the overhead.
Nice in me.
Goes to the reset.
Wow, that damage is piled up.
I would have done it too.
We gotta keep in mind.
Oh my goodness, they're not pressing. That crossbeam was really well timed. They had caught it late, but...
You see the Serpent Blast coming a lot more alongside the Nightshade Poles,
Drive Reversal, the Purple's doing all the work right now, the Poison!
Oh, he's taking down against Yamaguchi!
Oh, there it was! That's what we talked about with the modern ride!
OD fans sniped out Hope looking for it!
Bid a bash!
And then that's definitely...
Oh, he'd be taking it when he's bringing it up again!
He's doing one of these!
Oh, he nervous, man.
Got to drink the Zeta water.
Got a label on it.
I'm bottoming up lyrics from Euphoria.
Let's go. Let me get a throw here.
Let's get for the technical.
There's the answer.
Hey, I like what I'm saying here, Yamaguchi.
Get out of there, but it's not for free.
Right back at you.
Oh.
That was kind of tricky though.
Yeah, it was.
I thought we were going to be a throw coming in from home,
but back to me, Yamaguchi might have done a defensive tap.
100%.
Okay, oh, I've got him in the whip on the stairs.
Oh, that was a delayed dive bomb from Yamaguchi.
That's all we need to start the party, right?
One poison in the tank.
And once in the box, not going to be effective yet.
Ooh!
Great stop on the dry rush.
Still such a great active point to stop that rush.
Katsumide will take Yamaguchi, now putting himself at match point.
After being in such control, right, he was up 2-0, hope.
On the momentum was on his side, but Yamaguchi keeping compose to bring that back.
YAMaguchi is just trying to find his footing here at this point, I hope it's definitely
comfortable now.
YAMaguchi hanging out at the max real enbu, real enbu range,
excuse me, counter hit!
Oh, the can-can's first part with a baited YAMaguchi to try to whiff punish it.
Oh yeah, that catches everybody of every skill level by the way.
Mm-hmm, one of the best moves.
And the snippet stuff here, nice.
He's still applying the poison.
Ooh!
I swear that roundhouse was for the jab but across strong 100%
It's been in the meter just yet
That bubbles all the double perfect Barry again Yamaguchi is gonna spend the level three now
He just inches the yellow zone so I think oh July
Pixel at least
The drive gate is definitely going to suffer regardless
So they be pretty dangerous and critical on your hands
And Yamaguchi at the right space with nothing but control.
Gets a beat out of the button and rewarded heavily putting hope into the losers.
That is a final winner, ladies and gentlemen.
He's gonna be sick comfortably.
That is a guaranteed third place for the side of Yamaguchi.
Congratulations.
Got a chance closer and closer for the gold, man.
Good stuff.
What sick play right there again.
It's all about how much space he gives his opponent in the corner, right?
He always finds that sweet spot, man.
You really talked about it. That's been some of the parts that has made him the most successful
My player in Japan really and I think just the overall reads in regards to what projectiles or what kind of spacing tools that hope was gonna
Utilize to push down the Gucci back was like far beyond anyone's comprehension, right?
He'll block a night shape pulse who block a certain last but any other fireball that comes with it afterwards
He's ready to perfect parry that wasn't the only instance that we saw it within that game, right?
We saw it very early on where he was able to stop night shape pulse into a drive rush and
and act according.
Absolutely, man.
That was very impressive.
So let's take a look at the bracket.
And obviously, we got our man Hope dropping down
to the losers round two to take on the winner of Shuto
and Takepiano.
And on the top side, Yamaguchi, as you say,
Yab's guaranteed top three, awaiting
the winner of our next match between Naun and Higuchi.
More versus Gaile.
That is a classic.
I mean, Akuma's definitely popular here on the side of Japan.
So I want to see the high level stuff.
Noguchi, of course, comfortable just holding that down back if need be,
just to hold his position and hold that lead.
I mean, he is the self-proclaimed number one guy,
I think it's safe to say we can't say that, but...
Duel's in the building today.
We're not going to speak on that too much,
but that's later down the pipeline,
but this is going to be an excellent match moving forward.
So, now is definitely one of the characters,
one of the players actually that I've been looking forward to,
and I'm going to be very, very straightforward.
I haven't really seen as much known as I would like to,
but we've seen on the opposite end a ton, a ton of Noguchi.
I lose probably one of the few people or at least out of us that got exposed that
I went a little bit because I was able to see some of his matches during the
highlights and yeah man this kid has got no fear I don't know how old he is or
anything like that but he really plays a fearless style right willing to wake up
with stuff like Akuma's roundhouse to call out the late buttons like he's doing
big things that could be punished heavily but he's that confident in his
reads so Higuchi I'm a little scared for him right because one of the big things
with Giles, if people jump, your Sonic Booms can get exposed.
So he's definitely going to be willing to.
We'll see how that balances out.
This naturally against the Akuma Gile matchup.
It's just how well can Gile protect his legs, right?
That is how you get those sneaky jumpings
where you actually could throw off flash kicks, right?
Well, let's just go to the other side.
But mainly, it all depends on how good Isoguchi
with his crouching fierce anti-airs,
just to switch up his options in terms of now
I'm just post-jumping in with these demon flips and whatnot.
Now, one of the biggest things I'm looking forward to
is like the big changes that have gone towards Akuma.
They made him a little bit more fireball,
except tricks to kind of face off against the fireball.
Royal, like his charged fireballs,
are going to be a lot faster.
They're going to be much more of a presence within neutral.
I wonder how Akuchi is going to be combating against that,
if that phase ever comes to fruition
within the neutral space of the scheme.
OK.
It's going to be a good one.
Classic historical battle.
I love a good show to compound versus Gaile.
That's how the Dominicans in my hood used to call them.
Goule, Gaile.
I didn't know how to even like read that name as a kid.
I was like, that guy, boom back.
Ha ha ha, that's it, I was kid on my boom back.
That's true though.
How you chuck the vinyl records, man?
Shit.
Yeah, can I get a little more classic, historical battle?
Oh, this is going to be another classic, historical battle.
That's one of my favorites, Brad.
Really, yeah, man.
I mean, look, at the end of the day,
they know what's at stake, you know?
It's all fun and games, but you're playing at home
in the brank and all that.
But you got some, you got somewhere to go.
It's the Capcom Cup and EWC who's gonna earn that right.
I mean, we already see Yamaguchi close and closer,
but I wouldn't mind seeing that matchup though
in the winners finals, but not to mention, of course,
qualifying for those two prestigious world championships.
And also, if you take this dub,
you are the winner of the largest street fighter
turn of all time, right?
That's definitely a big feather in anybody's cap as well
as we get into the second half of winners semis.
No stranger to danger.
Both these two now are actually coming in
from last year's performance.
He was within the top 96 now within the top eight.
His biggest hurdle is opponent Higuchi.
Here we go.
What a great rise to start him.
Wow, you got a counter-boost.
Yes, indeed you do.
And Higuchi, you know.
And how specialist.
Representing that target combo, sir.
Early, you figured obviously you blocked the starting couple
with a standing light.
You could get a punish right on block, that is.
OK, nice.
Now, I feel like there'd be a little bit of a gap in between,
but it actually caught the timing of that standing light
kick against Allen.
It's quite surprising.
Ooh, it's like a Gucci was not ready for the cross face.
They didn't even say counter hit.
Wow.
Wow, what a good first hit.
That was O.D. That was O.D.
Well, it's knocked out.
Jungle points.
This man's working nice on everything.
Nice.
OK, then laid it.
Go for the plus right.
I like to delay on the chopstick
to throw off the perfect barrier, but we flashkicking.
He's not scared.
Shed it off the fireball as well.
Just try it out to the direct three of the fall.
OK.
I was pulled this whole desk back after that.
Am I going to lie to you guys?
That's right.
about it before. That juggle has been wild. That was so great. Huh. That's right. All you
got to do is just one go a mile. Even if you got to over extend, there it is. Wow. Yeah.
It's almost not going to really go past it, right? That Sonic Boom. That Sonic Boom. That
Super is going to be bypassing any fireball on its way over. Actually, reaction from Lovucci.
That's a Sonic Boom. It's from the heart and from the pain. Oh yeah. It's a Tali. Sonic
Boom. Nice. And the buddy. It wasn't even a punish, but Cotton Island tried to walk back
from the drag rush, very smart to go low.
Okay, now we're going back to real estate and the lead on the side of Higuchi.
I feel like we're going to get some bigger flips represented here any minute now.
Yeah, that was one of his primary stress last time.
They didn't want to risk the DP.
There it is, over lags, right in range.
Everybody feels like they can walk away with that low forward.
The big toe is always available.
The goal.
Ah, properly spaced.
Yeah, he was two-stepping on him.
Skull over here makes some sand angels, so I like to see can I get another throw on that?
It's pure driver stand shorter to a throw you got a guess Sam face we shaving down those nails nice
Be the flash kicker. What's that? Oh?
That one definitely not that time the half moon
Huh, well, I actually thought he didn't recover a time
But just like that the property space son of those two recovering time a Gucci professional
I also thought that dive kick would have left at least some leeway to maybe pursue buns afterwards now
I'm double saying because you got counter hit out of it. Yeah, exactly
Gucci at that point thought the life differential you was the will to risk
Chance from a Gucci off of that stand jab a surprise rush of course anticipating the throw what's that half moon once again
That is pure guess I would have took the throw as well
Okay, I'm trying to walk away again. Oh
Right on time
Yes, see the world upside down the tuxumaki
Let me get another throw. Absolutely. I feel like one more is in at stake here. Uh-huh
Oh, my three time platinum with the throw how was around on board?
I throw my favorite cereal just passed me some oat milk
All right the vinyl record is out there you hold that while I think about it for a second another flash
kick stop jumping in my boy right properly space brown house I see the
world upside down but a perfect parry no that's max this is gonna get fun as
you I'm loving her good I'm all patterns oh check the pattern of these boots
right quick right at the bottom the real imprinted on your face that was a
a warrant for your Rex kick down the door.
Three times.
You got all three lock bolts?
Yep.
Three.
Let's go.
Gyle back on his feet again, though.
Now I'm showing some signs of life.
That's a throw.
No, looking for that counter hit.
No dice.
Uh, the throw, absolutely.
That has been paying the bills.
Miss Green ain't that bad, but the corner, you gotta be careful.
Yeah.
Boguchi, I think that driver snuck it on,
because he had just lost his charge.
Usually, oh, he respawns the driver,
with five feet that's how I'm walking straight under the demon flip.
Okay, and again, that's a guideline player.
Oh man, the spacing drops as well into the level three, Akuma 9k.
Alive barely, but you and a dire is straight.
We close for the stand, there's no sign of Koons all day yet, Choco.
Yup, look like he's eating a sandwich in the middle of the stand immediately.
You already knew the spacing drop was well and alive, Baguchi.
Nice and easy, single stand medium to get again.
I'm loving the rage he's throwing the fireballs at man.
Like it is so good.
It's either too far away for him to jump in on,
it's too close to react with anything.
Like it's beautiful patterns.
Hey, naturally when you fight a Kuma,
the number one rule is with guy.
Well, obviously most of his actions is just charged,
but the number one rule is do not with.
And that's one thing I want to highlight for Uchi.
All of his buttons has a purpose.
Ooh, look at him right there.
Like they know he was getting pushed out,
but it wasn't his turn.
Great, great chance there for Uchi to get his offense started.
It slips so hard when it's on that roundhouse though.
That's a flash, they're doing now, you have to ult.
That's a good point, right?
He definitely has some games to take some risks.
Such a professional, there it is, ow!
Ugh!
Sit back down.
Wow!
What?
He's gonna put us in the way,
I don't know if he was looking for a DT,
we just walked up in his block.
Yeah, I'm not sure, remember,
now he's the one that woke up with roundhouse before as well,
so that's true.
He's willing to press heavy burns to cause the Lage Strikes.
They definitely know each other,
But that's a great ball range, actually.
Oh, he's definitely within range style, at least.
Oh, those are jump on the wall.
Yeah, that was expertly spaced.
Got the level two as well.
He needs to make it happen here.
Nice, the Roman Reigns.
It's Fax.
Nope.
It's Fax.
Knowledge, Akuma.
It's over 16th, baby.
Oh, it's going to be tough.
Yeah, you are in danger.
Be jumped out and once again, the air fireball.
putting the kuma just outside the flash kick range.
Ooh, three beats.
What?
Yeah.
So the spacing on that?
Yeah.
And free style with the combos.
Put him on an N1 tape.
Set number one guy.
My throat, no, we looking for the set.
Huh, huh, okay, the defense there now.
We get a TP, finally.
We're blocking the overhead.
Stood up for that one.
Ooh.
I felt like Overhead's even been represented that much
And Higuchi still doing what he was thinking of.
Oh, that shot.
Seriously.
Language in.
That's another throw and a half.
No, he goes for the delay this time.
The back pocket just build a little meter there.
Oh, they're jumping.
Wow, not enough time.
He used DOD versions where he recovered very quickly.
Smart stuff.
Pop it in the door a little bit.
A little delay on the third jab, by the way.
Got all the meat in the world, though.
Higuchi gets one big button start,
and will definitely bring it in his favor.
That's another throw and a half.
No, the back that's a boy.
The delay jab just to snipe out the recovery of the back dash.
I like this guy, who is he?
Yeah, man.
No.
No.
No.
No, it's time.
No.
You know what voice I want to do right now.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, oh yeah.
I almost slipped, I'm not going to laugh.
Still being able to get the light kick into the light talk
to his boss, Susan Reigns, that was actually
mad clutch to call out.
And there was a lot of conditions in prior, right?
with those back-to-back throws, it's completely in a guest scenario.
Really great application coming in from now.
Oh, no.
Did he just walk up in the day?
I wonder.
OK, right back into the Sonic-owned prison side of things.
OK, we already got a substantial lead in Lucy Breed Streets
and goes right back to chucking more plants.
100% you just setting up shot from this distance away, right?
You're not going to be able to jump in on me without getting flash kicked.
That's pretty much the death zone right for the standing me to kick always. Yeah, but I mean you see now throwing off those flash kicks with those chuppin' fireballs
Oh the overhead card now flinch it always try to reset for the kill
Why not?
We get the carry okay, we got that deck on two over the week of super you thought I had no options
Your man mm-hmm a Gucci one the risk it pays off puts them on set point
the perfect stuff that's so that's perfect in japan in japanese
shooty shooty i thought i'd be like i'm gonna say don't call me though
i'm definitely not trying to coast on that don't worry i would have took that out
so nice but it's getting all landed i was definitely a flastic maybe an air
cologne just don't accept that one over a little bit
nice pure stuff all for the spacing all for the roundhouse too okay
oh a lot of chip damage shows a drive gauge against no
Yeah, my pocket don't not even hold the jump in hold it believe
Yeah, it's a little awkward of a hit for sure. Oh my goodness. We're gonna believe it though
Higuchi waking up with a crotch being to check the driver's pressure
Stop jumping half full my goodness
Man shoot you. I think Japanese guy was just a Nas fan. Oh, he messed up his input in the air
Seven hits on the top. Oh, and then you have the ladies and gentlemen
Higuchi moves forward, never backwards to the winners finals to go up against Yamaguchi.
Wow, closer and closer.
Wait a minute, Higuchi wasn't the top eight last year as well, right?
I wanna say.
I could be wrong.
Please, somebody correct me if I'm wrong.
We'll double check here in an instant, but yeah, Higuchi definitely has been an extremely
strong player.
Obviously, he has been showing out on a great performance at Capcom Cup as well, right?
One of the farthest places.
So good to see him continue to carry that momentum.
I like seeing this type of era of Japanese player come for this winners finals, right?
Yamaguchi and Akuchi have been grinding the SFL, all the Japanese seem for quite some time now and the hard work is paying it off.
Okay.
Looking at his previous results, just a kind of rehash on that. He wasn't in the top eight. He had a
fallen short, tied at seventh over in Yuba Japan last year, but still has made quite
quick substantial moves forward in every single event he's been a part of, right?
You can travel like mad internationally with the entirety of the CPT.
Well, let's look at the bracket because this is going to be my favorite match of the night.
I'm going to be honest in this, you know, I could be honest to say this a little bit of bias.
I have the privilege, all of you guys have the privilege every week,
week in and out to see these guys play punk versus Nuckledoo.
But shout out to Nile. And of course, he just lost on the on the on the on the winner side of things,
but he's still in the game. Of course, punk and Nuckledoo, man, historic rivalry.
I will have to say for the entirety of Street Fighter Six, I will have to say.
So this is going to be a good one.
I mean, you know, on the side of punk, of course,
Mr. Consistent, first off, congratulations.
He just proposed to feisty.
That is awesome.
I mean, I didn't even know if he was using it more for a power
up, but he just said, all of me just get it over with.
But regardless of the scenario, though,
this man is a happy man ready to use this power up
to try to just fight through this whole time.
But he's going to go up against Knuckledo.
And Knuckledo, I want to give a shout out to him.
I know he's been down on himself for quite some time,
because he feels like he has to have been garnering those results.
But before we even get to all of that, we're going to take a quick break.
Don't go anywhere.
More Street Fighter 6 action here at EVO Japan 2026.
And we'll be back.
No two competitors are the same.
Some run on routine for the chance to win big.
Some make time to rise through the brackets, some lock in with confidence.
However you prepare, there's a place for every kind of competitor.
station tournaments. Sign up today on PS5.
I'm not today man.
Oh my god!
Oh my god!
Oh my god!
Jimmy!
So it's much more than just playing. It's being a part of this game.
Any.
Lebathec.
I'm a little bit more.
I hear.
Lebathec is a perfect match for you.
What are you saying?
What are you saying?
What are you saying?
There's a huge data about the engineer.
If you can do IT skills, Lebathec.
I think it's not a bad idea.
If it's an IT freelance, then it's a Levatec freelance.
So the vision is clear. I'm close to the finish line every time
the top eight here at Evo Japan 2026 for Street Fighter 6 here live at Tokyo Big Sight we left
it off coming in from the winter side of what we had seen between Yamaguchi Higuchi hoping
So we're going right into it.
It's a business.
Damn son!
Not even gonna let me finish!
I like that!
Nepaldupe is punk in one!
A heart match?
I'm pre-looting?
We don't get to pre-face it?
Well, a TNS and can opener classic is here in Evo Japan, baby.
So we're used to it.
