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PWR Wrevolution X review and RE5PETO preview
One show, one night, one chance for challengers of all ilk to get their hands on their rivals and seize glory on Wrevolution X, PWR's biggest event of the year.
Production values ba kamo
iAcademy, the host of 2016's "Wrevolution X," remains a great fit for PWR, more so than two years ago as every corner of the school's auditorium was filled to capacity this time around.
The venue's up there with the Power Mac Spotlight as PWR's best venues to date, in terms of facilities: screens for pre-match OBBs to catch the audience up on the match's story and, of course, AC.
Every sound made in ring was made audible thanks to its great acoustics, while the lighting for this show fit more with special entrances and spots, and was not an epilepsy-hazard like the lighting in Trapik.
It's with sincere hope that iAcademy allows PWR back for another show in the future as it delivered on helping the whole show feel as important as it wanted to be.
A Prophecy Fulfilled
After a quick victory by McKata, now allied with Brad Cruz, over a shockingly slimmer Kapitan PWR, Quatro came out to confront the able-bodied Trabajador Supremo for the last time.
Quatro and Supremo's first and final dance played out like the final boss in a typical RPG; with each great blow dealt by Quatro, Supremo pulled out the ultimate jerk move of restoring his health to full via health potion, helpfully provided by Trabajador Dos.
And on the brink of the unbeatable boss cycle, Supremo dealt his ultimate attack by suffusing iAcademy with shadows. For a second, it looked like the Lightbringer would return to the darkness he tried to escape from, until:
#WrevolutionX
— Rie Takumi (@rie_takumi) May 28, 2018
Pre-Show: Quatro vs. Trabajador Supremo#PHWrestling???????? pic.twitter.com/HUX1LipOVN
Imbued by the light, Quatro mounted his comeback against the now-vulnerable Supremo and seized his destiny by, appropriately enough, hitting the Destino (somersault reverse DDT) for a pinfall victory.
The Trabajador storyline was an achievement for PWR. What began as a pre-show distraction grew into a narrative that gave birth to one of the few naturally-compelling stories PWR ever had, helped an already-charismatic rookie curry favor with the crowd, and made the pre-shows a must-watch.
With the prophecy fulfilled, Quatro's free to spread his light on the main show and opens the Trabajadors to raise more talents out of the shadow.
Match 1: PWR Tag Team Match: John Sebastian & Crystal (C) vs. The Punk Dolls (Martivo & Robynn)
A better outing than it initially seemed, the Punk Dolls took on the champs in a nice kick-off match that downplayed Robynn and Crystal's lingering issues from their indecisive match at HHWW, and accentuated Sebastian's charm to mixed results.
Robynn was one of WrevoX's hidden gems; if Trapik didn't prove the lengths she'd go for a match, the tope con giro in this one should. Risky antics aside, her beautiful suplex right before her hot tag to Martivo was one of many spots that gave a sense of how far she's gone and can still go.
Martivo's anger was well-earned and though it felt like he could've chewed his opponents out more, he chose to reign it in for some stylish sequences.
On the villains' side, Crystal was the mover for most of the match. She worked overtime to save her boyfriend's hide via interference and literally dragging him to safety, created situations for double-team moves, and generally defended her nickname of Queen through definite action.
After surviving near-fatal attacks, the champs eventually hit the Solemate-Killshot (inverted stomp facebreaker-running knee strike) combo to give the Queen a nice despedida gift before her match against Singapore's Alexis Lee on the 22nd.
WINNER: John Sebastian & Crystal
While Sebastian's jokes leaned towards comedic than menacing this time around, unlike in Trapik, the continued LGBT jokes here brings to mind indy wrestling darling Joey Ryan's tweet about casual homophobia:
Casual homophobia creates a culture where LGBTQ is seen as abnormal. Leading to fear, to anger, to hate. There's a ripple effect. Be better. https://t.co/UjUXsgShk5
— Joey Ryan (@JoeyRyanOnline) August 7, 2017
There's no doubt that the jokes were discussed — it's hard to imagine an LGBT advocate letting unplanned jokes slide — but the barbs eventually became tiresome instead of reinforcing how repugnant Sebastian's character was. Worse still were the choice number of fans who actually cheered for the jokes, whether ironically or not.
The day Martivo and Robynn gives the Savior and his Queen their just desserts will undoubtedly be satisfying, yet when that day comes, will their story mean more than a homophobia angle that can't decide between going hard and making it comical?
