Smasher:Westballz
| Westballz | |
|---|---|
| |
| Character info | |
| Melee main | Falco |
| Other Melee characters | Fox, Captain Falcon |
| Project M mains | Falco, Fox |
| Other Project M characters | Wolf, Captain Falcon |
| Team info | |
| Crew(s) | G2 ESports |
| Former crews | Team OXY, Tempo Storm |
| Rankings and results info | |
| Most recent ranking |  2016 SSBMRank: 8th |
| Winnings | ~$42,710.55 |
| Personal and other info | |
| Real name | Weston Dennis |
| Birth date | |
| Location | Burbank, California 
|
| Miscellaneous info | |
| Skill | Top professional  Top professional
|
Westballz is a professional Melee Falco main with strong Fox and Captain Falcon secondaries from Burbank, California. He is currently ranked 8th on the 2016 SSBMRank and 2nd on the SoCal Melee Power Rankings. Westballz solidified himself as a top 10 player at MLG Anaheim 2014, where he upset Mango 3-0 in pool play. He defeated him again 3-1 in losers' quarters at MVG Sandstorm, where he also defeated Hungrybox in losers' semis 3-2. Additionally, he beat Leffen 3-1 at Dreamhack Winter 2015. Westballz is considered to be among the best Falco mains in the world along with Mango, and is widely renowned as the most technical one.
On July 2nd, 2015, Westballz was picked up by Tempo Storm alongside Axe, however has left the team a year later and signed with G2 ESports.
Biography
Origin of the name
Westballz created his gamertag while watching his brother play Halo, and based it off his brother's gamertag "Nickelnutz", replacing "Nickel" with "West" and "nutz" with "ballz".
Playing style
Westballz is often seen as the most technical Falco player in the world in both Melee and Project M. He is infamous for his very high-risk/high-reward punishes, often going for extremely technically demanding combos that can rack up extremely high amounts of damage and put his opponents into dangerous positions. As such, his punish game as Falco, particularly his platform follow-up ability, is arguably the best in the world. A very technical player whose playstyle heavily incorporates shield dropping, Westballz generally tends to show off his tech skill as much as possible such as multishining in place even in a neutral position. He is also known for his flashy secondaries, most notably his Captain Falcon, which he used to land a Sacred Combo on ZeldaFreak at Kings of Cali 3.
Westballz has stated that his success against top-caliber players stems from his ability to condition opponents and mix-up his approaches. He will often utilize a certain set of approaches in friendlies to condition players while learning their playstyle, then when he plays those same opponents in tournament, he will completely switch his playstyle, keeping his opponents adapting while controlling the match.
However, Westballz has a worse neutral game compared to his punish game. A common misconception is that Westballz is a very aggressive player, no matter who he is playing. However, against stronger players, he takes a much slower approach to the neutral game, spacing up tilts and back aerials to try to catch his opponent to then exploit his superior punish game, rather than directly applying pressure. This approach, combined with him not utilizing Falco's Blaster as well as other Falcos such as Mango and PPMD, often leads to his opponent controlling the pace of the match if he cannot get an opening.
Additionally, while Westballz has more wins against top players like Mango and Leffen under his belt than most others of his caliber, he is rather inconsistent, and is infamous for losing games, or even sets, to players far below his skill level. At Rubicon 2, he gained a 3-stock lead on KJH, but attempted to "style" on him with unsafe attacks for the rest of the game, allowing KJH to mount a 4-stock comeback. He also lost to Jake13, a mid-level Falco, at Low Tier City 2, after sandbagging and losing with Donkey Kong in game 1. He also occasionally becomes overwhelmed by pressure, making untimely self-destructs that lead to his defeat, such as in Loser's Semis at Pat's House 2 against Fly Amanita's lone Ice Climber in a last stock, last hit situation. Intending to input a back aerial, he accidentally inputted an unsafe down aerial that spiked Popo onto the stage while he self-destructed, ending his run.
