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Philippines, 10 Feb 2026 |
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TRIBUTE TO FIRST FILIPINO AND ASIAN WORLD BOXING CHAMPION, PANCHO VILLA By Ronnie Nathanielsz PhilBoxing.com Fri, 19 Jun 2015  Pancho Villa whose real name was Francisco Guilledo became the first Filipino and Asian World Boxing champion when he battered an ageing but heroic Jimmy Wilde to win the world flyweight title at the historic Polo Grounds in New York on June 19, 1923, Manila Time. The World Boxing Council website reminded us today, that on this date June 19, Manila Time, Pancho Villa ?defeated the brilliant but ageing Jimmy Wilde from Wales. Jimmy lost only three fights during his entire career. Pancho and Jimmy are considered two of the best flyweights in all boxing history.? The historic fight took place at the baseball park of the Polo Grounds. Cyber Boxing Zone reported that it was one of the first times Wilde fought non American soil. The account stated that ?when the fight started Wilde understood the consequences of aggressively approaching the younger, quicker and stronger Villa and ?The Mighty Atom? dominated on long range.  Wilde continued in the second round until a vicious right hand (after the bell according to most sources who observed the bout? flattened him. The not so mighty ?Atom? was badly dazed and fought purely on courage. The pounding continued until an exhausted and battered Wilde fell flat on his face in the seventh round after a series of punches. Wilde was counted out and had to be carried back to his corner for the last time in his legendary career.? The widely read boxrec.com site said Pancho Villa was the older brother of fellow boxer Little Pancho and started his boxing career at the Olympic Club in Manila which was owned and run by Eddie Tait of Seattle, Washington and Frank Churchill noting that in the early 1920?s flyweights and bantamweights were the most popular weight divisions in the Philippines and Australia. The name of Pancho Villa was first mentioned in an American newspaper in the Tacoma News Tribune editions of December 7 and 26 in 1921. Rafael Gellide/Guilledo according to the boxrec.com biography claimed to be Villa?s father, saying they had reunited in New York in 1923 after 18 years. Guilledo claimesd his wife had deserted him in the Philippins when Pancho was 11 months old. During his time Pancho Villa was known as being one of the cleanest fighters around, always showing concern for his opponents and always, after knocking down an opponent immediately turning away and walking to his corner. It was before rules were introduced requiring a fighter to go to a neutral corner. Villa died on the operating table when he was being treated for an apparent infection of the threat caused by an ulcerated tooth. The New York Times of July 15, 1925 reported that Villa ?died at a hospital in San Francisco while undergoing an operation for an infection of the throat that developed from an infected tooth. Dr. C.E Hoffman said the boxer suffocated under the anesthetic. Dr. Hoffman was preparing to operate when Villa?s heart stopped. Artificial respiration failed to revive the patient.? Villa had an ulcerated tooth extracted on the day of his fight with McLarin and died a few days later on July 14 from ?Ludwig?s angina resulting from an infection that spread to his throat.? However, there were those who believed that Pancho Villa had been poisoned. In 1989 Pancho Villa?s widow who was then 84 years old insisted that a gambling syndicate conspired to murder the champion because of big losses when Villa lost a ten round bout to Jimmy McLarin at the Oaks Ballpark in California on July 4, 1925. Villa was a heavy favorite to beat McLarin and his defeat was a major upset. Ms. Guilledo claimed that her husband, Pancho Villa, was injected with an overdose of anesthetic. It was a tragic end to an exciting career. In 1999 the Associated Press named Villa ?Flyweight Fighter of the Century? along with Miguel Canto. One of the many memorable fights of Villa was his 4th round knockout of Donnie Mack in a scheduled ten round bout in the Coliseum in Toronto, Canada. The Toronto Star reported ?when the fourth round came up Villa winked at his manager Frank Churchill, darted across the ring, leaped at Mack, ?The Toronto Kid? and left-hooked him to the floor for an eight count. Mack got up and tried to fight his way into a clinch hut the little Filipino roused to his job, shook him off and after these exchanges slammed over a series of lightning-like lefts and right and Mack counted the daisies. It was half a minute before the Toronto lad recovered his scattered senses.? Before his untimely death, Pancho Villa returned to the Philippines and defended his world title twice. He knocked out Visayan flyweight champion Francisco Pilapil in Iloilo City on March 9, 1925 and then won a fifteen round unanimous decision over Clever Sencio at Wllace Field in Manila on May 2, 1925. Pancho Villa was interred at the Manila North Cemetery where a monument stands as tribute to the Hall of Fame boxer who lies among the famous personalities including former Mayor Arsenio Lacson, an avid boxing fan and the legendary actor Fernando Poe Jr as well as Philippine presidents Sergio Osmena, Ramon Magsaysay and Manuel Roxas. Illustrious company even in death for the first Filipino and Asian world boxing champion who helped carve a name for himself and our country, which was enhanced by other great fighters such as middleweight champion Ceferino Garcia, the first Hall of Fame inductee, the great Gabriel ?Flash? Elorde and eight division world champion and another hero of our time, Manny Pacquiao. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.  |
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