On the eve of the 25th anniversary of the tragic death of one of Mexico’s all time great boxing heroes, Salvador Sanchez, Oscar De La Hoya and HBO Boxing presented us with a true gem of an under card, pitting two fellow Mexican Champions, Jhonny Gonzalez and Daniel Ponce De Leon, against Filipino rivals, former WBC Super Flyweight Champion Gerry Penalosa and Rey Bautista. Penalosa is a respected boxer in the Philippines, but not as idolized as the guy many call the greatest Filipino boxer of all time, Mr. Pacman, Manny Pacquiao. Two things that I observed during the HBO telecast: nobody remembered Sanchez or mentioned the quarter of a century of his passing, which would have been the correct thing to do considering that people like him come just about once in a century.
HBO’s total omitting of any comments concerning Sanchez’s tragic anniversary as well as Bob Papas’ assertion that the Philippines was hungry for a new boxing idol made me realize maybe it was time to remind people of another Filipino boxing all time great, one who, like Sanchez, had a tragic death himself but who lived live inside the ring to the fullest. It was Gabriel Flash Elorde who was the first true Filipino boxing hero.
Elorde’s death in 1985, of a heart attack, was eerily similar and at about the same time of that of another Mexican boxing hero, Vicente Saldivar. His boxing career, however, hardly ever had any similarities to any other, because he never avoided any challenge from anybody, good or bad. Winners or losers, Elorde gave everyone who called him an opportunity to prove themselves in the ring against the Flash, in the process becoming a national hero and crossover celebrity in the Philippines, and a well known boxer everywhere else. The public corner where Pacquiao stands at currently, was built and first traveled by Elorde.
Flash Elorde had his first professional boxing fight on May 8, 1956, against someone nicknamed, as I presume this was not the guy’s real name, “Kid Gonzaga,” whom was steamrolled over in round four by Elorde. Elorde won his first nine bouts before losing on October 16, 1951, to Kid Independence by a ten round decision. Elorde’s early career record is filled with colorful names like that, which was typical of that time.
On July 26, 1952, Elorde faced Tanny Campo for the Philippine Bantamweight Title and he won by a twelve round decision. That victory was soon followed by a try at the OPBF’s vacant Bantamweight Title, which he won in Japan by beating Hiroshi Horiguchi by a twelve round split decision. He challenged for the OPBF’s Featherweight Title and although he dropped champion Larry Bataan in round nine of their fight, Elorde dropped a twelve rounds decision to Bataan. Having established himself in Japan temporarily, Elorde also challenged for the Japanese Featherweight Title, also losing on points, to Masashi Akiyama, over ten rounds on November 25, 1953. He later fought again for the OPBF Featherweight Title against Shigeji Kaneko, with the same result as his previous battle against Bataan.
Not happy with his achievements in Japan, Elorde returned to the Philippines, where he began his road towards becoming the world class champion he ended up being. In July of 1955, Sandy Saddler found himself as a tourist in the streets of Manila. He was, however, no ordinary traveler, Saddler was the world Featherweight Champion and had 157 professional bouts when in Manila, and Elorde was in no particular mood to be a hospitable host. When the two met on July 20, Elorde upset the champion by beating him on points over ten rounds. A star was born.
It was Saddler’s turn to be Elorde’s host when the champion decided to put his title on the line against the man that beat him, on January 18, 1956, at San Francisco’s legendary Cow Palace. It was a close fight through, but the referee decided to stop the fight in round thirteen because of a bad cut Elorde sustained, and Saddler retained the World Featherweight Title by a technical knockout.
For four years after that, Elorde continued laboring in his home country, winning and losing but mostly winning. Then he had another chance at a world title, this time against the seemingly surging Harold Gomes, world Super Featherweight Champion. Elorde dropped Gomes five times, including two in round seven, proclaiming himself Super Featherweight Champion of the World. Not happy with the result, Gomes complained about the Manila heat affecting his performance so both camps agreed to a rematch, in the United States. Elorde returned to Manila that time with a souvenir he forgot to pick up during his first trip to San Francisco, a victory. Proving he could beat Gomes anywhere, Elorde this time made it easier for himself, picking the former world champion apart before the first round was over.
