Tome and Stevie Filip are an established addition to the Australian wrestling scene. The brother tag team from Melbourne known as the “Natural Classics” have competed throughout Australia as well as in the United States prior to enrolling in the Fale Dojo 2019 February intake. While training at the Dojo, Tome and Stevie fully engaged in the intense daily workouts, this also included the brothers squaring off in an aggressive singles bout at the first Fale Dojo Exhibition show. Their reconciliation at the conclusion of their match led to the brothers teaming up in the main event of the second Exhibition show against Aaron Solow and current NJPW Dojo young lion, Liam Fury. Although Tome and Stevie have traversed the Australian independent scene, they will soon be making their first national appearance; a significant New Japan Pro Wrestling debut at the ‘Southern Showdown’ tour.
Tome and Stevie expressed their gratitude when reflecting upon their journey at Fale Dojo. They also shared their thoughts on the ‘Southern Showdown’ where they will wrestle in front of their home crowd in Australia.
“I feel over the moon,” said Tome, the eldest of the two brothers. “I know my consistent hard work at Fale Dojo has paid off. To be able to debut for New Japan in my home country in front of my people is something really special.”
“All my hard work over the years is coming to fruition,” said Stevie. “I am extremely honoured to be a part of New Japan’s Southern Showdown, and I cannot wait to show the world what the Filip Brothers have to offer.”
Since their return to Australia, the Filip brothers have been applying their training from the Fale Dojo to their workouts. Tome and Stevie each gave a brief insight into what they gained from their time at Fale Dojo.
“The training at Fale Dojo has helped me in many ways,” stated Tome. ”It’s opened my eyes up to more levels, but I don’t want to give away my secrets until you see us wrestle live!”
“The Fale Dojo system was very difficult but with an amazing payoff,” added Stevie. “Since returning home to Australia, I have been able to focus more on lifting weights and gaining muscle mass.”
Before pursuing their wrestling aspirations, Tome and Stevie were avid soccer players. Their father, Goran Filiposki, played for Australia’s National Soccer League.
“We both played soccer from the age of five,” revealed Tome. “We followed our dad’s footsteps as he played at a national league level back in the day. Then we both stopped at the age of 17.”
“All along we knew when we turned 18 that we would look to pursue our dreams of becoming professional wrestlers,” explained Stevie.
That dream has become a reality for the Filip brothers. Throughout their time at Fale Dojo, Tome and Stevie conducted themselves with humility and respect. They approached every workout with the objective to push beyond their physical and mental boundaries; supporting each other and their fellow lions in upholding the values of the Dojo. The Filip brothers plan to join the New Japan Dojo in September where they will receive further training. Before they embark on that journey, however, they are anticipating the NJPW Southern Showdown tour.
“I’m looking forward to meeting everyone from NJPW at the tour,” said Tome. “I can’t wait to show everyone what we are made of when we step in the squared circle.”
“I’m looking forward to using what we have learnt from Fale Dojo,” said Stevie in closing. “I’m honoured to showcase our wrestling abilities in front of the fans and New Japan management.”