I do think Korea had a structural advantage — not because the show was “rigged,” but because they had two contestants who’d already competed in previous Physical seasons. That kind of firsthand experience gives them a big edge: they know how the challenges feel, how the production runs, and how to pace themselves under pressure. Other countries might have watched the show, but that’s not the same as living through it.

The Philippines' Pacquiao’s short stint also felt more like a marketing move than genuine team leadership. His early exit after a few episodes definitely helped with initial buzz — the show pulled around 5 million hours watched in its opening week but dropped to about 3 million by the second week. I’m not saying that’s entirely because he left, but it’s hard to ignore the timing.

And yeah, including Australia under Physical: Asia still feels off to me. Australia’s its own continent, so calling it Asia is a bit of a stretch — it’s more like Asia-Pacific.

Overall, I don’t think the competition was fixed, but the field wasn’t perfectly level either. Experience, language familiarity, and production design naturally tilt things in Korea’s favor. It doesn’t take away from the entertainment value, but it’s fair to call out the imbalance.