UPDATE (9/18/17, 5:04 p.m.): This article incorrectly called Fabio Makisig a parkour enthusiast, when the correct discipline should be tricking. We've corrected the error and regret it happened, but we still think Fabio is a dick.
It's a real monsoon of homegrown pro wrestling action, as the up-and-coming Manila Wrestling Federation tries to show the country how far it's come at its third show, MWF Road to Fate, scheduled this Saturday, September 16, at the Makati Square Arena along Chino Roces Avenue.
Road to Fate will be the third wrestling show to hit the local scene in the past four weeks, after the Philippine Wrestling Revolution's three-day outing at the AsiaPOP Comicon and the well-received PWR Live: Sugod! solo show. Can the rookies keep up the improvement from their initial MWF Live and Republika shows?
That's got to be the biggest question on the local fandom's minds, but we've also got other burning questions we hope will be addressed at this Saturday's show.
Let's get to it, fellow smarks!
Who Will Be Mr. Lucha's Mystery Opponent?
The jovial, colorful powerhouse known as Mr. Lucha may be acknowledged as the face of MWF, but there's tons of mystery behind who he'll be facing this Saturday. One of the selling points for Road to Fate is the sheer randomness of the matches announced; you'll recall that all winners from Republika were granted the privilege of choosing their opponents.
Unlike the other MWF talents, however, Mr. Lucha was reluctant about revealing the identity of his destined foe. The "gentleman luchador" actually had the license from MWF Commissioner Mike Shannon to issue an open challenge to anyone on the roster, only to decline and draw a name from the pot.
What's particularly intriguing is Lucha's reaction to his draw, only agreeing to the match since he has "no choice." Of course, fans are buzzing as to the reason behind his seeming reluctance.
The popular theory is that the undefeated behemoth may have drawn the name of MWF's sole female grappler Ashura, a relatively untested wrestler who fell in her debut to Ninja Ryujin. Mr. Lucha may be a warrior at heart, but may be wary about imposing his massive strength on a foe literally half his size.
Other popular theories include Moises Liwanag's henchman Brother Jomar, who's been seen assisting the "Son of Light" in his sermons but hasn't actually been exposed as a wrestler, or another female talent in Tala Haliya, the mohawked trainee who's been seen providing backstage support to the MWF crew.
No matter the reveal, this should be a fun surprise for everyone in attendance.
Can Coach Gus Queens Walk The Talk?
MWF Chief Financial Officer Gus Queens may cut an authoritative figure, but he's perhaps better known as mouthpiece for the self-proclaimed "Master of Filipino Strong Style" Rex Lawin. We know he's had issues with company management since day one, but we weren't quite expecting him to participate in the opponent draw for this Saturday's show.
If there's one guy who's even more surprised than us, it's Commissioner Mike Shannon, who was curiously drawn as Coach Queens' opponent in an out-of-nowhere swerve.
If there's one thing we know, it's that Queens has no problem bending the law to his favor. He's a schemer at heart, and we don't expect him to fight fair against Shannon, who's dealing with back issues that limit him from wrestling action. Is he actually going to put up a clean fight against the visionary behind MWF, or will he be unleashing the might of Lawin against him?
Your guess is as good as ours, so better make it to the show, mga ka-smarkada.
Can Robin Sane Win On One Leg?
The aerial artist known as Robin Sane is the single most electrifying man on MWF's roster, and is capable of getting a crowd on their feet with his polished arsenal of top-rope moves. But the company's resident "Tracer, Trailblazer, Speed-Chaser" may be facing an obstacle too grave to overcome: an ankle injury incurred in training a week ago that may knock him out of action for the show.
For a high-flyer, there's no worse injury than one to his lower extremities—80% of Sane's offense instantly gets wiped out if he doesn't have a base to launch his sky-high tactics from. Even if he does make it to Road to Fate, he's likely to be severely hobbled. Frankly, we don't think he has it in him to win a fight if he's forced into a ground-based slugfest.
People have been asking how I am right now. What I answer:— Robin Sane (@IAmRobinSane) September 3, 2017
"Oh, I'm swell."#RoadtoFate #RacetoRecovery #AnkleBreaker pic.twitter.com/TdXFIblY0C
We're pretty sure Morgan Vaughn doesn't mind though. The "Son of a Glitch" is a hungry young warrior who's looking to find a winning path after an 0-2 career-opening run that has him dwelling in the basement of the standings. He's going to take advantage of any weakness he can get his hands on, sportsmanship be damned, and try to break through for his maiden win.