Man, look, again, this might be a rotation of characters on the side of Nepaldupe.
That is, of course, if punk eliminates the mind, but he's looking confident.
I mean, already came out swinging.
He's standing in the middle, but that is one of those favorite buttons to check anybody walking forward.
People usually use it for whip punishes, but to stab them in the chest if you're trying to get too close.
And that punk already exposed it with a spit knuckle, trying to get in there as well.
Oh my goodness, caught the reversal jab.
Knew when he was going to try to press back beautiful stuff.
Okay, alright.
You see something here.
Dude, how are you feeling?
I'm going to get the answer back.
They're sweet, disrespectful.
Oh something you don't see every day in Street Fighter 6 man sweeps deals it to some big punishes
So that was definitely a note on the side enough to do in terms of punk's tendency
No check attempt there. Oh, what a sweet work punish though classic punk and it's still thought about the drive rush
Right on rice
Let's go throw that class my love. Well, this game no class with fans. Oh, baby
It might as well be at this point fabrics. You put some plasma on it when it gets enhanced, you know, you know
All right, now he's standing around house. This is what punk does. He likes to smother you.
That good radio, that good chicken, good God Almighty. The level three, eat immediately.
Yo, what the hell? Yo, can we get an introduction before the bus has though? You know?
Sheesh! And punk, of course, the way he ended that, the best walk-up jazz in-street fighter.
I don't know how he does it so consistently, but then finds when the opponent wants to flinch,
counter hits a mob and sends dude to back to the character select.
You knew what punk's conditioning was going to be about.
You knew what his main motive was, forced up a few to win a couple of buttons and fear the roundhouse, right?
To kind of give him a little bit of hesitation going forward into the rest of the rounds of that entire game.
Yeah, I want to highlight what you said, Reggie, in terms of the best jabs in the business.
He always switches it up, right?
He's either a roll throw, one jab into a stagger low, or it's just quadruple jabs.
He always finds ways to just switch his options and just make your offense look a little more Pringles.
100% and that's why he plays characters with fast walk speeds as well, right?
Like, he's trying to get comfortable for a moment, he can get that walk forward,
you have Sneaks in there, he's so good at sniping people, trying to get their stuff started.
And the big toe no forward, I didn't even think that was going to reach,
but that is Cammie White's we talking about.
You know.
Oh, the stand-fist, wow.
What a nonshit on the wake of, to just throw off the dive kick entirely.
That's a throw and a half.
Oh!
Wow, target combo?
That's the thing right now, he's got a couple of bugs in him, kind of,
Oh shut down these divekicks the fan actually ruined that combo
You know, I love this attitude the way they play it's like you'll forget that we friends
You're my enemy right now. You can kind of sense this. Oh, yeah. Oh the charge
Respectfully, I'm gonna take this drive impact says really from Philly's own punk
Trying to save that cash going into the next round besides and that's why I like dude doing the drive impact right
He could just chip them out
But he was like, I want you to do the level one because I think I'll still win this round
They have to answer the roundhouse going the dive kick.
How about that on a defensive dive kick?
Oh, made it out.
Oh, immediate damage up.
We want to hit that drive-gauge now before it recovers smart choice there from Punk the God.
Ooh, the frame trapped up as well.
The back medium punch after the crouch fears.
It's a four-frame frame trap.
Across the perfecto.
Oh, and then the DI up against the fan punk.
Definitely been looking at DI some of these tosses.
I think it was a good look regardless, right?
There wasn't a lot of life left coming from Mechledew.
So no matter what had come out from my,
I don't think a counter DI would have been affecting.
Looking for that counter hit, okay?
I'm pretty sure that was a walk up throw.
A temporal punk to God.
Oh, not even trying to challenge it.
Probably thinking it was going to be a shadow dive kick.
Yeah, it was pretty far up as well.
Yeah, definitely could have been a bit dangerous.
Ooh, BB, but of course those sweeps from punk.
Oh, he saw him.
Oh, he saw the lay right there.
I'm not sticking his hand in the blender, though.
Yeah, Roundhouse rain.
There it is.
Oh, wow!
You know, sometimes I just feel like he's
guessing when it goes slow, but at the same time,
I can't really tell that it's pumped to go.
Oh, and then the driver runs low,
catching through, trying to wake up with stuff.
Very, very nice right there.
And punk, you can tell immediately going for the quick button,
right?
He didn't want to get through any gap.
He knows that if he gives him a little bit of the driver's
pressure gets exposed by players at this high of a level.
So that's why it was a shallow drive rush with the crouch
liking, making sure he didn't get nothing to counter.
Officially locked in with the mind.
That's it.
No more character switches.
I would have loved to see the guy at one game,
but going to stick with the mind.
Pretty much has the same game plan.
We can just get out a little more along a little more.
Definitely worth rocking to the dance.
Ooh, sticking with him on punk bro.
Another fierce.
That was delayed at that.
Catching a counter hit against Neville do.
I wish I knew that.
Counter hit exposed on the side of punk.
Offensive sequences from punk, as always.
Street Fighter 5.
That's a throw and a half, representing that.
Wow, okay.
Anticipating the defensive dive kick.
Oh, what a jump timing from punk.
Finds him charging a fan.
And now we're in the corner.
It's looking real scary, but dude, no fear.
Wakes up with the back throw.
And the Beards airing over a Henry set.
He's going for it all.
What a way to use your utility, my boy.
The reset on hit naturally everybody ducks of course. Oh, yeah reset. I know you was one of those guys
Then catching long trying to do like a reversal drive rush after blocking that's that medium kick ride thinking that dude would just walk back
Oh my back to back
Disrespectful nice
You gonna wish right back at you with the sweet. Oh man. Punk is turning up the Hebrew
It's not getting represented yet here on the side of enough to do
Yeah, he's doing the most he can to regain some of that drive gauge, right?
He's been swinging for the fences.
Nepaldu's been taking a defensive stance thus far, but it leads him into this corner and close the burnout.
Oh, nice. On the counter hit, that was clean.
Oh, you're doing level two?
No, no, we need that for the defense. I understand, dude.
Another defensive dive kick on the side of Pump the Guard.
Crouch fierce exposed, and we got one of the boards for Dull Tank.
Yeah, Pump has definitely been looking to establish that crouch fierce a whole lot.
We've seen multiple different options afterwards as well.
the back medium punch for the lays the crouch media punch oh god watch that
poke good old Facebook standing strong the good old poke we're gonna jump back
oh wow that was that active we did a couple of jobs to get ourselves out of
the corner but it's not enough to push back to the screen just yet he has to
force himself out yeah I like that good old standing wake up in the classroom oh
Oh, nice.
We have the air here, we can see punch such quick recognition,
those immediately just recessed the pressure,
it's the meaty and the conversion off the meaty.
No, not even.
I thought it was going to be a snatch too,
I thought it was going to grab.
I mean, actually, you know, you got to leave.
You want to just go for a throw sometimes.
You're going to have to condition a person.
Oh, that's the overhead?
No, not even.
Damn.
That's the wake up in the classroom.
Wake up.
Stand face.
Yep.
Oh, not even going for the cross cut.
No risk on the side of Nuff will do.
He knows he's low on the left side of things.
I'm not a good version of the grunts.
Like, everybody, I swear, everybody thinks they can walk away from these normals, man.
100%.
Like, you just are naturally inclined to try to walk away from the dry brushes, but you
got it down back more often than not.
Whoa.
Whoa.
And that was a very hefty normal for it to stick out like that.
Oh.
Very neat.
You saw it.
It's a screen shake.
The fans, they're all watching.
I've legit never seen the screen shake off of the night before.
Did you guys see it from the building in?
For sure now.
Okay.
I'm gonna wake up, yeah.
Looking for that counter hit again with that standing middle kick.
I like how he whipped it.
He set to himself.
I'm pretty sure I don't do that ever again.
Let's go for that throw, the overhead.
I'm leading him to combo off of it.
No counter hit either.
Locked and loaded, this time with a level three.
Very deep dive kick.
Actually getting blown up with the uppercut from Knuckle Do.
A little bit more in the private edge.
Hence why Knuckle Do's going all out on the offensive thus far.
Nice.
I like that he didn't even take the risk.
I feel like he should have just went through that catch regardless but he still finished
the job nonetheless.
Punk still at set point two. I want to see more games. We all do
No pun intended. Yeah, dude has definitely been able to slow punk down a little bit in this past game
Right. It looked like one was doing whatever he wanted in the first two. Oh, even going to sneak in a charge fan here
Oh
medium bunches
Those are for that counter hit on the count of Pope punk. I like that take throw and a jump in clean
He's looking for that calendar for us. Nobody want to get hit with a back throw in this position
At the cross you put just minus three. That's why punk did reversal crush every push that time. Oh, but it's caught
Chase down
Number two trying to go right overhead get again pump not gonna sit idly by a level three on wake up in reaction
Stand right house for the burnout this burnout right here. Let me see all my ten rounds for the burnout for show
We're gonna challenge nothing to do. Yes
New than the burnout was gonna be coming right didn't want to get checkmate and had the mirror to spare now
He's got the instos on the fans as well as already spin three of them upon look at a chase of doubt spinning on the mirror
to do so what a hesitation no kill just yet oh he just put himself a burnout buddy does have one
meter to play with it's okay do not allow him to get whoa big input error but no punish delay
throw that's for the chip I do gotta watch out but it's a level one level oh no he don't even
got three I'm sorry he's got level two now as well but oh he walked forward oh the champ it's there
the spiral arrow punk we'll be moving on and losers bracket yo he was a sliver away for touching
the grass again on the drive gates. That was unfortunate. Yeah man. Good match. That's how
usually goes different type. Wherever gets the momentum first is pretty much who's in the drive
receive. The thing about punk man, I love how he walks in and just invites those normals every time
that way. He can take his turns on the crouching strong right with a crouched fist or a low four
just to feel that pressure that you're just trying to stay away from them the whole time man.
Pump the God, the Conditioner.
And then, dammit.
On top of that too, like just the clutch factor alone towards the very end,
although there was like a moment where he put himself into the corner,
he immediately went to a dive kick just to see if Nuckledoo would try to react to that positioning.
And that also whiffed, and still he managed to kind of keep himself composed, whatever it is that Nuckledoo tried to do,
and secured the win with that chip damage. That was actually very well composed for Punk.
I was actually nervous. I thought it was going to be a chip scenario where Nuckledoo would be able to snipe out
knife out and get his turn back and go into like chip super because he had
level 2 on deck right it could have been fierce in the level 2 etc but no
there was no action taken from the side switch as well as the with time kit I
do want to talk about this a little bit more but let's get the bracket up as
well so the folks at home can follow along with us but before we move on from
that match yeah I honestly was expecting dude to clutch it out in the end when he
actually snuck that walk forward under the last jump that did right and put
that cornered himself I definitely thought that was gonna happen but he
managed to compose himself as you said and keep on keeping on.
So Pumps gonna be moving on to Losers round two, going up against Naurun.
And of course now we got one more match in Losers round one with Shuto and
Taka Taka Piano.
I will say though, big shout out to Nuckledoo, one of the first ones to fall
into top eight, but seeing him in a top eight position again,
I'm glad to see that he's getting awarded for his hard work and
seeing himself in the top stages.
Yeah man, no, I respect that.
Again, I mentioned it earlier before the break.
You know, Nuckledoo, his morale has been down because he hasn't gone on
the results that he really wanted.
So this is a big statement for himself and his training regimen.
I know he's saying to himself, you know what, it's worth it.
And I'm feeling good.
This is definitely not the end of Nocudu.
I feel like we're going to see him in the bigger tournaments in the top eight.
Yes, indeed, man.
It's going to be a great one.
And, duly, I really hope this helps him fuel the passion for this next tournament season.
Right?
This is a tremendous showing already.
You should be getting CBT points for this.
You know, I'm not mistaken, right?
The top eight performance.
So definitely a very nice start to his season, looking to qualify for Capcom Cup,
which he did last year.
So hopefully you can really get back into the full force of things that find that full confidence because when new is on his stuff
When he's feeling himself from very few people on the planet can touch him. That's right
So hopefully we get to see a lot more of him throughout the entirety of the CPT as well as the rest of the competitors
But we are about to say goodbye to one more player here. It's gonna be between shuto and taketake piano
Man get taketake. I'm glad that Chad said his name in full because I've seen the bracket early
We're actually seeing it on Twitter.
So, and I've seen that his name was a ta-ke-ta-ke piano.
So, he's good on the keys.
I mean, in this case, what does he have?
Well, he got a leveless, not too sure.
But I think so.
He's got one hell of a JP.
I'll tell you what, man.
Okay, so I've heard a lot of good things
about JP Police.
Somebody told to me about it.
This is the first time I'm seeing him play, so.
So, he's been highlighted like a ton
off of like both high-five, in cross as well.
I mean, pulling up his results over in 2025.
He has been as active as possible
when it comes to the World Warrior qualifiers, right?
He's had some peaches going into top eighths.
He's been just outside of those placements as well,
a good consistent amount of time.
A huge jump up in comparison to last year,
Evil Japan, where he was within the top 128.
But as it stands right now, going into the top 26,
he's been only to a couple of events thus far,
and even trying to end out the World Warrior,
he actually had, for 2025, I should say,
getting second place and third place respectively.
Yeah, I was gonna say, Taka Taka Piano
was just one of those Japanese players
that doesn't have the privilege to travel to a lot of the international events.
But for the players that are here in Japan, you know this dude is dangerous.
You do not want to run into him in the bracket.
He's got a number one JP on CFN before.
He has been a monster for it.
And oh yeah, we're seeing some things here on the preview screen that...
I'm not at least used to seeing from Shuto, so we'll see if that comes to fruition here.
But yeah, it's Akatara Piano. When you do run into him, he's one of the most experienced
and well versed JP's in the business and we all know this character is a real problem.
So love seeing the representation and shoot though looks like he might have a different
answer for it than we're used to seeing.
So funny you say that again we were kind of highlighting what was on our preview monitor.
There was actually a tournament that shoot though pulled out that bison to get first
place in it was the Asia was da fe cup over like just a couple of weeks ago apparently
over April 15th.
I will he's highlighting a criminal let's go not a bad not a bad story.
That's still a different choice in comparison to what we're expecting, right?
Because Ryu, been the primary character that has shot him up into this top 8.
Absolutely.
Alright.
Damn, Yohama, Ryu, Akuma, and Bison?
Man, that's nasty.
That is.
This man knows how to pick some characters.
Let me tell you what.
The Bison would have been a great pick for sure, JP.
But we're gonna go for the Akuma, the Dark Hado for real, the incarnate.
Yeah, I definitely have long talks with Boss about some of the match-ups that JP does
have problems with.
Bro.
He needs to agree, Akuma seems to be a little bit of a problem because of that trajectory that he gets the control coming in.
And avoiding all of the projectiles that JP can present.
And also, if he wanted to play the Fireball War, he definitely can.
One of the drawbacks, though, that 9K health as he's getting depleted by Togget Togget Piano.
That's evil styrofoam, right there, yeah.
Oh man, that Togget's been so on point. As soon as he got one offensive chance,
oh, I was gonna say he was so right in a row, over and head at the end with the gators on.
on. That was a bit of an aggressive scramble if you will. What a way to fill each other up.
You thought it was going to be clean gameplay off of the rip, which it has been, but I like
that in terms of being aggressive early on. Well, Tata and Piano, he was not afraid to
have been in that last round, right? We saw the 3H to start, he had to need you to wake up,
like he was definitely that big. Oh, that good stuff. Oh, huge. One jab shot way to connect
that to the Tatsu unfortunate. Now you're going to have to start again. You have to move the
goal post. How are you going to do it is the question. It's a departure, right? You get to
to create that space, having that threat.
Oldie departure as well.
You see Shuto trying to play the game.
He's trying to walk forward, abuse that walk speed,
but it's primarily the drive game.
She's taking a lot of damage.
He was waiting for the drive rush
so he could get that teleport for the readjustment.
Excellent call from Takei.
Oh, wait a minute.
Yes indeed, Shuto.
And I'm missing too much Ryus in the yellow,
or should I just say the amber.
They want to burn out.
Oh my!
That was ridiculous.
Yeah, you're trying to teleport in front of me.
Looked like Takei was trying to use that as some type of pay
right and instead shuto was like no no no no I'm not following for that message
sense you're not gonna hit me with the gimmicks early on the fact that he was
ready for it on the first go and press the stuff that shuto immediately the
la voos go rip oh shot okay that landed that was crazy yeah for real
anti-air cross I'm a heel kick let's go push them out that's what JP excels at
keeping you away. Join that line on the sand. It's going to be pretty hard across of course.
I assume there will be a demon flip at this point unless of course we're looking for that
perfect barrier. Oh man yeah I have the opinion that oh whatever man let me stop that for a second
shoot through to the corner. Drive us with the extra mileage on it with the four fears. Oh counter
here we get Adam and Fist. And not even risked. Oh. Both the reversal jab knew exactly the timing
and the spacing to shut it down. Shoot though. Striking first. I'm liking what they don't want
I don't want to highlight on Shuto, he's applying his pressure always on knockdown with Javs.
Stagger Javs, just in case the amnesia shows up, that way he can react accordingly.
No throws have really been represented on the knockdown against Takeki.
Yeah, he actually went for the throw the very first time I got out of Amnesia, right?
So now he's just been doing Javs, it's so smart, what an adjustment.
Do you see the ODDP just to bypass both bombs?
Oh my god.
No forward, just to get that proper timing.
Excellent.
Still stand face, the DP, no nada.
There is a perfect carry.
Overheads is so ready for this matchup. He is dissecting everything that talking to us shown him
That's far from the previous rounds up until this point
Little bit of a life lead still trying to draw blood by going forward with the drive rush shoot off trying to navigate around the ghosts
Yeah talking looks a little bit hesitant now shoot those me with a thread the needle so many times
Oh, the departure does give them some space all but not for long
Take it up with that drive rush at another round to shoot off. I love button to cover some space
I tried to stand fierce. Yeah
Okay, right on the button, literally.
We buffering, bruh.
Oh, buffer this!
They throw paid into the fierce man.
The mid scream text, listen,
I squirm every time I see it.
Oh wow, if you would've converted that,
he had the right idea though, a little too late.
Me and covering the width of the DPS wall.
See the late back dash, might as dancing on him,
but the level two up.
What's the option here?
Wow, you're just one step ahead
every single time, shoot up.
Oh, that was nice though.
