The battle’s been spun and an 11-year-old Kiwi is taking his Beyblade battle skills worldwide!
Charlie Ross-Matenga from Foxton Beach has just lived out what most millennial and Gen Z kids have dreamed of.
He’s taken out the top spot at the Beyblade National Tournament and scored a spot in Tokyo to represent New Zealand on the world stage.
Held at The Maritime Room in the Viaduct, the National event saw the best young 'bladers from around NZ spin, clash and compete for the ultimate title.
Driving all the way up from Foxton with his family, this was Charlie’s first-ever Beyblade tournament.
His Beyblade, Wand Wizard, absolutely tore it up in the final clash against 8-year-old Oliver Bagley’s Sword Dragon.
And it seems we’ve got no shortage of young and talented Beybladers - 11-year-old Eden Palmer came in hot to take out third place.
The Beyblade X World Finals in Tokyo will go down at the iconic Tokyo Tower in just a few months on October 11th and 12th.
For anyone who remembers running home from school to yell “Let it rip!”, you’ll wanna be following Charlie on his journey to the world champs.
He’ll be up against some fierce competition, and we’re keen to see how Wand Wizard performs against some of the top Beyblades in the world.
Let it rip, Charlie! The whole country’s backing you.
