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Philippines, 14 Mar 2025 |
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Flores Family: Filipino Fistic Fury By Emmanuel Rivera, RRT PhilBoxing.com Thu, 13 Mar 2025  Before Pancho Villa shocked the world, before Flash Elorde legitimized and ruled the junior-lightweight division, there were the Flores brothers— Francisco, Macario, Irineo, and Elino. During the golden age of Philippine boxing, around 1920s-1930s, the Flores brood were the first great fighting Filipino brothers, the first true storm to come out of the Philippine Islands. They didn’t just prove that Filipino boxers were tough— they proved they were here to stay. They didn’t wait for an invitation to the world stage. They kicked the damn doors down. And they did it before the world even knew to look toward the Philippines for boxing talent. Trained in Frank Churchill’s legendary Olympic Stadium, a breeding ground for future champions, the Flores brothers took their fighting style— quick, relentless, and lethal— and made a name for themselves in the United States and Australia. Their names, once roared in packed stadiums, have been drowned out by time. From Bulacan to Manila to the World The Flores family originally hailed from Baliwag, Bulacan in Central Luzon, Philippines— a land of revolutionaries and warriors. Long before they laced up gloves, their homeland had been a battleground for freedom, home to heroes like Marcelo H. del Pilar, “The Great Propagandist,” and General Gregorio del Pilar, “The Hero of Tirad Pass.” It was also where the First Constitutional Democracy in Asia was born in 1899 at Barasoain Church in Malolos City. That same fighting spirit ran through the Flores brothers. But boxing in the Philippines was still young. For real fights, for real money, they had to leave home and head to Manila— to the legendary Olympic Stadium, where warriors were made. The Flores brothers took that journey, trading the familiar streets of Bulacan for the unforgiving grind of Frank Churchill’s swatorium. They trained, fought, and earned their place in the sport. And once they stepped into the ring, there was no looking back. The Olympic Stadium: Where Filipino Warriors Were Forged In the early 1900s, boxing in the Philippines was still in its infancy. American soldiers had introduced the sport, but it took Frank Churchill, an American promoter, to turn it into something bigger. His Olympic Stadium became the epicenter of Filipino boxing. It was more than an arena with a squared circle— it was a battleground. It was where Filipino fighters were sharpened like blades, molded into something fierce, something unbreakable. It was here that the Flores brothers were born into the fire. And it was here that Joe Waterman, a legendary fight manager, found them. Waterman had already brought Dencio Cabanela to prominence. Now, he had four warriors ready for battle. Familia Flores: Furia pugilística Filipina Each of the four Flores brothers had something different to bring to the fight. They weren’t just four men with the same surname— they were four different nightmares in the ring. 
Source: The Cablenews-American 1920.05.22: Page 4 Francisco Flores (1914–1925): The Technician Francisco was the sharpest of the Flores brothers. A natural technician, he didn’t fight with wild aggression, though he was known as The Filipino Tiger. He fought with precision, patience, and ruthless efficiency. He squared off against Dencio Cabanela four times, their fights regarded as some of the most brutal technical wars ever seen in Manila. His career took him to Australia, where he faced some of the best lightweights of his time. • Total: 66 fights • Record: 31 wins (10 KOs), 20 losses, 13 draws • Notable Opponents: Dencio Cabanela, Llew Edwards, Young Abe Brown • Beat Kid Dencio Cabanela for the Orient Featherweight Title at Palomar Pavilion (March 23, 1918). Manila Daily Bulletin reported a close fight, “Cabanela was the better boxer and Flores the harder hitter.” • Lost a close decision to Llew Edwards on February 22, 1919 to inaugurate the Olympic Stadium— in 10 slashing rounds. 
