Sure, here’s a reimagined version of the piece:
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Alright, so if you missed the chaos of Evo 2025’s Fatal Fury finals, let me paint you a picture. Kazuyuki “KojiKOG” Koji, yeah, he’s our main guy here, was doing this wild writhing thing on stage. Sound nuts? Well, it went viral faster than you can say “meme.” Seriously, you’d think he was performing Shakespeare or something, but there was more than just grandstanding involved. I promise.
Anyway, it all blew up during the semifinals when KojiKOG faced off against Goichi “GO1” Kishida. GO1 – spoiler alert – took the whole thing, but it was KojiKOG’s antics that got ink. He was playing as Billy, and GO1 was Kain. Both are supposedly top dogs in the game, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, which is fresh off the shelves. But hot dang, KojiKOG found himself in a real pickle, trapped in GO1’s relentless combos. He bombed the first round but made some scrappy comebacks in the second, almost clutching it twice. Almost. But nope, couldn’t seal the deal.
Now, the whole match? Not even five minutes. But KojiKOG’s dismay, his howl of existential gaming anguish? That was a solid minute of pure internet gold. Watching at home? People couldn’t clip and share it fast enough. I mean, it summed up that gut-punch feeling of falling short despite giving it your all. A kind of universal heartbreak, right?
So — side note — fans quickly pointed out KojiKOG isn’t new to this. Nope. He’s Mr. Extreme Faces on stage. Not his first rodeo with GO1, either. Flashback to Evo 2015, they clashed in a side tournament for Aquapazza. KojiKOG lost then too, pulling a stunt as if he’d lost a leg. This year, though, the stakes were way higher. Think ten grand higher and a shot at $2.5 million at the SNK World Championship. Big bucks, big drama.
Anyway, KojiKOG himself leaned into it on social media with a cheeky post – “KOG, who had his leg amputated after 10 years, vs GO1 EVO2025.” Classic. He’s turned losing into a kind of performance art. I swear, folks are already buzzing about when he’ll bring his next spectacle to the ring. Kinda makes you wanna tune in, doesn’t it?
