MenaRD Wins Back-to-Back EVO Japan Street Fighter 6 Titles
|
|
- Saul Leonardo “MenaRD” won the Street Fighter 6 bracket of EVO Japan 2025, making him the back-to-back champion of the tournament.
- He fought a Japanese Ken main in the Grand Final, called Ryukichi.
- MenaRD is also a two-time Capcom Cup champion.
Saul Leonardo “MenaRD” Mena II bagged his second EVO trophy and became a back-to-back EVO Japan champion on May 11, 2025. He beat Ryukichi, a Japanese Ken player, in the Grand Final with his signature pick, Blanka.
MenaRD played stellar in this tournament. He landed an air throw against Japanese player Akira, which caused casters Sherry “Sherryjenix” Nhan, Justin Wong, and Luis “Rynge” Avila to scream in disbelief due to the unorthodox option he picked. Rynge even mentioned that MenaRD is winning Evo because of this, which eventually happened.
His Grand Final opponent, Ryukichi, almost beat him in the Winner’s Final. MenaRD first used Zangief against him, but after losing two straight games, he switched to Blanka and finished the set 3-2. This loss sent Ryukichi to the Loser’s Final, where he fought Kobayan, another Zangief main.
Kakeru, the Capcom Cup XI winner, was nowhere to be found in the top 8 of EVO Japan 2025. He exited the tournament in 25th place, getting eliminated by another prominent player from the Dominican Republic, Christopher “Caba” Rodriguez.
Aside from his two EVO trophies, MenaRD is also a two-time Capcom Cup champion. He won Capcom Cup 2017 and Capcom Cup IX, making him the first competitor to win the tournament two times. His win at EVO Japan 2025 qualifies him for Capcom Cup 12 and EWC 2025.
