SETUP Absolute Mayhem Review

SETUP Thailand presented Absolute Mayhem on May 2nd in Bangkok, Thailand, delivering another high energy showcase of Southeast Asian professional wrestling. The event, now on Youtube featured a stacked lineup of local standouts, Southeast Asian talent and some of the best matches seen in the region this year, further cementing SETUP’s reputation as one of Asia’s fastest growing independent wrestling promotions.

From hard-hitting singles encounters to fast paced multi-man matches, Absolute Mayhem captured the unique way SETUP is capable of blending storytelling and highly athletic matches to create something uniquely special that fans are really getting hot for at the moment.

This is SEA Wrestling’s full review of SETUP Thailand Absolute Mayhem, featuring match analysis, standout performances and key moments from the Bangkok event.

Pre-Show: MC Neko & Manuel vs Admin Oak & Dowdy Review

MC Neko and Manuel opened the evening against Admin Oak and Dewdy in what initially appeared to be a simple rookie showcase, but quickly revealed itself to be a surprisingly polished pre-show contest. One particularly interesting touch before the bell was the visual presentation of the trainees themselves. The rookies seemingly adopting a loose uniform system gave the match a distinctly Japanese influenced feel, with the coloured shirts helping distinguish personalities while also creating a more disciplined and conservative presentation than the standard black-trunks rookie aesthetic common across indie wrestling.

Once the match began, Neko and Oak started things cautiously with a feeling out process before Dewdy entered and noticeably accelerated the pace. The pairing between the muscular Oak and the more agile Dewdy worked well throughout the bout, with Oak already beginning to show natural heel instincts by avoiding direct confrontation whenever momentum shifted against his side and strategically leaving Dewdy to absorb punishment.

Dewdy in particular stood out with some impressively graceful offence against Neko, almost securing the victory before Manuel stormed back into proceedings. A key turning point came when Dewdy attempted a full nelson setup only for Manuel to evade a kick from Admin Oak, causing the strike to crash directly into his own partner’s jaw.

That mistake allowed the darker clad team to swarm back into control, laying boots into their opponents before connecting with a crisp DDT and a sequence of dropkicks that briefly swung the match in their favour. The momentum shift did not last long however, as Dewdy suddenly re-entered the fray with urgency, landing a Glam Slam followed by a scissor kick to seemingly secure the victory, only for Admin Oak to force his way through and take the pinfall himself.

For a rookie showcase, this exceeded expectations considerably. All four performers looked more comfortable than during the Real Global Impact event, with Admin Oak especially showing noticeable growth both in confidence and overall presence. Rather than feeling like a trainee exhibition, this came across as a lively and properly structured opening contest that hinted at promising futures for everyone involved.

DEXCON World Championship & SETUP 24/7 Championship: Jake De Leon vs Jonathon Johnson

After a welcome from Jeula of DEXCON, the main show exploded into life with Jake De Leon defending both the DEXCON World Championship and SETUP 24/7 Championship against Jonathon Johnson in a wild brawling affair that immediately set the tone for the evening.

The atmosphere was electric before the bell had even rung. Jake De Leon entered to a chorus of boos while Johnson received a much warmer reception from the Bangkok crowd. The challenger wasted absolutely no time capitalising on that energy either, blindsiding the champion before the ring announcements could even begin and instantly dragging the contest into chaos.

The early moments were fought almost entirely around ringside as Johnson launched himself onto the retreating champion with a huge dive to the outside that scattered chairs and sent fans rushing back from the bar area. An eye rake eventually gave De Leon the breathing room he needed, but the momentum remained frantic as both men brawled through furniture and around the venue while chants of “JDL Sucks” echoed throughout the building.

Johnson looked particularly dangerous whenever the pace accelerated, at one point threatening a terrifying vertical suplex out of the ring before De Leon escaped and dumped the challenger hard onto the floor instead. Once the action returned inside the ring, the dynamic noticeably shifted with De Leon settling into a more aggressive control role while Johnson showcased increasingly impressive selling as the sympathetic babyface. It was one of the strongest overall performances Johnson has delivered in SETUP to date.

De Leon connected with the Flying Rooster Peck only to receive chants of “Chicken Sh**” from the crowd, while the Rolling Thunderbird once again failed to connect. Recognising the need to regain control after the explosive opening stretch, the champion wisely slowed proceedings with a grounded submission attack until Johnson managed to force the break.

The closing stretch became increasingly dramatic with both men unloading heavy strikes in what genuinely felt like the final phase of the match. Johnson scored a near fall from a backdrop before transitioning fluidly between a single leg Boston crab, STF and crossface in a sequence that had the crowd fully invested in the possibility of a title change. De Leon narrowly survived before using a referee distraction to create another opening, eventually landing the Rooster’s Wings and Alpin Drop combination for an agonisingly close near fall.

