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The Tekken 7 tournament at EVO Japan 2023 has officially come to an end. Legendary player Arslan Ash grabbed yet another EVO trophy after defeating Meo-IL in a one-sided Grand Final. This victory was massive for the player, as this was his third EVO championship trophy and he has cemented himself as one of the best players of all time. This win further solidifies Pakistan as one of the most powerful regions within the game.
It is vital to remember that this was also the final time that Tekken 7 featured in EVO Japan as its next iteration is set to release in 2024. Hence, Arslan Ash's legacy has been etched in the history of the title for eternity.
Arslan Ash's Tekken 7 trophy equals Knee's record for total number of EVO championship victories
Arslan Ash's third major EVO championship title was not just his own personal record, but he also matched Jae-Min "Knee" Bae's record. In the past, Knee won the trophy in Tekken Tag Tournament 2 in 2013 and for Tekken 7 in 2018 and 2022.
Arslan Ash previously won the EVO Japan 2019 and EVO Championship Series in the same year, but his latest win was comparatively much easier. He faced Rangchu in the upper bracket finals and Meo-IL in the Grand Finals. In both these games, he played Zafina and was immaculate with his moves.
Rangchu played Panda while Meo-IL played Geese, two extremely strong characters.
However, Arslan Ash was patient with his movement and managed to bait out the enemy to make mistakes and punish them through classic Tekken 7 whiff counters. The upper bracket final against Rangchu was more competitive as it went down to the wire at times.
However, Arslan Ash dominated the Grand Final best-of-five against Meo-IL and cruised to victory. After the match, he thanked his sponsors, his fans, the Pakistan Tekken community that has grown really strong in the past few years, and everyone who believed in him.
Arslan will probably be participating in EVO Las Vegas as well and will hope to add one more trophy to his name in the tournament. Obviously, that win will make him the undisputed king in the world of this legendary fighting game.
