“The Naughty Boys” chats about their livers, #YearOfTheNice, being friends outside of wrestling, their cancelled bouts, and more.
“Fade the Kayfabe” is a wrestling interview series that aims to give other fans an outside-the-ring perspective of wrestling talent and personalities that Hannah Bee personally believes in. Open to getting interviews from across the globe, “Fade the Kayfabe” hopes that it can introduce fans to their next favorites whilst learning something new with their current ones!
I have a confession — I was the kind of fan who scoffed at the sight of comedy wrestling when I was new to the world of professional wrestling. The elitist in my 13 year old self prided on being mature enough to like the storyline-heavy stuff instead of the “segments aimed for the kids”. I thought that I was cool that way, highbrowing anything remotely lighthearted.
I still repent on this up to this day.
As years went by, I have learned to appreciate comedy wrestling, to see it as something that is as important as the “heavy stuff”. As much as some of them are downright shitty attempts at lightheartedness (remember Santina?), most of them are worth your time, your attention… your praise.
The realization made me enjoy the industry more than ever — professional wrestling should be, at the end of the day, #AllOutFun.
Then and now, I can say that no one’s doing it like the Naughty Boys of Philippine Wrestling, those adorable little shits.
I mean it with love, as they are one of the significant proofs in Philippine Wrestling of how being organic and authentic can get you to great heights. They enjoy what they are doing and what they are putting out for the fans, and it emanated from their work! They’ve endeared people with their inside jokes, their strong social presence, their struggles, and their drunk antics.
It’s evident with the cheers, the engagement, the merch sales… they are stars.
Funny thing is, they are just getting started. As a ragtag supergroup of wrestlers with so much potential both as a group and as their own, it’s interesting to see what the future holds for them.
I can introduce them and sing their praises all day long, but I’d rather let them do the talking. They’re clearly much better at it, anyways!
Hannah Bee: With the Naughty Boys stuck on enhanced community quarantine, how is everyone’s livers doing? What has everyone been up to during this downtime?
GrabCamus (CMS): The liver is as damaged as always. I’m rationing what I’m drinking. But during the whichever-version-of-the-quarantine applies to Rockwell Drive, I’ve been hella busy. My day job hasn’t let up, but I’ve been managing.
Trian Dela Torre (TDT): The good news: I live in a place that doesn’t have a liquor ban. The bad news: I live in a place that doesn’t have a liquor ban. Though I do try to share the wealth, as well as the liver damage, by doing some bootlegging for my less fortunate friends who live in alcohol-deprived areas from time to time. I guess this makes me a third world, modern day, Prohibition gangster of sorts. I’m supposed to be working from home but due to the nature of my occupation, I didn’t really have any work to bring home, so I’m kinda just on vacation at the moment. Good times.
Jhemherlhynn (JML): My liver is still alive! Occasional e-numan (e-drinking) sessions make it bearable. Although I try not to drink too much during the quarantine because I still have to work, haha. I don’t know why but my job is more demanding now that everyone’s at home so I have to be sober for that. Plus I still try to squeeze in my workouts, cooking, doing the laundry and constantly cleaning the house. Yes, I’m paranoid so I clean almost 2 times a day.
Cali Nueva (CNV): I’m probably the least alcoholic of the group so my liver is mostly pristine LOL! It does help that the Makati government has imposed a liquor ban. Like Camus, I’ve been rationing the alcohol that I have at home. Mostly for e-nom sessions. As for what I’m up to, I’ve been drawing. A LOT. It’s basically that time of the year when I spend most of my time trying to hone my art skills, and I’m stoked to say I am making a lot of progress! The goal is to learn how to paint semi-realistically before my enthusiasm fizzles away as it normally does after a few weeks. Other things I’ve been up to: working out, binge-watching Community, and playing Red Dead Redemption 2 or Stardew Valley. I prefer keeping myself busy, because I get really uneasy if I know I am slacking off.
Evan Carleaux (ECX): Wow Cali talaga? Least alcoholic? Hahahahaha.
Unfortunately, our mayor has mandated a liquor ban and I have been living off smuggled goods for weeks now. In other news, I’ve been keeping myself busy by working (ugh), working out, and drawing. Check out my art at @em.punk on IG! :3
Bee: What drew everyone to each other? How did y’all decide that being in a stable will be the best fit for you all?