It would also be a shame if their rivalry ends without questioning their various skill gaps, career discrepancies in terms of said skills and presented opportunities, the strength of their partnerships, and most importantly, giving Robynn and Crystal's rivalry a more satisfying conclusion.
Match 2: Dax Xaviera vs. SANDATA
A match hampered by miscommunication and lack of real stakes, this fun little exhibition did get the crowd on their feet a few times and earned WrevoX their first "suilt bayad" chant for the night.
And yet, even when everything was in place for a showcase poised to give both guys time under the spotlight, Xaviera still got near silence and even a few boos.
Is it because he isn't part of a focused story? Does he need to project his character in another way, explain what exactly does it mean to be the Pride of Lakampati or the Sagisag ng Sigasig?
The trend of indifference continued well after SANDATA grew more aggressive to respond to Xaviera's readiness, and the end when Xaviera took three Kidlats (running knee strike) and chose to pass out to the Garotte Dos (ground cobra clutch) than tap out.
Xaviera's not alone in having a character that fails to translate for the audience. This doesn't have to mean that he has to turn his back on his principles; he just needs to figure something out to help bring out his full potential charisma-wise.
WINNER: SANDATA via submission
Match 3, Tornado Tag Team: KakaiBros vs. Main Maxx
Before anything else: shoutout to whoever made the Kakaibros' and Mr. Sy's tarpaulins (and the Kakaibros' new tights); they are a credit to the world.
The Kakaibros used their street smarts to outwit and separate Maxx and Apocalypse. Their teamwork would make them crowd favorites, if they weren't the type to try and rip off the Apocalypse's mask; though it would be a shame if they changed tracks now.
Maxx and the Apocalypse got along well enough this time around to toss the Kakaibros at their own hypebeasts and, in one notable instance, to each other for a devastating scoop powerslam.
Regrettably, the delicate partnership was no match for a tried-and-tested team; after putting Apocalypse away with a Rapbeh, Kh3ndrick and Mh4rckie rolled-up Maxx for a stunning first win.
The loss lead to the Apocalypse slapping Maxx after the bell, ending their short alliance.
WINNER: Kakaibros via pinfall
Match 4, 6-Man All Out War Championship match: Vlad Sinnsyk (C) vs. Vintendo vs. Alexander Belmonte III vs. James "Idol" Martinez vs. RevoRanger vs. Peter Versoza
Chaotic and jam-packed with high-stakes action, the fact that it felt like everyone was thrown into it pell-mell barely mattered when they've done everything in an attempt to top the Fighters 4 Hire vs. Deadly Sinns match from Resbak 2017.
Such an attempt would fail without Sinnsyk, who has proven time and again that he's the man for hard-hitting matches. He literally gave as hard as he took — for every man he slammed onto a steel ladder or steps, he took his own face-full of ladder or a kick to the face that landed him in his own thumbtacks.
Evidenced by the paragraph above, it's easy to fall into the trap of just enumerating its many spots, but it's better to say that this AOW match showed why it's attraction match and not something to be thrown into every show.
The match also helped give the title a sense of legitimacy due to the backbreaking work needed to earn it.
The audience got it, as the work, the callbacks, — notably, the sitaw and a Dora The Explorer table — and the sheer mayhem earned WrevoX its second "sulid bayad" chant of the night.
Sinnsyk's tacks played a pointed role as the push-and-pull between Versoza and ABIII culminated with the big man hitting the Belmonte Driver (fireman's carry Michinoku driver) on the flat-earther to the tacks for his first solo title.
WINNER: Alexander Belmonte III via pinfall (New Champion)
During the match, Martinez performed a dangerous move that required him to receive medical attention. Days later, PWR clarified that the move was not cleared with other participants nor with management.
"PWR prides itself in providing top-notch wrestling entertainment and enjoyment in a safe and controlled environment. It is unfortunate that this incident occurred without prior knowledge of the participants, as well as [the] management,” they stated.
As a result, PWR suspended Martinez and assured its fans that it “will continue to prioritize the safety and well-being of all talents, personnel, and audience members moving forward."
Match 5, 6-man tag match: The Naughty Boys (of Philippine Wrestling) (Trian dela Torre and Evan Carleaux) & ??? vs. The YOLO Twins (Logan and Yohann Ollores) & MWF's Robin Sane
True to his name, Mark D. Manalo didn't even make it to the ring before the twins sidelined him again, leaving TDTxECX without a partner for most of the match.
Granted, the twins also tried to clip their own partner's wings — not that they stopped Sane from executing ridiculous moves that showed why he should be known for more than his 450 Splash.
