A battle between two Street Fighter titans turned into a potential match of the year candidate this past weekend at The MixUp 2019. Victor "REC|Punk" Woodley and CYG BST Daigo Umehara battled in a thrilling set that came down to the final possible round. Umehara played all the hits throughout the set and the tournament, dishing out Umeshoryus (or Umesaults in this case?) and full-screen walks into throws. But in the end, it was Punk who emerged victorious, defeating the legend with a well-timed shoulder charge. Afterwards, Punk confirmed that he didn't take his competition lightly:
Don’t know how I did it but somehow came back and won daigo so scary
— Punk (@PunkDaGod) April 21, 2019
Punk's body language after his win over Umehara seemed to reiterate this feeling - a sense of joy, but relief more than anything. Obviously, going head-to-head with an all-time great would be stressful for anyone. But it wasn't too much for a young man who seems to be on his way to legend status, especially if he follows up with another strong showing at Capcom Cup 2019. With his victory this past weekend, Punk is now the top-rated Street Fighter V player in the Capcom Cup standings and, with a victory at Final Round 2019 this past March, finds himself as one of the favorites to win the 2019 contest. A potential rematch might also be in the works, as Daigo currently sits fourth in the standings behind Punk, Tokido, and ProblemX.
congratulations @PunkDaGod ,so hype!!! pic.twitter.com/tnPWSnuDsp
— UYU | Oil King ????? (@LeevyLin) April 21, 2019
The next stop on the Capcom Pro Tour is Northwest Majors in Seattle, Washington. Who will capture important CPT ranking points and try to punch their ticket to Capcom Cup 2019? Guess we'll have to wait and see. For more on a match that might not be as skilled, but definitely as entertaining, check out how to watch the Super Saiyan Showdown II between Chris Sabat and Sean Schimmel!
