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April 19, 2009

Justin Wong Wins SFIV National Tournament and Daigo Wins International Title

Gamestop SFIV National Tournament

It was pure pandemonium at the GameStop Street Fighter IV National Tournament finals tonight! Thousands of SF fans flooded Fort Mason Festival Pavilion in San Francisco to watch the best of the best fight for the title of top Street Fighter player in the country. After a series of GameStop tournaments the past few months, it came down to 16 very talented players, but only one could win.

Justin Wong
(Justin Wong – SFIV National Tournament Winner)

The journey to the top definitely wasn’t easy. Littered through the list of finalists were legendary adversaries like Mike Ross (E.Honda), Antawn Ortiz (Balrog) and Jason “A-Dhalsim” Cole (Balrog). Matches we’re extremely close at times, but Justin Wong dominated with the pressure of a super offensive Rufus. Often finishing off opponents with his arms shooting up in the air on cue with the finishing hit of Rufus’s Ultra. The crowd loved it, and raised their hands to the roof as well.

Yoshinori Ono
(Street Fighter IV Producer Yoshinori Ono greets an amazingly enthusiastic crowd)

Immediately following the SFIV National Tournament was a shot at the International title. Battling it out round robin style, were Korea’s top player Poongko (Ryu), Japan’s top players Iyo (Dhalsim) and Daigo (Ryu), and Justin Wong (Rufus).

Iyo
(Japan’s top player Iyo zoning opponents with Dhalsim’s long limbs)

After a series of very intense and exciting rounds (I’m talking crazya** ish like Focus Cancels to EX to another EX to Ultra finish combos without even flinching), Daigo and Justin remained on top. The two would battle it out in a much anticipated match.

Poongko
(A disappointed Poongko after losing to Iyo, Daigo and Justin. )

Would Justin get redemption from the millions of people who have seen him get beat down by Daigo’s infamous Ken comeback on YouTube? Would the Rufus that he used to defeat all the best players in the U.S.A. be enough?

Daigo and Justin Wong
(Daigo and Justin Wong preparing for battle)

Not this time. Daigo’s godlike Street Fighter skills completely shut down Justin’s offensive strategy.

Gamestop SFIV National Tournament
(Daigo punishes Justin with a focus dash cancel into Ryu’s Ultra)

Seth Killian did his absolute best to commentate during this final match, but Daigo’s attacks and counters were happening so fast, that even he couldn’t keep up with the craziness.

Seth Killian
(SF Community Manager Seth Killian delivering excellent play-by-play commentary)

Final score 4-0. Best Street Fighter IV Player in the World — Daigo, better known as “The Beast.” He can rest easy and enjoy his victory for a few months, until he must defend his title at the Evo 2009 Championships in July at Las Vegas.

Seth Killian
(Daigo holds down the International title for Japan)

Long live Street Fighter!

GameStop Street Fighter IV National Tournament Photo Gallery (videos below)

Tournament Videos
***More videos coming soon… be sure to check back this week***

Daigo vs. Justin Wong (International Finals)

Justin Wong vs. Mike Ross (National Finals)

Justin Wong vs. Poongko

Justin Wong vs. Iyo

Poonko vs. Daigo

Poongko vs Iyo

Iyo vs. Daigo

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  • kenYa

    I flew out to SF just to see this!!!!! It was bigger than I expected and so worth the flight. Daigo is seriously on another level. Justin had zero chance of beating him. Can’t wait to see the vids! :D

  • iplaywinner

    Whoaa! Awesome photos! Reminds me I need a better camera.. lol. :)

    This shit was so hype!!

    -haunts
    http://www.iplaywinner.com

  • http://www.myspace.com/bouney b0unce

    wish this was in sydney :P

  • http://webjay.org/by/bgizzie/djmikeyfresh djmikey

    Soooooo crazy! I watched the vids and so wish I could’ve been there to see it in person.

  • madray

    Incredible how Daigo shut Justin down. Almost looked like a scrub playing which we all know he’s not of course.

    I want that Cammy t-shirt that Ono is wearing!

  • http://vicioprimitivo.wordpress.com/2009/04/19/sfiv-mundial-daigo-ganha-de-wong-novamente/ SFIV Mundial – Daigo ganha de Wong novamente « Vício Primitivo – O lugar dos gamermaníacos!

    [...] Fonte: Kotaku, Kineda [...]

  • http://cavves.wordpress.com/2009/04/19/the-beast-is-unleashed-again/ The Beast Is Unleashed AGAIN « Cavv-es

    [...] mais fotos e videos podem ser encontrados no site KINEDA. .gallery { margin: auto; } .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; [...]

  • http://krisjaime.blogdns.com/?p=131 Kris Jaime » Blog Archive » Daigo Wins World SFIV Title

    [...] Wong thrashed his American competition and emerged as a clear crowd favorite. According to Kineda: The journey to the top definitely wasn’t easy. Littered through the list of finalists were [...]

