John Michael Dizon, aka Zico, had no plans of becoming an esports star. Now, the Filipino esports coach is one of Southeast Asia’s most celebrated esports personalities, steering Cambodia’s Burn x Flash team to the country’s Mobile Legends Professional League championship. Before moving to Cambodia, Dizon coached the Philippines’ Nexplay EVOS, a star-studded team composed of the biggest names in Philippine esports: Dogie, Renejay, and H2W0.
But things were very different in 2019 when Dizon was still in college.
“Pangarap ko po… wala. Ang nasa isip ko kasi noon, pag nakapagtapos ako ng college, mag-aapply ako ng trabaho,” Dizon tells Esquire Philippines.
John Michael Dizon, aka Coach Zico
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Dizon knew he would be helping his parents put food on the table right after graduating, so all he thought about was getting a job even if his heart had other desires. His father used to be a tricycle driver while his mother is a former factory worker.
“Hindi rin kami mayaman, pang saktuhan lang. Yung Papa ko dati, tricycle driver siya. Yung Mama ko naman, factory worker. Ang nagpaaral pa nga sa akin noon yung ate kong pinsan kasi nahirapan nga sina Mama. Walang wala talaga kami noon pero naitatawid naman,” says Dizon.
He details how much his parents earned and how they managed to get by every day.
“Ang kita ni Papa sa isang araw, sakto. Si Mama, bago siya pumasok, mag-iiwan siya sa amin ng almusal. Si Papa, pag tanghali, uuwi siya. Naghahati sila ng pinsan ko sa pangtanghalian namin. Sa hapon, pag-uwi ni Papa mula pasada, nakapamalengke na rins iya noon para sa hapunan namin. Naitatawid naman namin araw-araw dahil sakto iyong kinikita ni Papa.”
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‘I was a street dancer.’
Unknown to many, Dizon used to be a street dancer.
“Dati bago ako natutok sa games, nag dancer ako. Sumasayaw ako sa mga labas-labas. Street dancer ako,” says Dizon. He would compete in dance contests during town fiestas. During his days in college from first year to third year, Dizon would represent his university in intercollegiate dance competitions and other contests, especially in the Univeristy Belt area in Manila.
Dancing was among the many extracurricular activities that would occupy Dizon’s college life. He also used to compete in Crossfire tournaments with bets at stake, too. And then he discovered Mobile Legends.
PHOTO: Gab Altonaga
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Dizon graduated with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Information Technology. He was schoolmates with Gerald “Dlar” Trinchera back in college. Back then, Dlar was teammates with John Laurence “Lift” Ruiz, another veteran pro player in Mobile Legends. At the time, Dizon used to face Dlar and Lift in intercollege tournaments for esports, but it was another person who inspired Dizon to try esports: Ashleymarco “Killuash” Cruz—another veteran pro player who happens to be his childhood friend.
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“Noong 2019, MPL Season 3, napanood ko sina Killuash at Ryo sa TV5. Si Killuash saka si Ryo, magkababata kami. Magkakilala na kami 12 years old pa lang kami. Na-inspire ako noong napanood ko silang dalawang magkasama isang team. Na-inspire ako maglaro noon.”
Zico’s Pact with Dlar
Dizon admits that he was not a stellar student back in college but he had many pursuits that kept him very busy.
“Noong college talaga, feeling ko hindi ako nakapag-aral nang mabuti kasi ang dami kong ginagawa sa buhay. Sumasayaw-sayaw ako, nagko-Crossfire din ako, ang dami ko talagang ginagawa noon. Naisip ko na pag naka-graduate ako, may sure ba akong mapupuntahan?”
Joining Mobile Legends tournaments and betting against their opponents became a significant source of income for Dizon during his final year in college.
Dlar and Dizon were in their final year in college and were competing against each other in different teams. One day, after Dizon’s team lost to Dlar’s team, Dlar asked him to join their team to participate in tournaments outside of school. Dizon agreed and became the team’s sixth man. But they were also graduating and were both breadwinners.
Dlar at the M3 World Championship
They found themselves at a crossroads they decided to take together: Pursue esports or find work?
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On the night of their graduation, Zico and Dlar made a pact.
“Before MPL qualifiers, graduation namin ni Dlar. Pagkadating namin sa PICC, nag-usap kami bilang dalawang breadwinner. Nagkasundo kami na isang tryout lang kami sa MPL qualifiers. Pag hindi kami nakapasok, maghahanap na lang kami ng trabaho,” Dizon said.