He actually like did not go for the throw,
his way to recover and let him hit low.
Psyche!
Don't touch me.
This is the good suit.
This is my Sunday final suit.
There it is.
Now we're getting that lead, we're almost.
Mars.
Oh!
Another one, that drive rush on in.
And yeah, a little bit of extension on the forward fierce
range has been the big difference,
allowing Shuto to connect time and time again for a 2-0 lead.
And you see JP's eyes rolled to the back of his goal.
It was like, I can't believe he did it again.
Oh, it is.
Still in it, though.
Wow, let's cross those.
He's comfortable.
OK.
All right.
That can't be.
Am I saying this right now?
That can't be.
Yeah, you're right.
That can't be.
I know.
That's correct.
OK.
There we go.
Let's set the tone.
Right over his dome piece.
No reaction on the side of shoot.
So no respect.
Yeah, that is sweet.
OK.
Perfection, Perry.
A lot of Ker-Hannings going around here.
Yeah, some strange starts to this round,
but gonna start stabilizing a little bit more here.
Yeah, for real.
We'll hold the departure up.
Always got to respect it, of course.
Oh!
Oh!
The biggest risk that we could ever see.
Shoot so willing to take it, I guess.
Mm, juggle point.
Starring Akuma.
You gonna get in there?
Oh, are you going?
Oh, damn, the snap.
It looked like he tried to teleport through there.
I thought so too.
I didn't think he would catch the jump at that angle, but.
Yeah, seriously.
He surprised.
Man, Akuma was like, I got purple energy.
I could use this, right?
Mm.
George is behind, what's behind is all of us.
Oh my God.
Mind you, he did that previously,
but he successfully landed it this time.
Oh wow, so smart.
Jump back at the roundhouse.
Buddy missed it though, of course,
Ta'Kipi definitely gonna wake up after that one.
Yeah, besides, where's the parsers out there as well?
You cannot walk away from free
with that crouch medium kick there.
No back throw, we not falling for that one.
Good defense here from Ta'Kipi.
Oh, immediately, yes.
add one to the board.
There it is, indeed.
Togay, Togay, Piano, put one on the board.
And I don't even think he actually canceled that cross
beam kick into the departure spike, right?
It was just the manual, automatic timing, like it used to be.
But he does have that ability now to cancel.
Yeah, that is why, bro.
It's like, they're at net for normal,
where he could cancel into departure a lot sooner, right?
It just canceled the normal animation.
He's able to snap and get that projectile out sooner.
So it makes it much more consistent on a lot of juggles,
but also just even that much more of a threat
when it comes to like a blocked normal into a frame drive, right?
Being able to cancel off a low-medium kick,
which is what wasn't cancelable to anything before,
that is a major problem.
100% right, because as the opponent,
you can usually like play a little bit of mind games
around the timing of that,
because you know he wants to do the crash-meaning kick
when it pops, now he can just do it whenever
and cancel and still get the combo.
What I'm talking about, Wrench.
That kick, no.
I actually thought he was gonna reach.
Oh no, the one speaking the way from the shout,
and getting on a knee-catch this time.
Let me get the meniscus.
Oh, no, just throw in a half. No looking for the wake-up amnesia
I like you switching this as options from the staggered jazz to a delayed fizz or just a nuisance up in this case
I love that interaction by the way good anticipation for the teleport
I mean a lot of the JP players are gonna prioritize getting out of that corner when the departure set up like that. Oh
Wait a minute. It's me OD for the speed
And we out of the back dash okay put that my back pocket. What a way to avoid the explosion get jump back button
This case medium kick. All right
me that perfect Barry held the very as well to get some big drive gauge back
since the departure was gonna pop as well oh the jazz timing perfectly send
the OD and put himself on suck boy damn it destroyed that crush bro whatever
that is it must have been tasty but it's nothing less
I think it was gone oh nice oh he almost cut to the wind or not one
okay the throw what are we gonna do here you'll shot us at the cameraman for
He's being absolutely ready for that by the way.
Mm-hmm.
Ooh.
No gaps.
No ghost around here.
Mm-hmm.
Okay, looks like he tried to challenge
with another stand fist.
Oh, open up please.
Yes, under recovery.
Bring recognition from shoot to oh!
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
Gotta get a little bit cheeky on that one, maybe.
I haven't seen anybody really get caught
by that on any level.
Yeah.
Probably trying to beat out the jump back, right?
Yeah, I don't know if he was like,
trying to do that, maybe thinking a parry was come
I'm pretty sure this might be a light kick into the Adam and flame, maybe into the level
three.
Oh, Tray almost.
I'm telling you that standing light kick, that's what Shudo's known for.
No, that's not the smartest thing, right?
Empty jump, yep.
Empty jump in the corner.
You're smart.
Okay.
And we saw earlier where Shudo used the roundhouse, right?
Because he knows the little sketchy trying to TP in the corner on the jump back from
that space.
I wonder if the roundhouse would have clipped.
Either way, we'll save that for a different time.
Resetting? Okay, I like that. Get it to throw.
After the anime flame hits.
And that's why I remember Shuto 4. Those guys in their light can't confirm.
That's true.
Very bonchat-esque in the way that he's been playing thus far too.
They spend a lot of time together after all.
Shuto's not gonna spend a year.
He wants death.
Yes, indeed.
You like it. What an optimal guy.
Oh my, all of the walking and actually still blocked at the perfect time.
He built the level 2.
He's one of you see actually text him on the job back. He got so much me here on with that
Just walking forward by the way good defense. We don't fall for the level to hit the lab
Chuto man end up getting the back throw there, but he does check the driver up talking still in this
Observe
No, but he's in burn out as well so not punishable. Oh my god. Oh, he gets that jump back media bunch
So scary and what a clutch decision from talk a right because you go with the crouched fears when he does the dive kicking it's made it out
Oh, he did do that. Oh
Stayed away
Smart choice to cover all options on the demon flip it bit it nice it and we are too too
Yeah, I think you went for the down medium pick at the very last second
Shifted over. Oh man. That was so smart from talk a to not do crouched fears. It's so sick. Oh
So I like that he ain't popped though did not go for the tech he was willing to take the throw wise choice to edit it
Okay, the staggered stuff looking for the counter hit it respect the tracks
Shoot though not gonna be involved with any of the departure setups airfire of all the push talking to be back the couch heavy punch
Going against the key. Oh the OD it did blow the amnesia you saw it start up
Target combo!
Overcommitted.
Quite surprising.
There it is.
The five, okay.
Next sequence here.
Respecting the low forward.
Caught the shimmy.
Walk up.
Demon flip.
Dive kick.
Wow.
What a call-off.
Nasty.
Wash your hands.
Shot.
Shoot the back off that point after that.
No table manners.
Oh yeah, that's what a best driver's put.
The game is going fully converted.
Now shoot though.
Pass the corner.
Yeah, being able to punish that crouching medium punch, it lingers a little bit longer
now this time around.
Oh, squirming in this corner.
He don't want to take anything.
Yes.
find some footing here. There's the crossfielder. They're really late as well. You have to
privilege to do so. Oh! Call out. Shuto going for the ODTP. So wants to maintain that momentum
specifically in the corner level two. What's the deep end flight from the Shuto? Coming
in for the parries. He's holding it all the way. He finds a way to get the cross. You
jab. He shook it enough in the tank. Oh, be fireball. DP. Super. You already know. Wait
a minute though. Hold on. There was a lot of scaling involved. I don't know. Maybe. Survey
He says no, he's alive, but not even posted a mouth.
And then you have it, ladies and gentlemen,
Shuto moving forward.
The classic, the Knuckle sandwich.
Straight from the Campini to the top eight.
That was a bar.
Good stuff there, Shuto.
OK, one of the crowd favorites moving on in.
Oh, that's dangerous.
So we're going to get pumped versus Shuto, huh?
That's what it looks like.
That's exactly what it looks like.
And you know, Punk has definitely had a long route
full of showdowns to get here in Top 8.
Yes indeed.
I actually figure out Punk has to face Nalun first, right?
Or one of our players that dropped down
from the winners bracket, right?
So yeah.
Oh, true, true, true.
So they have to get through each other.
But I understand, I want to see that match.
Hopefully we do get to see the Shooto Punk
or whoever is just playing on their A-game.
Punk looked like a monster in the losers bracket.
I tell you what, it definitely looked like he had gotten
the proposal power up, no joke.
Come on, man.
That's what you meant.
The way that Shooto was exposing any amnesia attempt
pretty much through all of the pocket piece.
And any defensive option that he really wanted to go to
in terms of the amnesia,
that's why you see him squirm a little bit,
trying to jump out the corner every single time,
just because Shuto was in his head
that you are not using this amnesia.
And plus the defense on the level two was just fantastic
on the side of Shuto.
So the survivability rate on Shuto
is what led him here to this position.
Knew that match of legitimacy like back in his hand.
Every single thing, like he was ready for it.
Yeah, very impressed.
One of the times where he's only taking damage to himself
or off of the big risk season,
decided to pull off off of the defense on wake up maneuvers right so we'll see if
that's the kind of attitude he's gonna bring to the table going up against hope
and the loser side but before we get into that we're gonna take a little bit more
of a break so when we come back we get the continuation for the rest of our
competitors here at EVO for Sheep Fighter 6 Top 8
What's the point of an IT agent?
An IT agent can't appeal to a skill.
Does that mean someone who can easily appeal to a skill?
Is there anyone who's that strong?
If an IT agent can do it, then it's Levatec.
Evacuation.
I participated in the tournament, and then I was promoted to a small-scale university.
I was very happy.
It's much more than just playing. It's being apart from this community.
Lebatheque.
I'll be a little more.
Lebatheque is a perfect career for you.
Why?
What are you talking about?
If it's summer, there's a huge data about the engineer.
If you can do IT skills, then it's Lebathec.
Lebathec Freelance.
Hey, look at this.
What's wrong?
I want to be a Freelance, but Freelance?
We can continue to make a proposal.
How many times can you grow?
I wonder if there's no change.
If it's IT Freelance, then it's Lebathec Freelance.
We've returned to continue on with the top 8 here at Evil Japan 2026 for Street Fighter
6 with the largest amount of entrance in the history of fighting games with over 7,000
It's exactly 7168 entrance also drive us into our top 8 but before we get into that obviously
We have a lot more going on within the show of Evo Japan
Obviously, we've got so many announcements that have been coming through from every publisher on the planet that has been a part of Evo
A lot of the top 8s to get us here as well to pretty much
Set up this historic moment. Oh, yeah a hundred percent right
It's just been sick to see everybody that's been a part of this evil Japan has only grown year after year and with that
We got more and more collaborators more and more dead teams more more publishers coming in and showing off all kinds of cool stuff at this
man, I mean listen, this is Street Fighter Country man
I mean the first first time I stepped foot here in Japan
It was it was just and let it be and it was let it was known that Street Fighter 6
Just Street Fighter in general belongs here. You know I'm saying so I'm not surprised that we got such a great showing in terms of the tournament
And just the results of just everybody answering so big shout outs everybody from across the globe to coming over here to
Evil Japan and just join some tree fighter man. Yeah, the right place
I'll tell you that we do have a very special announcement going into it right beforehand obviously jam project with plenty of words for the fans here at
Evil Japan, so look
I
Did I make the fire music? Yeah, they yeah, they were involved in Alex's team. Yes. Okay. Okay
Who's the drummer
Oh, well, that's not actually I couldn't tell I actually couldn't tell
Don't forget that. Hello. Thank you for the message from jam project. I am sure many many more fire music is gonna be coming out
Hopefully we get more and more themes from them and just in general seeing them collaborate with Capcom has been such a
Treat for so many people and myself included and yeah, man seeing street fighters
Is get taken to this next level and seeing all these people get involved with it, right?
Obviously, we got champ project for the theme song
But then of course Kenny Omega doing the motion capture for Alex as well, right man
And you know I heard another wrestler just left his company that might be a little bit more free to do some things
So hopefully we can uh, Hollad Austin Creed here very soon. You know, okay
Well, shout out to the stunt dummy that was taking all those scoops from Kenny Omega.
My knock-a-zower?
Shout out knock-a-zower, bro.
Okay, that's a deal.
Okay, okay.
Yeah.
Apparently, like, after, like, the third, like, perfect angel, it was a...
What do I mean, angel?
What do I mean, angel?
Angel, so sorry.
Apparently, the guy like, y'all, that's enough.
Are you supposed to Kenny Omega?
He was saying that this dude took, like, about, like, 20 of those.
Oh!
I'm supposed to get it right.
So it's kind of crazy that he's still alive with us, so...
I'm just glad...
I'm just glad...
I'm just glad...
I'm just glad...
I'm just glad any sort of footage that requires somebody getting speared it'll only involve like padding and not a real person because my man went all out you can see it in the animation how he drives his shoulder into like the tackle it's insane.
So Kenny has actually spoken about like his actual wrestling style was influenced by fighting games in terms of like his snappiness and his crispiness like he wants it to feel like a video game so it's wild to see it come full circle and then him doing motion capture for a video game and seeing the crispiness in Street Fighter 6.
Wow.
If you're a gamer, you'll appreciate those moves, the names of those moves, so...
Oh yeah.
Sure, man, for a name.
A lot of influence all the way around too, and again, it's come full circle, right?
When it comes to all the influences that we get from fighting games, just having that passion
and also the dedication to be like, you know what, I want to just be a part of this further and further.
It's actually a pretty, pretty big deal to see us all here at Evil Japan,
to kind of see how much it's progressed thus far.
But before we get into the sappy stuff, let's get into the progression of this bracket
to take a look and refresh your memory as to how things went down. We saw the
winners semi-finals kick off between Hope and Yamaguchi. Hope fell short, just a
single game against Yamaguchi then followed by Nao and Iguchi where Iguchi
took full control of what it felt like with that guy over the Akuma. We get to
see those two that fell for winners get their chance at redemption potentially
over and loses round two but we saw it. Punk versus Nogledoo, we had to say
goodbye to at least one American and it happened to be within this bracket.
Pump 3-1 over Knuckle Dew, Shuto versus Taki P.
I've got to say, as much as Shuto had proven
he was ready for the JP matchup, it was still rather close.
Yeah, man, that's just a testament to, I think,
the skill level that Taki Piano has really taken JP to, right?
Shuto was ready for everything.
And Taki still almost beat him here at Top 8 of EVO,
so no surprise, man.
Big ups to Taki Taki Piano.
Definitely one of my favorite players to watch
for a minute now on the JP,
because as much of his, he's a menace to play against,
I really enjoyed watching the character so this dude has been on the forefront of a lot of tech out here in Japan
But now we are moving on to losers quarter-finals right where one of our NA hearts still lies and punk the god
You see now gonna be facing off against now
Right wow seeing that the hair journeys of so many people
I know it's just information, but just it's just a reminder. It's just a reminder of this house
It's just a reminder just how long
Punk has been in the game from Caesars to Dredge.
What's so funny?
Nothing, man.
I feel like if I have to say something,
you know what, there's going to be a resume and a pause there
so I'm going to just kick back and not say anything.
Zoom, that's...
Zoom, resume.
Listen, really from Philly, Punk the God,
it's in the building, representing that green
because we all know the Celtics has packed it up.
Oh!
I wasn't going to do it, too.
I'm thinking in there. I'm a Laker fan. I wasn't gonna do it to me. You know, I'm thinking in there. Hell. Yeah, but I curse round to Celtic sound
It's pretty good day
You know, I looked at you though my bad. I knew I shouldn't have turned. We have no choice. No, look at us
Man, look punk in a proposition. Hey, look, he's already a Evo champion
So they could just add one more to the board possibly of course if he stays strong and consistent throughout this tournament
He does I feel like the way that punk plays is definitely favorable for him to win this whole tournament
But again, you got to go step by step.
It all depends on the challenge at hand here.
Yeah, and he's been going through like a record of different show-dose.
Throughout the entirety of this bracket, right?
Even socials, just looking at the previous rounds prior to Top Bake.
He had to go through Cosa, 2-1.
He had to go through Boz, 2-1 as well.
Oh, and well, had Boz has been a bit of a demon for Punk in the past couple of tournaments as well, right?
Beating him at SFL, beating him at Evo, France, if I'm not mistaken.
So he's definitely overcome some demons already to get to this point.
And in that first match against Duhman,
he looked like he just knew the button timings of his opponent.
And when Punk looks like that, not many people have a chance.
Different demon on the stage via Noun could be unfamiliarity at this point,
but as long as he understands the shoulder matchup,
I feel like he's gonna be a lot more confident than most.
I love how Punk always tries to snipe out your counter poke tendencies.
Notice when he walks in blocks all day, this is all to collect data.
The next time he's in that range, he's gonna go for that big whip on this.
Mainly with the crowd strong, so for the stuff out.
That's why I always want him on a fast walk speed character, right?
Like that is where his strengths lie, you can see it in the difference whenever he plays the character like this.
Professional way to take a throw after that stand-fist, hell yeah, the drive rush at that.
And you see the just the interesting walk patterns of moving forward a little bit, trying to see what now is going to be showing him.
Oh, plus he's going to win, he's going to kick right back at it.
He's going to be spending all that cash, he has enough money to punish the man.
What was that? Was that a die kick?
No, it was a die kick, yeah, okay.
Wait, I'm already died, kick baby.
Okay.
They're gonna go pump the guard.
Whoa.
Okay.
Little attempt to snipe.
Little tap Harry.
I don't know if that was supposed to be some type of bait.
I mean it worked?
Yeah, it worked as a bait.
Wow, that it did.
Malon's got some stuff, man.
That is definitely unorthodox.
Unconventional.
Look at that.
He's trying to hit him with the empty duck.
Wow, such a double verse.
Demon flips.
He's trying to bait out the parry.
Like how Pump was already ready with the anti-air.
Already a huge difference too in terms of the approach.
Very deep uppercut actually thought he was gonna make it across for the cross-up, but nope. All right
I see ya nice little hezzy button as well perfectly delayed to call up on defensive timing tried to beat the check right there
But instead does beat the walk back even better low-floor sniping out the defensive dive kick on the side of Paul. Oh
What a time to snipe with the continuity of punches well, what noise?
Nice.
How strong.
It was hard to do level 3 just because the drive game situation would have been very favorable
but now Nalone's going to be the one to level 3 here.
Switch that drive advantage right around.
That's right.
Take it with a smile.
Yeah.
Oh wow.
Okay.
I don't know if we try to anticipate maybe a dive kick or something to just walk under.
