The closer we got to the date of the Tekken World Tour 2022 Last Chance Qualifiers, the more the tension grew as to who could participate and who could take the last spots in the finals. With that in the air, it seemed that something was slowly forming.
If we take a quick look at the LCQ brackets in the group stage, we can guess what might could happen. On one side we had JDCR, Rangchu, Fran, Kkokoma, Chanel, JeonDDing, and Infested. Seven Koreans who could be favorites to enter the final stage of the tournament. But, we also had Qasim Meer, Bilal, Awais, Khan, ARC, Hammad, Heera Malik. Seven Pakistanis who could make it to the finals.
If we add to those seven, the two players from each country who were waiting in the finals, Knee with Yeonarang for Korea and Arslan with Atif Butt for Pakistan, there would be a representation of nine players from each country. Considered to be among the best in the world, it was going to be a spectacle with the number of KOR vs PAK matches during the LCQ.
Gradually the reality took shape and we saw how some players would no longer be able to participate. For example, JDCR communicated in a Tweet that he was not going to attend, which left out one of the big ones. However, the other six Koreans attended the tournament, maintaining an important presence.
https://twitter.com/TKJDCR/status/1621364506826874880
Meanwhile, the Pakistani players were fighting their biggest battle so far – attempting to get visas to travel to Amsterdam and participate in the event. Even Atif Butt and Arslan Ash were momentarily out of the competition because of their visa status. In the end, the two qualified players and Bilal (LCQ bound) got their visas. The rest of the Pakistani players could not attend and we were left without the show of a country vs country match.
The LCQ was wonderful and Bilal represented his country well. In the KOR vs PAK count, we could see Bilal winning vs Fran, and not once but twice Bilal and Rangchu matched up where the first set was won by Rangchu, and the immediate rematch was won by Bilal.
This time it was not enough for Bilal and he was left out of the finals. Those who managed to take it were Chanel, Chikurin and JeonDDing. Two Koreans and one Japanese. And Jodd, the Frenchman who, in an unexpected turn of events, got a fourth spot since there not three but four qualifying places made available.
In the finals, Arslan Ash defeated Knee and Atif Butt defeated JeonDDing in the group stage. But, only Atif Butt made it to the Top 8. There he would make history and only meet one Korean player in JeonDDing in the finals of the tournament – winning convincingly and becoming the absolute undefeated champion of the Tekken World Tour 2022.
Everyone (including me) was so hype for a possible KOR v PAK event, but for this time there where actually more Japan vs Pakistan matches than with actual Koreans. In fact, Chikurin choked on a combo that could’ve sent Bilal to losers, but as a consequence he received a good dose of Akuma fifty-fifty all the way in exchange.
While we think about that, Arslan gives us a ray of hope to see the ultimate clash we’ve been waiting for so long:
https://twitter.com/ArslanAsh95/status/1622960570948263938
Yes, it wasn’t at TWT finals, but it is definitely coming. At least those are Arslan’s words to the community. And with that, we have reason to be hype again, and wait for more info about it.
