The Lab Experiment 6 - Review

The Lab Experiment 6 went down on Friday 28th August from Tai Siam in downtown Bangkok. A new venue allowing more fans than ever to watch the show.

The venue itself looks very fitting. You wouldn't know this was originally an old classroom as black theatre curtains surround the mat and chairs, giving it a raw and violent look. If you didn't know this was a show in Thailand you would think you'd stumbled across an underground fight club feel event somewhere in Tokyo. It also feels like a nice nod to the origins of wrestling in Thailand as it has a similar feel to some of the older Gatoh Move shows in my opinion. I believe the design work was all done by the crew so massive props to them.

I was really excited for this show and was very disappointed real life prevented me from attending. The expanded card and roster saw some of the finest in SETUP's midcard and main events get to face Southeast Asian legends and up and comers in mouth watering contests.

We open up in the crowded room with an introduction to the show and the matches.

Badd Company (Golem Thai & P-Nutz) vs Hy/Op (Jake De Leon & Isaiah Valencia)

Badd Company received a huge ovation from the local crowd, while Hy/Op's swagger quickly turned a respectful reception into boos. Jake De Leon, wearing his chicken mask, also had to endure chants of “KFC” from the crowd, which gave me a chuckle admittedly.

Isaiah Valencia and P-Nutz started with some impressive chain wrestling before the match quickly descended into biting, cheating and aggression from both sides. When De Leon entered against Golem Thai, the contrast was immediately apparent. Jake stalled and posed before running into the immovable object that is Golem Thai, with his attempts to overpower the big man going nowhere. Even a body slam attempt required some trickery, and ultimately failed.

It's not often we get to see De Leon working as the heel against a much larger babyface, and he played the role exceptionally well. When he couldn't overpower Thai, he turned to his speed, narrowly catching him with a roll-up before tagging Valencia back in.

Things soon spilled into the stands, with both teams exchanging brutal strikes and chair shots. De Leon taking his face into a chair drew a particularly big reaction, while Badd Company continued to dominate in the ring. A double splash on Valencia looked to have things in hand until De Leon broke up the pin.

Valencia eventually created an opening with an impaler DDT on P-Nutz, and Hy/Op finally found some sustained offence. A double Rolling Thunder, Rooster's Wings and a double superkick produced a series of close near falls and completely changed the momentum.

The match became increasingly competitive from there, with Hy/Op unable to lift Golem Thai for a double suplex before Badd Company regained control. A powerbomb attempt on De Leon was stopped by Valencia, but in the ensuing scramble, De Leon caught P-Nutz with a roll-up for the three-count.

Our Thoughts

This wasn't quite the match we expected, but we're glad it played out this way. Hy/Op showed different sides of themselves against much larger opponents, particularly through their speed and technical ability.

The offence from all four was consistently solid, with the double Rolling Thunder standing out as a particularly creative sequence. There's little argument that Jake De Leon is one of the region's top wrestlers, but Isaiah Valencia is increasingly making a case that he belongs in that conversation very soon.

Badd Company may have taken the loss, but they continue to be one of the year's real comeback stories. Their performances throughout the year have consistently exceeded expectations, and this was another strong showing from the pair.

Eleven-Man Battle Royal

It's next time for the unique eleven-man pinfall battle royal. The catchy guitar rift of Jack N’ Cheese hits as CBK enters first, throwing candy burgers into the crowd and bringing his usual infectious energy. Opposite him is St John's Innocent's resident teacher Kru Pol, who must have felt right at home in a venue that was once a classroom.

The pair begin respectfully, offering a glimpse of what could be an interesting future singles match, with Pol initially controlling things through armlocks before CBK counters with some fancy movement. The chain wrestling continues until SETUP's Admin Oak enters and drops CBK with a huge body slam, only for Pol to DDT both men to the delight of the crowd.

Next comes a surprise entrant in the form of Prince Benny, the Top Dojo Thai Wrestling Champion, making what I believe is his first non-Top Dojo appearance. He immediately makes an impression, clearing the ring with cutters before pinning Oak. His celebration is short-lived, however, as Big Good Jack enters and begins trading stiff strikes with the young Thai wrestler.

Jack N' Cheese eventually combine for their signature splash to eliminate Benny, before quickly taking out Kru Pol as well. Benny's appearance was brief but impressive, and hopefully this isn't the last we see of him outside Top Dojo.

Mylson James enters and takes the fight to Jack N' Cheese, while MC Nexo follows but surprisingly chooses to attack James rather than help even the odds. Nexo's lightning-fast kicks earn him the elimination, before CK Vin enters and immediately targets his fellow Thai wrestler. The crowd erupts for Vin's first Thailand appearance (we believe), and a running forearm puts Nexo away.

