Evo Moment 37
The California State Polytechnic University, Pomona hosted the Evolution Championship Series 2004 on August 1. Daigo Umehara and Justin Wong stood in the loser's finals of that tournament for the first time ever. They had never played against one another before this specific match. Street Fighter was the only game still played on traditional arcade cabinets at this event. All other games used home consoles instead. Their gaming philosophies created a supposed rivalry despite their lack of prior competition. Rolling Stone described Wong's behavior as the antithesis of Umehara's aggressive approach. Video footage showed Wong's turtling style getting under his skin.
Umehara's Ken character faced down to his last unit of health with 26 seconds remaining on the clock. Justin Wong held Chun-Li and chose not to run out the time. He wanted to end the match quickly. Any special attack would knock Umehara's character out if it connected because they deal slight damage even when blocked. Wong attempted to hit Umehara with Chun-Li's Super Art II move which hits multiple times. Umehara chose to Parry instead of avoiding the attack. This technique allows blocking without losing health but requires moving toward the opponent within six frames of impact. Six frames equal 0.1 seconds at 60 frames per second. He predicted when the opponent started the Super Art Move. He performed split-second timing on all 14 remaining hits successfully. He countered a final kick in mid-air before launching a 12-hit combo. The sequence ended with Ken's Super Art III winning the round.
Match commentator Seth Killian spoke during the live broadcast from Capcom. He noted that this was rare footage of Daigo actually angry. Killian stated that Justin's turtle-style was now on the verge of putting Daigo down. GamePro and Eurogamer pointed out how the moment was elevated by the euphoric reaction of the crowd. The audience erupted in cheers and shouts as Umehara parried Wong's moves. They turned the game around completely. The atmosphere shifted instantly from despair to celebration. People shouted and clapped while watching the impossible play unfold. The energy in the room became electric during those few seconds.
Tournament organizer Ben Cureton created a highlight video after the event concluded. He uploaded it under the title Evo Moment #37 using an arbitrary two-digit number. A previously unnoticed recording lay amid a stack of old tapes and discs for years. Mark Man Julio discovered the alternate camera angle in 2019. He served as Evo business developer and Tekken brand community advisor. Ace R originally recorded the footage from a different viewpoint. This version included distinct live reactions of people in the crowd. MarkMan uploaded the new video on YouTube in April 2019. The discovery brought fresh perspective to the original broadcast.
Evo Moment #37 is frequently described as the most iconic moment in competitive video gaming history. It stood as one point the most-watched competitive gaming moment of all time. Kotaku compared it to sports moments like Babe Ruth's called shot. Justin Wong stated he believed the match may have helped save the fighting game community. The community was becoming less active at that specific time. Umehara gave a more in-depth account of the match in his 2016 autobiography. He explained how he briefly departed from the community afterwards. By 2016, the video had been viewed over 4 million times. It became one of the most-watched tournament highlights ever recorded.
Umehara and Wong held a rematch ten years prior in 2014 to celebrate the anniversary. Wong once again attempted to chip Umehara out with Chun-Li's special move. Umehara successfully parried the attack but Wong won the round seconds later. Glenn Cravens wrote a self-published book titled EVO Moment 37 that same year. British player Ryan Hart pulled off Daigo's parry while not looking at the TV screen during a friendly match in 2016. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate released Ken as a playable character in 2018. His Shippu Jinraikyaku appears as one of his Final Smashes. In the reveal trailer, Ken parries an attack from Little Mac before countering. A short skit featuring Wong and Umehara promoted the 2024 3rd Strike tournament. They discussed extra guacamole at a Chipotle Mexican Grill location. The moment was hailed by commentators as Evo Moment #38 during a match between Hayao and FrankieBFG.
Common questions
When did the Evo Moment 37 match between Daigo Umehara and Justin Wong take place?
The match occurred on the 1st of August 2004 at the Evolution Championship Series held by California State Polytechnic University Pomona. This event marked the first time these two players faced each other in a loser's finals setting.
How many hits did Daigo Umehara parry during the final Chun-Li Super Art II sequence?
Daigo Umehara successfully parried all 14 remaining hits of the attack within six frames of impact. He countered with a 12-hit combo that concluded the round using Ken's Super Art III move.
Who discovered the alternate camera angle footage for Evo Moment 37 in 2019?
Mark Man Julio found the previously unnoticed recording while serving as Evo business developer and Tekken brand community advisor. He uploaded the new video to YouTube under his account MarkMan in April 2019.
What specific game mechanics allowed Daigo Umehara to survive the Chun-Li super art attack?
Umehara utilized the Parry technique which requires moving toward the opponent within six frames of impact to block without losing health. The timing window equals 0.1 seconds at 60 frames per second allowing him to predict the start of the Super Art Move.
Why is the match between Justin Wong and Daigo Umehara considered significant to fighting game history?
Justin Wong stated he believed the match may have helped save the fighting game community during a period when it was becoming less active. The moment became one of the most-watched competitive gaming moments of all time by 2016 with over 4 million views.