Tokyo has never been hotter. Right at the Tokyo Dome, thousands of Japanese spectators and the Filipino community living in Japan crowded to witness one of the matches called “the historic civil war of Philippine billiards”: Efren “The Magician” Reyes faced Warren “Cebuano Sniper” Kiamco in the Tokyo Billiards Invitational 2025.
This was not just an ordinary semi-final match. The organizers announced that the total prize money of this year’s tournament reached the milestone of 2 million USD, in which the champion alone pocketed 1 million USD – the highest amount ever recorded in the history of Asian billiards.
The atmosphere before the opening ceremony was as tense as a string. Filipino fans shouted “Efren! Efren!” while another group held up a banner saying “Team Kiamco”. Twitter and Facebook exploded with the hashtag #EfrenVsWarren, quickly reaching the top global trends after only 15 minutes of the match.
Right from the first shots, people saw the terrible balance.
Efren Reyes – at the age of 71 – still kept a calm demeanor, sharp eyes, soft hands as if he was painting on a green table. He opened with a magical shot: ball number 2 seemed stuck but after two touches of the ice, it fell neatly into the pocket. The entire Tokyo Dome exploded with applause.
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Warren Kiamco – “Tirador Cebu” – was different. He was not intimidated by the legend. Each of his shots was as precise as a computer, cold and decisive. The Japanese commentator had to exclaim: “This is the perfect contrast – one side is magic, the other side is a sniper rifle.”
After the first 5 games, the score was tied 2-2. The whole audience was on the edge of their seats. People felt that this would definitely be one of the classic matches.
And then, the unbelievable happened.
In the 6th game, Efren calculated a very difficult 7-ball – the shot to end the game. But he missed. The ball only rolled a few centimeters and stopped right in front of the hole.
The whole arena was silent for 3 seconds, then exploded with screams. The commentator shouted loudly:
“This is a fatal mistake! He let a golden opportunity fall into Kiamco’s hands!”
On social media, the hashtag #EfrenMistake exploded. Thousands of comments flooded in:
“Unbelievable! He missed it too?”
“Will the new generation replace him?”
Kiamco did not miss the opportunity. He took advantage of that miss, calmly scored consecutive points and took a 5-3 lead.
The audience began to worry. Many Filipino fans covered their faces and cried right in the stands. People believed that, at this age, Efren would hardly be able to come back after that fatal miss.
Meanwhile, Kiamco was like a machine. He shot the ball so accurately that he did not give Efren a chance to counterattack. After 12 games, Kiamco led 7-5.
A Japanese expert commented:
But people have forgotten: not everyone can bury Efren Reyes easily.
When he was pushed into a corner, Efren suddenly smiled his familiar smile – a smile that signaled a miracle was about to happen.
In game 13, he hit a “trick shot” that no one dared to try: the number 3 ball bounced off the ice three times, slipped through an incredibly narrow gap and fell precisely into the hole.
The Tokyo Dome exploded like an earthquake. Some Japanese spectators stood up, screaming wildly. The commentator shouted:
“This is the shot of the century! He is still the Wizard!”
That moment became the turning point. Efren regained his form, winning four consecutive games, raising the score to 9-8.
But Warren did not give up. He regained control of the game, tied it at 9-9 and then took the lead at 10-9. Just one more game and he would eliminate the legend from the biggest tournament in Asia.
The audience held their breath. Filipino fans in the stands prayed in tears.
Then, Efren made everyone explode. In the last two games, he performed a perfect sequence, not giving Warren any chance. The final 9 ball fell into the pocket, the final score: Efren won 11-10.
The Tokyo Dome shook. Fans jumped on the seats, hugged each other, cried, and shouted:
“The magician never runs out!”
Immediately after the match, Warren Kiamco admitted in an interview:
“I thought mistakes would end him. But Efren is a master, and mistakes only make him more dangerous.”
Japanese newspapers called it “The match of a lifetime for Asian billiards”. ESPN Asia ran the headline: “Efren Reyes – The man who refuses to age”.
On social media, more than 2 million discussions broke out with the hashtag #EfrenVsWarren. Fans argued fiercely:
“He is still a living legend!”
“Mistakes are just the spice that makes magic more magical.”
