Danerie “Wise” Del Rosario made the crucial call midway into the grand finals series that helped Blacklist International reclaim the MPL Philippines crown.
Down 1-2 in the best-of-seven finals against ECHO, the 22-year-old jungler – who already claimed in a previous interview that he wants to play either just Barats and Akai, if possible, moving forward – asked the coaching staff to prioritize Edward “Edward” Dapdap’s signature Benedetta even if it meant losing his favored heroes during the first phase.
“For me, one of the biggest reasons kung bakit kami naka-comeback ng Game 4 is yung isang bagay na si Wise lang yung nakakita. Even ako or yung ibang players even yung analysts and coaches namin di nakita yung bagay na iyon and yun yung sinabi ni Wise na i-high pick natin yung Benedetta,” revealed Blacklist International team captain Johnmar “OhMyV33nus” Villaluna during the post-game press conference.
OhMyV33NUS said that the team’s initial game plan was to prioritize Wise’s heroes against ECHO.
That was actually what Blacklist International did in the first three games, picking up the Valentina, Akai, and Barats, respectively during the first phase of the Games One, Two, and Three drafts.
“Plano na talaga namin na kunin yung hero ni Wise pero yung time na iyon, iyon din sana yung plano namin pero bigla na lang sinabi ni Wise na i-high pick na lang natin yung hero ni Edward and then ako na yung magiging sacrifice and yung sacrifice na iyon yung isa sa mga importanteng bagay kung bakit kami nag champion ngayon,” OhMyV33NUS said.
Blacklist International eventually made Akai and Benedetta their first and third picks, respectively, in Game Four. Wise’s call proved to be the spark that they needed as Edward delivered a masterful performance, scoring five kills and eight assists against just one death in the 22-6 win that tied the series.
Edward, who was also prioritized in the title-clinching Game Six, repaid his team’s faith by leading them to their third championship in four seasons. He also won his second Finals Most Valuable Player trophy in the process which made him the only player to win the award twice in league history.
The 17-year-old EXP laner, though, believes that Wise should have been the Finals MVP for changing the complexion of the draft that led to their win.
“For me, MVP talaga si Wise e kasi siya yung nag-suggest ng Benedetta pick, na-execute ko lang naman. Ayun, nag tuluy-tuloy na,” said Edward.
