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Trian Dela Torre: Local Wrestler, Vlogger, and First-Time Dad

by Gretchen Gatan Fragada
August 11, 2022

Before Trian Dela Torre became a father, he was Philippine Wrestling Revolution’s Midget Wrestling Champion.

Filipinos are quite known for being huge wrestling fans. Apart from following mainstream promotions like World Wrestling Entertainment and All Elite Wrestling, local ones like Philippine Wrestling Revolution and Manila Wrestling Federation have their own following as well. In fact, prior to the lockdowns, the two have hosted several live shows. And more often than not, the audience was composed of families — with many little boys and girls — cheering for their favorites. One such favorite is Trian Dela Torre, who was known as Philippine Wrestling Revolution’s Midget Wrestling Champion. He had other monikers like Inch for Inch the Best Wrestler in the World Today and the Miniature Boy.

Behind the wrestling persona, Trian is a full-fledged lawyer. But perhaps a title he is most proud to carry is being Lil Dad — a name he christened himself when he became a father to his daughter Lil. Lil was also the inspiration behind his YouTube channel, which documents how he is navigating fatherhood.

How Trian Dela Torre Came to Be

Trian Dela Torre reveals that he got into the wrestling scene late in the game. “This is because of my conservative Christian upbringing. My mom wouldn’t let us watch wrestling because it was too violent. So it wasn’t until my late elementary to early high school years (in the early 2000s) that I started watching WWE and WCW. From there, I started following other promotions like TNA, NOAH and ROH, and made a lot of friends along the way.”

“One of those friends turned out to be Red Ollero aka Rederick Mahaba. Eventually, I found out he was involved with Philippine Wrestling Revolution (PWR) and was training to become a wrestler. While I entertained no delusions of becoming a wrestler since I’m not exactly a physical specimen myself, I was interested in being part of the industry in a non-wrestling capacity. Like a manager or referee. I signed up for the PWR Bootcamp in 2016, purely for the experience and with absolutely no expectations of ever making it as a wrestler. Miraculously, I managed to survive and eventually debuted in 2017 first as a referee and two months later as a wrestler, in an inter-gender match. I ended up forming a stable called the Naughty Boys of Philippine Wrestling with my tag team partner Evan Carleaux. We became PWR Tag Team Champions in 2018.”

The Local Wrestling Scene

Trian shares that what makes PWR different compared to promotions in other Southeast Asian countries is because of the large and loyal fan base.

“Based on the feedback we’ve gotten from foreign wrestlers we’ve had over, we draw one of the highest crowd attendance in the region, pre-pandemic. Filipinos are natural performers and when I say this, I don’t just mean the wrestlers. I also mean the audience! PWR fans are very vocal, unrelenting with their witty jokes and boisterous chants at every show. Early in my career, I used to get “Bantay Bata” chants every time I got beaten up by bigger opponents. Thanks to the good old Filipino sense of humor, PWR fans really enjoy having comedy in their wrestling. Which works for me, since I’m a comedy wrestler.”

Wrestling Families

One wrestling dad Trian admires is the Nature Boy Ric Flair. “I love the whole Ric Flair and Charlotte Flair dynamic. Seeing Ric go all the way to support [his daughter] Charlotte while Charlotte proudly carries the Nature Boy’s legacy into the modern era.”

Another family of wrestlers he enjoys watching is the Ano’ai family. Members include The Rock (also known as Dwayne Johnson), Rikishi, Umaga, Yokozuna, and current WWE Superstars Roman Reigns and The Usos.

“I love hearing about the Ano’ai family and how the patriarchs of that massive extended family came together and started looking out for each other and each other’s families — forging an unbreakable bond that has only gone stronger with every succeeding generation.”

Starting a YouTube Channel

Trian Dela Torre’s YouTube Channel, Lil Dad, was inspired by none other than his daughter Lil. “When I found out Lil Mom was pregnant with Lil, I knew I wanted to document as much as I can so that we’ll all have something to look back to when she grows up. The problem is despite being in the ‘performing arts’, I was never really into taking photos and videos.”

