In the world of billiards, everyone knows the name Efren "Bata" Reyes, the so-called "Wizard" from the Philippines, with hundreds of international titles and incredible shots that have captivated generations of fans. At the age of 68, he should have retired and lived a leisurely life after many years of dominating the world's arenas. However, Efren still occasionally appears in exhibition and friendly matches, as if to remind the world that his "magic" has not completely disappeared. And in a recent performance, the world witnessed an arrogant "show of face" - and an ending that no one could have predicted.
The young player named Nicolas, 22 years old, from Spain - is a young talent who is expected to become the face of the next generation of world billiards. With his strong playing style, speed, and powerful shots, Nicolas has won several European regional tournaments and is attracting a certain amount of attention. But it seems that the attention has made the young man overconfident. In an interview before the exhibition match with Efren Reyes, Nicolas declared:
“I respect him, but this sport needs new people, faster, more modern people. I will prove that youth wins over experience.”
That statement immediately caused a storm on social networks. Many people thought that Romero was too arrogant to dare to challenge a legend like Reyes - who only needed one hit to make the whole audience hold their breath.
The match took place at a sports center in Tokyo, Japan. Hundreds of spectators were present, along with tens of thousands of people watching online. Nicolas entered with a cold face, headphones in his ears, not greeting the audience, not looking at his opponent. In complete contrast, Reyes walked out with a gentle smile, nodding to each audience, even waving to the opposing team.
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The match started in a tense atmosphere – not because of its importance, but because of the great expectations on the performance of the two generations. Nicolas was the one to open the match, starting with a powerful break that made the white ball bounce off the table – a foul. Reyes just quietly put the ball back, and began his journey of “magically” transforming every shot.
Right from the first shots, the audience witnessed a superb performance from Efren Reyes. He did not play in a strong or fast way like Nicolas, but like a conductor controlling the orchestra with a small stick. The shots that pulled the ball back, backspinned, even bounced three cushions and still hit the target ball made the audience clap and cheer.
Meanwhile, Lucas was increasingly losing his temper. The missed shots, the miscalculations, and especially the confused look on his face showed that things were not as expected. The atmosphere in the audience changed completely – from the anticipation of a thrilling match to surprise and admiration. Reyes did not just win the point – he was teaching the young man a valuable lesson.
The most memorable shot in the match was when the white ball was stuck behind a series of opponent balls, seemingly with no way to score. Reyes smiled, bent down, aimed for a few seconds and executed a perfect three-cushion shot. The target ball gently rolled into the hole to the roar of the audience: “Unbelievable!”
After more than 30 minutes, the match ended with an overwhelming score – Reyes won 9-2. The handshake between the two was short. Nicolas said nothing, walking quickly off the court. Perhaps, he had never experienced such a painful loss – not because of being defeated, but because he realized how far the gap between a young talent and a legend really is.
After the match, when asked by reporters about his feelings, Reyes just smiled and said:
“I used to be like him – young, hot-tempered, thinking I was the best. But then I realized, billiards is not only about strength or technique, but also about patience and understanding. Hopefully today he learned something.”
That saying was shared everywhere as a philosophy of life. It was not only for Nicolas, but also for young people entering any field with overconfidence. That match quickly became a viral video on social networks, reaching millions of views in just a few days. The online community unanimously called it “A lesson in humility”.
