iBDW performs the “reverse popoff” after losing to Hungrybox during Super Smash Bros. Melee set at Get On My Level 2022

Get On My Level 2022 is one of the big tournaments that caught the attention of Super Smash Bros. fans over the past weekend. Almost 500 registered for the Super Smash Bros. Melee competition being held there, including some big names like PG|iBDW and Liquid|Hungrybox. As expected from a platinum level event for the Smash World Tour, the competition was fierce as many of the contestants were hungry to earn those points.

Eventually, the tournament continued until only eight contestants remained. On the winning side of the bracket, iBDW and his fox should face off against Hungrybox’s Jigglypuff. However, some unexpected events would unfold as the set neared a rather bizarre ending.

It was ultimately Hungrybox who won the first match of the set. Although the results screen clearly indicated that Hungrybox was the match’s winner, there was still a possibility for iBDW to technically be declared the winner based on a generally accepted ruleset for Super Smash Bros. Melee.

Before returning to the character select screen, iBDW insisted that Hungrybox scroll down his power panel to count exactly how many times Jigglypuff grabbed the ledge. If Hungrybox was found to have exceeded a certain limit, the match could be declared a win by iBDW under certain conditions.

In Super Smash Bros. Melee (as well as 64 and Brawl), a character is able to regain their invincibility after grabbing the ledge again before landing. Entire strategies have been developed in Melee and Brawl that revolve around continuously boosting invincibility like this after gaining a head start.

This ultimately led to players winning via time-out, as it was impossible for many characters to safely approach a fighter like Jigglypuff under these conditions. Over time, tournament organizers eventually adopted a rule that limited the number of times a player was allowed to grab the edge to keep a game going.

Unfortunately for iBDW, it seemed like Hungrybox hadn’t exceeded the edge access limit. Still, Hungrybox took it all in stride as he took off his sunglasses and then gave the camera a thumbs-up.

At this point it became clear that stalling could serve for any length of time by re-grabbing the edge of Hungrybox by tilting iBDW. As he pulled off a few stunts over the next few matches, the crowd counted his ledge grabs.

However, it wasn’t entirely clear how much this actually affected iBDW’s mentality as he was still able to put up a really good fight against Hungrybox. During the set, Hungrybox even did a mini popoff after winning his second game of the set, but iBDW was primed to finish the set.

Ultimately, the tournament set made it into Game 5. Whoever won that last game would advance on the winning side, while the others would find themselves on the losing side.

In the end, Hungrybox was able to hold onto a crucial edge protection against iBDW’s Fox in a situation where Fox simply had no hope of recovering. Anyone who knows anything about Hungrybox probably already knew that a massive popoff was coming, but iBDW apparently had planned for that situation.

Despite losing the set, iBDW performed a “reverse popoff” right in Hungrybox’s face. We only heard a very brief “Yeah!” exclaimed Hungrybox before stopping confused at iBDW’s antics.

According to iBDW himself, this apparently did not happen because he was angry. Also, iBDW claims he just had fun with the situation.

Of course, Hungrybox seemed to see things a little differently overall.