Philippines, 15 Sep 2025
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


Secret is never retire


PhilBoxing.com



Antonio L. Aldeguer.

The man who made “Pinoy Pride” a mantra in Philippine boxing is no longer involved in the sport as he closed down the famed ALA stable in 2020 after a 35-year journey that produced world champions Donnie Nietes, Milan Melindo and Merlito Sabillo while spawning the likes of Mark Magsayo, Melvin Jerusalem, Rey (Boom Boom) Bautista, AJ Banal, Edito Villamor, Malcolm Tunacao, Andy Tabanas and Jeo Santisima.

While Antonio Lopez Aldeguer, known as ALA, has ended the boxing chapter in his storybook, he’s far from retired. Now 83, ALA said the secret to a long life is never retiring. He’s passed on the responsibility of managing his many businesses to sons Jay, Michael and Chris in Cebu but ALA still drops by the office six days a week to check on records, particularly in the new pharmacy venture that is under his watch. Jay takes care of the popular Island Souvenirs, a shopping destination in airports, malls and resorts all over the country. Chris is involved with the Loalde fashion brand while Michael looks after 32 pet shops in Cebu, Dumaguete and Bohol aside from raising Golden Retrievers as the country’s No. 1 breeder.

ALA stays fit swimming and hoisting hand weights to keep toned. Family life is important to ALA who never fails to host Sunday lunch with his wife Lou for their children and grandchildren at Maria Luisa. ALA is in constant contact with brother Fer who's in Manila and sisters Terri, Laly and Ditas who are in Dumaguete.

“Too much pressure and stress,” said ALA in a conversation in Cebu last weekend. “It’s why I stopped my involvement in boxing. Three of my boxers underwent brain surgery and while they all survived, it was traumatic. I thought it was time to move on.” Two of the three were pros Z Gorres and Larry (Bon Jovi) Canillas. Even as he has stepped away from boxing, ALA’s former wards still visit him and some continue to receive allowances.

Only recently, Edito Villamor, now a successful boxing trainer operating his own gym, brought two outstanding prospects to pay their respects to ALA. The rising stars are WBA Asia superflyweight champion Reymart Tagacanao and former WBO Asia Pacific Youth minimumweight titlist Christian Balunan. Tagacanao, 25, totes a 10-0 record with eight KOs while Balunan, 25, carries a 12-0 mark with seven KOs.

“Boom Boom was our most popular boxer although he never won a world title,” said ALA. “He’s so charismatic. Whenever he would go to a restaurant, even the cooks in the kitchen came out to take a selfie.” ALA was loved by his fighters and today, his over 170 employees are as loyal. A hobby that ALA indulges with a passion is caring for animals. He’s given away his pet snakes to Nietes but in his office complex, there are four crocodiles and a monkey among others. ALA is on top of sports news, following PBA games on TV and monitoring boxing updates. He’s particularly interested if the Canelo Alvarez-Terence Crawford showdown will take place and curious as to who will win. ALA’s recipe for a long and happy life is obviously staying active, rejecting stress, doing things you like, enjoying family, eating healthy and staving off retirement.


Click here to view a list of other articles written by Joaquin Henson.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • THRILLA IN MANILA GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY 13: JOE FRAZIER’S HUMBLE BEGINNINGS AS AN AMATEUR FIGHTER
    By Maloney L. Samaco, , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • A New King, A New Challenger: Turki Alalshikh Proposes Crawford-Benavidez While Canelo Alvarez Faces Defeat with Humility
    By Dong Secuya, , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • Highly Questionable Title Eliminator
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • Yoseline Perez Earns Silver Medal at Inaugural World Boxing Championships
    , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • 21-year-old Filipino wins at Germany rapid chess tournament
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • Nagoya Nightmare: Naoya Inoue Notches One-Sided Decision over Murodjon Akhmadaliev
    , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • Inoue’s Philippine Connection: Which Pinoy Super Bantamweight Could Challenge “The Monster?”
    By Carlos Costa, , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • Yoseline Perez Advances to the Finals at the World Boxing Championships Perez Set to Face Chinese Taipei’s Hsiao-Wen Huang for 54-Kilogram World Title
    , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • Canelo Gets Outboxed, Loses Undisputed Title to Crawford
    By Carlos Costa, , Sun, 14 Sep 2025
  • A Masterpiece of Boxing: Terence Crawford Dethrones Canelo Alvarez in Historic Showdown
    By Dong Secuya, , Sun, 14 Sep 2025
  • LEWIS CROCKER IS CROWNED THE NEW IBF WORLD WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION
    , Sun, 14 Sep 2025
  • Battle of Undefeated: Callum Walsh Vanquishes Fernando Vargas Jr.
    By Dong Secuya, , Sun, 14 Sep 2025
  • Undercard Inferno: Mbilli and Martinez Deliver a Super Middleweight War Ending in a Thrilling Draw
    By Dong Secuya, , Sun, 14 Sep 2025
  • Crawford to defy odds?
    By Joaquin Henson, , Sun, 14 Sep 2025
  • Clash of Titans: The Final Predictions for Canelo Álvarez vs. Terence Crawford
    By Dong Secuya, , Sun, 14 Sep 2025
  • Weigh-In Results: Naoya Inoue vs. Murodjon Akhmadaliev
    , Sun, 14 Sep 2025
  • Inoue and Akhmadaliev Make Weight for Sunday's Battle, Watch it LIVE on Facebook!
    By Carlos Costa, , Sun, 14 Sep 2025
  • IIEE North Cotabato and Metro Central are the Golden Champion on 3x3 Basketball and 3x3 Chess
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sun, 14 Sep 2025
  • Sydney Sy Tancontian is Female Awardee of Sports Hero of the Year
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Sat, 13 Sep 2025
  • Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford: Size Matters
    By Chris Carlson, , Sat, 13 Sep 2025
  • BOOTS TALKS SPARRING WITH CANELO IN ‘DAY IN THE LIFE’
    , Sat, 13 Sep 2025
  • WEIGHTS FROM LAS VEGAS: CANELO - 167.5 LBS., CRAWFORD - 167.5 LBS.
    By Dong Secuya, , Sat, 13 Sep 2025
  • BELFAST: WEIGH-IN RESULTS AND FIGHT NIGHT RUNNING ORDER
    , Sat, 13 Sep 2025
  • Canoy cancels title fight due to child’s death
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Sat, 13 Sep 2025
  • Vietnam’s Pool Revolution: Hanoi Open Pool Championship
    , Sat, 13 Sep 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.