It's essentially becoming an SPW showcase until Vietnam's Khoa Truong enters, loudly trying to rally the crowd behind Vietnam. The SPW wrestlers unexpectedly gather behind him, creating one of the funniest moments of the match as Khoa is promptly decimated and pinned.

SETUP's Manuel then enters to break up the Singapore party. He takes some heavy chops from CK Vin but fights back with a high-angle missile dropkick before an unexpected bit of biting leads to him pinning the former SPW Singapore Champion.

Jack N' Cheese attempt to take control with their splash, but CBK sneaks in with a cutter on Big Good Jack and pins him. The final entrant, The Statement Andruew Tang, immediately takes charge, disciplining his Singaporean stablemates and particularly punishing Manuel. Manuel shows excellent fighting spirit in his comeback, but Tang and CBK eventually double-team him.

That leaves CBK and Andruew Tang as the final two. CBK nearly pulls off the upset with a tombstone, which is reversed into Tang's own attempt at the move — a particularly fun throwback to a picture from SEA Wrestling Issue 9. Tang eventually connects with the knockout punch to eliminate CBK and win the match.

Our Thoughts

Great fun match, full of little stories connecting together from around the region but will be remembered for the chance for some of the newer faces to show what they can do against the veterans, an excellent platform for Manuel especially. Hopefully this isn’t the last we see of Prince Benny too.

Bali Pro Wrestling Championship – Emman Azman (c) vs Jack Alexander vs Aiden Rex vs Jonathan Johnson

As the introductions take place, it's immediately noticeable just how packed the venue is tonight. This special event has clearly brought out some of the most passionate wrestling fans in Thailand, creating an atmosphere befitting a championship match.

Emman Azman starts proceedings with some bold claims and plenty of shouting at the fans, which naturally results in all three challengers taking him down. The challengers then form a temporary triangle of offence before Jonathan Johnson backs away, leaving us with the opportunity to see what happens when The Technical Marvel Aiden Rex and The Shaman of Secret Sauce Jack Alexander finally tie up.

It's an impressive exchange, although a short one, as Johnson returns to prevent Azman from taking advantage of the situation. That leaves us with RGT against its biggest opponent (JJ), and from there the pace really begins to pick up, with bodies flying in every direction.

At this stage, we're treated to an all out four-way, fast-paced encounter, most notably the incredible kicks from Aiden Rex and his back-and-forth exchanges with Jonathan Johnson. As I mentioned in the preview, these two had never wrestled each other before, which now seems almost criminal given how naturally they clicked together. If this performance is anything to go by, a future singles match between the two in SETUP or SPW could be a genuine main attraction.

The match continues to move at an incredible pace, with different combinations of wrestlers trading strikes, kicks and increasingly spectacular sequences. Nobody is allowed to settle into a comfortable rhythm, and every time one wrestler appears to gain control, another is there to disrupt it.

Jack Alexander comes particularly close to taking the championship when he almost bridges Emman Azman into a pin following a flurry of offence. Azman kicks out, however, and immediately turns the situation around, countering into a superkick before following with a flying forearm for the three-count.

The victory allows The Golden Boy to retain the Bali Pro Wrestling Championship in his first defence.

Our Thoughts

Phenomenal match.

It's genuinely impressive that all four managed to put together something this dynamic without a traditional ring. The pace never really let up, yet the action remained varied enough to keep things interesting throughout.

More importantly, the match left me wanting to see these combinations again. Aiden Rex and Jonathan Johnson in particular showed that their first encounter could be the beginning of something rather than a one-off, while all four demonstrated enough chemistry to make almost any combination of this match appealing. I would gladly part with money to watch any two, three or all four of these wrestlers collide again. That's about as strong an endorsement as we can give.

IWA Japan SETUP Tag Team Championship – St John's Innocent (Kevin Weng & Pondhub) vs The Horrors (Dr Gore & Da Butcherman)

Up next comes the hotly anticipated return of The Horrors, complete with their original theme. Da Butcherman is now carrying the VPW Championship and wearing his Juicy Meat glasses, a couple of reminders of just how far things have come since we last saw this team together. St John's Innocent receive a huge ovation from the crowd as they make their entrance as champions.

Butcherman immediately tries to shred a cushion with his teeth, forcing Dr Gore to calm him down. He's really regressed back into the "Ol' Butcherman" here, and the Good Doctor has to guide him towards something resembling chivalry, even getting him to shake hands with the champions. Butcher's restraint doesn't last long, however, as he suddenly ploughs into the champions, while Dr Gore also slips back into his old ways, putting the boots into Kevin Weng as Butcherman dismantles Pondhub.

