23/06/2026
๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ถ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐: ๐๐๐ป๐ท๐๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐ ๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฎ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐พ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ ๐ช๐ต๐ผ๐น๐ฒ ๐ก๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฎ โฝ๏ธ๐ช
Football is a game won with quick feet, deep lungs, and teamwork. Arm wrestling, on the other hand, is a brutal test of pure arm strength, wrist control, and locked-in leverage. On paper, the two sports do not have much in common.
But for brothers Junjun and Janmarc Fianza, excellence translates perfectly from one arena to the next.
Once known as two of the brightest young football players to come out of the Benguet State University Football Club (BSUFC) grassroots program, the Fianza brothers have successfully started a whole new athletic chapter. Today, they are making a name for themselves at the arm wrestling table. It is incredibly inspiring to watch how their competitive drive, discipline, and habit of winning have stayed exactly the same, even as they switch from the turf to the heavy table.
๐ฝ๐ค๐ง๐ฃ ๐ค๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐: ๐๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐ก๐ก ๐๐๐๐ง๐จ
Long before they were locking hands with opponents on a pull pad, the brothers were making waves on the football field. Their journey started right in the developmental ranks of BSUFC. It was there that they built the solid foundation that would make them household names in local youth sports.
As student-athletes playing for the Benguet State University Secondary Laboratory School (BSU-SLS), Junjun and Janmarc were key players in a highly successful era. They brought home numerous medals during the Benguet Athletic Provincial Meet, consistently earning the right to represent their home province on a bigger stage.
At the Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association (CARAA) Meet, they proved they were among the very best in the highlands.
Their great performances in high school opened up big doors for both of them as they moved forward. Janmarc stepped up to the collegiate level smoothly, wearing the green and gold for the BSU Varsity team. He continued to dominate the local college scene, helping lead his team through tough matches in the CARASUC tournaments. Junjun caught the attention of national scouts and earned a highly coveted spot on the U18 Philippine National Football Squad. His talent eventually took him to Manila, where he played for the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Golden Booters in college.
For a long time, everyone expected the Fianza brothers to stick strictly to the football script. They had already given so much to the Cordilleran pitch.
๐๐ง๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐ค๐๐ก: ๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐จ๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐
True athletes always look for new challenges, and that hunger can sometimes lead down surprising paths. Moving from a wide-open football field to an arm wrestling table is a massive shift, but for the Fianzas, it became the perfect place to grow.
Arm wrestling requires sudden, explosive power and smart, split-second adjustments. While football players use similar traits to shield a ball or push past a defender, the physical strain of arm wrestling is completely different. The brothers had to retrain their bodies entirely, trading long running drills for intense grip training, wrist strengthening, and building up their tendons.
The results of their hard work speak for themselves. Trading in their football cleats for chalk and straps, Junjun and Janmarc brought that same undeniable work ethic to the table.
Today, they are much more than just "former football players." They have earned their spots as legitimate pullers, locking hands with the strongest in the country and bringing pride to Benguet in a rapidly growing sport. Whether they are running the field or pinning an opponent's hand to the pad alongside their Igorot Arm Machines teammates, the Fianza brothers show us that real athletic success comes from the heart and grit you bring to the game.
๐ธ: Junjun Fianza | Janmarc Fianza
