Emmanuel Rivera, RRT
271 articles · PhilBoxing.com
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Rizal Memorial Coliseum: The Arena That Endured War and Forged Generations of Filipino Greats
Filipinos simply call it the Rizal Memorial. The name alone still carries (heavy) weight. It was the arena that stood out, where fathers brought their sons, and where fond memories took root.…
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Remembering Gabriel ‘Flash’ Elorde: A Pilgrimage of Gratitude
(March 27, 2024 @ Sucat, Parañaque) Some moments in life never fade. They don’t just pass by— they stay with you, shaping how you see the world and reminding you of the…
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Martha Salazar: Stepping Out of Her Own Shadow
Martha Salazar never looked for fame. She didn’t have to. Born in Ocotlán, Jalisco and raised in San Francisco she carried a quiet strength that people felt right away. She lived between…
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The Mongoose Rides Into the Sunset: Burdick Wins the Battle of the Jonathans
San Francisco’s Kezar Pavilion—an old cathedral of sweat and struggle tucked near the edge of Golden Gate Park—witnessed a fitting finale on August 16th. Under the bright Dragon House MMA lights, Jonathan…
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Maurice H. Goldner: Letting the Filipino Fist Speak for Itself
Before TV and the internet made champions feel like they were sitting in your living room or your computer, before glossy magazines polished them up, there were soldier-reporters like Maurice H. Goldner.…
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INKSIDE Track: A Quarantine Story Tattooed in Mactan
It started with a canceled tattoo appointment. April 2020. Like many during the early days of the pandemic, my son and I found ourselves stranded somewhere we never expected—Mactan Island. Specifically, Lapu-Lapu…
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Paulo Salud and His POWer Punches
He does not need gloves to step into the fight. All he needs are a mic, a camera, a calm voice, and the good sense to know when to let others speak.…
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The Bout Outside The Ring: Boxing and the Filipino Struggle for Legitimacy
The Yanks arrived with rifles, rations, and something they called civilization. So did the Conquistadores Españoles centuries earlier… only theirs came with swords, cannons, and religion. Not everything they brought wore a…
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Round One: Dr. Bernard Remollino Brings Pancho Villa Back Into the Ring
On August 23, 2025, San Francisco will welcome home a story long overdue for telling. At the Sentro Filipino Cultural Center, Dr. Bernard James Remollino, PhD, will launch his book Pancho Villa:…
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Xiao Time: Where History Pulls No Punches
(L-R) Luisito Espinosa and Xiao Chua (March 23, 2024) History doesn’t always announce itself or arrive with fanfare. Sometimes, it just shows up like a cornerman between rounds- quiet, steady and right…
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The Filipino Sailors Who Boxed for More Than Old Glory
In the early 1900s, and into the years between the world wars, thousands of young Filipino men enlisted in the United States Navy. Many sought work. Others sought a way out. Most…
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Filipino Pride and the Art of Hero Worship
The boxing judges in Nevada called it a majority draw. Most of us saw it quite differently. Manny Pacquiao, 46 years old, stepped back into the squared circle because part of him…
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Pacquiao’s Legacy in Motion: PacMan contra El Azteca
Art of Jun Aquino (Courtesy of Manny Pacquiao Foundation) July 16, 2025 Let’s not call it a comeback — the kind that heavily leans on memory. Manny Pacquiao isn’t stepping into the…
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Because Comebacks Matter: Pacquiao Fights for Us All
Art of Jun Aquino. When Manny Pacquiao enters the ring on July 19, 2025, at 46 years old, it won’t only be Mario Barrios standing across from him. Something greater waits there…
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Champion Forever: A Century On, ‘The City By The Bay’ Honors Francisco Guilledo
July 14, 2025, San Francisco, California --- Every ship that crossed the Pacific from the Philippines to San Francisco— long before and long after the iconic bridge— entered the city the same…
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Ringside, Still: Remembering Chino Trinidad
July 13, 2025 Manolo “Chino” Trinidad lived life to the fullest. Every day seemed like the perfect broadcast. He moved through the world with that signature bounce in his step, carrying a…
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FULL CIRCLE AT WILD CARD: Jhay Otamias’ Tribute to a Fighter and a Fanbase
Fifteen years. Thousands of shutter clicks. One unforgettable moment. Jayson “Jhay Oh” Otamias, the quiet Filipino-American photojournalist who built his name one frame at a time, recently returned to the famed Wild…
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Guro Dan Inosanto: Guardian of the Filipino Fighting Spirit
Marina del Rey, California (June 21, 2025) Guro Dan Inosanto remains as sharp as the blades he’s mastered, and his presence still moves with the calm precision of someone who has studied…
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Dreamland: Where Filipino Fists Lit Up San Francisco Nights
Before the condos and skyscrapers rose like silent monuments to the wealthy, before memory gave way to glass and steel, there was a place in San Francisco where fists, not fortunes, determined…
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A Seat at the Table of Antonio Lopez Aldeguer: A Reminiscence
On March 22, 2024—on the eve of the Gala of Champions—I met Antonio Lopez Aldeguer in person for the first time. We sat quietly in the Ambassador Suite at the Manila Grand…
