In a WNT Legends exhibition match, Earl Strickland defeated Efren 'Bata' Reyes 11-6 in Quezon City. The American pool icon praised the 71-year-old Filipino's unrelenting drive in the sport. The game revived their long-standing rivalry from as far back as 1996.
On January 22 at Gateway Mall in Quezon City, two pool legends faced off: 71-year-old Efren 'Bata' Reyes and 64-year-old Earl Strickland. Strickland won 11-6, advancing to the finals against fellow icons like Francisco 'Django' Bustamante and Ralf Souquet.
Strickland praised Reyes' skill despite his age. 'You’ve got to remember, Efren’s seven years older than me. Let’s not forget that, okay? He’s still playing remarkable pool for his age, you understand? But you can see that his age shows up on certain shots. He decelerates,' he said. He added, 'But anyway, I still think Efren plays phenomenal. He can still put the fear in a guy.'
The match evoked memories of their 1996 Color of Money showdown in Hong Kong, where Reyes staged a 120-117 comeback from a 17-rack deficit to win a $100,000 purse. Strickland, holder of three world nine-ball titles (1990, 1991, 2002), credited Reyes for teaching him safeties. 'I didn’t play safe good until I learned them from Efren. I learned all my safeties from Efren.'
Though aging affects their precision, both plan to play on. 'Efren and I are going to keep playing until we die. We’re lifers,' Strickland said. 'I love pool more than life itself. I’ll die on a pool table.'
