BASED on what they have achieved the past year, it is beyond doubt that the fistic capabilities of our fighters are definitely of world-class ilk.
What has not been commensurate has been the capacities of local promoters to come up with boxing events and cards that will showcase local talent on a regular basis.
Failing that, we therefore hear of Pinoy fighters traveling abroad as opponents of up-and-coming foreign contenders eager to pad their records. Under-trained and ill-equipped, most of our fighters are lambs led to slaughter.
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Of course, much of that is dictated by economics and we have to accept certain realities in this sport. There simply are not enough well-intentioned and of course, well-heeled promoters to look after anyone who dreams of becoming the next Manny Pacquiao.
Swimming upstream however, is of course, ALA Promotions which has consistently championed the cause of the local fighter. Their ?Pinoy Pride? boxing series continues to be the yardstick by which other boxing events are measured against.
Last year, they conquered new grounds with the holding of another boxing event in Dubai with smashing success.
ALA Promotions has also acquired a promoter?s license in the USA which gives it more gravitas as an organization. More importantly, it has expanded its reach by promoting non-ALA boxing gym talents.
All these are welcome developments that will potentially inure to the benefit of our local pugs.
On the periphery, Rex Wakee Salud continues to be a player in the boxing industry. He runs RWS Gym in Labangon and is a bosom buddy of Manny Pacquiao.
Sammy Gello-ani of SSG Promotions has world class boxers Marvin Sonsona and John Reil Casimero under his wing. The avuncular boxing promoter has met with much success on his own after breaking away from ALA Promotions a few years back.
On the periphery we saw the rise of small scale promoters like Big Yellow Stable which featured a PBF championship bout last Dec. 7.
Inevitably, a fighter?s success is as much as his promoter?s as their fates are inexorably intertwined. A fighter can only gain as much success not only as his talent will allow, but also by how far his promoter can take him.
Philippine boxing continues to be in a robust and rosy state. In a few more years, it?s flagship fighter Manny Pacquiao will eventually retire. But there?s much reason to be hopeful that any one of our current crop of contenders can carry the torch and continue it?s golden age.
RIOS WINS. Over the weekend, we saw the third installment of Brandon Rios-Mike Alvarado and this time around, the fresher fighter won.
Both of these gallant warriors treated us to heart-stopping donnybrooks in their first two fights, and fans expected another two-way battle.
Alas, it was not meant to be.
Since defeating Rios in the rematch, Alvarado had gone 0-2 against Ruslan Provodnikov and Juan Manuel Marquez.
In those two losses, Alvarado absorbed plenty of punishment. Provodnikov brutalized him in 10 rounds, and he engaged in a shoot-fest with ?Dinamita? for 12.
In the third bout, Rios looked overwhelmingly strong, which was quite a departure from their two evenly-matched bouts. Alvarado attempted to box but Rios simply had too much fire-power.
After Alvarado was dropped in the third, he signaled to his corner that he could not anymore see Rios? punches, causing the denouement of the proceedings.
Alvarado?s sudden flameout is a sign that he has registered too much mileage on the fight odometer. It?s time to get out while his senses are still intact.
A fighter can only take one ruinous beating after another.
LAST ROUND. It?s on one of my best buddy since way back, Siegfred Melleza, who celebrates his birthday this week. Cheers bro!
