80s Retro: Pinoy Wrestling

Back in the 80s, we only had 1 wrestling show per week, and that was WWF All-Star wrestling, which aired on Wednesdays at 10 PM.  Wrestling fans like me, struggled to get more of this kind of action.  So aside from being contented with All-Star wrestling and at times, Betamax rentals of WWF main events like Wrestlemania, Survivor Series and Royal Rumble, we tried to find other ways of satisfying our urge for wrestling.  Kinda funny but we appreciated Pinoy Wrestling, which aired Saturdays from 5-6 PM on the former PTV4.  I remember being able to watch this show live at the carpark of SM City North EDSA back then.  See how Jologs it was!!!


Pinoy Wrestling is a local rip-off of the former WWF.  It had a roster of wrestlers with both fictitious and funny monickers which initially tickled your fantasies but on second-look would be ridiculous-looking because of all the irony and sarcasm between them and the charcaters they play. Here are some of the wrestlers and characters I remember:

1) Lawin, the Birdman - you would expect him to be like Jimmy the Superfly Snuka, but dream on!  Despite his high flying monicker, he rarely displayed acrobatic and aerial movers
2) Turko Turero - dressed like Andres Bonifacio, portraying a farmer.  He could lift a sack of rice with  his teeth.  One of his memorable match was versus Max Buwaya
3) Max Buwaya - one of the most popular villains in this show but never showed any semblance to a crocodile  After his stint in Pinoy wrestling, he was seen playing the role of a goon in local action movies.
4) Joe Pogi - Always escorted by sexy ladies who could have worked for Maalikaya.  But who the hell gave this monicker?! He ain't pogi. My foot looks better than his face.
5) Mikrobyos - Max Buwaya's midget accomplices
6) Turreritos - Turko Turero's midget accomplices.  A freak show this was!
7.) Facifica Falayfay - dressed as a Las Vegas showgirl and portraying a gay.  But later in the show's existence, he changed image and transformed into a more manly Macho Franco.

Macho Franco

8) King Cobra - would have been a rip-off Jake the Snake Roberts but not again.  He didn't bring any reptiles in the ring.  And he's fat to portray a serpent.  A more apt monicker would be King Toad.  But he's a champion.
9) Sultan Bato - he's a real deal. Dressed as a Muslim warrior, he is one of the more legit fighters in this show.  He was my favorite.
10) The Bakal Boys (Caloy and Boy) - would have passed as a rip-off of WWF's The Killer Bees.  They were one of the most prolific tag teams in the show.  But eventually, Caloy's ego grew and left Boy to fight on his own. 
11) The Smokey Mountain Brothers (Big Boy and Ting)- Dressed like Hillbilly Jim of the WWF.  And yes, they look dirty and nasty.  they were the arch-rivals of the Bakal Boys.
12) Iggy Igorot - aside from Sultan Bato, he also represented an ethnic minority. But unlike Sultan Bato, he is  more of a whipping boy.
13) Juan Duwag - as the name implied, he was a coward whipping boy of a wrestler.
14) Zorro - Need I say more! Why not throw in Leon Guerrero, Geronimo and Julio Valiente as well.  He dressed like a Luchador.
15) Pinoy Ranger - if there was a Zorro, why not a Lone Ranger Pinoy version
16) Waway the Wildman - Pinoy version of George the Animal Steele
17) Kamikaze Kid - too chubby to be a legit martial artist.
18) Roboto - with an entrance music of "Roboto" by Styx.  More funny-looking than intimadating dressed in metallic costume which even a kid would laugh at. 
19) Dr. Q - he is the Chinese-looking manager of Roboto and Kamikaze Kid.  Could have been derived from WWF's Mr. Fuji or Mr. Slick with the attitude of Bobby Heenan. He is Johnny Revilla's partner in the commentary booth.
20) Johnny Revilla as himself - the ringside commentator.  Whenever i think of Pinoy Wrestling I think of him, and whenever I saw him, I thought of Pinoy Wrestling. 

