ALL Johnrey Dandal Loreto ever wanted was to build his family a decent house in his birthplace — Tamayong, Calinan, Davao City.
But the International Boxing Organization (IBO) world junior flyweight champion will have to wait longer as he has yet to claim the $42,000 prize money from his title defense against NkosinathiJoyi last March 22 at Mdantsane Indoor Center, Mdantsane, Eastern Cape, South Africa.
“Sobra tulo na ka bulan wala lang gihapon balita. Gikaso na gani namo ang promoter sa South Africa pero hangtud karon wala lang gihapon. Wala pa nahuman ang balay nila Mama, katong kwartaha man ungta akong pangpahuman ato (It’s over three months now. We already filed a case against the South African promoter but nothing good has come out of it yet. The house I built for my parents is not yet complete as that money was intended for that),” 24-year-old Rey said in an interview with Sun.Star Davao at the sidelines of the Boxing Revolution III weigh-in and press conference held at the NCCC Mall Davao activity center recently.
He was pertaining to boxing promoter Siphatho Handi who is also the manager of Joyi.
Rey said the unfinished concrete two-bedroom house seats on a 100-square meter lot within their 800-square meter banana farm in Tamayong. He said it’s for father Conrado, a farmer, and mother, Teresita, a housewife.
He retained his crown even after undergoing an appendectomy operation on his right appendix last February 6. Thus, proving his determination to defend his belt no matter how painful it had been for him.
“Sakit kaayo pero swerte jud gihatag ni Lord sa ako (I was hurting. I’m thankful God gave me the win),” he said.
Rey said he will have to take a break and rest although he still keep himself fit and ready for any fight.
He, however, still couldn’t believe he reached his current status as world champion, adding in the vernacular: “I had too many losses. I really didn’t expect this to happen to me.” He holds a record of 20 wins (12 knockouts) and 13 losses.
Rey reminisced how he started as an amateur boxer at age 14. He never graduated from elementary, reaching only the fifth grade at Pedro P. Rodriguez Elementary School.
He learned boxing all by himself as then Calinan boxing team didn’t accept him as he was small and really didn’t know how to box. At 13, he worked at the Calinan market, scraping coconut meat or washing mangoes and ginger.
He would join every amateur boxing event he gets his hands on. Since their house in Tamayong is far, he sleeps at the market too.
But when he was told that he could play in a tournament in Iloilo yet ended up not going as somebody else filled his spot, he got frustrated having trained hard for it.
“I turned pro after that `coz I really felt bad. I was 17 then. I regret that I turned pro without having a manager `coz I kept losing at that time. But I learned from that. I have no other dream now but just to work harder in my boxing,” he added.
He has a two-year-old son, Ran, with his gilrfriend in Japan but he rarely sees them due to lack of funds to make a trip going there.
Rey is being managed by Brico Santig and promoted by Sonshine Sports Management, Inc. with former North Cotabato Gov. Manny Pi?ol as chief executive officer and Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy as owner.
