Wise, Edward steer Blacklist International to historic championship

MANILA, Philippines — Blacklist International's EXP laner Edward “Edward” Dapadap added another accolade to his name — a second Finals MVP award — just as the team made history by being the first to win three MPL PH crowns.

Dapadap won his first Finals MVP award back in Season 7 when he led Blacklist International to their first title after reverse-sweeping Smart Omega (then Execration), 4-3. 

Last Sunday, Blacklist International was down 1-2 heading into Game Four, but this is where Dapadap helped his team bounce back with five kills and eight assists to give the agents the momentum to win the next three games.

But for Dapadap, the honor should have been given to someone else — teammate Danerie "Wise" Del Rosario.

"’Di ko naman talaga ineexpect [mag Finals MVP]. For me, MVP talaga dito si Wise kasi siya yung nag suggest ng Benedetta pick and ayun nagtuloy-tuloy na," Dapadap said during in a post-match interview with the media.

Regular season MVP Johnmar "OhMyV33nus" Villaluna admitted that Del Rosario's call on the Benedetta pick for Dapadap was the key to their victory.

"For me, one of the biggest reason kung bakit kami naka-comeback ng Game Four 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 tapos isacrifice na lang namin heroes [niya]. And yung sacrifice na yun is isa sa pinakamalaking bagay kung bakit kami nagchampion ngayon," shared Villaluna.

But even with the praises from his teammates and the crowd chants of “M-V-P!: for Del Rosario, the Blacklist International jungler simply waved it off.

"Personally, ‘di naman ako nasasaktan [na di ako MVP]. Kung rookie year ko pa, gusto ko yun, yung mag MVP ako, kaso nasa nandito na ako sa panahon na kahit di naman mag MVP basta nanalo kami as a team yun yung mas importante," said Del Rosario.

Del Rosario remains the lone member of the main roster to not win an MVP award. Besides Dapadap, Kiel “Oheb” Soriano won the Finals MVP during the M3 World Championships; Salic "Hadji" Imam was the regular season and Finals MVP during MPL PH Season 8; and Villaluna was Season 10’s regular season MVP.

But Del Rosario is unfazed with the fact that he has not won the award yet.

"Deserve naman ng [teammates] ko, lahat naman kami nagsashine dito. [Baka] M4 [MVP] talaga yung para sa akin. Ang naghihinayang lang ako is yung pera na nakukuha sa MVP kaysa dun sa title," joked Del Rosario.

Blacklist International and ECHO will head to Jakarta, Indonesia in January to represent the Philippines in the coming M4 World Championship.