Capcom banned American competitor Ryan « FChamp » Ramirez on Tuesday from participating in any of its Capcom Pro Tour and Street Fighter League events following racially insensitive comments he posted on Twitter late last week.
« Ryan ‘FChamp’ Ramirez is hereby banned indefinitely from all Capcom-owned and/or operated events including Capcom Pro Tour and Street Fighter League for violating the player code of conduct, » Capcom said in a statement released on its Twitter page. « This is a global ban, meaning it applies to tournaments and events in all locations throughout the world. »
On Saturday, FChamp posted a picture of a watermelon with the caption « check this out » and the hashtag « #WatermelonLivesMatter. » After many of his followers stated that they found the post offensive, FChamp deleted the tweet and posted an apology.
« Very insensitive tweet by me, » he said. « I didn’t mean any harm from it but I promise I’ll be better sorry to everyone. »
Protests have erupted across the country and the world since May 25, when George Floyd, a black man, died after a white Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes. Floyd’s death, and those of other black men and women in encounters with the police, have intensified the Black Lives Matter movement and cries for social change across the United States.
Short for « Filipino Champ, » the Asian American competitor became one of the most successful in Marvel vs. Capcom fighting game history. In 2012, he won the Evolution Championship Series title for Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, which is developed by Capcom. Throughout his career, FChamp has become known for his trash talking, often compared to heels in professional wrestling by peers and commentators.
In addition to his Marvel success, FChamp competed in Street Fighter IV and Street Fighter V, finding success in the latter and later qualifying for the Capcom Cup in 2016. The following year, he placed seventh-eighth at the 2017 Evolution Championship Series in Street Fighter V after a successful summer run that saw multiple top-eight tournament finishes.
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