I think there's more to a walk under right.
Yeah.
Okay now.
I see you one on the board.
Quick.
It's coming to go.
I know that's hyping them up.
I promise you you get hype every single time because it tells you in the back of your mind that you could do this
Now space himself against the low median kick and standing light kick is gonna be the big punish counter to start things off for now
We fixed those
The demon flips getting exposed nice to cross drone that's punk favorite button question from that range
But he knows we don't need a low-fold anymore, right?
Stay around house
What I was gonna be on the other side for some reason. Yeah, same
You think I wasn't I just proposed that's the biggest risk, huh?
Ain't no bigger humiliation than here in the know so yeah, you're right exactly 100% right
100% any risk that he takes in game today. It's all good. But today
That's my last name
That's wild, son.
Adam and Flamin' to the level 2.
Are we close enough for the juggles?
A bad crowdhouse?
Yes, a walk-up casual?
No, not even for the Adam and Flamin'.
Oh, I like the Flamin' that you get off of that.
That was a full-on dash for the meeting.
Nice.
Oh, optimal.
Last hit.
I appreciate the clarification on that, Renz.
That's definitely where I was going over that.
Yeah, I got you. You know how I saw it figured.
I'm mad.
Put him back.
Yeah, we get that side swap.
Ooh, what a parry to save the DI right there.
Punk, obviously, that's where his head was already at, right?
That's why there's no reversal DI.
Looking to parry things in general.
Oh, shut that blast.
Play that range, okay?
I like how he's not giving up that ground with the demon flips anymore.
Nice parry day on the jumping.
Right back at the OS on deck.
Indeed, Punk, immediately exposing the drive rush.
Oh, you saw the start of the overhand.
Oh, went for overhand from that far away, huh?
Take a sip of water.
Can I get the zoom in real quick, please?
Go to punk and let me get the zoom in.
Did it, did it, did it!
No?
And it was already in his cubal suit.
You wanted to zoom in, right?
I get you, I get you.
Oh my goodness, though, we already got a real quick check from now on to start this,
and we in the corner.
does not escape for free tax that man
okay looking for that counter hit jab or pressure plus plus range for sure
never get deep in too. Almost death punk.
That's the message. Could be another throw right. But down's gonna be too scared.
Possibly depress a button because I want to get counter hit again very close to
burn out. It's gonna be very reluctant to even try to contest.
Yeah, that's maybe you can go for me. Excuse me. No
Eat it out punished
Optimal meter build as well with the throw knowing the extra damage was still gonna kill yeah
I was a wise choice for fun just try to bet on it
Of course, he was close to the burnout right you want to take it in too much blast done
My board medium kick has been a problem and we've seen punk have problems with the kuma in the past right?
We saw kawano at SFL World Championships last year really just kind of shut him down with forward medium kick and stand like a
You got that character like a man walk speed of pump
The wake of no forward right back at you there ready every time capital OS
School you get another one
No, not even wait for us
Cays but on
It's gonna be a little scary now, right now and also has access to a demon be very careful if he's got something in the pod
Oh, no cancel the level three
Is he going to deepen them just for the show?
Imagine?
He could have just left with 3-0 for the DP for sure.
Yeah, that would have been a kill honestly.
It would have been enough damage.
Oh, staggered lows, of course.
Now I'm showing.
Oh my goodness.
The back dash to avoid the throw.
This is a low 4 confirm.
I just confirmed it to something.
I promise you.
Don't win.
Oh, just barely reached.
Oh, didn't believe in the counter jab.
I don't think he thought now he would press there.
I don't blame him.
I wasn't expecting him to get counter hit either.
This is the guy who woke him with Brownhouse against Blawz after all.
He used it!
He baited him out, the drive rush into the DI to bait a response and he shut down the DP.
That's what we like to call a good old fashioned mind gem.
I would love to say the real word, but we don't know what it is.
Oh my god.
That's another throw in the making.
No, he's looking for the defensive dive kick.
That's why he hit the brakes while spacing out the jab.
He was almost home with the steadfast.
He's playing the life lead game quite well.
He's got the standing light kick punish counter.
That has been the biggest deterrent against Punk moving forward and even trying to flash some of these normals against Noun.
Look at that match point!
Come on, Vic!
Man, that was crazy.
From down to the last round. Oh, but too close on the fireball, it's Punk.
Man, an opportunity now.
Yes! Oh, yeah!
That's right, getting nasty. He is taking risks.
I know the back of Punk's mind here. I know he's saying it to himself.
Like, wow, this guy's playing a little nutty against me, man.
But at the end of the day, it's just a good reason to side of Noun for me.
Yeah, 100%.
Oh, oh, DDP is another one.
Wow, I'm actually going to be willing to burn himself out there with the ODP key
down in this corner.
Wait a minute, though.
Don't take the back throw.
Oh, it ended in a chuckle.
Even better.
A force down midway through the air, air to air, excuse me,
with the roundhouse connecting with the level one.
Stop!
Steve.
Steve.
I'm sorry.
Sorry, I'm sorry.
I got to be biased for a second.
That's my boy.
That scared the hell out of me.
I'm not going to lie.
Oh the DP doing it. It's fine. Oh phone told me my headphone usage is exceeding the recommended volume. I'm so sorry guys
I'm so sorry
Okay, oh stand a minute. There has been a problem for sure. Oh the school found a button
Throw absolutely and he wisely takes that because that's big damage off of a counter hit crowd fierce. Oh my god
You got the level three. Yes, indeed. I want to spend it just yet here
But now any hit to a hole tried to come to the check that actually punished very smart from punk knowing he was close enough to get that
Yes, the guy is there he's going directly to the C8 to burn down out
Now of course, there is no free DI here. He's got plenty of meter. It is a scary spot for both players wake up that shot
Do something imagine
Oh, he didn't wake up at dance, but right into a dive kick.
Oh.
If you look at it, they buffered him.
Yeah, 100%.
100%.
Hell, yeah, that's what it was.
He sits there.
That boy got demoned.
Imagine.
Oh, my lord.
That was the idea, though.
100%.
You know what, even though I probably would try to catch,
I'd probably like a delayed tech hit him with the DP,
right, like a jab DP.
And then while we got a little bit of downtime,
I just want to correct myself.
I did see that DI at the start of the round, I thought it was Drivers and DI, it was Crouching Medium kicking the DI, because Punk had been doing the DPOS on all the Drivers cancels, right?
So he saw the DI, it was just one of those things that looks visually similar, right?
So he lets the ODA DP rip, and of course the DI was there to counter it.
It was super smart from now, but my man Punk is locked in now, and we got a tight up ball game for Game 5 to survive in this top 8!
This is brutal.
Beautiful.
Let's go Punk.
Oh, wow on the county. I even knows this guy. Okay the tattoo for the full carry. All right now
We in that danger zone. How are we gonna get off the cage?
No, it's real quiet now is gonna say good feel the the gravity toss of the situation seriously
Troll absolutely one more. Okay. No, not even oh man. Oh cuz he was crouching and made it more potent
He almost had him across jab, he's looking for the low forward, or the cross strong even.
DP though.
Holy shit, it's Yerit.
A little bit too late on that one, that's good, I was gonna say stay safe, it's too deep.
I like that he was looking for the throw tech after that interaction too.
Small choice there from punk, kept himself safe.
Nice!
Nice!
With the crouching, hip kick, dump all the meter, level one is all that's necessary against
the low health Akuma, one round to go.
Big switch up from what we saw in the previous game.
Pump now taking command over now in space.
We haven't seen that forward medium kick as much after it got pulled up initially
from the start of this previous round.
What do you do now is now to stop Pump from moving forward.
Standing light kick is the choice.
That's a throw. Yep. That's definitely the throw that Pump needed right here.
It came just outside of the space.
Oh, it sounded like gunshots.
Oh, that was a step for a DP for sure.
Had to be.
Nice, what a way to find an answer to get out the corner.
Deep cross up Punk will take that pro-black gladly.
That is there, protecting his drive-gage in the process.
Punk's built himself back into the green.
Oh, and that is gonna make sure the driver's canceled.
Does not burn him out. This is huge.
Oh! Straight into the level three.
We learned our lesson again, Shaohai.
That is a dead Akuma.
Punk moves on and losers bracket.
Ace in the hole. We didn't see it throughout the whole set
and saved it for the last possible moment.
Punk moves on to the losers semi-final.
Oh my goodness, baby.
Yes.
Yes.
We are here.
I thought you were about to give me a rrrrr.
I'm ski for a second, brother.
I thought we were going full can opener for a second.
Not out of Sleechong, wherever you at, brother.
I know he's watching that home right now with the kids.
Oh man.
Yo, excellent stuff from Punk, man.
That was a bit of...
The word is not exciting.
I would say a nerve wrecking, a little overzealous from both guys,
especially on the side of now while the wake up.
I hope we get that as a highlight, maybe just to wake up, dash forward attempt.
It is a fair read.
It is a fair read.
He likes those, right?
That's what we talked about.
He will go for the big read.
Like, he knows when the player's going to be optimal.
He's going to try to hard counter that optimal decision.
So very excited to play your watch.
I hope we get to see more of now and going forward.
But punk the God clutching it out here and keeping the run of dreams alive.
Jesus.
Now he has to wait for his turn against what,
Shuto and Hope going forward?
Shuto and Hope's next.
Absolutely wild.
We're going to get into that in just a little bit.
But again, you guys have been tuning in to one of the biggest
brackets in the world for Street Fighter 6.
Guess what?
You actually have your opportunity to do so even more so
on another stage on the road to EVO as we get started back
on May 3rd.
Competing your favorite fighting games on PlayStation
tournaments for your shot of winning a trip to EVO Vegas
to compete with all the heavy hitters that
have signed up for that tournament as well.
Again, your chance to compete with one of the greats and also be a part of the fighting game community is in your hands with the road to evil
And please take advantage of these opportunities
We've actually had players that win the road to evil events come out to evil and then win evil in its entirety
So it's a very big opportunity for anybody that gets to do it
And you can just actually sign up directly from your in-game console on the PlayStation 5
So please check it out. Y'all as we get on the road to evil Vegas man. It's also around the corner
I'm just happy. I know I'm here smirking and stuff like that, you know
Our job is pretty hard considering that you don't want to be biased, but you know, I'm gonna be honest
I'm very happy to see big making it this fall, you know
Cuz I mean I've seen this kid grow up to the competitor that he is
So I'm always happy to see him one of those great results. Fuck the guy
Still think about the very first like red bull event that we'd seen him leave his house face off against greats
and still perform out of his mind to establish that he is here for his time in Street Fighter.
That started with five, by the way, when he faced off against Tokido.
Yeah, absolutely, man. Seeing these players grow up literally in front of our eyes
throughout the competitive scene, it's a treat to watch for sure.
But let's get into this bracket now as Punk, of course, has solidified his position in top four.
He'll be there and lose their semifinals, awaiting the winner of Hope and Shuto.
And of course, Yamaguchi and Haguchi up there in winners' finals as well.
looking to duke it out. It's been a slobberknocker from start and it will be to finish.
And we are going through these brackets so quickly and all the action packed into it as well.
It's been so, so really difficult and also crazy to watch at the same time. But you know English is
hard sometimes. Shuto vs Hope, one of the biggest things I'm looking forward to is seeing how this
modern Octi survives against Shuto. Obviously we've seen a lot from that end when it comes to Shuto
and the fandom here in Japan, and also just his overall performances for 5 over the 6 has been a very clutch factor for a lot of the scenes in Street Fighter League Japan.
Hope being the final hope for Taiwan with all of his accolades going into it, again with his debut technically going into the big stage of Evo Japan.
I am really quite curious to see how he's gonna perform against one of the top dogs.
I will say this from Shuto, I'm very impressed with his matchup knowledge.
I mean we've seen it all across the board against Takepi, so I wanna see, hopefully that has his name right again.
But hopefully we see that same representation in terms of matchup knowledge against the
Aki.
Just the little things, man.
Okay.
Copy.
So here we go.
Let's get it, man.
Shoot though versus hope.
Our other half of the losers quarterfinals, whatever, this is going to be moving on to
face Punk.
Oh, God.
And shoot though.
He's bringing out the Ryu.
We saw the Akuma in round one to deal with the JP.
We saw Messer the Bison a little bit, but now this has been the boy.
He's primarily playing to get at the top lane.
Shoot don't bring enough protagonist power to the stage.
Like that.
Oh man, Rue.
Big Rue, big Rue.
You gave him sandals this time.
Yep.
Yeah, had a hot bunions.
Yeah, still a little bit exposed.
He's creating new ones now.
The wedgie between the big toes is a little spacey.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
A little random.
Okay, establishing the poison into the throw early on.
He's got Togaps.
The wedgie between the big toe got me real good.
All right, that's another throw.
It was that was wake up.
Oh, it's a lead.
That's it, man.
It's a man.
Try to roll.
Try to walk back here.
Stay close.
Got to my home town.
Come on, man.
For a long day.
Just scoop him to the floor.
No.
Okay.
It was an attempt at an overhand from Shoot.
Don't hope he's still swinging.
OD uppercut.
Reset the space.
Be here.
I'm prioritizing it to the immediate.
That was why he did parry and then he actually ODP through the second hit of it. That was crazy.
Okay, let's go. We go for the dragon. Don't get thirsty with a drive-in.
Pekky got cash, man.
Come on.
You have countered it.
Why was he so ready for that?
Why was he absolutely so ready for that?
Hit two, right?
That's what I'm saying. Like, how did you jump in that scrambling situation?
He was loose.
Get the juggle off of that.
Yeah, okay.
Oh, so that's how you get the prime damage of some big quick punters.
Okay.
I was about to say, like, you just went on a poison
for, like, the tackle to actually get more of a juggle,
but it's totally fine.
Him being able to reapply and force you
to enter this corner already,
it's really just about to,
damn, I got the Tatsu, I was gonna break it!
There's another hit.
In time, oh man, I honestly was like,
how is this gonna play out, man?
Is this off, he actually gonna get something
on the screen, but no, hope.
Give it a close, this one.
Both players fully loaded on me.
There would a cool fate shutdown.
Yup, the big ones.
He got some frame advantage there pretty sure shot through with a stagger or delay there mostly a delay
Okay, the poisonous stuff the throw wow catch jab definitely plus on the drive rush
Yeah, that's plus box the brush game kick is normally plus one so big frame advantage
Let's go the poison stuff. Are we gonna spend it early? No, no, we're gonna go for one more sequence in
Anything can do it at this point level one. Wow. You try to hold up. You got exposed on defense right there. I see your fault
Perfectly made at the decisions on that one.
Hey, have that poison just thickened up a little bit.
I wonder if that makes you feel a little bit more antsy,
not sure if you can eat another throw with the additional poison damage taking down.
Probably felt the pressure and felt like he had to make the decision then.
What a call-out, fellow Hope, already up a game.
The number one thing you want to keep in life is Hope.
Yes. That's facts, though.
It's true bars.
Even when it's your downs.
100%.
I'm sure Hope is looking across that monitor and saying, man, that is chuteau.
So, but listen, I'm the embodiment of love,
of hope, I should say, damn, I don't wanna kill that joke.
I knew what you were getting at, I knew what you were getting at,
but this is the case here.
And shoot, though, we've seen a couple of characters, right?
He's back at the character select screen right now.
I wonder if he's trying to decide if we're gonna see the bison and
their character that he's been kind of experimenting with,
that we're gonna see the Akuma again.
Trying to get as many hits as possible.
Looking at the multi monitor, I'm just like, we might go to the Akuma or
we stick to the bison or Vega of course modern interesting the ones with a big
modern player at the beginning of this game right was he invented modern
recent that's right of scissors yeah that was pretty much what he has I don't
even know what the opposite gap of real this is new to me you know a shout out
to Fubar thought he did say that a lot of people in Japan was actually rocking
mainly devices was actually investigating a lot of modern bison so
Really? Yeah, this is a trick for me. Yep. Interesting. Okay
I'm very excited to see this especially because bison has like on paper some anti-projectile tools
But usually combined with the input in the startup. It's hard to use them against people
But maybe with the modern and having that shortcut. It's a little bit easier. I mean he loses his style and like it
They stay in heavy kicks. We can't even get a big punish down there. Oh, he's getting more. Wow
Yeah, that's the way that I could think of this like you're gonna have put your access to the cycle pressure
You're gonna have put your access to level two to try to beat some of these projectiles that hockey's gonna show
Thank you by the way, oh
Man
Oh my goodness
The drive-in tactic of a oh
Oh, wake up from shorts.
What's going on?
Have you set the pretzel on before I had to put that on?
I've made it?
I'd say a lot of things.
I think you have.
I think you are.
Is this scrably?
Oh, there it is.
The Audi Cycle Crusher represented it.
You trying to snake step on me?
The Cycle Torpedo.
What the fuck is this?
Yeah.
The gruff.
He said, hook the tree.
I don't even know what he said for real.
Overhead?
Oh, even better.
Here's the damage incoming.
You'll just do it.
Psycho pressure level 3.
Just do it.
Even better.
Oh, yeah.
Considering you've hurt himself out?
Oh, he wants to keep the meter, actually.
Just in case.
Oh, he can't react though.
We got the modern stuff.
He needs a bomb.
Pined it against Hope as well.
Still many teams in the corner.
Pressure!
He confirmed!
Right into the level 3.
Two-knot encroaching to a space that could have been a buffer.
It could have been a confirm.
But either way, that is a dead character.
It's naïve, Steve, from Shooter right there.
One third into the super, what a message sent back.
It was looking a little shaky at round one, right?
Aki and Hope was able to take it.
My man, what a bounce back in.
Okay, yeah, I'm so glad that he actually was modern
so he can highlight the fact that, yeah,
he was one of the first people
that really pioneered modern at a high level.
Super, super sick to see, of course.
Yeah, man, didn't even lose that much either.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Stand, light kick, stand, heavy kick.
Yeah, I mean, the stand, heavy kick's pretty good, right?
It's up to the bus frames and whatnot.
The light kick decent, got the hover kick as well,
But honestly, most of Bison is here and it's gonna have quicker access to the specials and the things you really want to abuse.
I think like the way to encode space and also get plus frames, standing heavy punch is a great tool.
Back roundhouse, he still maintains for pressure.
Yeah, it was back roundhouse with the plus frames anyway, it's not even a stand roundhouse.
So yeah, this is really good.
