SETUP Thailand Bangkok Navigation Update #8

Hello everyone!

 

The upcoming post will be about two important singles matches that haven't been covered.  This may be a little long, but please be patient.  

 

Before sharing it, there's one important clarification regarding the blogger's last post on Steve The Teacher.

 

Per several sources, and since I wasn't there for the show, something important was not mentioned about the SETUP Rumble.  Mikey Wild was officially not a part of the match which changes the complexion of what happened that day.  There were other things that happened in the Rumble, but that is for another time.

 

The Steve The Teacher-Mikey Wild match next Saturday is definitely one that wrestling fans at The Circus Studio need to see!  

 

This blogger stresses that what is posted here on the blog IS factual as much as possible.  I don't do this to be a Dave Meltzer nor the dirt sheets that you see on social media.  Not into that!

 

Thank you to the sources who messaged me regarding this.  There is nothing wrong with messaging when something written needs correcting!  It's not taken as criticism but a learning experience.  Definitely, am not and never will be a know it all!  Most important, it's appreciated here!  Thank you as always.

 

Moving forward, SETUP Thailand and wrestling fans should really be excited about the upcoming show.  Besides Paksa vs. Naomichi Marafuji, Kevin Weng vs. Daz Black and Steve The Teacher vs. Mikey Wild, there are these two singles matches.

 

Masa Takanashi vs. Jonathan Johnson

Shota vs. Monomoth

 

Masa Takanashi has been busy wrestling in Japan for various promotions since August both in singles and tag team action.  He was last in a SETUP ring at the 30th anniversary show when the Calamari Drunken Kings (w/Chris Brookes) lost the IWA SETUP Tag Team Title in a 3-way match.

 

Jonathan Johnson had a great 2024.  He held the SETUP Thailand Openweight Championship for 315 days, longer than any wrestler on record.  In his last match, he lost in controversial fashion.  Please check You Tube on what happened.  You can say in the case of both wrestlers here, both are looking to get back into the win column as soon as next Saturday.

 

In the other singles match, Shota is a wrestler that this blogger believes is exciting to watch from some video.  He wrestles for several promotions in Japan.  I don't recall if he's wrestled in Thailand before, but remember him at a Vietnam Pro Wrestling show last May.  Fans there were impressed with his performance.

 

What can this blogger say about Monomoth!  In 2024, Monomoth, not only wrestled before sell out crowds at The Circus Studio, but also in the Philippines, Japan and in America with the GCW Promotion at a Philadelphia show.  One can say that this singles match will be exciting to watch as well.

 

For more on tickets (front row is sold out as of this post), please visit the SETUP Thailand Pro Wrestling Facebook page.  Thank you.

Two Venues

This blogger has been asked often regarding a first wrestling show and a first Southeast Asia show due to the blog.  I'll divide this quickly into two portions and two venues.

 

My first wrestling show, after beginning to follow pro wrestling in 1968, was at the Cow Palace in Daly City (about 12 km. from downtown San Francisco).  I took in an event on 11 July 1970 before around 15,000 fans.

 

The five match wrestling card had some known names such as Pedro Morales (former WWWF Champion), Freddie Blassie, Haystacks Calhoun and Peter Maivia, the late godfather of WWE superstar, The Rock.

 

The main event was a between bitter rivals, Pat Patterson (c) vs. Ray Stevens.  Today, it would be called a match that would go on until a wrestler could not continue.  Stevens had forfeited the United States Regional Title about a year before because of injury.  Patterson, his scheduled opponent at the time of the mishap, defeated Pedro Morales and became champion.

 

The match went five falls and was one of the most grueling matches ever.  Stevens won when Patterson could not respond by the count of 10.

 

Stevens and Patterson carried pro wrestling in the Bay Area during the era.  They were great singles wrestlers and were also a tag team, perhaps the best in the Territory Era.

 

Over 50 years later, it was a new adventure for this fan.  In December 2022, this blogger went to his first pro wrestling show in Southeast Asia.

 

Pictured above is the Peta Theater Center in Quezon City, Philippines.  It was home for, at the time, the Manila Wrestling Federation.

 

That night with a great gathering of around 300 fans, MWF provided the fans with 10 matches including two title encounters.  The fans were knowledgeable, were really into the action, and were well behaved, something that is great to see.

 

Being from America, one didn't know what to expect that afternoon and evening.  However, it was every bit as enjoyable as the one at the Cow Palace.  To this day, I'm grateful for the support and everything that happened that night.  It was definitely a day not to forget and to appreciate!

 

Since then, I've been to several more shows in the Philippines at Circuit Makati and at the Brawl Pit Bulusan.  The venues have been electric and enjoyable.

 

This year, the plan is to expand traveling in the region.  Since Thailand is the furthest from where I live, will definitely make the journey.  The country has always been exciting with the views, culture and the food.  There are three wrestling promotions there and the hope is to see all of them (at least two!).

 

Since I have running and wrestling fans in the Philippines, yes, I will be back this year as well.  Please be patient though!

Congratulations SETUP Thailand!

Hello everyone!

 

Congratulations to SETUP Thailand Pro Wrestling! Five years ago on January 11th, SETUP Thailand hosted their first pro wrestling show at The Circus Studio before 232 fans, a sellout.

 

There were eight matches on the show (Bangkok Showdown) with four of them, title matches (per Cagematch)!  The show was a collaboration with India's Wrestle Square.  Current SETUP wrestlers, Jonathan Johnson, Shivam and Paksa were in the show.  Other names to mention were Emi Sakura, Andruew Tang, Alexis Lee, Ho Ho Lun, Zombie Dragon, and others in the Southeast Asia area, were a part of one memorable show that day.

 

Thank you to Panuwat for the reminder on this.  Also, thank you to Pumi who has been tremendous with the wrestling scene in Thailand!

 

Tomorrow, will do another SETUP post regarding a couple of major matches at next weekend's Bangkok Navigation.  Have a good weekend everyone!

PUSO Wrestling Streaming Event

Hello everyone!

 

On Sunday, January 12, PUSO Wrestling (Philippines) will have a streaming event beginning at 7pm local time on their You Tube channel.  It is called Livestream 1.

 

In the main event, there will be a Six Person Intergender Tag Team match.  El Kapitunero, Super P. and Patricia Ligaia will take on Main Maxx, Roxxy and Joya.  Interestingly, Main Maxx is the inaugural Pusong Pinoy Champion while El Kapitunero is the number one contender for the title.

 

More matches will be added to the show prior to this Sunday.  PUSO Wrestling can be found on You Tube.  Please subscribe!  Thank you.