The Pokémon TCG world has been set ablaze following the results of a high-stakes competitive match. Few games of Pokémon matter more than the ones that occur in the top eight of the World Championships. After one of those games had been decided, the results of the set had been overturned due to poor sportsmanship. What happened?
A Bizarre Result
The game in question occurred against Ian Robb and Fernando Cifuentes, the latter of which would eventually go on to become the 2024 World Champion, taking down the event with his unique Iron Thorns strategy. While Cifuentes did win the World Championships, they didn’t technically win their top-eight match against Ian Robb. Instead, Cifuentes actually suffered a quite crushing defeat. After a decisive 2-0 victory for Robb, Ian celebrated with a gesture that could be perceived as unsportsmanlike. Following this celebration, the Pokémon staff swiftly announced that Robb would be awarded a match loss. This means that, despite Robb winning two games against Cifuentes, he was forced to forfeit the match.
Looking at the unsportsmanlike conduct itself, many in the Pokémon TCG community believe that the disqualification is ridiculous. This definitely looks like an unnecessary celebratory gesture, but it isn’t necessarily rude. Following the disqualification, fans spoke out in defense of Robb, stating that he was trying to emulate the action of ‘rolling dice.’ Others believe that this was completely uncalled for, and was undeniably an earned disqualification.
Looking at other competitive gaming events highlights how odd this disqualification could be considered. The Super Smash Brothers scene, for example, has made ‘popping off’ on an opponent a normal thing. Comparing this offense to something like a pop-off from a player like Hungrybox makes this disqualification seem incredibly strange. Regardless, this was ultimately the action that caused Robb’s match loss.
Cifuentes going on to win the Pokémon World Championships with the Iron Thorns strategy following this puts him in a tough spot as well. Many from the community, including Robb himself, have spoken up for Cifuentes, stating that he is a very deserving champion.
It’s unfortunate that the result of such a high-stakes game was decided in this manner. Hopefully, this stark example of unsportsmanlike conduct, regardless of whether it was warranted or not, will make clear what is and isn’t acceptable when playing the Pokémon TCG.