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Smasher:Sparg0: Difference between revisions
Added description of Sparg0's placements at Smash Factor X and Super Smash Con 2023
UsualMaestro (talk | contribs) (Added description of Sparg0's placements at Smash Factor X and Super Smash Con 2023) |
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Sparg0's two premier-tier victories and dominance over acola led many players, particularly in North America, to believe Sparg0 would be ranked first by the end of the year's first season. However, the race was actually closer than what most players thought due to acola's dominance over most events he had attended: unlike Sparg0, acola did not have a single placement outside of the top 8 and had no sub-top 50 losses. This lead to the closest race for #1 in ''Ultimate''{{'}}s history, as both players had strong arguments for the #1 placement by the mid-way point of the year. | Sparg0's two premier-tier victories and dominance over acola led many players, particularly in North America, to believe Sparg0 would be ranked first by the end of the year's first season. However, the race was actually closer than what most players thought due to acola's dominance over most events he had attended: unlike Sparg0, acola did not have a single placement outside of the top 8 and had no sub-top 50 losses. This lead to the closest race for #1 in ''Ultimate''{{'}}s history, as both players had strong arguments for the #1 placement by the mid-way point of the year. | ||
However, Sparg0's final two supermajor events were what hurt his chances. At {{Trn|Crown the Third}}, Sparg0 was upset by {{Sm|Jakal}} and was eliminated by MkLeo at 9th, giving Sparg0 yet another finish outside the top 8. Then, at {{Trn|Get On My Level 2023}}, Sparg0 was upset by {{Sm|Zomba}} and, after making a strong Losers run, lost to {{Sm|Sonix}} to place 2nd. These two placements further weighted down Sparg0's season and was what ultimately allowed acola to pull ahead: with two placements outside the top 8, a sub-top 100 loss, and a worse record compared to acola (against all players qualified for [[LumiRank]] that season, Sparg0's record was 71-16 while acola's record was 90-10), Sparg0 was ultimately ranked 2nd on the [[LumiRank Mid-Year 2023]]. However, the race remained very close to the very end: had Sparg0 won both Grand Finals sets against Sonix, he would have just barely been ranked #1. However, the very next event, {{Trn|Smash Factor X}}, saw Sparg0 take his first-ever set against {{Sm|MKLeo}}'s Joker and get his grand finals runback against {{Sm|Sonix}} in a tense game 7 that nearly went to time. Sparg0's appearance along with {{Sm|Sonix}} in grand finals at two consecutive North American supermajors cemented the offline rivalry of the two players, who had both long since been dominating the online Smash scene. This led to subsequent grand finals featuring these two to be termed "Coinbox grand finals", referring to the online weekly tournament series hosted by {{Sm|Hungrybox}} in which Sparg0 and {{Sm|Sonix}} regularly trade tournament titles. | |||
Despite being ranked 2nd on [[LumiRank Mid-Year 2023]], Sparg0's strong outings at {{Trn|Get On My Level 2023}} and {{Trn|Smash Factor X}} earned him the 1st seed going into {{Trn|Super Smash Con 2023}}, which, at 2,607 entrants, was poised to be the biggest Smash Ultimate tournament since the post-quarantine era. Expectations on Sparg0 were high, and with a bevy of high-profile Japanese talent attending the tournament, many were wondering if he could repeat his career-highlight successes at {{Trn|Kagaribi 10}} and {{Trn|Battle of BC 5}}. Unfortunately, Sparg0 ended up with a shocking 49th-place finish at the event, his worst placement ever tied with {{Trn|GENESIS 6}}, {{Trn|2GG: Kongo Saga}}, and {{Trn|GENESIS 7}}. Sparg0's losses at the event were to players {{Sm|Ly}} and {{Sm|Aaron|p=Florida}}, both non-top 50 losses. The magnitude of this placing was not lost on Sparg0's competitors: {{Sm|acola}}, who won the event, immediately shot up to be widely considered the undisputed best player in the world, and Miya, who placed third, was beginning to make a strong case for #2 worldwide. | |||
==Tournament placings== | ==Tournament placings== | ||