Joshua Moreno had come back from an amazingly bad situation in the quarterfinals! He took a game loss for a decklist error, and had a terrible opening hand in game two, but he still came back to steal the win. His opponent, Angel Flores, was making his first return appearance to the Shonen Jump Championship Top 8 tables! Put up against the veteran, this match didn’t seem like it would be an easy one for Moreno.
He opened with a set monster, and Flores fired back with a set spell or trap card. Moreno flip summoned Dekoichi, took his card, and attacked directly for a quick 1400. He set Spirit Reaper and passed.
Flores brought down Gravekeeper’s Spear Soldier, piercing the set Spirit Reaper. Flores then set a spell or trap, activated Smashing Ground, and ended his turn. Snatch Steal grabbed the Spear Soldier, and Moreno tributed both of the monsters he controlled for Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys! The Phoenix struck directly and hit!
Flores set one back row card, Moreno summoned Strike Ninja, and Torrential Tribute was flipped! Ninja dodged its watery grave, Moreno set a back row card, and it was taken out by Mystical Space Typhoon. Return from the Different Dimension was destroyed. Ninja Returned, and a turn later it was all over! Flores had nothing that could make a difference in the duel. The Phoenix came back next turn, blowing every set card of Flores’s off the field with its effect, and Breaker the Magical Warrior sealed the deal. The first duel had ended in mere moments!
The second game began almost instantaneously. Flores set a card to each zone, Moreno did the same, and Flores summoned D. D. Warrior Lady and flipped Spirit Reaper. D. D. Warrior Lady hit Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, Moreno took a card, and Reaper was blocked by Call of the Haunted on Dekoichi. Flores set another back row card and passed.
Smashing Ground destroyed D. D. Warrior Lady, Dekoichi hit Spirit Reaper to punch through some damage, and Moreno set a monster. Flores brought out hisStrike Ninja, attacked Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, and turned Reaper to defense. Moreno fired back with D. D. Survivor, attacking the Ninja but losing the attack to Enemy Controller. He set a spell or trap card and passed, with D. D. Survivor trapped in defense position.
Flores attacked the Survivor with Reaper, and Ninja attacked the face down: it was blasted by Sakuretsu Armor. Moreno summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, but Torrential Tribute cleared the field. Moreno’s Premature Burial brought back Don Zaloog. It hit directly, and discarded Sakuretsu Armor form Flores’s hand. Flores set a spell or trap card and passed.
Mystic Swordsman LV2 attacked the face down card, destroying it, but Don was blocked by Scapegoat! Flores summoned Spy, but its attempted attack on Mystic Swordsman LV2 was denied by Sakuretsu Armor. A turn later, Moreno was bashing Sheep with Strike Ninja and Mystic Swordsman LV2. Flores flipped Sakuretsu Armor, but Ninja dodged. Moreno set a back row card, Flores passed his turn, and Moreno dropped another Strike Ninja. Mystic Swordsman LV2 hit the last Sheep, both Ninjas swung directly, and play passed to Flores!
Flores special summoned Cyber Dragon, then normal summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, but Moreno flipped Torrential Tribute. He topdecked into D. D. Warrior Lady, attacked with it, and Flores was down to topdecking. He drew Nobleman of Crossout, showed it to Moreno, and resigned the match!
Joshua Moreno defeats the two-time Top 8 competitor Angel Flores in what may be the fastest Shonen Jump Championship Top 8 match of all time. Everything was said and done in under six minutes!