[That was quite the snapback from absolute despair!]

Well, that might certainly be the case, but then again...

[This is the weirdest 'I hate to break it to you' moments he's ever had.]

People may just view you as the underdog in this situation and cheer for you to make your glorious comeback. So a loss in the tournament may not be indicative of your current popularity. It might of made you even more popular among your fans. They'll definitely want to see you go through an intense training arc from here.

[That's kind of how it works from Rinku and Hijikata's worlds, right? He's sort of starting to get it...]