🏳️🌈 (MVG) Salem ☆ #BlackLivesMatter · @SalemBane_
19th Jul 2017 from TwitLonger
My Evo 2017 experience-
Oh jeez, what a crazy and amazing tournament. The entire time there I was legitimately a little scared and worried, the unusual for me this time around, more emotion than being emotionless, Day 0 I was fortunate enough to find blakinola! as during the time I was at a loss of how to get to the mandalay, cool dude as always and thanks for the help! quite a day I relaxed the most on before day 1. Day 1 I went to the venue very early before my pool, I was paranoid of being dq'd for not being around on time, spectated some matches of all types of games, checked out merchandise and then met up and hanged with people till my pool started, I thought I was going to fight Eim round 1 of pools but I was wrong, short day for me and I wasn't on stream but it was fine, things went by kinda fast before Day 2. Day 2 I kinda was worried a bit, I stayed up quite a while to adjust my sleep schedule for vegas the day before, so I was scared I might oversleep, luckily I didn't, left a tad early and hanged with people again before my pool started, all the people I expected to fight I surprisingly didn't, JK, abadango, mistake, all were elsewhere in bracket, all the main people I was worried about fighting, things went along quite smoothly then, fought some people I didn't expect! false and nakat, glad to have seen them doing well in bracket, I was a bit sad having to fight them though but it's fine, have to keep pushing forward, that day ended, mysterious top 8 things incurred for preparation of tomorrow, then I hanged out again with people, met up with zack for a little bit to chill and let loose before deciding to play smash a bit for the night and then resting. Day 3 was a bit... awkward for me, the preparation from tomorrow didn't help my nerves too much and I rarely get nerves, was gonna be going up after the first match, was so glad it wasn't me up first, my heart was pounding too hard and I very much wasn't ready yet. Having watched how others introduced themselves onto stage helped me quite a bit before I went up next vs Larry, it was kinda bright and I was told to not look too much at the lights, whoops lol, got on stage finally and got ready to play Larry, I didn't quite know what to do or how I was gonna fight him this time my nerves didn't quite calm yet either, then so and so proceeded to me being beaten, a little disappointed in myself there but it was okay, I was watching now for the time being, so many key things I saw that needed to be done to reach him. ZeRo, and saw many key things needed to beat him, but I was back at the drawing board now, having to fight KEN, I was perfectly calm then, I wasn't nervous at all as my confidence vs sonic is just about as high as one can get, the match after though... that what was when I had a problem, I was vs Tweek, at this point we're pretty much rivals, but at the same time I also didn't want to fight him, he was wearing zack's jersey, I could feel how much he wanted to go forward and win it all, he was doing it for so many reasons. a pressure I felt game 1, game 2... I was about to lose, after taking his first stock, I told myself immediately. "If you don't get everything together, things end here and you will never reach ZeRo." I snapped at myself mentally for just that second, once Tweek was got off the platform I once again told myself. "End him instantly, only push forward and do not for a second hesitate, you only have to grab him now and you'll get your chance, don't miss!" In that very instant he got down off the spawn platform I changed my posture and went exactly through with my plan, I threw him off, ran off immediately after him and ended the game instantly, I had stopped breathing for the entirety of the sequence before calming myself down a bit after, I was so angry at myself at that time, allowing things to get to me so easily, here of all places, the last match I focused only on ending his stocks as fast as I could, I was surprised at doing so this time around as usually regardless how early I take his first stock it's still last hit with him. After the match I honestly felt like crying and held back my tears, I wanted him to keep going, but so did I. At that point I needed just a short break after, just to recollect myself, I was a bit all over the place, when I returned on stage to face Larry I was ready, all the key things I saw him use vs ZeRo, I used back vs him mid match, I was starting to copy a similar style of his as we fought, he jabbed me and I jabbed him back, he grabbed me and I grabbed him back, it was back and forth for a bit before I got the upper hand, beating him and finally reaching ZeRo, the main goal here, the one person I wanted to fight above all else, especially here. From all I learned from the matches I watched and from all I learned from the past battles I had vs him, I was ready. All my emotions were at full drive here, I was happy, sad, angry, everything. I was ready to end things here and use all my heart vs him, a long road just getting here... and I had to beat him in 2 sets, I knew things would go to game 5, but I wasn't sure if I could reset, but I miraculously did, I could feel it then, such a special feeling, one similar to what I had felt during Apex 2013, but not quite. I could actually beat him now, with this power... I wasn't scared of any of his options, my reaction time was just up to keep to deal with all he did, I managed to memorize his actions that set and was aggressive when needed and defensive when I had to. The last game I could tell he would take my stock first, I could also feel he was getting a bit panicky in situations now, he was being highly risky at every turn, but he already did enough damage to me. I knew the only thing I could do left, but I haven't been able to pull it off on him either sets, his SDI always has been just enough, nothing ever too crazy, but he did so much damage that I had the exact amount of rage I needed to win, but I had to somehow get him to fall into one last bad situation and I know I could get any more grabs, I had to get an actual hit on him this time... that's when suddenly I saw him flub and miss the banana near the ledge, he airdodged and just ran and grabbed the ledge, that was my only chance, but I had to immediately remove that banana then and there, I chucked it as fast as I could offstage and he panic jumped and sideb'd above my head the one time, then I caught him, combo'd him to the skies and won.
Things moved in slow motion for me that time, I wanted to cry again but held it back one last time, I had to be sure I won, looking st the screen it showed I did, unbelievable to me at first, I actually beat him in 2 sets... and before the set I told him "For one to be #1 in the world they must beat the #1 in the world." I had did that, not once but twice. As I said before, it was a bueatiful feeling and I hope to feel it again one day. Amazing tournament and a legendary ending for me. I'll see y'all next tournament!