The finish itself left the audience stunned. After a referee bump, Johnson recovered only to miss a swanton bomb, allowing De Leon to deliver a low blow followed by a belt shot to retain both championships. The crowd reaction noticeably deflated as many had fully anticipated Johnson finally overcoming the champion.

Fortunately for the fans, the story did not end there. In a wonderfully chaotic continuation of the long running SETUP 24/7 Championship rules, Dewdy suddenly appeared and rolled up De Leon with assistance from Johnson to capture the title moments after the match. Despite JDL’s previous claims otherwise, the 24/7 stipulation has apparently remained active throughout all of 2025. De Leon then responded by superkicking Johnson after the fact to close the segment with one final act of bitterness.

As a whole, this was a spectacular brawling championship contest that brought the absolute best out of both wrestlers. Jake De Leon fully embraced his aggressive heel persona while Johnson delivered perhaps his most complete performance yet as the resilient underdog babyface. The chaotic post match title change only added further entertainment value and ensured the crowd ultimately left satisfied, with Dewdy receiving a well deserved championship moment while SETUP and Johnson effectively got the last laugh.

Hustle & Educate vs Dr Gore & Kru Pol Match

Hustle & Educate collided with Dr Gore and Kru Pol in one of the evening’s most entertaining matches, balancing absurd comedy with surprisingly sharp in-ring action. From the outset, the match leaned heavily into the personalities of all four competitors, with Kru Pol and Selina teasing a hilarious “pointer versus ruler” showdown before the referee confiscated Pol’s weapon of choice. The distraction immediately backfired as Ray ambushed the teacher before the bell, allowing Ms Selina and her partner to take early control.

Selina in particular wasted little time humiliating Kru Pol, confidently dominating the opening exchanges before teaming with Ray for a double suplex attempt that was only interrupted by Dr Gore storming into the action. Once the doctor entered the match, the entire dynamic shifted into chaotic comedy wrestling brilliance. One especially memorable moment saw Dr Gore forcing Kru Pol to sanitise his hands before spanking Ray, perfectly fitting the bizarre energy of the contest.

Despite the humour, Hustle & Educate were also allowed to showcase far more athleticism than usual. Ray landed heavy forearms while Selina impressed throughout with her confidence, trash talk and physicality. Her long reach and flexibility repeatedly kept Kru Pol at a distance, while a well applied armbar reinforced that she was far more than simply a comedy act and could comfortably hang with the male competitors physically.

A mistimed exchange between Hustle & Educate eventually opened the door for the hot tag to Dr Gore, who exploded into the ring chopping Ray with such force it felt like he was sending him all the way to Pattaya. The Bangkok crowd erupted as Gore completely changed the momentum before locking in the sharpshooter. Selina again intervened however, booting her SPW colleague and delivering a fast hurricanrana to break things apart.

The closing sequence descended back into wonderfully ridiculous comedy. Selina attempted to strike Dr Gore in the groin using her ruler only for Kru Pol to intercept it in mid air like a Star Wars lightsabre duel. The chaos escalated further when Selina accidentally booted Ray before receiving one herself from Dr Gore. Moments later, the doctor delivered a pump handle slam before Kru Pol soared from the top rope with an impressively high frog splash onto Ray to secure the victory.

This was simply a very fun professional wrestling match. While the comedy elements could arguably have been pushed even further, the decision to balance humour with more legitimate wrestling allowed Hustle & Educate to showcase an athletic side that often goes underappreciated in their matches. Combined with the crowd interaction and absurd character work from Dr Gore and Kru Pol, the result was one of the easiest matches on the show to enjoy.

St John’s Innocent vs Jack N’ Cheese Tag Team Match

St John’s Innocent reunited in full character form against Jack N’ Cheese, and the presentation alone immediately gave the match a stronger identity. Kevin Weng once again embraced the role of the polished golden boy while Pondhub perfectly contrasted him as the rebellious troublemaker of the school duo. Combined with loud reactions for all four competitors, the atmosphere already felt lively before the action properly began.

The match opened aggressively with Big Good Jack storming through both opponents with thunderous chops before Cheeseburger Kid entered to inject speed and flash through some crisp springboard offence. Interestingly, Jack N’ Cheese naturally settled into the role of aggressors throughout the contest, repeatedly isolating Pondhub from his corner and methodically dismantling him. Rather than feeling awkward, the shift actually worked surprisingly well, with Jack especially carrying himself like a patient predator as he slowly picked apart the rebellious St John’s student.

