- He beats iBDW at the final match with a hard-fought 3-2
- Mang0 says he was carried by his Falco plays
- He and other players talk about Nintendo’s recent cancellation of SWT 2023
Being a late entry into the tournament and having trained for just three days, Mang0 emerges victorious from this year’s final Smash Melee Major.
Mang0 Wins the Final Major
This year of competitive Smash has officially concluded with the final non-invitational style Major, the Mainstage in the Ontario Convention Center. The tournament saw the world’s best players compete for fame and glory between December 2 and 4, with Mang0 emerging victorious.
The player’s victory comes as a refresher after the Smash community recently went through a lot of negativity, following Nintendo’s cancelation of the remaining 2022 Smash World Tour Championships, as well as the entire 2023 Circuit. Mang0’s victory almost didn’t come as the player barely made it to the event, as he was just a last-second addition to the tournament. In fact, he told his chat during a Twitch stream that he only practiced three days heading into the competition.
“Honestly, I got super carried by the fact I only had to play Falco and I literally only played [against] Fox,” Mang0 said. “I was the Hbox, I only practiced one matchup all week. I definitely go carried. That helped a lot.”
Mang0 closed out his run through the Fox gauntlet with wins over SFOP, moky, Leffen, and two on iBDW. His last match was particularly interesting as it did not come easy to Mang0. iBDW firmly held his ground, dragging out the game to a final 3-2 for Mnag0, giving his opponent a run for his money, as well as a real spectacle for the audience.
Some Other Highlights of the Tournament
The tournament also saw other players make a real impact, for example, SluG, who will attend his first Smash Summit following a top-five finish with his Ice Climbers play.
The tournament’s runner-up, iBDW, also stood out, not only for his skill, but the statement he represented during the tournament. Following Nintendo’s cancellation of the 2023 SWT circuit, iBDW and Hungrybox talked about the event, when they discussed participating in this Major as free agents. True to his words, iBDW attended the event wearing a blank white shirt that said “Free Agent” on the front.
It was done as a way to protest Nintendo’s decision and distance himself from the Panda Cup, of which iBDW was part. The organization’s CEO was blamed to have a huge part in Nintendo’s decision with many players leaving the Panda Cup. iBDW was one of them and during the event, he said his DMs were open if anyone wanted to talk sponsorships.
Mang0 also seems to side with his fellow players when it comes to the future of the game. “As long as Melee lives, I will play,” he said. “And if somehow the big stage is taken away, Mang0 says they will play in a sweaty garage with just 20 people, him facing Zain behind a 7-11 for $25. That’s what it’s always going to be.”