Sane was also involved enough that this didn't devolve into a regular tag match between two of three solid teams PWR has.
A regular match between the Naughty Boys and the YOLO Twins are nothing to scoff at, but WrevoX demands a special added value. The teams delivered this through bracing tag team maneuvers and antics that fed into their dynamics rather than distract.
Trian, for this match, abandoned his tendency to overact and made his tics feel entertaining again. Carleaux, for all the focus that was put on the YOLO's admittedly smooth movements, had flashes that teased how good he would look in a singles match against either one of the twins or even Sane.
WINNER: TDTxECX & Kapitan Tutan via pinfall
Instead of letting go of the accident, the YOLO Twins slapped and blamed Sane for their loss. Fortunately, there was nothing to stop Sane after the bell from sending the twins home with consecutive back to belly piledrivers.
Sane then promoted MWF 2: Maki-Wrestling, 'Wag Matakot, wherein he won against Mr. Lucha in the qualifiers for the MWF Championship tournament.
It's good to see that PWR and MWF are actively work to promote each other than antagonize the other to build the local scene with their distinct approaches to wrestling.
Competent, dick-based offense by Kapitan Tutan, who debuted as his boss' third man, cleared the way for TDT and ECX's victory via Friendship Beats All (assisted stunner) after Dela Torre pushed Sane onto a near-victorious twin.
WINNER: TDTxECX & Kapitan Tutan via pinfall
Instead of letting go of the accident, the YOLO Twins slapped and blamed Sane for their loss. Fortunately, there was nothing to stop Sane after the bell from sending the twins home with consecutive back to belly piledrivers.
Sane then promoted MWF 2: Maki-Wrestling, 'Wag Matakot, wherein he won against Mr. Lucha in the qualifiers for the MWF Championship tournament.
It's good to see that PWR and MWF are actively work to promote each other than antagonize the other to build the local scene with their distinct approaches to wrestling.
Match 6: Chris Panzer vs. Rederick Mahaba
This was a middle of the road match that should feel like the usual fare from either wrestlers, but was made entertaining precisely because Panzer and Mahaba understand their strengths and how to build on what they already have.
It also helped that the action was evenly-distributed across a little more than 15 minutes.
Mahaba used his strength and heavyweight charisma to overcome whatever limitations his knee may have placed on his mobility to throw Panzer around like a ragdoll, else contort him into a pretzel that apparently rendered PWR's male populace thirsty.
Panzer, on the other hand, exemplified why quality is preferable over quantity. His control over his facial expressions and body language made the audience feel his pain and every exertion, and his few true-and-tested moves look more and more refined with each show.
The best example of this is the coast-to-coast Eagle Splash he used to get the win. In that moment, that move embodied its name as Panzer practically soared across the ring to hit Mahaba, whom he kissed to break out of a bearhug and stunned with a Panzerschreck (running bicycle kick).
WINNER: Chris Panzer via pinfall
At any rate, Mahaba finally let go of his grudge against Panzer, whom he seemingly painted as a homme fatal in his post-match rant.
Match 7: Jake De Leon vs. Zayden Trudeau
The match of the night and the crown jewel of Trudeau's career thus far, this bout delivered on De Leon's mission to elevate the competition in PWR.
And it is about time that PWR leveled up. With more seasoned members getting opportunities in Singapore and Malaysia, it's reasonable to expect the rest of the roster to scale up to the level that would make international wrestlers make their own pilgrimage to the Philippines.
De Leon and Trudeau's match was not everyone's cup of tea, despite it being rightfully branded as the match of the night by quite a lot of fans. For some, it felt little more than an amusing string of familiar moves. But for others, it had the kind of nail-biting action that could hook both wrestling fans and people who bought tickets to change up their Sunday afternoon.
JDL took this opportunity to help showcase Trudeau's growth from the nervous newbie the Photon Showroom to an audacious showman who had the gall to pull off the first second-rope phoenix splash in the local scene, after minutes of running out of crazy flips to pull off.
It was invigorating to see JDL charge in without hesitation as his dance partner was willing and able to push the limits of what they can do within a near-20 minute match.
More than the pop-out-of-your-seat-worthy spots were the minutiae of JDL's expressions and Trudeau's smallest adjustments to get the most out of his moves.
JDL-Trudeau was a milestone match, in the sense that it put to perspective just how good and unique PWR's brand of action could be when performers have abilities to match their superior confidence.
The aforementioned phoenix splash gave way to a dazzling 450 Splash that gave Trudeau a pinfall victory over the former PWR Champion.
