Women’s wrestling saw a meteoric rise in the Southeast Asian region this past year, and the Philippines has been at its forefront. Though it remains to be a male-dominated industry, promotions such as PUSO Wrestling have taken major steps in raising the bar for women in the local scene.
PUSO Wrestling celebrated the talents of Filipina wrestlers in their inaugural Pwersang Pinay Gauntlet Match to close out 2024. The match consisted of the promotion’s own female wrestlers with special guests involved. Robynn, a representative of the Filipino Pro Wrestling (FPW) promotion, took part in the match as well. Internationally based Filipina wrestler Roxxy, Dubai’s first homegrown female wrestler, hailed all the way from Wrestlefest DXB. Ice Ribbon‘s Yappy also paid the promotion a visit to serve as the special guest referee.
The gauntlet saw a colorful display of action between various competitors. Chelsea Marie, arguably the promotion’s top woman in the main event scene, dominated the match early on. Robynn and Crystal brought a nostalgic feel, reuniting in a singles match and bringing a sight many thought they would not see again. Fans also witnessed the debut of the singing diva Andi Fei, but it was Joya who stole the show after scoring the final pinfall over Crystal following her patented Killjoy maneuver.
Yappy and Joya’s thoughts on the Philippine women’s wrestling scene
WrestleZone had the chance to speak with some of the talent involved in the match. Yappy shared her insights on the growth of Philippine women’s wrestling since her last visit. She expressed her happiness seeing the consistent rise of the local female roster. “Well, I’m glad that the number of female wrestlers in the Philippines has gone up considerably, and that most of them are very passionate in improving their craft,” she says.
The winner of the Pwersang Pinay Gauntlet, Joya, then emphasized on their goal to motivate more women to participate in the sport. She also invited them to come train with their team in PUSO Wrestling. She says, “I’m glad that there are plenty of women in Philippine Wrestling now. But of course, our goal is to have more Filipino women as wrestlers, fans, and members of the wrestling community. So, for any woman out there who wants to become a wrestler, we are here to help you. Come, and let’s show everyone the power of a Pinay!”
As the local scene heads into 2025, PUSO Wrestling looks to further empower their female demographic on both the roster and community side. The promotion is holding training programs on all Sundays of January for any interested participants and future prospects.
