'Kumite in Tennesse 2022' felt like a classic Dead or Alive offline tournament where the quality of matches stood out beyond anything else, but the talent, improvement of existing talent, standout new players and a grand finale that tells a story between two of the best fighters to ever play the game intensified everything. Viewership on Twitch was reassuring to people that thought DOA was completely dead in the water, engagement was certainly there in the chat and the general consensus of this tournament from the community seemed to be extremely positive. This is a great change in comparison to performances and viewership of DOA6 last year and will hopefully remain a constant as we move forward with 'Frosty Faustings' and other tournaments next year.
For a while now there has been some hype circulating over what Sub Boy could do with DOA6 at an offline event, and KIT was a great platform for him to show to the world what he can do with his characters. Sub Boy took an early loss to Memphis Legends, and if he continued to use his dangerous Kokoro against Memphis Legends' studious Mila, he may have won. This loss turned out to be exactly what Sub Boy needed to light a fire in the fighter as he completely changes his tune and makes a big tournament comeback.
Hoodless vs MCD
Hoodless slayed MCD's Jann Lee and a lot of people were caught off guard by this because MCD was indeed a favorite to possibly win KIT. So, it wasn't shocking that Hoodless won because he's insanely talented, but it was shocking that the win was very dominant. If you were to compare this set to a professional wrestling match; Brock Lesnar vs. Ricochet would definitely be a consideration.
Killsumi vs Max Ninja
Killsumi also went on a rampage with some of his opponents and he had a strong performance at KIT 2022 and looks to be a big upcoming player in the community. He had a set with Max Ninja where Max Ninja clearly knew what he was doing and knew the fundamentals and had great blocks and had great holds; but Killsumi just had his number pointblank for the win at this tournament. Even if Killsumi took a loss to Killy he made a name for himself at this tournament with a solid fighting performance.
Fury Fighter vs Uncle Viz
Uncle Viz was delivering some really powerful commentary (especially with his Rachel plug) and since he was watching such dominant performances he wanted to come in like a wrecking ball against his opponents; Fury Fire & Nyo-Tengu. This is a fun matchup and Fury Fire showed some serious attitude in the first fight but was ultimately downloaded by Uncle Viz for the remainder of the set with Rachel.
Hoodless vs Killy is always a nail-biting banger, and they did not disappoint with this set. Killy started things off with his side-pocket Rachel and he was definitely cautious of Rig's jabs & the unforgiving setups of Hoodless. Rig also played a very safe game, but his game was just a little bit slower than Killy's decision making barely giving the first game in the set to Killy.
They are both so evenly matched mentally that sometimes the fight really can come down to who stands firm on a hold and can execute the hold at the perfect time. Game 2 of this set seemed to favor Rig because Hoodless is SO good at getting consecutive whiff punishes in a row; perhaps even better than what Master can do with Hayabusa's 6T. The big difference between Hoodless and Killy in this fight is that Killy wants the HC throw, and Hoodless doesn't give a shit if it is HC or not because it's going to reset the gameplay in his favor each time he punishes whereas Killy's punishment will result in a damaging throw combo.
Even with all of this applied, and even with some truly expert zoning techniques, Killy made a comeback in game 2 and when Killy gets damage, he wants 35-50% at a time if he can so there aren't as many exchanges as possible. Killy made sure he got the damage he needed with each exchange, and he was extremely relaxed and attentive. This is what won him the second game and the third and final game of this set.
Going off of body language you can definitely tell that Hoodless is pissed to an extent and the psychological mind game is starting to come into play. Killy is a very rare competitor that can actually get into the head of the Dead or Alive 6 World Champion. There is a difference between telling a fighter to adapt and actually being a fighter that can do it well, and Killy can adapt better than probably anyone else in DOA and that includes: Rikuto, Lopedo, XcaliburBladeZ, Kwiggle and Sweet Revenge.
Game 1 of Hoodless vs Killsumi was a very patient and guarded game between both players. Hoodless took a break from Rig and selected Zack to up Kasumi in this fight, and despite perfect stance transitions and environment breaks, Hoodless had his hands full with this Kasumi who was patiently waiting for Zack to make mistakes and slip ups in his strings and holds. This patient strategy helped Killsumi take the first game on the champ!
Killsumi continues to apply pressure in game 2 of the set with his cautious, but dangerous Kasumi. This game is closer and more intense than the first because Hoodless adjusts his pressure game with Zack, and it pays off short term, but the zoning of this game changes the outcome as it becomes clear that patience will pay off for Killsumi if he waits long enough for a few throw punishes and holds on Zack's easier to reverse and less safe move set.
Hoodless decides that it's time to take the gloves off and go with his Rig main for game three at the electric wall and floored lab. We see Rig throwing Kasumi into the wall hard several times and topping his damage off with electric wall combos. Round 2 he continues to use the electric environment to get an edge of damage on his mix-ups and grabs. Round 3 he quickly destroys Kasumi off of electric bounce combos on the floor.