Stand roundhouse for me is for so you lost access to like a shimmy, a big shimmy cat.
Yeah, yeah.
Okay.
Actually, one of your better ender for combos on the driver, so he's definitely lost a little bit of damage, but his core game plan is still there.
Oh, nice.
Oh, little off.
Should have went for the jab.
What does he have?
Let me see.
Hold on.
I was going to say maybe that's something he's missing, the jab cycle cruiser.
Oh, what an AP.
Oh, these scissors.
What?
A neutral jump on that.
And then it tried to prevent hope from getting any offense started.
Proud to be here, but shuts it down.
Can't quite get the kill.
But what a dodge on the wake of driver versatile.
Shoot Paul out of his mind.
That was nice and delayed, dude. Just in case.
That was double layered. You gotta love those octopuses of bison.
Wow. What a snipe out on the neutral jump.
He was looking for it, right? You were talking about cycle crushers. I heard you yipes.
No. WQ got him modern.
At the bomb.
Let's go. Oh, it's about a detonate.
Playing a good old game of Socom here.
Shouts for sick.
What's the 7D?
Who are the plus frames there? Indeed. Respecting it.
Hold on. Trying to press back, but does catch the legs.
If you go poison the blind, that's a throw of damage, no.
What a challenge on the delay with the delay cross is wrong.
Oh, that was nasty.
Rocky Classic right there.
They're always looking for the cross route house.
Big super confirm, and you know it's pulled in the modern.
Right, watch that puddle.
Oh, try to hit him with the empty.
Possibly looking for the parry, of course.
Oh, that's a good point.
Okay, I like that whole talking to himself.
to himself. Yes, stuck to his imaginary friends. Oh, and just risked the jumping at the start.
Judo couldn't quite find an answer. Oh, the legs. Definitely try to hold up for the
back dash. Take your pick. But it's on the offensive arm slot right there. It holds.
Is that the pedal up as well? Oh, kill those frames. All right, B stuff. Love it. Establish
your technology. Oh, that's too close. Oh, but don't be punished. Oh, now we got the
start up of the Ciceroquine. All right, next hit for sure. Should be the cook. Whoa!
The most ace job.
Wow, but he was ducking through the only job he could do.
Not sure.
Wow, OK, well, hope takes the lead with that one.
Yeah, and the speedy fashion dude
is actually overwhelming.
Shito in the corner right there.
And Shito's going to lock in this bison
for the rest of the set.
Modern bison.
This has got to be the debut on a big stage.
Jumping me out.
Oh, and again, the anteers stopped there.
Looked like it was Crop Spears, but just too late.
Going that last from that angle.
I love it just to snipe out the devils reverse.
Oh, mash in the crops like, yep, that's a feisty classic.
Press that button, please.
Especially up close.
Look where she's gonna press this next button
a little bit too early, so I'll be just standing there,
got clipped.
Nice, the head-eye kicks.
Wow, it's the anti-air, okay.
We'll take that option.
A little bit of results with it though,
the team's invoking and getting punish counter for it.
The bomb.
Go ahead.
Oh, even better.
Even better, on the punish counter,
What a way to take that challenge there, Hope.
I was pretty risque.
Oh, no, that's big punish.
And he makes it out, Shuto.
What a response.
You know what, I'll take that.
And no scenarios, definitely stand roundhouse,
but I like that the roundhouse scissors
for the pure punish of the counter.
This is a big competition for me, right?
Being able to go into these scissors regardless,
because you have to pull up the bomb,
mind it, I hope.
But this is some of the rounds
that have been looking dangerous for Shuto.
But Barney has him in the corner, he applied pressure,
no ATR to try to parry like that.
Yeah, he's caught out last time.
Shoot though, emptying, Snake steps to get away.
That's a sneaky empty jump too,
because it does look like a devil reverence,
depending on the scenario.
Yeah.
Oh, looking for the whip on his stats up top.
Mm, watch the shankless.
Oh my gosh, Pete.
It's going to catch that jump back next time.
I, oh, that is of course what he's alive.
Ooh.
Shout out to Meryl.
That killed?
Okay.
Yeah, one up and hope is on set point now after that as well say my name you need it at this point shoot. So
Stuffing up the overhead excuse me. She's all planning the bomb drive rush forward
Hope defensively getting blown up right now
Watch your power for tech you pull to the risk gauge
Oh the photo we just walked right through. Uh-huh. I don't care. I'm hydrated another throw
I'm going to be looking for space and now trying to catch a gopress and he does there.
Night shape poles, which he super mastered this like.
Hiding the button choice, but forces himself out of the corner with the burnout.
Yeah!
Doing that because a modern player not going to be easy.
Listen, that is a classic.
That man was the creator at this point.
Him and Heitani.
True.
Oh.
He told us buying time as well.
He's almost got a drive-thief back.
Oh, chasing on the back dash.
He's in that count, hitting the staggered low,
to click the warp back with these blockings.
Damn.
Yeah, I hope he got his own drive-eater back now as well.
Oh, what a response, man.
Able to cancel the night check pulse.
Mata day, and he got him out the corner too.
Hope is close to level three as well.
Oh my goodness, get the punish counter.
Outspacing the sister kick.
He's going all the way through with it.
Juggle this man straight out of the tournament.
Hope, 301s that go on the face,
pump the gods and losers semi-finals.
Every nice hook, okay?
Everybody rocking the monster, booze out here.
This is crazy, bro.
Love it.
I felt like I took a real Oregonbo with that one.
It's all good.
I was not sure if it was gonna kill by then.
Oh, there was so much drive meter behind him.
No way he wasn't gonna get any sort of juggle to knowing the routes
There's like a plethora of different routes that hockey does have whether it's a standard whether it's in modern
The fact that she could be the juggle Queen you never know what's gonna what kind of damage it
But she's gonna get towards the end but best believe that was the proper call
That was beautiful stuff from home right there able to clutch it out again shoot
Don't lock it in that modern bison. It looks good for the first game
It honestly looked good in general, but hope just I think it goes back to that comfort ability factor
This is what he plays the most, is what we know him for,
this is what he's gonna terrorize the region of Taiwan with.
And while Shuto, obviously modern Marisa,
back in the day and whatnot,
but it just looked like he was much more ready
for the situation.
I'm really interested, I'm really curious to know
why he went for the modern vise.
And I know obviously we got the easy access
to the scissor kick, the reaction to the drive rush,
you know, the whole nine, but what was he looking for
specifically, was it the neutral jumps?
Was it just with on the standing medium kick
where he could get the scissor kick easy
on the whip punish?
I'm not too sure, but I feel like he could have stuck it out with the Ryuu, but I mean, he's up there, you know what I mean?
He's the one that makes those decisions.
So, I think possibly maybe navigating around the space that Aki does control with Nightshade pulse,
Serpent Lash as well, being able to maybe do, I want to say, shadow rise through if possible,
double reverse in, etc. Maybe, but also having access to Odi's Cycle Crusher to blast through
and take your turn from like, what, three-fourths of the screen?
Could possibly be what the difference was for Shuto in terms of what his objective was against Hope specifically.
Level 2 also an anti-projectile tool that's much easier to use and modern.
That's right, that's right.
We didn't get to see that either, right, so maybe in the future we'll see Shuto explain that a little bit more.
But let's get into the bracket now, of course, as we progress to our final four of the U of Japan 2026.
And that loser semi-finals, home defeating Shuto, has them now faced,
punked the god as the two non-Japanese representatives left go up against each other to battle it out.
While Japan is ruling winners' finals, Yamaguchi vs. Higuchi have taken the stage.
And we're gonna get into it imminently. What a name combination. Yama Gucci versus he Gucci. Good cloth
Good cloth out here. All right. No Louis necessary. I'll tell you what
They might as well have it on them because the way that they've been playing has been nothing but top caliber top shelf as
Expected got the entirety of their pretty much introduction into the fighting game scene, right?
Both representing the same exact team both the part of Zeta and also very very good teammates with each other over in
Street Fighter maybe and one's gonna hold an L the others are gonna hold a B
Oh, that's bars the guy cash that
I'm gonna like this with that one
So fast
See how this plays out the my versus guy give me a little inside guys
Yeah, I'm a good chance any other characters with my
We can't use the plane. That's me. Also. Yes. I said DJ. Oh
Oh, that being asked who that was, okay.
Oh, he's nasty too.
DJ was naturally.
I think he's definitely had that under wraps.
I think that's going to be like a very much so secret weapon
for a lot of the characters that he's been,
or a lot of the players that he's been playing up against.
But now he's in top eight.
He's got to be sticking to the mile, right?
It's interesting up against Guile, right?
I don't know how like the my fireball game
is going to work out up against Guile.
Like I feel like I have a little bit more confidence
in the DJ style of a projectile.
warfare, but you know obviously I do think he's gonna start with the Mi at the very
least, but I'll be interested to see how it goes and see if he alters the game
plan if it doesn't go according to. And there could be Tato along the way right?
Like, even if either of them fall short, there's still a chance that the loser's
bracket is gonna be a quite the matchup to see how it progresses further on, but
we'll see how it plays out. The shark infested waters and the loser side is
It's going to be so difficult to traverse.
It's going to be the Maid versus Gail Locked in.
Say that it's going to be so happy right now.
He's going to ask for sure.
Those guys, that organization has been like the top dog to Tokyo for so long
for a handful of different esports as well.
Yeah, absolutely.
I believe they already took the Nibble Japan Championship
in a different fighting game as well this weekend.
So yeah, Zeta's having a nice time.
You know, Tom, number W's.
Yeah, we got two chances at W's, really.
Okay, already.
without a range of that. Well, I don't even know he could do a flash kick off a regular
counter hit. Nah, that's usually off of the drive rush.
Drive rush, yeah. Okay.
If anything, like with the medium kick, a punished counter whip, you gotta get a flash
kick out of that specifically.
Okay, establishing the throws, the wide switch from the Gucci to take it.
Trying to catch a delayed button. The Gucci does get the forward throw, tapping on the
door a little bit. The shield is getting exposed. The Gucci's still kind of jailed a little
bit. Or at least facing some time out.
almost close to the stand face.
Turn to the whiff punish on the side of Higuchi.
Oh, beautiful, perfect carry.
Now get the level one established in the corner as well.
Oh, yeah, those guys, they strike throw.
He just moonwalks back.
Greatest mixup of all time.
Almost out of pixel.
You got to make an executive decision.
On her hips, and he like it, Link.
You know it.
This makes you need to be at right as Higuchi.
Try to close the gap now, Higuchi.
What's the score of a striker when it comes to the God game play?
Man, the fact that he was that ready from that close to the drive was just amazing.
Good stuff there from Yamabuchi. Has a blink yet.
Ooh, ouch, right in the abdomen.
The big boot, bro.
Yup, collect taxes on all these baby booms.
The defendants are claiming them all?
Big damage, of course, close to the burnout.
Wow, try to parry, little risk.
Hey, you don't have to take this.
This could be a chip out of this. Go for the boom plan, old day.
Ooh, even better.
Half moon for the finish. I flinched. I didn't think it was going to do that much damage. I'm not going to lie to you guys
I don't know why I yelled so hard for that one
Like here that you're happy
It is the example you were talking about off the punish counter there you go
You see the who could just done such a good job no fighting these fans off the other good
You've been with like OD this had all the fans and they still just got nullified
Wow, okay, that's the range that mine wants to be the stand fierce of course
No foes. No foes. Pretty good, too.
The double. Okay.
Wow, what a boost.
I thought that was a attempt for a flash kick.
He got caught mid-air, so maybe it was a possibly input error.
Yeah, I think so. I think you just didn't get the charging time.
It's just very rare for Maguchi. Good point.
Damn. No random jump-ins yet, represented on the side of Yamaguchi.
The block on the reset.
Who would have built a level 3 and killed her? 100%.
Yup. That was a wide throw, so that's a good call.
Oh, back, bro.
Oh, no, better react to this.
Gonna turn orange, man.
Like I said, you gotta get burnt out one way or another.
Did not risk the driver versus the old two in the middle.
Ganker for Fully.
That's that chip, though.
And working on his back.
Oh, and that is dead, baby.
Rossi ain't no life left on Higuchi's side.
Best believe.
Oh, the zoom in.
Yes.
We're doing that production. Yeah
and please
Okay, Gucci not cracking under pressure. Looks like these guys were obviously teammates of short of course obviously
And the guy will match no matter no matter what's the character
You always want to stay in that range where you want to just shut off the sonic boom and just scare him a little bit
A little bit of a jump scare with a jump literally no pun intended
I want to say they're part of the same class in regards to like
Hopping into competitive Street Fighter
I think so.
I think so.
I think so.
Fire five at least.
What's he doing?
Both of them was a young Bucks in the program?
Or was it just a Gucci?
I think they were both young Bucks in the program.
Yeah, part of like under the Mamochi's tutelage?
Yes.
OK.
Try out some Mamochi, of course, bringing in the new generation
of players.
Oh, wow.
All for the count.
He loves that bounce.
Gotta love those Bucks.
Now locked in the corner.
You had to get in here.
Yamaguchi filling.
Little bit of hamstrong.
OD spend it.
Wow, the double cross.
He didn't get much, but at least he gets more screen control hit.
For how long, Ryan? Yamaguchi's been the one with the deficit so far.
Naguchi being able to get up on his counter with a boom.
Drives on in there.
Gets that first round of game two.
All right.
Eeeh! Loft!
Both players scrapping in the middle.
That's why everybody's ready for that.
On hit, out naturally, Blanc.
But just to keep attacking,
just to get ready for the next option is pretty good.
Yeah.
The Hibuchi represents some own defense right there.
Flash kick.
Oh, this count happened.
Every time with the conversions, nice tech.
Oh, you trying to grab what?
Air.
Nice.
Oh, he's on hit, of course.
Try to go for the throw.
Gonna say there you go again.
Be ready on hit.
Oh.
Great ball.
Also would have killed.
Yeah.
With the CA, 100%.
Oh, speaking of which, he's gonna send it in.
It's gonna...
Oh, my God.
Please tell me it kills, and then we can fix the controller.
Was the but the controller disconnected is that why he got hit? Oh, that's true
That's the biggest that's what we're trying to figure out right now. I'm not too sure
I wouldn't say a damn thing if I was a good was it countered. I might try to check on the way was not
So that might have been the case. Oh, that might be a little concerning. I see nothing
Well, I'm not going down to the station, you can't get me to follow the report.
Yeah, I see nothing.
Well, we'll take a look at the replay in just a bit, at least from our desk, not on the screen,
but Ringe is definitely going to be on the case.
Yeah, I'm doing my best right now.
Are you clipping it right now?
Yeah, I got the bot up.
Yeah, so we are taking a look.
There is no counter hit on the board.
There was no normals in place from the side of Yamaguchi, and he was not moving either.
moving either. I think he did. I think he might try something. Let's see. Okay, maybe
maybe I missed it. Okay, we're looking at an instant. We're double checking right now
here at our desk. Yeah, okay, okay, so he tried to guard. Okay, okay, so it was raw.
It was legit. Okay, whoo. Yeah, so whatever the joy thing happened, it happened after
the input that actually did get him opened up to that reversal. See, right? So I believe
when it comes to the results of that last match, we should be good. We should be fine.
And we're gonna pick up that set from here, but obviously we're gonna iron out whatever did happen
So it doesn't happen again. Oh my bad. I definitely saw like the notification. I got scared too. I got scared too
Yeah, I thought there was nothing I thought there was nothing on the screen. So false alarm ladies and gentlemen false alarm
Yeah, I was legit Yamaguchi did get blown up as far as we're concerned over and be picking up the set from right there
Didn't look like any funny business happens in that. But yeah from then on it's gonna be to be a wild one
That's one one now as well, right?
Yamaguchi won one and to me, I'm a little concerned because I know Yamaguchi took the first game
But to me this is felt all the Gucci so far like even in that first game where Yamaguchi was able to take it
I felt like it was still more dictating the pace for guy
Oh, and I honestly expected who'd you to take it?
Yeah, so I wonder if we're gonna stick with the mind
I think me for whatever reason I want to see the DJ but I get the optimal play is probably to stick with the mind
I get it. I mean, I wouldn't be surprised either if you pulled out the canning specifically for that matchup
I think there's a lot to kind of buy bypass what my wants to control within the neutral bypass a lot of the
Control with fireball and also even extended ranges if let's say cammy does get her
Her back towards the corner if my is trying to like maybe go for a shimmy kind of walk back and also test for buttons
Little media pick is gonna blow that up as well. So we'll see I think I like that a little bit more in comparison to the DJ
I feel like his presence when it comes to car to normals isn't gonna be
Absolutely, absolutely, man, but whatever is going to happen, it's going to be interesting.
Both of these guys obviously know each other so well, being teammates, being able to, you
know, I'm sure, spar and kind of grow as players, right?
Talking about the same class, but we're getting back into it now.
What up, Higuchi and Yamaguchi, let's go.
Hey, Trace swinging with the booms, early slash kick.
Can you call that an OS?
In this case, that was the straight reaction.
Get stuff there, Higuchi.
Alright, the counter hit, alright, established from Yamaguchi.
Is this a throw attempt?
No, looking for the shitting for the big damage.
No bite though.
Boosts.
He's gonna bite, good punish.
Gucci been so automatic with that.
I'm not trying to bait something out here.
You can see Steve, he's standing outside
that stand-medium punch range
that he committed to a soul bar, great patience.
Definitely, that's what he's looking for
for that stand-based range.
Okay, hop.
Yamaguchi, I see the game.
Multiple times, Gucci's trying to opt for movement
to get out of the corner.
Oh man, he went off immediately.
Now we got to get those fans out of here.
I'm the one that's just the spinning projectiles, man.
Ooh, and again, that did cost him the rest of his OD media,
but he moved forward with the Bazooka D,
and that's nice with the level one.
Oh, and the Bazooka D to keep the charge was so sick,
tagging for his life as well.
Dodges that, and wow, actually catches the recovery
on the dive bomb.
So what it was, you know, for damn sure,
he was trying to bait out a flash kick all the way through.
Oh, that dive bomb.
That's a 1,000.
There's two steps ahead, but now goes for the reach a little bit.
Yamaguchi, getting that activation installed.
A little furniture here in this corner.
There we go.
We found our pocket to get out with it.
We've knocked.
Now, like, he's going to take some damage out here.
Higuchi has kind of been willing to do that.
He's like jumping into the bounce fan and being like,
well, you're not really going to get anything off this anyway.