Fate was on their side because that moment led to the two of them forming the most feared team in the Philippines at that time.
Forming the Team Everyone Feared
According to Dizon, his first amateur teammates included Christain “Iyaknu” Manaog and Nowee “Ryota” Macasa.
“Unang sali namin nina Iyaknu, champions agad kami doon sa GameCon 2019 sa SMX,” said Dizon.
Dizon was instrumental in scouting and recruiting the original members of Dream High, which was the Philippines’ most feared amateur team in 2019.
Coach Zico
Unfortunately, Iyaknu and Ryota were left out of Dream High because they were too young to stay at a boot camp for esports, and their parents did not approve of them living with a team alone. So Dizon had to form a new team.
“After noon, bumuo ulit ako ng bagong team, kasama na namin sina Dlar, Fall, Mot, Lift, Mikk, Aang, at Toyo. Nag-decide kami na bumuo ng dalawang teams.”
It was actually Zico who recruited John “H2wo” Salonga, one of Nexplay’s star players. “Minessage ko si H2, tinanong ko kung willing siyang mag boot camp. Gnaman siya, punta agad siya,” says Dizon.
Dizon also convinced Dlar to recruit now Hall of Legends inductees OhMyV33nus and Wise into their team. “Si Dlar, close din siya kina V33 and Wise, tapos sabi ko rin na kunin na rin namin sila kasi ang lakas ng talaga dalawa, kahit dati pa magka-duo na sila. Hindi rin pumapayag noon si Wise na hindi kasali si V33 kasi ang lakas na talaga nila noon,” revealed Dizon.
In the end, Zico would assemble Dream High to become what the Philippines would see as the most formidable team in the amateur scene in 2019. It would be composed of two teams having some of the world’s strongest Mobile Legends pro players. Team 1 was composed of Wise, OhMyV33nus, Lift, Toyo, and Dlar. Team 2 was composed of Dizon (Zico), H2W0, Fall, Baloyskie, and Mikk.
The Room Where Dream High Started, a 'Boot Camp'
Dream High would conquer Metro Manila and surrounding provinces winning tournaments everywhere. They would rake up championship after championship in small tournaments around the country, to the point when they would be banned from entering tournaments. They would travel across provinces just to join tournaments. Organizers would bar them from entering, claiming they were pro players even if they weren’t.
“Ayaw na nila kami makalaban kasi halos lahat ngtournament na sinalihan namin, nakilala na kami ng organizers tapos kami palagi ang champion,” Zico tells Esquire.
Dream High's Boot Camp: Triple-Decker Bunk Beds
Kung hindi kami mananalo… wala kaming makakain sa boot camp.
Despite their countless wins, John Michael Dizon and his team kept a tight budget to keep the lights on and to pay for the rent.
“Wala talaga kaming budget noon,” Dizon tells Esquire. This was confirmed to Esquire by Dream High’s former manager Carlo Giron and Royal Duo V33Wise, who said all they ate were sardines and luncheon meat (Ma Ling).
“Talagang walang wala kaming pera noon. Umaasa kami sa mga tournament,” says Dizon.
To make ends meet at the boot camp, they would travel very long distances just to enter tournaments. Sometimes, they would be banned from participating because they kept winning.
“Talagang nilalagari namin, kung saan-saan kami lumalaban para magkapera kami. Mahirap, kasi kung hindi kami mananalo sa tournament, wala kaming makakain sa boot camp. Kung saan-saan kami umabot at napunta para manalao,” says Dizon.
But in all the tournaments they entered, they only lost twice.
“Sa lahat ng sinalihan naming tournament, dalawang beses lang kami nag second place. The rest, puro champion na talaga.”
Dream High was a team with great repute that the world’s top esports team from Indonesia—ONIC Esports—scouted and bought the team. They were rebranded into ONIC Philippines and would win countless matches, punching their way into a slot at the Mobile Legends M-series World Championship in 2019.
‘Ayoko maging empleyado.’
What does an esports coach like John Michael Dizon, aka Zico, want in life now that he has a championship title under his belt?
More championships and more money so that he never has to think about working in an office.
“Gusto ko lang magkaroon ng maraming championship. Nag-iipon din ako ngayon dahil balak ko mag-business. Kasi ayoko talaga na babalik ako sa paghahanap ng trabaho. Ayoko maging empleyado. Gusto ko na hawak ko ang oras ko. Plano ko talaga dati pa na mag negosyo.”
