THE revival of Sunday’s Fiesta Fistiana harkens back memories of boxing bouts that rapturously stretched from 1955 to 1967, giving boxing aficionados the most bangs for their pesos.
In that 12-year span, 13 Philippine titles – the fly, bantam, feather and lightweight crowns were dispatched under the aegis of the Philippine Sports Association (PSA) Fistiana promotions, a charitable venture that brought Christmas cheers to aging, blind and disabled boxers.
Gabriel “Flash” Elorde was the main attraction in seven Fistianas, four of which he successfully defended his Oriental lightweight crowns against Japanese and a Korean challenger.
At the Bullfight Arena on Harrison Blvd. close to the Rizal Memorial sports complex, the Fistiana made its debut on April 15, 1995.
Two titles were put at stake.
Featherweight Emil “Bill” Tinde dethroned Ben Escobar by unanimously decision in 12 rounds. Tanny Campo regained the flyweight crown from Danny Kid, also in 12.
Significantly, the ‘55 Fistiana had in the supporting card a stylish lefty from Bogo, Cebu with the moniker of “Flash” Elorde. He won in 10 rounds by decision against Severo Fuentes in the 10 rounder.
That was Elorde’s major thrust into national adulation, the harbinger of a career by becoming the junior lightweight champion of the World Boxing Association (WBA) for several years in the early ‘60s. Elorde was as much as a celebrity as Manny Pacquiao, minus the political hangers-on.
Elorde won his world title against Harold Gomes, a San Francisco-Bay Area native in March, 1960 at the Araneta Coliseum by decision in 12 rounds. A rematch later in California saw Elorde keeping his title.
Going up a notch in weight, Elorde was foiled by Puerto Rican Carlos Ortiz in New York, June 15, 1967 in the challenge for the lightweight title.
Also etched in the Fistiana history were bouts of Leo Espinosa (RP, Oriental featherweight titles), Bert Somodio, Army Wonder Boy, Johnny Jamito (bantam champ), Curly Aguirre, Roberto Cruz, Cherry Montano Anthony Villanueva (Tokyo Olympics silver medalist), Rene Barrientos, Pedro Adigue (lightweight champ), Tiny Palacio (bantam champ) and Ervito Salavarria (flyweight champ).
Unsavory stories not fit to print in sports pages triggered the creation of the Fiesta Fistiana.
There was blind Fighting Gonzales in downtown Rizal Ave. in Manila fiddling a battered violin in exchange for coins. Kid Johnson was a derelict begging for alms. Johnny Hill was found in a dirt road in Kawit, Cavite imploring a toothless grin with his palms open to passersby.
Little Moro, wrecked with TB was located in Cebu’s Bagumbayan district, a listless wanderer. Afflicted with paralysis were Kid Pepe (featherweight), Young Santos (ex-Oriental flyweight champ) D. Bataycan (flyweight), Chino Velgas, Speed Sara, Jose Fernandez, Kid Jose and Fighting Carlos.
A few were blind: Swift Blackie, Rush Montano, Ben de Leon, Cowboy Tacio and Kid Apostol, a close friend of Pancho Villa.
In the early days of 1955 chubby Ricky Llanos (Manila Times) Zacarias Tabaniag (Evening News), Jimmy Lacsamana (Manila Bulletin), Pep Scarella (Daily Mirror), Orly Aquino and Teddy Benigno (Manila Chronicle) and Ceferino Baquizal (Philippine Herald) banded up who then presented the Fistiana concept to the Games and Amusement Board.
The idea went on a roll. In Congress, Rep. Serafin Salvador (2nd dist., Rizal) a boxing enthusiast, filed House Bill No. 4231 during the Second Session of the Third Congress. Sixty-eight congressmen conceded their yeahs, with no objection. The Senate nodded en toto.
President Ramon Magsaysay signed Rep. Act. 1373 on June 18, 1955 granting the PSA tax-exempt boxing promotion dubbed Fiesta Fistiana “to benefit aging and disabled Filipino boxers.
Earmarked in the earlier Fistiana was P10,000, entrusted into a trust fund under GAB, PSA and Philippine Boxing Association presidents’ supervision. The kitty came from main event purses donations.
Fewer than 50 received the first PSA doles at P100 each, a net sum when the peso was contending well versus the US dollar. Then the disbursements tapered off to P80 for a few years. The worst was in 1963, with P14 given to each as the number of ex-boxers swelled to 300 based on the research by GAB.
What lingers vividly in the memory of past Fistiana fans was the skirmish between Elorde and Solomon Boysaw, a rugged honcho from the San Francisco-Bay area, Ca. In a flurry of sharp exchanges, Elorde knocked down Boysaw in the 8th round and eventually went on to win by unanimous decision in the 10-rounder featured event.
The PSA has evolved a new tack, coordinating with the City of Manila and a host of sponsors to give livelihood packages to recipients, a departure from giving out doles started more than 50 years ago.
This year’s edition of the Fiesta Fistiana will be held on Sunday at the Rajah Sulaiman Park in Malate, Manila.
Fifty four rounds of boxing will be presented free to the public.
Alex Escaner stakes his Philippine super bantamweight crown against No. 3 Jake Verano in the event organized by the Philippine Sportswriters Association in cooperation with the Games and Amusements Board and the City of Manila and sponsored by San Miguel Corp., Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corp. and the Philippine Sports Commission.
Also supporting the event are Philippine Airlines, SM, Caltex Philippines and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.
The event, originally featuring seven fights, has ballooned to eight for a total of 56 rounds with the addition of the scheduled eightrounder between RP No. 1 featherweight contender Mike Farinas and former Philippine champion Jephrey Onate.