From there, this becomes an all-out, weapons-filled brawl, with the relatively young champions quickly discovering that they may have bitten off more than they can chew against one of Southeast Asia's most legendary tag teams. These tag titles do have the IWA Japan name and this match reminds me of the promotion's 1995 glory days for sure.

Butcherman spends much of the match muttering away in a language of his own, making his return to the team feel like a genuine return to something that has been sorely missed. Dr Gore is equally impressive, with his offence once again being incredibly creative and purposeful to the gimmick. He wrestles like a horror-film doctor, and that extra layer makes The Horrors such a unique act.

The champions sell the beating well and take their opportunities when they come. Pondhub's DDT on Butcherman is particularly good, but once again the experience and strength of The Horrors allows them to regain control. Kevin Weng running up and stomping the upper chest of the VPW Champion is another standout moment for the champions.

Things take a more serious turn when Dr Gore removes his mask and gets into a slap fight with Weng. The exchange soon breaks down into flying punches between Pondhub and Butcherman, before Weng catches Dr Gore with another sharp DDT. The camera setup also gives a great view of the audience, who are completely gripped by what they're watching.

Both teams eventually face off again, with Butcherman diving onto Pondhub and taking him far out of shot. Somehow, Pondhub appears to get the better of the exchange and makes the tag, only for Dr Gore to counter and drop him for a very close two-count.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Weng drops Butcherman with a Codebreaker. Pondhub reverses a hold from Dr Gore, allowing Weng to connect with a superkick, before the champions recreate the same roll-up double-team finishto retain the IWA Japan SETUP Tag Team Championship.

The finish comes suddenly, but it works, with St John's Innocent finding a way to survive rather than simply overpowering their vastly more experienced opponents.

Our Thoughts

Respect is shown to The Horrors after the match, and it is very well deserved. Hopefully this isn't the end of the team, because their return reminded us exactly why the combination of Dr Gore and Da Butcherman worked so well.

The match itself was pretty much what we expected, but that's certainly not a bad thing. We got the nostalgia of seeing The Horrors back together — if we can call less than two years "nostalgia" — alongside a logical story of the overwhelmed champions desperately trying to find a way to survive.

Most importantly, it was a good in-ring match built around what makes The Horrors special. Dr Gore's character-driven offence and Butcherman's completely unhinged behaviour made this feel like a genuine return rather than simply two former partners teaming together again. St John's Innocent played their part well too, particularly in selling the punishment and making their eventual victory feel earned.

SETUP All Asia Women’s Championship: Matcha (c) vs Monomoth vs Fienic Rose

How Monomoth and Fienic Rose manage to make their entrances work in a room this small, I don't know, but somehow they do!

Monomoth is clearly the crowd favourite, although he's more interested in some posing than focusing on the championship to start. That doesn't sit particularly well with Matcha, who fires some very Thai-context insults at her two challengers — you'll have to watch the match to see those — before she is booted down by Fienic Rose and rolled up by Monomoth.

The challengers have done enough to frustrate the champion, who attempts to suplex them both, only for the move to be reversed and Matcha sent face-first into the mat. Monomoth and Rose then begin trading roll-ups, even getting members of the audience involved by asking them to hold their hands and help with the reversals.

Monomoth hits the Devil's Kiss on Fienic Rose to a huge reaction, with the impact sounding particularly brutal on the mat. The two challengers then pause in amusing fashion to discuss how they're supposed to wrestle each other, only for Rose to immediately raise the stakes with a sharp superkick.

Rose later traps Monomoth in a headlock and recruits the audience to slap his head and backside while calling him a naughty boy. Matcha returns to the action and begins taking apart both challengers, including slamming Monomoth directly into Rose.

A snapmare and running bodyslam from Matcha earns a close two-count, but her follow-up slam attempt is stopped by a stiff punch from Rose. Rose then literally becomes his own corner post, holding Matcha up while Monomoth delivers a bronco buster.

The challengers begin trading some of the flashiest exchanges of the match, and it's particularly noticeable just how swift Rose is these days.

Matcha breaks up a Monomoth pin attempt with a powerful German suplex, but Rose is back up to interrupt the follow-up offence. Monomoth manages to hit a Fameasser and DDT on Rose, only for Matcha to return with another suplex. She then takes Fienic Rose down with a leg sweep and scores the three-count to retain the SETUP All Asia Women's Championship.

Our Thoughts

This was a really entertaining match. I initially thought it might not be as athletic as some of the other matches on the card with the immediate comedic element apparant. The wrestling between the comedy was smooth, fast and well put together, while the comedic elements worked perfectly for all three wrestlers.

There's also a nice sense of continuity to the story, with both challengers getting plenty of character development here before facing Dewdy in another triple threat the following night.