The Real Person Behind the IGN ‘Zico’
The in-game name ‘Zico’ is something very precious to John Michael Dizon. It is the nickname of his son, Zion Corvin.
“Noong graduating ako sa college noon, yung ex ko, nabuntis. Hindi siya naka-graduate kasi nabuntis siya. Noong MPL Qualifiers, pinanganak iyong baby ko. May 2019 iyon,” Dizon tells Esquire.
“Kaya noong nagbubuntis pa lang yung ex ko, sa Mobile Legends lang talaga ako kumukuha ng pangsustento. Malaki talaga ang pasasalamat ko sa Mobile Legends kasi hindi na ako nanghihingi sa parents ko at sariling sikap ko talaga ito. Mula sa pagbubuntis hanggang sa ipanganak, sa Mobile Legends talaga ako kumuha ng pera para suportahan siya.”
Even if he wasn’t a pro player at that time, he was still able to earn money through Mobile Legends tournaments around Luzon. They would earn from bets and tournament prizes.
“Lahat ng pinangsustento ko at pinanggastos namin, galing sa ML. Iyon ang naging way ko para mamuhay.”
Dizon’s face lit up when we asked more about his son, Zion Corvin.
“Noong nakapasok kami ng MPL at medyo nakikilala na kami, nagpalit ako ng in-game name, ginawa kong Zico, which is nickname ng anak ko.
“Hindi ko siya masyadong nakakasama kasi simula noong nagbubuntis yung ex ko, nasa boot camp na kami. Minsan lang din ako makauwi. Hindi ko siya nasubaybayan talagang lumaki… Pero parang Papa’s boy pa rin siya. Sobrang close niya sa akin, parang walang gap sa aming dalawa.”
It’s okay for the players to shine and get all the recognition.
Esports coaches bear the brunt of backlashes when their teams lose and fans want to blame someone for the loss. But when a team wins, it is usually the players who get all the credit, despite the whole team making the same effort to win.
For Coach Zico, the players deserve all the credit for every win.
“Okay lang naman, deserve naman nila dahil hindi lang naman ako ang naghirap. Lahat kami,” says Dizon.
“Kung sino man yung ma-recognize sa amin, okay lang kasi nag-work kami as a team. Wala akong ibang gusto kundi ang para sa player. Ang success naman ng isa ay success ng lahat,” he adds.
When asked about losing because of bad drafting picks, Dizon says don’t blame the kids.
John Michael Dizon Holds the Championship Trophy at the MPL Cambodia
“Pag natatalo yung team, huwag yung players ang sisihin ninyo. Kami dapat. Responsibilidad namin dapat maayos yung draft. Pag na-outdraft, sa coach talaga sisi noon.”
And that’s one of the reasons why Cambodia took Dizon as Coach Zico of Burn x Flash: He’s very empathetic.
“Yung MVP pag nag-champion ba, siya lang iyon? Hindi. Buong team iyon. Alam naman nila, yung players ang mas nakakaalam ng mga resulta behind the scenes. Alam nila yung hardships ng bawat isa, ng coach, ng analyst, ng assistant coach, ng manager, ng buong management. I have nothing against the fact that players are the ones who are always recognized.
And he never forgets.
“Gusto kong magpasalamat sa mga tao na kasama ko sa tagumpay. Unang una sa kasama ko ngayon dito, si Boss Ola. Noong nagsimula ako mag coach, siya din yung kumuha sa akin sa team niya. Gusto ko din magpasalamat kay Jimnest Mendoza, at kay Boss D kasi nagtiwala siya na kaya ko. Kung hindi dahil sa kanya, hindi ko rin mararating lahat ng ito kasi sa kanya ako nagsimula. Sobrang thankful talaga ako sa lahat ng tao na sumusuporta sa akin saka sa mga naniwala noong nagsisimuila pa lang ako.”
Now that he’s famous in Cambodia, Dizon jokes about being a VIP there.
“Mas malakas pa kapit ko dito kaysa sa Pinas eh!”
Then he talks about being welcomed at the airport by a full entourage with security arrangements befitting diplomats.
“Pagbaba ng eroplano, wala nang pila. Hinintay ko na lang yung luggage.”
It seems like eons ago when John Michael Dizon did not dream of becoming an esports superstar.
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