Bounties, counter-picks, and a gauntlet of capable opponents continue to mean little as Gonzalo “ZeRo” Barrios took home yet another title today in Las Vegas, sweeping Evo in familiar fashion.
Clad in his trademark scarf and a gold-starred red shirt (an homage to his favorite character, Diddy Kong), Barrios wasted little time handling rival Nairoby “Nairo” Quezada and Japanese import “Abadango” before crushing Ramin “Mr. R” Delshad’s hopes at ending his historic run in the grand final.
Despite numerous campaigns to unseat Smash for WiiU’s greatest player, the crowd seemed to delight in his continued dominance. Thousands even chanted “hoo-ha” in unison as Barrios effortlessly piloted the much-maligned Diddy Kong to a 3-0 victory.
The only storyline that rivaled the Chilean’s ever-filling trophy case was a relative unknown in Japan’s Abadango. The smiling import sent Pikachu powerhouse Eric “ESAM” Lew to the loser’s bracket with innovative and stifling Pac-Man play. The upstart then threatened to disrupt the top eight pecking order even further with a series of Wario performances to remember.
Delshad offered Barrios’s stiffest opposition yet, and looked the part of potential champion after reverse-sweeping Quezada in the loser’s bracket final. But even his tight combos, consistent assault, and incisive speed couldn’t match the wrath of Kong.
For now, all eyes remain on Barrios as yet another trophy is inscribed with his name. As fans continue to delight in the veteran’s master craft, the only question is when his incredible run will come to an end.
Correction July 18, 8pm CT: The original headline for this article included a factual inaccuracy. We apologize for the error.
