https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/2123-tournament-quarterfinal-solid-snake-vs-bowser
In the first three Character Battles, the sprite round had been the third round. For whatever the reason, CJayC changed it to the fourth round for this contest. As such, Snake got his infamous sprite against Bowser, someone considered a threat by some to beat him and break the Noble Nine. For the first several hours, it seemed like there was no cause for concern, as Snake had nearly 56% and built up a 1000 vote lead.
As we got closer to the morning vote, Snake's percentage quickly began to tank, but he was still slowly increasing his lead. He peaked at a 2161 vote lead right before the halfway point of the match. Then Bowser went to work. He got the lead under 1000 votes in five hours, so he was on pace to complete the comeback. However, the closest he could get was 750 votes, and Snake used the second night vote to put the match out of reach, winning by nearly 1200 votes in the end.
For the second year in a row, Snake had suffered a close call in the sprite round. This would be the last year that it would be a concern though, thanks to a couple of game announcements that would take place between this contest and the next.
http://i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/080/145/638.png