WINNER: Zayden Trudeau via pinfall
Trudeau's new music and cockier attitude presents an interesting twist on his formerly snow-white personality. He's now carrying the weight of his victories in his gait, his confidence informed by beating two former PWR Champions, the first being Billy Suede and the second JDL.
This doesn't have to mean that Trudeau's turned villainous; it could just mean that he's realized his potential at such a young age and grew into his confidence.
Meanwhile, the match raises the question of what's left for De Leon. While he could conceivably try to become PWR's first triple-crown champion, that kind of glory-seeking behavior doesn't seem to fit him.
Match 8, PHX Championship: Mike Madrigal (C) vs. Ken Warren
It's easy to forget just how flashy these two could get, but their entrances and the trash-talk wedged into nearly every conceivable second of this match reinforced this two-fold.
More than a reminder of their attitude however, this match — and the later Imabayashi-Rosales -—showed that good psychology can make up for any missteps in the ring.
Examples ranged from the obvious — Madrigal's confidence showing cracks by literally telling the ring announcer to make the crowd stop heckling him, and Warren breaking him further through insults — to the indistinct — Warren's near-concussed look when he gets hit, or Madrigal using his middle finger to hook the ropes and stop a two-count, if that could be considered subtle.
This match was not the smoothest, nor newest, but it did keep the crowd engaged from start to finish.
Madrigal was forcibly reminded of this when Warren ducked out of a surprise attack by the Kakaibros to give the champ a low blow and belt shot of his own, before landing a pair of Wi-Fi’s (superkick to the back of the head) to claim the white-and-gold belt.
WINNER: Ken Warren via pinfall (New Champion)
Match 9, PWR Championship, Career vs. Title: Ralph Imabayashi (C) vs. Miguel Rosales
Rosales' swan song, the near 25 minute-long match saw Imabayashi attempt to neutralize Rosales' power by targeting his legs with various submission holds in the first half, while the latter roughed up the champion to hell and back in the latter half.
Implacable is the only way Rosales could be described here; try as Imabayashi might to take his limbs apart, Rosales threw all he's got into his signature suplexes and powerbombs that predated risky moves that rightfully earned him the "please don't die" chant by the 20 minute-mark.
Unfortunately, his stubbornness didn't lead to victory as several knees to the face and two Senketsu (Gotch-style piledriver) put away the Ruthless One for good and allowed the champ to retain the title.
Yet the Revonation was left with the image of Rosales spitting in Imabayashi's face and challenging him to do better, even at the brink of certain defeat.
A deliberately-paced main event, the structure and all its moving parts came together to build to a shocking crescendo. But it took a while for the crowd to ride its momentum, whether due to exhaustion from the five hour-long event, or unfamiliarity with its form.
This presents a dilemma: is it worth doing a rewarding match that emphasizes move recall and physicality if it doesn't rouse fans until the halfway point?
This can be debated until the end of time, but for this review, a quicker-paced match would've been against its best interest. There should be room for matches paced like this, especially when it regained and maintained the audience's sympathy until the last move.
WINNER: Ralph Imabayashi
Imabayashi got on the mic after the bell not to brag but spare a few heartfelt words to Rosales, to whom he ceded the mic to for his last in-ring words to the RevoNation.
Rosales thanked the fans for their support while he lived his dreams for the past four years, his family for their backing despite reservations, and his wife, to whom he promised that she would not have to worry "about broken bones" any longer.
Four years was far too short for Rosales, who was just hitting his stride as a singles performer, but the matches he left are real and will be fondly remembered.
Kicking off Year 5 with RE5PETO
Just a week after Wrevolution X, PWR released the slate of matches for its season 5 kick-off show RE5PETO, to be held on June 24 at the 500 Shaw Events Pavilion.
Madrigal’s cash-in of his rematch clause will pit him in a main event match against Warren in PWR’s first-ever 3 Stages of Death, while Imabayashi will defend his PWR Championship against the Canadian Dragon Zayden Trudeau.
A tournament for the #1 Contenders’ spot for the PWR Championship will also be held with tag champs Crystal and Sebastian, AOW champ AB3, Maxx, Apocalypse, Sinssyk, JDL, and Panzer.
The #1 Contenders’ spot for the PWR Tag Team Championship will be decided via a tag team battle royale between ex-champs the Yolo Twins, Punk Dolls, the Naughty Boys, Kakaibros, and McKata & Brad Cruz.
Mahaba will also be in active competition, while Xaviera, Quatro, and SANDATA will face Bolt, Jan Evander, and Vintendo in a six-man tag team match. — AT, GMA Bews
