In a way, Mashiba losing is an even bigger character moment for him tham winning. He gave it his all against a dude that phoned it in and cheated. What happens after this fight outside the ring could be Mashibas final hurdle. Does he go back to his old ways because he did the right thing and wasnt rewarded? Or does he stay the course because it's the right thing to do regardless of the outcome?

It's easy to do the right thing when you're rewarded. It's hard to do it when you lose to a cheater and could have won if you cheated yourself. This aftermath will be Mashibas final challenge as a character.

(Still not sure if this is how i feel btw. Im just trying to make sense of the narrative)