CMS: The easiest way to answer this is to blame TDT.
JML: Yup blame TDT. But aside from that, I think we just all clicked because we have the same humor and same wavelength of thinking – HIVEMIND! Well except for Camus, sometimes.
CNV: Yes, TDT helped make all of this possible. Another thing is that the Naughty Boys are people who want to have a lot of fun; that’s what drew me in personally.
ECX: Jhemherlhynn is right. HIVE-FREAKIN’-MIND. Camus could use a firmware update, though.
I never imagined myself being part of a stable when I started. But for reasons unknown, I found people I resonate so much with. For me, it’s no longer a circle of friends. It’s no longer just a clique. It’s a family.
TDT: ECX and I have been really good friends even before we teamed up, dating back to our days as trainees in PWR Bootcamp. We found it really fun working with each other on top of being friends, so I guess it was only natural for us to eventually expand our circle by bringing in more friends to work with us and to be part of the stable. It’s all worked out really well. The group’s pretty diverse as everyone has their own thing, yet we always find ourselves on the same page on almost everything. It’s uncanny. Camus does require regular tune-ups though.
// WATCH: The first episode of the Carleaux Sheaux, a web series that follows through the lives of Evan Carleaux and his growing group of friends. //
For me, it’s no longer a circle of friends. It’s no longer just a clique. It’s a family.
Bee: Evan, you are pursuing a singles career at the moment, with a Path of Gold title match supposed to be in the works. What’s the difference between Evan the Naughty Boy and Evan the Future of PWR? Did pursuing the PWR Championship completely change Evan Carleaux’s mindset?
ECX: The first incarnation of Evan Carleaux was a selfish, pompous prick who called himself “The Future”. I can say that’s still pretty much my persona… except I have friends now. Being a part of the Naughty Boys of Philippine Wrestling enabled me to be myself more and weaponize that aspect. Evan the Naughty Boy and Evan the Future are one and the same in the sense that they cast aside nothing in order to accomplish their goals.
As for the PWR Championship, I let it slip from my grasp once.
There won’t be a second time.
Bee: Some teams lean on being genuine as a way to be endearing. Do you guys do the same or are there parts that are hyped up for the fans?
ECX: Ahh, the Naughty Boys are 200% us. We were never fed lines. The “NICE” chants? Those are totally organic. Trian and I just started saying “NICE” after every move and it caught on. Our crowd is the best hahaha! I guess the main reason we all gelled together was because we are close friends in and out of the ring.
TDT: What makes the Naughty Boys really special as a stable, is that we’re pretty much just being ourselves. Our kayfabe dynamics as a stable are based on our real life dynamics as friends and as a family. ECX and I are the team mom and dad, JML and CNV are our bickering children, and CMS is the ever loyal family driver who cries. A lot.
Bee: Cali, when it was announced during Vendetta 2019 that you were the newest Naughty Boy, most fans felt like they didn’t see it coming. From then on, people saw that you fit so well with them. What did you do so that you could gel with the rest of the group? Or was the transition of being a Naughty Boy a two way street?
CNV: A lot of people may not know this, but I was already good friends with the Naughty Boys and would often hang out with them after shows. This was even before they considered me to be a part of the group. In fact, what led to me joining the group is because I had already established a bond with them, so bringing me in always felt natural. It helps a lot that the group is collaborative in nature.
// WATCH: UBUSAN NG LAHI (SURVIVOR SERIES MATCH) //
BACKGROUND: The Naughty Boys face a team full of their adversaries – spearheaded by their former stablemate Kapitan Tutan.
Bee: Do you think being good friends outside the ring helps with the whole group being cohesive and charismatic?
CNV: Yup, it does! When you enjoy the people you work with, it’s gonna improve your output immensely, and I think it shows in our work. We always have each other’s backs, and we make sure every one of us grows and no one gets left behind. Being a part of this group has been one of the funnest periods not just in my life but in my career, that’s for sure.