At the very least, he probably won't have this to look forward to.
Can Anyone Make Fabio Makisig Shut The Hell Up?
The brash, abrasive Fabio Makisig is one of the most unpopular wrestlers on the roster, but he can certainly bring the goods. He's one of two wrestlers with a 2-0 record in the company, and his cockiness only seems to grow with each passing win.
Hanzello Shilva thinks he can douse MWF's own "Smacktalker Skywalker" this Saturday. Fresh off his emotional win against Vaughn at Republika, MWF's "Howling Hunt" is going to try to keep his momentum going with a feel-good win against the tricking enthusiast. If anything, he's got a bone to pick with Makisig for leapfrogging him in the opponent draw.
We hope this is finally Shilva's coming-out party as a truly relatable babyface; he's been the most white-bread competitor on MWF's young roster thus far, and desperately needs to be able to give fans something to latch onto. Ending the Backstreet Bully's undefeated run would be a great way to endear himself to everyone who's been antagonized by the showboating loudmouth.
This could potentially be a thrilling match, provided both men have spent the last couple of months improving their respective craft.
Can Moises Liwanag Make A Disciple Out Of Aldrin Richards?
Moises Liwanag has sneakily won his way into our hearts as a Smark Henry cult favorite. His cult leader gimmick is entertaining as hell, and his (non-canon) surprise induction of reigning PWR Tag Team Champions The Network into his cult is in the running for most memorable moment of the year on the local scene.
But one thing we're really rooting for him to do is a complete, utter humiliation of MWF's resident pabebe grappler Aldrin Richards (yes, that really is his name). This match isn't destined by any means to be a technical classic, but we're sure as hell rooting for the self-professed "Son of Light" to wipe that smirk off of Richards' face and send him into character reboot hell. After all, with AlDub-mania at literally just 3% of its manic peaks from two years ago, a riff on Alden Richards isn't exactly going to set the world on fire.
Light the way, pareng Moises. Preferably with a backbreaker or twelve on Mr. Richards.
Can Grunge Rock Overcome J-Pop?
Frankie Thurteen is one dude we really like here at the Smark Henry Offices. He hasn't always impressed in the ring, but he's a hustler, a hard worker, and a true student of the game. We dig his Angel Bullet double-stomp finisher, and think he has a unique look any child of the 90s can get behind.
Unfortunately, he'll be up against the speedy, nimble Ninja Ryujin—a man who doesn't speak much, but is armed with a puroresu-inspired offense that often leaves his foes baffled and bewildered.
On paper, this may seem to be a mismatch; Thurteen is still recovering from his humiliating loss at Republika, while Ryujin seems to have finally found his rhythm in the ring. Both men are nominal babyfaces who connect easily with the crowd, and are sure to put in the work. Here's hoping that both men will have greatly elevated their game since their respective debut matches, and put on a show that will please even the most jaded critic out there.
We'll pull slightly more for Frankie Thurteen in this one, only because anyone who does the Naruto run to the ring deserves to never win again.
Can Gigz Stryker Finally Put Rex Lawin To Sleep?
We've been very public about our fanboy-ism for "90s Action Star" Gigz Stryker—hell, we even have a special feature on the Bigote Brawler later on this week. But we've got to be absolutely honest. His scheduled match-up with Rex Lawin is actually the match we're least excited about for Road to Fate.
We've seen the two men clash before. Lawin, for all his claims about being dangerous, is still winless in MWF. The only times he's actually gotten a leg up on Stryker have been through post-match or backstage sneak attacks.
Stryker said it best himself: he doesn't need to prepare for Rex Lawin—he's in peak condition every damn day of his life. He's taken Lawin's best shot time after time, but always bounced back and risen above. The real end-game is finally getting his hands on Gus Queens. Lawin is nothing more than a minor irritant at this stage, and we can't wait for Gigz to finally put an end to this feud.
*****
What other questions are bugging you about the show, mga ka-smarkada? Are you looking forward to Gus Queens' in-ring debut? And do you think Robin Sane is doing the right thing by racing back to recovery after his nasty injury?
Let us know your thoughts, and we'll see you at the show!
*****
MWF Road to Fate is happening on Saturday, September 16, at the Makati Square Arena on Chino Roces Avenue, Makati City. Tickets cost P250, and can be purchased at the gate. For further details, contact the Manila Wrestling Federation directly via their official Facebook page, or through the Facebook event page.
Action shots courtesy of "Heroic" Hub Pacheco.
