Uploaded on May 4, 2009
Hong Kong, 1996 - Efren Reyes battles Earl Strickland for US$100,000 in a race to 120 challenge match dubbed the Color of Money.
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| Born | August 26, 1954 Angeles City, Pampanga, Philippines |
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| Sport country |  Philippines |
| Nickname | Bata (Kid) The Magician |
Reyes was born in Pampanga in 1954.
He moved to Manila with his family at the age of 5.
In Manila, he worked as a billiards attendant at his uncle's billiards hall, where he started learning the various cue sports.
Because he was not tall enough to reach the pool table, he played while standing on Coca-cola cases that he moved around.
At night, while he was dreaming of playing pool, the pool table was his bed.[citation needed]
He is called Bata, which is Filipino for "Kid", because there was another older pool player named Efren when he was young.
To distinguish between the two, he was referred to as Efren Bata.
Gambling from a young age, Reyes played three cushion billiards
in the 1960s and 1970s.
After establishing himself as a winner, he was discovered by promoters.
This gave him the opportunity to compete in big time tournaments.
During the 1980s, when Reyes was considered a top-class player in his homeland but not yet internationally recognized, he went to the U.S. to hustle.
Popular legend claims that Reyes earned US$80,000 in a week; this feat made him a folk hero back home.[1]
Reyes began winning a number of tournaments in the U.S., Europe and parts of Asia.
Thus, he started to gain attention and recognition worldwide. At the start of his career, he used aliases to hide his identity so he would be allowed to compete.
By the mid-1990s, he had become one of the elite players of the Philippines, alongside Jose Parica and Francisco Bustamante.
After establishing himself as a winner, he was discovered by promoters.
This gave him the opportunity to compete in big time tournaments.
During the 1980s, when Reyes was considered a top-class player in his homeland but not yet internationally recognized, he went to the U.S. to hustle.
Popular legend claims that Reyes earned US$80,000 in a week; this feat made him a folk hero back home.[1]
Reyes began winning a number of tournaments in the U.S., Europe and parts of Asia.
Thus, he started to gain attention and recognition worldwide. At the start of his career, he used aliases to hide his identity so he would be allowed to compete.
By the mid-1990s, he had become one of the elite players of the Philippines, alongside Jose Parica and Francisco Bustamante.
Although Strickland was the first to win the WPA World 9-ball Championship,
Reyes, in 1999, became the first to win while it was broadcast on
television.
This tournament was not recognized at the time by the WPA, but Reyes was later retrospectively acknowledged as the winner of one of two world championships held in 1999.
Nick Varner won the "official" world title.
The two tournaments were merged for the following year, with both men listed as the champion for 1999.
At the time, the Matchroom Sport-organised event in Cardiff, Wales, was called the World Professional Pool Championship (despite the entry of many non-professional players).
This tournament was not recognized at the time by the WPA, but Reyes was later retrospectively acknowledged as the winner of one of two world championships held in 1999.
Nick Varner won the "official" world title.
The two tournaments were merged for the following year, with both men listed as the champion for 1999.
At the time, the Matchroom Sport-organised event in Cardiff, Wales, was called the World Professional Pool Championship (despite the entry of many non-professional players).
Earl "The Pearl" Strickland (born on June 8, 1961, Roseboro, North Carolina) is an American professional pool player and was inducted into the Billiard Congress of America's Hall of Fame in 2006.[1]
He is considered one of the best nine-ball players of all time.
Earl has won numerous championship titles within a 25-year time span, and also one of the most controversial, for his often-outspoken views and sometimes volatile behavior at tournaments.
He is considered one of the best nine-ball players of all time.
Earl has won numerous championship titles within a 25-year time span, and also one of the most controversial, for his often-outspoken views and sometimes volatile behavior at tournaments.
Source: Wikipedia.org
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