  • http://www.fullerbeans.com/daigo-wins-world-sfiv-title-street-fighter-iv Daigo Wins World SFIV Title [Street Fighter Iv] » FullerBeans

    [...] Wong thrashed his American competition and emerged as a clear crowd favorite. According to Kineda: The journey to the top definitely wasn’t easy. Littered through the list of finalists were [...]

  • Kriskof

    Oh man, that was a great show. I’m glad Justin Wong no longer turtle necks with Chun-Li like he did in Street Fighter 3rd Strike. He’s a great player, and it’s been even more amazing that he uses Rufus whose a hard character to use and beats down all those other top-tier players. Although he lost to the beast, it was still a great match to watch. Daigo is still definitely the beast even after all these years though.

  • http://www.stonethorn.com/zeitgeist/2009/04/19/justin-wong-wins-national-sfiv-tourney-daigo-remains-world-champ/ ZEITGEIST / Justin Wong wins national SFIV tourney, Daigo remains world champ

    [...] — he put up a good fight. Defeating all American contestants in a three-round, GameStop-sponsored Street Fighter IV tournament over the course of the past two months, the NY-based Street Fighter enthusiast can walk tall [...]

  • http://www.girlgamerblog.com/2009/04/19/justin-wong-wins-national-sfiv-tourney-daigo-remains-world-champ/ Justin Wong wins national SFIV tourney, Daigo remains world champ | GirlGamerBlog

    [...] he put up a good fight. Defeating all American contestants in a three-round, GameStop-sponsored Street Fighter IV tournament over the course of the past two months, the NY-based Street Fighter enthusiast can walk tall [...]

  • http://mlgnews.com/2009/04/19/justin-wong-wins-national-sfiv-tourney-daigo-remains-world-champ/ Justin Wong wins national SFIV tourney, Daigo remains world champ | MLG News

    [...] — he put up a good fight. Defeating all American contestants in a three-round, GameStop-sponsored Street Fighter IV tournament over the course of the past two months, the NY-based Street Fighter enthusiast can walk tall [...]

  • http://www.blahoogle.com/game/2009/04/justin-wong-wins-national-sfiv-tourney-daigo-remains-world-champ/ Blahoogle Game – The Quickest Way to Explore the World Video Game Everyday » Justin Wong wins national SFIV tourney, Daigo remains world champ

    [...] he put up a good fight. Defeating all American contestants in a three-round, GameStop-sponsored Street Fighter IV tournament over the course of the past two months, the NY-based Street Fighter enthusiast can walk tall [...]

  • http://www.games-journal.com/justin-wong-wins-national-sfiv-tourney-daigo-remains-world-champ.htm Justin Wong wins national SFIV tourney, Daigo remains world champ | Games Journal

    [...] — he put up a good fight. Defeating all American contestants in a three-round, GameStop-sponsored Street Fighter IV tournament over the course of the past two months, the NY-based Street Fighter enthusiast can walk tall [...]

  • http://gamerstouch.wordpress.com/2009/04/20/daigo-sfiv-world-warrior-champion/ Daigo, SFIV World (Warrior) Champion « Gamer’s Touch

    [...] Source and Picture:  Kineda.com [...]

  • http://www.vg247.com/2009/04/20/daigo-is-first-sfiv-world-champion/ VG247 » Blog Archive » Daigo is first SFIV world champion

    [...] Daigo’s been crowned the world’s first Street Fighter IV champion, as you can see from this Kineda report. [...]

  • dep

    Great writeup! Would it be possible to get the photos in Full Resolution?

  • http://www.hardwaremania.com/forum/yazilim/oyunlar/playstation/street-fighter-iv-9-82762.html#post1011572 Street Fighter IV – Sayfa 9 – hARDWAREMANIA fORUM

    [...] [...]

  • http://www.brainofjames.com/?p=94 Brain of James :: links for 2009-04-20

    [...] Justin Wong Wins SFIV National Tournament and Daigo Wins International Title » Kineda Level of competition on SFIV is incredibly high, but just watch Daigo come out and play his incredibly aggressive style. Props to Wong for using one of the new characters (Rufus). (tags: sfiv streetfighter tournament videos) [...]

  • http://extreme-gamer.info/?p=65 Extreme-Gamer Info » Justin Wong wins national SFIV tourney, Daigo remains world champ

    [...] he put up a good fight. Defeating all American contestants in a three-round, GameStop-sponsored Street Fighter IV tournament over the course of the past two months, the NY-based Street Fighter enthusiast can walk tall [...]

  • http://thegreyghost.net/2009/04/18/street-fighter-god-daigo-recieves-fansite/ Street Fighter God, Daigo Recieves Fansite | The Grey Ghost – [Method to Madness]

    [...] Daigo has just won the Street Fighter IV International [...]

