‘I’ve created a little beast’… Emily Frazer opens up about the Reyes Cup teammates that are about to become huge rivals

EXCLUSIVE: Emily Frazer can’t wait for Jayson Shaw and Skyler Woodward to go head-to-head at the Mosconi Cup.

The pair of pool titans, who joined forces in a losing effort against Team Asia at the Reyes Cup, are about to put their friendship to one side as they go to war in an epic showdown between Team Europe and Team USA at the Alexandra Palace in London, UK, between December 3-6.

Emily Frazer opens up about the rivalry between Jayson Shaw and Skyler Woodward

For years, Jayson Shaw and Skyler Woodward have gone toe-to-toe in an effort to prove themselves against one another.

However, while they’re fierce competitors at the table, away from the bright lights, they’re actually good friends, with Matchroom Multisport CEO, Emily Frazer giving an interesting explanation regarding what their relationship is really like.

In an exclusive interview with Sporf, she explained: “I think I’ve created a little beast amongst them in a bad way, where it’s like I’ve put two 12-year-olds together that just wanna sit in a classroom, I feel like I’m the teacher at the front, and every time I turn around, they’re sticking something on my back. That is literally how it feels. That might sound awful, but at the end of the day, it’s weird having them both on the same team.

“They are the backbone to Europe and USA. I think there’s some weird dynamic [at the Reyes Cup] with Team Rest of the World this year, where [there’s been] a lack of maturity, maybe. I think they’ve struggled to find their groove. The rivalry between USA and Europe is always there. Off the table, Skyler and Jason really like one another, so there’s never been that, ‘I want to kill you’ vibe at the Mosconi. If anything, it probably brings a bit of banter to the table. The needle is probably with some other players. It’s been a strange one this year with the dynamic. They seem pumped up.

“All the talk that’s happening this week, even saying how awful team Rest of the World are, every comment is like ‘Yeah, but Mosconi Cup’. At the end of the day, I’m the best promoter in the world in pool, right? Everyone is talking about it. I’m joking, but whatever happens, the arena is going to be great.”

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Emily Frazer believes AJ Manas is the ‘Luke Littler of pool’

While it was interesting to watch Shaw and Woodward play alongside one another, it was Team Asia’s Fedor Gorst conqueror, AJ Manas, who really got the world talking.

The 18-year-old looked nothing short of spectacular, performing with the flair of a young Pele and the tenacity of Luke Littler, with Frazer convinced that the Filipino is about to replicate what the darts player has achieved.

The promoter enthused: “We have huge expectations for him. We’ve been pushing AJ Manas for a little while now. He is the Luke Littler of pool. I just love his fearlessness. He’s so chilled out, and don’t let that fool you, he’s been nervous.

“When he came out to play Fedor, I was saying, ‘Win or lose, you’ve got to be happy with how you’ve performed out here’. That match against Fedor, I said to him, ‘Even if you had come off that table and you had lost that match, it still would’ve been incredible’. Fedor is the world number one, AJ Manas is 18 years of age.

“We all saw when Luke Littler came runner-up at the World Championships, everyone went, ‘Who is this kid’? But he had been playing in Q-School and behind the scenes, then, you bring him to the stage, everybody goes, ‘Wow, what a talent’. So, that’s our job as the promoter, to bring him to the stage.

“Some people said AJ wasn’t ready at this point in his career. Personally, I’ve learnt from being thrown in the deep end, and I think that’s a great way of learning. If you hadn’t put him in the team this year, he wouldn’t have been given this opportunity and his fan base wouldn’t have significantly grown. His confidence is through the roof. He’s got such a big future ahead of him. He’s 100% going to be a nine-ball world champion. I can’t wait to see how he performs in the 2026 season. This is just the beginning for AJ Manas.”

Featured Image Credit: Matchroom Pool