Pinoy Wrestling BTS: From Fan to Insider! p.1
featuring Delight 47:3's Elmer Dwight Barcenas
Welcome to “From Fan to Insider”, where we feature an interesting subset of people in the Pinoy Wrestling world. Namely, those who started as hardcore fans that followed the shows, storylines, and performers then eventually joined the industry!
From then-teen admirers to now-industry movers, we’ll take a look at the folks that decided to bring their love for Pinoy Wrestling to the next level.
If you follow any Pinoy Wrestler’s socmed, you might notice that after every show, a lot of them post amazing photos of action shots or dramatic moments. Many of them even use these photos as profile pictures or for marketing! Or maybe you’ve seen how you never miss a scene during PUSO Livestream. That’s the work of Pinoy Wrestling’s youngest photographer/cameraman; Elmer Dwight Barcenas!
Before he ever picked up a camera ringside, Dwight was just another kid in awe of pro wrestling. A wrestling fan since around 2003, Dwight didn’t grow up idolizing just one wrestler. “Wala talaga akong personal favorite (I don’t really have a personal favorite),” he admits. “In awe ako sa lahat (I’m in awe with everyone)”. Still, Triple H holds a special place in his teenage memories — mostly because his matches always had blood, which made it feel heavier when watching with friends in high school.
Everything changed for Dwight in 2014 when he discovered that the Philippines had its own wrestling scene. “Kaya nung nalaman ko na finally may pro wrestling promotion na sa Pilipinas, for sure magkakainteres ako (When I found out that we finally have a pro wrestling promotion here, I was sure I would be interested).” That interest turned into obsession, especially when he attended his first local wrestling event — PWR Wrevolution X 2017.
“I was just 16 then. Sobrang excited ako (I was so excited),” he recalls. “Wala pang full matches online noon, kaya pati directions papunta sa venue, tinanong ko pa sa PWR page!” It was a stark contrast from his first live wrestling experience, WWE Live in Manila 2016, where he sat in the General Admission section. “Dun, para lang silang langgam. Pero sa PWR, halos ringside na agad yung upuan. Iba talaga ‘pag malapit ka. (There, they were like ants. But in PWR, the seats were almost ringside. It feels different if you’re close)”
The crowd was electric, the hits sounded real, and the action felt raw. “Dito rin ako naging fan ni JDL. Solid yung match, grabe yung anticipation ng crowd (This is where I became a fan of JDL. The match was solid, and the crowd anticipation was something else.” That spark would push Dwight to use local shows as a reward system, doing well in school so he could afford to attend them. Unfortunately, that didn’t always go as planned: “Madalas ako ’di nakakapunta kasi laging short sa budget (Often, I end up not being able to go because I was short on budget).”
Still, Dwight stayed close to the community, even joining the Kayfabe Café online group before PWPH. But it wasn’t just the matches that impressed him. It was the storytelling. Specifically, the cinematic productions of MWF. “Parang Lucha Underground yung dating, pero may Filipino cinematic flavor (They were like Lucha Underground, but with a Filipino cinematic flavor),” he says. That inspiration led him to apply for a production position with MWF. “Na-interview pa ako nun, pero ‘di na ako natawagan. Siguro ‘di ako pumasa. (I got an interview with them, but they didn’t call me back. Maybe I failed).”
Despite the setback, Dwight’s path eventually found its way back to the scene. Today, he is a cameraman and photographer for local promotions, most recently seen ringside at PUSO Wrestling, Dexcon, and WUW Philippines shows. Interestingly, his family only found out he was involved when they spotted him on TV. “Kala nila kamukha ko lang! (They thought it just looked like me)”
These days, Dwight balances freelance gigs with wrestling shows, where he looks forward to the electric atmosphere and interaction with fans and performers. “Sarap magpuyat after the show para mag-post-process ng photos (I like staying up late after the show to edit the photos).” While he’s had to rein in his fanboy tendencies in order to stay focused on capturing moments, the love for wrestling never left. “May times pa rin na napapatulala kami, like nung chain wrestling nina Zack at Fabio. Nakalimutan naming nagvi-video kami (There are times where we just stare in awe, like when ZSJ & Fabio were chain wrestling. We forgot we were taking a video).”
One of his most surreal experiences was casually chatting with his former idol, Jake De Leon. “’Di ko inexpect na magiging casual lang na kausap ko siya. Sobrang fan talaga ako nung high school (I didn’t expect to be be able to talk to JDL casually. I was a really big fan of him in high school).” And perhaps his proudest moment came when he had a photocard, shot during the match of JDL and ZSJ at Dekada, then signed and shown to Zack Sabre Jr. himself. “Pucha, sobrang cool nun (Damn, that was really cool).”
When asked how he brings his past as a fan into his current work, Dwight smiles. “’Di na pwede lagi mag-mark out, pero andon pa rin yung kilig kapag may magagandang matches. (You’re not allowed to mark out anymore, but the feeling of thrill is still there especially with good matches)” Looking ahead, Dwight has big dreams — some serious, some half-serious. “Kung manalo ako sa lotto, baka isugal ko yung karamihan ng mapapanalunan ko sa Pinoy Wrestling. (If I win the lotto, I will risk most of what I’ll win in Pinoy Wrestling)” But at the heart of it is a genuine desire to see the industry grow. “Gusto ko maging mainstream. Mai-invite sa iba’t ibang cities, makikita sa mga fiesta. Ganon.”
If he could speak to his younger self, the kid sitting high up in Gen Ad watching wrestlers like ants, he’d say this: “Thank you sa’yo kasi nanatili ka at nagpatuloy. ’Di mo man natupad yung fantasy mong magpabugbog sa ring, pero may tinatago ka palang skill sa pag-picture. ’Di lang WWE ang may wrestling, tangeks — ready mo sarili mong ma-mindblown (Thank because you stayed and continued. You might not have gotten your fantasy of getting beat up in the ring but you have hidden talent in photography. WWE isn’t the only wrestling, dumbass! Ready yourself and get mindblown!.”
Elmer Dwight Barcenas is proof that you don’t need to be in the ring to be part of the action. Pro wrestling is not JUST pro wrestling, it’s comprised of many different things that make it what it is. There are roles for everybody, and everybody can make an impact. Because sometimes, the most powerful shots in wrestling are taken through a lens.
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🗓️ July 6, 2025 @ 6PM
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