Pre-MLG Dallas Interview with EGP Tyrant

Tyrant (Right)

Name - EJ Williamson aka EGP Tyrant (Twitter - @EeeeJayyyy)

Age - 20

Fighting Out Of - River City, CA

Character(s) Of Choice - Jax

Major Accomplishments - Top 8 at EVO 2012, 4th at SCR 2011, 5th at MLG Spring Championship, 3rd at MLG Summer Fighter Arena

For those who aren’t clear, is it true that you do not own a copy of Mortal Kombat?

Yes it’s true. I do NOT own a copy.

Why is this?

Well I don’t exactly live the luxury life so money is hard to come by. I have responsibilities that come first before anything.

How are you able discover new techniques or even practice in general without having possession of the game?

I pretty much know the game mechanics well enough to think of new tech when I’m not playing. Then I test it out when I go play casuals with the WC crew.

Is it difficult to rely solely on occasional casual get-togethers to improve your abilities and maintain a high level of play?

It’s very difficult actually. Luckily I play other FG's just to keep my skills mentally up to par when I can’t play MK. Idk how I do it sometimes.

How long have you mained Jax?

The first week MK came out I wanted to main Sektor and have Jax as my secondary. I went my first EGP tourney and met XBlades for the first time...he bodied my sektor lol. Ever since that loss I’ve been using Jax 100% and I vowed to stick through the bad matchups. I personally think it makes you that much more mentally stronger when you use one character. It pushes you to the limit and your victories are much more satisfying.

Is there a correct way to use Jax? Or does it vary depending on the player?

Well Jax is a very momentum based character in my opinion. You have to keep some sort of pressure on your opponent whether it’s zoning or rushdown which makes him a versatile character. Be sure to utilize all of Jax's strings since most are safe.

CD Jr has recently stated on Twitter that, despite dropping Jax, he is still the best Jax player.  What is your response to this?

That cute ;)

Are you familiar with DAB?  If so, where does his Jax rank among the rest in the Mortal Kombat community?

DAB is beastly. He is definitely underrated in the community. I hope he's going to Dallas so everyone can see his Jax.

Have you found any new techs with Jax that will make you an even more lethal player at MLG Dallas?

I do have some new techs but I won’t reveal anything till after MLG Dallas. I haven’t really been posting in the Jax forums but ill post everything I know to all my Jax mainers. I promise you guys its actually NEW tech. Not stuff someone else found and is taking credit for...

Not many people thought you would place top 8 at EVO, what did it feel like to take Jax all the way to top 8 and defeat some extremely talented opponents?

It felt amazing. A certain someone (who will remain nameless) said I will never beat Maxter's Cage...and I did. People said I wouldn’t make out of pools and lose to Dizzy...I made it out in winners and beat dizzy. I honestly couldn’t care less what people think about me but I wanted to prove everyone wrong who doubted me at EVO.

You and GGA Dizzy have consistently gone back-and-forth in tournament play, what is your opinion on him as a player? Do you believe he is the best Johnny Cage player?

Most definitely, He works so hard on his Johnny Cage and he only gets better every tourney. I love playing him.

Looking ahead to MLG Dallas, what are you most excited for going into this tournament?

I’m looking forward to playing the Kombat Houston guys for the first time.

What is your overall goal at MLG Dallas? What will you need to do to accomplish this goal?

I’m going to go for the number 1 spot or at least top 3. My mind needs to be absolutely focused on the tourney and nothing else.

What would you say to the people going into Dallas that don’t see you as a major threat?

Don’t judge a book by its cover.

Who do you see as your biggest threats going into this tournament?

Perfect Legend REO and Pig of The Hut.

Is there anyone in the Mortal Kombat community who you have yet to play in competition that you would like to?

I’ve always wanted to play Showtime and CD Sr.

What is your opinion on the future of competitive Mortal Kombat? Do you think it will make another appearance at EVO in 2013?

I believe it will be alive so long as the community shows love for the game. I'll still keep supporting it no matter what.

Have you been following the news about ‘Injustice: Gods Among Us’? If so, what do you think of it? Will it be a game that you pick up?

Most definitely, I’m so hype for this game.

What moment in your competitive Mortal Kombat career would you say is your favorite?

I think it would be my EVO'11 match with OnlineTony. Probably the most hype I’ve ever been.

What tournaments will you be attending for Mortal Kombat after MLG Dallas?

My next tourney will probably be SoCal Regionals. After that I'll probably take a break from traveling.

Where do you expect to finish when MLG Dallas is all said and done?

I definitely see myself somewhere in top 8.

What is your opinion on Tomlulsbrady?

He's my number 1 fan since day 1. If I win has getting a shoutout.

Before we wrap this up, is there anything you would like to add to this interview? Any final words of hype or shout-outs?

I’m really looking forward to Dallas. I’m going to give it my all. West Coast, EGP is nothing to joke about. If you guys still underestimate our skill...you'll regret it when you're in the losers bracket. I’m done playing around. Time to take down these frauds.