-
Alright, Jeks. Anytime.
-
What was the question again?
-
I was just scrolling in Facebook.
-
I was looking for groups or sites where I can discuss wrestling.
-
Until I saw this group called...
-
Philippine Wrestling Revolution
-
I don't know if a lot of people know this
story about
-
how I looked at PWR before.
-
I think it was FWR at that time.
-
Not to drop names but this guy deserves
the recognition.
-
Coz it was Frankie Thurteen of
MWF (Manila Wrestling Federation)
-
I think he created or one of the creators
-
I know he created the group.
-
From my knowledge, he created the group.
-
Then I remember making fun of it.
Coz' we were in the same High School.
-
This group were looking for like minded
people to start their own promotion here
-
in the Philippines.
-
So, I joined.
-
I didn't know if I was going to be a
wrestler.
-
All I wanted was to support.
I wanted to be part of the revival of
-
Professional Wrestling in the Philippines.
-
During those time, Professional Wrestling
was cancelled in the local networks.
-
Before we get to watch it on TV
or they go here live...
-
But it was rare.
-
What is that?
We're imitating WWE? Corny!
-
He was the one who would push me to
watch Indie Wrestling.
-
For me, no!
Through and through I'm a WWE guy.
-
I never thought that... umm
what is that term?
-
Not naive... but I never considered that
the wrestlers from WWE, not all...
-
Came from the independent wrestling scene.
The indie circuit, if you will.
-
In the late 80s
We have Pinoy Wrestling from RJ TV Network.
-
But it was cancelled after three years.
-
So the goal of PWR at that point in time
-
was to build a homegrown promotion.
-
Smokey Mountain brothers. Accompanied by
their manager Mr. Fred Moe!
-
Being an office worker.
I wasn't doing much.
-
I was a bit young.
-
I was thinking...
I'm going to support.
-
I really wanted to be a wrestler
-
But even if I didn't become one
I wanted to show my support even through
-
marketing. So I signed up.
-
I applied or I went there
to be a referee.
-
But to be a referee in Pro Wrestling you
have to understand.
-
You have to know how to bump.
-
Or how to break your fall
for the casual viewers.
-
So I still bumped.
-
When I bumped, I said to myself...
I already bumped. Why just be a referee?
-
Then I saw the rolls
I saw what they were doing...
-
I think I can do this.
You know what I mean?
-
So we decided to just meet.
-
We didn't know who each other was.
-
But when we met each other for
the first time...
-
it seems like we already knew each other
for more than five years or so.
-
Because each and everyone were
big wrestling fans
-
So that's when it started.
We introduced ourselves...
-
We went to a really dilapidated gym.
The ring was really bad for the back.
-
It was hard as hell. There was no give.
-
I'm not saying there was a give on
wrestling ring.
-
But in a boxing ring, it's not really
bouncy.
-
Our basics came from a single
instructional DVD.
-
Owned by one of the members,
Bombay Suarez.
-
Basically he was...
He was the "father" of everyone.
-
He was our very first trainer.
in Philippine Wrestling Revolution.
-
So everything came from that one DVD.
-
We do this every week.
Once a week.
-
Always every Sunday.
Always the same place.
-
Same time. We do all the conditioning.
All the stretching.
-
Making sure that we don't
hurt ourselves too much.
-
Yah. Every week. Ever since...
-
Wow! Umm...
Ever since March or April of 2014.
-
We've been here every week. Every Sunday.
-
I'm hoping more will come today.
-
We're having a new set of Bootcampers
joining us this week.
-
And we are hoping that a lot of them
would show up. Especially women.
-
Because we would really like a
Women's Division soon.
-
But yeah. But as all wrestlers do.
-
We don't hope too much.
We just wait what happens.
-
We don't want to raise our expectations
-
then feel bad about it.
-
I've been watching PWR
just the start of the year.
-
But I've know of them for quite a while.
-
I never had the chance to watch last year
because nobody would accompany me.
-
Anyway, so when I saw one the shows
I said to myself...
-
I think I'd like to do that.
I like what they're doing.
-
And I think there should be more
girls as well.
-
I know there were other girls
who also signed up before.
-
I want to be one of them.
-
I've been a fan since I was young.
-
I thought I would out grow it but
-
when I found out there was a
local wrestling here in the Philippines
-
I thought, why not make the initiative
of joining it.
-
At least be a part of it.
I wanted to extend my support.
-
I think it would be great if wrestling
become mainstream in the Philippines.
-
So what you do is bend over and touch
your feet.
-
and then squat down.
-
Hold your feet. Then open up.
Don't worry.
-
And then lift your arms up.
-
And then slowly work your way up.
-
There.
And then we do that five more times.
-
[DRANZ] Right now. Just trying to focus
on the fundamentals.
-
Which is the most important
thing at this point.
-
[GEORGE] For me is, what ever is there.
That's where I should focus.
-
One step at a time.
[DRANZ] Yeah, it's just step by step.
-
[MARK] Right.
-
You guys know where your right is, right?
-
Left.
-
Down.
