A big fighting game tournament, genesis 9, took place January 20-23 in San Jose, California. Top talent from around the world including Super Smash Bros. Competitors Leonardo “MkLeo” Lopez and Samuel “Dabuz” Buzby gathered at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center to watch games such as Guilty Gear struts and rivals of the ether. But for one Super Smash Bros. Melee Pro, British player Elliot “Frenzy” Grossman, started the Genesis 9 tournament with an illegal cab and what he claims was a near kidnapping.
“Had been lured into an illegal taxi that just pulled out [the San Francisco International Airport] and almost got kidnapped,” Frenzy tweeted on Jan. 19, along with a picture of his scarred right hand. “I jumped out of the car after seeing the police chasing the vehicle and luckily only bruised and scraped my hand and back. In the hospital [right now], [but I have] no idea how this works [to be honest].”
You might be wondering what the heck Frenzy is talking about since it sounds like an action movie stunt starring Tom Cruise or something. Well, as it turns out, the Falco star making his way to the Genesis 9 tournament had some… complications when he landed in California.
“Well, I had just got off an 11-hour flight from London Heathrow Airport to San Francisco International Airport,” Frenzy said my city in an email. “I was planning to take an Uber to my hotel in San Jose, but my phone ran out of battery on the way and Wi-Fi at airports was often spotty. I opted for a taxi instead and went to the taxi rank.”
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Frenzy is a pro melee Player for British esports organization Reason Gaming. He comes from England and is called Falco the second best player in Great Britain and the 47th best melee competitor in the world As of 2022. However, its record speaks for itself. He regularly places in the top 10 in most of the tournaments he participates in and has a number of wins to his credit, most recently at the galint melee Open: Fall 2022 edition back in November. The guy can play! However, he was unprepared for the California transportation game.
“A driver came up to me and asked if I was looking for a cab, to which I replied yes and then, as usual, asked where I was going,” Frenzy said. “He shows me the car and opens the door for me to get in with my belongings and as I close the door and buckle my seat belt, I look out the window and see several police officers, guns drawn, running towards the vehicle and screaming. Stop the vehicle!’ and ‘Get out!’ The driver ignored this and then immediately accelerated even as I got in and buckled up knowing I had made a massive mistake. At that point I just decided that if I get out fast enough it’s safer than either the driver escaping and being at his mercy or getting caught in a police chase which at higher speeds could result in an accident.”
“As I turned to buckle my seat belt, I saw several police officers running out the window to surround the car,” Frenzy said. “They had drawn guns. The driver then accelerated his foot onto the ground and attempted to escape. That’s when I decided to get out. I knew stuff like that from the internet, but this particular attempt took me completely by surprise, so I knew exactly what was going on.”
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Frenzy said he was on “such an adrenaline rush” that things were blurry. In one minute, he buckled up to drive to Genesis 9. In the next, he “rolled on the ground” after jumping out of the fake cab. He said he “didn’t land badly or had anything else on the road” close to him to cause further injury as he rolled onto the tarmac and the car was going about 15 to 20mph. Still, he was in “pretty bad pain” with a backpack cushioning his fall only slightly and his right hand taking most of the impact. The Mills-Peninsula emergency room in Burlingame said Frenzy hadn’t broken anything but had “really bad swelling, abrasions and bruising” on his right hand, as well as “friction burns” on his back from rolling on gravel and “low blood pressure”. ” for a while. He also contacted the police after the incident for a quick police report.
“The cops asked a lot about the criminal’s exact actions and explained that they were after this guy who had been running this plot for a while,” Frenzy said. “They gave me some information about the case number and who to contact. I’m not 100% sure how they caught the vehicle or the criminal when I was recovering from the jump, but I saw that he was handcuffed far away when I was treated later.”
That’s what an official with the San Francisco Police Department said my city on the phone that while they were unable to reveal specific information about the incident, Frenzy’s case is real and an “ongoing investigation” is currently underway. The officer said so too my city that the person conducting the investigation will call us back, but that hasn’t happened yet.
“These kinds of plans exist all over the world, and as a fairly seasoned traveler, I’m usually familiar with them,” Frenzy said. “But through a misjudgment and after a long flight, I was tricked. They try to trick you by lining up near the legitimate taxi ranks and even coloring their cars in the same layout as the legitimate ones. They will approach people, especially solo travelers or tourists, and ask if they are looking for a taxi and where they are going. For that reason, I usually tend to stick to ridesharing when I travel, but this time my phone was dead, so I was in a tough spot.”
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In the end, Frenzy made it to Genesis 9 to play something Super Smash Bros. Melee Thanks to the help of the tournament organizers. After taking a day or two to recover, he said he feels well enough to compete. He didn’t place as well and finished 49th in the tournament. However, he said that “despite everything that happened, the event itself was amazing” and “is eager to return in full form next year”. We hope he gets there much safer next time.
