It is legit.
I'm all for a good barkfest. Working graveyard shift in a pool room, I've heard quite a few. They're entertaining, most of them, with a touch of bravado. Alex Pagulayan can work a crowd, all the while reeling in his prey in the process. He's fun, good at the gift of gab and can back up his bark.
When Eklent first posted the challenge to all Filipinos for 50 large, I figured it was an online barkfest in progress. But when Dennis O. posted his video-snippet reply, it wasn't fun for me anymore. In fact, it gave me the creeps.
It would not be a good move for Eklent to play anyone in the Philippines at this juncture. If Dennis O. set the tone for what lies ahead, Eklent may lose more than money in a challenge match. Dennis O. did not portray the Filipino spirit in pool that I have grown to love. Jose Parica, Efren Reyes, Alex Pagulayan, Santos Sambajon, Francisco Bustamante, the Filipino pool champions from my generation, would never speak out that way Dennis O. did in what I perceived as a threatening manner littered with curse words. It's also a side of Dennis O. I've never seen before.
Eklent needs to move on from this Waxgate crap. He must have known his online call-out would generate a huge response, good and bad. For me, this whole back-and-forth about $50,000 challenge match sucks now. Time to move on to the Florida Open and enjoy pool at its finest.