Kawano Gets His Revenge as He Wins CPT Japan 4

Kawano is the final winner of CPT Japan!

Kawano endured a rollercoaster of a year in 2021. He was the Topanga Champion which was a huge deal and a win that cemented him as arguably the best young Street Fighter player in Japan. This was followed by a strong showing in the Street Fighter League Japan edition. However, he also went through quite a few low moments. For instance, he made it to the Grand Final of the last CPT Japan but fell to one of his great mentors, Daigo Umehara. 

He also didn't get to go too far in the Red Bull Kumite that took place in London. However, his biggest low came at the tail end of 2021 when he was invited to Kemonomichi, Daigo's world-famous exhibition extravaganza. He chose to play against Tokido in a long set format and was utterly destroyed by the legendary Japanese player. The loss was a hard one for Kawano to take and it hurt for quite a while. 

So, when Kawano made it to the top 16 of the CPT there was a possibility of facing off with Tokido and everyone watching hoped that the two of them will get a chance to get the run back. The wish of fans came true as the two competitors faced off in the winners final. Kawano got the win, but it wasn't over as that only sent Tokido to losers. The two met again in Grand Finals and Kawano finally had a chance to put his demons to rest. He was successful in this regard, defeating Tokido 3-1 on the day to take the win. 

The win would probably have had more weight if there had been a Capcom Cup, but since the tournament has been cancelled, it means that while there will be no Tokido in the exhibition matches slated for next month, he will probably have a chance to qualify for Capcom Cup again for next year. 

Kawano expressed joy at having won the tournament and being able to win against Tokido. He took to his Twitter to talk about how even after going through defeat and disgrace, his ability to keep trying meant that he would win, and that he did. 

The CPT is now over and we only have to wait for the exhibition games. Japan was probably the most entertaining region and over the four editions, we had six different finalists. Also, there were so many notable names that didn't win including Fuudo, Tokido, Gachikun, and Bonchan.

Players in Top 8 CPT Japan 4

You can check out all the news surrounding CPT Japan including an interview with Mago.