Philippines, 28 Jul 2025
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


MICHAEL ALDEGUER: TRANSFORMING VISION INTO REALITY


PhilBoxing.com




CEBU CITY ? Five years ago, Michael Aldeguer, the dashing son of Cebu boxing patron Antonio L. Aldeguer, who then had just took over the helm of ALA Promotions, invited a few Cebu-based media to a small resto-bar located in the uptown area of the city. In an informal and intimate discussion over food and drinks, Michael laid down his plans on what he wants to accomplish with his promotional outfit in the next five years. In a nutshell, Michael wanted to promote shows all over the Philippines and then go international and eventually put shows in the United States, the boxing mecca of the world, a feat that no Philippine promoter or Asian promoter for that matter, had accomplished.

Since then, ALA Promotions has dominated the Philippine boxing landscape with its promotions which include the ALA-Cobra joint amateur-professional cards held in small towns in the Visayas and Mindanao, the 'Idol' shows that attempted to develop local boxing heroes and the highly successful 'Pinoy Pride' series which Michael, in partnership with ABS-CBN TV network, had its maiden show on Oct. 30, 2011. To date there were already 32 'Pinoy Pride' editions filling up the Philippines' biggest arenas in Manila, Cebu, Bacolod and Davao with two of its shows held in Dubai, UAE. 'Pinoy Pride' also established a consistent high TV ratings for its shows besting some of the best Sunday morning shows in the Philippines.

Monday afternoon, August 17, at the Montebello Villa Garden Hotel, a couple of blocks away from the resto-bar where Michael invited the journalists five years earlier, the young Aldeguer presided the press conference announcing ALA Promotions' initial promotional event in the United States on October 17 at the StubHub Center in Carson, California to be headlined by the Philippines' longest reigning world champion Donnie Nietes, obviously the culmination of Michael's five year plan and a milestone event for Philippine boxing.

After the maiden StubHub show, Aldeguer has calendared small shows in the coming months in San Diego, Pomona and San Mateo, all in California, and then return to StubHub Center again for another bigger show.


Aldeguer stresses a point during Monday's press conference announcing ALA Promotions initial event in the US.


L-R: Jason Pagara, Donnie Nietes, Albert Pagara and Mark Magsayo headline ALA Promotions' Oct. 17 StubHub Center card in California.

Asked what is his rationale of trying to promote boxing events in the US where the world's biggest boxing promotional companies are based, Michael said he's not competing with the big guys. ?I don't see it that way,? Michael said. ?They ask me why I go to the big ocean and fight the big fishes out there. Well, I don't see it that way.?

The younger Aldeguer, in fact, has a clear perspective of the US boxing market and its demographics and is banking on a large ethnic Filipino community estimated to be more than 4 million, the second largest Asian American group in the United States, a third of which are living in California.

?The Philippines alone has its own market in the US,? Michael said who in partnership with TFC, ABS-CBN's network arm in the United States who regularly hold concerts inside the US with record attendances, wants to tap that market for the boxing events.

Additionally, putting up shows in the US has the advantage of making the big fights easier since it's a neutral ground and closer to home to many of the prospective opponents who mainly resides in Mexico or in Latin America. ?Bringing [WBO/WBA flyweight champion] Estrada to the Philippines to fight Nietes would be difficult,? Michael said. ?Or [Fernando] Montiel or other named fighters to fight our boys for that matter is difficult. Putting it up in California would be a lot easier. Our main goal of doing the US fights is to make the big fights possible,? Michael concluded.

Although it seems easy for Michael to have done such a feat, it's not all smooth and rosy. For one, just obtaining a US promotional license took several years to make in what Michael described as 'painstaking'. Also there are organizational problems as well as problems with managing the boxers themselves but Michael had to go through all of it in order for his vision to be realized.

We've heard that Michael has a new 10-year plan in place which include shows all over the Middle East and Europe. We're waiting for another invite from Michael for him to disclose it to us over food and drinks in some dimly lit nook around the city.


