As a kid, former world boxing champion Morris East had a physique and skin tone that would easily make him the alpha dog among youths in their community.
But what was seen outside of East totally contradicts what his heart and mind were yearning for during his childhood.
That aspiration became all the more fervent even when East won the World Boxing Association (WBA) junior welterweight crown in stunning fashion by stopping the highly-favored Japanese titleholder Akinobu Hiranaka back in September 1992 in Tokyo, Japan.
?Pinasok ko ang boxing dahil isa lang ang dahilan ko. Gusto ko lang makita ang tatay ko,? said East in an exclusive interview with this writer.
Now 43 years old, the Las Vegas-based East was orphaned by his father, US Navy man John East who was once stationed in Subic.
?Bata pa ako iniwan na kami ng tatay ko. From Olongapo, dinala kami ng Nanay ko sa Masbate. Dun na ako halos lumaki,? said East.
At age 15, East decided it was time to chart his own path by going to Cebu and try his luck at any job that would be available.
?Nag-alaga ako ng mga bata. Nagtrabaho sa vulcanizing. Lahat sinubukan ko para kumita. Pero may nakita akong boxer sa isang gym, sabi ko subukan niya ako. Sabi niya, ?hindi mo ako kaya, boxer ako.?,? said East.
Despite all the hardships, his longing for his father kept on bugging him as well as the challenge posed by the boxer he met who he believed belittled his existence inside that gym.
?Noon nakita ko, madali ang sumikat sa boxing. Naisip ko kung sisikat ako, magkakaroon ng chance na magpunta ng US at mahanap ang tatay ko,? revealed East. ?Nakapasok ako sa gym ni Carl Pe?alosa, nag-ensayo hanggang sa makita ako ni Lito Condes.?
Several amateur fights harnessed East?s raw skills that prepared him for his eventual objective of turning professional a year after his Cebu sojourn started.
?Kailangan ko din kumita kaya ako nag-pro kasi sa amateur noon, walang pera,? said East.
East entered prizefighting in 1989 and with the help of Davao impresario Vic Ancheta and the inimitable boxing man Hermie Rivera was able to get a shot at a world crown after compiling a record of 15-2-1, (9 knockouts) in his third year as a pro.
September of 1992, East entered the Nippon Budokan Arena in Tokyo, Japan a huge underdog against Hiranaka who was making the first defense of the title he won by knocking out Puerto Rican icon Edwin Rosario five months earlier.
?Desidido ako noon kahit na halos lahat ng sparring partners dito kinuha ng kalaban ko sa Japan,? said East ?Nasa isip ko, ito na yung chance na mahanap ko tatay ko.?
In a neck-and-neck contest, East was trailing by a point entering the 11th round until the Filipino fighter unleashed a punishing left straight that deposited Hiranaka on the seat of his pants.
Hiranaka got up on wobbly legs, forcing Panamanian referee Carlos Berrocal to eventually call a halt to the bout, making East the country?s youngest world champion at age 19, a record that still stands to date.
East was penciled in for a December title defense against mandatory challenger Juan Martin Coggi in Argentina but the new champion had a more important venture to pursue.
With Rivera at the forefront of the emotional search, East was able to trace the whereabouts of his father John in Oakland, California in a tearful reunion that was covered by the international press, mainly the Washington Post and CNN November of 1992.
Rivera, upon seeing East?s father opening the door of his modest place, told the seemingly sickly old man, ?John East? This is your son, Morris.?
?Hindi ko inakala na mas mahirap pa sa akin ang tatay ko. Pero hindi ko naman inisip noon na hihingi ako ng tulong sa kaniya kapag nakita ko,? revealed East. ?Yun lang talaga, makita ko siya masaya na ako.?
East vowed to use every penny of his purse that will come from his next fight to help his father rebuild his life.
East went to stake his WBA crown against Coggi January of 1993 but the Filipino ruler capitulated in the 8th of their 12-round title fight.
While the loss to Coggi was a painful experience for East, his return to the United States was perhaps the most hurtful for the young boxer at that time after his father passed on days after his bout in Argentina.
?Pagbalik ko sa US nasa ospital na tatay ko. Two days lang nung dumating ako, namatay na siya. Sinagot ko lahat sa ospital pati pagpalibing sa kaniya,? said East.
After his loss to Coggi, East went on to fight five more times, winning four of them that catapulted him as third-ranked world title contender.
Despite the lofty ratings, East surprisingly retired at age 23 with an overall record of 20-4, 12 KOs.
?Nung namatay ang tatay ko talagang nawala na yung determination ko sa boxing. Siguro nga kasi nakuha ko na yung purpose ko,? revealed East.
East decided to return to the United States where, after years of training fighters, eventually became one of the trainers at a Las Vegas gym owned by pound-for-pound kingpin Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
?May mga hawak akong boxers, karamihan yun yung mga gusto ni Floyd kaya ramdam ko talaga dito na welcome ako sa gym kahit na Pinoy tayo,? said East.
