IF THERE'S ONE THING I've learned about watching a live Filipino Pro Wrestling event in Baked Studios, Makati, is that Philippine wrestling deserves a lot of respect.
And the degree of difficulty isn't just centered on the physical and mental aspect of the craft, as it also involves a lot of creativity and innovation to produce the best storylines in the scene. The beauty of wrestling stems from how the narrative was made and this was evident with how the crowd reacted when Cody Rhodes ended the Tribal Chief's reign at WrestleMania XL.
Of course, FPW's Unfinished Business has yet to reach that level of prestige, but the entire show had a lot of promise and potential that wrestling fans should eagerly anticipate.
In fact it can be argued that FPW has masterfully crafted a pro wrestling spectacle that Filipinos should watch.
What makes FPW's narratives stand out?
FPW manages to bring fans at the edge of their seats when it was announced that Chino Guinto needs to accomplish the impossible: he needs to win all of his matches and the FPW Championship, otherwise he will be forced to retire from in-ring competition.
The high stakes was enough to keep fans invested and I felt that energy during the matchup featuring Guinto against the heavily favored Jan Evander, who has stood his ground against heavyweights like Mike Madrigal.
This ultimately makes Guinto an appealing character, someone who has to fight tooth-and-nail to survive. His in-ring work has also been impressive as he manages to use his strength against Evander and the match even had an interesting turn when Evander hit his signature frog splash, which seem to signal Guinto's demise.
That is until Guinto's foot touched the ropes while he was being pinned. The anxiety that the crowd felt from that moment evolved into ecstasy.
Now this is just one of those storylines that the FPW has crafted well and there were others that may have caught the community as well. Prior to Guinto, there was another underdog tale led by Cali Nueva who is now one of the promotion's main headliners.
And the colorful cast of characters were also able to contribute to the beautiful storytelling as seen from James "Idol" Martinez' surprise shenanigans that led to team Mike Madrigal's victory over team Red Ollero.
For Idol to just randomly appear out of nowhere to seal the win, and be the unlikely hero to save Team Madrigal was the unexpected twist that was properly executed.
Overall the storylines were easy to comprehend, very relatable, plus the comedic timing has been on-point as seen from Idol’s moves, which makes it lucrative to the community.
Speaking about Red Ollero.
Is Red Ollero the perfect heel?
Since last year, we’ve seen Red Ollero immerse himself inside the ring to serve as one of the biggest sons of b*tches that have caused a lot of problems to the FPW stars.
But his interference would add more layers to the narrative as it was him who decreed Guinto’s suffering plus he gave Mike Madrigal a run for his money with his dirty bag of tricks.
It seems Madrigal vs. Ollero is the equivalent of the Attitude Era’s Austin vs. McMahon, but there is a twist. Given Ollero’s background as a comedian, he adds a sense of humor that adds a lot of charm to the show.
Seriously, who wouldn’t laugh at his Unfinished Business entrance where his Netflix appearances were at the forefront of his video combined with the fireworks display from WrestleMania. He definitely relished the spotlight, and it can be argued that he stole the show with his theatrics.
Then by the end of the event, Ollero gave Mike Madrigal a surprise when he announced Jeff Cobb’s arrival in FPW. THE FREAKING JEFF COBB? The one who appeared in AEW? Holy cow, Red Ollero didn’t just bring out his trump card, he brought an entire nuclear arsenal. It seems he was hell bent on destroying Madrigal.
This is what I like about Ollero’s role as a heel. He clearly knows how to draw the attention of the crowd and it seems he has delivered a masterstroke as it can be argued that he is the brains behind the creative output of the FPW.
With his knack for humor and his immersive storytelling, the FPW has truly been worth every penny.
But his efforts would only matter if the wrestlers themselves could step up and perform, which they managed to do well.
And I’m also hoping that there will be other notable heels who could step up and follow Red’s brilliance. Red has fully showcased a comedic heel in the Philippine pro wrestling scene, and there could be others in the FPW ranks who can offer something fresh and new.
Perhaps this is where LegenDarius will enter.
The maneuvers have been properly executed
When watching at some of the moves, this is all I can say: For an indie wrestling promotion in a country that has yet to fully establish a pro wrestling ecosystem, FPW doesn't appear to be hampered by limited resources, in fact it felt like a top notch production that Al Snow should perhaps keep an eye on.
Indeed, there were some botches that took place, as something to expect in an indie production, but the synchronization as well as the buildup of maneuvers was an orchestra. It seemed the FPW valued perfection, while making sure that the moves executed made a lot of sense from a narrative point-of-view.
This is what makes the FPW shine as it doesn’t just throw moves for the sake of doing it. There has to be a proper timing as to when a pro wrestler can execute the finishing maneuver and there needs to be a good buildup behind it, so that the end result ends up satisfying fans.
In addition, the FPW features one of the best high flyers in Cali Nueva. Combining the luchador-esque style wrestling mixed with the aerial presence of in-ring performers, Cali was a sight to behold.
Still not convinced? Then perhaps you should take a look at the FPW’s YouTube archives. Trust me, you’ll be blown away.
The academy's training regimen is one of the best
To further supplement the quality of wrestling displayed, the FPW’s has their academy to hone the skills of aspirants and veterans.
I’ve seen some potential with some of the wrestlers who graduated from the academy. Roxy Reeves could end up as the edgy femme fatale in the FPW division and maybe she could dig deep into the supernatural, since this is one element that the FPW lacks when it comes to wrestling personas.
Jeffrey has really good in-ring work, and I’m looking forward to seeing him go beyond the shadows of being a Jeff Hardy clone.
And in some of my sessions with the academy, there is one prospect who aspires to be a real-life Power Ranger and I’m hoping to see him in the main stage as his character is something that the FPW needs.
In fact, if you wish to learn more about the science behind professional wrestling, the FPW academy is the best place to begin.
But it doesn't just end there as the promotion has the most jaw-dropping, bone crushing monthly shows. On October 20, the headline event featuring the NJPW champion Jeff Cobb vs. the FPW champion Mike Madrigal will take place on Baked Studios, to bring some level of 'Astig!'
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