Team ZeRo announced that it will sponsor Chris “WaDi” Boston to play Super Smash Bros. Ultimate at Pound 2020. The organization, started by Smash 4 superstar Gonzalo “ZeRo” Barrios, announced its inception and WaDi’s signing on March 8.
Team ZeRo will not function like a traditional esports team, but instead will act as a sort of talent agency. Through this team, ZeRo hopes to give players the opportunity to attend tournaments and prove their value to other sponsors. As a result, contracts will be flexible, allowing players to move on to better opportunities as they arise.
Ultimately, ZeRo’s goal is to invest into the Smash community through his esports brand. Team ZeRo will eventually sell merchandise in order to help fund projects and investments. Considering the temporary nature of this sponsorship, WaDi is likely just the first of many who will join Team ZeRo.
ZeRo is renowned as a multi-Smash game competitor, finding success in Melee, Brawl, and Smash 4. Of course, he is best known for his accolades in Smash 4, with a win streak spanning 56 tournaments. Last year, ZeRo revealed that this win streak only earned him about $45,000. Therefore, he knows the struggle of trying to make a living by playing Smash, prompting him to start this team.
Team ZeRo | WaDi
WaDi was undoubtedly a deserving candidate to be the first member of Team ZeRo. He is No. 20 on the Fall 2019 PGRU. Previously, he was the highest-ranked American free agent in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. That title now belongs to Brian “Cosmos” Kalu.
Though originally a R.O.B. main, WaDi rose to prominence after the release of Mewtwo as a Smash 4 DLC fighter. He peaked at No. 12 on the PGR v4. His overall solid performances allowed him to finish as No. 26 on the PGR 100.
In Smash Ultimate, Team ZeRo’s WaDi returned to his roots as a R.O.B. main, finding great success in the process. WaDi finished within the top 25 on both PGRU rankings thus far. During the first two Ultimate seasons, he beat players like Ezra Samsora Morris, Samuel “Dabuz” Buzby, and Eric “ESAM” Lew.
WaDi has had quietly solid results throughout 2020 so far. He placed 13th at Let’s Make Big Moves, 17th at Glitch 8, and 33rd at Frostbite 2020. He has beaten the likes of Dabuz, Gakuto “Gackt” Ito, Matt “Elegant” Fitzpatrick, Eric “Pandarian” Lund, and Alexis “Goblin” Stennett.
WaDi will compete under the Team ZeRo banner at Pound 2020 from April 3 – 5 in Laurel, Maryland.