Oh.
You get a throw.
Oh, shots.
Can you omega drag his two puts?
That's one of my favorites.
Yes, sir.
Yes, kickback slowly, but surely you're gonna bring it back.
Moving a little bit of that meter.
Is that gonna be a slow to establish?
You try to check for sure.
Who antsy for Muguchi, right?
Majority of his wake-up decisions against Yamaguchi has been blown up.
But it's difficult to call, right?
He could also just wake up with an OD flash kick.
He's done that before.
Yeah, I think because he's been trying to establish that,
he's been trying to get away with some of the other options, Brian.
Yamaguchi's been staying solid.
Oh, got the eye.
Hey, I know you.
We play in the same office.
I'm going to kick back and latch establish this lead a little bit.
That dry gauge is building super slow.
It's not like we're mounting off as to build that fast.
But speaking of which...
You know, sidebar, I think a Gucci has your glasses, Jax.
Maybe.
He's seeing everything right now.
I'll tell you that.
I mean, I haven't even got prescriptions.
I just...
Yeah, you do.
Oh, yes, Anteer as well.
Oh, just too shy.
Wow.
You put off the distance on her throat.
I'll prioritize that again, Higuchi is just, yeah, literally jumping into the bounce fan,
not letting Yamaguchi establish offense off that.
Very interesting strategy.
Ah, immediately into the baby, boom, driving versus the link coming, I'm pretty sure.
I think Yamaguchi knows that's why he didn't even establish.
Oh, shit!
Yamaguchi, the patient's right there to see the tap, and he's walking, and then basically
shimmy him and a walk back, and he didn't reach with a throw, right?
He's just trying to press a button and Yamaguchi still outspaced it still will punished it what a message to send
Oh, yeah, man. That is his jurisdiction
There's no way you're gonna try to command normals against him within that space outside of low medium kick any of the mediums that
Counts does present at that range getting blown off because of my very potent stand medium punch range
Taking a medium punches immediately driver us, but just counted immediately with the OS Yamaguchi
Oh, back dash. Love it. Man, ain't trying to take nothing. I like that for Higuchi. I'll give him a lot of credit. He's one of the most active guys in terms of movement.
Yeah, Higuchi though, kind of using that strength as a weakness right now.
Be into the punch on so many of these buttons with the fears and then again shutting down the wake up option. Couldn't jump into that one without dying.
So Higuchi did have to take that.
Oh, I thought he hit still though.
Oh, this is pretty troublesome here for the gucci, but we got some, aww, I thought he was
going to play off of it as burnout, but nope, the aggressor on the side of Yamaguchi.
Yamaguchi now one round away from being in grand finals in even Japan.
That throw was bad for!
Right on top of the final record.
Wow.
Oh, that was a bonus throw.
That's a counter.
Ok, let's see if that was some space, is there some breathing room for Gucci in the corner?
Ohhhh! Big strike throw bait.
Might get another one here. Let's see for the reset maybe?
Lull him to sleep a little bit? Noooo!
He wanted the hard knockdown but he just dropped the combo, rare moment.
Area rare moment against Gucci.
No fans being able to dissipate that.
But Gucci finds himself in the corner, there was a swing off of the fears.
close enough for the Punish on the target combo. Unfortunate. Close to the burnout though. Indeed,
he's actually gonna burn himself out. He just committed to it with the driver's cancel.
Wake up driver first, so a little bit safer than last. 1A level 2 to shut down the boom.
Yamaguchi in grand finals. That close though. That was fast. That was tough. 0 instant air level 2.
Yeah, like it was the good air, right? Like, wow, that was okay. Okay.
I think he's ready for that first interaction of the Sanna boom in that corner obviously
He's just trying to get his footing right just to get a little bit of a lead there or try to get it back in this case
But wow, I'm a Gucci ready with the level to okay
Well shake that man's hand hit him with the cheers to once he tired once he got the two one. He's like no
Yeah, and yeah, I mean credit to him for sure
Sticking with the my looks so clean in games three and four
Monster stuff and he's gonna be saying pretty in great finals winner side man. Yeah, I'm a Gucci
I'm thinking more so for the side of the Gucci right now just a little bit of that drop after he went for the level 2
On the continuation of his combo. He had dropped it into the sweep
I was actually quite surprised that it didn't come out
But shout out to Yamaguchi for keeping it alive after that exact moment, right?
It could have been either way you can even see it from the replays and how often oh my god that reaction was nuts
There was a lot to set up about that by the way
There was like a sonic blade into the cross it could be a little bit
You know telegraph off of that you just have like a moment to go into the level 2 off of that
It's very difficult to call for Higuchi to kind of like live with that moment
You saw like the distress on his face afterwards when Yamaguchi came to shake his hand
He knew he made a couple of fatal mistakes
It was that big big drop off for the sweep of the baby boom combos. We've got the party started from Yamaguchi
Yes, absolutely. Sorry losses win there. Well, credit to Yamaguchi. He will be going to the grand finale
I like to call that the curtain call
Sending Higuchi to the losers final so they both got a little bit of a break just to fill it out
Who's definitely gonna be in the hot seat is either gonna be punk the god of hope
That's gonna be a good one want to know I'm punk definitely a very familiar with the hockey matchup modern though. I'm not too sure
We'll see the solution there. He's been the bane of a lot of hockey players existence over in the States
I'll tell you what I've definitely seen a lot from both. I can't open air also from TNS
I need to talk to a very particular candy or sorry very particular hockey back home in the States quite often
It's you and get matched up against punk. You know who you are if you're watching on trimestream right now
But we'll see how that plays out. This is modern hockey after all with hope
And we'll see who faces off against Tsukuchi.
He's going to be wild all the way through.
Yeah, man.
Could be a fun one to watch for sure.
Punk is looking extremely lofty, right?
He's not dominating his opponents, but all of his doves,
he looks like a V player that we know him as.
Pete Punk is one of the V best, if not V,
very best player on planet Earth.
And with the way he's been looking in terms of the movement,
in terms of the micro walks, the walk patterns,
the step up jabs, everything has been looking
like punk in his prime so this is gonna be a scary sight so I know you were
looking a little bit sidebar just in case you didn't know it was Carson as I
was referring to okay that's not messed up with punk for like back-to-back
weeks I'm like brother yeah this is hard well man listen it's a different day a
different human being this is hope okay and he's trying to keep it alive yeah
yeah absolutely let's see punk the god huh man I want to be so biased so I'm
I'm gonna keep it professional. I get it.
It's a lot to celebrate again, man. Shout out to Panky.
I just proposed to Feisty. That is going to be his wife.
They legitimately engaged a couple of hours ago.
They came engaged a couple of hours ago. That's wild.
I wonder if that was probably the toughest battle.
That's a true 50-50.
Oh, no!
Hopefully 60-40 for sure.
I think it was more inclined to be like 60-40. My mistake.
That matchup was definitely in the straight line.
Yeah, I was gonna say awaited, you know, awaited 50-50 times in the straight line.
Hopefully.
He knows the matchup, I believe in him.
Oh yeah, but absolutely congrats to Punk, of course.
And he's been playing like that was the most stressful thing he had to go through today,
right?
He is definitely playing like a free man here in Street Fighter 6, just kind of letting
the game come to him, flowing as he was one to do.
And I've been loving to see it, but it looks like we're gonna get into it now.
Loser semifinals.
the God in his last hope going up against home.
I want the last chance.
I had to change the word.
I had to change the word.
I was so ready to hear you say it again just in case.
You know, nice work, Ringe.
Thanks.
Excellent call.
Damn son.
Park versus Hope.
Game number one.
Taiwan stand up.
US stand up.
I won the lone warrior in the building.
I'm pretty sure my man Bruce, AKA Gamer B, is ecstatic.
One of their killers is actually here getting closer and closer to the finals.
Establishing the throw early, the puddle please, cross that line, I dare you.
Wow!
The last, that was ridiculous pump.
Well yeah, the drive rush, punish, the lash, wow.
You know what, credit to everyone that plays at the highest level when it comes to drive rushes,
because your drive rush inputs have to be on point.
It's not like you just do four forward, you have to do like four, then press it, then press forward again.
Yeah, just to get the last input.
But yeah, that was clean punish on the last
Forward and then forward parry basically up gonna be on point with that one. Oh
Okay, look who they made me a parry. Why did it a fade away? Oh, okay, we ready for that one
They did have to parry and right to try to be I back you didn't have enough health to survive
So well different pump, but nonetheless hope very dominant in the first round
Wow off the trade. We was ready pump. Yeah, even off of the with stab medium punch, right?
plus frames all willing to take the throw to start off even thinking he was gonna throw him again
That's why you saw the back dash. Oh, yeah, do it to everybody else. Oh
Waited for the press back space tracks. Oh, yeah
efficient finish can be quite
On top of that yet, that's basically been so so difficult for hoping to test so coffee does get blown up sky high
And the range, again, he's hovering outside of the serpent lash intentionally for these big punishes.
You can't throw up Nightshade bulls within that range either.
Yeah, absolutely. We already seen the spin knuckle that gets due, like he is ready for that to counter.
Okay, space, I like that backup, let the poison do the talking a little bit before you establish for offense.
Driver vs. Wastelie, oh, a little too late, gotta do that super early.
What that play is, I'm getting it on one of the other handset down with the late overhead
with the dry brush afterwards, plenty of meter to put this first game in the bag.
That's it he completes it.
Oh yeah, make it rain.
Did everybody a favor the viewers or no just to cut that short just to go to the next game?
Yeah, I really appreciate the level two instead of level three.
That is the castor meta, ladies and gentlemen.
We ain't trying to see no level threes on no pictures.
I don't see that, what do you mean?
Depending on who it is.
And who's receiving it?
That's a good point.
Betrayed!
But it's medium.
Fine, still in control as well.
Yeah, I like how we've been tagging that on, right?
Every bit of damage counts, especially on an Aki with a poison type character,
where Punks are gonna get his chance in the corner now.
Trying to base something out, but beautiful timing on the crouch strong.
How do you know he's gonna flinch at that moment?
Oh.
That's Eric?
I didn't believe you, probably thought he was going to cross over so he wasn't sure if he had a cross cut or not.
Okay, go here for both.
He needs both of us, three bars of drive as well, so
any button in the driver's cancel will be coming.
Oh, he's searching for the slow-medium kick, right?
Yeah, that's what he wanted, and he's immediately driving versus Lingamoy.
Okay, super careful too, he was poison.
He's leaving that one button, mainly the fives, M&K.
No, that was mad close!
So close bruh, sends the OD Nightshade out to drive the drivers behind it and puk, shutting it down.
How do you know, like how much space, how much time do you have after that to even sneak in that crouching jab like you did?
That's just what he does.
Indeed man.
Our man pulls frames out of thin air.
Seriously.
Oh wow, what a corner carry.
Ow!
You love that venomous fang, also while in Poison State you get the crumple.
Lord and the puddle of course just to add on to the damage.
It comes to dive kick, 100% as he's looking for it.
Woo!
Wow.
That's a way to really trigger somebody's reactions, throwing out the medium Serpent
Lash in that fashion.
Think you can get a Punish?
That's outside the mark, yeah.
Like a punkler in his Lash, and he wasn't even trying to drive it first today.
Most of the thing, like, I know that I'm too late, I'm doing to sit here and accept this.
Ah, it's punk.
Recognizing he's been trying to walk back after these crouch fiercest.
Mmm.
The roundhouse, the egg blue button is getting represented.
Speaking of which, the second wave Punish on stand medium kick will sweep this round.
Yeah, now more free to do that because Akis and Burnout Ryzen are not gonna get punished
shot right.
The last.
Alright, and he touched the grass again.
The throw and why, and Pump will wisely take that.
Totally fine while you're in that Poison City, right?
Better than a hit, that's for sure.
Delay in favor of Pump.
Actually gotta counter it against him with the back throw.
And through him, I have whatever that delayed, but it's gonna be here.
I think it doesn't correctly this time with the rights.
Oh, the last jab connected and Punk just sent the drive rush cancel on it.
Hoping that he's trying to take his turn a little bit too early and we're all tied up.
Like that.
It's just substantial legal dad who's starting to see hope a little bit forced into the quarter
a lot and also trying to change up what he needs to do to keep Punk away.
That's been the biggest thing that we're trying to figure out what deterrence this Aki have
left after the Serpent Lash has been punished, the options against Nightshade
Poles and even like Drybrush afterwards has been punished.
It's just that range, he's sticking it to him, he's making the whole definitely
thinking about it for sure. I like that though, just like you said earlier
Vicious throwing the M Serpent Lash, just to bring out some buttons,
made out some buttons. Oh my, the punks walk patterns man, you see like this
like walk back now all the way in his face with the jab, interrupting what
wanted to do the meaty stuff we've seen that setup before allowing him to link
further reset with the stand roundhouse love that setup for the meaty crouched
face catches all the delayed techies for sure because it's so tough to double
perfect carry that projectile because she basically drive rushes during the
first hit my punk will not beat the turn wakes up with his mind takes another
round already brought hope down to a single scenario like a single hit
scenario at 88 seconds on the clock wild
Well, he almost got outside the range with the Serpent Lash again.
It was so close.
I wonder if you're going to take a little bit of a page off of Shuto and punish that
with a drive rush, right?
Yeah, definitely.
I've seen Punga already nail him with that before.
Oh, yes, it did.
You can see right, he's hovering.
He goes in and then walks back out, literally trying to bait that out.
That's why he's so ready for all of these punishes.
He's got the micro walk combo indeed.
gonna be a level three to put a home bomb life support are we pulling the
plug straight up did we pull in the plug this is it so they says oh I hear the
beat plus frames all day oh my god we're touching grass all right we're good
we're in the clear says punk open up a right good defense like that just going
for the light attacks it's a case if you want to walk back nice and potent nice
Nice, good again, imagine.
Media DP, okay.
Perfect parry the entire sequence.
That would have been kind of OD.
That would have been a message, Sam, bruh.
Magnificent.
It's good stuff there, Puck, okay?
Hey, Vic.
Hope, going back to the character's leg.
You see, picking up the phone as well,
starting to dig deep into the bag here.
Dragarrao, what he's gotta do to try to bring this back
as Puck has taken a lead.
What's so dangerous about it,
when you really think about the serpent lash being
like one of the biggest problems,
Even if he decides to like encroach in punk's space,
walking forward, he's like, you know what,
if punk's gonna be this far back
and looking for Serpent Lash and I close the gap,
I feel like low-medium kick from Kami
is gonna be even more of a threat, right?
The closer that you are to Kami,
the more dangerous it's gonna get.
Just like that.
When you're in that medium, right, you are gonna get exposed.
It's so difficult for punk, I mean, for Hope
to even try to assess the situation at the moment,
it feels like.
Wow, what a notch in the recovery.
Understand that medium,
let's just go for the throw instead.
Oh, stop holding North-Eye.
We clearly see hope is losing a little bit of options here.
Oh my, that was complete dominance from Park to get on set point.
And be almost guaranteed a top three.
Shout out to Carsonous, man.
And seriously, yup, looking very ready for the smash ups.
High five.
Oh, good block.
You had to stand up for that one.
He was definitely ducking.
Oops.
Mm, more.
That's all for the drive gauge.
That button equals drive gauge.
You see that?
You see how reluctant he is to even throw out
Any projectile and punk dash right beforehand right like that's not something he's been showing a lot either
That was a real quick way to get into the crotch a medium kick range took advantage of the hesitation
It's so difficult right now what we do get some signs of life
whoa
Oh nice to the punch again
We got another driver's cancel and with that trunk
Puck the God will be and losers finals of evil Japan
20-26!
What we talking about, man, hope unable to shift gears,
unable to get into the next layer against Punk to Guy.
Man, that was the key right, the lash, obviously,
from a space and amount of stuff like that,
but the walk down has been super strong from Mr. Victor Woodley.
Yeah, hell yeah, I'll give you water, man.
Oh, man, you deserve it.
Losers final, so Punk stays in the hot seat very nice.
Now he's going up against Higuchi,
and he's definitely going to put against that matchup as well
as well every weekend we got man what's so important about your local you see
that getting you comfortable for certain matchups of course going from the
hockey now he's gonna have to deal with the guy oh man he's well equipped and
it's a possibility that he can take this tournament but of course it's all
about how you finish at the end of the day man you're so right I didn't
realize it the last two characters he has to go through our knuckle do's
characters. Yeah, so he's definitely well equipped. Oh my goodness. Definitely well equipped.
Oh my goodness. We'll see though. We're throwing it down on cattle putting baby at DNS. So
I know y'all are watching for sure. Hey, thanks man. Hey man, listen first of all for real though.
You don't even get any little quick to can opener. We're just like enjoying all the good
matches. Just see everybody just grow and get nice. I mean that's what it's all about on the
y'all season man. Just to sharpen up your skill and just keep it up to par. And it shows for both
Hope for these guys, for Nuck will do ad book.
Let's take a look at the bracket real quick
so you can see how the story has been told
throughout the day.
Man, look at this.
Nothing but killers throughout the whole day.
Sometimes the stars are lying.
Sometimes the fighting game gods want certain stories
to be played out.
I cannot believe Punk has to go through a guile and a my
to get to the championship.
Oh my goodness.
There's a shout out though, my brother.
Of course, man.
Some shout out to the TMS boys.
It's all about motivation on Mondays as well.
Let's not forget about those guys.
No juda, shout outs to him.
No juda, everybody that's been holding it down, man.
Like Wes as well, throwing it down.
Yes, sir, yes, sir.
Yeah, OK, well, Higuchi versus Punk
is going to be your final loser.
I don't know, I just have to throw that out there.
I'll just switch it up a little bit, but that's going to be a good one.
For sure, that's going to be the campy guy.
No doubt in my mind.
I mean, Punk does have the will of characters,
but no doubt in my mind he's going to stick to this.
There's no point of switching at this point, so.
Yeah, and I don't, I generally do not think that Higuchi's
gonna have any sort of extra character prepared at this level when it feels like, you know,
he's been sticking to dial since, what, forever?
Yeah, I mean, I don't believe forever for his pro career.
Yeah.
I don't recall any human any other character.
That was his five, yeah?
His five.
His five.
And so, oh, that's, it's a tough one.
It's wild.
I love quits.
Maybe Higuchi could give a different look, right?
