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Tag: Efren Reyes

  • Manila gears up for another blockbuster October as Reyes Cup, Philippines Open return 

    Manila gears up for another blockbuster October as Reyes Cup, Philippines Open return 

    For the second straight year, October will once again belong to the world’s best cue artists in Manila.

     

    The World Nineball Tour, in partnership with Puyat Sports, has officially confirmed the return of the Reyes Cup and the Philippines Open Pool Championship, setting the stage for another showcase of elite billiards as international stars descend on the country’s pool capital.

     

    With two premier tournaments packed into a 10-day stretch, Manila is once again expected to become the focal point of the global nine-ball calendar.

     

    For Filipino billiards legend Efren “Bata” Reyes, the return of the events is another reminder of the country’s lasting influence on the sport.

     

    “The Philippines is the home of pool — and these two events prove it every October,” said Reyes.

     

    “The talent we have here in Asia is incredible, but it is the fans who make Manila like nowhere else in the world. When that crowd gets behind you, it is something you never forget. I am so proud of what the Reyes Cup and the Philippines Open have become, and I know our fans will make October 2026 very special once again.”

     

    The action begins with the third edition of the Reyes Cup from October 15 to 18, where Team Asia will once again defend its title against Team Rest of the World.

     

    Asia enters the tournament riding the momentum of last year’s commanding 11-3 victory, with Hall of Famer Francisco “Django” Bustamante returning as team captain after steering a squad composed of AJ Manas, Aloysius Yapp, Carlo Biado, and Johann Chua to a dominant championship run.

     

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    This year, Team Rest of the World hopes a new voice can help turn the tide, with German billiards icon Ralf “The Kaiser” Souquet taking over captaincy duties.

     

    The spotlight then immediately shifts to the Philippines Open Pool Championship, scheduled from October 20 to 24, where another grueling 128-player single-elimination tournament awaits the world’s finest players.

     

    Every match will carry win-or-go-home stakes, making the event one of the most unforgiving competitions on the World Nineball Tour.

     

    Spain’s David Alcaide returns as the defending champion after conquering last year’s field and will be among the favorites when competition resumes at Gateway Mall 2.

     

    Matchroom Multi Sport CEO Emily Frazer believes Manila has firmly established itself as one of the most anticipated stops on the international billiards calendar.

     

    “October in Manila has become the unmissable moment on the World Nineball Tour calendar and 2026 is going to be bigger than ever. A new captain and Team Asia arriving as back-to-back champions means the Reyes Cup has never had more riding on it.”

     

    “Then the Philippines Open picks straight up with the format and atmosphere that made it one of the standout events of 2025. Two world-class events, ten days, one incredible city — we cannot wait.”

     

    With passionate fans, a rich billiards tradition, and two of the sport’s marquee tournaments returning to the same stage, Manila is once again preparing to welcome the world’s best players for another memorable October on the green felt.

     

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  • Earl Strickland: Efren Reyes ‘still puts fear’ in opponents

    Earl Strickland: Efren Reyes ‘still puts fear’ in opponents

    Earl “The Pearl” Strickland has never been known for soft edges. Blunt, brash, and famously irritable, the two-time world champion has built a career on saying exactly what’s on his mind — whether people like it or not.

     

    But mention Efren “Bata” Reyes, and even considered in his most cantankerous moments, Strickland’s tone shifts.

     

    Not into nostalgia. Not into sentimentality. But into something far rarer from the American icon: unfiltered respect.

     

    For all his firepower and bravado, Strickland readily admits that one of the most important parts of his game was shaped not in isolation, but across the table from the Filipino legend he battled for decades.

     

    “I didn’t play safe good until I learned them from Efren. I learned all my safeties from Efren and you can tell that, you know?” Strickland said.

     

    The irony isn’t lost on pool fans. Strickland, the sharpshooter known for fearless shot-making, credits Reyes not for teaching him how to run racks, but for helping him survive the quiet wars between shots — the chess matches that often decide games before a ball is pocketed.

     

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    “I can plant that ball pretty good in some tough spots, but the things I learned from Efren are amazing. He didn’t teach me how to pocket balls. but he taught me a lot of other stuff.”

