Let's all be honest with ourselves here, these guys are not beating Link. And under normal circumstances they are not beating Cloud/Seph either. However, if Cloud knocks out Link, Nintendo fans will be out for blood, added to their no doubt sizeable bandwagon by that time, and I think it would do it.
The fact that I'm one of the few to have faith in Red/Blue to get past Mario makes me all the more depressed that I accidentally had Zidane>Mega Man and have no chance at a prize even if I do get everything from here on right. >_<
Cloud has won if he beats Link. Doesn't matter if he loses to Mario or Trainers after(no way he will anyway). Beating Link is a bigger achievement than winning a rivalry contest that is considered one of the worst contests in GF history.