Tournament placings
Super Smash Bros. Melee
| Tournament | Date | 1v1 Placement | 2v2 Placement | Partner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nice Shot Hugo | March 27th, 2010 | — | 25th | Dunk |
| Grev X | July 17th, 2010 | 9th | — | — |
| Don't Go Down There Jeff | December 18th, 2010 | 17th | — | — |
| Winter Game Fest VI | January 22nd-23rd, 2011 | 17th | 13th | Pat |
| GENESIS 2 | July 15th-17th, 2011 | 49th | 7th | Baka4moe |
| Apex 2012 | January 6th-8th, 2012 | 25th | 17th | StriCNYN3 |
| Winter Game Fest VII | January 14th-15th, 2012 | 3rd | — | — |
| Northwest Manifest | March 24th-25th, 2012 | 4th | 9th | Tafokints |
| Rule 6: NorCal Regional | July 29th, 2012 | 7th | 4th | Scar |
| The Big House 2 | October 6th-7th, 2012 | 9th | 13th | Scar |
| Kings of Cali | November 10th, 2012 | 7th | 9th | Scar |
| Apex 2013 | January 11th-13th, 2013 | 33rd | 9th | Hax |
| Winter Game Fest VIII | January 21st-23rd, 2013 | 1st | — | — |
| Kings of Cali 2 | April 13th-14th, 2013 | 7th | 3rd | MacD |
| NorCal Regionals 2013 | April 26th-28th, 2013 | 4th | — | — |
| EVO 2013 | July 12th-14th, 2013 | 17th | — | — |
| Kings of Cali 3 | December 14th-15th, 2013 | 5th | 9th | HomeMadeWaffles |
| Apex 2014 | January 17th-19th, 2014 | 33rd | 17th | Aisengobay |
| SoCal Regionals 2014 | February 28th-March 2nd, 2014 | 1st | 5th | DEHF |
| The Next Episode | March 22nd-23rd, 2014 | 2nd | 5th | S2J |
| Pat's House 2 | May 24th-25th, 2014 | 4th | 7th | ZeRo |
| SKTAR 3 | May 31st-June 1st, 2014 | 5th | 5th | Hax |
| SSS Lock-In | June 14th-15th, 2014 | 13th | — | — |
| MLG Anaheim 2014 | June 20th-22nd, 2014 | 9th | — | — |
| Kings of Cali 4 | July 5th-6th, 2014 | 7th | 5th | ZeRo |
| EVO 2014 | July 11th-13th, 2014 | 13th | 17th | DoH |
| Mayhem | August 9th, 2014 | 3rd | 2nd | Hungrybox |
| Low Tier City 2 | August 16th-17th, 2014 | 2nd | 1st | Wobbles |
| Mayhem | September 6th, 2014 | 2nd | 4th | Jace |
| The Big House 4 | October 4th-5th, 2014 | 7th | 9th | Darkrain |
| Do You Fox Wit It? | November 15th-16th, 2014 | 17th | 7th | Connor |
| Super Smash Sundays 29 | December 7th, 2014 | 1st | 2nd | Reno |
| Super Smash Sundays 30 | December 21st, 2014 | 2nd | 3rd | DEHF |
| Smash the Target | January 3rd, 2015 | 2nd | — | — |
| Paragon Orlando 2015 | January 17th-18th, 2015 | 4th | 7th | Axe |
| Apex 2015 | January 30th-February 1st, 2015 | 33rd | 17th | DEHF |
| Aftershock | March 28th-29th, 2015 | 4th | 2nd | Gahtzu |
| Monday Night Melee 22 | March 30th, 2015 | 1st | — | — |
| SWEET XX | April 4th, 2015 | 2nd | 4th | Deep C Squid |
| I'm Not Yelling! | April 11th-12th, 2015 | 5th | 7th | Sung |
| MVG Sandstorm | April 18th-19th, 2015 | 2nd | 7th | Gahtzu |
| Mayhem May 2015 | May 2nd, 2015 | 2nd | 2nd | Sung |
| Press Start | May 9th-10th, 2015 | 17th | 9th | Sung |
| Mayhem June 2015 | June 6th, 2015 | 1st | 1st | MacD |
| CEO 2015 | June 26th-28th, 2015 | 4th | 4th | MacD |
| FC Smash 15XR: Return | July 4th-5th, 2015 | 5th | 2nd | MacD |
