Rapper Waka Flocka is aiming to challenge one of the best Street Fighter players, Punk, after he took third place at EVO 2023 — and it looks like a celebrity money match might be on the table.
Rappers are no stranger to the fighting game community. In fact, Lil Wayne even helped market Street Fighter 6 with a special broadcast prior to its explosive release this summer.
On top of that, Lupe Fiasco has been a longtime lover of the Street Fighter franchise, and even faced off with legendary pro Daigo ‘The Beast’ Umehara in a Street Fighter V exhibition match just before the title launched back in 2016.
Now, another major rapper is getting his hands in the game — and he wants the smoke from one of the scene’s strongest players.
Street Fighter 6 pro Punk challenges Waka Flocka to $5k money match
Right now, a slew of fighting game gods are gathered in Saudi Arabia for the Gamers8 Street Fighter 6 tournament, including Victor ‘Punk’ Woodley.
Punk broke onto the competitive fighting game scene with the release of Street Fighter V, scoring a slew of major victories in the Capcom Pro Tour throughout the game’s lifetime.
Punk has proven to be equally strong upon the release of Street Fighter 6, even finishing third at EVO 2023 and taking home $10,000. However, it doesn’t look like rapper Waka Flocka was that impressed with his nail-biting loss to MenaRD in the Loser’s Final.
“You need to be sharpening up your Cammy,” Flocka said in a response to Punk on Twitter. “I watched EVO. I might have to come after your head next.”
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Punk was up to the challenge, immediately calling out the rapper for a $5k money match. “5k money match,” he said. “I don’t let celebrities win either, and we can set it up.”
“Same way MenaRD didn’t let you win?” Flocka shot back.
It doesn’t look like anything was immediately resolved, as Punk shot back the next day with a final offer. “Last time you will ever see me entertain this 5k or just stop talking to me, ’cause I don’t really care about celebrities’ clout. I want money, that’s it.”
Thus far, it doesn’t look like many pros in the fighting game scene are confident that Flocka will take the victory. EVO champion and Mortal Kombat pro A F0xy Grampa was quick to chime in, saying that Punk won’t let him have an easy time of it, hearkening back to Daigo’s hotly-contested loss to Lupe Fiasco in 2016.
“I respect the attempt to bullhorn your way into the scene,” he wrote. “But like Punk says, some of us aren’t so merciful like Daigo was to Lupe. The flame will be extinguished before it can even spark.”
For now, Flocka is focusing on an upcoming event with fighting game legend Sonic Fox, who he’ll face off with in a Mortal Kombat 1 exhibition match on September 18.
However, he did tease the possibility of hosting a Street Fighter 6 event to settle his beef with Punk – even suggesting he should get EVO winner AngryBird to come and clean house.