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IN PHOTOS, VIDEOS: MWF Kasaysayan

Michael Bueza
IN PHOTOS, VIDEOS: MWF Kasaysayan

LeAnne Jazul

Mr. Lucha and Singapore's The Eurasian Dragon prevail over Robin Sane and Hong Kong's Ho Ho Lun. Plus, Maria Ozawa pays a visit to thank her 'heroes', Gigz Stryker and RG.

MANILA, Philippines – The Manila Wrestling Federation (MWF) wrote a new chapter in its story at MWF Kasaysayan on Sunday, April 8, at The Elements at Centris in Quezon City.

In the main event of international proportions, Mr. Lucha and Singapore Pro Wrestling Southeast Asian Tag Team Champion Eurasian Dragon prevailed over Robin Sane and Hong Kong wrestler Ho Ho Lun, who is also China’s King of Pro Wrestling Champion.

Sane and Ho Ho weren’t exactly the best of partners; in fact, Ho Ho holds a win over Sane. The duo’s uneasy on-off alliance was a stark contrast from the solid teamwork of Mr. Lucha and Eurasian Dragon. The melee soon spilled over to the outside, with Robin Sane and Ho Ho Lun hitting separate dives from the top rope. 

Back in the ring, Ho Ho and Eurasian Dragon went back and forth until the Dragon nailed a modified Russian leg sweep to bring home the win for their team. A brief moment of confusion arose when the bell rang late after the referee’s 3-count.

 

Frustrated at the turn of events, Ho Ho attacked his own partner post-match. He then sullied Sane’s MWF History Maker medal – awarded to the high-flyer at the start of the show – until Mr. Lucha put a stop to Ho Ho’s outburst.

Maria Ozawa ‘saved’ by Gigz, RG

In the middle of the show, MWF aired a short action movie entitled, “Sagot Kita! Anytime, Anywhere” featuring its resident “action hero” Gigz Stryker and his friend RG.

In the film, college student RG – with a thesis in his bag – was targeted by two burly drunkards until the pair turned their attention to a beautiful passerby, played by former Japanese adult film actress Maria Ozawa. The drunkards stole Ozawa’s purse, which Gigz and RG tried to retrieve, at first to no avail. 

The action then continued live at The Elements, with Gigz and RG chasing the burglars into the ring. Eventually, Stryker and RG finished off the bandits. Afterwards, Ozawa entered the ring to get back her purse and thank her two heroes.

Danger, danger

Both “Danger” Rex Lawin and his manager Coach Gus Queens were on a mission at Kasaysayan. 

In an in-ring interview with commentator Tarek el Tayech, Coach Gus played a footage from the last event, MWF Open House: Level UP, showing that his talent was not eliminated properly in the History Maker battle royal, won by Robin Sane. 

Then, Lawin sent a message by choking out Tarek until MWF Commissioner Mike Shannon rushed into the ring. Lawin made a beeline for Shannon, but referees prevented him from doing further damage.

Lawin’s opponent, Frankie Thurteen, then made his way for their match. But the Grunge Grappler’s valiant efforts were met by Lawin’s ground-and-pound offense. Ultimately, Thurteen fell victim to Lawin’s relentless punches and elbow strikes, prompting the referee to stop the match.

Post-match, Coach Gus challenged Australasian Wrestling Federation champion Greg Bownds to a title match. Rex then continued the assault on Thurteen, applying an armlock until a cavalry of MWF stars made the save.

Other matches

At the Kasaysayan opener, Fabio Makisig bested Brother Jomar Liwanag, a disciple of the “late” Moises Liwanag. 

Post-match, when Fabio brought Jomar’s bible on stage and opened it, a blinding light beamed from the book, then a white lady stood beside Fabio, who immediately ran away. The white lady then assisted Brother Jomar to the back.

In tag team action, the team of Aldrin Richards and Hanzello Shilva defeated Mr. Lucha’s students Ashura and Kyle Sison. Richards pinned Sison after a fireman’s carry neckbreaker.

Later in the show, Mr. Lucha told his proteges that they would face each other at the next show, but in a pillow fight match.

Finally, Ninja Ryujin ditched “The Glitch” Morgan Vaughn after a Salida del Sol finisher.

Overall review

Picking up from their relaunch in February, MWF had a lot of improvements in their presentation, from an LED screen on the entranceway to better lights and sounds. It also handled the audience and the media well, and treated everyone to a pre-show press conference.

Kudos to its video production team for another stunning intro video. The seamless taped-to-live-action transition in the segment featuring Gigz Stryker, RG, and Maria Ozawa was brilliant. Whoever came up with that deserves a pay raise.

They also smartly utilized Ozawa’s star power by incorporating her in a mini-film instead of just appearing at the show for no reason. 

The main event had the MWF crowd on their feet. Ho Ho Lun and Eurasian Dragon were fun to watch, while Robin Sane and Mr. Lucha matched the foreigners’ skills with their own athleticism and power.

MWF holds a press conference with the Kasaysayan main event participants. Photo by LeAnne Jazul/Rappler

Rex Lawin’s submission game indeed appear dangerous, as he stepped up his imposing attitude in the ring. Coach Gus Queens was terrific on the mic, and so were Fabio Makisig and Morgan Vaughn in their respective segments. Frankie Thurteen showed tremendous heart, while Ninja Ryujin and Vaughn wrestled a decent match.

On the flip side, the first 2 matches lacked the “oomph” factor. It takes two to tango in pro wrestling, so if only one side is performing well in the strikes and slams department, the entire match appears sloppy. 

There were some hiccups here and there, but overall, MWF Kasaysayan was a refreshing experience. MWF offered a taste of their unique brand of Filipino pro wrestling. Time will tell if it was indeed a historic, pivotal event, but this early, Pinoy wrestling fans can bank on MWF’s passion to evolve from being an “alternative” to being the main choice.

Rating: B+

Quick results

  • Fabio Makisig defeated Brother Jomar Liwanag
  • Aldrin Richards and Hanzello Shilva def. Ashura and Kyle Sison
  • “Danger” Rex Lawin def. Frankie Thurteen via referee stoppage
  • Ninja Ryujin def. Morgan Vaughn
  • Mr. Lucha and Eurasian Dragon def. Robin Sane and Ho Ho Lun

MWF’s next show will be Maki-Wrestling, Huwag Matakot on Sunday, May 27, at the University of the Philippines (UP) Bahay ng Alumni in Quezon City. – Rappler.com

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Michael Bueza

Michael is a data curator under Rappler's Tech Team. He works on data about elections, governance, and the budget. He also follows the Philippine pro wrestling scene and the WWE. Michael is also part of the Laffler Talk podcast trio.
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