PINOY fighters have been reaping international victories in the United States since the early 1900s.
Francisco ?Pancho Villa? Guilledo was the first to electrify the world in The Great Pinoy Boxing Era. This is the title of a 32-minute documentary video by a young Fil-American, Corky Pasquil. Critically acclaimed, the documentary makes all Filipinos proud of their ring champions
A blurb about Pasquil?s documentary says: ?You?ll be inspired by the courage and pride of these true Filipino heroes. Villa put the Philippines on the map as the first Pinoy to emerge as a world champion. His career took off in a flurry of events. After claiming championships of the Orient and Australia, he came to the US in May 1921. Villa quickly became a world-class contender and won the world flyweight championship in September 1923. Villa?s fame inspired future Pinoy boxers. He set the stage for the great Pinoy boxing era.
?Speedy Dado, the Pacific Coast bantamweight champion in 1932, was one of the most well paid Pinoy boxers of that time. He was so successful in attracting full-house crowds that he commanded 50 percent of the gate total every time he fought. Those gate totals were in the range of $7,000 to $10,000.
?Ceferino Garcia was the world middleweight champion in 1939-40. Although he was of large stature, he possessed the quickness and grace of a flyweight. He was known for his powerful ?bolo punch? with which he conquered many world-class opponents.?
There was also Small Montana (Benjamin Gan), who won the world flyweight championship in 1935 and successfully defended it for two years. Then from 1938 to 1940, it was Little Dado (Eleuterio Zapanta) who held the National Boxing Association flyweight crown.
In the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles, Cely Villanueva of the Philippines won the bronze medal. In 1964 his son Anthony Villanueva excelled Cely by winning our first Olympic silver medal in Tokyo.
Twelve Filipino world titleholders preceded Manny Pacquiao.
Salvador ?Dado? Marino was world flyweight champion from 1950 to 1952.
Roberto Cruz was WBC junior welterweight champion in 1964.
Pedro Adigue Jr. was WBC world junior welterweight champion in 1968.
Rene Barrientos was WBC super featherweight title holder in 1969.
Bernabe Villacampo was WBC flyweight champ from 1969 to 1970.
Erbito Salavarria was WBC flyweight champion in 1970 and WBA flyweight titleholder in 1975.
Ben Villaflor was world junior lightweight champion in 1972.
Rolando Navarette was WBC super featherweight titleholder in 1981.
Frank Cedeno was the WBC world flyweight champ from 1983 to 1984.
Dodi ?Boy? Pe?alosa was the IBC world flyweight champion in 1987, despite being stricken with polio.
Gerry Pe?alosa, Dodi?s brother, was the WBC super flyweight champion in 1997.
Luisito Espinosa held two world titles in different divisions: the WBC featherweight crown and the WBA bantamweight title.
Villa, Ceferino Garcia and Gabriel ?Flash? Elorde are enshrined in boxing international halls of fame. Pacquiao will hopefully join them when the time comes.
Elorde, in 1993, was the first Filipino and Asian boxer to be elevated to the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Nineteen years earlier, in 1974, the World Boxing Council named him ?the greatest junior lightweight boxing champion in WBC history.?
