Local heartbreak in main event, but Thailand revels in its greatest night of wrestling
Thailand’s wrestlers bid to establish themselves on the international stage at SETUP Episode 8, and while the match results were mixed, they largely achieved this on what has been hailed as the best night of grappling yet staged in the kingdom.
The main event was a compelling tag team match which saw the Thai duo of Terry Diesel and Monomoth challenge the visiting Asia Dream champions, Calamari Drunken Kings (CDK). The stakes were high, and it was a contest with a deeply personal undertone for SETUP co-founder Pumi Boonyatud.
Pumi had, after all, created the Asia Dream championship back when he helmed Gatoh Move, Thailand’s first pro wrestling promotion. But it has been to his regret ever since that no Thai has ever held the belt – a task that has become more difficult since Gatoh Move’s relocation to Japan.
CDK – comprised of Chris Brookes and Masa Takanashi – are formidable champions, but them defending against Diesel and Monomoth on SETUP’s biggest night, in its ancestral Bangkok home of Circus Studio, lent a feeling that the fates might smile on Thailand.
Sadly, that would not be the case, despite a sterling effort from the challengers. The difference, perhaps, was in the greater cohesion displayed by Brookes and Takanashi, built up over more than three years as a team. Diesel and Monomoth, while stablemates, do not often work together.
CDK kept the bigger and more experienced Diesel out of the match for long stretches, punishing Monomoth away from his corner and preventing a tag. He showed admirable resilience – somehow even kicking out of a pin that followed an incredible superkick-piledriver combo from Brookes – but was ground down for the finish after a gruelling 23:40 of action.
After a keenly fought contest, it was disappointing to see Brookes proffer a rude gesture at Diesel at the match’s conclusion. It was apparently his way of issuing a challenge for Diesel’s SETUP Openweight championship, but being disrespected in such a way is not something the ‘Bangkok Rockstar’ will take lightly.
‘The Statement’ saves his career, and his country… for now
In a fight with repercussions well beyond the wrestling ring, Andruew Tang defeated the Japanese monster, Kappa Kozo of the UMA Corporation.
In doing so, ‘The Statement’ saved his career, having pledged to retire if he couldn’t get the win here.
He had heaped this pressure on himself in the wake of being assaulted and humiliated by Kozo at the end of Episode 6, and with the villainous UMA Corp having stated their intentions of launching a hostile takeover of Tang’s home nation, Singapore.
Tang, arguably Southeast Asia’s best wrestler – and certainly its most experienced – will have seen a lot in his long career, but even he was left perplexed at times by the other-worldly techniques and tricks of Kozo.
With a skill set that included powerful strikes, unorthodox holds, raking claws and even its weapon of choice – cucumbers – Kozo was already a formidable and unpredictable foe. This conundrum then doubled in complexity and danger when, having retreated under the ring, two Kapper Kozos emerged!
‘The Statement’ fought off both his identical attackers and then hit one of them with an incredible satellite DDT to grab an impressive victory at 5:14.
Kozo’s air of invincibility has now been shattered, but the wider UMA Corp has promised to come back stronger. Disgusted that their flagship wrestler let them down, they will give it one more chance. Kappa Kozo will be back at Episode 9, and it promises to get its masters back on track.
Paksa’s punishing reward as Thailand hosts first hardcore championship
Once more, history was made at a SETUP show.
This time, Thailand’s top wrestling promotion brought the first ever hardcore championship match to the country.
On top of that, the fight resulted in Thailand crowning its first ever hardcore champion!
After 15 minutes of expected brutality and mayhem, veteran Paksa hoisted aloft the Wrestle Square Hardcore Championship.
If this fatal fourway match had resembled a battle of nations – pitting two Thais against two Indians from the visiting Wrestle Square brand – in practice it was every man for himself.
Ultimately, Paksa’s overall experience – as well as particular experience in the hardcore format – proved decisive, with his countryman Hyde showing naivete in attempting to ingratiate himself with the visitors.
