Next Friday's (March 7th) SPW Unchained show has been announced as SOLD OUT!
Also next week, this blogger will share the matches that are on the show. In the meantime, please visit the SPW Facebook page if there are any developments regarding the show. Thank you.
Filipino Pro Wrestling's Mike Madrigal (center) with new stars, Joshua Ellevistah (left) and Ares Adreus (right). Thank you to FPW and to Mike for permission on the photo.
Hello everyone.
It's always exciting when new talents appear on a pro wrestling stage in Southeast Asia.
Last Sunday, at FPWs Secret Show at the Secret Base in Quezon City, there was some history made. Two wrestlers, Joshua Ellevistah and Ares Adreus made their wrestling debuts each in singles matches and performed well.
There's another wrestler soon on the verge by the name of Nashokur who this blogger recently interviewed. Seeing this is a major and positive step for the promotion.
This continues to be a good trend and a good sign for pro wrestling in the region. At the PUSO Wrestling show later in the evening, a masked wrestler by the name of White Shirt, made his debut in a streamed event against Jomar.
As mentioned, the region is seeing more and more aspirants become pro wrestlers. We're seeing it with Grapplemax, Ring Of Rebirth, Malaysia Pro Wrestling, APAC Wrestling, TOP Dojo, SETUP and more.
This blogger tries and promotes whenever wrestling for new trainees is happening. Also, it's up to the individual, whether something is or isn't on a social media page to check.
When I was at a wrestling show last summer in the Philippines with PUSO Wrestling's initial show, two fans approached me regarding wanting to become a wrestler. I provided the names of two people and showed each one who they were.
Because one of them was wrestling and the other was promoting the show, I wasn't able to bring each one over to introduce them. However, they were able to get names, they knew who they looked like and I personally showed them the PUSO Wrestling Facebook page on my phone. Honestly, I don't know if they followed up on the conversation but communication is imperative in this matter.
So, though this post is a tribute to what FPW is doing, it is a tribute if and when a promotion can add more talent. Yes, there will be times when an aspirant may not be ready, and other times, they are.
However, in this era of pro wrestling when the excitement of being in the squared circle is greater than ever, seeing wrestlers such as Ares and Joshua helps make the industry a little better place. And that is what the promotion, wrestlers and the fans want to see!
Hope all of you are enjoying the Uprising Series feature on all six of SETUP Thailand's wrestlers in the upcoming tournament.
The final wrestler this blogger would like to mention is, last but certainly not least, Gunn. The following information is factual and is what this blogger sees in, what is, an up and coming as well as an improved wrestler.
(NOTE - Please Facebook message me at SF Wayne regarding anything good or otherwise on this post).
Back in April 2020 when Covid-19 was affecting everyone, I started following SETUP Thailand and other Southeast Asia promotions on Facebook as well as other social media outlets. It was a way of getting through a day. Remember, much of the world was strongly advised not to go outside because of the virus. So, to this wrestling fan, seeing videos and reading up what soon would be a blog would happen.
I first learned about Gunn on SETUP's Facebook page. It was around the beginning of 2020. His profile was shown on their page as a wrestling trainee / referee. Over the years, knowing the promotion, his training that was led by wrestlers such as Paksa would be very beneficial.
His first match was what was termed an exhibition match against Paksa, definitely not a surprise. It happened in August 2020 after a delay in the show due to Covid.
In November that year, Gunn had his best moment yet as a young wrestler. A show called an Enter The Island Tournament took place on a boat that took place on the Chao Phraya River. A full house of fans were a part of the action.
Gunn wrestled three times in the event. Defeating the likes of Paksa, Jonathan Johnson and EK Baki is no small feat! All three are well known and great wrestlers in the Thailand and Southeast Asia scene. He would go on to win the tournament!
There would be some defeats and victories in the next year for Gunn. This blogger is not certain what happened to him. Likely, an absence from wrestling was due to the epidemic.
However, the next time we, and the fans, saw Gunn, was in a three way match for the SETUP 24/7 Championship in July 2023.