The semi-final match at the Tokyo Billiards Invitational 2025 was more than just a battle between two Filipino players. It was proof that Efren Reyes’ magic has never faded. A seemingly fateful mistake turned into a classic table-turning shot, making the world bow once again to the “Billiard Wizard”.
In the fierce world of billiards, where shots not only require absolute precision but also require a strong mentality, the name Efren “Bata” Reyes has become an immortal legend. At the age of 68, when most of his contemporaries have hung up their cue sticks, Reyes still appears on the table, bringing performances that make the whole world explode. And this time, his opponent is even more special: one of Lithuania’s best young players, currently ranked 16th in the world, who is known as the new hope of Europe.
This match is not simply a competition. It is a clash between two generations – on one side is the “Wizard” with more than half a century of attachment to the cue stick and the pool table, on the other side is the young gun who is eager to prove his ability to step up to the top of the world. The audience present at the stadium almost held their breath, because they knew that every moment on this billiards table could create history.
From the very first games, Efren Reyes showed that age has not made him lose his inherent cunning. Each shot was precisely calculated, the ball runs were so artistic that it made his opponents frown. There were moments when people thought they were rewinding the video from his golden age – where just seeing Reyes step onto the court, opponents felt the pressure.
Meanwhile, the young Lithuanian player was not shaken. He entered the game with confidence, launching strong, decisive and accurate breaks. Speed, youth, boldness – all were displayed on the table. The audience could clearly see the contrast: on one side was Reyes’s experienced experience, his calmness like a stone statue; on the other side was his fiery youth, wanting to explode to prove himself.
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The moment that made the crowd explode was when Reyes performed a masse at an almost impossible angle – a 90-degree spin shot that made the ball curve around the obstacle and fall neatly into the pocket. The entire audience almost jumped out of their seats, clapping and cheering nonstop. The camera panned to the young Lithuanian player’s face, and people could clearly see the surprise and a little worry in his eyes. It seemed that he had realized that he was not only facing a 68-year-old player, but was standing in front of the immortal “Wizard” of world billiards.
But this match was not one-sided. The young Lithuanian player proved why he is in the top 20 in the world. His precise bankshots, his delicate cue ball control made Reyes sigh many times, tapping the cue on the table as if acknowledging his opponent’s excellence. Each of his wins was a direct challenge to the Filipino legend, proving that the new generation was ready to step up to replace him.
But what makes the difference is not just technique, but also mentality. At 68, Reyes no longer has the speed of his cues, but he possesses something that young people need a decade to learn: calmness under pressure. When the score is tied, when the cheers are loud, Reyes still sits quietly, his eyes as calm as a lake. When it’s his turn, he stands up, holds the cue, and launches shots as if magic has been installed on the table.
One of the most memorable moments is when the score is tied, and the two enter the deciding game. The Lithuanian player starts well, putting the ball in a favorable position. But just a small mistake in the safe shot, Reyes takes full advantage. He moves gently around the table, tapping the familiar cue rhythm, then brings the entire audience into tense silence. A series of consecutive shots, from easy to difficult, are all executed perfectly. When the last ball falls, the audience explodes.
The audience stood up, applauded loudly, chanted his name: “Efren! Efren! Efren!” As for Reyes, as usual, he just smiled gently, bowed his head in thanks and turned away, his face showing no pride. That was a typical expression of the “Wizard” – he let his magic show on the table, without words.
After the match, many experts commented: “At 68 years old, Efren Reyes doesn’t need to prove anything anymore. But every time he appears, he teaches the world a lesson about passion, humility and the spirit of never giving up.” The young Lithuanian opponent, despite the defeat, could not hide his admiration: “He is not just a legend, he is the one who makes me want to continue on this path, to one day reach that stature.”
This match was not simply a win or a loss. It was proof that age is just a number, that passion can overcome all limits. At an age when many people have retired, Reyes still holds the cue, still creates classic moments, and more importantly, still makes the world admire.
For the audience, they not only witnessed a dramatic match, but also witnessed the continuity between generations – where a legend continues to affirm his position, and a young talent affirms his ambition. Regardless of the result, both left the table to thunderous applause, leaving an indelible mark in billiards history.