Ray Rizzo

Raymond "Ray" Rizzo (born August 27, 1992) is a three-time Pokémon Video Game World Champion.[1]

Raymond Rizzo
Rizzo in 2010
Personal information
Born (1992-08-27) August 27, 1992
HometownMarlton, New Jersey
NationalityUnited States
Career information
StatusInactive
LeaguePlay! Pokémon
GamesPokémon
Career highlights and awards
Video Game Championships:
  • World Champion (2010, 2011, 2012)

Biography

Ray Rizzo grew up in the Marlton section of Evesham Township, New Jersey[2] in the United States and at a young age took a liking to Pokémon. He attended Cherokee High School in Marlton. Rizzo then attended Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. While studying at Drake, Rizzo passed three actuarial exams: Probability (P), Financial Mathematics (FM), and Actuarial Models: Financial Economics (MFE). Currently, Rizzo resides in Tokyo, Japan.

Pokémon career

In 2010, Ray Rizzo won his first World Championship in Hawaii after defeating Japan's Yasuki Tochigi in the Senior Division finals.[3] He followed that up by winning the 2011 World Championships[4] in San Diego, California after defeating Matteo Gini in the then-new Masters Division finals.[5] He then won the 2012 World Championships in Hawaii, defeating Wolfe Glick in the Masters Division finals, making Rizzo the first three-time Pokémon Video Game World Champion.[1][6]

Rizzo was defeated in the first round of elimination at the 2013 Pokémon World Championships.[7] In 2014, Rizzo was alleged to have cheated by using a hacked Aegislash at the 2014 US Pokémon National Championships.[8] He denied the accusations, but said that he would not be using the Pokémon in the future.[9] The allegedly hacked pokemon would have conferred no advantage in the competition, but would still have been a violation of tournament rules.[10]

In 2015, Rizzo was inducted into the Guinness World Records for his achievements.[11] However, he did not qualify for the 2015 Pokémon World Championships.[12]

References
  1. "Introducing the 2012 Pokémon Video Game World Champions!". 2012 Pokémon World Championships. 12 August 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  2. pokemon (15 August 2013). "Interview: 2012 VG Masters World Champion Ray Rizzo". YouTube. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  3. "VGC World Championships Finals". 2010 Pokémon World Championships. 15 August 2010. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  4. McElroy, Griffin (17 August 2011). "Nobody on the planet is as good at Pokemon as Ray Rizzo". Joystiq. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  5. "The 2011 Pokémon VGC World Champions". 2011 Pokémon World Championships. 14 August 2011. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  6. Post Staff Report (August 28, 2012). "Interview with three-time Pokemon champion Ray Rizzo". New York Post. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
  7. Bosman, Kyle (15 August 2013). "World Championships: To Be the Very Best". GameTrailers. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  8. Martinez, Phillip (July 8, 2014). "Pokemon X And Y News: Did Ray Rizzo Cheat During National Championships 2014? Not Likely". iDigitalTimes. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  9. Hernandez, Patricia (July 7, 2014). "Fans Are Pissed About Alleged Cheating In The Recent Pokémon Tournament". Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  10. Hernandez, Patricia (July 7, 2014). "Fans Are Pissed About Alleged Cheating In The Recent Pokémon Tournament". Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  11. Swatman, Rachel (March 9, 2016). "Pokémon: 10 incredible world records to celebrate the franchise's 20th anniversary". Guinness World Records.
  12. "Tournament Results". Pokemon. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
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