(Press release from Sprawl MMA’s wrestling coach, Karlo Sevilla)
Rodian “The Redeemer” Menchavez, an athlete for ONE Championship – “the premier MMA organization in Asia” – won the gold medal in the 90 kg, men’s division of the beach wrestling event held last May 25 during the 2019 Philippine Beach Games (PBG) in Lingayen Beach, Pangasinan.
Enroute to the gold, Menchavez of Brawlers’ Lab martial arts and fitness gym, beat three other wrestlers; the toughest being former Philippine national wrestling team mainstay Maxwell Francisco, Jr., who settled for silver.
The rule being whoever is first to score three points wins, Francisco was off to a hot start as he scored two consecutive points early in their match, but Menchavez wasn’t discouraged and blitzed to three consecutive unanswered points for his come-from-behind victory.
The MMA fighter emerged champion this time around, after placing second in another wrestling competition less than ten days prior, in SPRAWL MMA gym’s Best of Three Takedowns Open in Cubao, Quezon City held May 17.
Urdaneta wrestling team bagged the most number of gold medals with four, while Menchavez’s Valenzuela City-based team, Brawlers’ Lab, came in second with two. The other teams were Dagupan wrestling team, Fabricio BJJ Pangasinan, and Manila wrestling team.
“This is only our sport’s debut in the annual Philippine Beach Games, and we’re happy with the modest turnout. The wrestlers showed exciting matches and the crowd showed their appreciation by watching our event from start to finish. We expect the number of our participants to quadruple next year, in the 2020 Philippine Beach Games,” says Karlo Sevilla, beach wrestling sports head for the PBG.
The beach wrestling event for the 2019 Philippine Beach Games was sponsored by Dojo Supremo martial arts gym, the original home of Brazilian Luta Livre in the country.
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