After a long-ass January, let’s all treat ourselves to yet another weekend of pure wrestling goodness! By the way, I’m Ricky, your guide to everything that’s about to go down at PWR: Love at First Fight. I’m trying this thing involving talking less about myself and more about the show itself. Let’s see if this works out. Let’s start asking the big questions, shall we?
Will Robbie Eagles Open the Door for Other NJPW Talents?
As if you’re not hyped already, NJPW’s Robbie Eagles will make his PWR debut this Sunday. What better way to welcome the Sniper of the Skies by pitting him against the master of the Eagle Splash, PWR Champion Chris Panzer? While this main event already sounds like a great match, I’m more interested in the potential implications of Robbie Eagles coming to PWR.
And the most obvious question to ask is this: Is Robbie Eagles opening PWR’s door for other NJPW wrestlers? I know I sound like a madman, but the likes of TJP and Jeff Cobb stepping inside a PWR ring also sounded crazy back then. And just look at this magnificent picture. Who else wanted to see these two slug it out at the Power Mac Center Spotlight after seeing this?
 |
| Photo from @chrispanzerph |
All I’m saying is that it wouldn’t hurt to get your hopes up. We probably won’t see Shotzi Blackheart compete in PWR anytime soon, but at least we’re getting Robbie Eagles. And who knows, PWR can scoop up bigger names like Will Ospreay, SANADA, Zack Sabre Jr., Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, Tetsuya Naito, Kazuchika Okada, and *gasp* Minoru Suzuki. Holy shit.
Can #MSGAllBelts Survive PWR: Love at First Fight?
PWR: Mabuhay ang Wrestling saw the realization of #MSGAllBelts. The dastardly gang of MSG captured the PWR Tag Team Championships and retained both the DPW Heavyweight Championship and the PWR Championship to start the year triumphantly. Despite my grievances, it's an impressive feat. The question now is how long can they hold on to their gold?
While they won't be goldless by the end of February (We need more El Guapo, damnit!), MSG is far from the clear. Can SANDATA and Main Maxx keep the titles without Mr. Sy pulling the strings for them? They'll have to deal with a hungry KakaiBros, who certainly won’t take their tainted loss lying down. Can Chris Panzer survive Robbie Eagles and keep #MSGAllBelts the status quo?
Which Tag Team Will Steal the Show on Sunday?
The tag team division continues to be one of PWR's best attractions and PWR: Love at First Fight will be no different. We already talked about #PWOGs vs. CNVxJML, so let’s give the other teams the spotlight.
And how can we not give the spotlight to MTNH, the most dominant tag team in PWR right now? The duo will try to continue their winning streak when they face the Punk Dolls this Sunday. Should be a fun one, although I’m not really sure why Martivo and Robynn are tagging again out of nowhere. I’ve been waiting for this team to implode for so long—make it happen right now. Please.
Then there's Network 2.0, featuring James "Idol" Martinez and Sam Baltazar, facing off against PHX Champion Vlad Sinnsyk in a handicap match. Remember how impressive Baltazar was fending off the Hand of Judgment last time? Can he recreate that moment at PWR: Love at First Fight or will Vlad Sinnsyk demolish all members of The Network single-handedly?
The YOLO Twins are set to compete as well, but who will step up to the premiere tag team? Is there a new team plotting to make a name for themselves by attempting to topple the former PWR Tag Team Champions? Or maybe Gatilyo wants a rematch with the twins, but this time in a handicap match? Or maybe Robbie Eagles brought along some friends from NJPW. Hmmm...
Is QUATRO Joining the Dark (Shadow!) Side?
Since losing the PWR Championship at PWR: Homecoming, QUATRO began his slow descent down under. His recent loss last January didn't help matters either as an interfering Jake de Leon spoiled his plans to recapture the title. With his attitude becoming more and more volatile month after month, are we seeing signs of QUATRO giving in to the hate?
It probably won’t help that he’s up against AOW Champion Jan Evander, one of the most cunning heels PWR has to offer. I can see Evander throwing all the dirty tricks he could pull to stop QUATRO and in return, the former PWR Champion won’t keep his cool and end up either brutalizing Evander or losing the match thanks to him failing to keep his emotions in check.
I feel weird about QUATRO going down this path, especially after PWR framed him as one of their bankable babyfaces in the company. I guess a dash of frustration will add some dynamic to his character, but turning him heel would betray the character they’ve carefully built for the last two years. But hey, that’s just me. Let’s see if they can pull off a heel QUATRO.
Who Will Inch Closer to a Title Opportunity?
We got a lot of hungry cats in the roster this year and at PWR: Love at First Fight, they'll get a chance to show everyone why they deserve to be in line for a title contention.
First up is the three-way we didn’t know we needed until now. Who will come out on top and probably move closer to a PWR or PHX title shot: the hungry former champion Chino Guinto; the former villain-turned-crowd favorite Mike Madrigal; or the seemingly unstoppable Evan Carleaux? Prepare your bodies, people. It’s going to be a hard-hitting affair this Sunday.
Next up is the fiery Jaye Sera looking to settle some debt from Nina. While the heel turn felt random, it seems to fit the character of Nina more. I heard some rave reviews about her heel work at PWR: Wrestle for Taal, so I’m hyped to see how she will translate this new-found aggression to the canon PWR lore. Still rooting for Jaye Sera, though. Go get ’em, Angas One!
What about GrabCamus continuing to forge a career as a solo act? This time, he’ll be up against Dax Xaviera, another promising talent who did well on his own after going solo. With his insurance policy Gatilyo by his side, can GrabCamus pick up a much-needed win? Or will Dax Xaviera win this match without even lifting a single Sling Blade? Damn you, Gatilyo!
Finally, a Revo Ranger match! I haven’t seen one in a long while, and he may have found a great dance partner in the form of AB3. Now that the former Warlord has gone full villain, how can he convert this momentum into a win? Or will Revo Ranger finally make 2020 his year by besting AB3 and using the momentum to earn maybe an AOW Championship match?
Boy, I sure ask a lot of questions. Let’s all find out the answers to these questions this Sunday at PWR: Love at First Fight. Come see Robbie Eagles and Chris Panzer in action at the Power Mac Center Spotlight, Makati City. Get your tickets here!
TICKET PRICES:
- Early Bird Tickets (until Feb 22nd) - P499 each
- Barkada Bundle (until Feb 22nd) - P1,350 for three (3) tickets
- Regular Tickets (Feb 23rd, at the venue) - P650 each
*****
