The Biggest Losers: Top 15 Fandom Matches Where the Better Game Still Lost
Sometimes there’s just nothing you can do. You play the far better game (at least in terms of accuracy) and yet somehow the other player or team still comes out on top. Check out the 15 most significant instances, in release order, where the better game still lost.
Wookiee Mistake vs Mischief Managed
That’s right, the start of the ultimate Cinderella story in Fandom teams was even more improbable than you initially thought. The round one match where the 16-seed team Wookiee Mistake took on the #1 seed and former champions Mischief Managed kickstarted Wookiee Mistake to being one of the greatest Fandom teams of all time. However, Mischief Managed still outscored them.
Final Score: Wookiee Mistake (83%) beats Mischief Managed (87%) 32-30
Lights, Cameron, Action vs Manhattan Project
The first of what would be 100 Kingsmen team partner swaps (seriously they share teammates like mashed potatoes at a family style dinner), Kaleb Koho and Thomas Scully left their former teams of Ascendant and Mischief Managed to become the next super team, Manhattan Project. Koho’s partner Holzmann joined with Cameron Redshaw to form Lights, Cameron, Action, a team with much less title ambition. In a shocking debut match, Scully and Koho played like future champions but still lost anyway.
Final Score: Lights, Cameron, Action (73%) beats Manhattan Project (80%) 27-26
Bounty Hunters Anonymous vs Lights, Cameron, Action
It’s ok, Lights, Cameron, Action would taste their own medicine in the very next match. In perhaps the greatest comeback of all time, in any division, Jake Maringoni and Antonio Chavez found themselves at a 9 point deficit in round three, and came back all the way to win it. One slightly different decision in round three could have sealed up their dominance in the first two rounds, but alas, we all know the story.
Final Score: Bounty Hunters Anonymous (60%) beats Lights, Cameron, Action (71%) 26-23
Thomas Scully vs Joe Farrelly
Thomas Scully has had many rivalries. His last one before taking a break was against Joe Farrelly. Before the two challenged for the vacant belt, they actually faced off in the quarter finals of the summer series tournament in 2021. Scully won their first face off and eventually made it to the finals, but the distinct difference in percentage is very interesting.
Final Score: Thomas Scully (68%) beats Joe Farrelly (81%) 21-19
Thomas Scully vs Tim Brzakala II
Thomas Scully can also count Tim Brzakala on his list of rivals. The two faced off for the second time in the finals of the 2021 tournament, and Tim had one of his best performances ever and won his second singles tournament, even if the numbers don’t always reflect it.
Final Score: Tim Brzakala (76%) beats Thomas Scully (82%) 20-19
Wookiee Mistake vs Anyone Can Cook
This one is one of my favorites. After their Cinderella run, Wookiee Mistake became favorites in every other tournament they played in. Not everyone remembers, but the very next year in 2022, Wookiee Mistake was almost on the wrong side of another team’s Cinderella story. As the #2 seed, they faced off against Anyone Can Cook. In a sudden death match, they barely squeaked out a victory, even though the #15 seed played the better game. This would eventually be the only tournament Wookiee Mistake played in that they didn’t win.
Final Score: Wookiee Mistake (78%) beats Anyone Can Cook (83%) via Sudden Death 36-35
Joe Farrelly vs Jake Meltzer
Prior to Joe Farrelly’s reign, his rise to the top was almost cut short by the current teams champion Jake Meltzer. Five matches were held to determine the five people who would compete in a single contender match the following year. Amongst those who made it were Robert Castner, Albert Wiradharma, Tyler Burch, and Cameron Holzmann. One of the spots was to be filled by the winner of Jake vs Joe. In a sudden death match where Jake had a higher accuracy, Joe won his way to the contender match that would lead to his first title.
Final Score: Joe Farrelly (75%) beats Jake Meltzer (78%) via Sudden Death 25-24
License to Chill 2 vs Manhattan Project
The 2021 Teams Tournament was absolutely stacked. Guns and Ships, Knights of Ren, Wookiee Mistake, Necronomicon and many more. Two of the best rookie teams faced off in the quarter finals. After a rough start, Manhattan Project had quickly bounced back, and faced off against the newly formed License to Chill (the one with Tyler Beutler). In yet another loss from Manhattan despite their higher score, License to Chill moved onto the semi-finals.