Both members of Jack N’ Cheese continued controlling proceedings with their signature offence until the appearance of Jeney in a school uniform completely changed the atmosphere. Her arrival drew immediate frustration from her biggest admirer Big Good Jack, while simultaneously giving Pondhub a crucial opportunity to recover and finally land the strike needed to bring Kevin Weng into the match.

Once Weng entered, the pace increased dramatically. The St John’s golden boy flew around the ring with energy and confidence, though it still required both members of the Innocent Boys to slow down the monstrous BGJ. A double superkick followed by a stomp onto Cheeseburger Kid came agonisingly close to ending the contest before Big Jack stormed back in to break the pinfall.

As Jack N’ Cheese regained momentum and prepared for a top rope finish, Jeney once again inserted herself into proceedings to disrupt the sequence. Big Good Jack immediately chased after her to the backstage area, leaving Cheeseburger Kid vulnerable to a double team bodyslam that secured the victory for St John’s Innocent.

There was a surprising amount to unpack from this match beyond simply the in-ring work itself. The wrestling was strong throughout, but what elevated the contest was the amount of storyline progression layered into it. Big Good Jack continuing to embrace a more aggressive monster-like side felt refreshing, especially following his brutal showing in MYPW the previous month, and it potentially hints at something larger developing for him moving forward. Meanwhile, seeing Jack N’ Cheese work more aggressively as pseudo heels felt novel without ever becoming unnatural.

Most importantly, the Jeney involvement added an unpredictable narrative layer that gave the match genuine consequence beyond simply determining a winner. In many ways, this was a perfect example of how effective storytelling can elevate a good wrestling match into something significantly more memorable.

Badd Company vs Naga Nai & P. Suachart Match

Badd Company continued their destructive rise against Naga Nai and P. Suachart in a match that largely functioned as a showcase for the terrifying power of the dominant duo. Despite the one sided nature of the contest, the Bangkok crowd remained fully engaged throughout, refusing to let the atmosphere dip for even a moment.

The match began with immediate tension as Golem Thai squared off against his former trainee Naga Nai, physically dismantling him in the opening exchanges while reminding everyone of the enormous size and strength advantage Badd Company possessed. Nai refused to stay overwhelmed for long however, battling back long enough to bring in P. Suachart, whose speed and agility immediately created problems for the larger opponents.

One of the stronger aspects of the match was the focused limb work from the smaller SETUP pairing. Suachart and Nai consistently targeted body parts and movement in an attempt to neutralise the raw power advantage of their opponents, creating a believable strategy against such physically imposing wrestlers. Their quick movement and relentless energy gave the contest an enjoyable “firecracker versus giants” dynamic throughout.

P-Nutz briefly stormed into proceedings to brutally shut down Naga Nai before Golem Thai regained control once again. Despite the resilience shown by Nai and Suachart, every comeback ultimately felt temporary as Badd Company’s brute force repeatedly crushed any momentum. A particularly vicious lariat from P-Nutz completely halted another rally before Golem Thai eventually finished Nai with a devastating sit-out powerbomb.

The destruction did not end there either, as Badd Company continued the assault post match by taking down Terry Diesel to further establish their dominance.

In truth, this was essentially an extended squash match designed to cement Badd Company as one of the promotion’s major threats moving forward, and in that regard it succeeded. The only lingering question concerns the direction of Naga Nai, who had previously been positioned on a strong upward trajectory before now suffering consecutive setbacks. Still, it feels too early to fully judge the broader story, and there is enough intrigue remaining to see how these developments evolve over the next few SETUP events.

SETUP All Asia Women’s Championship: Matcha vs Jeney

The SETUP All Asia Women’s Championship match between Matcha and Jeney was built around an incredibly clear dynamic from the very beginning. Jeney entered to strong support from the Bangkok crowd, smiling and full of energy, while Matcha carried herself with a cold intensity that immediately established her as the far more dangerous presence. Even before the opening exchange, it was obvious this would be a battle between plucky underdog spirit and outright aggression.

Ironically, it was Jeney who struck first, immediately jumping the champion in an attempt to catch her off guard. For a brief moment the strategy genuinely looked effective as the challenger overwhelmed Matcha with quick attacks and nearly stole an early victory with a fast roll up. The momentum shift was brutally short lived however, as Matcha abruptly halted proceedings with a heavy punch before choking Jeney against the ropes with a viciousness that completely changed the tone of the match.