Bee: With the Cali and Jhem disagreements plus Evan and Camus’ championship pursuits, it seems like the fans are seeing you wrestle less and less. Trian, do you still enjoy being in the ring or should we get used to your manager role now?
TDT: Of course, I still enjoy being in the ring and getting clobbered for your amusement. Nothing brings me greater joy than seeing and hearing people take pleasure in my suffering. Kidding aside, I have always believed that the true test for a performer is whether he can still contribute, remain relevant and continue to make an impact despite not being in the ring every single show. Am I pulling that off right now? Every time I hear how loud the “Team Building” chants get at every show, I know exactly what the answer to that question is.
Kayfabe-wise, I guess being ringside coaching JMLxCNV on the ways of #TeamBuilding is exactly where TDT wants to be. What people really should have gotten used to by now, is TDT’s constant scheming and maneuvering to ensure the success and the survival of the Naughty Boys. Whether this happens with him in the ring or ringside, ultimately doesn’t matter to him as long as it gets done.
…I have always believed that the true test for a performer is whether he can still contribute, remain relevant and continue to make an impact despite not being in the ring every single show.
Bee: Can you run us through with the emotions you felt the moment you learned that you were about to face Emi Sakura one on one? What does it feel now that the biggest fight of your career has been placed on hold?
JML: I was really nervous when I found out but it also got me excited because I know I can put out a really really FUN match with Emi. I was super excited because I was fond of watching Gatoh Move training (via IG stories) and their matches. Fun fact: I watch Gatoh Move matches while I’m running the treadmill or using the elliptical machine. While it was an exciting thought, as the days get closer to PoG, I started feeling anxious about it. I just had to get through that phase and focus on working on myself. I went to the gym maybe almost 5 times a week, watched what I ate and tried really hard not to drink, LOL.
Now that Path of Gold is on hold, I’m just looking at this as an opportunity to prepare myself physically and mentally for that match. Postponing PoG and delaying the match with Emi was an easy decision for me. The world has a bigger problem and we should all be focusing on that. No selfish reason should come first. So right now, I just hope the whole world recovers from all of this.
Bee: Being a winner of an Ubusan ng Lahi is no small feat (pun intended). Ever since your formal wrestling debut at Re5peto, fans have rallied for your career growth in every step of the way – how does it feel being a fan favourite?
CMS: It’s still very surreal for me. I’ve been through a lot since that show in Shaw 500 and it’s honestly mind blowing to this point that you can say I’m a fan favourite. It feels weird because a lot of fans have become friends in some fashion, and it makes me happy that I have that connection with the Revo-nation and subsections within it. How does it feel to have people who helped me get through bad losses, tough times, chair shots of betrayal to the head, and this little run I’ve been going through?
Feels good man.
I’m happy that I can honestly connect with people doing this wrestling thing. I love it and it really is a fulfilling part of my life. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Ever.
Bee: What are your plans in the future so that 2020 can finally be the #YearOfTheNice?
TDT: Let’s beat COVID-19 and get out of lockdown first, then we can start showing everyone exactly why 2020 is indeed the #YearOfTheNice.
CMS: It’s already pretty #Nice all things considered if we only look at Jan-Feb. I’m not too much of a planner/plotter/schemer, but you know what would be really, really fun? Having a canon All Out Fun match. I’ve always appreciated working with the fine gentlemen of The Network, and I really think after all this, we could all use a little more fun in our lives.
// WATCH: All Out Fun Match (one-off, out of canon), Network vs. Naughty Boys //
The real plan is to make this fun again. I miss having fun.
Will 2020 be their year? No doubt about it — they’d shine with or without the gold on their waists. You can always bet that they’d always gonna find a way to the spotlight, to your heart, and to your wallets.
Comments and reactions? I can’t wait to hear them over at @BeeHeynah or at @HBRambles! Consider supporting ya girl and buy her a coffee (only if you want to!). Hope you enjoyed reading it!
Much thanks to everyone in the gang for being very enthusiastic in answering these questions! Wishing we could share two bottles soon.
See more of these adorable little shits in the next PWR show! Social links can be found in the presentation below – the links are clickable too!
If there are any issues with my photo crediting, please contact me and I’d correct it as soon as I could!
Hannah Bee Rambles 