Philippines, 02 Apr 2025
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


PH Boxers, Cagers Suffer From Common Problems: Size, Age


PhilBoxing.com





Pati ba naman sa basketball, talo pa rin tayo sa Japan?

Gilas Pilipinas failed to get the last of the eight slots in the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup tournament after taking a 102-81 drubbing from Japan in their final qualification game in Indonesia.

Gilas had just a win, a whipping of a tall but decidedly low calibered Indian squad, to show in its most recent campaign that saw the squad losing to New Zealand twice, Lebanon and Japan.

Like their counterparts in boxing, players who represented the country in this latest version of Gilas Pilipinas suffered from size and age or experience problems.

Though the team boasted of at least four players standing at above 6-5, it was grossly outsized by the competition who had taller players who could not only shoot from the outside, slash or power inside, rebound strongly but more importantly protect the basket.

The most telling was our lack of tall players who could protect the rim or at least deter the opposition from scoring from in and around the slot. This limitation was of course made worst by the inability of 6-10 reinforcement Angie Kouame to join the team due to recent injury. What is hard to understand is why steps were not taken to bring in the likes of Junmar Fajardo or Japeth Aguilar to shore up the frontline offensively and defensively.

Gilas likewise suffer from age or experience problem with most of its players in their early or mid 20s and a few playing in their first major international tournament. On the other hand, the opposing teams were mostly made up of players of more mature age who have played together for years. Watching Fajardo and Aguilar and the likes of Tenorio, Barooga, even Abueva and Thompson flashing their wares in the PBA makes one think, we are not wanting in size, grit and talent if only...

Why we insist on fielding virtually different and generally inexperienced Gilas teams over the years when continuity and consistency have been the key for most other and more successful countries is really a source of wonder to these days.

Philippine boxing also suffer from the same problems talking of the recent and still ongoing spates of failures and disappointments our boxers have been having especially in major international fights with world titles at stake no less.

With the rare and extraordinary likes of Manny Pacquiao and Nonito Donaire retired or about to retire, the times when Filipino fighters are merely nuisance in weight divisions in or around the bantamweight may be getting back.

Our boxers from the lowest division which is the minimumweight up to about the junior featherweight are competitive with the best that the world could offer. But beyond that point, it is highly doubtful.

In fact, in the featherweight,and even lower, Filipino fighters have started to have problems and difficulties against taller and bigger foreign opposition who are supposed to be their match, weight-wise at least during the official pre-fight weigh ins.

A classic illustration is the recent fight between Mexican challenger Rey Vargas and then defending WBC featherweight titlist Mark Magsayo whose size disparity was very obvious. Do you honestly believe that those two were well matched physically? For one, Vargas could be as big as a welterweight to Magsayo's lightweight by fight time for all we know.

Even in the most recent rematch between Donnie Nietes and WBO super flyweight titlist Kazuto Ioka, the size disparity between the two in favor of the Japanese was not hard to see and proved decisive in the result.

But while our cagers are generally younger and less experienced, our boxers, at least many of our top boxers are already getting old or are decidedly old and jaded. And that has or had been instrumental in their defeats starting with Manny's loss to Yordenis Ugas, Donaire's twin defeat to Naoya Inoue and Nietes's most recent defeat to Ioka.

I don't wonder now why our best fighters from featherweight up like Genesis Servania have been losing their fights abroad dismally. They have been matched against bigger and more powerful adversaries, some two weight classes higher at fight time

Definitely, we have to improve on the stock of both our cagers and boxers especially those campaigning for honor and glory abroad. And we have to ensure that our fighters are matched well---and fairly overseas.

The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.


Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • Rise of the Samurai: Inoue vs Nakatani in 2026
    By Carlos Costa, , Wed, 02 Apr 2025
  • Undefeated super middleweight prospect Tommy Hyde a true Irish Road Warrior In Australia for April 11th fight
    , Wed, 02 Apr 2025
  • Melvin the Avenger
    By Joaquin Henson, , Wed, 02 Apr 2025
  • WORLD-RANKED LIGHTWEIGHT ARMANDO MARTINEZ RABI TO FACE ALBERTO GUEVARA IN MAIN EVENT OF FISTS OF FURY 6
    , Wed, 02 Apr 2025
  • Carlos Flowers Shines on Day One for Team USA in World Boxing Cup: Brazil 2025
    , Wed, 02 Apr 2025
  • Tellez Sisters Reina and Gabriela Sign with Boxlab Promotions
    , Wed, 02 Apr 2025
  • Arena Grand Master Mohamad Sacar sweeps 1st Vientiane Open FIDE Rated Standard Chess Tournament
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Wed, 02 Apr 2025
  • Unbeaten junior middleweight prospect Anthony “ATV” Velazquez Ready to bust out of New England
    , Tue, 01 Apr 2025
  • BOOTS VS. STANIONIS – ‘MAKE THE DAYS COUNT’ PREMIERES NOW
    , Tue, 01 Apr 2025
  • “THE FILIPINO FLASH” NONITO DONAIRE TO MAKE FIRST VISIT TO CANASTOTA FOR 2025 HALL OF FAME WEEKEND FESTIVITIES
    , Tue, 01 Apr 2025
  • Tokyo Olympian Rashida Ellis signs long term management contract with Trifon Petrov
    , Tue, 01 Apr 2025
  • Fightbook Adds Brendan Gibbons to Lead Athlete & Fan Activation Strategy
    , Tue, 01 Apr 2025
  • BOXLAB PROMOTIONS RETURNS TO ORLANDO FOR ACTION-PACKED FIGHT NIGHT ON APRIL 18
    , Tue, 01 Apr 2025
  • Takeaways From Last Weekend's Fights in Japan
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Mon, 31 Mar 2025
  • Lope Tenorio: El Bulakeño Matón (The Bulacan Brawler)
    By Emmanuel Rivera, RRT, , Mon, 31 Mar 2025
  • Luka Doncic's Shock Factor for LAL Dissipating? Dallas Mavs Getting Playoff Bid Boost From AD
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Mon, 31 Mar 2025
  • Jerusalem Easily Repeats Over Shigeoka, Spoils A Huge Boxing Weekend for Japan
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Mon, 31 Mar 2025
  • THE INTERNATIONAL BOXING HALL OF FAME REMEMBERS LIVINGSTONE BRAMBLE
    , Mon, 31 Mar 2025
  • IIEE GenX 3-peat, SAEP Millennial Champ in PTC WED Basketball
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Mon, 31 Mar 2025
  • Jerusalem dominates Shigeoka in rematch, retains WBC World title
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Sun, 30 Mar 2025
  • AND STILL! WILLIAM "EL CAMARÓN" ZEPEDA RETAINS WBC INTERIM LIGHTWEIGHT WORLD TITLE WITH MAJORITY DECISION VICTORY AGAINST TEVIN "2X" FARMER
    , Sun, 30 Mar 2025
  • A Second Coat of Paint: Mikaela Mayer Defeats Sandy Ryan in Action-Packed Rematch
    , Sun, 30 Mar 2025
  • Cartel, 5 others share lead after Day 1 of 6th AQ Prime Standard Open Chess Tournament
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sun, 30 Mar 2025
  • Jerusalem, Shigeoka successfully make weight for their WBC World Title rematch
    , Sat, 29 Mar 2025
  • Rematches Rule the Day with Zepeda/Farmer & Mayer/Ryan on ESPN and DAZN
    By Chris Carlson, , Sat, 29 Mar 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.