Summary:
- Xiaohai killed it and held onto his Street Fighter 6 title at the 2025 EWC despite insane levels of competition.
- In the finals, Xiaohai’s experience faced off against upstart Blaz’s pure talent in a best-of-nine matchup.
- Both players exchanged wins, but Xiaohai came in to make just one more combo that secured him the 5-4 win.
Xiaohai just made the story even better, ruling the Street Fighter 6 stage at EWC 2025 with a wild performance. It was certainly no easy task to defend his title under pressure, especially as the competition was fierce. However, Xiaohai’s composed gameplay, mind, and mastery showed everyone watching why he is one of the best to do it.
The Fighting Game Legend Returns
Zeng Zhuojun, more commonly known as “Xiao Hai” is a true legend in the fighting game community. Xiao Hai made a name for himself, in the early 2010s, for demonstrating his skill level with numerous fighting game franchises, notably The King of Fighters series and Capcom’s Street Fighter series.
Xiao Hai was an insane force in his early years playing Cammy around the time of Street Fighter IV and V. In addition to his Street Fighter accomplishments, Xiao Hai is frequently heralded as the greatest King of Fighters player of all time. This was a result of his many world features and record wins that go back to the time he was competing in The King of Fighters ’98.
Battles Leading to the Finals
The journey to the finals for Street Fighter 6 at the 2025 Esports World Cup (EWC) showed just why Xiaohai is a legend in the fighting game community. In the group stage, Xiaohai already faced difficult opponents including the Evo 2024 Champion Victor “Punk” Woodley.
This match was particularly tense after Xiaohai fell behind 0-2 with very little momentum in the final set. However, in the end, the match ended with Xiaohai hanging on to complete a comeback victory of 3-2.
He then rode that momentum through the next rounds in the Third Phase, taking out top players such as Torimeshi. Afterwards, he avenged his FATAL FURY: COTW loss against Goici “GO1” Kishida in a much anticipated semifinal rematch at EWC.
The Grand Finals Matchup
In the Grand Finals of the Street Fighter 6 tournament at EWC 2025, the match-up was seasoned Chinese veteran Zeng “Xiaohai” Zhuojun against the exciting young star Derek “Blaz” Blaz from Chile. Both players represent two generations of players: experienced versus pure talent. Xiaohai used M. Bison and Mai, while Blaz used Ryu and Ken.
Blaz came out of the gate strong and snagged three games in a row early in the series, putting the defending champ in a tough predicament. As a result, Xiaohai picked Mai Shiranui in the later matches to regain control and make the game tighter.
Both players traded victories back and forth, and there were plenty of match point situations for both players. In the end, Xiaohai landed a clutch combo player into Critical Art in the final round, even with less HP. In a thrilling finish, he won the set 5-4, defending his EWC title for a historic back-to-back title win.
Final Thoughts
Xiaohai defending his Street Fighter 6 title at the 2025 EWC truly was no ordinary tournament victory. Breaking down a rising star and finishing on top in a period of unprecedented intensity added to the legend. Moreover, Xiaohai has now cemented his name among the elite players who have achieved back-to-back EWC Street Fighter 6 championships. This just proves that in the world of fighting games, being older than your competition is meaningless.
Writer’s Recommendation:
Want to go deeper into the cool world of the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025? Check out the epic games that defined the tournament’s legendary status!
