PNS – Efren “Bata” Reyes sustained his magical run to beat Earl Strickland in a Challenge Match of the prestigious Galveston Billiards World Classic held over the weekend at the Moody Gardens in Houston, Texas. 
The win was a follow-up to his victory in the recent World Cup of Pool where he teamed up again with Francisco “Django” Bustamante to regain the title before ecstatic Filipino fans less than a week ago. Strickland was the same opponent Reyes beat in the historic race-to-120 “Color of Money” duel, a 9-Ball tournament which staked $100,000, the biggest single-winning purse in pool history.
It was believed that Reyes’ fame started in this three-day event where he beat Strickland, 120-117, in Hong Kong in 1997.
With the Galveston win, Reyes pocketed the $5,000 (P240,00) winner’s purse of the event calling for a 10-ball, winner’s break, race-to-15 format.