This piece of signed collectible shadowbox art is probably one of the most memorable moments in fighting game history featuring Daigo “The Beast” Umehara and Justin “Jwong” Wong. The presence of this piece online for sale has led to varied reaction from the FGC, most of whom joked about it being a tragedy for Justin Wong never to get away from the infamous clip.
For those not lucky enough to get an intro to the scene, it is from EVO 2004 when Daigo stitched together a mind-blowing comeback in Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike against Justin Wong. The clip, popularly referred to as “Evo Moment #37,” involved the perfect parry by Daigo of Justin’s entire Chun-Li super art followed by his counter-hit combo that clinched the game for him. It has since been memed, remixed, referenced countless times, and now this moment is slowly becoming tangible memorabilia.
The shadowbox is a precise recreation of the moment, complete with signatures of both players. While being a nice collector’s item for fighting game fans, the online reactions were largely mocking Justin Wong. Gamers swarmed the replies with joke-turned-argument statements: “Bro this is bullying” and “Justin ain’t ever gonna live this down.” Some have even tagged Justin impersonally as an extra dab of salt.
In an interesting twist, though: Justin Wong is taking the whole thing with great humor! As one fan remarked, “He’s mentioned many times that he is glad that that happened because it brought so much attention to the FGC. Without that clip going viral, who knows how many people would have ended up getting into fighting games.” That hasn’t stopped the jokes.
The responses twisted from nostalgia to outright funny remarks. One said they would buy [this] just to gift it to Justin, while another posted that a button playing audio from the match should have been included in the box. Then there is a user who remembers that time back in high school watching the clip, rewinding it on repeat, barely able to comprehend what he had just witnessed.
As far as the shadowbox is concerned, it is absolute history for the FGC. For any die-hard member or simply an adherent of gaming culture, this is one of those very few collectibles that really matter. And hey, if you are feeling a little naughty today, maybe you might consider buying it and then sending it to Justin as a prank.
The moment itself is almost 20 years old, but the ripples are still felt today. The shadowbox has officially shipped a physical imprint inside the history of gaming, forever brandishing the story from “love it,” “hate it” to “jest.”
If you do have some pounds for this piece of legacy, the link is right there for you. However, brace yourself for all the gags that will come once you show it in your gaming kantoor.
Justin, if you happen to read this… Oh, sorry, man. Actually, thank you so much for being able to take this in stride over the years. And speaking of recent events, don’t forget to check out Street Fighter 6 that just launched!