Having said that, he fought hard and showed marked improvement as he battled with Paksa, Skyler and defending champion DMan, suggesting he is one for the future despite coming up short.
The four men went to war brandishing all the staples – tables, chairs, belts, kendo sticks and more – with numerous high sports wowing the crowd.
The route to the title became marginally easier when Skyler took DMan out of the equation by plunging him through a table, rendering the titleholder unconscious.
But Paksa capitalised instead, hitting Skyler with an almighty spear and then Hyde with a jumping knee for the three count and the title.
Overconfident Hasdin loses test of strength with Hoshitango
Bital Hasdin was on a roll, having scored a series of standout wins and earning accolades as possibly the future of Thai wrestling. No wonder he was confident.
Too confident.
He thought he could win a battle of strength with Argentine Hoshitango.
He thought wrong.
At nearly 300lb and with more than two decades of experience behind him, the former sumo wrestler was not bothered by Hasdin’s over-excited attempts at aggression.
Everything Hasdin attempted was no-sold – and not in a kayfabe sense. His blows just bounced off the veteran, who countered with power to great effect.
Hasdin did manage one decent rally, and even managed to hit Hoshitango with an F5 – perhaps a career highlight in its own right – but otherwise it was one-way traffic, with Hoshitango winning in 8:34 with a frogsplash from the second rope.
The Horrors, a thriller, action, comedy and tragedy
Even with the understanding that wrestling is a theatre of the unexpected, the international tag team match between the Thai pair of Shivam and P’Suchart and Singaporean visitors The Horrors threw up all manner of surprises.
First of all, the intimidating, blood-soaked sight of Dr Gore and Da Butcherman set the tone for the movie-style violence that was to follow.
That was followed by the oddball appearance of Shivam – the AWGC Jr. heavyweight champion and usually a man who approaches his art with deadly seriousness – decked out in a bright orange motorbike taxi driver uniform, to match his fun-loving partner, the goofy P’Suchart.
The match struck a balance between horror and comedy, the sum of its parts creating a thriller – via some tragedy and a major plot twist.
Midway through the match, referee Akaradeth spotted an opportunity for sporting glory of his own, rolling up the unsuspecting 24/7 champion P’Suchart to take the belt.
P’Suchart allowed him his moment and the crowd chanted for the new champ, but elsewhere, Shivam’s mood was souring.
Growing more and more frustrated at being unable to beat The Horrors, Shivam produced a gun from ringside. While he wrestled with his conscience, in the confusion the gun went off – shooting Akaradeth in the stomach!
The stricken referee/champion coughed up blood as he was carried backstage. Amid the shock, Da Butcherman hit P’Suchart with a Meat Splatter for the win after nearly 20 minutes of mayhem, and then Dr Gore rushed away to see if his medical skills could help poor Akaradeth.
Matcha scores best win yet, as ref rises from the dead
The biggest surprise of the Matcha v Tokiko Kirihara came before the bell had even rung – as referee Akaradeth seemingly rose from the dead and returned to the ring.
Having been revived by Dr Gore, Akaradeth oversaw the spectacular joshi match between Thailand’s newest female star and the respected Japanese visitor Kirihara.
Having already beaten Alexis Lee and Kappa Kozo, Matcha was brimming with confidence in a fast-paced and crowd-pleasing affair that ended in victory for Thailand thanks to a Compression at 8:54.
* Finally, in a clash of generations, Johnathon Johnson – the youngest performer on the SETUP roster and youngest wrestler to have held an AWGC championship – overcame the “Godfather of Indian Wrestling,” Zorowar Singha Jammuwale, aka Zorro.
The visitor had attempted to use cynical veteran tactics to steer the referee into issuing a disqualification to Johnson, feigning being hit by a chair, but both the referee and Johnson were wise to it. Thereafter, Johnson planted Jammuwale with a perfect headlock driver to secure victory at 9:27.
LINKS
Thailand set for biggest and most important wrestling event (Ep.8 preview)
Ep.8 event page
SETUP Thailand Pro Wrestling company page
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