The match has frequently been criticized for possibly being staged, and the celebrity's later association with professional Street Fighter play has resulted in mixed opinions among the fighting game community.
[8] In an interview shortly after the match, Fiasco stated that he "almost cried on stage," noting that winning against Umehara was a bucket list thing.
"[9] When asked about the match by Kotaku, Umehara gave the following response: I would like to congratulate [Fiasco] on his victory last night, but let's say that you can eagerly await a rematch.
[10]Many journalists and fans believe that the match may have been staged due to the highly climactic final and Fiasco's disregard of the idea of joining future tournaments.
[9] The match has been heavily criticized by fans as a poorly veiled marketing ploy to create more buzz for Street Fighter V.[7] Owen S. Good of Polygon suggested that the game may have been similar to an exhibition match in tennis, players of which being "notorious for tanking sets to make sure the show goes the distance and the fans get their money's worth, before playing the last set on the square.
In May, Fiasco attended the Street Fighter V tournament Combo Breaker, apparently in order to eventually qualify for the 2016 Capcom Cup.