Netflix reality competition series Physical: Asia may have invited eight-weight boxing great Manny Pacquiao to be the show’s marquee name, but the Filipino champ’s thunder has been stolen by athletes from other competing nations.

And we are not talking about Physical: 100’s South Korean celebrity alums such as CrossFitter and Season 2 winner Amotti or Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter-cum-TV personality Kim Dong-hyun.

A spin-off of the popular Physical: 100 (2023 to 2024), Physical: Asia – which premiered on Oct 28 – has already claimed the No. 1 spot on Netflix’s Top 10 Non-English Shows chart in several territories, including Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong and the Philippines.

Unlike Physical: 100, where South Korea-based contestants vie for personal glory, Physical: Asia features 48 contenders representing eight nations – Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Mongolia, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand and Turkey – competing for country pride and one billion won (S$911,266).

Here are the fan favourites who stood out in the first four episodes. New episodes premiere every Tuesday.

The flamboyant 39-year-old of Senegalese, Thai and American ancestry made a huge impression when he sashayed into the arena dressed in a grey trench vest paired with a pair o...