Elorde was a busy world champion, beating people like Joey Lopes, Johnny Bizzarro and Dave Allotey twice before going up in weight to challenge world Lightweight Champion Carlos Ortiz on February 15, 1964, losing by a fourteenth round knockout after a tough fight.
Elorde fluctuated between weights after that fight, beating future Champion and fellow Filipino Rene Barrientos at lightweight, and defending his World Junior Lightweight Title five more times before a rematch with Ortiz, November 28 of 1966, in New York City, inside the hallowed walls of the Madison Square Garden. They say lightning never strikes twice but these two proved them wrong, as after another action packed affair, Ortiz repeated his fourteenth round knockout victory over the savvy Elorde.
On June 15, 1967, Elorde surrendered his world Junior Lightweight Title to Yoshiaki Numata, losing by a fifteen round decision in Tokyo, Japan. He had, however, established a record of 14 division titles as a Junior Lightweight Champion. Other Hall of Famers such as Bobby Chacon and Wilfredo Gomez, as well as future ones like Julio Cesar Chavez, Samuel Serrano and Floyd Mayweather, JR., would lay claim to the division’s Championship but none broke Elorde’s record, and only Serrano, with ten defenses in his first reign as WBA Champion and Chavez came mildly close to breaking it.
Elorde had a record of 88-27-2, 33 KO’s, and an untouched legacy as perhaps the greatest Junior Lightweight Champion of all time.
Sometimes, it’s good to remember.
Gabriel Flash Elorde (Featherweight – Lightweight) Professional Record: 117 fights; 88+ (33 KO’s), 2=, 27- 1952: Philippines Bantamweight 1952-1954: Orient Bantamweight 1954-1957: Philippines Junior lightweight 1957: Orient Lightweight 1958-1962: Orient Lightweight 1960-1967: World Junior lightweight 1962-1966: Orient Lightweight
– 1951 –
+ (Jun-16-1951, Cebu City) Kid Gonzaga ko 4 + (Jun-23-1951, Cebu City) Young Basiliano ko 3 + (Jun-30-1951, Cebu City) Mike Sanchez 5 + (Jul-14-1951, Cebu City) Kid Santos ko 5 + (Jul-28-1951, Cebu City) Star Mercado ko 1 + (Aug-11-1951, Cebu City) Fighting Chavez ko 1 + (Aug-20-1951, Cebu City) Fighting Chavez ko 7 + (Sep-8-1951, Cebu City) Little Patilla ko 6 + (Sep-15-1951, Cebu City) Star Flores 10 – (Oct-16-1951, Cebu City) Kid Independence ko 10 + (Dec-1-1951, Cebu City) Lucky Strike ko 5
– 1952 –
+ (Jan-30-1952, Davao City) Tenejeros Boy 8 – (Feb-24-1952, Davao City) Little Dundee 8 = (Mar-16-1952, Davao City) Tommy Romulo 10 + (May-3-1952, Caloocan) Benny Escobar 8 + (May-10-1952, Caloocan) Paulito Escarlan 6 + (May-31-1952, Caloocan) Tanny Campo 8 + (Jul-26-1952, Manille) Tanny Campo 12 (Philippines, Bantamweight) + (Aug-12-1952, Davao City) Little Dundee ko 4 (Philippines, Bantamweight) + (Oct-18-1952, Tokyo) Hiroshi Horigushi 12 (Orient, Bantamweight) = (Nov-18-1952, Tokyo) Akiyoshi Akanuma 10
