THE LATE Gabriel ?Flash? Elorde was born on March 25, 1935, in abject poverty. ?My parents were poor,? he once said in an interview. ?I quit school and work at an early age to augment the family?s meager income. I was shining shoes in Bogo, Cebu, before becoming a boxer.?
Elorde was discovered by boxing impresario Lope ?Papa? Sarreal, who later became his father-in-law when the God-fearing and unassuming young boxer married Papa?s daughter, the Tokyo-educated Laura.
?He is the most dedicated boxer I know,? Sarreal said of his famous son-in-law. ?Walang bisyo (He had no vice?), added the grand old man of boxing, who charted the career of not only Elorde but also of more than 20 world champions, including flyweight Masao Ohba of Japan, super lightweight Saensak Muangsurin of Thailand and super featherweight Ricardo Arredondo of Argentina. Sarreal died on March 14, 1995 at the age of 92.
Before Manny Pacquiao, Flash Elorde was the most celebrated Filipino boxer in Philippine sports history. Elorde earned universal acclaim for successfully defending his World Boxing Council junior lightweight championship for a record 10 times in a span of seven years, the longest in the 130-lb division. A southpaw, Elorde won the WBC title by stopping American Harold Gomes in the seventh round at the packed Araneta Coliseum on March 16, 1960, the day the Big Dome was officially opened to the public.
Elorde lost the title to Japanese challenger Yoshiaki Numata via a 15-round decision in Tokyo on June 15, 1967. Elorde died of lung cancer on Jan. 2, 1985 at the age of 49.
To mark his 71st birthday on March 25, Ms Laura Elorde and her children Johnny, Bebot and Marty will host another Banquet of Champions Awards Night — the sixth in as many years — at the Dusit-Nikko Hotel in Makati City.
Manny Pacquiao, WBC flyweight champion, Bryan Viloria and Rey ?Boom Boom? Bautista will be feted for their outstanding achievements in the ring.
?If Bay (Flash Elorde) were alive today, he would be on stage to personally present these awards to those boxers who did us proud,? said Laura.
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BITS AND PIECES. Fit as a fiddle, former President Fidel V. Ramos will mark his 76th birthday tomorrow. Born on March 18, 1928 in Lingayen, Pangasinan, Ramos is not only a topnotch golfer, but a good swimmer, runner, skydiver and scuba diver as well.
