Genesis 8 may have just ended but the Super Smash Bros. community is already looking forward to Pound. The event is this upcoming weekend in Maryland, April 22-24, with most of the top Melee and Ultimate players planning to compete. 

Melee legend Joseph "Mango" Marquez wasn't one of those pros. But after a pretty okay run at Genesis 8, Mang0 seems to have changed his mind. Losing to long-time rival Juan "Hungrybox" DeBiedma — who knocked him out of the competition — didn't help either. 

But sign-ups to Pound were closed. As stated previously, it's this coming weekend. That doesn't really stop a Melee god, however. Mang0 got permission from Pound's tournament organizer (and VGBootCamp owner) Calvin "GimR" Lofton to compete at the event, but only if he reached a certain sub goal. 

"Last minute Pound sub goal?" Mang0 tweeted after getting the green light. 

The Smash community quickly rallied behind Mang0, likely excited about the potential rematch against HBox and the next chapter of the juicy storyline which last saw Mang0 lose 0-3 in the Loser's Bracket of GENESIS.

It wasn't a surprise when Mang0 hit the sub goal within the same day of announcing the stream. 

While Mang0 attending Pound is generally seen as exciting news, some questioned why he was able to get special treatment. While he did reach a sub goal, the registration had been closed for weeks so some argued that it seemed unfair. Others simply responded: "It's Mang0." 

Mang0 has been a long-time favorite in the Smash scene, even winning Inven Global's award for Best Melee Player of 2021, and it's almost a no-brainer for Pound's TOs to let Mang0 compete. The Melee god is a recipe for instant viewership boost and his participation can be seen as a win-win for the entire Smash community in some ways.