Game 4 starts, and we begin to see Hoodless dominate with Rig on the ashy streets quickly pummeling Kasumi into submission for round 1. Swerved, Killsumi changes up his gameplay by backing up and zoning, but Hoodless is not giving Kasumi the same opportunities or room to breathe with Rig that he was allowing with Zack and beats Killsumi at his own game for round 2 with less than 2 seconds on the clock. Hoodless completes the fourth game with some fatal stun combos that get through with damage but aren't completed in the scuffle.
During the last game we see Killsumi charging hard with Kasumi and his break holds are executed at the right time and his combos are coming through and overwhelming Hoodless in round 1. With round 2 Hoodless slows down the pace of the match and pokes at Kasumi until he gets a stun that can continue respectable combo damage. Round 3 was VERY close and they threw everything they had at each other here, and round 4 resulted in a more dominant push from Rig giving Hoodless the set win.
Hoodless has a lot of work to do just to get a reset against Killy and he knows it as he rubs his head watching the DOA6 trophy being delivered to the center fold of the KIT stage at the commentary table. Killy likes to keep his opponents guessing with his wide range of blonde female fighters and he selects Helena as his opening act and maybe even his encore for Rig in the grand finals.
Helena gets a quick round at the start of the fight and Rig responds in round 2 with a wave of furious mix-ups and kicks that overwhelm the owner of DOATEC. Rig continues the assault on Helena with four small crowd environment combos to win round 3. The offense continues sharply in round 4 and Hoodless wins a convincing first game.
Rig and Helena are ready to go right into their next bout at the 'Crash' stage and Hoodless decides to keep his pressure game high in the early stages of this fight, but Killy recaptures his cool and interrupts Rigs strikes, ducks the highs and slowly pokes at his health until Killy captures round 1. Killy makes a few mistakes completing his bounce combos in round 2 and Hoodless properly takes advantage of that factor. Killy calms down and adjusts in round 3 by shortening his combos into close hit damage. After winning round 3 Killy is completely calm at this point and uses the same strategy to win the last round and game 2.
Killy appears to have Hoodless downloaded, but he's still exuding caution in game 3. He blunders a few of his bounce combos again, but his stance changing, and zoning is so masterfully applied he quickly takes game 3 from Hoodless & Rig.
Once Killy goes into overdrive and starts destroying a match his gameplay is very disrespectful and he doesn't allow for anything. He has a streak on Hoodless and while Hoodless is a great sport and learns from his losses; Killy continues to be the thorn in his side. The only guy that could be living in the DOA6 world champion's head rent free.
This rivalry continues to tell a very interesting story in our community, and I personally can't wait to see their next offline set! Congratulations to Killy for winning KIT 2022! Watch the complete stream hosted by NYCFURBY on Twitch: Part 1 & Part 2. Also feel free to peruse the complete standings at KIT's start.gg! See you next time!
Winner & Loser Bracket Highlights
Memphis Legends vs Sub Boy
Memphis Legends vs Sub Boy For a while now there has been some hype circulating over what Sub Boy could do with DOA6 at an offline event, and KIT was a great platform for him to show to the world what he can do with his characters. Sub Boy took an early loss to Memphis Legends, and if he continued to use his dangerous Kokoro against Memphis Legends' studious Mila, he may have won. This loss turned out to be exactly what Sub Boy needed to light a fire in the fighter as he completely changes his tune and makes a big tournament comeback.
Hoodless vs MCD Hoodless slayed MCD's Jann Lee and a lot of people were caught off guard by this because MCD was indeed a favorite to possibly win KIT. So, it wasn't shocking that Hoodless won because he's insanely talented, but it was shocking that the win was very dominant. If you were to compare this set to a professional wrestling match; Brock Lesnar vs. Ricochet would definitely be a consideration.
Killsumi vs Max Ninja Killsumi also went on a rampage with some of his opponents and he had a strong performance at KIT 2022 and looks to be a big upcoming player in the community. He had a set with Max Ninja where Max Ninja clearly knew what he was doing and knew the fundamentals and had great blocks and had great holds; but Killsumi just had his number pointblank for the win at this tournament. Even if Killsumi took a loss to Killy he made a name for himself at this tournament with a solid fighting performance.
Fury Fighter vs Uncle Viz Uncle Viz was delivering some really powerful commentary (especially with his Rachel plug) and since he was watching such dominant performances he wanted to come in like a wrecking ball against his opponents; Fury Fire & Nyo-Tengu. This is a fun matchup and Fury Fire showed some serious attitude in the first fight but was ultimately downloaded by Uncle Viz for the remainder of the set with Rachel.
Winner Final
Hoodless vs Killy
Hoodless vs Killy Hoodless vs Killy is always a nail-biting banger, and they did not disappoint with this set. Killy started things off with his side-pocket Rachel and he was definitely cautious of Rig's jabs & the unforgiving setups of Hoodless. Rig also played a very safe game, but his game was just a little bit slower than Killy's decision making barely giving the first game in the set to Killy.
They are both so evenly matched mentally that sometimes the fight really can come down to who stands firm on a hold and can execute the hold at the perfect time. Game 2 of this set seemed to favor Rig because Hoodless is SO good at getting consecutive whiff punishes in a row; perhaps even better than what Master can do with Hayabusa's 6T. The big difference between Hoodless and Killy in this fight is that Killy wants the HC throw, and Hoodless doesn't give a shit if it is HC or not because it's going to reset the gameplay in his favor each time he punishes whereas Killy's punishment will result in a damaging throw combo.
