Hungrybox thanks fan who hurled dead crab at him during Smash Bros. tournament

Super Smash Bros. Melee player Juan “Hungrybox” Debiedma has marked the one year anniversary of the dead crab fiasco with a special video - reflecting on his life since the event. 

Back in April 2019 at Pound 2019, a disgruntled fan hurled a dead crab at Hungrybox shortly after beating Joseph “Mang0” Marquez in the finals. 

The unknown fan was subsequently banned from future Pound events and other FGC tournaments, with the incident further reinforcing negative perceptions of the Super Smash Bros. community at the time. 

Reflecting on the incident in a new video, Hungrybox recalled how he had a dream a month prior to the incident where he was hit with an object while playing in a tournament. 

“When It happened it was eerie,” Hungrybox said. “It was a strange sense of deja vu. 

“There was this aftermath which I think was the most unexpected; the outpouring of love from various fans, from companies, from my own team.”

The player explained how the crab incident happened during a crossroads in his life where he was unsure whether he would continue as a Smash competitor - with the subsequent tournament win and crab hurling giving him the push to quit his part-time job. 

Addressing the banned attendee directly, Hungrybox said: “It’s weird that you chose to do it. It’s weird you chose me of all people to do it but I just want to say thank you. 

“Thank you for your selfish actions because I guess it awoken up a lot of response in people’s hearts I guess. 

“Not just towards me but to how top players are treated and how the scene in general handles its politics… the factions of who we cheer for and who we don’t cheer for, which is always going to be the case in esports. But there’s a difference between that and who we want to hate, and who we want to hate even louder.”

Summing up his thoughts, he added: “Long story short, a year ago someone threw a crab at me and today April 21st 2020, I’m feeling more in my right place, more in my element, than I ever have. 

• Read more: Hungrybox urges Nintendo to support Melee scene

“I’m not searching any longer for oh what should I be doing or where should I be, and if this thing is making me so sad why do I keep doing it. 

“I don’t know if it was a chain of reactions or specifically that one incident, or it was just everything compounding onto one thing on the other, but maybe everything does happen for a reason.

“13 years into my Smash career, way over half of my life, I’m not going anywhere.”

Hungrybox is widely considered the best Super Smash Bros. Melee player in the world, and is set to compete in Pound Online this weekend.