Originally posted at https://www.echofox.gg/news/tokido-returns-to-the-top-in-tokyo-game-show-win
Ever since EVO ended last month, Hajime “Tokido” Taniguchi had a tough time finding consistent success. In the current weather of rising Street Fighter stars, players like Sim “NL” Gun, Cristopher “Caba” Rodriguez, and EVO champion Benjamin “Problem X” Simon are taking over the scene. In the last two events Tokido attended, he did not finish in the top eight. Knowing his constant top-eight finishes in prior events, recent showings were uncharacteristic for Tokido. Going into the event, Tokido sat in third in the Capcom Cup standings. Calm, cool, and collected, Tokido went into the battlefield with one thing in mind — win Tokyo Game Show.
The odds were stacked against Tokido last weekend. The competition was fierce with Keita “Fuudo” Ai, Naoki “Nemo” Nemoto, and Du “NuckleDu” Dang attending Tokyo Game Show as well. The competition did not intimidate Tokido in the slightest way. He held his confidence high and had the run of his life.
Tokido qualified in the loser’s bracket in the top eight after a loss to Atlas Bear’s Kubo “stormKUBO” Arashi. After that loss, a spark ran through Tokido, igniting him to perform at a level he has not been in a while. Whether it would be interpreted as desperation or leveling up, Tokido
undoubtedly showed the FGC he was still the best in the world. His first opponent in the top eight, Kensuke “Trashbox” Ishikawa, was the first to feel Tokido’s wrath and fell 3-1. Afterward, he defeated UYU’s Oil King (3-2) in a nail-biting set, Ghost Gaming’s NuckleDu (3-1), then Team Liquid’s Nemo in the loser’s finals 3-1.
For the first time since EVO, Tokido earned a spot in the grand finals in a tournament. Tokyo Game Show being a premier event in the Capcom Pro Tour meant a championship win is a bigger deal for all players involved. In the grand finals, he faced Cygames Beast Fuudo. Tokido performed in prime condition throughout the grand finals. He reset the bracket with a quick 3-0 sweep, then swept Fuudo a second time to win the championship. Tokido played at such a high level during the grand finals that Fuudo never even won a round.
A win at Tokyo Game Show earned Tokido 700 points towards the Capcom Pro Tour and a hefty paycheck of five million yen (over $44,000), the largest prize pool outside Capcom Cup. The win also put Tokido back on top of the Capcom Cup standings with a total of 3,191 points. As the Capcom Cup grows closer, Tokido’s confidence grows bigger, in hopes of getting back to the main event this year. Keep in touch as Tokido and the rest of Echo Fox looks to continue their dominance in the FGC. Watch Tokido’s amazing run in our Tokyo Game Show highlights.
