BACK IN MPL-PH Season 9, RSG PH admitted their deep admiration for Blacklist International, to the point that the rowdy Raiders, who have always been known for their ‘in your face’ antics, treated Codebreakers with a huge level of respect.
And in Season 10, the Raiders finally faced the full might of the defending M3 World Champions with the return of the V33Wise tandem.
The battle between the World Champions and SEA Champions became a match for the ages as both teams exchanged tactical smarts in a bid to outwit the other.
It was Dylan “Light” Catipon who made crucial rotational plays in Game 1 to surprise the Codebreakers, while Johnmar “OhMyV33nus” Villaluna called the shots that led to Blacklist’s heroic 31st minute victory play in Game 3.
In the end, Blacklist was left in awe of their “besties.” Coach Kristoffer “BON CHAN” Ricaplaza admitted during the press conference how amazed he was with their rival's overall growth all the way from their humble beginnings.
RSG PH has seen massive improvement, says Blacklist coach
“Sobrang laki ng in-improve nila. Imagine dati, sobrang nahirapan silang makapasok sa finals, and then suddenly the next season, sila yung pumalit sa Blacklist kung saan na-dominate nila lahat ng team at nakakuha ng magandang record sa regular season,” said the World Champion coach.
He added: “And sila yung nag-back-to-back champion, MPL champion tapos MSC champion. Sobrang laki ng improvement nila na hindi mo aakalain na sa ganun ka liit na panahon, magagawa nila.”
It was astonishing to see a newly formed team filled with young prospects and underrated talents emerge as a regional champion, to even forcing one of the all-time greats in Danerie James “Wise” Del Rosario to tremble in their matchup.
“Actually kakasabe lang ni Wise ngayon, kanina noong 2-v-4, noong kaming dalawa na lang ni Edward yung natitira, kinabahan na siya,” said OhMyV33nus during the interview with Mara Aquino.
Wise said, “Nanginginig na ako tapos nakaganon na ako (shaking his head). Basta patay kami ni Hadji, tapos si Oheb, at ako. Noong hinabol si Hadji ng Uranus."
During that moment, he screamed: “Kaya yan!”
Wise offers important advice to Demonkite
The Raiders certainly had the pieces to force Wise into an anxious state, with setups from Light, a terrific zonal presence from Nathanael “Nathzz” Estrologo, the damage outburst from Eman “EMANN” Sangco, and, most notably, Jonard Cedrix “Demonkite” Caranto’s fluid hero pool.
During Season 9, Demonkite once said that he admired Wise’s hero pool, and he showed it off in last night's match in their latest encounter with his Balmond and Karina picks.
And given the admiration that Demonkite has for Wise, the latter would praise and tip the rising sensation.
“Noong rookie pa siya, minsan nagcha-chat kami sa FB. Tapos sabi ko, ‘Magaling ka. Tapos stay humble lang.' Kasi kapag humble siya, yung supporters niya dadami. Tsaka malakas din talaga siya, lalo mas malakas nga siya sa akin dahil nag-a-assasin siya,” said the Blacklist jungler.
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