In November 2024, Gunn took part in the 20 person SETUP Rumble which was a very unique match with some of the different costumes that some of the wrestlers wore. Early this year, in January, Gunn fared well in the Intergender Four Way match with Matcha, Kru Pol and Pondhub.
From the video I've seen of him, he has definitely good wrestling skills. His drop kick on opponents is something that stands out. He does have other attributes as well.
Being told by sources that he may be the most experienced going into the upcoming tournament, Gunn definitely feels he has something to prove. Interestingly, Gunn will face two of the competition from January's match. Also, there is Kevin Weng, Flame Drake and Blick Drewz. Gunn is in the B Block along with Flame Drake and Pondhub.
All this blogger can say is that any one of the six that are in the two blocks are more than capable of winning the tournament. I'm not one to select the winner. However, for the fans who will pack The Circus Studio over the next four months, anything can, and will happen. The tournament, along with other great matches, will provide for an exciting 2025 in Bangkok and at The Circus Studio.
Please visit the SETUP Thailand Pro Wrestling page, as always, for tickets and information. Thank you.
Hope all of you are enjoying the Uprising Series feature on all six of SETUP Thailand's wrestlers in the upcoming tournament.
The next wrestler this blogger would like to mention is Pondhub. The following information is factual and is what this blogger sees in, what is, an up and coming as well as an improving wrestler.
(NOTE - Please Facebook message me at SF Wayne regarding anything good or otherwise on this post).
The first time this blogger saw video of Pondhub was in May 2023 at the EP13 show. It was a match I've seen on You Tube several times and, believe me, it was impressive. It was the first match on the show and it was a tag team match that featured four up and coming stars on the SETUP Thailand promotion.
Pondhub caught my eye right away. His build when you see him in the ring is similar to this blogger. However, he has great agility, moves around the ring quickly and is very athletic.
There were other things noticable. Pondhub has a great character which the SETUP Thailand wrestling fans picked up on right away. The interaction was tremenduous. This came at a time when pro wrestling defeinitely needed it. That was coming back from a pandemic that affected sports entertainment nearly worldwide.
Pondhub showed a lot of wrestling skill for someone that was very new to sports entertainment. The assumption is that he likely started training once the pandemic was lifted. Anyway, Pondhub, along with his partner, Akaradeth (today known as Kevin Weng), won the match that day.
A couple of months later, Pondhub would gain some more experience in a tag team match against The Good Deal at the EP14 event. The success led to Pondhub being part of the IWA Japan SETUP Tag Team Championship tournament in September. He would wrestle twice that day, a great experience for any young wrestler.
Pondhub would be involved in several more matches as a tag team partner. There would be a great rivalry with Pondhub and his partner, Kevin Weng facing the current IWA Tag Champions in The Good Deal. In their last encounter, the team known as St. John's Innocent College would win in a Triple Threat match.
In May 2024, Pondhub would defeat his former partner, Kevin Weng in a singles match. Both wrestlers actually did well that day. There was a rift between the two from the previous show. Some fans and bloggers like myself look at it, perhaps a little different as a singles wrestler seeing what they can do alone. Pondhub won.
It would set up a Triple Threat match in the next show that had Pondhub, Kevin Weng and Kru Pol, the teacher. Kru Pol would win in his debut. What this fan noticed however is how all three participants have improved since their very beginnings in the promotion.
Pondhub has wrestled twice since this match. He took part in the 20 Person Rumble in November in which he did quite well.
Then there was the four way intergender match at SETUP's last show in January. From watching the match on You Tube, this may have been Pondhub's best showing. Fatal Four matches are difficult to judge, at times, but there was a lot of good with him that came out of the encounter.
The brackets for the Uprising Series have been made and Pondhub is in the B bracket. Personally, that should not make any difference to him or perhaps anyone in this tournament. Some people, not myself, may feel that he's a darkhorse to win. My gut feeling (only my opinion here) is that all six work hard in practice and the results have, and are showing.
Whenever you see improvement in each wrestler in this tournament, it's very rare when someone who doesn't work out at all has tons of ability. Working out provides better results and that is what each one has. Pondhub definitely is another wrestler to watch, and not just in the Uprising Series. There is quite a future ahead for him!