Glutonny finally prevails in North America!
Europe's best Smasher has finally conquered the an overseas event. William "Glutonny" Belaïd captured his first tournament victory in North America this past weekend at the Pound 2022 Smash Ultimate Singles event. The French Wario main defeated Leonardo Lopez "MkLeo" Perez in a grueling ten-game set that went down to the absolute wire.
Though he has won many tournaments across the EU, Glutonny has coveted an international major since he started playing in Brawl. At last he has now achieved the only the feat that has long eluded him. He becomes the first European player to win a North American major in any Smash game outside Melee. It is the peak moment of a legendary career that spans more than a decade in the competitive scene.
Glutonny Shines at Pound 2022
The one they call "Gluto" overcame one of the tournament's toughest paths to Top 8. He defeated the likes of John Numbers, Axiom XL, Sonix, and Dabuz without losing a match all weekend. In Sunday's Winners Semi-Finals, Glutonny found himself facing the world's consensus #1 player, MkLeo.
The match up was a runback of the Grand Final from Genesis 8 just a week earlier. Glutonny was routed 0-3 in that set, but flipped the script at Pound. He took the set 3-1 to advance to the Winners Final against Paris "Light" Ramirez. Glutonny jumped out to a commanding 2-0 lead, but Light rallied to force a final game.
The world's best Fox player with momentum is a scary sight for anyone, and Gluto quickly found himself down a full stock about to be sent to Losers. However, the Frenchman had other plans in mind. He persevered through several moments of near defeat to fend off Light and punch his ticket into the Grand Final.
Third Set's the Charm
After commanding wins over Riddles and Light in the Losers bracket, MkLeo earned his way back into the Grand Final. Though he was in the driver's seat sitting on Winners Side, Gluto still needed a second victory over Leo to win the tournament. The Smash virtuoso from Mexico appeared displeased fighting from Losers so he quickly rid himself of that disadvantage. MkLeo wasted no time resetting the bracket with a swift 3-1 defeat of Glutonny in the first set.
Leo's hot streak continued into the next set and he found himself up 2-1 just one game away from winning the tournament. Momentum was not in Glutonny's favor, but champions display resiliency in the toughest of moments. Wielding the power of Wario's signature "waft" move, Glutonny played out of his mind to win the next two games and take the set 3-2. He was instantly overwhelmed with emotion after finally earning the win he had always searched for. Though he had just tasted defeat, MkLeo congratulated his friend as they embraced following the set.
The entire Smash community knew that the victory meant a great deal to Glutonny. Players, casters, and fans throughout sent out their praises and congratulatory messages. Furthermore, the victory has many bringing up Glutonny's name in conversations regarding best player in the world. Look for him to be hungrier than ever for more trophies as the Smash World Tour continues.
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