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Philippines, 01 Feb 2026 |
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Mano Mano sa Candelaria: Gemino Vs Mancito, A Tribute to Two Pinoy Boxing Journeymen By Teodoro Medina Reynoso PhilBoxing.com Sat, 01 Feb 2025  A journeyman in general sense in sports is defined as "a sports player who is reliable but not outstanding." In boxing specifically, a journeyman is "a skilled fighter but not good enough to be a contender or gatekeeper". He is usually "pitted against upcoming boxers to boost their credentials". Oftentimes, a journeyman is contracted as a substitute opponent on short notice. That is why he is also derisively called tomato can---you know what they used for target shooting practice, and what we used in tumbang preso when we were kids. [Eerily this definition somehow fits Ye Joon Kim, the South Korean who was supposed to fight in the undercard but was thrusted as Naoya Inoue's main event foe when his original opponent Sam Goodman (a wag calls him Cut man) reopened his eyebrow cut in training.] As a whole, a journeyman is there to make his opponent win and to look good in winning. There have been rare instances however when a journeyman turn the apple cart and whoop the fair haired foe. As when Jhon Gemino took the lights out of then American prospect Toka Khan Clary in the very first round of their fight in 2015. Talking of Gemino, local fans will get to see him in action this Monday, February 3, 2025 against another celebrated journeyman, Eduardo Mancito in the main event of a boxing promotion in Candelaria, Quezon dubbed "Mano Mano sa Candelaria". Promoted by Hermie Arcillas with Eduardo Dellosa as matchmaker, the fisticuffs event will pit two of our notable journeymen who almost have a parallel road as aspiring pro boxers. Gemino (24-18-1) started out in October 2009 and it was not an auspicious debut as he lost by first round knockout to Froilan Saludar. After winning his second bout by decision over Junar Sosusco, he will again lost to a debuting Junjie Lauza by majority decision. But after that, Gemino would string ten straight victories, four by knockout setting the stage for a confrontation with then unbeaten prospect John Neil Tabanao who would later become fringe world contender. Gemino would come back by winning two straight bouts, the last for the Philippine super bantamweight championship over JR Magböo. That sent Gemino on his initial barnstorming tour abroad that would see him fighting and losing in succession world rated Andres Gutierrez, Daniel Rosas and Juan Carlos Sanchez, Jr. Back in the Philippines, he got back to win column by decisioning Andrew Palas in defense of his GAB national title. Soon, he was back abroad, in the US where he fought and lost to Mexican prospect Christian Gonzalez who would later lose by knockout to Romero Duno. Gemino would win two of his three succeeding bouts, including his shocking kayo of Toka Khan Clary and losing his last fight to then top rated contender Tugstsogt Nyambayar by TKO before coming back briefly to the Philippines and defeating Marjhun Tabamo. He would find himself back globe-trotting, first in Mexico where he faced and lost to Emanuel Navarette and Russia losing to Evgeny Smirnov and Dennis Shafikov in between another local fight and win. Gemino would fight fourteen more times shuttling between the country and abroad, winning just four, all against local opposition. He was knocked out by upcoming Pinoy lightweight fighter Jerald Into in his last bout. Meanwhile, Mancito (21-16-2) started out pro boxing in 2011 and had an auspicious start, winning 13 of his first 16 bouts, with just one loss and two draws. Though Mancito did not win any title, local or regional, his record impressed Mexican matchmakers and promoters that he was signed to a three match contract to fight in Mexico. First he was pitted against Rey Vargas, a Navarette contemporary and look alike who is currently WBC featherweight champion (beating Mark Magsayo). He lost by unanimous decision to Vargas. Then he was ranged against veteran Tomas Rojas who stopped him in the ninth round and in his final bout, he was outpointed by then world rated Alberto Guevarra. Mancito returned to the country and had three fights, winning two losing just to then prospect Jeson Berwela. He then travelled to Thailand and fought and lost by 12 round decision to Wiran Sithisob. Back in Manila, he fought Virgil Puton for the PBF featherweight title and dropped a close but unanimous decision. Mancito fought fifteen more bouts since then, shuttling between the Philippines and abroad but he won just six of them. The common fighters whom Mancino shared with Gemino in fighting and losing to are John Neil Tabanao and Jerald Into to whom Mancino both just lost by decision. Another prominent Pinoy fighter Mancino faced and lost to was world rated Charlie Suarez. Mancito last saw action in October 2024 in Dubai losing by TKO to former top rated contender James Jazza Dickens of UK in a super featherweight bout. It would be very interesting to see this clash of two celebrated Pinoy journeyman boxers. N.B Two of the much publicised boxing upsets pulled by Filipino journeyman boxers of my younger days: *Curly Aguirre upsetting Carlos Hernandez via first round knockout before stunned spectators in Caracas, Venezuela in the early 70s. Hernandez was former world junior welterweight champion (defeating American Eddie Pekins) who before this supposed tune up bout was on his way back to another title hunt. *Rudy Barro scoring an upset stoppage of then highly rated American welterweight Andy "The Hawk" Price in 1974 derailing a possible world title crack and Barro being named Journeyman Fighter of that year by a classic boxing publication some years ago. 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.  |
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