It's hard to believe, but the Philippine Wrestling Revolution is on the cusp of putting on its 30th show with Vendetta this November. That's literally ten times as many shows as its next-closest competitor, and proves a certain level of sustainability and stability in the local pro wrestling scene.
Company creatives recently released a collage of all 30 show posters used to promote each show. Some were really cool (Terminus 2015 and PWR Live: Sugod! are legit all-timers) while some may have felt lazy and uninspired (we're looking at you, Renaissance 2014). But it was neat sifting through the entire collection to find various fun facts you may not have even noticed.
Here are the ten coolest bits of trivia as identified by all of us here at the Smark Henry Bullpen!
10. Missing In Action
While the company has generally done a good job getting plenty of face time for the wrestlers on its roster, there are four currently-active wrestlers who have never appeared on a poster.
- Zayden Trudeau
- Mh4rckie
- Brad Cruz
- McKata
9. No Respect For Authority
The promotion's very first poster highlighted its two then-authority figures in Commissioner Mike Shannon and Director-General William Melvin.
However, it took 29 more posters for a pure NPC authority figure to be featured once more, with current PWR General Manager Mr. Sy making his first ever poster appearance for this coming Vendetta.
8. Solo Flights
We've seen a total of seven posters highlighting just a single talent—or eight, if you ignore the tiny postcards in Chris Panzer's Mainit highlight.
But did you know that only once has a reigning PWR Champion been the solo talent shown on a poster? That honor goes to Ralph Imabayashi, who pulled off the rare feat for PWR Live: Road to Vendetta almost two years ago.
Conversely, three PHX Champions have had a solo feature: Ken Warren, Main Maxx, and Chino Guinto.
Favoritism for the Hybrid division? Quite possibly.
7. Poster Boys
When people call Jake De Leon and Chris Panzer the poster boys of the company, it isn't just a figure of speech.
The two are the most-featured stars in the company, with 13 poster appearances each.
6. The More The Manier
It can be challenging to squeeze as many talents as you can into a single poster that will likely be most seen on a tiny cellphone screen. That's why we're impressed at how many people PWR's art directors managed to get into the posters for PWR x APCC 2017 (15), Path of Gold 2017 (17), and PWR x APCC 2016 (19).
But if you really want to be impressed, check out the poster for Wrevolution X 2017. A whopping 22 wrestlers made their way into this piece, making you wonder what Photoshop zoom levels the artists were working at.
5. Finish Him
Three finishers have been featured as the key visual for posters: JDL's Alipin Drop for Suplex Sunday (and yes, the move can defensibly be called a suplex), SANDATA's Kidlat for Sugod!, and Mike Madrigal's Near-Death Experience for Oktoberplex.
However, Kidlat is the only finisher that hasn't actually been used to win a championship in PWR. Some big move that is.
4. Streak Shooters
Who's had the longest unbroken run of poster appearances? That would be Imabayashi, who was prominently shown in six straight posters from Terminus 2015 all the way up to Wrevolution X 2016.
JDL is the runner-up with a five-poster streak from Manila Madness to PWR x APCC 2016). Three men have gone on four-poster streaks: "Classical" Bryan Leo, Chris Panzer, and Chino Guinto.
But speaking of which, “Smug Ralph” has been recycled three times as a talent photo—Terminus 2015, Manila Madness, and PWR Live: Road to Wrevolution X
3. Bad Blood
Three rivalries have been highlighted twice each on a poster: “Classical” Bryan Leo vs. Jake De Leon, Leo vs. Ralph Imabayashi, and Chris Panzer vs. John Sebastian.
But only one rivalry has been highlighted three times: Chris Panzer vs. Billy Suede, making it the most-featured rivalry (and bromance) in company history.
2. Kanto In The Streets, Terror In The Sheets
Despite being one of the more iconic PWR Originals, Kanto Terror has appeared on a grand total of just one event poster: Wrevolution X 2015.
But then again, considering how inconsequential he's been to the company's booking since last year, this really should have come as no surprise.
1. What a Waist
No champion has ever appeared wearing his belt around his waist. Over-the-shoulder has been the most popular way of wearing it, which makes you wonder if any of these guys have any idea what a belt is for.
On a completely unrelated note, a championship belt has been used to obscure a cumulative total of eight bare nipples.
Come on, guys. It's freaking 2017. It's time to #FreeTheNipple.
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Got any more cool observations you want to point out? Drop us a line in the comments below, and we'll see you at Vendetta 2017 as PWR finally crosses the 30-show milestone!
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PWR Vendetta is happening on Sunday, November 5, at the Power Mac Center Spotlight in Circuit Lane Mall, Makati. Gates open at 2 PM. Tickets can be purchased at the gate for P400, or availed of via discounted pre-selling packages on the official PWR Facebook page. Additional details can be found on the event page.
Directions to Power Mac Center Spotlight can be found here. Photos by "Hungry" Hub Pacheco.
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