With ONE: DAWN OF HEROES just a few days away, excitement is certainly through the roof in anticipation of the most loaded martial arts event to hit the Philippines.
Thousands of fans are expected to troop to the Mall of Asia Arena on 2 August to witness five Team Lakay athletes fly the flag high on their shoulders as they take on different opponents on the same night.
While questions linger for the local athletes heading into the event, all are expected to be answered once the blockbuster card is all said and done.
Here are some of the burning questions entering ONE: DAWN OF HEROES.
Where is Eduard Folayang now, physically and mentally?
After a disappointing loss to Shinya Aoki in ONE: A NEW ERA, a lot of people began to question where Eduard Folayang stands in his career.
After all, the 34-year old Filipino hero has nothing to prove at all, winning the ONE Lightweight World Title twice while being the primary driving force of The Home Of Martial Arts to its Filipino fans.
But is Folayang done? Even “The Landslide” is seeking answers – and it’s something he will be getting when he takes on Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez on 2 August.
“This is where I’ll see my future and where I am right now,” Folayang said.
“It’s like a measurement fight. This is where I’ll see if I still have what it takes, and the things I need to do in order to become a World Champion.”
Will this be the changing of the guard for Team Lakay?
At 23, Danny “The King” Kingad will be the youngest warrior from Team Lakay to compete in the loaded card when he takes on Reece “Lightning” McLaren in the semifinals of the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix.
With his best friend Joshua Pacio currently the king of the strawweight division, an impressive showing for Kingad here could implicate that the future has indeed arrived for Team Lakay.
This doesn’t mean that the old guards are about to fade away, granted that the likes of Kevin Belingon and Geje Eustaquio are still on the peak of their prime.
But if Kingad puts on a show for the local crowd, then this event could be a symbolic changing of the guard for the Baguio-based stable.
Where do Geje Eustaquio and Honorio Banario go next?
Former World Champions Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio and Honorio “The Rock” Banario are at the respective crossroads of their career when they take on different foes in the event.
Eustaquio will be taking on Yuya Wakamatsu as Banario battles Dae Sung Park in the supporting bouts of the loaded event.
The matches would be very interesting. With the Grand Prix of both divisions still on-going, there is a slight chance that the two could pretty much cut the line with an impressive showing.
However, there is also a chance of them completely falling deeper into the pecking order if they have so-so performances.
Certainly, the future of these two beloved local warriors hangs in the balance of this event.
