MANILA, Philippines – The way is clear for unbeaten superfeatherweight Juan Martin (Bai) Elorde to fight in the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao-Antonio Margarito mainer at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Nov. 13. Another Filipino ? flyweight Richie Mepranum of Sarangani, the province which Pacquiao represents in Congress ? will also be in the program.
Pacquiao himself gave the go-signal for his Canadian adviser Michael Koncz to coordinate Elorde?s inclusion with Top Rank. Koncz initially suggested to book Elorde in a separate card featuring Bernabe Concepcion in Las Vegas a week before the Pacquiao-Margarito duel. But Pacquiao wanted Elorde in his show.
?Bai is Flash Elorde?s grandson ? that means a lot,? said Pacquiao, quoted by Elorde?s mother Liza. ?I want to watch him in Texas. I want him in my card. I think it will be good for Bai and good for publicity because of the Elorde name.?
The young Elorde was with Pacquiao at the Elorde family?s boxing gym on the fourth floor of the Frisco Building on Roosevelt Avenue the other day. Pacquiao advised Elorde to train hard, stay focused and never slacken off.
?It?s Bai?s big break,? said Liza who owns the 500 square meter gym with husband Johnny, a former Southeast Asian Games gold medalist. ?Buboy (Fernandez) wants Bai to join Manny in training camp in Baguio. Bai has a fight against Sahasawat Khaedon of Thailand in Sucat on Oct. 2 so after that, he?ll go to Baguio. Then, he?ll leave with Manny?s group on Oct. 20 for Los Angeles.?
Liza said she informed Pacquiao of Elorde?s Oct. 2 bout and got clearance to proceed.
?Manny told us no problem,? said Liza. ?In Texas, Bai will fight at 133 pounds, either in a four or six-rounder. He?s serious with his boxing. He knows what he?s getting into. There?s pressure on him because of the Elorde name but he can take it. He?s dedicated.?
The 5-7 Elorde, 25, has a 10-0 record, with three KOs, and is coming off a second round disposal of Kan Hamonkol at the Sofitel Hotel last March. Mepranum, 22, lost to Julio Cesar Miranda by a fifth round knockout for the vacant WBO flyweight crown last June and is determined to bounce back with a vengeance. Mepranum has a record of 22-2-1, with five KOs.
A week before the Pacquiao-Margarito fight, a card will be held in Las Vegas with Concepcion and Dennis Laurente taking on separate opponents.
Elorde and Laurente will headline the Oct. 2 card at the Elorde Sports Center in Sucat. Elorde?s younger brother Juan Miguel or Mig, 23, will face Richard Vasquez in the bill. Mig is a 5-8 bantamweight with a 7-0 record, including two KOs. Laurente, 33, has a 34-3-5 record, with 17 KOs, and his latest victim was African veteran Ben Tackie. Laurente battles Thailand?s Kompikat Sitsaitong on Oct. 2 with Gretchen Abaniel taking on Thailand?s Nongbuy Lookpraiaree in a female special attraction.
Liza said she is grateful to Pacquiao for giving her son a break and for patronizing the Roosevelt Avenue gym which is less than a year old. The gym?s head pro is former fighter Robert Palarit with Toto Laurente, Chito Padagdag and Monie de Guia the other trainers. The facility is a world-class boxing gym with four heavy bags, two speedballs, two double-end balls and a standard-size ring.
?Manny likes the gym because it?s spacious and our equipment is complete,? she said. ?In his last practice, he was impressed by the solid speedball frame which my father-in-law Flash Elorde used and is still being used in the gym. Manny mentioned the wooden frame is probably made of yakal because it is well-preserved, hard and strong. It?s not true there was a loose screw in the frame. Manny was pictured admiring the frame because of its legacy. Imagine, it has been passed on from one great champion to another.?
The Roosevelt gym is one of 15 owned by different Elorde brothers and sisters in Metro Manila.
