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


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LOS ANGELES, California -- Since the dawn of time, a barrier has existed between men and women. From anatomical differences to psychological discrepancies, neither gender has been able to fully understand and for that matter conquer the other, and for that very reason, the proverbial “battle of the sexes” still exists. In today’s digital age, the battle has taken a new form at the inaugural Championship Gaming Series World Final.

On the left we have Vanessa Arteaga of the San Francisco Optx. She is the first ever draft pick of the CGS and a beauty so breathtaking she turned down Hugh Hefner and his Playboy legacy. Vanessa is also arguably the best female gamer in the world.

On the right we have Ryan “Offbeat Ninja” Ward of the Carolina Core. He’s a former World Cyber Games Grand Champion and the anchor of the his team. Ryan’s also arguably the best DOA player in the world.

On December 13th, the two will be competing in the Itagaki Challenge -- CGS’s first ever battle of the sexes competition.

It was their dominating seasonal play that inspired DOA creator Tomonobu Itagaki to issue the challenge. In addition to receiving an Xbox 360 Elite console during the North American season, the gamer that wins the challenge will embark on a trip to Japan and receive a personalized katana courtesy of Itagaki and Tecmo.

“I’m very excited to be fighting Offbeat in the Itagaki Challenge because he is considered to be the best and I want to see how I fair against him,” said Arteaga.

Just like the 1973 tennis battle between Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King, this is a modern age battle of the sexes where the man likely has the majority of the public’s support, but can’t feel entirely easy about the competition.

Both players boast impressive CGS Region 1 records, with Offbeat going on a 13 game wining streak, to end the North American season. It’s difficult to imagine any ladies taking down the Canadian powerhouse, but Vanessa has already 1-upped him as the only undefeated player in Region 1 with an unprecedented record of 13-0, including 8 shutout victories.

In typical male fashion, Offbeat Ninja doesn’t think very highly of his competition. “Vanessa’s done fairly well obviously she went undefeated throughout her season, but then again at the same point she was going against easier competition. She’s really good but I don’t think she’s on my level or most of the male DOA players. I’d say she’s just slightly below that.”

While the CGS separates the male and female divisions of DOA, this is not the first time the two DOA titans have met. A year ago, at the second Championship Gaming Invitation event, Vanessa and Offbeat Ninja went head to head in the first round of the competition. It was an epic battle and the beginning of the rivalry as the two number one gamers split the first six rounds of the match. Offbeat Ninja was able to barely edge out a victory, but it may end up working against him as Vanessa is now determined to even the score.

“It was a close match because we were both evenly skilled at the time and I believe that it could’ve gone either way. I want to see how different we’ve gotten in terms of skill and I look forward to seeing what I can do and hopefully taking him out,” Arteaga explained.

In the time between the invitational and the Itagaki Challenge, Vanessa has more than proven her ability to take down any male that stands in her way. The former DOA champion, Emmanuel "Master" Rodriguez of the Dallas Venom, was thoroughly defeated by Vanessa at the WCG Pan-American Championship. Her will is strong and she is quite possibly the only player in the CGS capable of knocking Offbeat from his throne of DOA dominance.

A battle between the best in the universe could only be held between a man, with the power of the Roman War God Mars, and a woman, with the strength and beauty of the Goddess Venus. Unlike a physical sport where a man’s physique could give him an advantage, in an age where professional gaming is a reality, Vanessa could dispatch of her male counterpart.

Offbeat realizes his physical differences won’t help him much as he humbly stated, “I believe that in videogames males and females are equal because it’s all intellectual. It’s all about how you think, how you react to things and what you know about the game. I think if a woman puts in as much time as a man they’d be on equal footing. I mean obviously natural skill would make a little bit of difference, but other than that I don’t think there are any physical differences.”

On Thursday, when dark clouds form over the Sony Culver City Studios and a throng of women line up to get tickets to the event, a colossal battle between man and woman will take place. Vanessa Arteaga will be fighting for woman gamers across the globe, while Ryan Ward will be trying to save himself from the verbal thrashing his male peers will undoubtedly unleash upon him if he loses. Can Vanessa follow in Billie Jean King’s footsteps and bring down her male rival, or will Offbeat Ninja retain his title as champion?

The answer will be revealed when this Championship Gaming Series World Final special event commences in less than 48 hours.

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ANALYSIS: Get Your Tournament Itagaki Challenge Analysis
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