MANILA, Philippines?Contrary to what people in our respective neighborhoods had been warned, there was no fearsome threat of a boxing invasion from the world Sunday.
Fine, three of our world-ranked boxers scored an overwhelming 3-0 sweep of their foreign foes.
But it cannot be honestly stated that the ensuing celebration was fueled solely by the might and skills of those three victorious Filipinos.
The ineptitude and inferiority of these bogus invaders also contributed greatly to the triple Philippine victory at the Araneta Coliseum.
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AJ Banal and Boom Boom Bautista were let loose in predictable punching picnics against surprised visitors who realized too late they had come to the wrong place.
Banal and Bautista, given easy partners, did the expected.
The celebrated duo from the ALA Stable of Cebu sportsman Tony Aldeguer annihilated their foes.
Banal did it against an Uruguayan in four rounds.
He was promptly outshone by Bautista who stopped his Mexican foe in just two rounds.
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Of course, the day belonged to ageless Gerry Pe?alosa, who successfully defended his WBO bantamweight crown against a Thai he had stopped eight years ago.
Rathanachai Sor Vorapin was no longer as sharp and fierce as he was when he first fought Pe?alosa.
But his grim, gritty stand resulted in some suspenseful moments in the bruising, bloody bout.
Pe?alosa, saving his best for this local appearance, ably lent championship class to the event with an awesome display of craft, speed and power.
He won by technical knockout in the eighth round.
He also drew ringside backing when he demanded a rematch and called out the name of WBO 122-lb champ Daniel Ponce De Leon of Mexico.
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Promoters can now openly claim a sales coup after having poised the threat of a foreign invasion.
The truth is that, after the easy, predictable wins by Bautista and Banal, it was left to Pe?alosa to save the card from sinking into a fluke.
Bautista?s win showed that, great as a boxing country as Mexico is, it has also remained the breeding ground of patsies.
Uruguay, after Banal?s cold-blooded stoppage of his erstwhile unbeaten foe, may have to start evaluating its rating system back home.
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Sunday?s non-invasion was, after all, a happy boxing theater, with superstar Manny Pacquiao sharing the spotlight.
In the final accounting though, the day should at best be rated: One Fight and Two Punching Picnics.
In fact, my friend Mar Maralit could be right when he texted all the way from Lipa what he honestly thought the big card was all about.
It?s well-cooked, he said, an invasion that lulled the hungry Pinoy from the agony of soaring prices, galloping government corruption and endless pressing problems of the day.
Lutong-Macau, the man swore.
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(MAGIC: Skipped for Sunday?s fight card at the Araneta was a return to a vacation paradise in Pangasinan. My new friends Celso Rodrigo and Led San Diego invested their retirement benefits in a classy, cozy house in San Nicolas on the eastern edge of Pangasinan, close to the Caraballo Mountains. The place has a swimming place built by Nando Balahan of JC Pools. But what?s truly worth coming back to is a dream dip in Ubbog, a river coming from hidden springs that flows through nearby Calupaan, San Rafael, where the handsome couple owns a vast farm. The experience was truly soothing, curative. Then, there?s always the sumptuous feast of fresh catch, like silvery shrimps made into the unforgettable jumping salad, washed down by frosty-cold beer. From San Nicolas, there?s the Villa Verde trail leading to Nueva Vizcaya. Legend says Japanese treasure in gold was buried, hidden along the trail. But no need to search, the true treasure is there waiting for the adventurous in magical Ubbog.)