| WTFox | July 10th-11th, 2015 | 5th | 3rd | Wizzrobe |
| EVO 2015 | July 17th-19th, 2015 | 13th | 49th | MacD |
| Super Smash Con 2015 | August 6th-9th, 2015 | 4th | — | — |
| PAX Prime 2015 | August 28th-30th, 2015 | 3rd | 3rd | Nintendude |
| Paragon Los Angeles 2015 | September 5th-6th, 2015 | 4th | — | — |
| Rubicon 2 | September 12th, 2015 | 1st | 2nd | Vro |
| DreamHack London 2015 | September 19th-20th, 2015 | 2nd | — | — |
| Helix | September 26th-27th, 2015 | 2nd | 2nd | Overtriforce |
| The Big House 5 | October 2nd-4th, 2015 | 5th | 9th | Axe |
| Smash Summit | November 7th-8th, 2015 | 9th | 7th | Zhu |
| Eclipse | November 14th-15th, 2015 | 49th | 7th | NamiNami |
| Kickstart 4 | November 22nd, 2015 | 4th | 1st | Plup |
| DreamHack Winter 2015 | November 26th-29th, 2015 | 4th | 17th | Baxon |
| Forte 3 | December 19th-20th, 2015 | 2nd | — | — |
| GENESIS 3 | January 15th-17th, 2016 | 17th | 17th | Gahtzu |
| Smash @ Xanadu Wednesdays 1/20 | January 20th, 2016 | 2nd | — | — |
| Frosty Faustings VIII | January 22nd-23rd, 2016 | 1st | — | — |
| PAX Arena | January 29-31, 2016 | 3rd | 5th | Wizzrobe |
| Kickstart 6 | February 14th, 2016 | 1st | 1st | Overtriforce |
| B.E.A.S.T 6 | February 19th-21st, 2016 | 3rd | — | — |
| Battle of the Five Gods | March 17th-19th, 2016 | 5th | — | — |
| Super Nebulous 4 | March 27th, 2016 | 4th | — | — |
| Pound 2016 | April 2nd-3rd, 2016 | 33rd | 3rd | MacD |
| Smash Summit 2 | April 21st-24th, 2016 | 9th | 5th | Shroomed |
| Enthusiast Gaming Live Expo | April 29th-May 1st, 2016 | 9th | — | — |
| Get On My Level 2016 | May 20th-22nd, 2016 | 5th | 5th | MacD |
| Zotsmash Biweekly 21 | June 1st, 2016 | 2nd | — | — |
| Smash 'N' Splash 2 | June 11th-12th, 2016 | 5th | 2nd | Wizzrobe |
| WTFox 2 | July 1st-3rd, 2016 | 9th | — | — |
| EVO 2016 | July 15th-17th, 2016 | 7th | — | — |
| Super Smash Sundays 49 | July 31st, 2016 | 1st | 3rd | Jace |
| Clutch City Clash | August 6th-7th, 2016 | 4th | 33rd | Ice |
| Super Smash Con 2016 | August 11th-14th, 2016 | 7th | 9th | Shroomed |
| Super Smash Sundays 51 | August 21th, 2016 | 1st | 1st | Wieners |
| Shine 2016 | August 26th-28th, 2016 | 13th | 4th | Prince Abu |
| Syndicate 2016 | September 10th-11th, 2016 | 2nd | 2nd | Professor Pro |
| Kickstart 11 | September 17th, 2016 | 2nd | — | — |
| Forward Smash Tournament 1 | September 19th, 2016 | 1st | — | — |
| Super Smash Sundays 53 | September 25th, 2016 | 1st | — | — |
| The Big House 6 | October 7th-9th, 2016 | 13th | 5th | Plup |
| SSS: Blood For Blood | October 15th, 2016 | 3rd | 2nd | The Moon |
| SoCal Colosseum #5 | October 29th, 2016 | 5th | 1st | Vro |
| Smash Summit 3 | November 3rd-6th, 2016 | 9th | 7th | n0ne |
| Rewired 2016 | November 19th-21st, 2016 | 1st | 2nd | Gahtzu |
| Don't Park on the Grass | December 17th-18th, 2016 | 3rd | 13th | Gahtzu |
| SSBM @ Quickly 13 | January 7th, 2017 | 1st | 1st | S2J |
| Wednesday Night Fights 2017 Offseason 1.2 | January 11th, 2017 | 1st | — | — |
| Smash at Power 9 #17 | January 12th, 2017 | 1st | — | — |
