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Philippines, 23 Nov 2025 |
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TOP MINDANAO GYM RELOCATES TO CEBU PhilBoxing.com Mon, 13 Jul 2009 The Digos-City based American Boxing Academy owned and operated by American Ken Smith and his Filipino brother in-law John Glen Salazar, has just announced the decision to team up with Cebu's SGG Promotions and the Philippines #1 boxing promoter Sammy Gello-ani. Smith and Gello-ani have agreed to bring the upstart ABA to Cebu after discussions in Atlantic City between the two just this past month. "Sammy offered that he and I could team up in Cebu and make American Boxing Academy the Philippines' no. 1 pro boxing gym," Smith said. The ABA has been based at Smith's compound on the island of Mindanoa in the southern Philippines. Over the past 2 years ABA has promoted some 10 shows all in Digos City along the way co-promoting several others all around Mindanao. Smith said "At the same time that I am excited and motivated about American Boxing Academys partnership in Cebu with Sammy G. I also cherish the memories of what we did in Digos. This was a very difficult enviroment to operate in. I am proud of what we all did on Mindanao, ABA brought good boxing, and entertainment to the people of Digos, and they always appreciated us". It was an exciting time for the American and his brother in-law as they built the program from the ground up [literaly building a gym and apartelle for ABA fighters. Smith and Salazar combed the Island for fighters to first promote and then eventually to manage, sometimes having to avoid military vs rebel conflicts along the way, even just missing being bombed out of mayor JoJo Lopez Maasim office at city hall where they all slept just the night before the MILF, and Abu Syaff attacked city hall ]. American Boxing Academy quickly built a solid stable of Filipino fighters that today includes world rated Ramie Laput among other hopefuls. SGG Promotions run by Cebu promoter Sammy Gello-ani who is regarded by top American promoters as the #1 promoter in the Philippines has agreed to partner with Smith in opening the new American Boxing Academy in Cebu. Smith noted that SGG promotions regular schedule of events all around the Philippines, along with SGG's international contacts will best assure American Boxing Academy a world champion. Smith said. "I have spoken with a top executive at a major American boxing company and he told me that SGG promoted fighters will be fighting on their future cards in the USA." American Boxing Academys re-location to Cebu should bring along with it a world class gym and fighter philosophy. American Boxing Academy has already attracted other international fighters to its training camp, most notably world rated jr middleweight Charles Whittaker. Smith said "Sammy and I will open our gym soon in Cebu, the new American Boxing Academy, and it will be modeled after other world class American boxing gyms like Wild Card in LA. and Gleasons in New York, and yes we will have American fighters come train here." Hopefully some more Filipino boxing stars can be born out of this union."  |
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