Team Philippines’ strongman Ray Jefferson Querubin apologized for his performance in the Shipwreck Transportation Challenge on the Netflix show Physical: Asia, which brought the team close to elimination.
Querubin, a three-time Philippines’ Strongest Man titleholder, explained in an exclusive ABS-CBN interview on November 8, 2025, that his training before the competition focused on developing strength for short bursts rather than endurance.
He stated, translated from Tagalog,
"Again, to our viewers in the Philippines, I'm really sorry for that. We did our best."
Querubin admitted that he reached his physical limit early in the challenge and took responsibility for not adjusting the team’s strategy.
Querubin, a former member of the Philippine weightlifting team, transitioned to powerlifting before competing in the Philippines’ Strongest Man events.
He set a 155-kg log press record and a 420-kg deadlift record in the Philippines and became the first Filipino to pull an 18-ton truck during a competition in Malaysia.
Social media videos also document Querubin performing car deadlifts exceeding 350 kg.
Eddie Jo Williams, a Samoan strongman from Team Australia, acknowledged Querubin as likely the second strongest competitor in Physical: Asia, which contributed to expectations of his performance.
Querubin said, translated from Tagalog,
"I cannot blame the team for that. I am the biggest guy."
During the Shipwreck Challenge, teams were tasked with transporting 50-kg crates or 20-kg sacks from a shipwreck to the cargo hold within 20 minutes.
Querubin lifted the first crate up a flight of stairs and was assisted by MMA fighter Mark “Mugen” Striegl for the second crate before sitting down.
He explained that although the weight was manageable, the real challenge came from the obstacles, including walking through sand and managing his own body weight, which left him "winded."
Querubin also acknowledged that he became exhausted early in the challenge and admitted that he had reached his physical "limit."
Querubin also noted that he did not adjust the strategy after observing Team Mongolia using two-person lifts. He said, translated from Tagalog:
"My mistake was that I did not adjust or communicate. We should have changed strategy because I saw on the other side that two people lifting was effective."
Team Philippines transported only 1,290 kg, while Team Mongolia moved 2,000 kg. Boxing champ Manny Pacquiao, team leader, noted that the team was disadvantaged in size.
Pacquiao explained that they were simply "out-sized" and emphasized that no one should be blamed, adding that he wanted to acknowledge his teammates’ effort despite the difficulty of accepting defeat.
Querubin also competed in the Death Match against Thailand and the Totem Challenge against Korea and Australia.
He partnered with Pacquiao in the Death Match but was outperformed by the quicker Thai team. In the Totem Challenge, he was paired with Justin Coveney and was first to be eliminated.
Querubin responded to criticism on social media, translated from Tagalog:
"I feel bad as well. I was supposed to help my team, but I reached my limit early."
Querubin clarified that he was approached by Netflix’s research team in mid-2024 and did not apply to join. He trained in late 2024 for strongman-specific movements and met the team in South Korea in January 2025 before taping.
He highlighted the influence of Pacquiao on team dynamics, translated from Tagalog, explaining that the level of "respect" given to Manny Pacquiao was very high, with even elite athletes from other countries approaching him.
Stay tuned for more updates.
TOPICS: Physical: Asia Ray Querubin, Netflix, Physical: Asia, Physical: Asia Justin Coveney, Physical: Asia Manny Pacquiao, Physical: Asia Mark Mugen, Physical: Asia elimination, Physical: Asia Team Philippines
