Crazy Asian Cockfighting in Manila: A game where you bet your life

Philippine cockfighting actually has nothing to do with entertainment or sports, it is pure gambling. However, this gambling is legal in the Philippines. The Philippine TV station has a dedicated cockfighting channel. Some large-scale cockfighting competitions are broadcast live on the TV station, which shows how crazy it is.

Let’s talk about legal cockfighting rings

After flying back to Manila from Bohol, our Filipino friend Manny, who came to pick us up, said he would take us to a place with few tourists. I asked where? He asked if we had ever seen a Philippine cockfight? I have heard of cockfighting before, and I know it is a very cruel game, but I have never seen it live. Manny said: If you haven’t seen a cockfight, how can you call it to the Philippines? Although we weren’t too interested, we couldn’t argue with him, so we had to do as he pleased.

The cockfighting ring was opened by Manny’s friend. Later I learned that this cockfighting ring was considered a relatively luxurious cockfighting ring in Manila, and the venue was also relatively large. The circular venue is similar to a boxing ring, except that the “competition field” in the middle is not fenced, but surrounded by transparent plexiglass panels. This is of course to prevent the “fighting chickens” from flying out and hurting people.

I have seen small-scale cockfighting in Yunnan before, the kind without blades. The upcoming Philippine cockfight is different. A long sharp blade is tied to the chicken’s leg, and one leg is used to kick it up. Not to mention the chicken, it is also a human being. It is easy to get seriously injured, so it is definitely a dangerous thing. Sexual “entertainment” activities.

The outside of the cockfighting ring was as lively as a market. Many people were queuing up holding chickens, and some were tying blades to the cockfighting cocks. Blade tying is a very technical job. The quality of the blade tying directly affects the combat effectiveness of the fighting cock, so blade tying is considered a craft in the local area.

Legal online cockfighting is an extension of offline

Philippine cockfighting actually has nothing to do with entertainment or sports, it is pure gambling. However, this gambling is legal in the Philippines. How widespread is cockfighting in the Philippines? For example, you will know – the TV station in the Philippines has a dedicated cockfighting channel. Some large-scale cockfighting competitions are broadcast live on the TV station, which shows how crazy it is.

Before each game, there are people in the venue who are responsible for placing bets and collecting money. They speak Filipino dialect. Although the content is not understandable, it can be seen from their body language that they are nothing more than fooling everyone into placing bets. What I particularly admire about these people is their memory. There are so many people betting, and they don’t need to give you a voucher. If you win, they will give you the money you won without any penny. This memory is really great. Amazing.

Online and offline cockfighting industry with unlimited business potential

I haven’t seen any relevant reports on how large the capital of cockfighting is as an industry. I only heard that a good cockfighting cock can cost millions of yuan. From this, we can guess how much the turnover of a game can be. , some people say it can be hundreds of thousands of dollars, some even say millions, but this is not very accurate, because the size of each venue and the quality of gamblers are different, so it is difficult to calculate accurately.

Before the cockfight begins, the two chicken owners hold their respective chickens and challenge each other, so that the two chickens can become enemies first, so that they can fight fiercely after they get on the stage.

Bet with your life

When the game started, there were only two chickens and one referee on the field. At first, I was really worried about the referee, but later I discovered that fighting cocks really have no interest in attacking humans. As soon as the two chickens were released, they immediately fell into a big fight.

A fight can be decided in as little as two or three rounds, but if the two sides are of equal strength, it can take as many as ten or even dozens of rounds before the outcome is decided. The result of a fight between two strong men is usually that both sides are scarred. The victory or defeat depends on who can’t stand up first, which is similar to professional boxing. Generally, the side that cannot stand up is fatally injured and loses the game. In such a cruel competition, most of the defeated fighting cocks have little chance of survival.

Respect this ancient traditional cockfighting culture

But there are always miracles. As long as the fighting cock is still breathing, first aid will be provided as soon as the game begins. There are “doctors” outside the venue who sew up the wounds of fighting cocks. Tying blades is a profession, and healing fighting cocks is still a profession, but the genders of the participants in these two professions are different. The former are responsible for killing, and are all men, while the latter are responsible for rescuing lives, and are all women. Manny said that this kind of fighting cock that was saved by luck will never be sent to the battlefield again. The owner will take care of it until it lasts. I don’t know if it is Manny who comforts us or if this is really the case.

Although bullfighting in Spain has become a part of Spanish culture, there are still several cities that have explicitly banned this ancient traditional activity. However, there is great resistance and a long way to go to completely ban it. The same is true for Philippine cockfighting. As a national activity with many participants, it also has a profound historical and cultural background. Although it has been criticized for a long time, it is still prosperous. Therefore, this is by no means simply judged from a moral high ground. can be stopped.