Zeta Division Begin Life Post-Kakeru With Much-Needed Win Over REJECT

ZETA DIVISION returned to battle in Street Fighter League Japan following the shocking announcement of Kakeru’s retirement due to an ongoing health issue.

Capcom Cup champion Kakeru’s departure was immediately followed by confirmation that his teammate Yamaguchi would take his place on the roster. However, the compromise that allowed Yamaguchi to be registered this late in the season came with a condition. He is only permitted to play in tie-breaker matches, as agreed by all competing teams and players.

This rule change ensures that ZETA will no longer lose points automatically in the event of a tied match, as they did last week due to having no available tie-breaker player.

Even with that advantage secured, their next match was a major challenge. They faced REJECT, the same team that defeated them on the opening day of SFL. REJECT arrived with strong momentum and Evo France champion LeShar in the anchor role. ZETA’s only advantage was playing as the home side, which meant they could counterpick opponents.

The lineup revealed Fuudo in the first match, followed by Daigo, with LeShar closing as anchor. ZETA responded by sending Hikaru to face Fuudo. Despite a spirited performance, Hikaru was unable to overcome the Blink Respawn winner.

Next came a classic rivalry: Daigo versus Higuchi. While Daigo now uses Akuma, matches between these two players always draw excitement. On this occasion, Higuchi came out on top.

It all came down to the final set: Momochi versus LeShar. Both opted for Ed in the mirror match. Momochi displayed his championship form, winning the first two games convincingly. LeShar switched to Terry and stole one back, but Momochi closed it out, securing a vital victory for ZETA DIVISION.

ZETA now climbs into 3rd place with 120 points.

Elsewhere in the league, Ibushigin, Kakeru’s former team, secured an important win against VARREL. Hiroshima Team iXA continued their incredible run by defeating DetonatioN FocusMe 40–0, surging to the top of the league with 190 points, 30 ahead of second-placed REJECT.

This win provides a much-needed boost for ZETA, and expectations are growing that they can push into the playoffs.

LeShar apologized for the loss and promised to return stronger.

While ZETA will undoubtedly miss Kakeru, their performance suggests they are still very capable of fighting for the title.