Out of all of the pro gamers, Daigo and Tokido have a connection. It was important to show Tokido the posture that he absolutely was not going to lose.

Daigo: "This was not a match where we were going to both play a clean game, try out our tactics, and smile whether we won or lost. I was going to win no matter what. I wanted Tokido and the audience to understand that from the start, and I thought I would be able to hit them so I went all out from the start."

Fuudo: "I won't think it was about winning or losing, but it was a competition about paying with conviction until the end. You wanted to show that you would play however it took to win. I saw that suddenly right from the start, and I thought `I've really got to watch this!`"

Diago: "I approached that day with the feeling that if I lost, my standing in the FGC would change. If I lost in that battle, then gradually I would begin walking down the path of a regime change. This was a match that I needed to win 100%. I would do anything possible within the game to win. I played neutral like that in order to win. I thought EX flash kicks would be the best way to win."

Diago: "I know that it was humiliating for Tokido when it was over. I thought, even with that though, it was not possible for me to lose, you know? If I lost it wouldn't just be humiliating. I wish that is all it would be." [Translator's note: I used "humiliating" here, although I could have also gone with "difficult" or "frustrating", but in my reading of this, it really is more severe than that. It isn't about public shaming, but personal, individual feelings here.]

Fuudo: "If you had lost, we wouldn't be here drinking alcohol and streaming. We drink because we are strong. As someone close to this, I have complicated feelings and it is hard to see the fun in it."

Daigo: "When I won, I thought that I could keep playing fighting games. Had I lost, I think Tokido would have thought that." [Translator note: I'm not as clear what the second half is here that Daigo is talking about it - this is my inference. He literally says "Had I lost, I thought Tokido".]

Fuudo: "There's a real story behind having that kind of performance now."

Daigo: "First to 10 is the final kind of doubling down. You have time to prepare, and there are many matches, and at this time he is very strong in this kind of match. He won EVO, he got second at Capcom Cup, and if he had won the first to 10 it would have signaled a major change."

In the past few years the only ones who have had a chance to become the best are Momochi and Tokido [Translator's Note: They are talking about a reference to a manga Usogui and strong characters trying to surpass each other. I haven't read it though. This won't be as nuanced as from someone who knows that background. I don't know what 屋形様 is in this context.]

Daigo: "Usually with that combination, if I have one or months to prepare I can do a first to 10."

Fuudo: "Even with the loss to MenaRD, this battle between you and Tokido was different."

Daigo: "We didn't have any money on the line, this had no relationship to the Capcom Pro Tour, it was just like an extended battle at the arcade. When I saw how Tokido was so shocked at his loss, I thought `This is what fighting game players are about.` It is all about putting your pride on the line."