The Saltiest Grudge Match In Fighting Game History

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It’s August 30th, 2015. Two Mortal Kombat champions are about to have a grudge match to settle some long standing beef with one another. Both of them have won EVO titles and in their own ways, have something to prove.

This match will go down in history, although not in the way you might think. Indeed, grudge matches will always have their share of salt, but nothing will ever triumph just how salty and outlandish this set would go.

This is SonicFox vs. Perfect Legend.

SonicFox vs. Perfect Legend – The History

SonicFox and Perfect Legend had played before, with Sonic Fox often coming out on top.

It could be said that this grudge match came about as another example of “old guard versus new guard.” Perfect Legend was a longtime veteran of the fighting game community, having won EVO titles for Dead or Alive 4 and the Mortal Kombat series. In 2015, Perfect Legend was eager to prove that he could still compete at the highest level when the chips were down.

SonicFox was the new wave. Today, he is known as the best all-around fighting game player in the world, and will definitely have a case for the greatest of all-time when all is said and done. But on August 30th, 2015, SonicFox is the young blood who just won an EVO title for Mortal Kombat a month prior. Known for his eccentric personality, it was easy to see how this grudge match would come about.

And so at Summer Jam 9, the stage was set for Perfect Legend and SonicFox to face off in Mortal Kombat X.

The Legends Face Off

SonicFox’s eccentric personality and incredible skill was destined to draw the ire of some competitors.

SonicFox vs. Perfect Legend would be a “first-to-10,” a classic in the fighting game community for players to truly showcase their abilities. Winning 10 matches is no easy feat, especially when your opponent is one of the premier players of the game. We were in for the long haul.

…Or, maybe not.

SonicFox absolutely demolished Perfect Legend, winning 10-0. Some games might have seen relatively close, but in the broader picture, Perfect Legend was just lost. After the 10th and final victory, SonicFox took the mic from the event host and started delivering some (well-earned) boasting.

But pride had gotten Perfect Legend into this mess, and pride was going to get him out. Perfect Legend would reply in a way that showcased his spirit as a world champion; to never give up. And it would take this set from a regular grudge match to a pivotal moment in fighting game history.

SonicFox vs. Perfect Legend 13 – 0

Erron Black was the nail in the coffin for this set.

Perfect Legend conceded that SonicFox was a good player, but that he lacked fundamentals. Perfect Legend also pointed out that he said he could beat SonicFox’s Erron Black, who had not been used in the first-to-10. That’s when it was proposed that SonicFox played Perfect Legend in a best-of-five set with Erron Black to see how it would go.

This would turn the grudge match into SonicFox’s EVO Moment 37. He would 3-0 Perfect Legend in this second set with Erron Black, which meant that SonicFox had dominated Perfect Legend with a score of 13-0. To make matters worse, Perfect Legend lost in pools at this tournament, leading to an overall devastating outcome for the former world champion.

SonicFox continues to dominate multiple fighting games to this day, and unfortunately, Perfect Legend’s reputation is more associated with this grudge match than his earlier days as a multiple EVO title winner. We’re not sure if we’ll ever see a 13-0 again, but at least the one we have is well worth the watch.

You can watch the whole first-to-10, as well as the subsequent rematch, here:

If you want to read about the biggest pop-off in fighting game history, check out this story!