Jeney continued to fight back valiantly, managing to stun the brooding champion with a slap followed by a facebuster, but the offence lacked the impact needed to keep Matcha down for long. The champion responded with authority, violently launching Jeney with a German suplex that realistically could have ended the match immediately. Instead of settling for the pinfall, Matcha deliberately broke her own cover in order to inflict further punishment, delivering another crushing suplex before locking in a painful looking Boston crab that forced the submission.

More than anything else, this match highlighted a more ruthless and dangerous side of Matcha than audiences are perhaps used to seeing. She carried herself like a genuine bully throughout the contest, while Jeney perfectly fulfilled the role of the resilient underdog refusing to back down despite the obvious physical disadvantage.

The most interesting aspect may ultimately be where both competitors go from here. Matcha currently feels fully comfortable embracing this harsher edge, while Jeney’s continued setbacks and the unprovoked post show assault from Big Good Jack potentially create the foundation for significant character growth moving forward. Their paths could look very different in the future, but at this moment in time, the divide between them could not feel any wider.

SETUP Thailand Openweight Championship: Monomoth vs Anot Alonzo

The SETUP Thailand Openweight Championship clash between Monomoth and Anot Alonzo delivered one of the strongest examples of in-ring storytelling seen on the entire show. While the wrestling itself was excellent throughout, it was the psychology and character dynamics underneath the action that elevated this into genuine match of the night territory.

From the opening moments, the contrast between champion and challenger could not have been clearer. Monomoth entered with visible confidence bordering on arrogance, casually applying technical wristlocks and rear holds while almost treating the early exchanges as a game. In contrast, Anot Alonzo looked intensely focused from the outset, immediately avoiding situations that favoured the champion and refusing to be drawn into Monomoth’s rhythm.

After some traded roll ups allowed Alonzo to gain momentum, the challenger cleverly avoided a dive attempt and responded by hammering Monomoth with strikes around ringside before dragging the action back into the ring for a prolonged stretch of physical dominance. Whenever Monomoth began showboating or stalling, Alonzo punished him for it immediately. The match quickly established that this was not simply another title defence for the champion. Alonzo had arrived completely prepared for the biggest opportunity of his career.

Eventually Monomoth managed to regain his footing and began using his veteran instincts to manipulate the challenger’s momentum against him. At points the match almost adopted a classic World of Sport style structure, albeit with modern pacing and far more dramatic flair. Monomoth repeatedly tried to outsmart Alonzo rather than overpower him, but the challenger’s physical strength and relentless focus continually dragged the champion back into danger.

Alonzo looked especially impressive during his offensive bursts, slamming Monomoth to the mat before landing heavy elbow drops and a brutal black hole slam. Throughout the match there was a growing sense that Monomoth was struggling to fully solve the challenger. Whenever the champion appeared close to taking control, Alonzo’s strength and urgency would force him straight back into survival mode. In many ways, Monomoth’s smartest path to victory would have been quick counters and flash pinfalls, but his own ego continually tempted him into trying to definitively finish an opponent who simply refused to break.

Desperation eventually forced Monomoth to increase the aggression. A huge dive to the outside finally slowed Alonzo down temporarily, though continued showboating once again allowed the challenger to recover. Gradually the champion abandoned some of the sparkle and theatrics in favour of a more direct and ruthless approach as he realised his title reign was genuinely under threat. A spectacular top rope dive to the outside earned Monomoth an agonising near fall, but even that was not enough to keep Alonzo down.

The ending felt both dramatic and completely earned. Alonzo finally connected with his devastating running lariat to the back of the head before following with a modified pump handle slam to secure the three count and become the new SETUP Thailand Openweight Champion.

This was an incredible professional wrestling match built around an extremely easy to understand story. Monomoth was the talented veteran champion who had grown comfortable through media appearances, success and constant showmanship. Alonzo was the younger, hungrier and more disciplined challenger who treated the opportunity with absolute seriousness. In many ways, the structure mirrored Rocky III, with the established star slowly realising too late that the challenger wanted it more.

Alonzo’s championship victory felt completely deserved. He has the look, presence, character and in-ring ability to become one of the defining stars of SETUP moving forward, and this performance firmly established him as a top level player within the promotion.

Following the match, St John’s Innocent confronted Matcha and Monomoth to demand a future tag team championship opportunity before Badd Company interrupted to aggressively insert themselves into the conversation. Matcha responded by mocking both Top Dojo and Badd Company before it was officially announced that the next SETUP event on June 27th will feature a three way tag title match between all three teams.

IWA Japan World Championship Shivam (c) vs Ares

Jeula may genuinely introduce Ares better than Xavier Patricks at this point, and yes, that statement might upset a few people. The atmosphere for the main event level encounter between Ares and Shivam was electric before the wrestlers had even touched, with the Bangkok crowd heavily split between support for the visiting Vietnamese powerhouse and the local champion.