  • http://akihabarablues.com/2009/04/20/el-reumatologo-me-aconsejo-no-jugar-a-sf-iv/ El reumatólogo me aconsejó no jugar a SF IV | Akihabara Blues

    [...] Y tras esta pequeña muestra del festival del humor, os dejo con unos cuantos vídeos de los campeonatos mundiales de SF IV, en el que Daigo se proclamó campeón internacional por un indiscutible 4-0. Tenéis el resto de vídeos del torneo en Kineda.com. [...]

  • http://www.flickr.com/photos/43173378N00/ jules

    Great coverage! I love the pics. Really captured the moment especially of Poongko and his sadness after losing to the other 3 competitors.

  • http://www.anaitgames.com/daigo-gana-el-torneo-internacional-de-street-fighter-iv/ Daigo gana el Torneo Internacional de Street Fighter IV

    [...] Mucha más información, con fotos, vídeos y de todo, aquí. [...]

  • http://www.ronin-ss.com/blog/2009/04/20/sfiv-national-tournament-internation-title/ RONIN/SS » Blog Archive » SFIV National Tournament & Internation Title

    [...] [via Kineda] [...]

  • http://pressthepsbutton.wordpress.com/2009/04/20/sf-iv-daigo-gana-el-torneo-mundial/ SF IV: Daigo gana el torneo mundial « Press The PS Button

    [...] Li, yo quiero ser como Daigo cuando sea grane, hehehe. Si quieren ver más fotos y videos metanse a Kineda, alli podran ver mas información y [...]

  • http://www.saltywet.net/2009/04/20/daigo-wins-international-sf-iv-title/ Bento Box » SF IV National Tournament

    [...] IV is beautiful in the hands of elite players. Justin Wong played an awesome Rufus and won the National Title. Daigo [...]

  • David

    J wong kinda acted like a sore loser when he lost pretty badly, who would thought a rufus player would go up against international players. In any case, I thought J wong could play a higher tier character, couldn’t handle Daigo aggressive play.

  • razi

    What’s the deal with Justin getting in Mike’s face like that? I understand trashtalking but that was disrespectful. NO CLASS AT ALL. I’m glad Daigo kicked hi ass!!!

  • http://gootecks.com/news/gamestop-street-fighter-4-coverage/ Gamestop Street Fighter 4 Coverage

    [...] Kineda has some great-looking photos of the event (including the one you see above) and also has videos of the finals (Justin Wong vs. Mike Ross), as well as the exhibition matches between Justin, Daigo, Iyo and Pungko.  Enjoy! [...]

  • http://ccsx.wordpress.com/2009/04/21/daigo-sfiv-world-champion/ 090421 – 日本神人級格鬥遊戲玩家梅原大吾，稱霸『STREET FIGHTER IV』世界錦標賽冠軍 « CCSX Makes ACG NEWS 支店

    [...] STREET FIGHTER IV International Tournament』不但再度面對生涯宿敵．美國冠軍Justin [...]

  • http://akihabarablues.com/2009/04/21/veni-vidi-hadoukened-camiseta-friki-street-fighter/ Veni, Vidi… Hadoukened!!!!! [Camiseta Friki Street Fighter] | Akihabara Blues

    [...] Wong, Campeón de los USA de SFIV, luciendo una camiseta que reinterpreta la famosa cita de Julio César [...]

  • http://www.reallycuteasians.net kirbybowl

    Great coverage! Nice matches too

  • http://www.nonstop24.info/blog/?p=1825 And the world’s first Street Fighter IV champion is… | Non Stop 24

    [...] Read through a great report on the events of the tournament, as well as a ton of pictures from the event, over here. [...]

  • http://www.eslaultima.com/campeonato-mundial-de-street-fighter-iv/ » Final del campeonato mundial de Street Fighter IV » Eslaultima

    [...] A continuación os ofrecemos un video con la pelea final entre estos dos sujetos en el que Justin Wong juega como Ruffus y Daigo como Ryu (toma clásico). Si también quereis ver algunas fotos del evento pincha AQUI. [...]

  • http://www.kineda.com/japan-street-fighter-iv-nationals-dvd/ Japan Street Fighter IV Nationals DVD » Kineda

    [...] Tired of watching low quality videos of the top Japanese Street Fighter players on YouTube? So are we. Releasing on April 30th is the official Toushi Saigeki Ken wo Moyase Street Fighter IV Zenkoku Taikai DVD (Japanese Street Fighter IV Nationals). The compilation will include over 128 matches and player interviews from the best like Iyo and Daigo “The Beast.” [...]