We've seen how much he's been, I want to say not stubborn, but he's had some
choice moments in regards to what he chooses on wake-up and it could throw
punk out for a loop but it really depends on whether or not punk can make those
weeds early but it's so difficult to make leads on either Higuchi or Yamaguchi for
that matter. 100% and when you have as much matchup experience as punk does
up against Gile, a specific Gile in knuckle do, it can always be a gift or a
curse right? We can definitely see if punk might be getting thrown off expecting
certain situations or certain responses in situations that knuckle do would normally
do that Higuchi will not but I think yeah punk obviously knows whole separate person
a little bit of a different style and I don't know man the way he's looking
everybody's got their hands full. So the thing about Higuchi is he prides himself
for not making mistakes so obviously he's gonna be looking for those died kicks
he's gonna be looking for those whiff punish attempts he just got to be really
careful and really keen to how exactly is punk going to walk him down. Punk the
gun I spoke to him about this match up many times he says you know I will wait
there all day and absorb sonic booms with parries until I could just sneak in a
Random jumping if that don't work cool. I'm just gonna reset and I'm gonna just go for it again
But he's gonna take his sweet old time taking her Gucci from point of the corner. That's 100% a punk to guard
Playbook and that's the thing right he doesn't try to force the jump
He will legitimately lull you into a false sense of security like I'm gonna sit here and parry and walk you down and do this for a
Lot of the match because I know one jump is all that it has all it takes exactly my point
Now we're gonna see like exactly off of that strategy now
It depends on how volatile Higuchi wants to get once that offense does get started, right?
He does have a couple of risks that he's willing to take whether it's like OD flash and he's done it off of a hit like potentially like a reset
We saw from Yamaguchi who go for like a crouch jab counter hit crouch medium punch try to walk up throw it in media bust out
Right, there are some options there for Higuchi to maybe test punk
But more often than not even with those types of risks even if it does hit
I just think the meter disadvantage from having like less drive gauge and just so detrimental against the candy matchup
I would say this for Gucci. I feel like he should slug it out first space it out later
Yeah, yeah establish some sonic boom random drive rushes into a close light cake that way you can establish a little more of a oaky
Scenario game to lead kick back and relax. I feel like that's definitely should be key for he Gucci for sure
Yeah, I was got some normal that can be a bit of annoying for cameo right when she wants to like try to
Maybe be down across medium kick with a knife kick like in that range his fears the soul bots had medium
All these things can kind of interrupt the dive kick coming out.
So that's one of the things I would like to see the slugging out because of that.
Basically.
We'll see.
Well, definitely going to be a slug first.
I know everybody's getting ready.
I know punk the guard is waiting for a little bit of H2O before he continues.
But I hope everybody at home has been enjoying all of these matches.
I mean, this is pretty much the curtain call at the end of the day, man.
We had a lot of great fighting game action throughout this weekend.
But of course, Street Fighter 6 being the big dog.
How many inches has that 7000 and changed?
7168.
Yes!
In this world record.
In this world record.
In this world record.
I didn't even know it was that serious that they had a pull-up.
It was like, they looked at the entrance like,
hold on.
Well, Judicator came out with the clipboard.
Got to double check.
I was like, wait a minute.
Hold on.
All right.
Okay, here we go.
The crowd is getting fired up.
Man, yo, shout-outs to Japan.
Yo, Street Fighter Contrary.
Yes, indeed, bruh.
Back to the Gills here in EVO Japan.
Oh my goodness.
Yeah, I'm looking around from wall to wall.
They are seats failed, bro.
People want to see who the champion is going to be.
Like that trophy, man.
That's easy to pack.
Packs.
Yeah, I actually would take that as a carry on straight up,
like that.
Ooh, just sitting in the seat with it.
I'm sitting in the seat.
Bite its own seat.
100%.
Oh, yeah.
OK, man, can't punk do it.
You know what?
Obviously, he won Evil Worlds.
That is a great, great win in his resume.
But of course, winning something outside of that,
of course, continuing tradition.
Now that he's in the top eight.
Remember the first American to win a single Street Fighter Tournament at EVO since the 90s?
Since John Choi? Like, I mean, that's true.
Yeah, so punk the god, I mean, yeah, he has already established
unprecedented levels of accomplishments of four Street Fighter 6, four North America,
and say, yeah, come here to EVO Japan in the largest Street Fighter Tournament of all time.
Man, oh man, but we are getting a little bit ahead of ourselves, of course,
So Gucci and Yamaguchi both standing in his way to excellent
players that are looking at the top of their game today as well.
They still have a lot to prove, right?
When you talk about some of the accolades these guys have had
throughout the entirety of their career, it hasn't surmounted to
the big W they've been looking for thus far.
So I think a little bit more pressure coming in against
a Gucci and Yamaguchi.
They have a lot more to prove, right?
Can they ride that pressure and turn into something excellent
for themselves?
I mean, on top of that, look, it's his home court, you know?
Yep.
Obviously, you know, with all the hard training and the hard
work, of course, you can respect a guy like punk.
If he does lose the punk in this scenario, but man in the backyard in here in Japan, of course, I'm trying to go for the dub
I wonder if the Higuchi's a heavy info collector when it comes to writing notes and stuff like that
So I'm pretty sure he's taking some time right now while I don't know if it wants to take a deuce or something
Oh, this shot, bro. That's crazy trophy shining
Okay, I gotta take some notes on that shine. I'll tell you what
Excellent shot great lighting
What's guy, bro
Nothing man. Amazing. Listen. I know listen whenever you do bless this world with a child
I know you're gonna have the greatest dad jokes of all time
I'm totally fine. He's pass the lineage baby. I'm good. So that's it. No responsible
Ethan shout us to Benny
So the Lopez clan, I appreciate it.
He's straight up saying, yeah, he's like you should
have seen the jawline.
I'm big chilling.
Part of me.
Oh, man.
I'm just saying, man, you'd be a great father, man.
You're a great human being.
Appreciate you.
Saying that, you know, that's all.
I think all across the board, I think all across this desk,
I think the same could be said for young as well.
Appreciate it, man.
Shout out to my nieces.
I know they watching right now.
Geraldine, Joe Edne, I know y'all watching.
They don't even know what the hell is going on.
But they excited, though.
They love watching.
But they locked in, that's right.
They locked in, yeah.
Speaking of locked in punk, the guy steps back to the plate.
The Gucci's here as well.
Who's going to go to the grand finals?
Is the question here.
I'm going to bet on, I mean, it's obvious.
Yeah, we know he's not even talking about it.
We know where that house money at.
Yeah, man.
I just want to see what Yaguchi's
going to present to the table.
That's a little bit of a different look.
I want to see how much more aggressive he's
going to be, which is something that you highlighted earlier.
It's like, you know what?
I want to see Yaguchi kind of force the issue
against punk on defense rather than set the tone with booms
or the spacing, I want to see what happens
if a Gucci just goes out in full force.
Agreed.
I want to see, yeah, try to up the tempo at first, right?
Try to meet punk where he doesn't think
that you're going to try to meet a man,
especially with his ability to have these walk patterns, right?
Such quick walk speed.
Guy's got a lot of ways to kind of interrupt your approach,
not even just with the booms, right?
He's got forward advancing normals like the Soba kick.
He's got the step kick as well.
That's obviously hit confirmable into level one,
level two, et cetera.
So yeah, there's definitely ways to kind of throw
Punk off his usual approach.
And I think Higuchi's got to start with that
before he tries to establish the boom game.
But we're going to find out how he wants
to approach it momentarily.
Let's go.
This is it right here, losers finals.
Who will progress to face off against Yama Higuchi
in the hot seat?
We're about to find out.
Gile versus Kano Higuchi versus Punk.
This is it.
I'm so excited.
Punk wasn't like, man, I can't believe I'm here.
I'm so blessed.
All right.
Like you said, man, the big pressure of the day
is off his shoulders already.
I did it.
Legitimately.
All right.
First German suplex of the day against Punk.
All right.
Tried to parry it up.
He paid extra for that one.
There's, oh yeah, cleared the player too, I kinda.
And the game's 20% life on the punish count throws.
It's no joke.
Oh, OK.
Looking for the dive kick.
I thought he was trying to just walk back and relax.
As you can see, look, taking those chances is just jumping.
Yeah, and that's going to be tough to try to set up the Sonic Blade up against KMI right now.
Sweep is going to be automatic from punk.
31 second to jump.
Damn!
That's a great way to traverse past the low medium.
Yeah.
Doing some low crush and antics of his own.
Wow, the dyke could actually clip.
Unfortunate for punk.
Nice, there's the jump.
I like that nice and empty to get that nice little 20% bonus.
Yes, sir.
Like we said, all it takes is one jump in and Pulse gonna be able to take day one off of it.
I'm like a man, he's willing to put that in your mind that I will jump in and you know what that means.
I'm slowing down your sonic booms.
Mm-hmm.
Ow.
That opens up more avenues for the approach on the ground.
I appreciate the vibe.
Oh man, okay.
Ooh, I thought he was gonna go walk up for the throw.
No, no dice in for Gucci.
Another enemy jump.
Yo, those foams are not working on the side of the Gucci.
He needs to be aggressive again again.
Me, the slugger, space out later.
He's gonna have a chance to do his punch with him right
to drive the drive cage, but let's jump it again.
And yeah, he's trying to cut him off
with the passing stuff like crotch beam kick,
but it's at the worst timings,
Spunk has been able to find these jumpers.
Oh, one of the D.I., but immediately lets him rip.
He matched that.
He was just looking for a string in between.
Just like, oh, yeah.
Oh, speaking of which, I want to do it again.
Do you mean?
It ain't victory without the victor you understand
Victory without the victory look at me smile. Yeah
Big three without the victor and the opponent is the one asking why
Tell you man these jumps are getting so much mileage in this matchup
Yeah, he jumped a boomy jump multiple normals already like who bought the boots. What are you gonna do play a little more?
Stationary I think yes, yes
Space out later. Yeah, get in there. Gotta be more aggressive. Oh, wow
We're punished against the stationary stand medium kick
Half moon give me a spot to go for more. Oh
Nice buffer. Wow. Okay. I'm trying to be maybe like an OD uppercut, right?
Maybe trying to get some matching in between either way you spin it
We'll just so able to close out that round. This is how you make my pump thing
You're gonna mount you now have to force him to go into the face two side of things
dragon
Yeah, but now look at the switch it up a little bit try to close over that's the immediate but I like that like
Enrichment and then baiting out the punish or to me bait on the button and getting the wet punish
I can judge him the distance there too as well again for low mediums. Oh the standing medium though. I was a big halt
Trying I wonder if he tried to sleep, but it looked like it was a standing roundhouse. I'm so
Usually it's a sweet response, not sure what happened on that one.
All counter hit, trying to check the drive rush.
Little bit too late on that one, but Guji doesn't build the Holy Breeze.
He goes Sendick.
That was godlike.
He's alive by the pixel, he's gotta be alive by the pixel.
He's alive.
Ah, more than the pixel, excuse me.
He's not even trying to test the reaction, he said I'm gonna dash up, hit you with buttons.
This is possible. This is highly possible.
That will ease, dragging him to the corner here.
He's close to the wall.
Oh, this is okay, this is okay though.
Yeah, cause he's gonna get more damage out of this now.
Now it's the stunt, like, oh, school Victor Woodley.
He's bringing out the bag, that's how we feel.
Oh, shot into a pad?
He's bringing out the bag?
We invite no way.
It ain't victory without the victor.
Do you know why?
Oh, this 2016 bunk, this vintage?
No, son, wait a minute.
Who's he looking?
a little flustered off of that.
A little flustered off of that.
I love Lipton's ice tea.
You know?
Love it.
Me all the flavors, bruh.
Oh, with the armpit.
All the flavors resume on that one, by the way.
Absolutely, none, none.
Woo!
OK.
Let's go try and show him he's not no coward.
OK, space stop beautifully hit from Gucci.
He backs up.
He don't want to scramble.
He wants to reset the scenario.
Not even the front face, it's him.
Skate on the side, pick up the bump with the cross strong.
They had baited out that bug beautifully right there,
waited for him to do it.
Oh, something's going, oh, the confirm.
Aguchi got the level three in time.
What, oh, he's surrounded.
The victor factor, big punch to God.
Playing the mind games and it pays off.
Look at him celebrate, two-oh, Aguchi.
Keep it together, brother.
I can't believe she dropped that under.
I cannot believe.
The Martin game is paid off, fishes.
You see him?
No, we'll take that though, that's not that much.
I know that Gucci's flustered, goes for the trade on the Dodd kick.
Oh, he's aggressive now, he's mad.
Let's look it out with Philly, you got to.
I said with Philly, well that's where he's from.
Yeah, no, no, no, it looks accurate.
It looks like he's playing 100% guys.
We'll shake our hands.
Okay.
Back to back counter hits.
Oh, oh yeah, oh yeah.
Oh, yeah!
Okay, the overhangs.
So imagine, Yaguchi should just do it.
Oh, I drink tea too.
I drink tea too, he should do it.
Serious?
Yeah, right there, oh.
Tried to actually be straight through that,
a little bit too far.
You're just stupid.
Imagine.
Oh, oh, the delay stands strong.
The walk back looking for the shimmy.
Yeah, he wanted it.
He wanted to blow up against the late tech base.
You know, he should let the drive rush
big deep a little bit if you want that delay tag.
I'm just saying, just saying.
Perhaps.
Yeah, I believe it's my arrow while he's in burnout.
And you can't be as active, although he's trying to, right?
He was dying before trying to see get that jab with a jump in.
Eventually, that's just a Gucci off guard.
Big throw bait.
Oh, there's sequence coming in.
Not going to do it this time.
OK.
It's close to kill.
Oh, never mind.
I thought he was going to go for the try double drive
rush in the level three.
Hand me, says punk, the guard.
He's got so much life ahead of himself.
You know what? I'm gonna reserve the meter.
I'm gonna make sure to get one more Punish Counter.
Now I can bring it into match point with three bars under my name.
He's ready to cast his check, y'all.
We know what Punk does. He's not gonna get his meter baited.
That's what you do at the Alpha Academy.
That's a f- Uh! That's Batras.
Yo, bro, this is-
Oh, the meaty, bro.
Did you see how Punk reacted after this is really looking like Vincenzo?
Punk right now, the attitude matches the ferocity.
Punk the god to the grand finals!
It ain't victory without the victory!
Mmmmmmmm!
Shit man!
Oh, domination!
That's right, hell yeah!
Man, oh man, oh man, and you can see why the mental warfare gets played, bruh.
That moment, that one moment that Higuchi had to start turning it around off that level 2 combo, dropped it at the end, bruh.
I still can't believe that came out, man.
He sent Higuchi straight to Saiziri with a plate of Upsetty Spaghetti.
He gave him the Italian Japanese fusion.
He was so in his head.
That was a boy work.
He dropped a big W, a big confirmed.
Oh, I love the work play.
That was crazy.
It's just crazy.
No plagiarism involved, neither.
No, oh, man, that was good stuff.
Wow, yo, so again, credit to Higuchi.
You know, that's crazy.
It always takes a top level caliber player
to get you out of your comfort zone, right?
Higuchi is known for holding it down on the zoning side
of things.
But Punk the God wasn't being impatient, he wasn't falling for it.
So the random jump is definitely was throwing a Gucci out for a world.
Then he had to switch modes, switch gears in terms of being offensive.
Then Punk with the wicked smile says, ah, you're bringing the fight to me.
Now it's time to take advantage of you.
So that is definitely the playbook on the side of Punk.
And he matched it though.
Credit to Victor.
He played that excellently.
And honestly a testament to his matchup experience because it wasn't just jumping
in on the booms that happened, right?
It was jumping in on the step kick.
It was jumping in on the upside down kick.
He was jumping in on the crouched medium kick.
He knew when the guys like to commit to those bigger
bugs that can get exposed via jump as well.
Just expertly played from start to finish,
grand finals earned.
You know, he immediately stepped off the stage
and gave another dude the biggest dab ever.
He was like, that was the most me.
He was like, well, us right here,
they ain't messing with us.
That was the most X-Men versus Street Fighter dab
I've ever seen, dude.
Yeah, we're gonna win.
We're going to win!
Oh man!
What are you doing man?
Chickens are being counted, huh?
That's what we're going to do?
We're going to win!
Take a look at the bracket for us to see where exactly Victor is.
Pump the God in the hot seat now against Yamaguchi who will have the advantage coming in from
Winner's side into the grand final seat.
title seat punk. If you want to take it all the way for the US, he has to win two sets
for Yamaguchi. Obviously, when it comes to being the hometown hero, he needs to get that
first to three. Oh man, right. Yeah. Of course, of course, there is a winners advantage to
this right. So puns got to go through them twice and be a lot to ask for, of course,
but Victor has the stamina. We've seen him time and time again playing big tournaments
like this and I mean brah the adrenaline's got to be flowing I don't
think it's an issue right now hmm oh man there's so many things I can say so
rated R too man oh he's so high see so I've had this talk you know it's a
mental psyche thing right I feel like if you play in tournaments and you already
know that you're that guy like I feel like putting that pressure on you worried
about the results so much I feel like it could just it could derail your
confidence a little bit right there. But if you have fun, I feel like that's when
you start knocking out the door to get into the zone and I feel like punk the
God is in the zone right now. He's got all that clarity in the world. He's
already won one of the toughest matchups he could ask for. 100% exactly.
And like it's legitimately very real because punk has been in this type of
environment, I mean set for 100,000 times. Like he is comfortable here right?
The thing that he was nervous about that he has never done before has already
taken care of and he succeeded at it. So this is at 9 to 5. This is why I am who I am and the man
he is playing like the guy we know he is. Man, shout out to the Alpha Academy. I know they're
going crazy right now for their boy. Man, shout outs. Please go and sub to the guy.
If you feel like you ain't have enough here, go see him at home when he's whooping everybody's
ass on a weekly basis. We got a schedule of just bodies, piles of bodies every week and it shows
Of course, credit to Nuck would do my guy.
Well, credit to all the players.
I'm not trying to be a super bias on the NA side of things.
I'm just very proud of the boys, okay?
Just throwing it out there.
So big shout out to Punka God.
He has one more mountain to climb.
That is Mount Yamaguchi.
He's going to have to beat up two sets, of course.
But if anybody could do it, it's Punka.
But anybody who, both of these guys could potentially win the tournament at this point.
Right.
Especially with the current advantage that Yamaguchi does have,
and he's been playing rather sharp.
