The Kid From Nowhere Who Won it All... and Gave the Money Away 

The fact that he used his price money to upgrade his "Dojo" and started a Dominican Esports team and began making local tournaments in DR. Damn, huge respect to the guy

I swear fighting game videos just hit different.

In the Dominican Republic we don't have how to pay Mena everything he has done for our local FGC. Thanks Saul.

"It's not easy, but it's easier" that's the attitude that gets you far in life🙌🔥

This guy living in hardcore ultranightmare mode and showing everybody how it's done

Now thats money well spend. GJ kid, now go on.

Oh my god MenaRD in The Score*??? This feels really, really good for me because I'm also from Dominican Republic. Thank you so much!

Happy AF for him. Zero to Hero mode activated.

I was pretty shocked when I saw it in the DR local news, they like never talk about video games or stuff like that and I was quite happy that my country got some spotlight because of him

I never imagined that I would see a player from my country on theScore, thank you theScore for letting people know the struggle we have here in esports... And thanks MenaRD because of his effort and his passion. In fact, we (Dominicans) are so proud when a player or a team is recognized internationally and we tend to be very energetic about it.

Being Dominican, this made me cry. I'm amped up now. Great video.

Its great to see Mena RD giving back to the community, you can tell that he loves the scene and his homies. Also fun fact, Tokido actually won that tournament in the DR and he beat Mena (not in the finals) and the whole crowd was cheering for Tokido to win, also it was his birthday and people sang happy bday as well. Dominicans are nuts and fun people. Thanks for everything Saul, de lo mio'

Mena has an energy about him. Just seems like an all around champion.

Nice feature on a very deserving player. Hope he does well at the LCQ next month!

Who would win? Legendary Japanese fighting game God Or *one thicc boi*

He makes the most genuine face after he wins. He’s so suprised and in disbelief of his achievement. This is why esports will always be entertaining to watch

Why do like 30% of the videos TheScore creates make me cry?

This man is an absolute show of character. Mad respect

Proud Dominican right here! What mena says is true, kids in those “dojos” put hours and hours into fighting games and develop amazing skills because of it, but they mostly won’t have the chance to even get out of the city they live in to play in another one, but it’s good to see mena carrying and supporting the scene! Duro Saúl!

Wow this video made tears come out of my eyes 😭 this is great proud to be dominican 🇩🇴💪🏽

I am a CS fan but i appreciate how passionate everyone is in the fgc

Never played the game nor really cared about it, but this still gave me chills. This is what esports is all about !

When everyone is telling you will lose. It only makes winning that much greater!!!

Electricity go out, oh man as a Dominican I can relate to this lol

That set was phenomenal. Glad i was able to watch it live.

So proud there are Dominican players in the esports scene representing our country. I grew up there and know what it is like, a lot of kids don’t even have access to internet or a console to play on, I am sure he has made his community proud and happy by giving back to them with his hard earned money.

THIS GUY HAS A WINNER MINDSET IN BOTH BUSINESS AND PLAY.

Who's here after Mena won Capcom Cup again in 2023?

This makes me so proud of my country

De los mio personal. Glad to see someone giving back to DR. I remember when I was growing up all me and my friends used to do is play fighting games. Fighting games have been huge in DR since the 90s glad to see us joining the major scene all thanks to one of our very own.

This kid was playing in surviver mode and he prove everyone how grinding can always best talents. Love your bro #NoHomo

The perfect story to hear on Thanksgiving.

*That initial **_"The Dojo"_* is more relatable than I expected

Gonna admit; Had no idea about his prize amount and usage there of. Viewed him and Caba as conceited folks. I'll put more repect on his name. Actions do speak louder, after all.

I kinda hated on Mena RD at first but I respect tf out him for this

Bro, how did I come into this video knowing what it was about and still after seeing him win, I wanted to tear up

Like Mena, I am also proud to be Dominican and to be part of the gamer generation of my country, we are all very grateful for Mena rd's glorious triumph and to be able to give us all the possibilities to achieve our dreams by knowing that if He could, we can also do it, I hope that from now on in our country and in all the others that are needed to discover all the other young people who have a great and talented ability, I am from Santiago Dominican Republic, and i had the honor to play against Mena a super Smash bros ultimate tournament in which he won me tree stock both times I will try to follow my dreams and be another of the greats, from Santiago, I thanked you saul

As a Dominican I can say all its super true, Mena have change everything on DR, now we have major events with actual good prizes, 2 teams of Esports and a League, all of that was unheard before, an we all have to thanks Mena for make it, become a Capcom Cup champion, the first in L.A. and the first from Dominican Republic, Mena is a Dominican legend now, happy to see he get the recognition back now, thanks for make this video.

Them Latino fans...well let's just say they can be really passionate when they see their boi playing. 😅

As a gamer from the Dominican Republic I approve everything that was said in this video specially the support part 🤣🤣🤣. Also i didnt even know about this menard😂😂😂

THIS IS FGC BABYYYYYYYYY, THE OGsssssss I miss mena. this year he went kinda missing, hope we can see him in the spotlight next year

He plays with a contoller as well?? Its rare to see a controller at that level. Huge props to mena. Regardless of video games, this guy is going places.

He's putting on heavy for the island and I deadass appreciate it, thank you

This dude is a god

This story gives me chills. Big man with a big heart for the community. Respect.

DOMINICANS WHERE U AT

live in the cayman islands, their esports scene has been growing with sponsored tourneys. might be a kid from here on this one day.

