Evo 2019 fighting game tournament – as it happened

Grand Finals (Reset): MKLeo 2: Tweek 0: We’re in a reverse of the earlier situation now without the benefit of a bracket reset filler, Tweek definitely on the backfoot and Leo still asserting his dominance until Tweek finally lands a heavy Charizard hit and takes the first stock. Tweek still up one stock after 2 minutes but Leo jumps down and hits a reflect to send Charizard off-screen, 2:2. Match still even after another minute but Arsense catches Charizard napping on a edgeguard and sends him on his way again. If Tweek can’t figure this out here’s gone – Leo dancing with death at 172% damage – nuked offscreen with a heavy Chrizard slash again to put it at 1:1, but Squirtle’s at 101 % on one stock left – Leo waiting in centre-stage, trying to bait Tweek in so Leo can fully convert to the tournament point takedown – an unsafe Change nearly sends Charizard off-stage but he survives with good DI, but it’s too much, he can’t take it, he can’t keep up this offence and Leo lands a Arsene-powered spike to blast Tweek’s final stock into the depths. MKLeo is your Super Smash Brothers Ultimate Evo 2019 Champion!

Grand Finals (Reset): MKLeo 1: Tweek 0: It’s a strange thing to say when half the time both competitors are around equal on damage and stock but it’s beginning to feel like Tweek has been downloaded. Tweek’s down 2:1, nearly eats it after a bad Pokemon change right in front of Joker but just barely survives. Manages to backthrow Leo off stage but is almost immedately punished on respawn. Arsene’s out, lifts Ivysaur off-screen above, edgeguards effectively – MKLeo 2: Tweek 0.

Grand Finals (Reset): MKLeo 0: Tweek 0: We’re back, back again, at 0:0 and Leo continues his dominance, taking the first stock early in. Tweek matches a moment later, both at 2:2 again, with damage difference – Tweek manages to switch but SDs almost immediately after after getting tinged by Joker’s guns mid up-b. We’re down to 1:1 but Tweek is at 131% damage, needs something crazy to take Leo out in this first reset set, tries to pull of a crazy move and hit Joker off-screen with a wild flare blitz but SDs immediately. No payout, MKLeo 1: Tweek 0.

Grand Finals: MKLeo 2: Tweek 2: Tweek’s at tournament point but MKLeo can rest the bracket at any moment, the tension is palpable. Leo reads another Pokemon change and punishes immediately, taking the first stock at the minute mark. Is Tweek running out of momentum? It happens again, mid-air changeover read immediately, punished for it by Leo who has stock advantage 2:1. Arsene’s out, takes out the Pokemon switch again, Leo resets the bracket!

Grand Finals: MKLeo 1: Tweek 2: Another even start, Tweek surviving Arsense’s entire duration to take the first stock with a Charizard hit at 1 minute in – suddenly he’s up two stock against Leo’s Joker, then one stock – Squirtle combos doing good but Leo reads a Pokemon switch, times the forward air and equalises the stock! This turnabout! Ivysaur can’t make it back onto the stage against Joker’s quality edgeguarding – goes for a spike – Ivysaur lands with a back air, but the heavy trade comes out advantageous for MKLeo, who survives another day – we’re at game 5! MKleo 2: Tweek 2.

Grand Finals: MKLeo 0: Tweek 2: So far so good for Leo, effectively blunting Tweek’s heavy momentum, catches a flare blitz with a forward smash and doing OK but a sudden vine whip from Ivysaur evens the damage up, both at massive damage 5 minutes in until Leo finally converts. Tweek matches a minute later and we’re back to nearly even trades, both at 2 stock and comparable damage, Joker has Arsene out, catches Charizard with a counter then a back air and takes the stock. Ivy puts Leo in the air with a throw, down 90% damage but still only a match away from a Grand Finals win – can he do it now? Leo is looking dominant again and Tweek just can’t convert, looks frustrated, and loses the set – Leo takes it to game 4 – MKLeo 1: Tweek 2.

Grand Finals: MKLeo 0: Tweek 1: Leo tries to edguard and is spiked as punishment and loses a stock, but it’s evened right back in, 1 stock down each within a minute – pretty much the story of this whole match, I think it’s safe to say, at least to date. Tweek with the reads, Leo rolling into Tweek and Tweek punishes him for it with ease, up one stock and 80% damage at 5 minutes, can he clutch it out? Leo’s on the defensive, still playing at his high calibur but he just can’t make it through Tweek’s impossible reads! MKLeo 0: Tweek 2!

Here we go folks – the very last match of Evo 2019, Tweek’s Pokemon Trainer vs MKLeo’s domineering Joker, Leo with disadvantage needing to reset the bracket first. Tweek takes Leo out with a spike 40 seconds in, a surprising result for the quick-moving Joker, but Leo catches Ivysaur in some kind of repeat combo but can’t convert into a a kill until 30 seconds in. 1:1 each. Combo from Tweek’s Squirtle nearly equalises the damage, Tweek gives up stage control and eats a stock loss but gets it back almost instantly – what a close match! Squirtle definitely giving MKLeo the closest run this whole Top 8 – switches to Charizard, edgeguards the hell out of Leo, launches up off the screen! Tweek 1: MKLeo 0.

