ETUP Thailand – A Hard Day’s Night Review

Circus Studio Bangkok | November 29, 2025

SETUP Thailand returned to Circus Studio Bangkok last night with A Hard Day’s Night, the final stop before the highly anticipated SETUP/TJPW double-header in mid-December. With Bangkok in the middle of a stacked wrestling month, this show had the unenviable task of slotting itself between several big events. Early attendance looked shaky, but by the second match the seats had noticeably filled out — almost certainly the result of Bangkok’s legendary traffic rather than a lack of interest. Once bodies were in the building, the atmosphere proved lively and responsive throughout the final stretch of the card.

This was a show that took a little while to catch fire, but once it did, SETUP once again delivered a night packed with character, athleticism, humour, and a main event that genuinely felt big-time.

Alonso vs Nick Nolan

We opened cold, straight into Alonso’s entrance — the production team seemingly eager to move past the theatrics he has leaned on recently. What followed was a surprisingly one-sided start. Nick Nolan controlled the first eight minutes with ease, applying holds, landing crisp strikes, and even mixing in some low-key power offence that kept Alonso grounded.

Alonso’s eventual comeback hinged on a well-timed drop toe hold that countered a charging Nolan. From there, he rattled off a flurry of offence, built momentum, and ultimately secured the win with a sidewalk slam.

It was a decent opener and an interesting step in Alonso’s ongoing evolution. As a singles act he’s shifting into a more earnest, babyface-leaning performer — someone who realises he can’t lean on shortcuts and has to earn it. Not essential viewing, but not a bad way to start.

Wonderboy vs Suachart vs Tamamasak Toba

Early in the match we were treated to one of the quiet joys of modern SETUP: licensed music. Hearing Offspring for Toba’s entrance will warm the soul of any millennial in the building.

As expected, this match was pure fun. Wonderboy and Suachart bounced around with dives, leaps, and interruptions, while Toba repeatedly cut them off with stiff boxing combinations. The dynamic was simple but effective: chaos vs precision. One of the best near-falls saw Toba land a picture-perfect roundhouse that looked like it might finish Wonderboy.

In the end, Suachart stole it — literally — by dropping his motorbike helmet onto Toba and rolling him up for the three. A cheeky, crowd-pleasing finish to a lively bout. Everyone looked good, everyone got their stuff in, and the audience were very much into it.

Six-Man Tag: Blick Drewz, Kevin Weng & Kru Pol (w/ Jeney)

vs Naga Nai & The Kappa World Order (w/ Terry Diesel)**

Blick Drewz unveiled a little more flavour tonight: the hat, the music, the 80s-inspired gyrating. It’s confident and charismatic, though the overall look still needs refinement. On the other side, Naga Nai and his monstrous Kappa World Order remain one of the most visually intimidating acts in SETUP.

The match kicked off fairly even, with the Kappas actually getting more offence than they’ve had all year. The standout exchange belonged to Kevin Weng and Naga Nai, whose chemistry carried a lot of the early stages. When Kru Pol tagged in, the pace shifted — Pol tore into Naga Nai with stiff, fiery offence that got the crowd up.

Momentum eventually swung fully toward the babyfaces. Pol hit a frog splash on one of the Kappas, and Weng rolled up the fallen opponent for the three-count. A surprising result, but not unwelcome: it gave the crowd something to cheer and gave all three babyfaces valuable shine.

The only wrinkle is that the “good guy” team still can’t quite get along, but that is slowly becoming part of their charm.

SETUP Openweight Championship Dr. Gore vs Monomoth (c) vs Kouki

Monomoth attempted the same strategy he used at A New Dawn — trying to bait the challengers into fighting each other. It backfired immediately. Dr. Gore and Kouki turned on the champion in unison, beating him down and tossing him aside before resuming hostilities with one another.

The early stages spilled to the outside, introducing chairs and even a kendo stick. As the only Thai competitor in the match, Monomoth found himself cast as the de facto babyface, while both challengers leaned heel to keep him weakened.

One of the highlights was an impressive double submission spot, with Gore applying a Boston crab while Kouki locked in a crossface — a smart visual that emphasised the champion’s uphill climb. Eventually Monomoth caught Kouki in a tight reversal and scored a sudden, quick pin.

Not a classic, but a perfectly acceptable title defence that keeps Monomoth building momentum. He’s clearly being positioned for a strong reign.

SETUP All Asia Women’s Championship Matcha (c) vs Marika Kobashi

The match opened with a bit of goofiness, but both women quickly switched into sharp, technical wrestling. Matcha hit a pair of gorgeous snap suplexes, while Kobashi relied on strong grappling exchanges, including a standing headlock that nearly scored her a surprise victory around the five-minute mark.

The visuals were almost surreal — blue lights, blue aprons, blue gear on both wrestlers — adding an odd dreamlike atmosphere.

After a tight seven minutes, Matcha sealed the win with back-to-back German suplexes. Smooth execution throughout, and genuinely enjoyable, though another five minutes could have elevated it into something more substantial.

IWA World Championship- Jonathan Johnson (c) vs Shivam vs Carlo Cannon

This was the match that A Hard Day’s Night will be remembered for: three very different wrestlers coming together for a chaotic, heavyweight brawl that still moved with real athleticism.

Cannon attacked immediately, blindsiding Johnson while Shivam wisely slid out to let them batter each other. When the fight eventually spilled outside, Shivam re-entered the fray with chops and a brutal big boot across a chair.

Carlo Cannon was particularly fired up tonight. One of his chops sent Matcha — watching from ringside — recoiling in shock. Johnson tried to build momentum with a suicide dive, but Shivam tripped him, slowing the champion just long enough to keep the match unpredictable.

From there the pace skyrocketed. Cannon threw Johnson with a huge belly-to-belly. Johnson responded with rapid-fire suplexes and knees, powering both men down. They executed a wild double-German spot, Carlo spine-busted Johnson nearly through the mat, and Shivam repeatedly inserted himself at the perfect moments to break pins or steal control.

The finishing stretch was a blur: Shivam poking Cannon in the eyes, Johnson hitting a superkick and an AA, Cannon countering the swanton with raised knees, and then — in the decisive moment — Shivam tossing Cannon aside and hitting his finisher on Johnson for the three-count.

Shivam is your new IWA World Heavyweight Champion.

Post-match, Shivam cut an excellent heel-tinged promo about not being the first Openweight, SEA, or IWA Champion — but being the best. “RGT is taking over,” he declared, planting his flag firmly. The roster filtered out for the closing moments, and Monomoth delivered the final promo in Thai to send the crowd home.

A worthy main event for three highly talented performers.

Final Thoughts

A Hard Day’s Night was an entertaining show that built steadily toward a strong second half. Circus Studio may not translate on camera as well as in person, but live the crowd was hot later on, especially for the title matches.

This is the last SETUP show I’ll review in 2025. A New Dawn will drop later this week — and if you haven’t watched either show, do yourself the favour.

SEA Wrestling will take a short break at the end of this week, but we’ll be back in January with more coverage across Southeast Asia’s growing scene.