Matira matibay: Tale of a Filipino wrestler: A documentary on Ralph Imabayashi and his life as a Filipino wrestler

• Main Authors: Aldea, Allana Glaze O., Kit, Christian Joseph S., Panganiban, Mariah Noelle M.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2017
• Subjects: Wrestlers > Philippines > Biography; Wrestling > Philippines; Imbatashi, Ralph
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/10102
• Institution: De La Salle University

Not much has been said on the state of professional wrestling in the Philippines. Despite this obscurity, there exists a little federation called Philippine Wrestling Revolution (PWR) which prides itself in their efforts to give rise to professional wrestling in the Philippines. Wrestling and entertainment have always been linked with each other and this is what Matira matibay: Tale of a Filipino wrestler aims to cover. Matira matibay tells the story of Ralph Imabayashi, a wrestler in the Philippine Wrestling Revolution roster, as he trains and fights for a main event match. The group follows his adventures in PWR with the intention of projecting the topic through the persona's character and experiences, as he immerses himself fully in the show which fuels his passion for wrestling. Presented in this film are the lifestyle of Imabayashi, his wrestling background, hardships, current relationships within the group, and his future of his involvement in the federation. This, however , is not constrained to the realms of the ring. In this documentary, the ring is simply there to represent the pursuit of Ralph Imabayshi for self-fulfillment and identity. After all, wrestling tests the survival of the fittest. As they say, matira nga ang matibay.