Ryan Rae Ponteras, 21, is not the kind of boxer you would like to have in a boxing club like the Braveheart of North Cotabato which is known for developing young and upcoming fighters through a grassroots program that takes years. First, Ryan is not from North Cotabato. Second, he is a journeyman who could fight from 105 lbs. to 116 lbs. depending on the request of the promoter. Third, before last Sunday, his record was a disgusting 8 wins, 8 losses, 1 draw and only 3 knockouts.
In other words, he is the fighter you call when you would like your boxer to win a fight. He will take on a fight on short notice, sometimes just travelling to his fight assignments alone. And he does not demand for the little luxuries that a boxer would have before the fight like a bottle of Gatorade after the weigh in, a good meal like ?tinolang manok? before the fight or vitamins during training.
The problem with Ryan Rae is that sometimes, he could spoil things. He is tough and he has never been stopped in all of his nine losses. In fact, in the few instances that he was knocked down, he would just dust off his pants and his gloves and continue fighting as if nothing had happened.
?Tough kid,? said former World Boxing Council (WBC) Silver Flyweight champion Edrin Dapudong who had seen Ryan Rae lose to three Braveheart fighters?miniflyweights Tommy Terado, Gary Lumacad (who was undefeated when he quit boxing to join the army), and World Boxing Organization miniflyweight titleholder Rommel Asenjo.
Ryan Rae has met the best in the miniflyweight division losing to Froilan Saludar by decision in 4, Lolito Sonsona by majority decision in 8, Rommel Asenjo by decision in 8 and holding former world title challenger Fernando Lumacad to a draw.
The draw against Lumacad was remarkable knowing that Lumacad, in spite of his embarrassing performance against Jorge Arce, is a highly regarded flyweight who will appear in the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez fight in Last Vegas next month.
His fight with Asenjo was supposed to be a tune up for the latter in preparation for a WBO world miniflyweight championship against Raul Rayito Garcia in Mexico in April of this year.
Ryan Rae gave us a scare when, coming up from a knockdown in Round 1, he got off and knocked down Asenjo in the 3rd, only to lose after running out of gas.
He had long begged Braveheart trainer Bruce Lerio that he be taken in. This was long before he lost five of his last eight fights by decision but I hedged because no respectable boxing manager would get a boxer with such a ridiculous boxing record.
That was until I saw Ryan Rae fight a young prospect, Don King Tampus, a junior bantamweight boxer managed by my friend Tony Dacer of Davao City in a small card that we staged in Magpet town in August of this year.
Ryan Rae was taken in because Dacer wanted his boxer to win. Problem is Ryan Rae was not aware of the plan. So he knocked down Tampus three times in 6 rounds and won by unanimous decision.
That was when I was finally con-vinced to take him in and allowed him to wear the Braveheart Boxing Club uniform. I paid his former manager a considerable amount just so he would turn over the management of Ryan Rae to the Braveheart Boxing Club.
Reporting to the training camp in my farm in Kidapawan City with a long hair-tail, Ryan Rae was immediately briefed on the rules covering the Braveheart boxers: no drinking, no smoking, no staying up late, no tattoos, no earrings and most of all clean hair cut. Violation of any of the rules will lead to immediate ouster from the camp and there would be no second chances.
Last Sunday, in his first fight under the Braveheart Boxing Club, he was told to shed off his old ring name ?Jhong-Jhong Ponteras? and use his real name ?Ryan Rae.?
Ryan Rae Ponteras fought an inspired fight, gamely pursuing his opponent John Rey Lauza before finally scoring a knockout in the 2nd round of a scheduled 8-round bout improving his fight record now to 9 wins, 8 losses, 1 draw and 4 KOs.
After the fight, he came to me with his head bowed and thanked me for taking him in.
?Thank you Sir for taking me in and for saving me,? said the poor boy from Santa Josefa, Agusan del Sur who was all the more overjoyed when told that aside from the 10 per cent share that would go the trainers, his prize money would be all his and that the manager?s share will only be taken when he fights the big bouts.
How far will Ryan Rae go? I honestly do not know but I am happy with the thought that I have made one young boy happy by giving him a chance to prove himself as a fighter and be part of an unfolding drama which I call ?Saving Boxer Ryan.?
The only question that bothers me now is: ?How many more Boxer Ryans are still out there waiting for somebody to support them and give them a chance to prove themselves as outstanding boxers??