-
Jump.
-
Switch.
Switch.
-
Switch.
-
Down.
-
What brings me here is
what everybody is here for.
-
To chase something that I wanted.
-
To chase a dream.
Might as well try it.
-
I think I'm gonna be under a lot of pain.
-
More than I can imagine.
-
This one is scaring me but
I'm already here. So...
-
[Mark] Push yourselves, guys.
-
Go beyond your limits.
-
Right.
Switch. Other side.
-
Ready...
-
A lot of the older Bootcampers are coming
in later because they don't have to
-
do the basics anymore. So technically,
think of it like an advance class.
-
Where you don't have to repeat everything.
-
There's one of them right there.
Who just came in.
-
But these ones are the newbies where we
have to be with all the time.
-
One.
Two.
-
Three.
Four.
-
Five.
Six.
-
Seven.
Eight.
-
This is really me guessing who my first
match is...
-
I think it was Mark. It was JDL.
If I remember correctly.
-
One of our OGs. Ever since 2014.
Been training with us also.
-
Same as me. Batch one.
-
The ones who are stupid enough to
bump around in that boxing ring.
-
That was just cement, and tarp, and wood.
-
School? Yes it did affect my school at
some point.
-
There are time that I excel in school.
-
But whenever that happens, my wrestling
is bad.
-
But when I excel in wrestling, my school
performance are affected.
-
It happened to the point where I was
about to take my thesis in 2016...
-
It was my last appearance in PWR
for a while.
-
Because I had to decide.
-
As you can see. You witness first hand how
training is working.
-
It's really killing me right now.
-
And I wouldn't have it any other way.
-
This guy is Koto Hiro. He wrestles in L.A.
-
He wrestles mainly in California. So that
is great experience for us.
-
He's half Filipino.
He came back here to do a show.
-
And then, we're gonna be learning some
stuff from him that he learned from
-
other wrestlers. This is how we up
our game, and polish our skills.
-
Right?
So if your eye gets scratched...
-
you're not suppose to be fine.
-
Let's say around a good thirty seconds
you should be blinded.
-
Aside from the physical activities...
we also like for you to be a holistically
-
great wrestler. So we also teach you
wrestling psychology.
-
How to be a good wrestler
How to be a good showman.
-
We also have that in the Bootcamp.
-
Once you go advance, those are the things
we try to teach you.
-
Not so much on the basics anymore.
We want you to get better also.
-
Injuries are really commonplace in
wrestling.
-
One example of an injury would be
Main Maxx
-
He just came back from a displaced patella
Torn MCL.
-
He was out for a year.
-
He just made his return this
year actually.
-
And now he's made his way back to
challenge the champion on our next show.
-
One of girls, Crystal.
-
It's tough for her. Wrestling is mostly
male dominated.
-
Everyone in her Bootcamp are all men.
-
We try to foster a sense of equality.
-
So we aren't gonna give you hand-outs.
-
But being a girl, she's always going to be
challenged more.
-
We were thankful that she kept strong.
Despite being injured also.
-
She stayed around.
-
Eventually, she blossomed into her
own character.
-
Her own strong wrestling individual.
-
To the point where she was booked in
Singapore. She was booked in Malaysia.
-
She is one of our first wrestlers who
were booked abroad.
-
[CRYSTAL] Like when you are doing this.
When you're falling down.
-
[MURPHY] Ok. Split second thing.
Yeah.
-
This new Bootcamp batch.
Some are really showing some promise.
-
Some of them are gifted.
-
The thing I like about this batch is all
of them are wrestling fans.
-
All of them are enjoying.
-
That makes my job easier.
Knowing that they enjoy wrestling.
-
As long as they keep going,
its gonna be better.
-
I'm really not that athletic.
When it comes to coordination
-
with my body. And mind. It's not there.
-
So yeah. I think it will be more
difficult for me.
-
[MARK] You don't have to walk like that
every time.
-
Tiring and painful.
Excruciating.
-
Still fun though. I'm happy to do that.
So fun.
-
We signed up for this.
-
Painful.
[MURPHY] We wanted this.
-
We're fine.
-
Some are different.
-
They can get it.
-
It's how it is.
-
We're all different.
-
I guess for me it'll take a few
more sessions before I get it.
-
[CROWD] Something broke.
-
Does it hurt?
-
You really can't say that wrestling is
dangerous. Well, yes it is dangerous.
-
But the injuries comes from everyday stuff
and not the wrestling moves itself.
-
That is why every training, we make sure
to practice every move.
-
On how to do it safely.
-
Does it hurt?
-
[MURPHY] Yeah a little bit.
-
unintelligible
-
[MURPHY] Ok. What do I need to do?
-
[MARK] We have to go to the hospital.
-
[MURPHY] Ok
-
That is what's scary about wrestling.
-
More often than not, you won't get hurt
on the big wrestling moves.
-
It's the small movements that
can hurt you.
-
[INTERVIEWER] How was it?
How was the second day of Bootcamp?
-
It was better.
Smoother.
-
Except for that one little spill.
