Daigo, as Ryu, bested Justin Wong, as Rufus, in last night's Street Fighter IV Tournament finals, held in San Francisco. Wong isn't empty handed, however; he won the U.S. title.
The two longtime nemeses are noted for locking up in that epicRyuKen/Chun Li comeback from Evo 2004, with Daigo getting the better of Wong. He did this time too, blanking him 4-0 in the finals of the international competition.
Leading up to that showdown, Wong thrashed his American competition and emerged as a clear crowd favorite. According to Kineda:
The journey to the top definitely wasn't easy. Littered through the list of finalists were legendary adversaries like Mike Ross (E.Honda), Antawn Ortiz (Balrog) and Jason "A-Dhalsim" Cole (Balrog). Matches we're extremely close at times, but Justin Wong dominated with the pressure of a super offensive Rufus. Often finishing off opponents with his arms shooting up in the air on cue with the finishing hit of Rufus's Ultra. The crowd loved it, and raised their hands to the roof as well.
In the internationals, Wong faced Daigo and Korean champ Poongko (as Ryu) and Japan's Iyo (Dhalism). The four dueled round-robin style, with Daigo prevailing in a shutout.
The tournament was the culmination of a few months' worth of satellite events sponsored by EVO Championship Series, and cosponsored by GameStop and Capcom. Capcom VIPs present at the finals, held in San Francisco's Fort Mason Festival Pavilion, included Yoshinori Ono, the producer of Street Fighter IV, and Capcom community manager (and former champion) Seth Killian. Pics and play-by-play at the link.
Justin Wong Wins SFIV National Tournament and Daigo Wins International Title [Kineda]