My thoughts on the current SPW roster, Part 3
Check out my Part 1 review here and Part 2 review here.
In this final part I will cover the old-timers, who has performed in every show I’ve attended. Needless to say these pioneers were absolutely essential during SPW’s formative years, and their contributions are a huge part of what made SPW what it is today.
Once again these views are purely my opinion, so here we go…
(All images via SPW Facebook page)
Referee Sodiq: Referee Sodiq is the only official of SPW matches, and is often the subject of the crowd’s taunting, which I must admit is mostly warranted. It’s not a case of it being due to the booking of the match (e.g. him getting distracted while the heel gets a screwy win via a low blow)—I’ve seen countless times where the match rules get thrown out of the window, for example tag match becoming tornado-tag mid-way, him failing to identify who is the active man in tag matches, not counting when wrestlers are out of the ring, etc. All these are happening without explanation and does not contribute to the story, so it’s either due to bad planning or him losing focus sometimes.
But Sodiq has natural charisma and has great rapport with the crowd (he gets beer offers mid matches!), so I can live with those annoyances.
Overall: Being the only referee around, Sodiq really has no competition to his spot.
Alexis Lee: The first female pro wrestler in Singapore, the self proclaimed “Lion City Hit Girl” has been the lone consistent force in SPW’s women division. Over the last few years there hasn’t been any other regular female wrestlers locally so her matches are mostly with overseas talents which has benefited her greatly. She doesn’t have a big physique but it kinda gives her a resilient underdog vibe.
My only thought is that she still lacks a clear identity in her character. During one show she became a heel and aligned herself with Sayn RH but turned back to a face immediately in the next show. Sometimes she wears demonic face paint. Maybe she needs a gear refresh as her outfit always get overshadowed by her opponents’, especially the Japanese wrestlers. Maybe she needs some story-line to connect better with the audience?
Overall: With Jane Foo becoming a more regular presence, maybe they could start a extended feud, like a best-of-series matches with various stipulations. This may elevate both wrestlers instead of her just fighting various wrestlers.
Trexxus: One of the heavyweights in SPW, Trexxus possesses all the attributes that will make him a successful wrestler—skills, size and looks. (As I mentioned before, his chairs match with Russian Ivan “The Locomotive” Markov remains my favourite match so far.) There was an interesting period where he had tension with fellow Onslaught buddy The Statement which culminated in him winning the South East Asian title from him, but they have since settled their differences.
Story-line wise, I do hope he remains on the singles scene instead of getting involved in the already-saturated tag team division. One suggestion is having him be jealous of Destroyer Dharma’s increased standing in the faction, resulting in a 1v1 match between the two. This can give the fans a mouthwatering hoss slug fest as Dharma is the only other local wrestler that has the physique to match his.
Overall: One of the most important members in SPW, his continued involvement gives the organisation credibility and legitimacy of Singapore’s pro wrestling scene.
“The Statement” Andruew Tang: The co-founder of SPW and the Singapore’s very first pro-wrestler, full credits must be given to him for establishing what SPW is today. His personal story has been featured multiple times in the news in recent years—you have to admire his passion and courage to start a wrestling promotion.
The most experienced wrestler on the roster, I’ve had the privilege to see him against top-quality opposition, from Masa Takanashi to Cima to René Duprée to Pete Dunne. Also he has settled well into his cocky arrogant character, which he can shift now seamlessly between heel and face, depending on the match lineup. I find his ‘Three Sweet’ gesture bit cringe-worthy (a shameless rip-off of ‘Too Sweet’) but his Eeeeeeeeeyak! is addictive to imitate.
Overall: The best Singapore has to offer so far. If I had to nitpick, I would say he lacks a submission finisher to his usual finisher (Shell Shock?) which will give a more varied finish to his matches.
That’s all for now, thanks for reading!
That’s all for now, thanks for reading!