The 9 biggest moments in pro gaming (page 2 of 3)

6. Fatal1ty crushed by 15 year-old

In the sports world, envy and schadenfreude often go hand-in-hand. There's a certain pleasure we take in watching the mighty succeed...and fail. Pro gaming is no exception.

At 2006's Digital Life Expo, Maciej "av3k" Kryzkowski bounced perennial superstar Fatal1ty from the GGL Quake 4 tournament. In quite possibly one of the biggest upsets in competitive gaming history, the fifteen year old phenom, in only his second major tournament, swaggered in and pwned Fatal1ty with style.

Sports-world analogy: Cassius Clay defeating Sonny Liston for the Heavyweight Championship in 1964.


5. A StarCraft dynasty begins

Dynasties are an essential component of professional sports. They represent an unrivaled level of success and create a standard by which all other great teams, players, and efforts are measured.

Starleague is the most prestigious professional gaming tournament in the world, yet only one player, Lee "NaDa" Yun-Yeol, has managed to win the tournament three times in the event's seven year history. NaDa is gunning for his fourth Starleague victory this year, which would place him miles above every other StarCraft player in the world. Because of this, the eSports world will be watching.

Sports-world analogy: Joe McCarthy leading the New York Yankees to an unprecedented four World Championships from 1936-39. See also: Lance Armstrong winning the Tour de France seven times in a row. See also: John Wooden leading UCLA to 10 NCAA basketball championships.


4. QuakeCon 2002: The Fatal1ty comeback

Nigh-impossible comebacks -- the sort that occur when victory seems but a fleeting dream -- quickly become legends and are forever etched into public memory. The more improbable the comeback, the more memorable the victory.

At Quakecon 2002, with four minutes left in a match versus aim, Fatal1ty languished in the face of certain defeat. Then he blasted his way back from an 0-8 deficit to stun his opponent in the final seconds for a historic win, cementing his legacy and creating a legendary match for the ages.

Sports-world analogy: Red Sox rallying from behind three games to none to defeat the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS.

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