A surge of excitement radiated through the Entertainment Hall, and for those attendees who visited, it was common to hear the thrilling chant of “3… 2… 1… Let it RIP!!” echoing through the venue. It was an instant attention-grabber for fans young and old who had ever watched the anime or played Beyblade themselves. Impossible to miss, the Beyblade championship arena drew in thousands of spectators over the four days of the convention. On Saturday, July 5, the tournament reached its final stage, attracting 128 competitors who made history by participating in the first official U.S. Open-Class single-elimination showdown.
Not only did contestants experience the structure of an official tournament, like those held in Japan, but this was also foreshadowing, as the champion of the U.S. tournament would advance to the Beyblade X World Championship 2025 in Japan, with an all-expenses-paid trip to represent the United States.
Honey’s Anime had the opportunity to sit front row for the final showdown, and trust us when we say the crowd was filled with extreme positivity, immaculate energy, and a raging hype that built up even more each round.
Starting with the third-place match, TMS faced Cosmo Dragon, a duel that TMS slayed with a 3-point victory, a survivor finish!
Next up was Yushwa, cosplaying as Takao Kinomiya, the protagonist of “Bakuten Shoot Beyblade,”the first series of the Beyblade anime. His opponent was ElenaBEY, a woman who won the hearts of the crowd thanks to her meme-worthy championship picture. Despite their playful demeanor, the two finalists delivered a seriously intense battle that was just as exciting as duels we’ve seen in the anime!
This battle was truly worthy of being the last match in the national US championship, it had it all. Mid-air collision, survivor finish, and a double knockout finish you name it! This battle was intense. In the end, ElenaBEY’s trusty Dran Buster 5-60 LF pulled through, helping her make a comeback after a draw and score two points with a knockout to win the championship.
The Entertainment Hall erupted with intense cheering for ElenaBEY, who secured her ticket to Tokyo this October for the global finals. But she wasn’t the only one being celebrated. The crowd was going wild for all eight top competitors who delivered thrilling action throughout the day.
We had the opportunity to do a quick interview with the top 3, and this is what they had to say:
Interview with TMS, 3rd Place
Q: Did you come today with the intention of winning, or just having fun? Did you expect to make it this far?
A: I came all the way from Texas to win. I was waiting since 2018 for this moment and the experience was insane; I’m just really happy to get to compete.
Q: How did you hear about this tournament at AX, and was this your first time in a tournament?
A: I’m a content creator who focuses on competitive Beyblade so of course I knew about this and I’ve been in 32 tournaments just in the past 6 months to make it here.
Q: After today’s defeat, do you plan on changing your strategy?
A: I plan to constantly change my style as always, trying out different styles of my interest.
Interview with Yushwa, 2nd Place
Q: After such an intense spin-off against ElenaBEY, how do you feel?
A: Exhausted! And stressed, but I wanted to make sure people had a good time watching the match.
Q: We’ve noticed you have quite a fan following among the crowd. Do you have a few words to share with your fans?
A: SoCal is still strong. We need more tournaments, more opportunities to give a chance to more players. Don’t stop playing until Beyblade becomes an e-sport! Until then, we need to take care of each other. I hope everyone had fun watching my matches and that I could deliver what the crowd wanted to see.
Interview with ElenaBEY, US Champion
Q: In a competitive scene like Beyblade X, how do you feel as a woman having won this championship in a game predominantly played by men?
A: Now I feel proud to represent women in Beyblade, not only as the U.S. champion. I want to show that Beyblade is for everyone, and I hope my win influences more women to join the world of Bey.
Q: Did you come to this tournament focused on winning?
A: I never expected to reach the top, or win! My friends helped me out with the knowledge of what Beyblade to pick, they helped me a lot through the preliminaries so I feel this win is for everyone who helped me. I am surprised I won!
Q: Were you surprised that the champion would have a chance to trip to Japan to join the BEYBLADE X World Championship 2025?
Is this your first time going?
A: No, it wasn’t a surprise. People were talking about the chance to compete in the World Championship in Japan. It’s not my first time in Japan, but I’m really looking forward to the shopping and food in Tokyo!
Q: Any final words for your fans?
A: The most important thing is to have fun and keep playing!
The Beyblade X National Tournament not only made history in the U.S but also delivered an unforgettable experience to fans and players alike. Tokyo, get ready—passion is on its way from the U.S.
