Guilty Gear Xrd player Washige was on the cusp of a dream upset, toppling tournament favorite Ogawa with his trademark Millia.
Then he stood up.
The Japanese hopeful became Evo‘s next big moment when he stood up in the middle of the deciding game against Zato player and force of nature Ogawa in the winner’s bracket semifinal. Washige manhandled the sure champion in round two of game three and did what any player would do after dominating a clear favorite: celebrate.
It was only after Washige pumped his fists to the crowd that a very polite Ogawa posted a perfect round on the upstart after generously waiting for the match to tick into its deciding round.
Fans stood up in protest as a murmur went over the crowd. Was there a rule violation? Was Ogawa taking advantage of the situation? Unfortunately, no. The crowd favorite had simply committed the cardinal sin of being overly excited about a big moment.
Dumped into the loser’s bracket, Evo attendees rallied behind the player who, to his credit, took the entire incident in stride. Washige proceeded to engineer a dominant run through the loser’s bracket before running into Ogawa’s next victim, Nage, falling three games to zero.
Ironically, what Washige accomplished in his moment of turmoil was a feat in its own. With thousands of fans, the glare of bright lights, and the best in the world all breathing down his neck, the excitable competitor bounced back better than anyone could expect. For that, he will be remembered, even if dubiously.
Ogawa won the title with ease.
Image via Arc System Works