The opening stages were surprisingly methodical, built around tight grappling exchanges and strength based wrestling rather than immediate chaos. Both men repeatedly tested each other through holds and counters, neither willing to give ground until Ares’ raw power finally began overwhelming Shivam. The audience reacted with genuine awe to the physicality, almost as though they were watching an old early twentieth century strongman contest unfold in modern form.

Shivam, however, quickly reminded everyone exactly who he is. After teasing some unexpectedly flashy offence with a sudden hurricanrana, the champion immediately mocked the crowd instead of embracing the moment, leaning fully into his arrogant and manipulative persona. From there the contest escalated into a violent ringside brawl with chairs and beer cans flying around like a Saigon street fight while Shivam repeatedly searched for shortcuts to neutralise the physically stronger challenger.

One particularly memorable moment saw Shivam weaponise a pair of young fans at ringside in a spot those children almost certainly will never forget. Back inside the ring, the champion slowed proceedings down with grounded control, using punches, kicks and a tight chinlock to grind the pace to his advantage. The crowd, however, increasingly rallied behind Ares, and the Vietnamese athlete responded with explosive German suplexes that visibly shocked sections of the Bangkok audience.

As the match progressed, Shivam’s tactics became nastier and nastier. He escaped a Stormbreaker attempt before viciously stomping on Ares’ fingers and even biting them, bringing to mind the more sadistic tendencies of some of his RGT allies. Yet Ares continually fought back, levelling the match with a huge spinebuster before the pair battled dangerously onto the apron where Shivam delivered an absolutely brutal piledriver that drew gasps even from seasoned viewers.

The final stretch was exceptional. Both men re-entered the ring exhausted yet unwilling to back down, creating a thick tension inside the venue. Ares nearly blew the roof off the building with a devastating lariat before attempting a top rope manoeuvre, only for Shivam to counter with an earth shaking superplex. Somehow Ares immediately rebounded with a delayed Jackhammer that left the crowd stunned.

Then came absolute chaos. Shivam dragged the referee into the path of a spear, narrowly survived an F5 and repeatedly escaped defeat by fractions of a second. At one point the referee counted only for Shivam’s toe to barely reach the bottom rope, a moment that fully cemented the crowd behind Ares as “This is Awesome” chants erupted around the venue.

Ultimately though, Shivam survived once more. After countering another Stormbreaker attempt, the champion connected with a running elbow and twisting suplex combination to finally put Ares away and retain the championship.

This was a tremendous professional wrestling match, running close to twenty five minutes while remaining highly methodical and carefully paced throughout. It was comfortably the best match either wrestler has produced this year and arguably a career defining performance for Ares, who looked every bit like a future top star throughout the contest. Initially it felt surprising that figures like Billy and Jake were absent from the equation, but the cleaner one on one structure proved absolutely the correct choice, allowing Ares to fully demonstrate what he can achieve at main event level.

After the match, Shivam surprisingly dropped the hostility and openly praised Ares as one of the best wrestlers in Southeast Asia before introducing his son to the crowd and bidding farewell in an unusually sincere closing moment. There were no attacks, insults or antics involving Pumi this time around, just genuine respect.

DDT Pro-Wrestling Star Daisuke Sasaki Challenges Jonathon Johnson for Hellraiser

The evening concluded with Jonathon Johnson addressing the crowd and clarifying that his ongoing issues with RGT are strictly business rather than personal before issuing a challenge. He was answered via video message by Daisuke Sasaki of DDT Pro-Wrestling, who challenged him for Hellraiser on June 27th. Johnson reminded Sasaki that the pair had previously trained together before boldly declaring that at just 22 years old, he is already the best wrestler in Southeast Asia. Finally, as tradition dictates, new Openweight Champion Anot Alonzo closed the night by sending the Bangkok crowd home.

Overall, SETUP Thailand delivered another extremely strong event with Absolute Mayhem, proving once again that Southeast Asian wrestling does not need imported stars to produce compelling and memorable professional wrestling. Every match on the card served a purpose, storylines progressed naturally and the overall pacing of the show ensured the crowd remained invested throughout the entire evening.

From the lively rookie opener to the outstanding final two matches, there was a consistent level of quality across the card with no real disappointments. More importantly, the show balanced strong in-ring action with meaningful character development and ongoing narratives, something modern wrestling often struggles to maintain consistently.

With the next SETUP event still six weeks away on June 27th, the promotion has also wisely given fans enough breathing room to genuinely anticipate the fallout from Absolute Mayhem rather than immediately rushing into the next chapter.