Click here to view a list of other articles written by Dong Secuya.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • ALEX ARIZA BACKS KENNETH LLOVER, CITES PACQUIAO-LIKE STYLE AHEAD OF AUGUST BOUT
    , Mon, 28 Jul 2025
  • Joseph Awinongya Targets Second International Gold Medal in Next Step Toward Olympic Dream
    , Mon, 28 Jul 2025
  • AFM Lacaron rules IIEE ECVR in Cebu, IM Chito bags IIEE Castle in the storm in Manila
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Mon, 28 Jul 2025
  • Nakagawa Claims WBO Oriental 126 Belt; Griffiths, Arsalan, Phanaluk Score Exciting Wins in Brico Santig's Show in Thailand (PHOTOS)
    By Carlos Costa, , Sun, 27 Jul 2025
  • TWO-TIME OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST CLARESSA SHIELDS SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDS HER UNDISPUTED HEAVYWEIGHT CROWN
    , Sun, 27 Jul 2025
  • The X File: Zayas Wins Junior Middleweight World Title in MSG Triumph
    , Sun, 27 Jul 2025
  • The Filipino Sailors Who Boxed for More Than Old Glory
    By Emmanuel Rivera, RRT, , Sun, 27 Jul 2025
  • CARLO BIADO CROWNED WORLD CHAMPION FOR A SECOND TIME IN THRILLING FINAL OVER GORST
    , Sun, 27 Jul 2025
  • WBA Denies Epic Sports’ Second Appeal; No. 2 Heavyweight Contender Michael Hunter & World Champion Kubrat Pulev To Meet Before the End of the Year
    , Sun, 27 Jul 2025
  • Blow-By-Blow returns with a bang
    , Sat, 26 Jul 2025
  • Weights from Hanover, Maryland
    , Sat, 26 Jul 2025
  • Xander Zayas vs Jorge Garcia Marks End of Top Rank/ESPN deal
    By Chris Carlson, , Sat, 26 Jul 2025
  • Billiards: Biado, Regalario reach World Pool championship semis
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sat, 26 Jul 2025
  • Weigh-In Results: Xander Zayas vs. Jorge Garcia
    , Sat, 26 Jul 2025
  • Sulaimàn visits El Salvador and Announces Extraordinary Boxing Event on September 20
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Sat, 26 Jul 2025
  • JARON ‘BOOTS’ ENNIS PENS LONG-TERM MULTI-FIGHT EXTENSION WITH MATCHROOM AND DAZN
    , Sat, 26 Jul 2025
  • Fighters Make Weight in Brico Santig’s Highland Show in Thailand
    By Carlos Costa, , Fri, 25 Jul 2025
  • UNDERCARD ADDITIONS TO CROCKER VS DONOVAN 2
    , Fri, 25 Jul 2025
  • Donaire Listed as Interim Bantam Champion; Ten Pinoys in Top Three World Title Contenders
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Fri, 25 Jul 2025
  • FLORES VS. CHAVEZ ENDS IN THRILLING MAJORITY DRAW BEFORE SOLD-OUT COACHELLA VALLEY CROWD
    , Fri, 25 Jul 2025
  • WBA 108 World Champ Rosa Defends Against Takami Wednesday in Japan; Winner Could Face AJ Paciones Next
    By Carlos Costa, , Fri, 25 Jul 2025
  • CLARESSA SHIELDS VS. LANI DANIELS OPEN MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES
    , Fri, 25 Jul 2025
  • Weights from Atlantic City
    , Fri, 25 Jul 2025
  • Press Conference Notes: Puerto Rican Star Xander Zayas Aims for First World Title against Mexican Puncher Jorge Garcia
    , Fri, 25 Jul 2025
  • PNP Chief Nicolas Torre III Fights Davao Acting Mayor Baste Duterte in a Charity Boxing Match; Who Wins? (Long Analysis)
    By Carlos Costa, , Fri, 25 Jul 2025




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2025 philboxing.com.