At the age of 18, MenaRD qualified for the 2017 Capcom Cup finals. Hailing from the Dominican Republic, a lesser known region in the world of Street Fighter, MenaRD was expected to falter in the face of the established veterans of the game that stood in his path. At the time, the only people who expected MenaRD to perform, let alone win, were his fellow country men, and MenaRD himself. The historic run that followed culminated with a grand finals showdown between the young Dominican Birdie player, and the reigning EVO champion and legendary fighting game genius, Tokido. MenaRD, against all odds, would narrowly avoid defeat in the first set to then reset the bracket and ultimately claim the Capcom Cup title.
This unprecedented win catapulted both MenaRD, and the Dominican Republic as a whole, into the forefront of the minds of the greater Street Fighter community. This new found success came bundled with a new level of pressure and scrutiny placed on the young player. While MenaRD continued to put up strong results in the following seasons, he was failing to capture the same magic that had earned him his Capcom Cup title, and felt the weight of the negativity projected at him from the online community.
Things would soon however, change forever. With the support of his team, Bandits, along with his friends, family, and colleagues, MenaRD began to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Suddenly, MenaRD had captured that same magic he had in 2017, and made history once again in 2023 by winning Capcom Cup IX, the final Capcom Cup for SFV, and becoming the only person to ever win the cup twice.
With the release of Street Fighter 6, MenaRD established himself as one of the most dominant and consistent players in the world. With an EVO Vegas grand finals appearance, multiple premier top 8 finishes, Street Fighter League USA and World championships, and the EVO Japan 2024 title under his belt, MenaRD has found the science behind his magic, and aims to use it to conquer the competitive circuit.
On this episode of Trash Talk, I sit down with MenaRD to discuss his journey from playing at home in the Dominican Republic, to dominating on the world stage, how he handled the pressure of taking the crown from the established players as a new face in the scene, and his thoughts on the current state of Street Fighter 6, the pro tour, and his hopes for the future.