To address this, Trian invested in expensive equipment to force himself to take photos and videos, and get his money’s worth. “The fruits of this self-inflicted pressure led to the creation of our YouTube channel, Lil Dad. It’s been a great way of not only keeping track of Lil’s progress and our journey into parenthood, but also keeping in touch with our family and friends. Lil doesn’t really get the chance to meet family members and relatives who don’t live with us because of the pandemic. So having the YouTube channel helps our loved ones get to know her and watch her as she grows.”

Raising Lil

Being a first-time parent, Trian admits that one of the biggest challenges he faces is the reality that the future of another living being now rests entirely on him and his partner. “It can be
overwhelming, realizing the magnitude of that responsibility especially if you’re a man-child like myself. Good thing Lil and I have Lil Mom around to be the responsible adult in the family,” he quips.

At the moment, their little family lives with his in-laws who take charge of the household. “I didn’t have a lot of relatives around me growing up since they mostly lived in the province. So I think it’s great for Lil to grow up surrounded by as much family as she can get. Lil Mom and I both work in offices that implement hybrid work arrangements. This allows us to spend time with Lil on the days we’re working from home. We’re also lucky to have a very experienced yaya whose invaluable experience in child rearing has made parenting easier. Really, she does the heavy lifting for us. Lil Yaya’s the real MVP of the Lil Fam!”

The Realities of Postpartum Depression

Trian also opened up about the realities of postpartum depression — something that is slowly being normalized by more and more modern parents.

“Lil Mom got hit with postpartum depression real hard. Getting pregnant in her mid-30s, she had a very sensitive pregnancy and had to take medication and extra precautions. Still, Lil had to be confined in the Natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for a week because she had pneumonia when she was born. For around a month, we didn’t have the benefit of having a yaya or experienced relatives to help us with taking care of our newly discharged newborn. On top of all that were the long and sleepless nights of nursing, which really took a toll on her. And you have an understandably terrible first few months — for her especially.”

“I just had to hunker down and be as emotionally strong as I have ever been in my life. For all of us. I mean, she’s the one who had to carry Lil to term and had to deal with postpartum depression. So the least I could do is be there for her, right? It was a matter of being sensitive to her needs and knowing what they are. Even if she doesn’t know what they are yet. I would remind her she’s doing a great job even when she feels she isn’t and volunteer to sleep in the next room with the baby so she can get a good night’s rest.”

Incorporating a Unique Parenting Style

Lil was named partly because of Trian’s wrestling gimmick as a “little” wrestler. In fact, he and Lil Mom are already having baby-sized Trian Dela Torre merchandise made!

“Every conversation I have with Lil is essentially a wrestling promo. And she’s also becoming very vocally responsive. So I think she might be cutting promos on me, too,” he laughs. “She gets a kick out of me selling all of her kicks and punches. I just hope she doesn’t grow up to be a violent person because of that,” he sheepishly says.

When it comes to values, Trian hopes that Lil grows up as someone who makes choices for herself. Not someone who lets other people decide what she can or cannot do. “Not even me,” he explains. “My mom, Lil Grandma, put it best when she prayed for Lil at her baptism. She said, ‘May she be the head, not the tail.'”

Trian Dela Torre’s Tips for Soon-to-Be Dads

Although he’s only eight months into fatherhood and believes he’s in no position to be handing out dad advice just yet, Trian shares three tips based on his experiences so far. “Make sure you’re aligned with your partner or spouse about how you want to raise your child. It’s important to discuss things ahead and get any possible conflicts out of the way even before your baby arrives.”

“Next, your partner or spouse will understandably need to lean on you. With the hormonal changes and physical toll pregnancy and childbirth bring. You just have to be there for her and be whatever she needs you to be.”

“Lastly, make sure you give yourself ‘me time’, too! You can’t be the best dad if you don’t take the time to sit back, relax, and just be you.”