Losers Finals: Glutonny 0: MKLeo 1: Leo takes Glutonny’s first stock down 1 minute in, but he returns the favour a few seconds later, so both players sitting on 2 stock and 0 damage for a hot second. Leo mixup catches Glutonny by surprise, takes a stock, Glutonny puts up a fight but gets knocked out with another up-B despite a good recovery and up-air. Game 2 goes Glutonny 0: MKLeo 2.

Insane game happening off the edge below the stage, Glutonny trying to escape to the left side of the stage from the right – he succeeds but Leo catches him before he can find his bearings and takes the first stock. Dash attack from Wario takes Leo’s first stock but he chases him down again, removes the second stock for 2:1 Leo advantage. Bike trades – chasedown – Glutonny back to edgeguarding and doing a pretty good job, but no, he can’t make it in the end, MKLeo just keeping the pressure too high – MKLeo is going to Grand Finals, Glutonny out at third place.

Losers Finals: Glutonny v MKLeo: Just two more matches remaining before we’re all freed from this torment of hype. Oops, another accidental button press on setup, so double SDs to get back to the menu. Glutonny’s Wario vs Leo’s Joker, Leo’s been cutting through the Loser’s bracket to date, can he slice his way all to Grand Finals?

Thirty seconds in and it was looking tricky, but Glutonny accidentally walks off and goes down a stock despite equalising early on. Wastes a waft and Leo punishes, gets a good off-stage projectile eat but dies to a Leo combo, chased down, and gets hit with an up-b: Glutonny 0: Mkleo 1.

Losers Semifinals: Samsora v MKLeo: As Coney notes on commentary, Japan has been eliminated, so it’s just USA Samsora (Peach) vs Mexico’s MKLeo (Joker) in a best of three set to face Glutonny in Loser’s finals. Peach down a stock one minute in doing their best to zone with turnips but can’t quite catch MKLeo, who tries to chase down with Arsense out and eats a Peach back-air to lose a stock. Samsora whiffs twice and gets punished for it, down a stock again, pushed to the far ledge on the right, chased by MKLeo and bites it. Samsora 0: MKLeo 1.

Good edgeguarding by Samsora sees Leo lose a stock 1 min 20s in, taking an early lead, Samsora surviving a Leo chasedown before finally losing a stock of his own, waiting out Arsene and Joker. Leo tries to rebel charge off a crown but it’s too much – he loses his second stock and Samsora still has advantage for the moment – but not too long, stock equalises, only 60% damage defecit, and then MKLeo converts finally, blunting Samsora’s momentum and taking the set and the match. Samsora eliminated, MKLeo proceeds to Loser’s Finals.

Winner’s Finals: Glutonny 2: Tweek 2: Finally off Pokemon Stadium 2, can Tweek make it back from the edge? Tournament point for both players, we’ve been going back and forth for 17 minutes now. Tweek finally gets Wario out down a stock, switches back to Squirtle, playing a much safer game though he can’t make it through Wario covering himself with the bike. Seismic toss doesn’t take out Glutonny but an Ivysaur forward-air nukes Glutonny, stock at 2:1, advantage Tweek. Charizard too slow, saves himself with flare blitz twice but can’t keep it up, 1:1 stock, an insane breath-taking set of close play sees Tweek finally take it, Tweek’s headed to Grand Finals and Glutonny is going to Losers.

Winner’s Finals: Glutonny 1: Tweek 2: We’re still on Pokemon Stadium 2. Tweek loses a stock to a successful edgeguard at 1 minute down, nearly SDs beneath the stage but swaps to Charizard, recovers, and equalises the stock. Both playing off stage, Glutonny chasing down Tweek and tossing, but he’s still got a waft charged – Glutonny wastes the waft against Tweek’s shield, who reads the usage perfectly – but Glutonny’s still up an entire stock – dash attack takes him out, did game 3 get too far inside Tweek’s mind? Glutonny 2: Tweek 2.

Winner’s Finals: Glutonny 0: Tweek 2: Tweek down a stock a minute in, rare lead for Glutonny, but equalised a mere 15 seconds later. Parry lets Wario get significant damage in but they still remain roughly equal, Tweek rolls into a punt, ends up down 1 stock at 5 minutes remaining on the clock. Picks up with a vine whip to remove Glutonny’s edge guard and recovers with Charizard, but he’s still got a 100% damage defecit, though making up ground quickly with Ivysaur – suddenly the momentum is strong but Glutonny defends succesfully through an insane set of trades – Glutonny lives! Glutonny 1: Tweek 2: