Philippine wrestling has returned to the live stage a second time this year with Manila Wrestling Federation’s Road to Fate 2022. The year’s biggest local wrestling event by far also features the country’s best performers and the main event to finally crown the next MWF Champion!
It was such a wonderful night of wrestling with a lot of amazing matches and moments that really showed PH wrestling is back and thriving. With that in mind, here are our favorite matches and moments of Road to Fate 2022!
MWF Title Goes Home…
After two long years, the MWF title is finally back in the Philippines. The return of the title meant that there would finally be a new MWF champion at Road to Fate.
The Triple Threat Elimination match main event is a showcase of the promotion’s best wrestlers in Nigel San Jose and Fabio Makisig, and Mr. Philippine Wrestling himself, Jake De Leon, one of the country’s most decorated wrestlers.
The match was initially a Fatal Four Way that included MyPW Wrestlecon Champion Crystal, the most accomplished female wrestler in the Philippines. However, she wasn’t able to compete due to COVID-19. We wish her a speedy recovery and hope to see her compete for the title soon.
The main event match lived up to the billing, with all three competitors hitting big move after big move. From Nigel San Jose’s arsenal of suplexes, Fabio Makisig’s lethal combination of kicks, and Jake De Leon’s athleticism and veteran savvy, there was so much to enjoy in this main event.
After a couple of big moves (including a huge powerbomb/superplex that shook up all wrestlers), we got to see the first elimination of the match when Jake De Leon rolled up Nigel San Jose, removing one of the fan favorites. With NGS out of the match, it’s now between De Leon and Makisig for the title.
…To Mr. Philippine Wrestling
Fabio Makisig fought hard against Jake De Leon, using his strong kicks to wear him down. However, he was also held back by a shoulder injury he sustained in an altercation with Robin Sane. This gave De Leon a weakness to exploit, attacking the shoulder using strikes and submission holds.
This allowed De Leon to find an opening and hit Makisig with a huge Alipin Drop, and position himself for the devastating Inasal Lock. The hold knocked Makisig out, giving De Leon the victory and becoming the MWF Champion, further cementing De Leon as the country’s top wrestler, and adding another top title on his resume.
Liwanag Shines Bright
Another big winner of the night was Bahay ng Liwanag, who gained a new member, and their leader Jomar Liwanag won the Undisputed SETUP Thailand 24/7 Championship.
Earlier in the event, Purple Shirt beat El Katipunero, graduating from trainee status. He is greeted by Jomar Liwanag after the match, who welcomes him as his new member, Aaron Liwanag (cue the A-aron chants from the crowd).
Later in the event, we got to see Jomar Liwanag pull off all the mind games on his opponent Ken Warren. From leaving him in the middle of nowhere to seemingly transporting him to the middle of the ring in time for their match. While visibly confused, Ken Warren was still able to put up a fight but was no match for Jomar Liwanag, who overwhelmed him with his powerful moves to win the Undisputed SETUP Thailand 24/7 championship. With a new title and another member to their growing stable, it won’t be long until Jomar Liwanag aims for something bigger.
Farewell to Danger
In a card that’s filled with hard-hitting matches, the one between “Danger” Rex Lawin and Dabid “Godkiller” Ravena was an absolute banger with an emotional ending. With the loser leaving Philippine wrestling, it was a match with their careers on the line, and they left it all out in the ring.
Lawin and Ravena were able to deliver their brutal brand of offense, with Lawin hitting a smooth powerslam after a flurry of strikes. However, Ravena’s offense stood tall by the end of the match, with his strikes constantly breaking Lawin down and knocking him out.
After the match, Rex Lawin bid the crowd farewell in a passionate speech thanking the fans for their years of support.
Cavite-Tondo Turf War (feat. Baking Tray)
Road to Fate was full of entertaining matches, and the Falls Count Anywhere showdown between Danny Zamora and Razael offered both humor and hard-hitting action. A grudge match that pits two tough guys from Cavite and Tondo, respectively, Zamora and Razael took advantage of the no-DQ rules and bought out a couple of weapons in and out of the ring.
We got to see them hit each other with a baking tray, using a wet handkerchief as a whip on their exposed backs, and finally the trusty Kendo stick that Razael twirled around before hitting Zamora. After a couple of chaotic sequences, Zamora, pinned Razael outside of the ring to grab the win.
Nameless Shirts
While Purple Shirt got a huge win and graduated, White Shirt and Black Shirt weren’t so lucky against their hard-hitting opponents. The former had to face Main Maxx in the pre-show, who showcased his agility and speed throughout the match, overwhelming White Shirt at the end.
Black Shirt, on the other hand, faced Saint John Martin from World Underground Wrestling. The match was a hard-hitting affair, with SJM’s MMA-style strikes giving Black Shirt a difficult time all throughout the match. While Black Shirt delivered some offense of his own, SJM was able to wear him down and win the match.
Other Interesting Stories
- Barangay Bagsakan (CJ Serafin and Chelsea) beat the team Migs Valdez and Kanto “Kilabot” Terror. Serafin and Marie were able to work as a team, showing off some nice double-team moves in the only tag match of the evening. Valdez and Terror, meanwhile, showed their lack of coordination, with Terror missing out on his partner’s calls to pin, costing them the match. Valdez went on a promo, berating Terror and leaving him in the ring.
- “The Asian Nightmare” Ken Cifer got a huge win against former MWF champ Robin Sane. During the match, Sane was constantly getting booed and jeered by the crowd. However, Sane still thinks that the crowd is behind him and insists that he’s wrestling for the fans. We see him in a later promo looking somewhat distraught as he leaves the venue.
MWF Road to Fate 2022 is a great showcase of Philippine wrestling and we’re looking forward to more live shows in the future, and hopefully see the MWF Championship be contested.
The Geeky Juans 