Wrestling for real

The athletes of Puso Wrestling aren’t joking. They take their craft of sports entertainment very seriously. The fledgling promotion has a dedicated corps of wrestlers who train constantly to improve their skills, work through pain, and create exciting events. They were born from a group that couldn’t let the sport go.

“Basically, we were all part of another wrestling promotion,” explains Jomar Liwanag. “When it collapsed, nobody left the group, and we built Puso Wrestling from the ground up.”

A few mall shows and home gym events in, the organization has found a hardcore following to boisterous, knowledgeable fans. They have a solid group of wrestlers from different walks of life, who all hope to make a name for themselves.

“We’re really hoping to get more eyes and more attention on our product,” says Isaiah Valencia, a tech student who wanted to be like the precursors of Pinoy wrestling. “We have a really good product and we want to make it sustainable for everyone. We’ve generated a core audience, and we want to branch out and show what we can do.”

Puso Wrestling currently calls Brawl Pit Bulusan in Quezon City its home. They have had three former WWE wrestlers pass on knowledge and experience to their local coaches. The wrestlers rigorously train and also stage the majority of their events there. Spectators already know the lay of the land, and are intimately familiar with the overblown personalities and flamboyant costumes of the wrestlers. What sets them apart is that the male and female athletes train together and even fight against one another.

“There is really no discrimination in Puso Wrestling,” adds Patricia Ligaya. “Everybody is equal. And we want to show everybody that women can do what men can do.”

For now, the wrestlers hang on to their day jobs because the promotions perform decently, but aren’t enough to support them financially. They hope that soon, though, their passion, faith and perseverance will pay off, and more people will leave their disbelief at the door and marvel and have a good time. It’s a hope that we all can relate to.