As mentioned, Fienic Rose has continued to improve considerably, he was very good in 2025 for a relative newcomer but he’s starting to move into great territory now. The flashy elements of his character are already evident in his matches for MYPW and Grapplemax, but he took that aspect up another level here to match Monomoth's energy. The result was particularly enjoyable. He certainly has a bright future ahead.

IWA Japan World Heavyweight Championship – Shivam (c) vs Mason vs Carlo Cannon

There's a lot of gold represented in this match, with Mason entering as SPW Hardcore Champion and Carlo Cannon carrying the Varia World, MYPW World and SPW Singapore Championships. The IWA Japan World Heavyweight Championship is the prize they're all after, however, with Shivam defending his title.

I particularly like the small addition to Mason's increasingly edgy character that he refuses to stand still for the traditional photo pose. That's a dangerous attitude to have when you're sharing a match with these two.

The fans erupt when Shivam and Carlo Cannon make eye contact, clearly anticipating the collision between two of the region's biggest heavyweights.

Shivam and Mason wisely recognise the danger Cannon presents in a brawl and immediately team up to strike him and launch him into the chairs. Once Cannon is temporarily removed, Shivam and Mason engage in some chain wrestling, with Mason initially getting schooled and dismissed as a "young boy." Rather than discouraging him, however, it seems to fire Mason up, and he eventually gains control before taunting Shivam with a loose armlock.

He then shockingly applies his own version of Monomoth's Devil's Kiss to Shivam, claiming it's better than Monomoth's for a pop from the fans. The reaction from Carlo Cannon makes the moment even better. He's simply standing there watching in apparent shock and disapproval, waiting for his opportunity to strike. A close-up of his face here would have been perfect.

Cannon eventually gets his chance and takes Mason on a tour of the venue, leading him around with punches and chops before delivering a huge vertical suplex that almost touches the ceiling.

Shivam is back on his feet and immediately finds himself opposite his old rival. A front kick and an impressive spinebuster on Cannon produce a close two-count, before Shivam attempts the Final Cut. Cannon can't reverse it, but Shivam can't quite complete the move either.

Mason and Shivam temporarily put their differences aside to hit a long-delayed vertical suplex on Beautiful Death, before immediately turning on each other again. A stiff chop battle leads to Mason unloading kicks to Shivam's chest before flooring the champion with a big boot.

Cannon recovers and attempts a German suplex on Mason, who cleverly holds onto Shivam until Cannon slaps him away, sending Mason flying.

Cannon then shocks the crowd by hitting a piledriver on Shivam out of nowhere, earning a very close two-count.

Shivam eventually has to resort to a kick to Cannon's nether regions to stop the behemoth, finally creating an opening to attempt the Final Cut. Before he can get the pin, Mason is back in the action and grabs a chair. He appears to go for a moonsault or senton, although a phone held up in front of me made it difficult to see exactly what happened.

Shivam takes advantage of the chaos, picking up the SPW Hardcore Champion and powerbombing him before following with a running elbow and the three-count.

Shivam retains the IWA Japan World Heavyweight Championship.

Our Thoughts

A genuine heavyweight contest that showcased the best aspects of both Carlo Cannon and Shivam. Cannon looked every bit the dangerous brawler the crowd expected, while Shivam's ability to withstand and eventually overcome both challengers reinforced why he's holding the IWA Japan Championship.

For us, though, the biggest takeaway was Mason.

This match felt like an acknowledgement that Mason isn't simply a Hardcore Champion or someone taking a break from his tag career. He can go toe-to-toe with two of the region's biggest names and legitimately belong in a main-event singles conversation with them.

That may ultimately be the most important thing to come out of this hard-hitting championship match.

Shivam leads us out with some words on the mic. He thanks everyone and gives the history of The Lab and how impressively it's grown. We go off the air this time with the wrestlers together showing great Southeast Asian unity as he thanks everyone who showed up. He talks about how good the journey has been for them all and says see you tomorrow.

Final Thoughts

The Lab has evolved from a small side accompaniment to the SETUP shows to something that now stands in its own right. The new venue with a paying fanbase makes it look bigger and better than ever (I do hope we see Lemon Bar used sometimes though). This was an excellent show and none of the competitors held anything back. If you went you were treated to a Southeast Asian supershow level card all for just 250 baht.

A testament to all the competitors on this show is that it's impossible for me to pick a favourite match. Nothing was the same, everything really lined up well and complemented each other. With this and more mat wrestling happening in the Philippines as well as potentially elsewhere, it's arguably time for the region to really try and claim this style as a signature of the region.

Photos credit: The Lab, Carlo Cannon, Shivam, CBK