APAC Wrestling 'Dominion' @ Ground Zero Kuala Lumpur 11/03/2023 - Review

Wrestlers, Fans, and Government come together to put Sports Entertainment on the map!

Youth & Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh raises the hand of the APAC Women's Champion Nor 'Phoenix' Diana

Hannah Yeoh, the government Minister of Youth & Sports made a guest appearance at APAC Wrestling's 'Dominion' event in Kuala Lumpur this weekend. The YB, who is highly respected across the political divide, has been praised in her new role for her hard work and 'big tent' approach to embracing all sports across the country. Fresh from visiting a huge national E Sports event the previous day, she entered the APAC home 'Ground Zero' to a raucous crowd chanting 'YB Hannah'. Hannah and her husband took their seats to watch the APAC women's title match, which pitted homegrown viral hero and current champion 'Nor Phoenix Diana' against the Queen of Philippine Wrestling 'Crystal'. In the match, the guts, stealth, and quick decision making of Diana was enough to overcome the sassy, self-assured trickery of her challenger, who despite the loss, utilised a brilliant array of 'heel manoeuvres' to get the upper hand on her opponent.  After the match drew to a close, Hannah Yeo stepped into the ring to raise the hand of the 'Phoenix', the biggest known Malaysian star in global wrestling. That was a significant endorsement, not only to the legitimacy of the wrestling business here, but also to the advancement of women within the sport. 

In the previous opening encounter, 'The Retis' Double K outsmarted the plucky upstart 'Alpha' Alfa Nazri, and then proceeded to cut a promo to the crowd, outlining his ambition within the company. Following the women's match, the crowd were treated to arguably the 'match of the night', which saw fellow Phillipino star 'Julio' take on kampung chief 'the sigma beast' Serigala. This became a physically intense affair, with Serigala showing off his pure brute in response to Julio who was persistently mocking the crowd and his opponent, to land a range of his own power moves. The 'holy shit' moment of the night came when Serigala accidentally clotheslined the referee, which led to interference from Double K as he floored the 'Sigma Beast' with a chair. This led to Julio hitting his finisher and retaining his championship in front of a sea of wild raging fans.

The penultimate match up saw the local mysterious anti-hero Gotham, exorcise his inner spirits, and use his indominable depth of stamina & ring psychology to outlast the ambition of 'the dreamchaser' Azroy. Following the bell, Gotham was raising Azroy for a choke slam, and just in time Alfa Nazri came to the rescue. Azroy wasn't pleased by this and did not show any gratitude to his fellow competitor for saving him from annihilation. One must wonder how this dynamic will pay out in future shows.      

The main event was full of star power and was quite the coup for the company. Naming the event 'Dominion' was clearly an ode to New Japan Pro Wrestling, and this match featured NJPW superstar, and member of the TMDK faction, Mikey Nicholls. He was up against the founder of the company, the anointed godfather of Malaysian Pro Wrestling,  'The Nusantara Menace' Shaukat, and it was for the Ambition Wrestling Global Championship, a title held by a number of stars across the globe. Both wrestlers have that ‘star quality’, and despite ‘working hurt’, Shaukat carried himself through the match with dignity. Mikey Nicholls was phenomenal at working the crowd and generating heat as he picked apart his opponent. The match concluded with Shaukat pulling out the ‘shock win’ and becoming the new champion.