– 1953 –
+ (Feb-18-1953, Manille) Willie Brown ko 4 + (Mar-15-1953, Manille) Al Cruz 10 – (May-20-1953, Manille) Larry Bataan 12 (Orient, Featherweight) + (Jul-6-1953, Tokyo) Akiyoshi Akanuma 12 (Orient, Bantamweight) – (Aug-8-1953) Shigeji KANEKO 10 + (Oct-8-1953, Tokyo) Noboru Tanaka 10 – (Nov-25-1953, Tokyo) Masashi Akiyama 10 (Japan, Featherweight)
– 1954 –
+ (Jan-21-1954, Tokyo) Kiyoaki Nakanishi 10 + (Apr-21-1954, Tokyo) Hiroshi Okawa 10 – (Jun-29-1954, Tokyo) Shigeji KANEKO 12 (Orient, Featherweight) + (Aug-5-1954, Tokyo) Roy Higa 10 + (Aug-18-1954, Manille) Tommy Romulo 12 (Philippines, Junior lightweight) + (Nov-20-1954, Manille) Katsumi Kosaka ko 8 + (Nov-27-1954, Manille) Masashi Akiyama 10
– 1955 –
– (Jan-12-1955, Tokyo) Masashi Akiyama 10 + (Apr-15-1955, Manille) Severo Fuentes 10 – (Jun-15-1955, Manille) Leo Alonzo 12 (Philippines, Lightweight) + (Jul-20-1955, Manille) Sandy SADDLER 10 – (Oct-3-1955, Tokyo) Shigeji KANEKO 10
– 1956 –
– (Jan-18-1956, San Francisco) Sandy SADDLER kot 13 (World, Featherweight) + (Apr-23-1956, San Francisco) Cleo Lane ko 1 + (May-8-1956, Stockton) Chico Rosa 10 + (Jun-11-1956, San Francisco) Gil Velarde kot 7 + (Jun-26-1956, Stockton) Cecil SCHOONMAKER ko 9 + (Jul-24-1956, San Jose) Dave GALLARDO 10 – (Aug-22-1956, San Francisco) Miguel Berrios 10 + (Oct-16-1956, San Jose) Luke Sandoval ko 2 – (Nov-9-1956, New York) Miguel Berrios 10
– 1957 –
+ (Feb-5-1957, Osaka) Hidemi Wada ko 5 + (Mar-16-1957, Manille) Tommy Romulo 12 (Philippines, Junior lightweight) + (Apr-27-1957, Nagoya) Hideto Kobayashi 12 (Orient, Lightweight) – (Jun-23-1957, Bangkok) Omsap Laempapha 12 (Orient, Lightweight) + (Aug-4-1957, Bangkok) Salika Yontrakit ko 3 – (Sep-24-1957, Tokyo) Shigeji KANEKO 10 + (Oct-23-1957, Manille) Leo Alonzo 12 (Philippines, Junior lightweight)
– 1958 –
+ (Mar-2-1958, Tokyo) Hiroshi Okawa 12 (Orient, Lightweight) + (May-3-1958, Manille) Javellana Kid 12 (Orient, Lightweight) + (Jun-10-1958, Honolulu) Ike CHESTNUT 10 + (Sep-2-1958, Tokyo) Hisao Kobayashi 12 (Orient, Lightweight) + (Nov-15-1958, Manille) Keiichi Ichikawa kot 6 (Orient, Lightweight) + (Dec-27-1958, Manille) Kiyoaki Nakanishi kot 3
– 1959 –
+ (Feb-6-1959, Tokyo) Takeo Sugimori 12 (Orient, Lightweight) – (Feb-23-1959, San Francisco) Paolo ROSI 10 + (Mar-31-1959, Stockton) Teddy DAVIS 10 + (May-25-1959, Caracas) Sonny Leon 10 – (Jun-15-1959, Caracas) Vicente Rivas 10 – (Jul-29-1959, Cleveland) Solomon BOYSAW 10 + (Oct-7-1959, Tokyo) Hisao Kobayashi 12 (Orient, Lightweight) + (Nov-26-1959, Tokyo) Isami Ikeyama kot 4 + (Dec-15-1959, Manille) Nursery Kid 10
