The Super Smash Bros. Melee tournament at Pound 2019 went as planned for a while, but then it got weird.
The expected part was Juan “Hungrybox” DeBiedma adding to his legacy as possibly the greatest Smash player of all time by carving his way through the losers bracket and taking first place with a win over Joseph “Mango” Marquez. The weird part came immediately after, when the Team Liquid ace was pelted by a crab thrown by a spectator.
Video of the incident was quickly clipped and spread across social media:
After shaking hands with Mango, Hungrybox can be seen recoiling while in his chair. He then reaches to the ground, picks up a crab and turns to the crowd. He can be heard shouting “Hey, who fucking threw this?” and continues yelling after the person who threw it was identified.
Pound organizer Michael “Nintendude” Brancato discussed the incident on
Twitter
saying the person who threw the crab had been caught. After the event’s conclusion, Hungrybox took to
Twitter
to apologize for his bombastic reaction.
“Sorry for losing my temper. Someone threw a fucking raw crab at me. After a 5 set losers run. Barely missed my head,” Hungrybox said. “What the fuck man? Anyway GGs, no clue how I won that.”
Why Do People Hate Hungrybox?
Hungrybox is among the most accomplished fighting game players of all time and arguably stands as the greatest talent ever in Smash Bros. He has been at the center of numerous major moments in the game, including his 2015 showmatch with Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime and his dramatic victory over Adam “Armada” Lindgren at Evo 2016.
Despite this, he has long garnered mixed reactions from the community.
His maining Jigglypuff was considered gimmicky by many during his initial rise. Some also panned his patient approach to the character, which was labeled as boring by detractors.
Some also took issue with his emotional post-game reactions. He has an extensive in-game highlight reel, but there are just as many clips of him leaving defeated opponents sitting awkwardly in their chairs as he drops to his knees in tears or runs into the crowd.
There have also been a few competitive controversies surrounding him over the years. Most of these are innocuous, like gripes over him standing during play instead of sitting. The most serious came at Evo 2017 when he came under fire for getting coached between games in the semifinals. Per the tournament’s rules, coaching during a series is not allowed after advancing out of pools.
Regardless, most of the complaints about Hungrybox have played out over social media. This is the first time that he has come under direct fire by crab during an event.
Hungrybox was uninjured during the incident and the culprit was quickly brought to justice. The crab did not survive.
Steven Rondina
About Steven Rondina
Steven Rondina is a true lifelong gamer. His earliest memories are of playing video games, and he has continued playing them throughout his life with no plans to stop any time soon. Steven’s favorite franchises in gaming include Pokemon, Dark Souls, and Counter-Strike. He has previously published with Bleacher Report and other gaming outlets.
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