Final Score: License to Chill (63%) beats Manhattan Project (79%) 27-22
Nicholas Twohig vs Thomas Scully vs Tim Brzakala
The big one. Makes me feel like a phony. The famed triple threat that ended the singles careers of both Knights of Ren should have gone to Thomas Scully, based on the numbers at least. The final question that Scully missed and Twohig hit created a four point swing that allowed the defending champ to step down as the champion, despite Scully playing the overall better game.
Final Score: Nicholas Twohig (87%) beats Thomas Scully (90%) and Tim Brzakala (54%) 40-37-18
Tyler Burch vs Jack Pinchuk
Freakin Jack man. It was considered a huge upset when Jack Pinchuk defeated the future singles and teams champion Tyler Burch. Jack beat Tyler on the way to the belt but was quickly stopped after. Plus Tyler got his revenge one year later.
Final Score: Jack Pinchuk (67%) beats Tyler Burch (71%) 18-11
DUM-Es vs Manhattan Project
Finally! After all the rotten luck, Scully gets a little bit of karma. Heck we didn’t even mention all of his matches that qualify like his final loss to Jake Meltzer where he scored higher. However, in this case it’s Scully that took the belt without the numbers to back it up. After Wookiee Mistake dropped their title shot, Manhattan was there to pick it up. Even though they didn’t technically outplay DUM-Es, they still walked away with gold.
Final Score: Manhattan Project (65%) beats DUM-Es (68%) 38-36
Adelaide Spence vs Zaddeus Smith vs Anthony Tisdall vs Jay Burnz vs Brannon Dunlap
This one feels extra special. The only time someone got outplayed by two people and still won was the five-way play in of 2023 won by Adelaide Spence. Spence won the top prize with an accuracy that should have placed Spence 3rd. Zaddeus Smith and Anthony Tisdall both played a better game, but they had to settle for podium spots.
Final Score: Spence (54%) 18, Zaddeus (60%) 16, Anthony (56%) 13, Brannon (52%) 11, Jay (48%) 7
Abel de Leeuw vs Brittani Tapley
Abel de Leeuw is no joke. The man was on a tear in 2023, and was the only one to defeat the seemingly unbeatable Brittani Tapley. Though given Brittani’s prowess it figures that she still had the higher accuracy anyway. Being able to send it to Sudden Death, Abel took the win after Brittani outplayed him most of the match.
Final Score: Abel de Leeuw (83%) beats Brittani Tapley (90%) via Sudden Death 40-39
Duel of the Fates vs Wookiee Mistake II
For the first time since the Knights of Ren, Wookiee Mistake was actually the underdog going into a title match. After winning their final tournament, they would find themselves in a rematch against Duel of the Fates. At this time, Wookiee Mistake was one of only two teams to actually beat Duel. That felt so long ago, and Duel of the Fates had grown into a totally different monster. However, the original Cinderella story was able to pull it off one last time.
Final Score: Wookiee Mistake (72%) beats Duel of the Fates (75%) 41-40
Pretty Much all of Kaiser Huang’s losses
It’s at this point you may be thinking that Thomas Scully is the unluckiest player of all time. False. He is second. The undoubtedly unluckiest Fandom player of all time easily goes to Kaiser Huang. And that’s not even an opinion. It’s a statistical fact. The majority of Kaiser’s losses saw him scoring the same or higher accuracies than the opponent that beat him. Even in teams! This is true from his debut, to tournament losses, to his most recent loss to Jacoby Bancroft. All the scores are below. Makes me want to give the dude a title shot because you just have to feel bad.
Kaiser Huang vs Alex Martinez (debut)
Final Score: Alex Martinez (70%) beats Kaiser Huang (75%) 18-16
Kaiser Huang vs Jake Maringoni
Final Score: Jake Maringoni (75%) beats Kaiser Huang (75%) 20-18
#4 David Garcia vs #15 Kaiser Huang vs #24 Matthew Chen
Final Score: David Garcia (75%) beats Kaiser Huang (77%) via Sudden Death and Matthew Chen (45%) 26-25-11
#1 Wookiee Mistake vs #2 Rule of Two II
Final Score: Wookiee Mistake (67%) beats Rule of Two (70%) 26-24
Jacoby Bancroft vs Kaiser Huang
Final Score: Jacoby Bancroft (71%) beats Kaiser Huang (77%) 22-21
