Fabio Makisig after winning the MWF Pinoy Wrestling Championship in December 2022.
For the last couple of years now, this blogger has followed pro wrestling quite a bit in Southeast Asia. I've seen it firsthand in the Philippines with five shows over a calendar year.
Also, this fan has followed it quite a bit on social media outlets like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), You Tube and several streaming providers.
This blogger has covered roughly 15 or so wrestling promoters throughout the region. There are several promotions such as Grapplemax Pro Wrestling in Singapore whom there's a high regard for. For much of the year, Big Dave was their Openweight Champion. He defended the belt against all comers and would also be on podcasts in the country sharing his thoughts of the coveted championship.
Late in the year, Big Dave lost a title match to Hotshot Wilson, a wrestler who was on the verge of being a champion for a couple of years. It will be interesting to see his reign in 2024.
Another pro wrestler I have a high regard for is a wrestler with the Manila Wrestling Federation.
At my first ever show outside North America, Fabio Makisig, definitely one of the most recognizable wrestlers in the Philippines, won his first MWF Pinoy Wrestling Championship in defeating another great wrestler in Jake De Leon. It happened at the Peta Theater Center in Quezon City at the 2022 Noche Buena show.
Like Big Dave in Singapore, Fabio defended the title against numerous competitors in 2023. The list included Nigel San Jose, Dabid Ravena, Migs Valdez, Robin Sane, Crystal, Ken Cifer and Jake De Leon prior to the eight man elimination last month.
However, it was more than the fact that Fabio defended and defended it successfully for nearly one year.
Fabio, as well as numerous MWF wrestlers, as well as staff members, took part in a lot of appearances in the Metro Manila community. There would be radio shows, television shows, appearances at a few of the area shopping malls.
Things would even be enhanced when around the middle of 2023, the Manila Wrestling Federation would be a part of a new channel in the country. The channel known as Rock Of Manila TV can be seen in much of the Philippines today!
Being fairly new to the pro wrestling scene in Southeast Asia, I'm not sure how popular MWF or that matter, Philippine Wrestling Revolution was prior to the pandemic.
However, I can say since post pandemic, the wrestling scene led by the Manila Wrestling Federation has elevated their game. Certainly, the MWF Pinoy Wrestling Championship has definitely been elevated and Fabio has a great deal to do with it. Hopefully, the kapafeds who followed him throughout 2023 will not forget what Fabio accomplished as champion.
Now, with Jake De Leon as the champion, this doesn't mean that Jake cannot elevate things in holding the belt. He has been a recognizable face in the pro wrestling scene for a few years now. He's not known as "Mr. Philippine Wrestling" for nothing. Whether the fans like him or not, it will be interesting to see his path as champion going forward.
Certainly, this fan is looking forward to what the path will be in 2024 for Fabio, Jake, for Oro Plata Mata and the Manila Wrestling Federation.
