Article by Bryan "DrDogg" Dawson, Senior Writer TheCGS.com


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PHOENIX, Arizona -- If you were one of the top players in the Championship Gaming Series and went 15-0 last year in official league matches, including 10 shutout victories, would you be satisfied? Most people would have a positive answer to that question, but Vanessa Arteaga is not most people. The San Francisco Optx DOA Women’s player isn't satisfied with her 2007 results and continues to strive for something greater than perfection.

While her female rivals are claiming to be hot on her heals, and ready to dethrone her as soon as then new season begins, Arteaga has been hard at work improving her skills and making sure she stays above the competition and continues to act as the impact player on her team.

During the North American regular season, Arteaga used Hitomi as her character of choice. She had decisive victories over all of her opponents, but when it came time for the league’s DOA Women’s Individual Championship, she switched her character to Kasumi. Arteaga felt she performed even better during the Individual Championship than she did during the season.

“I used Kasumi in the Individual Championship because that was the character I was focused on at the time.” Arteaga continued, looking toward next season, “I like to switch characters and learn the basics with many of them. At the moment I am undecided if I will switch characters again.”

While her opponents may try to strategize as to which character Arteaga will use, they have other things to worry about as well. As the only undefeated player in the league, Arteaga’s rivals must dig deep to find any blemishes on her record. The Optx superstar has been so dominant that through 15 official matches she has only conceded more than two rounds on one occasion. Dallas Venom DOA Women’s player Cynthia “Raspberry Tea” Escamilla holds the record with three rounds scored against Arteaga during their Week 2:1 match last season.

In a recent interview, Escamilla stated that the three rounds she took from Arteaga were just the beginning, and promised to give her a run next season. Although Arteaga respects Escamilla’s game, she is quick to squash any potential rivalry.

“Raspberry Tea is a fun opponent and a very nice girl. Fighting her is always an experience,” Arteaga responded after reading the interview. “We shall see how the next season plays out.”

Escamilla may have been the only player Arteaga had a close call with in an official league match, but she also had a grueling battle against the Latin American sensation Mirlet “Hitomi 1” Delgadillo during an exhibition match at the Region 2 Live Qualifier in Mexico City. After eight intense rounds -- with Arteaga emerging victorious, 5-3 -- Delgadillo proved that she had enough potential to become the first female to defeat Arteaga.

“I remember first fighting Hitomi 1 and I thought she was a good opponent with a good knowledge of the game,” said Arteaga, who gave some of the credit of the game’s close score due to her “adjusting back to the CGS monitors after getting used to fighting on the World Cyber Games monitors.”

Both women seemed fairly close in skill at the time as they exchanged rounds and gave the crowd an exhilarating match. However, when they played again less than three months later, Arteaga defeated Delgadillo in five straight rounds to win the Individual Championship.

Was the shutout victory due to Arteaga adjusting back to the CGS monitors, or did she increase her skill dramatically over that short period of time? No matter what the cause of the win, Arteaga is set to extend her undefeated streak into next season.

“I would like my performance next season to be similar to last season or possibly even better,” said Arteaga. “I will try my best to remain undefeated.”

So while CGS’s other DOA Women’s competitors train vigorously in an effort to catch up to Arteaga, the Optx star is steadily progressing and ready to do what it takes to keep her flawless record intact.

“It’s kind of strange to be the one that everyone wants to take down, but it does make you want to train harder, get better and be all the more determined to be the best you can be,” said Arteaga.

With the second season drawing near, the question on everyone’s mind is, “Can Vanessa Arteaga be defeated?”

Aside from a loss to DOA Men’s player Ryan “Offbeat Ninja” Ward in the Battle of the Sexes exhibition match, the answer last year was a resounding no. Will the 2008 season prove to be any different? If Arteaga has anything to say about it, not only will she remain undefeated, but her team will make the World Final and she'll earn herself a league MVP. Only time will tell...



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