Philippines, 19 Mar 2026
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


Moving on, sneaking back


PhilBoxing.com




IN my last column on Sept. 16, I remember saying Canelo Alvarez must make sure he would not slip out. He must compete firmly if he hoped to beat Gennady Golovkin. Canelo, big, brave and strong, was unshakable and too solid during the torrid 12-round slug-out in Las Vegas. Unlike in their first fight, he didn?t blink. Wholly combative, Canelo overpowered and outfought the favored Golovkin to capture the world middleweight boxing championship.

Golovkin, stunned and devastated, stormed out of the ring in a huff. Nothing has been heard from Kazakh boxing legend again.
Meanwhile, I failed to send a follow-up report on the big bout which I followed closely on live television.

Just like Golovkin, I was stricken dumb. I got stalled and was stranded.

It?s like this: while discussing the fight over slow Sunday brandy with friends under a village mango tree, I choked on my food and inexplicably had shivers. It was a warm, pleasant day. Maybe it was too many brandy shots in countless afternoons, in many carefree years. I went home to wash, rest. Next afternoon, I was taken to the hospital with run-away blood pressure (bp) readings.

**

Things started to be truly complicated when I was subjected to battery of tests in the emergency ward. I was next advised to prepare for an emergency heart bypass procedure. No ifs, no buts. It felt like a big KO punch. It was hard to believe. I had been on meatless diet and did regular exercises, martial arts breathing and stretching, walking to the morning market at least five times a week.

My dear wife, my sons, sat there helpless. The lady physician in charge of the emergency session said the procedure would cost over P700,000. We were told to wait for two hours, while attendants injected assorted vials and planted transfusion lines on both my arms, making them resemble a Christmas tree.
It was a very desperate wait, not knowing how to cope, and where to get the quoted bypass procedure expenses.

My dear wife asked for prayers, begging for a miracle, mainly from Carmelite nuns in the Lipa City Shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary Mediatrix of all Grace.

There was nothing I could do. I sat there feeling numb, secretly and quietly rolling with the punches.

Before the two-hour wait lapsed, a male attendant came and coolly announced there would be no bypass procedure. Just like that. He did not mention anything about faulty diagnosis or reading, but said there was no chest artery blockade whatsoever.

Next I knew, I was being laid in bed and wheeled to the intensive care unit (ICU), where I spent the night wide awake, wondering where the weird trip would take me.

The next afternoon, my cardiologist saw me and reminded me that we last saw each other in 2016 yet.

There was no heart artery problem, yes, but I had allowed my cholesterol level to build up dangerously. He said they had to drain a liter of fluids from my legs, where veins were clogged with killer cholesterol.

**

Anyway, after two days in the ICU, they moved me to a regular room, where they continued to closely monitor my bp readings.
My cardiologist also reminded me that I was totally mistaken in refusing to take maintenance medication, stressing that at my age, 75, I was wholly susceptible to cholesterol build-up and attack even if I tried to eat a safe meatless diet and follow a healthy regimen.

Pardon this insignificant narrative bit I?m doing this with the hope that my experience would help save others. I had been too proud and careless.

This is also my humble way of expressing unending gratitude to those who prayed, came to the rescue, sent their support, made sacrifices and other godly deeds for my safety and recovery.
Yes, there was indeed a miracle, how I was able to move out of that phantom incident in one piece.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. What a wonderful world this is with all of you always there.

I?ve sneaked in, back to the sports field after over a month of hibernation.

Regarding Golovkin, Oscar dela Hoya said he would be required to make a tune-up fight before he could get another crack at Canelo Alvarez.

God reward all of your for your kindness. Peace and Love to all.

Photo: The author (R) with a young Pacquiao in Las Vegas in 2007.



Click here to view a list of other articles written by Recah Trinidad.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • DAZN and Top Rank announce a landmark multi-year media rights deal bringing elite events and a storied archive to DAZN users worldwide
    , Thu, 19 Mar 2026
  • Sampson Boxing Signs Top Junior Lightweight Contender Charly Suarez to a Promotional Contract
    , Thu, 19 Mar 2026
  • THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION 17 MARCH 2026: Collazo Stops Haro; Fundora KO Ruiz; Barboza Outpoints Sims; Cacace UD Dickens
    By Eric Armit, , Wed, 18 Mar 2026
  • Tapales Near Peak Form Ahead of April 3 Tokyo Showdown with Oguni
    , Wed, 18 Mar 2026
  • MILLER AND PERO CLASH IN HEAVYWEIGHT SHOWDOWN IN LAS VEGAS ON APRIL 25
    , Wed, 18 Mar 2026
  • Middleweight Championship Battle Between (C) Khamzat Chimaev and (#3) Sean Strickland Headlines UFC® 328 at Prudential Center Live on Paramount+
    , Wed, 18 Mar 2026
  • Sampson Lewkowicz & TM Boxing Sign Undefeated Mexican Prospect José Ángel Guerrero to Co-Promotional Deal
    , Wed, 18 Mar 2026
  • 12-Time World Champion & Hall of Famer James Toney Confirmed for Ninth Annual Box Fan Expo, During Cinco De Mayo Weekend, Saturday May 2, in Las Vegas
    , Wed, 18 Mar 2026
  • Five stitches for Donaire’s cut
    By Joaquin Henson, , Tue, 17 Mar 2026
  • Roberto Gomez Training Camp Notes
    , Tue, 17 Mar 2026
  • Esneth Domingo Trains at the Wildcard Gym in Los Angeles Ahead of His US Debut
    , Tue, 17 Mar 2026
  • Tatay Digong Birthday Run on March 28
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Tue, 17 Mar 2026
  • 12-0 prospect Marco Romero to headline This Friday in Independence, Missouri
    , Tue, 17 Mar 2026
  • 700 athletes on March 21-22 at UM
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Tue, 17 Mar 2026
  • United States Earns Four Gold Medals on Final Day of 2026 World Boxing Futures Cup
    , Mon, 16 Mar 2026
  • Mexico wins 2 bronze medals at World Boxing Futures Cup in Bangkok
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Mon, 16 Mar 2026
  • Arnold Barboza Jr. Shines in Welterweight Debut, Defeats Kenneth Sims Jr. to Claim Wbo Global Welterweight Title
    , Sun, 15 Mar 2026
  • WBC top contender Canoy returns to Davao with Unanimous Decision Victory
    , Sun, 15 Mar 2026
  • John Randall Peralta: The Future of the Philippine Chess
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sun, 15 Mar 2026
  • Alvin “Felemon” Dologuin Claims Win in Brico Santig’s Show in Thailand (PHOTOS)
    , Sun, 15 Mar 2026
  • Donaire's Yokohama Showdown: Can our Filipino Flash Outshine the Rising Sun? (WEIGH-IN PHOTOS)
    By Carlos Costa, , Sun, 15 Mar 2026
  • USA Boxing Youth High Performance Team Wins Five of Eight Bouts on Day Six
    , Sun, 15 Mar 2026
  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander surpasses Chamberlain's record of 127 consecutive NBA games with 20 points or more
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Sun, 15 Mar 2026
  • World-Ranked Light Heavyweight Najee Lopez Stops Mexican Terminator Manuel Gallego in Eight Classic Rounds in Main Event of ProBoxTV’s ‘The Contender Series’
    , Sat, 14 Mar 2026
  • Weigh-in from Highland Boxing in Bangkok, Thailand; Dologuin in Action (WEIGH-IN PHOTOS)
    , Sat, 14 Mar 2026




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2026 philboxing.com.