Read part 5, here!
Armada
Now, everyone reading this probably knows the Mango Armada history, it’s a great rivalry. America vs Sweden, legend vs legend, floaty vs fast faller. Going into this set, me and Armada were 2-3 in sets, 11-10 in tourney matches, Armada having the edge and after those BEAST friendlies. If I lost this set, there could never be a Mango Armada argument. It would just be Armada >>> Mango, and I wouldn’t be able to say squat and just have to live the rest of my life accepting it. My whole smash career, every hour of time I’ve put into this game, everything would be for nothing if I lost to Armada and got 4th at Evo (or that’s how I saw it).
I needed to cement my legacy and show everyone that when I try my nuts off, I can accomplish anything in this game. They call us up next to play, and I just take a really deep breath and repeat to myself in my head, “don’t be afraid to shoot lasers, trust your spacing,” “no shield pressure, all grabs,” “don’t hit him under 40 percent and if you do, make sure its spaced,” “recover weird because he eats normal recovery for breakfast,” “accept that you can’t approach him with simple stuff, hes a wall.” That was all that was going through my head, and that winning was the only option. I would not be losing today, I want it so bad. TODAY, not even Armada can stop me. I kept getting myself hyped, knowing that it was go big or home. Our set starts, and I’m just playing so good, and after the match I just tell myself, “it’s done, I’m gonna win Evo.” I could talk about our set but I did a pretty good analysis on it here in case you wanna watch it.
I knew whoever won between me and Armada would win the tourney. Hbox and Wobbles aren’t quite on our level, and with the way I was playing that day, neither of them stood a chance against me. I drill shine upsmash Armada and win, and the way I felt as his Peach died off the top was just like the biggest sigh of relief. I did it. I 2-0d Armada, and now NOTHING stood in my way.
Taking 1st
The first 2.5 stocks against Hbox I played pretty sloppy, I was still way too hyped about beating Armada. Definitely shoulda taken a break, but I picked it up and ended up getting through Hbox with ease and with a SICK READ ON THAT ROLL to add to long career of highlights =]. Don’t know when you guys will learn, you can’t roll against the kid. I EAT ROLLLS FOR BREAKFASSTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT (LMAOOO)
Now I was exactly where I wanted to be, against Wobbles, the guy who put me in the loser’s bracket – which I’m thankful for now because I probably wouldn’t have gotten to play Armada and my win wouldn’t have tasted as good. I didn’t just wanna beat Wobbles, I wanted to DESTROY him, so I was very upset when I didn’t get my 6-0. But at the end of the day I went 14-1 in bracket and dominated just about everyone. I had done it, I came all the way from loser’s, taking out some of the best players.
There arent words that can describe how happy I was and how good I felt on the inside. It was just so nice to see my hard work pay off, I knew I could still win in dominating fashion if I just practiced and took everyone seriously. The best part of it all had to be when they did the trophy/medal presentation. As they went through everyone, I just thought of all the times each of them had beaten me. Ice in that one set at BEAST, PP at Kings of Cali, Hbox at NCR, M2K at Apex, Armada at Apex/those friendlies, Wobbles the day before, and how now none of that (almost, ALMOST) doesn’t matter because I was the Evo champ babbbbbbbby!
As they got to Wobbles, I knew my name would be next as the winner and champion, I almost ALMOST wanted to cry. That feeling of standing in front of all those people, some of them being some of my best friends, my fans, all the mango haters. When they announced my name and handed me that trophy, I promise you there wasn’t one person on the planet that was happier than I was, for that small moment I was the king of the world. I’ll never ever ever forget that feeling. WAS AMAZING. Winning Evo was more than just a normal smash tourney, it was a freakin Evo with SO MANY people watching.
I knew that this win would cement my legacy in the smash community as one of the best to ever do it. Some people have been throwing the title GOAT at me (greatest of all time). Whether you agree or disagree, the fact that SOME people are willing to call me that means so much. Who would have thought when I started. I was just a 14 year old Puff player trying to make a name for myself. Now, 7 long years later, the fact that some people consider me the greatest of all time in a game I dedicated basically my whole life to means so much to me.
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Read part 7, the epilogue, here!
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