FPW Astig October Show Update

Next week, this blogger will update readers on Filipino Pro Wrestling Astig's October show with the updated lineup of events.  The next show will be held at Baked Studios, Makati City on Sunday, October 20th beginning at 2pm.

 

Headlining this show will be a huge main event for the FPW Championship.  Mike Madrigal, the current FPW Champion, will have his toughest test to date.  His opponent is someone that is well known throughout Japan and in North America.  Jeff Cobb is his name and is currently the NJPW Television Champion.

 

This blogger has seen Jeff Cobb twice.  I saw him in a local promotion back in 2017 at an All Pro Wrestling show that was held in the Cow Palace in Daly City.  He won a four way match for APW's Universal Title.  A year later, at my first ever NJPW show, also at the Cow Palace, he fell short to Hiroshi Goto for the NJPW Never Openweight Title.

 

Cobb has wrestled in the Philippines once before to my understanding.  He faced Chris Panzer and Quatro in a three way match for the PWR Title in which Panzer won in 2019.

 

Regarding Mike Madrigal, he has taken on all comers since winning the title in 2023.  He won a three-way to win the title, traveled to Malaysia in 2024, and won a four way match to retain the title there and recently, as Team Madrigal, won a five on five match at the last FPW Astig show in September.  

 

Some people may think that Mike Madrigal may be over his head in this matchup against a more experienced wrestler who has wrestled over 1000 matches, and since 2009.

 

However,  this blogger believes that the best is yet to come for the FPW Champion.  As Ric Flair once said, "to be the best, you have to beat the best!"  This could very well be a match that elevates Madrigal like never before!

 

For more information, including tickets, please visit the FPW - Filipino Pro Wrestling Facebook page.  Thank you.    

Interview #2 - Steve Hershkowitz

Steve Hershkowitz may not be a household name to those who watch WWE and AEW today.

 

However, to this fan, Steve is what wrestling is all about!  Back before the pandemic set in worldwide, off and on, I would be watching videos of promotions in Asia.  Middle Kingdom Wrestling was one of the promotions.

 

It was cool seeing how Steve and the reaction of the fans!  And watching him in matches, he was pretty good.

 

This blogger had a chance to meet him at a Meet And Greet for World Underground Wrestling Philippines last August and the wrestling show that followed.  Steve was making a return to the ring after a two year absence.  It looked like he hadn't missed a beat either.

 

Also, Steve has a book out called Class In Session! This blogger has a copy of the book and has read it.  You can a copy through Amazon.  Please check it out! 

 

Thank you to Steve for doing this.  Hopefully, wrestling fans will see him in a ring again very soon!      

 

 

Wayne - When you started following pro wrestling, who was your favorite promotion?

 

Steve:  I came to become a wrestling fan by happenstance. As a 10-year old boy, I was channeling surfing and landed on a live WWWF card from MSG on Sports Channel. For a period of time WWWF was the only game in town. Don’t ask me how - but somehow I learned about a California-based wrestling show that aired late night on Tuesday evenings on a New Jersey Spanish UHF channel. Shortly thereafter, I was able to watch Mid-Atlantic Wrestling on a cable channel emanating out of Buffalo, New York. Georgia Championship Wrestling on TBS was my next discovery. While enjoyed the options available to me, WWWF was my favorite promotion.

 

Wayne:  Who was your favorite wrestler early as a fan? 

 

Steve:  WWWF…Chief Jay Strongbow Mid-Atlantic…Ric Flair GCW…The Fabulous Freebirds.

 

Wayne:  Steve, who trained you before becoming a pro wrestler? 

 

Steve:  My initial trainers were Jon Dahmer and Eddie Valentine at the CZW Dojo. I was also trained by Jeff Rocker, Les Morgan, and Big Slam at various points. 

 

Wayne:  You wrestled for several years, some of it with Middle Kingdom Wrestling. What was your favorite match that you were involved in? 

 

Steve:  While I do have several favorite matches, I have more favorite moments/spots. A lot of those moments revolve around fan interaction. I think my favorite USA moment was when I was wrestling in an EWA show in Jackson, New Jersey. The front row was occupied by inebriated bachelor party guests. It was the first time I got face pops as a heel. In China, the highlight would be my extended feud with Wang Tao, but I also had memorable matches with Zombie Dragon, Curry Kid, and Black Mamba. 

 

Wayne:  You made a return to the ring with World Underground Wrestling - Philippines. How did you feel during the match with Ken Cifer and how you felt afterwards. 

 

Steve:  Let’s start with how I felt before the match. I was very nervous because not only was this a new promotion for me, but also because I was coming off a two-year layoff. During the match I gassed literally in the first minute. 

 

Ken really carried me through the match, and I will always respect him for that. Afterwards I felt a combination of jubilation and sheer exhaustion. I had two different people suggest I allow the medical staff to take my blood pressure.

 

Wayne:  I've asked this question with the Southeast Asia wrestlers. How do you feel right now with the improvement in the Southeast Asia promotions? Are they going in the right direction?

 

Steve:  Honestly, I have pretty much only worked for MKW in China other than one match for WLW (also in China) before debuting in WUW. It was truly a pleasure being involved with both groups. 

 

Wayne:  Finally, your thoughts on pro wrestling as a whole today? Is it the Golden Age that some people believe? 

 

Steve:  I believe that professional wrestling as a whole is experiencing a resurgence. Between Triple H taking creative control, the presence of AEW, and even NXT are definitely all positive things for the business in my opinion.