Most avid gamers know the story of Evo Moment 37. The game was Street Fighter 3: Third Strike, the year was 2004, and BST|Daigo “The Beast” Umehara pulled off the greatest comeback in fighting game history with a conspicuous display of skill, preparedness, and execution under immense pressure.
In their latest “The Matches That Made Me” entry, EvoFGC sits down with Daigo as he recounts the five most important bouts of his career. Moment 37 is understandably the first he brings up, but he shares a bit of background information that raises the stakes even higher: he was planning to quit fighting games after that tournament.
“My state of mind at the time” he starts, “was, I thought to quit playing fighting games after that that year’s Evo. I entered that tournament with the intent of it being my last,” reveals Daigo.
Moment 37 is already the kind of thing one might expect to see in a movie or a dramatic narrative, but this extra bit of information makes it all the more so. Where everyone naturally sees Moment 37 Daigo as one of the greatest competitors of all time hitting the hottest part of his ascent, Daigo was experiencing it as a bookend to a chapter.
He doesn’t share why, exactly, but evidently a career in professional fighting games was not on The Beast’s mind at the time. He was not concerned with making sure sponsors would be looking his way and people would be remembering his name, but was instead hoping simply not to leave anything on the table in his final event.
“So during that match I felt I’m in an unfavorable situation, but whatever happens, I want to make this a match to remember,” he continues. “Those were my emotions back then, and I think those emotions were reflected in how I played, and they were a big part of what made that comeback happen.”
He goes on to offer a few more particulars about preparing for the Evo 2004 tournament, and then goes on to detail four more incredible bouts from his storied fighting game career. Check it all out via the video below and share your reactions in the comments.
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