It wasn?t easy filling all the slots in the list of the 25 greatest Filipino fighters ever. Of course, there were several shoo-ins like Manny Pacquiao, Flash Elorde, Pancho Villa, Luisito Espinosa and Gerry Penalosa but naming the last 15 was a trying process considering the Philippines has so far crowned 45 world champions. Here?s the elite lineup:
1 ? Manny Pacquiao. The fighting Congressman from Sarangani has captured eight world titles in eight different weight divisions, an unprecedented feat and a record likely never to be surpassed. He has brought honor, glory and pride to the Filipino nation like no other boxer. Today, the global icon is recognized as the world?s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter.
2 ? Flash Elorde. The one-tome Bogo, Cebu, bootblack reigned as world junior lightweight champion from 1960 to 1967, repulsing 10 straight challengers. He would?ve added the featherweight title to his collection if not for an timely stoppage due to cuts in his fight against Sandy Saddler in San Francisco in 1956.
3 ? Pancho Villa. Asia?s first-ever world boxing champion was the rage in the roaring ?20s. A buzzsaw in the ring, Villa (Francisco Guilledo) knocked out Jimmy (The Mighty Atom) Wilde in the seventh round to wrest the world flyweight crown before 40,000 fans at the Polo Grounds in New York in 1923. He died of a gum infection two years later at the age of 23.
4 ? Luisito Espinosa. The epitome of a boxer-puncher reigned as world bantamweight and featherweight champion. He knocked out Khaokor Galaxy in a single round to win the 118-pound title in Bangkok in 1989 and annexed the 126-pound diadem via a 12-round decision over Manuel Medina in Tokyo in 1995. Espinosa lost the featherweight throne in his eighth defense in 1999.
5 ? Gerry Penalosa. There couldn?t be a classier fighter in and out of the ring. Penalosa was known for his slick boxing ability, power and ring smarts. He took the WBC superflyweight title from Hiroshi Kobayashi in Tokyo in 1997 and knocked out Jhonny Gonzalez with a body shot for the WBO bantamweight title in Sacramento in 2007.
6 ? Nonito Donaire, Jr. The Filipino Flash stunned the boxing world by stopping ferocious Vic Darchinyan with a brutal left hook to the jaw to claim the IBF/IBO flyweight championship in Connecticut in 2007. Last February, Donaire poleaxed Fernando Montiel in the second round to cart away the WBC/WBO bantamweight crown in Las Vegas. He has won his last 25 fights dating back to 2001.
7 ? Ceferino Garcia. The man who created the ?bolo punch? won the world middleweight title on a seventh round knockout over Fred Apostoli in New York in 1939. He lost a pair of decisions to Barney Ross and Henry Armstrong in bids for the world welterweight title in 1937 and 1938. Garcia held the legendary Armstrong to a draw in Los Angeles in 1940.
8 ? Dodie Boy Penalosa. What is phenomenal in Penalosa?s career is he fought with a shorter and smaller left leg, decimated by polio as a boy. The handicap didn?t affect his power which he displayed in all its fury in halting Satoshi Shingaki for the IBF lightflyweight title in Tokyo in 1983 and blasting Hi Sup Shin for the IBF flyweight crown in Seoul in 1997.
9 ? Ben Villaflor. The brawler enjoyed two reigns as world junior lightweight champion. He took his first title by beating Alfredo Marcano in Honolulu in 1972, lost it to Kuniaki Shibata two years later and regained the throne with a vengeful one-round knockout in a rematch after seven months. Villaflor eventually yielded the crown to Sammy Serrano in 1976.
10 ? Small Montana. In 1936, the policeman?s son from Negros Occidental (born Benjamin Gan) beat Midget Wolgast for the world flyweight title in Oakland. He lost the crown to Benny Lynch in London the next year. Among his victims were Tony Marino and Manuel Ortiz.
11 ? Leo Espinosa. The uncrowned world champion was a crowd drawer all over the globe, fighting in Australia, the US, Japan, Brazil, Venezuela, Mexico and Argentina. He took on Eder Jofre, Raton Macias and Pascual Perez. Some of his victims were Yoshio Shirai, Ronnie Jones, Larry Bataan, Pone Kingpetch, Yukio Katsumata and Dommy Ursua. Espinosa lost twice in world flyweight title bouts in 1954 and 1956 and was also beaten in a world bantamweight championship fight in 1956.
12 ? Brian Viloria. The current WBO flyweight champion was born in Hawaii and traces his roots to Narvacan, Ilocos Sur. He took the WBC lightflyweight title via a one-round knockout over Eric Ortiz in Los Angeles in 2005, the IBF lightweight title on an 11th round stoppage of Ulises Solis in Manila in 2009 and the WBO flyweight diadem with a masterful win by decision over Julio Cesar Miranda in Honolulu a few weeks ago.
13 ? Erbito Salavarria. In 1970, Salavarria knocked out Chartchai Chionoi in the second round in Bangkok for the world flyweight title. He lost it in his third defense to Venice Borkorsor in Bangkok three years later but in 1975, regained the throne with a decision over Susumu Hanagata in Toyama.
14 ? Rolando Navarrete. The Bad Boy from Dadiangas could?ve been the Pacquiao of his era but a three-year jail term for rape in Honolulu was a damper. In 1980, he was halted by Alexis Arguello in an attempt to take the WBC superfeatherweight title in San Juan, Puerto Rioco but a year later, took the crown via a spectacular fifth round disposal of Cornelius Boza Edwards in Viareggio, Italy. In 1982, he was way ahead on points but lost steam in the homestretch and lost the title to Rafael (Bazooka) Limon on a 12th round knockout in Las Vegas.