Shaukat - The new Ambition Wrestling Global Champion

Overall, it was an amazing show, and a lot of credit has to go to Shaukat and the APAC team for all the work they have put in to developing this company. Following a working relationship with the other Malaysian wrestling company MYPW, Shaukat decided during the pandemic to branch out and start his own entity, APAC, with the eye of taking Malaysian Professional Wrestling into the realms of a respectable mainstream package. In that time, the company acquired the ‘Ground Zero’ studio in Subang Jaya, where wrestlers were able to train, but predominantly it was to be a professionally set up studio to allow the recording of TV shows and live events. The two companies now complement each other well, with MYPW acting as a developmental territory, and APAC acting as the place for the finished product. Shaukat himself has helped spearhead the new brand around the world, recently being part of ‘the reality of wrestling’ product which is owned and operated in the USA, by wrestling legend Booker T. The newfound production values of APAC can be seen in the carefully curated video packages of their top talent, as the journey towards having a seat at the table of mainstream acceptability continues. In a moment of high significance, the company recently lobbied the government, and professional wrestling is now listed as an ‘official’ sport in Malaysia, which now allows it access to grants, facilities, and promotion, in a way that was never thought possible previously. Having Hannah Yeoh in attendance and participating in the event, is just another significant event in the rise of the sport in Malaysia, and it’s another commendable step in the right direction.

Beyond the hard work and dedication from the company, is the passion, loyalty, and enthusiasm of the ‘APAC Army’, the fans who have been attending professional wrestling shows in Malaysia for years. Once again, they flocked to another sold out event, and played an equally important part in the product, with their full participation. The crowd was on fire throughout the whole show (which was an ideal length of a 5-match billing, all killer and no filler), full of reactions, cheering, chanting, and banter – all traits of a successful event. The feelings of joy and laughter permeated throughout the event, and it was testament as to why I and hundreds of others across the country, love to experience wrestling live in it’s purest form. Even the two guests I brought along to experience their first ever live wrestling show, left with a newfound appreciation and love for the sport.   

The future looks bright for professional wrestling in Malaysia, and for the growth of APAC. It’s great that there is now a working relationship with government agencies, promotions that support bringing in & showcasing wrestling talent from overseas, and that the audience is continuing to grow. Search for ‘APAC Wrestling’, and ‘MYPW’ on all your usual internet & social media channels to find out more.

 

Split Tongue, Peach, Ragepoint @ Moutou, Kuala Lumpur, 05/03/2023

 Split Tongue, Peach (Indonesia), Ragepoint @ Moutou, Kuala Lumpur, 05/03/2023

Moutou in KL was alive with energy once again, as a collective of veteran punk rock scene promoters put on their first show. The night kicked off with Ragepoint, a young Malaysian band that played straight up hardcore with a bit of mosh. They set the tone for the evening and got the crowd in the zone. 

Next up was Peach from Indonesia, who were clearly overwhelmed by the size and reaction of the crowd, given they were also young, and the fact that it was their second show on their first tour outside of their native land. Despite their nerves, they delivered a solid set of mellow hardcore that had the audience moshing along in appreciation.

The crowd was pumped for the main act, Split Tongue from Shah Alam (pictured). These Malaysian hardcore punk veterans recently had a recent record out on Hardcore Victim Records from Australia, and it was a release show for that record 'Living in Sin City'. They did not disappoint, delivering a wild and energetic performance that left the crowd baying for more. They have certainly emerged as one of the premier hardcore punk bands in Malaysia, since the pandemic.

Unfortunately, Prospexx from Tuas played last, but I was too tired and it was too late to stick around. I really wanted to see what their post electronic punk vibe had to offer.  However, the buzz from the first three acts was enough to leave a lasting impression on me.

One thing that struck me during the evening was a conversation I had with a friend who was recently campaigning in the Malaysian General Election for one of the 'centre-left' parties. He expressed his disappointment with the closed-mindedness and rejection from some of his friends in the punk scene. However, I tried to reassure him that we can be agents of change on the inside too [drawing from my experiences as a punk and a member of the British Labour Party], and ignore the haters who sit from their pseudo-benevolent vantage points. It's especially important to come together and unite, despite our differences, because there are few alternative people in Malaysia. We need to support each other and work towards a common goal of creating a more inclusive and accepting society, and music can be a powerful tool in achieving that.

Overall, it was a night filled with great music, energy, and camaraderie. It was heartening to see young and old alike come together to enjoy a night of punk rock and to once again feel the power of music to bring people together. Even my 66-year-old mother enjoyed the vibe and left with a newfound appreciation for the punks in Malaysia!