Matchroom and Puyat Sports will stage WNT Legends from January 21-23 as the Gateway Mall in Quezon City, Philippines hosts four legendary players in a three-day exhibition.
Four world champions will collide under the World Nineball Tour banner at the same shopping mall which hosted the extremely successful Philippines Open Championship in October.
Filipino legends Efren Reyes and Francisco Bustamante will be accompanied by international stars Earl Strickland and Ralf Souquet in an event designed to showcase the legacy of an era which inspired The Color of Money.
Reyes, Bustamante, Strickland and Souquet have six World Pool Championship titles, seven US Open Championship titles and nine World Masters titles between them, highlighting their statuses as legends of the game.
Three-time world champion Strickland notably beat Reyes in the 1997 US Open final in Virginia, USA, while he also overcame Bustamante in the 2002 World Championship final in Cardiff, Wales.
Reyes and Bustamante of the Philippines will each face Souquet and Strickland across Wednesday and Thursday, with the best-performing Filipino facing the best-performing Rest of the World player in Friday’s final.
Matches will be contested over a race-to-eleven racks, alternate break format, while coverage will be broadcast via WNT TV for a $30 fee as well as via One Sports in the Philippines.
2026 WNT Legends
Schedule of Play
Wednesday January 21 (10am)
Francisco Bustamante 11-9 Earl Strickland
Efren Reyes 11-8 Ralf Souquet
Thursday January 22 (10am)
Francisco Bustamante 10-11 Ralf Souquet
Efren Reyes 6-11 Earl Strickland
Friday January 23 (10am)
Third-place Playoff
Efren Reyes 9-11 Ralf Souquet
Final
Francisco Bustamante 6-11 Earl Strickland
One Comment
The idea of a “provisional Mosconi Cup place” after winning ranking events is fascinating, and it got me thinking about the similar competitive structures in other racket sports. As someone who plays padel regularly, I’ve noticed that the scheduling of tournaments can greatly impact player performance, with some athletes thriving in the intense competition of back-to-back events. The parallel between scheduling in cue sports and other racket sports is something I have been thinking about because I’ve seen how a well-timed break can make all the difference in my own game. I wonder, will the players in the Mosconi Cup be able to maintain their momentum throughout the season, or will the pressure of multiple ranking events take its toll?