Johnny Revilla : The face of Pinoy Wrestling

They indeed had funny names, crazy choreography and a freakin plot.  But way back when wrestling shows were scarce, unlike today when you have internet and cable TV where you can watch them anytime, it filled a void in every enthusiast's longing for action.  And despite being short-lived, it was one of the Pinoy shows to remember during the 80s. 

Joe Pogi/Zorro versus Smokey Mountain Brothers

Zorro versus Pinoy Ranger

80s Retro: Payaso

I went to sleep early last night while watching the story of Prince Richard's and Saladdin's Holy War documentary on History channel. Woke up very early and can't sleep no more so I turned on the TV again. A few clicks on the remote lead me to Cinema One and it showed this 80s film "Payaso" which starred the Master Showman himself, German Moreno.  It also featured Gene Palomo, Strawberry, Cris Castillo, Mon Alvir, Strawberry and Monique Castillo among others.  Honestly, I don't know where all of them are now.

The plot is very simple.  Payaso is a clown portrayed by German Moreno who was sent by God to touch the lives of people, particularly the little children, on earth and to help them discern what is good and evil.  Along his journey, he met his nemesis, Red Devil, played by Gene Palomo, who tries to dissuade Payaso from doing his mission. An angel, played by comedian-host Jograd dela Torre keep Payaso on track.  While Red devil deceives the children to commit evil by finding the key to his carnival, Payaso on the other hand tries to lead them to his own "Carnival of Happiness." Payaso succeeded in the end but as the final scene suggested, Red Devil still got the better of him, as he was fooled to peep through a "Butas ng Kapalaran" where a cannon was waiting to fire.  A bit depressing movie but with a lot of lessons to be learned despite the surreal sequences.

I know that this movie was a big flop back then, and some even considered it one of the worst films ever produced.  But it is a welcome delight for 80s nostalgia fanboys like me.  It simply brought back tidbits of memories of the people, places and events in that spectacular decade.  I honestly think that this was the most star-studded of the films produced in the 80s with the likes of now veteran stars Gloria Romero, Susan Roces, Eddie Garcia, Nora Aunor, Vilma Santos, Maricel Soriano, Rickie Davao;  the late showbiz personalities Helen Vela, Rudy Fernandez, Miguel Rodriguez, Inday Badiday and Ike Lozada;  Zsa Zsa Padilla, Gary Valenciano, Gabby Concepcion, Aga Muhlach, Richard Gomez, Bong Revilla, Ronnie Rickets, Martin Nievera, Cristina Gonzales, Gretchen Barretto;  then 80s matinee idols Nino Muhlach, William Martinez, Janice de Belen, Nadia Montenegro, Sheryl Cruz, Tina Paner, Manilyn Reynes, Ronnel Victor, Ramon Christopher, Michael Locsin and Jojo Alejar; all of them playing cameo roles.  I have to laud Sialina Films for being able to tap their services for this film.

But aside from the star-studded cast, what really made me continue to watch this film were the scenes shot at places which used to define the decade like the old Fiesta Carnival and Araneta Center Complex, the old Ayala Center, SM City and Circus Circus restaurant, the SM Cubao and Ali Mall foodcourts, Manila COD and its XMas live display, Greenhills Shopping Center during its glory days, and Shakeys when it used to be the favorite hangout of the teens. Plus I also saw "Marcos pa rin" posters, Winchell's Donut Store, the original Jollibee Mascots, the still existing Wendy's store in Cubao and the now rare to see Cindy's foodstore.

This movie, much like Bagets, Hotshots, all those Herbert Bautista movies, really took me back to the 80s which I am very much ready to re-experience anytime.  And while most find "Payaso" shallow and "bakya," I still find it one of the defining movies of that decade.  That is in the viewpoint who love everything 80s.