  • http://cabronias.wordpress.com/2009/05/06/ostias-como-panes/ Ostias como panes « Vete a zurrir mierdas con un látigo

    [...] enlace que os ofrezco es de la final internacional del Street Fighter IV.  Por lo visto el evento en [...]

  • http://www.kineda.com/justin-wong-narrowly-defeats-john-choi-at-devastation-2009/ Justin Wong Narrowly Defeats John Choi at Devastation 2009 » Kineda

    [...] Justin Wong wins another Street Fighter IV title. He narrowly defeated seasoned Street Fighter veteran John Choi at Devastation 2009 (arguably the 2nd largest SF tournament event trailing only behind EVO). Given that John is fairly new to the SFIV series and hasn’t played the game any near as long as Justin has, it was quite a testament to his overall skill level. [...]

  • http://galeriadepodcast.wordpress.com/2009/07/03/nl-news-episodio-34/ NL News: Episódio #34 « Galeria de Podcast

    [...] Torneios de Street Fighter4 (com vários videos!) [...]

  • http://playstation3.hclegend.com/?p=558 Attention Fighting Fans: Prove You’re the Best… Around! | hclegend.com

    [...] find the world’s top fighting game players, including US champions like Alex Valle, John Choi, Justin Wong, and the legendary Japanese champ Daigo Umehara, and everyone comes together with a shared sense of [...]

  • http://www.gamingaisle.com/attention-fighting-fans-prove-you%e2%80%99re-the-best%e2%80%a6-around/ Attention Fighting Fans: Prove You’re the Best… Around! | Gamingaisle

    [...] find the world’s top fighting game players, including US champions like Alex Valle, John Choi, Justin Wong, and the legendary Japanese champ Daigo Umehara, and everyone comes together with a shared sense of [...]

  • http://myfreetrials.net/blog/?p=1338 Attention Fighting Fans: Prove You’re the Best… Around! | My Free Trials Blog

    [...] find the world’s top fighting game players, including US champions like Alex Valle, John Choi, Justin Wong, and the legendary Japanese champ Daigo Umehara, and everyone comes together with a shared sense of [...]

  • http://gamewitz.net/index.php/general-xbox-ps3-computers/attention-fighting-fans-prove-you%e2%80%99re-the-best%e2%80%a6-around/ Attention Fighting Fans: Prove You’re the Best… Around! | GameWitz

    [...] find the world’s top fighting game players, including US champions like Alex Valle, John Choi, Justin Wong, and the legendary Japanese champ Daigo Umehara, and everyone comes together with a shared sense of [...]

  • http://www.kineda.com/daigo-wins-evo-2009-street-fighter-iv-championship-title-defeats-justin-wong/ Daigo Wins Evo 2009 Street Fighter IV Championship Title — Defeats Justin Wong » Kineda

    [...] win came during his infamous parry finish at Evo 2004. His second win was an easy victory at the 2009 Game Stop National Tournament Exhibitions Match a few months ago. This hard fought third win against Justin seals the fact that Daigo is truly the [...]

  • OpTicaL

    Justin is a sore loser. Fat ass needs to go on a diet and take a shower.

  • http://hadouken.tv/2009/04/gamestop-street-fighter-4-coverage/ Gamestop Street Fighter 4 Coverage | Hadouken.TV

    [...] Kineda has some great-looking photos of the event (including the one you see above) and also has videos of the finals (Justin Wong vs. Mike Ross), as well as the exhibition matches between Justin, Daigo, Iyo and Pungko.  Enjoy! [...]

  • Zerohits

    There will be a Street Fighter 4 Tournament.
    The First annual SF4 Tournament 12/05/2009
    Sponsored by
    GAMES N TRADE
    CYBER LIFE LOUNGE
    TROPICAL SMOOTHIE
    3841- I East Little Creek Rd,
    Norfolk,VA 23518
    757-588-2104
    http://www.gamesntrade.com

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/scir91 scir91onYouTube

    when i met justin in 1999 at chinatown fair arcade, he was just a kid trying to get better at beating eddie lee. this kid became the mvc2 god, heh. oh yeah, he was always nice and genuine. great person, and great talent!

  • http://ccsx.thx4jp.com/2009/04/21/daigo-sfiv-world-champion/ 090421 – 日本神人級格鬥遊戲玩家梅原大吾，稱霸『STREET FIGHTER IV』世界錦標賽冠軍 – CCSX Makes ACG NEWS 支店 ver.2

    [...] STREET FIGHTER IV International Tournament』不但再度面對生涯宿敵－－美國冠軍Justin [...]

  • http://vanillacitrus.com/2011/11/daigo-umehara-talks-to-brazil-3/ Daigo Umehara Talks to Brazil « Fan Art « Vanilla Citrus

    [...] was so surprised when I first made it to San Francisco for a SFIV event in 2009, more than 1000 people who gathered there cheered for me with such enthusiasm and energy. They [...]

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