This past January, Philippine Wrestling Revolution was a stop in the WWE’s scouting tour in Southeast Asia that also included promotions such as Singapore Pro Wrestling and Malaysia Pro Wrestling. Suffice to say, it was a huge honor for our humble promotion to be graced by the presence of WWE scouts looking to find the next superstar in sports entertainment, and we’d be lying to you if we said we didn’t feel proud of this huge accomplishment.
PWR has come a long way from fantasy booking on a Facebook group and training on wooden boxing rings with cement. We even started out of the gates really hot with a steady rise of people coming to our shows within the promotion’s first year—even though we were wrestling in a hot and dingy location bumping on a boxing ring. That was when we knew that we truly created a revolution. Fast forward two years later, and we’re being scouted by the WWE.
All of this started with a dream, but let me tell you that dreams had nothing to do with getting us to where we are now.
PWR poses for a picture with WWE Scouts
Whenever I think about the topic of dreaming, I’m always reminded of a Zen Pencils comic that was inspired by a commencement speech from Shonda Rhimes, creator and showrunner of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal. She said, “I think a lot of people dream and while they are busy dreaming, the really happy people, the really successful people, the really interesting, engaged, powerful people are busy doing.”
That particular line strikes a chord with me every time I read it. It resonated with me so much that whenever my friends and I are out talking about our dreams, I’d always end up asking them, “So what are you doing to get there?” It’s a question I ask everyone who tells me about their dreams, with the hope that it pushes them to do something about it.
The point I’m trying to make here is that it’s okay to dream. It’s nice, it’s safe, it makes you feel good about yourself knowing you have goals you strive for. Chasing that dream, working hard, and hustling to achieve it is where everything gets tough.
The early days of PWR
Philippine Wrestling Revolution was a product of a dream. A dream that I admittedly never knew I wanted until I saw it. I wasn’t part of the initial crew of people that set out to start this endeavor, but once I caught wind of it, I was all in. I took a leap of faith, I signed up, and I worked my ass off with those people to make sure this dream becomes a reality.
However, it was one thing to make the dream a reality. The hard part was keeping it alive. We were young guys who loved professional wrestling and that’s it. We didn’t know the first thing about putting up wrestling shows, working on our fitness, handling finances, getting sponsors and so on. We worked together and learned as we went but along the way, a lot of people left, egos got too big, shady deals were made, and the company got hurt. The dream was turning into a nightmare at times. A nightmare I wanted to wake up from.
But I guess I and a lot of the other guys that stayed were just too stubborn (and had people that were stubborn for us) to let this dream go. We worked hard, we hustled, we fought, we kicked, scratched, and clawed our way to get out of that nightmare and into the position where we are now and it’s a damn good position to be in. The WWE has eyes on us now. We’re starting to gain more exposure internationally. No way in hell should any one of us think this is the end goal, get complacent and be satisfied. This is where we work harder and hustle even more. This is where all the boys and girls of Philippine Wrestling Revolution should step their game up and never look back. Like Alexander Hamilton, we are young, scrappy, and hungry and we should never be satisfied.
So, to end this lengthy message of mine, I have a message for all the amigos and amigas out there who have a dream: “Don’t just dream. Do.” If your dream is to become a writer, start writing. If your dream is to become an artist, keep drawing. If you’re dream is to become an actor, make faces in the mirror. And if your dream is to become a professional wrestler, join bootcamp. No offense to the dreamers, I have all the love for them in the world because they know what they want. However, it is the doers that will always earn people’s respect. They know what they want and are working their asses off to get it.
Now, the only questions is, when will you start doing the same?
Registration for the new batch of PWR Bootcamp starting Sunday, Feb. 12 are still open—all you have to do is message the PWR Facebook page. Smark Henry is also sponsoring a brand-new Bootcamp scholarship for a lucky wrestling aspirant. What are you waiting for? Join now!
Photos by Hub Pacheco, Nelson Aman Jr.
