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World champion Gachikun set for showdown clashes at Red Bull Kumite 2019
World champ Tsunehiro 'Gachikun' Kanamori will be joined by his fellow countryman Haku and English rival Problem X in an all-star line-up in Japan this December.
Three champions from three radically different major tournaments are coming to Red Bull Kumite 2019.
Gachikun, who won the 2018 Capcom Cup – Street Fighter’s most difficult solo league – will now be on home soil as Red Bull Kumite comes to Japan on December 21-22.
Not that it's going to be easy. Gachikun will be joined by Problem X, who conquered EVO in 2018 – the most stacked and also the hardest open tournament in the world – and also Haku, another highly skilled player who achieved success at the Street Fighter League in Japan – the most ferocious team tournament there is.
All three of these champions demonstrate just how varied the paths and ambitions of elite Street Fighter players can be. After all, there's no single route to success, but rather several, which reward different types of strengths, playing styles and abilities.
As to who can rise to the challenge at Red Bull Kumite 2019, only time will tell. Here's a rundown of what makes each player such a strong contender.
Gachikun
Gachikun is currently a world champion at Street Fighter
© Hadrien Picard/Red Bull Content Pool
Country: Japan
Age: 27
Real Name: Tsunehiro Kanamori / 金森 識裕
Title for RBK: Hiroshima's star
Character: Rashid
Gachikun is the latest name to announce their place at Red Bull Kumite 2019
© Red Bull Japan
When Tsunehiro 'Gachikun' Kanamori started playing Street Fighter, he had no idea that pro players existed. He was playing for fun at his local arcade in Hiroshima, thinking it was a cool hobby, but with no intention of making a career out of it. As a Sagat player during the Street Fighter 4 era, he dominated the Hiroshima scene and eventually became aware of the esports movement. In 2016, with the newly released Street Fighter 5, he started travelling more often and got noticed by several observers of the Japanese circuit.
This earned him an invitation for Red Bull Kumite 2017, where he stormed the tournament for a second place finish. At Red Bull Kumite 2018, he participated in the last chance qualifiers and secured one of the top spots at the tournament. Again he delivered high level play, finishing in fifth place. A few months later he became a Red Bull athlete, soon after winning the Capcom Cup and as a result now finds himself as the Street Fighter World Champion.
Now a professional player, Gachikun aspires to be an example for a new generation of players from all regions in Japan. Gachikun will have a tough time this year at Red Bull Kumite considering the other big names set to take part.
Problem X
Problem X
© Robert Paul
Country: United Kingdom
Age: 27
Real Name: Benjamin Simon
Title for RBK: The self-made man
Character: M.Bison/Vega – Abigail
Problem X is one of the biggest Street Fighter players in Europe
© Red Bull Japan
Benjamin 'Problem X' Simon is currently the strongest player in Europe after winning several high profile international tournaments. It's a good continent to be a Street Fighter player on right now, with lots of great opponents and many tournaments in countries relatively close to one another; not to mention a great sense of camaraderie between fans when one of theirs achieves success.
However, becoming a professional player in Europe is harder than in the pro-friendly United States or the ultra organised Japan. Problem X noticed very early on that if he wanted to shake things up in the gaming world he'd have to throw himself heart and soul into it. He created his own brand, Problem X Promotions, as a way to sponsor himself and a friend so they could travel and share expenses.
Just like an entrepreneur, he invested all his earnings and job savings to travel around the world and get noticed by sponsors. In 2017, thanks to his results in several tournaments, he was recruited by German esports club mousesports and became a pro player.His new situation allowed him to focus on the game and it showed. He won EVO 2018 and placed second during Red Bull Kumite 2018 against Fujimura. The Englishman is currently ranked sixth in the Capcom Pro Tour leaderboard, and there's no doubt he'll fight tooth and nail to bring the Kumite cup back to his hometown of Manchester this year.
Haku / はく
Haku keeps a low profile away from the esports circuit
© Red Bull Japan
Country: Japan
Age: Unknown
Real Name: Unknown
Title for RBK: Japan’s secret assassin
Character: F.A.N.G
Haku enjoys playing with the lesser seen character F.A.N.G.
© Red Bull Japan
HAKU is the current Japanese Street Fighter League champion. He's also what fans call a 'character loyalist', which means that he plays the same character no matter the opponent or the stakes. Whereas most players in the highly competitive Street Fighter 5 scene hop from one character to another when they feel their fighter is too weak to compete, Haku has been playing for years now using F.A.N.G, a goofy assassin that has long been treated as the weakest character out of the entire roster. What could have been a setback became the key to Haku’s success.
With the help of his two team-mates, Haku managed to win the Japanese Street Fighter League this year, beating several players with the underdog F.A.N.G. His success allowed him to become a professional player and earned him a spot in the next Street Fighter League where one of his new team-mates will be none other than Gachikun himself. Who knows, the two partners could end up fighting each other during Red Bull Kumite 2019!
Bring. It. On.