– 1960 –
+ (Mar-16-1960, Quezon City) Harold GOMES ko 7 (N.B.A., Junior lightweight) + (Jul-9-1960, Manille) Hachiro Ito kot 5 + (Aug-17-1960, San Francisco) Harold GOMES ko 1 (N.B.A., Junior lightweight) + (Oct-17-1960, Manille) Sakuzi Shinozawa 12 (Orient, Lightweight) + (Dec-16-1960, Manille) Vicente Rivas 10
– 1961 –
+ (Mar-19-1961, Manille) Joey LOPES 15 (World, Junior lightweight) + (May-31-1961, Manille) Giordano Campari 10 + (Sep-2-1961, Manille) Teruo Kosaka 12 (Orient, Lightweight) + (Dec-16-1961, Manille) Sergio CAPRARI ko 1 (World, Junior lightweight)
– 1962 –
+ (Mar-10-1962, Manille) Somkiat Katmuangyon ko 2 (Orient, Lightweight) – (Apr-30-1962, Tokyo) Teruo Kosaka 12 (Orient, Lightweight) + (Jun-23-1962, Manille) Auburn Copeland 15 (World, Junior lightweight) + (Aug-4-1962, Cebu City) Teruo Kosaka 12 (Orient, Lightweight) + (Nov-17-1962, Manille) Isarasak Puntainorasing kot 3 + (Dec-21-1962, Manille) Solomon BOYSAW 10
– 1963 –
+ (Feb-16-1963, Manille) Johnny Bizzarro 15 (World, Junior lightweight) + (Jun-1-1963, Manille) Tsunstomi Miyamoto kot 9 (Orient, Lightweight) + (Aug-3-1963, Manille) Love Allotey 10 + (Nov-16-1963, Quezon City) Love Allotey disq.11 (World, Junior lightweight)
– 1964 –
– (Feb-15-1964, Manille) Carlos ORTIZ kot 14 (World, Lightweight) + (May-8-1964, Manille) Tadashi Matsumoto 12 (Orient, Lightweight) + (Jul-27-1964, Tokyo) Teruo Kosaka kot 12 (World, Junior lightweight) + (Nov-21-1964, Manille) Kang-Il Suh 12 (Orient, Lightweight)
– 1965 –
+ (Feb-27-1965, Manille) Rene BARRIENTOS 12 (Orient, Lightweight) + (Jun-5-1965, Quezon City) Teruo Kosaka ko 15 (World, Junior lightweight) + (Aug-5-1965, New York) Frankie NARVAEZ 10 + (Dec-4-1965, Manille) Kang-Il Suh 15 (World, Junior lightweight)
– 1966 –
+ (Mar-19-1966, Tokyo) Ismael LAGUNA 10 – (Jun-9-1966, Tokyo) Yoshiaki NUMATA 12 (Orient, Lightweight) + (Aug-7-1966, Quezon City) Percy Hayles 10 + (Oct-22-1966, Quezon City) Vicente Derado 15 (World, Junior lightweight) – (Nov-28-1966, New York) Carlos ORTIZ ko 14 (World, Lightweight)
– 1967 –
+ (Feb-2-1967, Manille) Kang-Il Suh 10 + (Apr-25-1967, Honolulu) Fujio Mikami 10 – (Jun-15-1967, Tokyo) Yoshiaki NUMATA 15 (W.B.C., Junior lightweight) – (Oct-28-1967, Manille) Akihisa Someya 10
– 1968: inactive –
– 1969 –
– (Feb-15-1969, Quito) Eugenio Espinoza 10 – (Apr-26-1969, Quezon City) Jaguar Kakizawa 10
– 1970 –
+ (Apr-10-1970, Manille) Mongai Munchai ko 5 + (May-16-1970, Davao City) Isao Ichihara ko 9 + (Jun-27-1970, Manille) Kenji Iwata 10 + (Aug-28-1970, Manille) Cisco Andrade kot 5 + (Oct-31-1970, Quezon City) Tatsunao Mitsuyama 10 – (Dec-18-1970) Isao Ichihara 10
– 1971 –
+ (Feb-14-1971, Quezon City) Isao Ichihara ko 6 – (May-20-1971, Tokyo) Hiroyuki Murakami 10
