Hungrybox wins Super Smash Bros. Melee Major at CEO 2025

Olivia Richman
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hungrybox pop off ceo
Image Credit: CEO/XRINGLEADER

Super Smash Bros. Melee God Juan ‘Hungrybox’ DeBiedma is the Melee Singles champion after an intense weekend at CEO 2025.

CEO is a massive fighting game tournament that features the best-of-the-best pro fighters in a variety of titles year after year. This includes a super stacked Melee bracket full of the top pros in the scene, including Hungrybox, fellow Jigglypuff main Alexander ‘Komodo’ Nea and Justin ‘Wizzrobe’ Hallett.

Hungrybox Wins 37th Major After Intense Grand Finals at CEO 2025

It’s been a massive year for Hungrybox, who recently won Genesis X2 just a few months back and was up for an Esports Award nomination for its special Decade Awards event. While he had a few underwhelming performances leading up to CEO 2025, Hungrybox is no stranger to emotional rollercoasters and challenging tourneys.

Hungrybox essentially breezed through CEO with a 7-1 record ahead of the Grand Final. However, the event didn’t come without its setbacks. At one point, Hbox had to switch controllers mid-game due to a malfunctioning phob. The Brawlhalla tournament also caused quite a commotion during the Grand Finals, causing Hungrybox to even slip on some headphones to drown out the noise and concentrate.

The first game was completely one-sided, with Wizzrobe having no difficulty taking Hungrybox’s stocks. While Hbox even landed a rest, it resulted in a returned KO while he was already one stock behind. After this game, it seemed like a sure win for the Captain Falcon main as he reset the Grand Final.

However, the first game after the rest went dramatically different. Commentators noted Hungrybox’s intense expression in the cam, stating that he appeared quite locked in. The gameplay matched, with Jigglypuff hitting plenty of back airs and incredible edge guards. This was definitely the Hungrybox that fans knew.

The second game was incredibly close, with both players down to their final stock. However, Wizzy seemed to have an edge on Pokemon Stadium thanks to some tricky map transformations. The third game saw Hbox showcase his insane stall techniques on the right side of the stage, landing rests that ensured his dominance over Wizzrobe.

The final stage was Fountain of Dreams, with Hungrybox now 2-1. He immediately took Wizzrobe’s first stock with six back airs, pushing Falcon too far from the ledge. As Hungrybox brought Wizzrobe to 3-2 stocks, Wizzy could be seen losing his composure. However, the two pros ended up at equal footing soon after, leaving fans holding their breath.

Wizzy took the lead with a well-placed knee but Hungrybox quickly returned the favor. Both pros were down to their last stock, causing Hbox to start breathing heavily on the cam. Another knee ensured that Wizzrobe took control of the game, bringing it the score to a nervewracking 2-2.

Battlefield was the final stage. Hungrybox landed a rest immediately, giving him an upperhand right at the start. However, a missed rest a moment later allowed Captain Falcon to get a smash attack in, evening the score. It was an incredibly close back-and-forth final game, causing fans to continuously stand up in the crowd.

In the end, the two fought for center stage but Hungrybox had enough control and stamina to dominate the final stock.

Hungrybox’s popoff was emotional for fans. He fell to his knees, just as he had when he won Evo, got up and thanked the crowd, then kissed his girlfriend. Hbox then threw his controller, which had caused him issues throughout the event.

Hungrybox won the first-ever CEO event 15 years ago, making this an even more emotional return to form. In fact, many fans feel that Hungrybox has been playing better than ever before on his journey to become the GOAT once again.

“THATS HOW YOU BOUNCE THE F*** BACK,” Hungrybox tweeted.

Olivia Richman

Deputy Editor
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Olivia Richman is a seasoned esports journalist who has worked with Inven Global, Esports Illustrated, Esports.gg, and more. As an editor and writer at Esports Insider, she loves telling unique esports stories, especially within the FGC. When not working and gaming, Olivia loves collecting Kirby plush, eating sushi, and driving her cars at the track.
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