WITH the cancellation of IBF junior bantamweight champion Jerwin Ancajas’ December 31 unification showdown with WBO counterpart Kazuto Ioka, there is no longer any major world title fight left involving a Filipino boxer, thus bringing to a close the country’s campaign in the international fight scene for 2021.
Officially, the country is winding up its campaign with four full-fledged world champions in WBC bantamweight king Nonito Donaire Jr., WBO bantamweight champ John Riel Casimero, IBF junior bantamweight champ Ancajas and IBF minumumweight king Rene Mark Cuarto.
This year, of course, marked the official farewell of ring icon Manny Pacquiao, who retired shortly after he dropped a decision to WBA welterweight champ Yordenis Ugas of Cuba in August. Pacquiao announced his retirement in September, shortly after launching his bid for the Philippine presidency.
Pacquiao was supposed to square off in a mega fight with WBC-IBF welterweight champ Errol Spence Jr., but the fight was scrapped at the last-minute after Spence sustained an eye injury.
Ugas stepped in and earned the biggest win of his career by beating Pacquiao. Pacquiao held his own in the first half of the fight, but the bigger Ugas took control in the second half to notch the upset victory.
Pacquiao retired with a record of 62-8, 2 draws with 39 knockouts. Pacquiao is the only fighter in history to collar world titles in eight weight classifications.
Not a few thought Donaire will join Pacquiao in the retirement pasture, but the “Filipino Flash” instead defied Father Time with two spectacular victories.
On May 29, Donaire knocked out Frenchman Nordine Oubaali in four rounds to regain the WBC bantamweight title. At 38, Donaire became the oldest boxer to win the 118-pound title. The win also marked his third reign as bantamweight king.
On December 11, Donaire, in his 21st world title bout, successfully defended his WBC title by stopping unbeaten countryman Reymart Gaballo in four rounds with a vicious body shot.
The Donaire-Gaballo fight was one of three all-Filipino world title fights this year.
On February 20, Vic Saludar defeated Robert Paradero for the vacant regular WBA minimumweight title. A week later, on February 27, another all-Pinoy world title fight saw Cuarto outboxing Pedro Taduran for the IBF minimumweight hardware.
Cuarto remained inactive for the rest of the year. On the other hand, Paradero and Saludar suffered stinging defeats in their next fights.
Bukidnon native Paradero made a bid for the super version of the WBA minimumweight title on December 14 but was stopped in five rounds by Thai champion Thammanoon Niyomtrong. A week later, Saludar lost his WBA regular crown with a controversial split-decision to Erick Rosa of the Dominican Republic.
Casimero spent most of the year taunting Donaire and WBA-IBF bantamweight king Naoya Inoue, but he failed to get them in the ring with him. Inoue instead faced Filipino Michael Dasmariñas in June and knocked him out in three rounds.
Donaire agreed to face Casimero in August but called off the fight because of Casimero’s tirades. Casimero instead faced Cuban Guillermo Rigondeaux on August 14 and carved out a lackluster decision.
Ancajas, 33-1 with 22 knockouts, returned to the ring on April 10 after a lengthy hiatus to beat a stubborn Jonathan Javier Rodriguez in 12 rounds. Ancajas floored Rodriguez in round eight but almost ran out of gas before eking out a decision victory.
Ancajas posted his ninth defense of the IBF title he won back in 2016. Ancajas’ title reign is one of the longest among the current crop of champions.
Speaking of longest reign, the country’s longest reigning champ on record, Donnie Nietes, ended two years of inactivity by returning to the ring on April 3 with a decision over Colombian Pablo Carillo.
Nietes, 39, was back in the ring on December 11 but was held to a draw by Norbelto Jimenez. Not a few thought Nietes deserved to win. Nietes, a four-division champ, is looking to regain the WBO junior bantamweight title now held by Kazuto Ioka, the same Japanese he defeated in his last world title fight in December 2018.
Ancajas, Casimero, Donaire and Nietes are expected to lead the country’s professional boxing campaign next year, along with exciting contenders Mark Magsayo and Jonas Sultan.
