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Watch Dutch b-boy Menno battle past the world’s best to win Red Bull BC One 2014 in Paris.
A new world champion claimed the Red Bull BC One crown in Paris on Saturday night. In one of the most competitive line-ups in b-boy history, B-Boy Menno, of the Netherlands, came out on top, battling his way to victory.
See how Menno triumphed by pressing play on the video above.
The culmination of more than 90 Cyphers and six regional finals in 2014, more than 1,500 b-boys competed for a shot at the world final, which was taking place in the French capital for the second time in the 11-year history of Red Bull BC One.
Red Bull BC One All Star Wing took the belt in Paris in 2008 but neither Wing, nor any of the three other former world champions who were competing on the night, managed to make their way to the quarter-finals. It was a night of upsets, as crowd favourites and two-time world champions Lilou, of France, and Hong 10, of South Korea, along with 2012 world champion Mounir, were voted out in the first round.
Battles were contentious throughout the night as Red Bull BC One premiered the new Kozen judging system, which was adopted by the global b-boy community earlier this year. Each judge's vote was transparent, allowing the audience to clearly see who won each round.
Five judges voted based on a select criteria of technical and physical skills, choreography and creative interpretation of the music.
It could have been anyone's game, but Menno swept the board with a 3–0 win in the evening's final battle against Japan's Taisuke.
"It's not about old and new styles, it's about mastering your movement, and that's what Menno did in the end," said judge Ken Swift. "Menno is an evolved b-boy. He's done his homework and his research. He knows this art form."