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Philippines, 19 Apr 2025 |
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Remembering Pancho Villa By Eddie Alinea PhilBoxing.com Wed, 18 Jun 2014 Ninety one years ago this month, Pancho Villa became the first Filipino and, Asian, for that matter, to have been crowned world boxing champion. On June 18, 1923, the then 22-year-old Villa, Francisco Guilledo in real name, son of a vaquero (cowhand) and an abandoned housewife, knocked out cold Jimmy Wilde of Wales in the seventh round to bring home the world flyweight championship, the first from this shore that earned for the speedy and hard-hitting Filipino the distinction having elevated to boxing's Hall of Fame 36 years following his death. At the end of the last millennium, a group of international media men named Villa the "Best Flyweight of the Century" accolade in recognition for his feat that, likewise, put the Philippines and the name Filipino in the world sporting map. The world famous Polo Grounds in New York was packed by the 23,000 fight fans, most of whom were Filipinos who paid a handsome $94,950, the considered a one of the highest then, to witness history unfolded. Pancho dominated throughout the less than half-an-hour showdown pummeling the Welshman with telling combinations, dropping the enemy four times in that short period of time to claim the title. When Pancho and his handlers entered the ring that Monday night as reported by journalist Manuel Villa-Real, who covered the bout for TVT chain of newspapers, the shouts "Viva Villa" filled the cavernous arena. The Americans considered him as their own although the Filipino came into the fight the underdog at the betting odds. Villa weighed 110 pounds, Wilde 109, Villa-Real, grandfather of four-time Bowling World Cup champion Paeng Nepomuceno, wrote. Pancho was clad in shorts with a color he called "hoodoo green." Pancho was superstitious about colors He abhorred green. He believed then that if clad in black, no one could defeat him. In all his fights he won by knockout, Villa wore black trunks except this against Wilde when he went against his superstition an wore the repellent green. Young and at his prime, clever and fast who possessed lightning left jabs, murderous one-two-attacks and the pugnacity of a killer, Villa started cautiously though warned of Wilde's lethal right hand. Nearing the middle of the opening round, the Filipino started hammering the Welshman with deadly rights leaving the rival's right eye in bloody mess that early in the contest. He stood his grounds though and tried to mix it up which proved to be a mistake later. By the third, blood flowed from the gash on Jimmy's eye, which was then closed. Pancho kept his attack in the next round sending the opponent down as cries to stop the massacre mounted. Wilde refused to surrender and Villa pressed further in the fifth stanza dropping him for the second time . Pancho looked to have begging the referee to stop annihilation. But the game Jimmy insisted on going on. This led Villa to ease up his attack in the sixth forcing his manager and foster father Francisco "Paquito" Villa to ask him what was going on. Pancho told him that it was a senseless slaughter, "Finish him off then," the manager shouted back. So when the bell rang signaling the start of the seventh canto, Pancho feigned a right lead inducing Wilde to raise his guard, inviting a left to the stomach from Pancho. Pancho then smashed a right to the defending champs' jaw, felling him. Wilde, known as the "Mighty Atom," was finished. He was lying flat in the canvas for five minutes. The fight was over. As Pancho gently helped his opponent back to his corner, a woman, who turned out to be Wilde's wife, approached him and thanked him for his gesture. The crowd gave the new champion a thunderous ovation. Jimmy was carried to his dressing room with a bleeding mouth, gashed cheeks and eyes closed. Reports later had it that he wouldn't see again. Manila went wild over Villa's victory. Ships whistle and ice plants sirens blared the announcement of his title win, Extra editions of all newspapers sold like hot cakes. His wife Gliceria (nee Concepcion) who was left in Manila, asked by the media outfits for reaction had this to say:" You cannot imagine the happiness I felt upon receiving the first notices of the victory of my husband. I cried not because of pain but emotion. I was hoping for his triumphant." In an article written by Eric Giron, then editor of the Saturday Mirror Magazine, Gliceria said her prayers before the Black Nazarene of Quiapo had been heard and that in her heart, she had always known Pancho would make it. She sent her husband a message: "We are very happy. All Manila celebrates your triumph. we hope you will return soon." General Emilio Aguinaldo, voicing the sentiment of the entire nation said: "Congratulations, Pancho, Come back to s and defend your title here." A hero's welcome greeted Pancho when he disembarked from the "SS President Grant," the same luxury liner that brought him to the United States on April 2, 1922 to launch his campaign in the land of promise. A reception at the Malacanan Palace hosted by then President Quezon followed a massive parade from the airport passing through Manila's major streets where thousands greeted the returning sports hero. After several weeks of stay in the country where he visited the Rodriguez farm in La Carlota where he grew up, Villa was summoned by his American handler Frank Churchill to go back to the U.S. for an overweight bout in Oakland, California with Jimmy McLarnin set on July 4, 1925, the day Americans celebrate their Independence Day. Pancho had signed up for the fight on June 8, but by month's end, his face turned swollen due to an ulcerated tooth. Fight promoter Thomas Simpson was willing to ask McLarnin's mananger Pop Foster to call off the fight, but Pancho insisted to go on with it despite the pain he was suffering. On the day of the encounter, promoter Simpson sent an aide to see the site of the fight to see if fans were going to see the bout. There was no Golden Gate Bridge yet at that time so that when the ferry boat reached the San Francisco end of the run, Simpson's man saw thousands of Filipinos rushing to board the ferries to Oakland to see the Villa-McLarnin fight. The bout was on! The brave Filipino fought hard despite the pain he was suffering and McLarnin's decisive advantage in height and heft. McLarnin, who was a welterweight and, in fact, soon became fhe world's 147-pount titleholder, won via an unpopular and controversial decision many believed should have gone to Villa. A few days later, a dentist pulled out Pancbo's remaining three wisdom teeth and advised the fighter to rest. But the energetic Pancho threw a party instead and celebrated for the next several days causing his health to further deteriorate. On July 13, Pancho was diagnosed with a Ludwig's angina or infection of the throat brought about by his failure to heed he advice of the doctor to rest after his teeth were extracted. The next morning he was taken to the hospital where he died on the operating table 18 days short of his 24th birthday. At the end of the 20th century, Villa was named by a prestigious five-member panel of experts formed by the Associated Press as the "Best Flyweight" the past 100 years.The panel also chose Sugar Ray Robinson as the "Best Fighter of the Century" over heavyweight Muhammad Ali. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.  |
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