This is going to be #PHXcellent.
After a thrilling first two days of quality pro-wrestling that's seen "Beautiful" Billy Suede defend his PWR Championship twice and The Network finally seize PWR Tag Team Championship gold from the YOLO Twins, the Philippine Wrestling Revolution finally crowned its sixth PHX Champion.
[CLICK FOR RESULTS FROM DAY 1 AND DAY 2]
On Day 3 of the AsiaPOP Comicon at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, we've had three semifinals and a three-man finals on tap to decide who the new bearer of the iconic white and gold belt would be.
- Semifinals #1: John Sebastian vs. SANDATA
- Semifinals #2: Mike Madrigal vs. Vlad Sinnsyk
- Semifinals #3: Zayden Trudeau vs. Dax Xaviera
In case you couldn't make it, we've got live results for all ya filthy casuals.
Let's ride!
Match #1—PHX Championship Semifinals: Dax Xaviera vs. Zayden Trudeau
The two up-and-coming lions from the upset-rocked third of the draw kicked off the festivities with a vigorous showing that had the crowd marveling in appreciation.
Xaviera put Trudeau's Cinderella run to a screeching halt with a Balete Driver, his patented Gotch-style Neutralizer, to ink his name as first competitor into the tournament finals.
Winner: Dax Xaviera via pinfall
Match #2—PHX Championship Semifinals: Vlad Sinnsyk vs. Mike Madrigal
This was a hellacious match between two former tag team partners looking to establish their credentials in singles competition. An early ref bump meant all rules flew out the window, with a Singapore cane getting injected into the action.
Madrigal pulled off the gutsy performance, absorbing a brutal Muscle Buster to the apron to overwhelm Sinnsyk with a four-hit combo consisting of a Pepsi Twist, a Superman Punch, a Go To Sleep, and the Near-Death Experience to book his place in the three-man finals.
Winner: Mike Madrigal via pinfall
Match #3—PHX Championship Semifinals: John Sebastian vs. SANDATA
Sebastian put up a mighty fight worthy of a Wrestling Lord & Savior, but couldn't put his masked foe away. SANDATA dazzled him with a top-rope Pagbasag rana, before Sebastian got sidetracked by the presence of PWR General Manager Mr. Sy at ringside. A surprise Kidlat knee kick by SANDATA completed the finals cast.
Winner: SANDATA via pinfall
Match #4: Mh4rckie, McKata & Trabajador Quatro vs. Evan Carleaux, Trian Dela Torre & Crystal
The teams may not have made sense, but that doesn't matter when some good wrestling is involved. Crystal took home the victory for her team after blasting Trabajador Quatro in the jaw with her Solemate finisher.
Winners: Crystal, Evan Carleaux & Trian Dela Torre via pinfall
Match #5: Bolt & The Punk Dolls (Robynn & Martivo) vs. Peter Versoza, The Apocalypse & Vintendo
Another random mish-mash of talent that saw Bolt play face-in-peril for long stretches of the match, even taking a double chokeslam from Versoza and Apocalypse.
But the Anime-zing Fighter rallied back with a soaring topé con hilo over the top rope. Robynn took a bad tumble to the floor as she attempted a follow-up dive to the outside, but showed some nice grit as she pinned Vintendo with a Twist of Fate.
Winners: Robynn, Martivo & Bolt via pinfall
Match #6—PWR Tag Team Championship Open Challenge: Mahabang Tite Ng Hapon (Rederick Mahaba & Ralph Imabayashi) vs. The Manila Baes (Brad Cruz & Chris Panzer) vs. The Network (James "Idol" Martinez & Alexander Belmonte III, c)
The newly-crowned PWR Tag Team Champions put their gold on the line in an open challenge answered by two unexpected teams.
AB3 secured the victory for his team after hitting his Money Down wheelbarrow facebuster on Rederick Mahaba using Brad Cruz.
Winners: The Network via pinfall
Match #7—YOLO Open Challenge: The YOLO Twins (Yohann & Logan Ollores) vs. "Beautiful" Billy Suede & Jake De Leon
Yohann & Logan Ollores were still seething from their PWR Tag Team Championship loss to The Network the previous night, and were looking to take out their frustrations on some hapless victims in an open challenge.
Unfortunately for the YOLO Twins, it was the all-star tandem of Jake De Leon and PWR Champion Billy Suede who answered the call. The Kings of Katips put up a game fight, but didn't have enough firepower to seal the deal. Suede and JDL came away with the feel-good win after a beautiful enzuigiri-assisted Alipin Drop.
Winners: JDL and Billy Suede via pinfall
Match #8—PHX Championship Finals: SANDATA vs. Mike Madrigal vs. Dax Xaviera
In the PHX Championship Finals nobody saw coming, Mike Madrigal rose the highest to be crowned new titleholder in a thrilling match that will go down in PWR history as an all-time classic.
The untested Xaviera and fiery SANDATA both carried their end of the deal, pumping up the crowd with a springboard Tower of Doom that had all three man crashing to the mat to thunderous applause. A pair of Go To Sleeps by Madrigal to SANDATA was all it took to bring home the bacon for the foul-mouthed grappler.
Winner AND NEW PHX CHAMPION: Mike Madrigal via pinfall
*****
What do you think of Mike Madrigal's red-hot PHX Championship-winning performance, mga ka-smarkada? How do you think his reign is going to pan out? Let us know your thoughts, and we'll see you at next week's PWR Live: Sugod at the Power Mac Spotlight in Circuit Makati.
Photos by "Hustling" Hub Pacheco.