One of the things that cannot be denied is how often Punka God faces off
to god faces off against this matchup on a weekly basis can we say the same in
regards to Yamaguchi in terms of the type of style punk exemplifies via his
canny thanks I see is that notes are just looking at the Twitter world I don't
know but regardless you do whatever you want you just stay comfortable sir all
right checking my daily subscriptions probably checking out what he wants to
heat but man what a nice trophy man yes indeed man and of course the check that
comes along with it, as well as the qualifications for EWC and Capcom.
Imagine getting those out of the way at the very first tournament of the season, bro.
I am especially after just getting engaged.
You're like, damn, I got other stuff to do anyway.
We can get the wedding now.
Yeah, you know what I mean?
Okay, this, we can definitely plan the wedding right now.
We can go on the honeymoon right now.
Great point.
Great point.
I might have to take some time for that.
Oh man, but of course, you gotta take care of the business at hand first to get to that privilege.
And the punk has been taking care of each and every deal that's presented to him.
Yamaguchi, the latest in a long line.
And the latest, the last two standing out of 7,168 people.
This is Grand Finals of the largest Street Fighter Tournament to ever happen, baby.
Oh ho ho!
Say that again.
Two times.
Yeah, yeah.
Oh my God.
Somebody get out of my way.
Give me mine or I'm a tick with yours.
This is going to be a fantastic grand finals.
Punk the goal versus Yamaguchi.
Opening gambit time.
Here we go.
I love fighting games.
Me too.
Hell yeah.
I like that.
You know.
OK, already looking for the button to stick out
with the stand face.
I saw you see the walk back, the walk back from bump.
Roundhouse.
A lot of the blows exchanged so far, Yamaguchi does get the punish counter off of the parry.
The first sign of corner control that we've seen, this is the exact space.
Damn, that was actually far enough to reach the OD.
Wow!
Smoking that was huge, Rybe. Yamaguchi gets that ante and he still corners him up.
But right now, Punk has a chance.
Oh, reach it and that chance dashed away by the back dash.
Little bit of a slug face early on. I like that. You gotta fill it out.
It makes a lot of sense too.
My back was against the wall. It could have been a back throw.
A little bit too far for the second crouch beam.
Bunch of connects.
Ooh.
Were you in move for the check?
It was a counter hit against Punk.
Now thrown to the corner yet again.
How much control can Yamaguchi have?
Just under the space.
It's so difficult, right?
He's been playing at that range all tournament long, right here.
Talked about it right.
He's been such an expert at measuring that space
between the corner, establishing these throws now,
while even delayed.
Dead ball.
Yamaguchi's prepping them for that delayed tech, man.
That's how you see that, right?
And from the last point, right, there's a delayed throw.
Oh, my goodness.
Speaking of throws, that's enough now.
Overhand, there it is.
Oh my god, that Yamaguchi, that's Ava Marchdale right there.
You see that corner control?
He's hanging around right underneath the timer in the UI.
He is just making sure.
Back to back throws, obviously.
But majority of the time, he's just getting so much control.
I see you guys.
Y'all tabs is open, huh?
I like that.
Love you guys.
Let's go.
Go for the throw.
Establish it early.
There is the tick, though.
Now, mind you, obviously that's negative.
But who's going to match buttons in that scenario, right?
Ooh.
Ooh.
That triple us hit early.
Hit the head.
That's huge.
He eats it out.
Here we go.
There's the, there's the, there's the, there's the slot machine.
Get in there.
Oh, that could have been a throw for more damage, but you know what?
We just going to attack the drive gauge.
Pump the gun on the, on the offense.
There it is.
Stop touching me.
Oh good, brah.
Burns him out immediately.
I was a little bit of drive he had left.
So calculated.
I thought that was going to be a third hit coming from Yamaguchi with punk.
Barely staving off with that drive impact at the very end.
Fillin' it, he's knocking at the door, man, punk the guard, can't he get into the zone?
Same thing for Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi's looking excellent right now.
Like a string, space him out.
That was four lights, by the way, and it also checks the walk-back, oh, speaking of checking
the walk-backs, Yamaguchi got caught standing.
He a little tick-toe set up from punk now.
Wanda baits something out, didn't give it to him though, that's standing here but expertly
placed.
Give me that drive, they had to, I understand, I would have done it too.
He's still got meter in his back pocket as well to defend himself while in burnout
The buffers there is trust me. Oh
Kick absolutely
There it is. Stand around house. Okay
Wow, he actually pressed it again himself back that meter and the drivers canceled it
There was an opportunity for the kill by the way by no flinching from Yamaguchi
There's this big blind walk bug stand walk back stand face if he gets the chance
I think he's gonna do it cross from buffer. Oh, that could have been it right there
Don't get hit with the block string.
He's buffering.
No!
Heartbreak on the fan, possibly, or a big button.
Right, Stanfist?
As soon as he got the drive meter back, he thought he was going to throw an OD fan.
100%.
Hey.
Looking for that counter-hit standing medium kick on the side of Yamaguchi.
He's trying to get some big damage established in the throw early on.
Stanfist? No, not even.
He's going to sneak that with a throw. I see you.
See the little Michael Walkbecker as well from Punso Aware.
And we get the sideswitch on top of that, but still the throw in the range from Yamaguchi.
from Yamaguchi, Uppercut, you know it.
He's been doing a great job.
And also check out the overhead.
Oh, God, he has to tie this up, man.
He keeps him good momentum on the side of Punk the God.
This is looking a little shaky.
Yamaguchi looking a little too comfortable.
Back throw, he needed that.
100% oh, barely missed the whip, but it gets the sweep after.
Plus frames, wow, he tried for a bigger button
and Yamaguchi challenged it.
Two.
And it's enhanced, not quite 10.
Oh, my, Punk, we're gonna win the button here.
and here gets the back throw.
He's gonna stop this!
Yes!
The eye is there, punk.
He's not gonna need drive meter.
The CA damage will be enough.
We're all tied up in grand finals, baby.
Come on, Vic.
Ah!
Hey, what the hatchet kick?
Man, so close to slipping away from punk.
I cannot believe he committed to taking that back throw.
At least a mashed back dash holds up something,
but so scared of that clocked fin.
It was a counter hit though.
It was, it was.
Okay.
Yeah, he did press a button on wake up. Oh, so the book. Okay. Okay. I got you
That pump needed that game so bad, bro
All right, I'm a Gucci
Just to kind of settle the mood down a little bit, right?
It's gonna be all a lot of momentum. But y'all go to hear another beautiful stay a medium punch
You got a hands fans too. So it's gonna be tough too many people. No, but we got enough fans fans as it is. Oh
Oh nice back dash if that could have been a little forward I actually would have worked out a little bit better there
But I was trying to score the knockdown just so you can jump out of the corner
Let's go right back at you now like I got real quiet in here
Gucci trying to find his way out of the corner that was a very deep dive kick forward throw quick on the damn stage
Seriously.
Another one.
I'm gonna get a third.
You know what?
Let's just keep going for it.
Until he learns.
Oh, man.
Trying to sneak back in right there.
Actually got to walk back.
He wanted the double shimmy.
Look how careful they're playing.
Oh, my God.
The throw.
Cross face.
No, not even respecting the wakeup.
All the super either all.
He beat him down.
Buttons three times in a row right there.
Yamaguchi's back at it.
Oh, but the jab hits.
It actually punished kind of a throw on that one.
No full conversion, but a throw is here to tie up game three.
It's difficult to contest in that scenario, Gamaguchi forced to take that throw.
Shania two bars, single counter hit, no pick and versions, back to the throws as well from punk.
Dashing up again, a little bit of a hazy, hitting that crouch into the throw prior.
Yeah, I think punk just pressed this crouch when you punch a little bit too early up that first jab, honestly.
Didn't come out.
Oh, this is good. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm quiet, guys.
Oh, it is okay. We just amazing.
I apologize. Oh
Get off of me good technical. Oh the space
Diapic excuse me baiting out the crowd for medium kick from the amiguchi was so smart
I did I saw you're gonna spell out Diapic the whole way
The idea you can't let's go
Oh, yeah, but which is the one that tags them and yeah, we got to switch this drive situation right even after the knockdown
He wasn't gonna be in a prominent spot with the drive sitting at where it was so I like this level three
That's right. He's getting mauled right now. Okay, it's gonna use this place advantage, of course
Yeah, but what she's gonna pull that burn out. Is he gonna get a bumper? No
There was a hit there was a hit on the board for the side of pump a yabba Gucci main jane is round maintaining his composure
Setting the stage now. He's in the lead two to one
And that's why it was important to use that level three then right cuz I let him get a OD fan out while still
Loving drive mirrors and then commit to the drivers cancel from normal head.
Well managed from Yamaguchi, one game away.
You ought to take it on and take a nice little break from the season.
That was a mighty whiff punish as well.
I'm a stand media punch, very impressive.
So far.
Already a good lead here for Funko God, counter hitting stand jab.
Going it out that earlier, wrenched a great up, a jab, a pressure for Funko God.
The best in the business, man.
And you was ducking, made a little more potent.
Thank you.
Let's go.
We waiting for that stand face, or that stand to meet and kick, yup.
They're leaving so careful and Yamaguchi gets a big strike though.
It'll be difficult now, depending on whether or not Yamaguchi can stand jab, not going
to be enough.
There was a counter hit as well, Yamaguchi had a chance.
They just didn't think Pung was actually going to get hit by that, but the throw was there,
and Yamaguchi, one round away.
Oh my god, can he solidify it for his hometown here in Japan?
Oh, he gets the punish counter initially.
We get the corner carry as well.
Nice.
So, how y'all going to stop hitting but he thought it was going to be the OD reversal.
Oh man.
Man, face all right.
He's going to sneak in a charged fan as well.
Really trying to switch up these timings on the fans, catch punk, maybe pressing early.
He's going to be able to dethrone Bump, dethrone Mino-RT, and take EVO Japan 20-26 home to Japan.
to Japan itself, K.O.
The big moment that Veidian Division has been looking for,
that Yamaguchi has been looking for,
since his inception into fighting games,
he is thoroughly rewarded with the big victory here at Evo Japan 2026.
His dedication to the craft and his passion fully paid off.
Now into Capcom Cup, into EWC, and now leading the way for Japan.
Very impressed Yamaguchi.
Congratulations, basket in that victory.
There it is, go get your trophy of honor.
Man, that is something you don't even got to travel for.
You can just put that in your backyard now
because you're in your hometown.
Yes, raise that to the sky.
Well deserved.
Zeta Division's own Yamaguchi is your Evo Japan's
1-26 Street Fighter 6 champion.
Hard-fought staining the winners the whole time, no resets, no stress, all rest of relaxation at this point.
Right.
Think about it, 7,168 players, Yamaguchi has not dropped a single set against anybody all weekend long.
That is insane, right?
That's gonna be a world record in itself, right?
That's what I was gonna say. This has to go to... No, no, no, not literally.
I want to echo your point and say this has to be one of the most impressive singular performances in fighting game history
Interests players you could see over the course of Twitter all weekend being like how many more matches
Do I have to win to get to top eight?
They were just going through the gauntlet having the mental and physical stamina to never drop a single set in the entire tournament Wow
Wow.
Impressed. Impressed everybody.
Everybody that made it to the top eight this year is well deserved.
I mean, obviously, I know they wanted to reach farther heights,
but there's no shame in your game.
And you collected a couple of points, too.
So if anybody that even plans from this group to travel a little more,
at least you got a little bit of a good head start,
especially point to guard getting second place.
So we're definitely going to see them in another CPT near you.
Pretty sure it might be Blink.
No, no, no, Combo Breaker.
Combo Breaker is in Blink.
And then Blink is going to be there as well.
then over to Evo Vegas and then I think in between EWC and then going on to CEO.
Yep.
Or just the, I guess, or the time being for these next couple of months, right?
You still have to plan out the rest of the schedules.
Yeah, that's like all right.
Like kind of NA seasonal events, right?
Then you got sprinkling and stuff like Blink Respawn and all kinds of other things
that are becoming a first attack obviously over the course of the year as well.
All kinds of cool stuff and we'll see what stops are going to be on the CPT and the road to EWC.
I mean, there's another EWC qualifier soon
with Dream Atlanta in just two weeks.
So yeah, there's a lot of spots up for grabs,
but Yamaguchi, he's settled, baby.
Everything is done for him.
He's going to be at Capcom Cup 13
and EWC for Street Fighter 6
off the very first tournament of the season.
I actually want to see if second place would be enough
to actually get into EWC itself,
which is going to be something I'm going to look forward to
in just a little bit, but looking at it overall,
it's been so, dude, everybody in this bracket
wild to see but yeah second place does qualify over to EWC officially.
Oh they're beautiful so Pong as qualified there obviously a massive amount of points as well going towards the CBT leaderboard.
Man good stuff about Yuki. I like how Yuki smiles. Now you know what the team won. I got one for the team won.
He got third. Yeah exactly. Mr. Consistent you're gonna see him in the top eight of things what's happening.
That is the self-proclaimed best guy in the world, and I believe you, trust me.
Man, everybody just show love.
Thank you so much for your performance, my boy.
I'm glad that your morale is boosted.
Everybody, hope, shuto.
Atake P, right? Atake P, am I saying the name?
DiBiano, of course.
Now, in the building, Higuchi, punked the guard.
I know he's really gonna eat some curry, man.
And shuto as well, man.
It's cool to see a lot of similar generations of Street Fighter 5 players
that'll make it all the way through to Street Fighter 6 on the top 8 stage for Evo Japan especially.
Yeah, I'm super happy to see Takatai Pena get a top 8 placing like we talked about.
He's gonna have a long start on the JP leader force for quite some time, so getting this offline, getting a medal.
Hopefully we get to see more and more of him at international events as well.
He's like, man, you know, I know he tried to play on one of those, but man, look at those beautiful prizes, rewards.
obviously that's what a second
place out of things. Of course,
he's going to get the gold in
that leatherless. Oh, fire. And
it looks good. And that's mad
buns. You can do a freaking
paper with that. Shout out to
Barmillo also for supplying the
trophies for pretty much the
games all across the board here
in Japan. Man, it's a set of
division. I know they have it.
Don't forget about that big win, don't forget about me.
Now let's not take nothing away from these guys.
They're paying a full, $4,000,000, yeah!
Yeah!
Yo, take me to some Wagyu Kobe beef, man.
What's up?
Let's go, big chick.
I'm talking about, that's just about 25.5K?
Nice.
Conversion?
OK.
The four taxes?
Beautiful.
Oh, Yamaguchi, congratulations.
Welcome to the history books.
Etston Stone officially, this is an EVO champion.
Sick!
And he's throwing up the z-signs, baby.
He's talking about...
I thought it was a game-sign at first.
That's right!
Oh, for sure.
But now of course, we're throwing up the Zeta.
Well, this is again, I believe, at least there's such an EVO Championship this weekend,
so having an incredible weekend each.
Definitely, I've already put one in the bag.
Thank you very much.
that made this happen.
Thank you very much.
Emo Japan,
2026, presented by Leftech, Street Fighter 6.
Yusho wa Yamaguchi sensei desu.
Omedo gozaimasu.
Congratulations to our champion, Yamaguchi.
I must say the world of fighting games is getting bigger and bigger by the day and all we could
do is enjoy and just watch everybody just enjoy them as much as I did coming up man so
We have these opportunities, have so many lights, cameras, and action now, so we can have these possibilities, see all of these amazing events.
And to be honest, man, I'm just happy to be here. I could have been a spectator, but besides the stage, or just kicking it back with the production regardless,
I'm going to enjoy the same way like if I'm commentating, so I'm just very appreciative to be here and enjoy some of these classics, man.
Couldn't say it any better than that. I mean, we talk about all of our passions that come through from decades upon decades of playing these games,
these games and at the end of the day we are all just like everybody else that's been tuning in and
viewing and also participating at the end of the day we're here to enjoy this exact thing fighting
games as it should be. Yeah I just want to echo those sentiments man and really say how special
it is that we get to travel around the world as a pseudo family you know getting to see
the same people and it's been an amazing time but let's hear from the finale of Evo Japan
and thank you all so much for joining us. We'll see you next time.
Thank you very much.
Every year, EvoJapan has become really big.
The scenery has changed every year.
This year, there was a world record of Guinness.
I'm really happy that it's a world record that has been recognized by the number of participants in the tournament.
I don't know when it will be next time, but I'm sure I want to join you again when I get there, so I hope to see you all again.
Thank you very much.
and even the Guinness World Records has been involved.
So I'm not sure when the next time is,
but when there is a next time,
I will try my best to make it happen,
and I hope you'll be joining this journey with us.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much.
See you again.
I
I
There is噢雞
I found a better place to be.
Tell me if my IT skills are better than yours.
Oh, I see.
You've been with women lately.
If IT skills are better than yours, then it's Lebathek.
Lebathek.
Let's go!
Is it possible to upgrade the game to a better level?
It's because the players who can't upgrade their IT skill are impossible.
That means people who can easily upgrade their IT skills...
Do you have such a strong will?
If you can get to know about this...
If you can live with IT skill, then it's the Web atek.
Look at Viya laughing right now.
Oh, he's doing a dance.
What is he doing?
He's too ready.
I'm not today, man.
Oh, my God!
Oh, my God!
Oh, my God!
Oh, shit!
Oh, my joy!
God, joy!
It's much more than just playing.
It's being a part of this community.
I'm going to go to the
When you find something.
You can take it or take mine.
You can take it.
You can take mine.
You can take mine.
You take mine, too.
3
2
1
4
EvaTek Freelance
Look at this for a minute.
What happened?
I want to become Freelance.
Freelance?
We could continue the proposal.
You can grow over all the barriers that you may go through.
Aren't you just a regular person?
If they were IT Freerance, they'd be Devatec Freerance.
Look, I see the dove so the vision is clear
I'm close to the finish line every time so the mission is clear
Ex-show Morita, I-O-Lazer
Aosin-Rom-Zen 3-man Hoshou
Ex-show Morita, I-O-Lazer
Auto-Soft 0.03
Ex-show Morita, I-O-Lazer
Yuuki Imeru, O-L-E-D
Ex-show Morita, I-O-Lazer
Ex-show Morita, I-O-Lazer
Oh my God.
Oh man.
Creating memories forever here, man.
Seeing you all here, year after year after year,
we're all part of one big family,
and it is truly something special.
year after year after year, we're all part of one big family and it's truly something special.
FGC, FGC, FGC, FGC, FGC.
you
you
you