Even with all of this applied, and even with some truly expert zoning techniques, Killy made a comeback in game 2 and when Killy gets damage, he wants 35-50% at a time if he can so there aren't as many exchanges as possible. Killy made sure he got the damage he needed with each exchange, and he was extremely relaxed and attentive. This is what won him the second game and the third and final game of this set.
Going off of body language you can definitely tell that Hoodless is pissed to an extent and the psychological mind game is starting to come into play. Killy is a very rare competitor that can actually get into the head of the Dead or Alive 6 World Champion. There is a difference between telling a fighter to adapt and actually being a fighter that can do it well, and Killy can adapt better than probably anyone else in DOA and that includes: Rikuto, Lopedo, XcaliburBladeZ, Kwiggle and Sweet Revenge.
Loser Final
Hoodless vs Killsumi
Hoodless vs Killsumi Game 1 of Hoodless vs Killsumi was a very patient and guarded game between both players. Hoodless took a break from Rig and selected Zack to up Kasumi in this fight, and despite perfect stance transitions and environment breaks, Hoodless had his hands full with this Kasumi who was patiently waiting for Zack to make mistakes and slip ups in his strings and holds. This patient strategy helped Killsumi take the first game on the champ!
Killsumi continues to apply pressure in game 2 of the set with his cautious, but dangerous Kasumi. This game is closer and more intense than the first because Hoodless adjusts his pressure game with Zack, and it pays off short term, but the zoning of this game changes the outcome as it becomes clear that patience will pay off for Killsumi if he waits long enough for a few throw punishes and holds on Zack's easier to reverse and less safe move set.
Hoodless decides that it's time to take the gloves off and go with his Rig main for game three at the electric wall and floored lab. We see Rig throwing Kasumi into the wall hard several times and topping his damage off with electric wall combos. Round 2 he continues to use the electric environment to get an edge of damage on his mix-ups and grabs. Round 3 he quickly destroys Kasumi off of electric bounce combos on the floor.
Game 4 starts, and we begin to see Hoodless dominate with Rig on the ashy streets quickly pummeling Kasumi into submission for round 1. Swerved, Killsumi changes up his gameplay by backing up and zoning, but Hoodless is not giving Kasumi the same opportunities or room to breathe with Rig that he was allowing with Zack and beats Killsumi at his own game for round 2 with less than 2 seconds on the clock. Hoodless completes the fourth game with some fatal stun combos that get through with damage but aren't completed in the scuffle.
During the last game we see Killsumi charging hard with Kasumi and his break holds are executed at the right time and his combos are coming through and overwhelming Hoodless in round 1. With round 2 Hoodless slows down the pace of the match and pokes at Kasumi until he gets a stun that can continue respectable combo damage. Round 3 was VERY close and they threw everything they had at each other here, and round 4 resulted in a more dominant push from Rig giving Hoodless the set win.
Grand Final
Hoodless vs Killy
Hoodless vs Killy Hoodless has a lot of work to do just to get a reset against Killy and he knows it as he rubs his head watching the DOA6 trophy being delivered to the center fold of the KIT stage at the commentary table. Killy likes to keep his opponents guessing with his wide range of blonde female fighters and he selects Helena as his opening act and maybe even his encore for Rig in the grand finals.
Helena gets a quick round at the start of the fight and Rig responds in round 2 with a wave of furious mix-ups and kicks that overwhelm the owner of DOATEC. Rig continues the assault on Helena with four small crowd environment combos to win round 3. The offense continues sharply in round 4 and Hoodless wins a convincing first game.
Rig and Helena are ready to go right into their next bout at the 'Crash' stage and Hoodless decides to keep his pressure game high in the early stages of this fight, but Killy recaptures his cool and interrupts Rigs strikes, ducks the highs and slowly pokes at his health until Killy captures round 1. Killy makes a few mistakes completing his bounce combos in round 2 and Hoodless properly takes advantage of that factor. Killy calms down and adjusts in round 3 by shortening his combos into close hit damage. After winning round 3 Killy is completely calm at this point and uses the same strategy to win the last round and game 2.
Killy appears to have Hoodless downloaded, but he's still exuding caution in game 3. He blunders a few of his bounce combos again, but his stance changing, and zoning is so masterfully applied he quickly takes game 3 from Hoodless & Rig.
Once Killy goes into overdrive and starts destroying a match his gameplay is very disrespectful and he doesn't allow for anything. He has a streak on Hoodless and while Hoodless is a great sport and learns from his losses; Killy continues to be the thorn in his side. The only guy that could be living in the DOA6 world champion's head rent free.
This rivalry continues to tell a very interesting story in our community, and I personally can't wait to see their next offline set! Congratulations to Killy for winning KIT 2022! Watch the complete stream hosted by NYCFURBY on Twitch: Part 1 & Part 2. Also feel free to peruse the complete standings at KIT's start.gg! See you next time!
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