The Regional Championship cycle continued last weekend with The Gathering Showdown Series in Mexico City bringing together 62 of the best players in the area with spots at the Pro Tour and one at the World Championship on the line. After taking in Standard results from across the globe over the past few weeks, the Top 8 featured the players best able to adapt over the course of six rounds and a Top 8 cut. When the dust settled on a Sheoldred-heavy elimination bracket, it was Jesús Adán Calzada Tovar and his Rakdos Reanimator deck who took down the title.
The victory comes with a qualification for the World Championship, and it was a gift that Calzada Tovar was appreciative of in the days following his victory. That victory came after an extremely grueling Top 8 in which he battled through not one, but two Grixis Midrange decks before meeting Cristian Zuniga and his Mono-White Midrange deck in the finals. The finish also qualifies Zuniga for the upcoming Pro Tour March of the Machines.
The Grixis Midrange deck that Calzada Tovar battled through all weekend was by far the most popular in the event – it represented 31% of the field while Mono-White Midrange was a distant second at 12% and Esper Legends was next at 11%.
And just like in the Top 8, the midrange version of Grixis struggled while Calzada Tovar went over the top consistently by reanimating
The tournament was a celebration of high-level Magic in the region, and the entire field was full of some of the best to be found. Next up for the winner is the Pro Tour in May, with the World Championship on the horizon after that – it’s going to be a busy year of Magic from here on out for Jesús Adán Calzada Tovar!
¡Muchas Felicidades al Ganador del Final Showdown! Jesus Adan Calzada. Lo podremos ver en el Pro Tour y en el World Championship. pic.twitter.com/tihHOGuwVl
— The Gathering Series (@SeriesGathering) March 19, 2023