Guys do teh Luffy story. It was just as crrazy at the time that a dude from France using a C tier character actually won EVO by beating like 25 japanese gods on the way to the title.

This shit made me cry from being inspired by what MenaRD did to his price and for his country.

Yeah, the travel visa woes aren't limited to the DR, it's pretty much to all of latin America. Also, there are several hour scheduled power outages per week in the DR, often daily.

4 years later he’s the only two times champion and still dominating the scene… Planato Power 💪🏻

"The opportunities for people living there are limited" You don't know the half of it.

Thank you for this video, it's one of the best you have created. Good feelings, good vibes. What a legend.

I like it when when every FGC has their own "super underdog came outta nowhere" arc

this made me tear up, feelsgoodman

As a Dominican this hit home man

I’m Dominican and this makes me so happy.

Coming back to say congrats Mena on winning capcom cup 2023 as well! Bro gets bags

to do that at his age is surprising. no dumb reckless purchases, brought the money back home and put it down in the places and people he loved.

This host is the king of the new age combover.

I teared up when he beat tokido, i love to see stories like this no i dont watch fighter esports

Not gonna lie, the Dominican republic isn't "nowhere" its the most popular vacation destination lol.

TheScore eSport... Just admit it you guys always have special place and storytelling for FGC scene....love it

This is the kind of things that makes me proud of being Dominican

Did this guy just teabag **DAIGO** ? Edit: ok, this guy’s actually great

when Mena RD is on fire, watching him play Birdie is one of the best things in eSports

We Dominicans are so proud of our own. I’m a first generation Dominican-American but having lived and trained playing baseball in the DR I can tell you they work so fucking hard no matter what it is. And have a lot of fun doing it too. If you’re not dominican or from a country similar it’s difficult to understand just how hard it is to make it out of there to do stuff like this. I feel like I just watched a documentary of some close friends of mine wow. I’m more of a super smash bros guy but I’ll definitely be watching out for my fellow Dominicans in upcoming tourneys. 🇩🇴🇩🇴🇩🇴

A true legend! That's what MenaRD is, a bloody legend!

Dominicano representando ❣️💯🔥

The best vid you've done in a while. Ty

This video needs to go viral. More pro players need to take note and give to charity instead of flexing what they have bought with their prize money

That grand finals was lit! Much success for MenaRD and the Dominican Republic!!

He just won EVO 2024 👍👍👍💯

MenaRD is a true inspiration of what it means to be a good person, he is a saint

Fighting game esports have the best storylines god damn, good stuff theScore.

Love this story, a true testament to family and loyalty. Selfless act that benefits everyone in his country, true patriot

7:14 you could tell how nervous Tokido was, doing some random overhead smh lol

I dont play SF but I saw the thumbnail & saw it was menaRD, so I had to click

I cried when watching live MenaRD won Capcom cup 2 years ago. Now I cried again, harder, literally, when I saw this documentary video. Thank you thescore esport.

Mena RD now my favorite SFV player. First time hearing about him, really really happy there's someone like him in the FGC. GJ! love from PH!

First Arsalan From Pakistan Now This Monster. It Feels Like These Monsters Coming From Shadows Gonna Devour Us Petty Creature Who Thought We Are Top Of It All

I actually thought Nemo was going to come back and take the tournament because he came all the way from last chance qualifier.

Bro what this kid did is truly kind hearted and just a good man. Many say things like they’d do such things for others but when the money is in their hands things change quickly. Things like this should be on the news praising this guy more

Wow!!! Amazing story. This video brought me into tears!!!! Well played Mena RD, not only for demonstrating we Dominicans can stand out at any scenario but also for what you did to the community who made you (The boy at the "Dojo"). A self- superation and inspirational story worth to watch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think we should give more attention to the Somalian scene. Like if agree

In the interview at the first minutes you can see him wearing a cuban gold necklace with brilliants and one earing looking the same. That's not cheap bro.

It’s great to see my people from my country do amazing things

This story deserves its own movie tbh. He's like the karate kid of the fighting e-sport world.

One day morocco will show their faces to the fgc and then they will see who are the kings

Y’all gotta get rid of this “from nowhere” narrative. 🤦🏾‍♂️ #platanopower

This is just amazing, I'm from dominican republic , and it's just great to see one of us putting us in the top and showing the world what dominicans are made of

I'm From Dominican Republic and I'm proud of him! I see a lot of Dominican player now with the flag. It makes feel happy. Please Capcom add voice and chat the the games. At least with Capcom ID

he THICC

A non-Asian in E-sports, is that even allowed?

Only a Dominican can understand the struggles that our people have to go through to done something like that, I’m so prideful☺️☺️

Absolute love. What an amazing video and even more fantastic story. Serious respect.

I still think Arslan Ash story gives more respect. Not because Mena won because Street Fighter V is a joke of a game. Love the story but the game itself isn’t worth the time. Hell even Mena dropped his main for Akuma what a joke of a game.

This was moving. Thank you for the video, it touched me as I am Dominican and I know first hand how dficult it is from here to achive anything in life and this just shows that love for what you do and passion is greater than circunstances. Thank you. Love and respect.

wow this is really cool. i don't play or watch fighting games but this is inspiring, menard seems like a good dude

I´m from the D.R. We always had a FGC, MenaRD just put us on the map. Sit tight and watch us make the FGC ours like we did with baseball, here we come!