Punk Channels Super Turbo Sagat in Street Fighter V!
By Jeff Kotuby ·
The King himself, Sagat, has finally come to Street Fighter V, and one former champ has the FGC having flashbacks to Super Turbo. Check out Punk's Sagat lock down an opposing Ryu (and have a little fun along the way!)
About this time last year, Victor “FOX|Punk” Woodley was coming off a second-place finish at Evo 2017. Since then, the ELEAGUE champ has trying to navigate the competitive Street Fighter V landscape and reclaim his spot at the top. Fortunes may suddenly be turning around for Punk, if this clip of his Sagat in action is any indication.
Punk traps the opposing Ryu in the corner and begins the Tiger Shot barrage. Sagat’s effective zoning tools allow him to lock his opponents down and punish ill-timed jumps and movements with his Tiger Uppercut. Punk plays this exchange perfectly, completely stumping his opponent and sealing the match. Woodley, in trademark fashion, jokes that this area is the "sweet spot" that Sagat players want their opponents to be in order to lock them down completely.
It’s no doubt a little refreshing for FGC veterans to see Sagat’s trademark playstyle still hold up in Street Fighter V. For those of us who have been around a while, Sagat has always seemed to be a thorn in our sides, no matter what Street Fighter title we were playing. His Tiger Shots were always among the best projectiles in the game, his long limbs allowed him to hit opponents from impossible ranges, and his vertical and lateral movements using his Tiger Uppercuts and Tiger Knees, respectively, make him a well-designed and deadly character in the right hands. Watch here as FGC legend John Choi dismantles Kuni, one of the top Japanese ST Zangief players with his O. Sagat:
Even though some of us are gritting our teeth knowing that Sagat could potentially be back, it has to be a bit refreshing to see the King reclaim his throne. With so much change in the world today, sometimes it’s nice to have a throwback to simpler times - when Sagat was on top. For more Street Fighter V coverage, check out our sitdown with the legend himself, CYG|BST Daigo Umehara!