Well then, that's news to me.
To defend the integrity of the Midwest Smash 4 scene, I'd like to take this opportunity to inform many of you who these "relative unknowns" are that ESPN alludes to.
Zinoto: Unarguably the best player in the Midwest, Julian "Zinoto" Carrington hails from Michigan and mains Diddy Kong. He's coming off an impressive string of recent tournament wins at Landlocked, Midwest Mayhem 2, Rebirth VII and Deluge, taking tournament sets off of 2GG|Void, Tyroy, Vinnie, Mew2King, and double-eliminating Dabuz earlier this year. This man is as hot as they come, and he's the most likely "relative unknown" to win the entire tournament [ed: The ESPN article in question was edited to include Zinoto as a player to watch out for].
E2C|Tyroy: Tyler "Tyroy" Awdisho, the #1 PR player in Chicago, was at the forefront of the pre-patch Bayonetta meta, making a name for himself by taking sets off of Abadango, Mr. R, Hyuga and MVD, as well as ruling over the Chicago smash scene with an iron fist. Patch 1.1.6 nerfed his main severely, but he's already showing promising results at Chicago locals with his previous mains, Sheik and Meta Knight, as well as earning wins with Cloud and post-patch Bayonetta. Be on the lookout for Tyroy, for he's hungry to prove that he's a forced to be reckoned with even in this new metagame.
UR|Ned: One of the fastest up-and-coming players in Smash 4 as a whole, Nick "Ned" Dovel took the Chicago Smash 4 scene by storm when he started entering tournaments late last year, earning himself a #2 PR placement in the most recent season. Originally a Zero Suit Samus main, patch changes have forced Ned to adapt to where he now mains Cloud, with a cast of secondaries at his disposal as necessary. With tournament set wins over Zinoto, Ally, Tyroy, Ksev and more, you do not want to sleep on this kid.
GGA.JJROCKETS: Benjamin "JJROCKETS" Rowe has been a steadfast presence in the Chicago Smash 4 scene since its inception. A Brawl veteran, and a Diddy Kong main in both games, his skills transferred quickly to Smash 4 and the results followed. Although he placed #7 on our last PR update, his recent results speak volumes, with set wins over MJG, 2GG|Void, Rich Brown, Tyroy and many more over the past month and a half. JJ may be riding the hottest hand in Chicago Smash 4 going into Combo Breaker, and he's looking to silence his doubters this weekend.
Ksev: Nate "Ksev" Daniel is coming off an impressive finish at GOML 2016, where he only lost to Nairo and Mr. R to finish in 9th place. One of the most underrated Fox mains in the US, Ksev is known for his tricky ledge game, with some of the strongest ledge pressure in the Midwest. Ksev regularly finishes very strongly at our Midwest regionals and is looking to build on the success he found across the border at GOML.
VexX|Day: Somehow forgetting the other Florida player in their article, Jeremy "Day" Facey is perhaps the strongest Lucario player in the US. He is fresh off a big tournament win at EagleLAN in Florida, double-eliminating Heero (the artist formerly known as StaticManny) in the process. Day is looking to make his return to Chicago one to remember as he faces a scene that has leveled up considerably since his showing at the first Combo Breaker.
GGA.NiTe, Dan & Demitus: These three complete the "Elite Four" of Chicago Smash 4 players sponsored by local tournament institution Galloping Ghost Arcade. John "NiTe" Chan is a Rosalina main who has many top tournament finishes on his resume, the most recent of which being a 3rd place at Deluge (where he knocked a pre-patch Tyroy into losers). Dan "Dan" Pasqua is a fundamentally sound Mario player who, when teaming with NiTe, forms one of the strongest doubles teams in the Midwest. Christopher "Demitus" Manzo, having undergone a severe character crisis when Meta Knight was nerfed, seems to have come out of it with a strong Mewtwo, getting 7th place at a stacked Deluge tournament with the character.
There are many more storylines I could expand upon about the entrants here at Combo Breaker, but I hope this brief article was a nice glance into the highest level of Midwest Smash 4. These are only some of the "Relative Unknowns" you will see in attendance, and more than likely, taking names this weekend. The Midwest has transformed into a heaven for high-level Smash 4 players, and we are all excited to have our chance in the big spotlight at Combo Breaker.
If there's anyone I've left out who you think may leave a big impact at Combo Breaker, be sure to sound off in the comment section! Help us educate the greater Smash 4 scene about the strength of the Midwest :)
There are many more storylines I could expand upon about the entrants here at Combo Breaker, but I hope this brief article was a nice glance into the highest level of Midwest Smash 4. These are only some of the "Relative Unknowns" you will see in attendance, and more than likely, taking names this weekend. The Midwest has transformed into a heaven for high-level Smash 4 players, and we are all excited to have our chance in the big spotlight at Combo Breaker.
If there's anyone I've left out who you think may leave a big impact at Combo Breaker, be sure to sound off in the comment section! Help us educate the greater Smash 4 scene about the strength of the Midwest :)