-
[INTERVIEWER] Are you gonna go back
for another session?
-
Yeah sure.
-
As long as nothing bad happens.
Like I don't have a fever or something.
-
Most likely, yes.
-
[INTERVIEWER] Are you looking forward
to your first match?
-
I've been looking forward towards my first
match for the past, I don't know...
-
Fifteen years?
-
This just makes it faster.
-
You've been taught protocol.
Shake everyone's hands.
-
Be nice.
Don't be a piece of shit.
-
See, that holds here as well.
-
We are here at Power Mac Center Spotlight.
Ready for our show.
-
We're setting up the ring.
-
We just finished putting up the mats,
posts...
-
Now we are just putting on the
finishing touches.
-
I also test the ring most of the time.
-
I make sure the ropes are tight enough for
our high flyers.
-
Or no one will fall once they hit the
ropes.
-
Basically it hurts to run the ropes
because its tough.
-
Check this out.
-
See? It's so tight, it doesn't move much.
-
I'm excited for the show.
-
Hopefully you enjoy it as well.
-
Now, what "young boy" entails is more on
listen, listen...
-
Do as you're told.
As suppose to ask questions and questions.
-
What happened to the PWR is we
became a collective.
-
We help each other.
I'm just the president.
-
We have a board of directors.
-
A mixed of wrestlers, referees,
officers and backstage people.
-
That group decides on what happens
in the show.
-
And make sure that PWR runs smoothly.
-
When does the show start?
-
[OFF CAM] When the lights are on?
-
No.
-
What time does the show start?
-
Hasn't it started yet?
-
Yes.
-
The second that these cameras are
following us.
-
We are suppose to be thinking about
what is going on here in the structure.
-
Ok. Next.
-
Up, two. Down, one.
-
My name is Javier Ortega.
I am the Lighting Designer slash
-
Technical Director slash wrestler for PWR.
-
The whole deal really is.
-
The show has already started.
Technically for us.
-
We are on the clock.
-
We are suppose to be working as
much as possible.
-
Those guys, they may look like
just chatting.
-
But the thing is, in between.
Every time someone shows up with merch,
-
they have to manually encode all
of the merch that has been turned over.
-
At the end of the day, they will
turn over money in sales.
-
Then return the shirts that
have been left.
-
There will be an accounting.
-
These things are part and process
of our work.
-
And the show hasn't even started.
-
When we started out we can't even
pay our wrestlers.
-
It was all a passion project.
-
Right now, we are in a good place where we
actually able to pay the wrestlers.
-
It's not really a big amount of money.
But at least they are getting something
-
out of it.
-
We also collaborate a lot with
our wrestlers.
-
Our staff.
-
So, even though we can say that there is a
group that spearheads PWR,
-
PWR itself serves as a group and
acts like a family...
-
to make sure we bring the best
brand forward.
-
The following contest is scheduled for
One Fall!
-
[CROWD] One fall!
-
You can't really practice the craft.
-
You can't really immerse yourself with
the wrestling scenery if you will...
-
inside the ring.
When nobody's watching you.
-
I get that wrestling is scripted.
-
But an audience reaction is nothing
you can fake.
-
That's one of the realest thing.
Their reception to you.
-
You don't get a Spongebob.
You don't get Catdog
-
You don't get this WWE mic.
-
You don't get this Luchador earphones
when you win POG.
-
However, you do get this.
-
Path of Gold tournament trophy.
-
Sorry, remove the other merch inside.
-
[INTERVIEWER] How many wrestler you have
to compete with to win that?
-
Nineteen other wrestlers.
-
And hah! Funny you should mention.
-
I beat, the last two of us...
the final two.
-
Me and Jake De Leon.
-
And look who came out the victor.
-
The following contest is scheduled for
One Fall, and is for the PHX Championship
-
Wrestling!
-
The first reaction of my family on
wrestling is, well, they are against it.
-
It's violent. It shouldn't be
viewed by children.
-
Especially when you're four years old.
They know we'll imitate them.
-
Canadian Destroyer!
-
Here's your winner, Mainstream
Mahaba!
-
We're the first to admit,
we are not properly trained.
-
Unlike some other famous wrestlers who
started that way.
-
But, you have to start somewhere.
Right?
-
To see if it's for you.
-
With a crowd.
-
It was a great show. I'm the champ now.
-
Everything went off great.
-
I hope everyone enjoyed.
-
And yeah. We are just having a
good time right now.
-
After the show we meet the fans and...
-
We just talk to them.
-
That's what wrestling is.
We are a community.
-
We want everyone to have fun.
-
And that's why we are here.
-
This is how I love wrestling in general.
Not just WWE.
-
If I have to do two weird jobs.
Odd jobs.
-
To sustain my being a wrestler.
I will. If I have to.
-
I just do freelance now. But if I have to
do a regular job, fine.
-
By all means.
-
It just goes to show you that
whoever you are.
-
Be a man or woman or whatever.
-
It doesn't matter what you're
going through.
-
If you fight hard enough for your dreams,
-
your dreams will fight for you too.