Star (Seattle, Washington) • Sat, Jul 5, 1924 • Page 5 Macario Flores (1918–1933): The Original Bolo Puncher If Francisco was ice, Macario was fire. Nicknamed “The Manila Tiger”, Macario fought like a man possessed. His punches weren’t just thrown— they were meant to break a man in half. Pardon the hyperbole. Seattle fight fans never forgot his legendary war with Joe Gorman. But Macario wasn’t just about brute force— he owned the bolo punch before anyone even knew what it was. People like to say that Ceferino Garcia made the bolo punch famous. But let’s be clear: Macario Flores was throwing it first. The bolo punch was inspired by Filipino blade fighting, a strike that mimicked the swings of the bolo knife, a single-edged machete used for both farming and combat. It was akin to a winding uppercut, a cross between a hook and an uppercut, designed to slash through a guard like a knife through flesh. Bill Miller, one of the most respected boxing writers, was the man who gave the punch its name after watching Garcia knock out Alfredo Gaoana, a Mexican fighter from a family of bullfighters, back in January 19, 1932. “Mark Kelly (former Examiner sports editor) is sitting with me for the fight, Garcia throws an uppercut that takes the bullfighter off the ground floor and out. "What kind of punch was that?' asks Kelly. 'Why, Mark, I tell him, that's the favorite punch of the Philippines. That's the bolo. "That's right, the bolo! Never thought of it till that minute! Invented the damned thing right there!” Mr. Miller recalled. (source: Los Angeles Times, Aug. 5, 1975) That was the moment he christened the bolo punch and the reason we associate the deadly strike with Ceferino Garcia. • Total: 87 fights • Record: 37 wins (21 KOs), 33 losses, 16 draws • Notable Opponents: Joe Gorman, Tenebro Santos, Young Harry Wills 
Source: Credit: San Francisco News-Call Bulletin (Photo Morgue, San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library) Irineo Flores (1920–1936): Mr. Durable Irineo was the toughest of them all. He wasn’t just a fighter— he was a walking storm. He took punishment and kept coming forward, night after night, for 126 fights. You really want to know how tough he was? He fought the great Ceferino Garcia FIVE times— drew thrice, won once, lost once, all by decisions. And there were his sensational wins against rough-and-tumble bruisers like Harry Stone, Silvino Jamito and Macario Villon. • Total: 126 fights • Record: 62 wins (29 KOs), 37 losses, 25 draws • Notable Opponents: Ceferino Garcia, Macario Villon, Johnny Hill 
Source: Boxing News Mar 11, 1922, page 6 (National Library of the Philippines) Elino Flores (1919–1933): The Cub Elino was the youngest. But many believed he was the best— a tactical, shifty, and slashing boxer with pin-point accuracy, qualities that elicited multiple standing ovations. He was Pancho Villa’s best friend, and when Pancho went to America to conquer the fight game, Elino was right there with him. Many boxing insiders at the time thought he was Villa’s equal. Had fate played out differently, Elino might have become a world champion alongside Pancho. • Total: 79 fights • Record: 42 wins (15 KOs), 17 losses, 14 draws • Notable Opponents: Mariano Adriano, Tommy O’Brien, Jack Bernstein The Forgotten Kings of Filipino Boxing Boxing is a cruel sport. It lifts men up and forgets them just as quickly. The Flores brothers were pioneers, but history only remembers those who make it to the very top. They fought in an era before television, before big-money promoters, before world title opportunities came easily to Filipino fighters. But without them, there is no Filipino boxing legacy. They were the ones who proved that Filipino fighters could compete with the world. Flores Fighting Fury— a storm that came before the world was ready They fought, they bled, and they carved a path for generations to follow— a path that legends like Pancho Villa, Ceferino Garcia, Flash Elorde, Luisito Espinosa and Manny Pacquiao would one day walk. Their legacy lives on in every Filipino fighter who refuses to back down, who throws a punch with conviction, who steps into the ring not just to win, but to prove they belong. Their names must never be forgotten. Francisco. Macario. Irineo. Elino. Flores. Sources, acknowledgements and recommended readings: • Special thanks for their kind assistance to Christina Moretta (Photo Curator, Acting Manager) and Lisa Palella (Library Technical Assistant II) at the San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library • All boxing records verified via Boxrec.com and BoxerList.com • All photos and references in this article are properly attributed and comply with the U.S. Fair Use Doctrine Click here to view a list of other articles written by Emmanuel Rivera, RRT.  |
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