East Coast Throwdown, a fighting game tournament held in Stamford, CT, from Oct. 20 through Oct.22. With 1,000 entrants for a variety of fighting games such as Street Fighter 6, Guilty Gear Strive, Tekken 7, Dragon Ball FighterZ, and Mortal Kombat 1 and more.
Mortal Kombat 1, the newest fighting game released on Sept. 19 was one of the titles with the most entrants, almost 300 exactly. With big names such as Dominique “SonicFox” McLean, Andrew “Semiji” Fontanez, Jarrad “Ninjakilla” Gooden, Brad “Scar” Vaughn, and more.
Perhaps the most notable player, SonicFox, was there competing amongst other great players. However, many fans (and not so supportive) viewers were watching to see how SonicFox would do with a new Mortal Kombat game.
SonicFox is highly regarded as one of the best Mortal Kombat players, and one of the overall greatest fighting game players of all time.
Top 8: Winners Semi-Final
For the first match of Top 8, it was SonicFox vs. Curtis “Rewind” McCall. Rain vs Reiko. SonicFox used Rains’ projectiles and long-range combo strings, while using a Cyrax Kameo, making some moves safe to go two games up against Rewind.
In a close game 3, Rewind was able to get a combo started off a low hit but unfortunately was not enough to finish off SonicFox’s health bar but would punish the delayed get-up with a long hitbox to seal out game 3.
Game 4 was more or less the same, on a last-round situation, just when it looked like Rewind was making a comeback, dealing a major 522 damage combination, which involved the fatal blow, the super move each character has in the game. SonixFox would punish Rewinds’ zoning with his own fatal blow, armoring through the projectiles, and sealing out game 4 and the set. SonicFox would move on to Winners Finals.
Winners Finals: An Old Rivalry
Ninjakilla would beat Daniel “TheMightyUnjust” Taibot in the Winners Semi-Finals to face SonicFox in the Winners Finals. With Ninjakilla playing Raiden for the majority of the tournament, he decides to lock in Johnny Cage, a character that is considered one of the best, if not the best character in the game. With SonicFox sticking the Rain throughout the set.
Game 1 and 2
In a dominating fashion, SonicFox let off all his combinations, punished his opponent, and quickly took care of Ninjakilla’s Johnny Cage, forcing his first loss in his tournament run and getting him to switch back to Raiden for game 2.
However, it did not matter, it seemed like SonicFox was ready for anything to be thrown their way as SonicFox chipped, feinted, and punished Ninjakilla to go up two games in the set. Down two games Ninjakilla needed to make changes in order to beat his opponent.
Game 3
Game 3, SonicFox was feeling it. SonicFox even got a little cheeky taunt in. However, Ninjakilla would not take the disrespect as he got an incredible 518 damage combo to take a round in game 3. And started to even push SonicFox back, as he would get a huge lead in the last round, getting a corner combo that would leave him ahead about 700 health.
SonicFox quickly answered back with two combinations of their own to bring the 700 health deficit to a mere 200 health difference, while Ninjakilla was still ahead, SonicFox had Rains’ fatal blow, which if landed, would close out game 3, and the set.
The crowd and commentators started screaming as both players were dashing in and out trying to land a hit. This would have SonicFox move onto Grand Finals, or keep Ninjakillas’ winners tournament run alive.
Ninjakilla would land chip damage with one of Raiden’s special moves plus Cyrax Kameo to chip away SonicFox’s health and barely clutch out game 3.
Game 4
In order for Ninjakilla to advance he would have to win these next two games over SonicFox to complete a reverse sweep. SonicFox would just need one. Both competitors went back and forth with damage but just as Ninjakilla was going to secure the round, SonicFox punished the delayed get-up with a long-lasting overhead attack that combined into the fatal blow for an extremely close round win for SonicFox.
Despite losing a close round, Ninjakilla did not let it phase him. He answered right back with a round win of his own, slowly adapting and getting more than he did in the first two games. However SonicFox’s rain was too difficult to deal with, between the mix-ups and zoning, SonicFox would punish a whiffed fatal blow to secure a brutality and set win, locking their seat in the Grand Finals.
Grand Finals: The Rematch vs. Ninjakilla
Despite being sent to the losers bracket by SonicFox, Ninjakilla had one more chance to win in the Losers Finals and lock his seat in the Grand Finals against SonicFox and to win it all.
The set began between old rivals, fierce players, as SonicFox was eager to win their first Mortal Kombat 1 tournament. The last Mortal Kombat tournament these two competed at was at EVO 2023 with Mortal Kombat 11. Ninjakilla came in first place and SonicFox was eliminated very early on. Now, Ninjakilla can claim two Mortal Kombat tournament victories, or SonicFox can make up for their performance at EVO.
Game 1 and 2
Started off great for Ninjakilla, a different display than the last set they played. Ninjakilla kept great corner pressure against SonicFox not giving them the room to counterplay. He kept up an incredible advantage state to seal out those first two games. Leaving only one game left for Ninjakilla to reset the bracket and force a true and final set.
However, SonicFox has made reverse sweep comebacks before, and with how many times they’ve done it. Players and viewers should know better than to count SonicFox out. SonicFox made every conversion count, racking up as much damage as possible to get ahead. Leaving the zoning method to a brawling tactic, which kept Ninjakilla in constant disadvantage. Locking in game 3 and 4 leaving the set a 2-2.
Game 5
It was no different, starting off incredibly aggressive with grabs and Cyrax Kameo conversions, SonicFox’s Rain was eager to go, both competitors traded combo for combo and became very low health, any conversion would have taken it, as both players did not have enough meter to perform a combo breaker.
Although SonicFox took that first round in game 5, Ninjakilla went right back to the strategy that gave him those two first games in the set, keeping his opponent in a corner, racking major damage. But an unfortunate combo dropl left Ninjakilla vulnerable and allowed SonicFox to deal his own combo, almost leveling it.
Both players brough each other to under 30 percent health, but a grab and Cyrax combination left Ninjakilla at practically one percent health, and a low anti-air was all SonicFox needed to close out the set and win the first Mortal Kombat 1 Pro Kompetition, celebrated in classic FGC style; a huge popoff.
With a tournament win, not losing a single set, using Rain, a character considered to be bad or just alright compared to other fighters. SonicFox went a perfect 9-0, winning a $10,000 prize, while showing that they have what it takes to sit at the top of the Mortal Kombat 1 throne.
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