This Saturday, November 19, Richard "CLG Keitaro" King Jr. will host the final installment of his beloved KTAR series in Somerset, NJ. What began as a small Brawl regional in 2009 has grown to attract top-level talent from all over the US and beyond! With Keitaro's relocation to California, its seven-year legacy will finally come to an end. With nearly 400 entrants for Super Smash Bros for Wii U, KTAR XIX will surely send the series out with a bang.
Champions of KTARs Past
With 6 wins, Nairoby "NRG Nairo" Quezada 
has achieved more KTAR victories than any other person. His streak began at KTAR XIII, and with the exception of KTAR XVII, he's won every one since. He also prevailed at SKTAR 4, the only installment of the KTAR-related series to feature Smash 4. Though several other players have given him trouble along the way, most notably Samuel "RNG | Dabuz" Buzby, Nairo has shown himself to be the consistent favorite to win New Jersey tournaments.When Nairo and Dabuz faltered at KTAR XVII, Tyler "Denial | Marss" Martins
Flip Jumped at his opportunity to claim the title of champion for himself. Though he's struggled greatly against those two nemeses, he's shown exceptional prowess at handling every other regular foe. He's continued to improve since he first started attending KTAR tournaments, so don't be surprised if you see him in finals ahead of other great players.Before Nairo and Marss, it was Julian "Circa | Jtails" Martinez
who demolished the KTAR competition. He was the three-time consecutive champion starting with KTAR X, the only installment to feature Super Smash Bros. for 3DS. Unfortunately, he won't be able to attend the final KTAR this weekend, as he now lives on the West Coast. However, you will be able to catch him at 2GGT: ZeRo Saga next month!Challengers, New and Old
Despite having lost to mere mortals, Gonzalo "TSM ZeRo" Barrios arguably retains his status as the most consistent Smash 4 player. Not only that, but he also boasts vastly positive records against Nairo and Dabuz. Samuel "RNG | Dabuz" Buzby
has come very close to winning KTAR on numerous occasions, but was denied the title every time, first by Jtails and later by Nairo. In spite of that, he's widely acknowledged as one of the best players in the world. It's a testament to the Tri-state region that the skill density is that high. It's worth noting that Dabuz has been making gains on Nairo; he knocked him out of losers at Umebura S.A.T..Leonardo "SF HDG | MK Leo" Perez
is perhaps the most exciting new challenger. After months of waiting for visa approval, he'll finally be able to compete in US tournaments. Judging by the wins he's racked up both in his native Mexico and at Canada Cup, he is a player of the highest caliber. It's worth mentioning that his resume already includes victories over Nairo and Dabuz.The word is out: Saleem "MVG | Salem" Young
is an international-level threat. Whether it's beating Japan's finest at Little Big House 2, or winning Collision XIV by double-eliminating ZeRo himself, Salem has finally shown that he is a threat to anyone in the world. He's still lacking a huge major win, but that could easily come this weekend if he plays in top form.Julian "Zinoto" Carrington
is coming in hot off of two high-profile tournament wins. He defeated Eric "PG ESAM" Lew at Midwest Mayhem 5 and won two sets over Salem to win Rebirth IX. It's not like he was a stranger to success before these events, either; this is the same player who almost won CEO 2016. Having two more tournament wins under his belt should do wonders for his confidence this weekend.Though not officially a KTAR champion, Marcus "VGBC Pink Fresh" Wilson
did take 2GGT: KTAR Saga over some of the fiercest competitors from SoCal and Tri-state combined. However, there is still debate over who the best Bayonetta player is. Salem has made a case for himself with a number of high-profile player wins, but none of his tournament wins compare to Pink Fresh's 2GG victory.Gavin "Tweek" Dempsey
has come so close to winning large Tri-state events. He was stopped short by Salem at Olympus and Collision XIV, and he made it to 3rd place at KTAR XVIII. With tougher competition than ever, Tweek will have to step up his game to finally crack through the barriers to victory. But if he does, it'll prove that he's every bit as good as previous champions.Vincent "Vinnie" Cannino
could be a sleeper pick for this tournament's finals. He finished 9th at EVO 2016, just shy of top 8 and the recognition it brings. He's beaten Tri-state's finest players, including ZeRo, but is less consistent in his results than they are. Though he lost to MK Leo when they last played, his experience from that encounter will serve him well should they meet again in bracket.William "DKwill" Walsh
is a fan favorite who always makes it far in bracket at Tri-state events. That being said, his character struggles tremendously with Zero Suit Samus and Rosalina. It's going to be tough for him to win with the strongest representatives of both characters in attendance. That being said, his DK did show some promise vs. Nairo at Smash the Record 2016.Wesley "Circa | 6WX" Alexander
first gained notoriety for his unorthodox aggressive Sonic play. He's since learned to slow things down a bit, and it's helped him secure wins that he wouldn't otherwise have. It'll be tough for him to crack Dabuz and/or Nairo, but he'll likely make it far in bracket regardless.Corey "False" Shin
is an elegant, yet ruthlessly efficient, player. He's yet to win a major, but did achieve an impressive regional victory at Midwest Mayhem 3. His toughest competition is going to be players like MK Leo, who know his characters inside and out and are coming in with confidence from previous major wins. False may be an underdog here, but you shouldn't count him out.Alexander "Pugwest" Martins
is the brother of Denial | Marss. The two form a devastating team in doubles which is capable of beating the likes of ZeRo and Nairo. Though not quite as formidable as his brother in singles, Pugwest has a very good chance of making a dent in (and perhaps even cracking through) other expected finalists.Jamaal "Samsora" Morris Jr.
has proven that he can hang with the best. His path to 2nd place at Clutch City Clash was amazing, and he recently almost beat Dabuz at Aftershock 2016. That being said, both of his characters are especially weak to Meta Knight, so he would really like to avoid MK Leo if at all possible.In addition to these threatening contenders, there are many other talented players registered for KTAR XIX. The Smash.gg attendees list will continue to update until registration closes Saturday morning.
Stream & Schedule
10:00 a.m. | Opening
11:00 a.m. | Doubles begins
12:00 p.m. | Singles Wave A
2:30 p.m. | Singles Wave B
5:00 p.m. | Top 48
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