    It’s praise forged through years of collision, not camaraderie. Their rivalry — immortalized by the iconic 1996 Color of Money showdown in Hong Kong — was never polite. It was competitive, combustible, and at times downright hostile. But it was also honest. And honesty, for Strickland, is everything.

     

    Now reunited with Reyes, Francisco “Django” Bustamante, and Ralf Souquet in the WNT Legends event, Strickland doesn’t sugarcoat reality. Time has collected its dues. Reflexes are slower. Nerves don’t always cooperate. Even the great Efren occasionally misses shots that once felt automatic.

     

    “Neither one of us are the player we used to be. Our nerves play a big part of it. Even on the safeties, (Reyes) was missing his safeties and that’s rare for him.”

     

    Age, Strickland insists, is not an excuse — it’s a fact. Reyes is 71. Strickland is 64. Bustamante is 62. Souquet is 57. Legends, yes, but mortal ones.

     

    “You’ve got to remember that Efren’s seven years older than me, ok? Let’s don’t forget that. He’s still playing a remarkable role for his age, but you can see that his age shows up on certain shots and he decelerates, and I do the same thing but I’m not quite as bad as him yet, you know what I mean? But I’ll be there.”

     

    Yet even in decline, Strickland believes Reyes carries something that numbers and age can’t measure — presence. Aura. Fear.

     

    “I still think Efren plays phenomenal and he can still put the fear in a guy. And that’s what I like about him.”

     

    For two men who have lived their lives bent over green felt, the endgame isn’t trophies or rankings anymore. It’s continuation. Showing up. Competing. Living where they always have.

     

    “Efren and I are going to keep playing until we die. We’re lifers, you know? It’s a prison term. We’re going to die on the table. Simple as that.”

     

    Grumpy or not, that’s Earl Strickland at his most genuine — acknowledging that even rivals who slow down together can still share the same destiny, one rack at a time.

     

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  • Efren Reyes, Django Bustamante and rivals rekindle classic battles at WNT Legends Manila

    Efren Reyes, Django Bustamante and rivals rekindle classic battles at WNT Legends Manila

    For longtime fans of the sport, the sight of Efren “Bata” Reyes, Francisco “Django” Bustamante, Earl Strickland, and Ralf Souquet sharing the same arena again feels less like a novelty and more like a time machine.

     

    The four icons will headline the WNT Legends showcase at Gateway Mall in Quezon City, a three-day event that reconnects some of the most storied rivalries professional pool has ever known. While they are now celebrated as legends, these players were once constant fixtures against one another on the biggest stages—from World Nineball Championships to Matchroom Classics and international opens across Asia, Europe, and the United States.

     

    Reyes and Bustamante, the twin pillars of Philippine billiards, famously battled Strickland and Souquet throughout the late 1990s and 2000s, a period widely regarded as pool’s golden era. 

     

    Fans still recall Reyes and Strickland’s intense world-title clashes, Souquet’s clinical precision against Asian opposition, and Bustamante’s fearless shot-making that often turned matches on their head. 

     

    Their last competitive appearances together came sporadically in international invitationals and seniors events, making this reunion a rare convergence rather than a routine exhibition.

     

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    Designed as a celebration of legacy, rivalry, and personality, WNT Legends places equal weight on history and the present moment. The format ensures that each of the four legends will play every day, allowing fans to once again see combinations that once defined the sport’s global narrative—Manila versus America, Europe versus Asia, flair versus fundamentals.

     

    Gateway Mall serves as a fitting backdrop. The same venue hosted last year’s packed Philippine Open, and its intimate layout once again brings the audience within arm’s reach of the action, echoing the old days when crowds gathered close, reading every expression and reaction from the players.

     

    Matches will be played as a race-to-11 with alternate breaks, striking a balance between competitive structure and fan-friendly pacing. While the pressure of ranking points is absent, pride, history, and muscle memory remain very much in play.

     

    Fans worldwide can watch the entire showcase exclusively on WNT TV via a $30 pay-per-view. In the Philippines, live coverage will be available through the Pilipinas Live app for P499, with primetime broadcasts airing on One Sports—ensuring that a new generation gets to witness, and an older one gets to relive, what it once meant when these four names appeared on the same match card.

     

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