Who is Justin Hernandez? Manny Pacquiao Physical: Asia exit explained

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With professional boxer Manny Pacquiao no longer able to compete, Justin Hernandez has taken over as captain of the Philippines team on Physical: Asia.

This new show is a spin-off of the hit series Physical: 100. Eight teams of athletes will compete for a grand prize of one billion Korean won – about $700,000 – and the ultimate champion’s title.

The first two parts of Physical Asia are now available on Netflix, and the remaining episodes will be released over the course of November.

Manny Pacquiao captained Team Philippines for the first five weeks of Physical: Asia, but he has since stepped down. Here’s what happened and who’s taking his place: Justin Hernandez.

Who is Justin Hernandez?

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Hernandez has won the CrossFit Open National championship four times. He’s also a pioneering athlete, being the first man from the Philippines to compete in the CrossFit Games. Recently, he’s shared on Instagram that he’s also been participating in Hyrox competitions.

Hernandez shared that his background in both bodybuilding and triathlons gives him the strength and stamina Team Philippines requires to compete effectively.

He quickly stood out among the other competitors. Team Korea’s Kim Min-jae was immediately impressed with his physique, commenting, “He’s in incredible shape!” and Kim Dong-hyun agreed, noting he was “very well-built and strong all over.”

At the end of Episode 6, Hernandez competed against both Team Australia and Team Korea in a Sack Toss competition. However, viewers didn’t find out who lost until the next episode, which is Part 3 of the series.

Why did Manny Pacquiao leave Physical: Asia?

Pacquiao left the Physical: Asia competition during Episode 5, stating he needed to go home for another obligation, but he didn’t specify what that was.

He announced towards the end of the show that he had to withdraw from the competition and return to the Philippines due to commitments back home. He also apologized to his team, explaining they had all come together with the shared goal of showcasing the skills of Team Philippines. He expressed his disappointment at leaving before achieving their goal and wondered how the team would proceed in the next challenge, saying he had been focused on persevering no matter the difficulties.

While I’m upset with the outcome, I’m still glad I was able to participate this season. It meant a lot to me as team captain to represent the Philippines.

Team Philippines is incredibly resilient, reflecting the inherent strength of the Filipino people. We are born with the ability to conquer any obstacle and I believe in our power to succeed. I’m sending my heartfelt support and prayers, confident that we can overcome anything and achieve victory.

In the meantime, you can find out if the show Physical: 100 is scripted, see who won and who was eliminated in Season 2, and discover other great new shows to watch this month.

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2025-11-05 17:49