15 ? Rolando Bohol. He outpointed Chung Ho Choi for the IBF flyweight title in Manila in 1988 and was dethroned in his second defense by Duke McKenzie in London that same year. In 1994, he battled IBF bantamweight champion Orlando Canizales and was stopped in the fifth round in Texas. Bohol now lives in Las Vegas.
16 ? Rene Barrientos. The southpaw from Aklan decisioned Ruben Navarro for the WBC superfeatherweight title in Manila in 1969 and was dethroned in his first defense by Yoshiaki Numata on a split decision in Tokyo a year later. Barrientos faced Numata in a rematch and lost a bid to regain the crown on another split verdict. In his colorful career, Barrientos squared off against the likes of Guts Ishimatsu, Hiroshi Kobayashi, Adolph Pruitt, Suh Kang Il, Young Terror, Hubert Kang and Love Allotey.
17 ? Pedro Adigue Jr. In 1968, he outpointed Adolph Pruitt in Manila for the vacant WBC superlightweight title. It took Adigue two years before he staked his crown against Bruno Arcari in Rome and lost on a 15-round decision. Among his celebrated opponents were Nicolino Locche, Antonio (Kid Pambele) Cervantes, Eddie Perkins, Oscar (Shotgun) Alvarado, Arthur Persley, Graham Dicker, Frankie Narvaez, Ryu Sorimachi and Hector Thompson. He became a police man after his retirement from boxing.
18 ? Roberto Cruz. The good-looking Baguio bomber scored a major upset when he pulverized Mexico?s Raymundo (Battling) Torres in a single round for the vacant WBA superlightweight title in the Cavalcade of Champions card at the Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles in 1963. But in his first defense, Cruz was hardly a sensation as he dropped a lopsided decision to Eddie Perkins at the Rizal Memorial.
19 ? Little Dado. Eleuterio Zapanta, known as Little Dado, was proclaimed the world flyweight champion in 1939, a year after beating Small Montano for the California version of the ?world? title. He beat Tony Olivera for the California version of the bantamweight crown and Jackie Jurich for the National Boxing Association flyweight diadem. He wound up his career in 1943 with a record of 46-7-9, including 21 KOs.
20 ? Morris East. The Olongapo City-born blaster was behind on the three judges scorecards when he flattened Akinobu Hiranaka in the 11th roiund for the WBA superlightweight title in Tokyo in 1992. East lost his crown to Juan Martin Coggi on an eighth round stoppage in Buenos Aires a year later. He now lives in Las Vegas and trains former lightwelterweight titleholder Zab Judah with Pernell Whitaker.
21 ? Jesus Salud. Born in Sinait, Ilocos Sur, he had a brief reign as WBA superbantamweight champion. Salud won the crown via a ninth round disqualification of Juan Jose Estrada in Los Angeles inn 1989 but was stripped of the title for refusing to defend against Luis Mendoza in Colombia. He would later make six attempts to win another world crown but was beaten by Welcome Ncita, Kennedy McKinney, Antonio Cermeno, Vuyani Bungu, Kevin Kelley and Marco Antonio Barrera.
22 ? Ronnie Magramo. The Oriental Mindoro ?Toy Bulldog? was a rampaging, two-fisted tornado in the ring. Magramo had lost two bids for a world title to Chana Porpaoin and Ratanapol Sor Vorapin when he finally hit paydirt, knocking out Wanwin Chareon in two rounds for the WBF minimumweight title in Thailand in 1994. He lost the crown in his third defense to Phasang Pongsawang but got it back in a rematch and yielded it once more to the same Thai in 1996.
23 ? Frank Cedeno. Defying the odds, the Talisay, Cebu, slugger took on heavy favorite Charlie Magri and snatched the WBC flyweight title on a sixth round knockout before a shocked homecrowd in London in 1983. A year later, Cedeno flew to Tokyo to defend his crown against Koji Kobayashi and was just a ghost of his old self, succumbing in the second round. In 1987, Cedeno went to Mexicali to challenge WBC superflyweight titlist Gilberto Roman and lost a unanimous 12-round decision.
24 ? Rolando Pascua. In 1990, the hard-hitting Pascua created a major stir when he halted Mexico?s Humberto (Chiquita) Gonzalez in the sixth round to wrest the WBC flyweight diadem in Los Angeles. Oddsmakers didn?t give Pascua a chance to win considering Gonzalez had never been beaten as an amateur or pro. Pascua, however, failed to capitalize on his giant-killer?s reputation and was listless in surrendering his title to Melchor Cob Castro on a 10th round knockout in Los Angeles a year later. Pascua resurfaced to make four attempts to win a second world championship but was thwarted by Julio Cesar Barboa in 1993, Samson 3-K Battery in 1995, Suwatchai Chalermsri in 1995 and Johnny Bredahl on a first round knockout in an IBO bantamweight title bout in Copenhagen in 1996.
25 ? Tacy Macalos. The never-say-die stylist from Lito Mondejar?s stable lost to Choi Chum Hwan on a split decision in his first attempt to win the IBF lightflyweight title in Seoul in 1987. A year later, they met in a rematch and this time, Macalos took the decision in Manila. He was dethroned by Muangchai Kittikasem in Bangkok and in a rematch, was knocked out in the seventh round. Macalos ended his career in 1994 after four straight losses in four different countries.
Other Filipino fighters considered as candidates for the list of 25 were Tirso del Rosario, Ignacio Fernandez, Elino Flores, Bernabe Villacampo, Dommy Ursua, Speedy Dado, Malcolm Tunacao, Manny Melchor, William Magahin, Dado Marino, Andy Ganigan, Johnny Jamito, Bobby Berna, Joma Gamboa, Rodel Mayol and Danny Kid.