| Friday Night Turnip 35 | January 13th, 2017 | 5th | — | — |
| GENESIS 4 | January 20th-22nd, 2017 | 7th | 25th | Prince Abu |
| Friday Night Turnip 36 | January 27th, 2017 | 1st | — | — |
| SoCal Colosseum 7 | January 28th, 2017 | 4th | — | — |
| Super Smash Sundays 55 | January 29th, 2017 | 9th | 1st | Syrox |
| UCI Biweekly 28 | January 31st, 2017 | 1st | — | — |
| Friday Night Turnip 37 | February 3rd, 2017 | 1st | — | — |
| Smash @ Power 9 #19 | February 16th, 2017 | 1st | — | — |
| Smash @ Power 9 #20 | February 23rd, 2017 | 1st | — | — |
| Smash Summit Spring 2017 | March 2nd-5th, 2017 | 13th | 5th | Plup |
| SWETT XXVII | March 11th, 2017 | 1st | 4th | Vro |
| Full Bloom 3 | March 25th, 2017 | 7th | 7th | Vro |
| Ride or Pie 2 | March 27th, 2017 | 1st | — | — |
| Friday Night Turnip 45 | March 31st, 2017 | 1st | — | — |
| Smash Rivalries | April 8th-9th, 2017 | 13th | 5th | Axe |
| Friday Night Turnip 47 | April 14th, 2017 | 1st | — | — |
| Zotcade 17 | April 15th, 2017 | 1st | 2nd | Mike Haze |
| DreamHack Austin 2017 | April 28th-30th, 2017 | 13th | 9th | Wizzrobe |
Project M
| Tournament | Date | 1v1 Placement | 2v2 Placement | Partner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Smash Sundays 2-16-2014 | February 16th, 2014 | 4th | — | — |
| Low Tier City 2 | August 16th-17th, 2014 | 17th | 9th | iPunchKidsz |
| The Big House 4 | October 4th-5th, 2014 | 17th | — | — |
| Paragon Orlando 2015 | January 17th-18th, 2015 | 4th | — | — |
| Infinity and Beyond! 48 | March 27th, 2015 | 1st | — | — |
| MVG Sandstorm | April 18th-19th, 2015 | Top 3 | 3rd | iPunchKidsz |
| Paragon Los Angeles 2015 | September 5th-6th, 2015 | 25th | 17th | iPunchKidsz |
| Smash @ the Balcony 30 | January 1st, 2016 | 1st | 1st | iPunchKidsz |
| Smash @ Xanadu Wednesdays 1/20 | January 20th, 2016 | 3rd | — | — |
| The Big Balc | May 27th-29th, 2016 | 9th | — | — |
| Smash 'N' Splash 2 | June 11th-12th, 2016 | — | 5th | Hungrybox |
| BroCal's Gym: Bulking Season | January 8th, 2017 | 9th | 5th | SK92 |
Trivia
- He is known for wearing a hoodie for some of his tournament matches, especially during the cold season.
- Westballz has placed 33rd at Apex 2013, 2014, and 2015.
- Westballz has defeated 4 of the members of the 2015 top 6 players (all but Mew2King and Armada), defeating Mango at MLG Anaheim 2014, Hungrybox at Sandstorm, Leffen at DreamHack Winter 2015, and PPMD at Battle of the Five Gods.
- He considers PPMD as his rival as all of their sets have been extremely close.
External links
References
- Southern California smashers
- Falco professionals (SSBM)
- Fox professionals (SSBM)
- Captain Falcon professionals (SSBM)
- Falco professionals (PM)
- Fox professionals (PM)
- Livestream commentators
- VIP players
- 2013 SSBMRank ranked players
- 2014 SSBMRank ranked players
- 2015 SSBMRank ranked players
- 2016 SSBMRank ranked players
- 2013 SSBMRank top 25
- 2014 SSBMRank top 25
- 2015 SSBMRank top 25
- 2016 SSBMRank top 25
- Back Room members
