THEY called her ?The Hurricane? and the wise, old men in the wonderful world of prizefighting have warned people what to expect when you get near her. Or worse, get to fight her in the boxing ring.
She fight so hard, works so hard that she became world champion in only her sixth bout as a professional fighter.
As a fighter, she exudes the kind of confidence never before seen in a Filipino fighter in the international boxing ring since Manny Pacquiao.
She is also so attractive and good-looking that if Regal Films or Star Cinema would like to make a story of her life, there?d be no need to ask the talent scouts to hold auditions. She?s just as better looking she can potray the role herself.
She is also so articulate that local sportswriters couldn?t believe their good luck when they get the chance to see her up close and personal and even interview her during a brief promotional tour in Manila for an upcoming title fight.
When you see her for the first time, you?d think Ana ?The Hurricane? Julaton just stepped out of the pages of Carlo Caparas? never-ending book of heroes and heroines.
You wanted to find out if she isn?t just another public relations hoax.
But really, Julaton, the first Filipino-American boxer to win the WBO and IBA super bantamweight titles, is for real.
And Julaton, the 30-year-old pride of Pozorrubio, Pangasinan is set to rock the Filipino boxing world again when she stakes her WBO super-bantamweight title against Francesca ?The Chosen One? Alcanter of Point Richmond, California in a 10-round title fight at the Craneway Pavilion in the Richmond, California.
The much-awaited title fight dubbed ?Return of the Hurricane? will be shown simultaneously over TV Channel 5 and the Aksyon TV UHF Channel 41, the newly-launched sports and news channel of the Kapatid network.
Boxing fans in Cebu and Davao will also have the chance to watch the bout over Channel 29.
Julaton, who captured the WBO title belt with a 10-round split decision over Maria Elena Villalobos in her last fight, expressed confidence of beating the 37-year-old Alcanter ( 37-9 win-loss).
?One thing I learned in boxing is that you can?t have fear in your mind at all. You have to be 100 percent confident in yourself. Any inch of fear or doubt will eventually filter in your performance,? said Julaton during a brief visit in Manila where she stayed at the elegant rest house of businessman-sportsman Manny V. Pangilinan at the Tagaytay Highlands and a twice-a-day workout at the Makati Shangri-La gym and the Elorde boxing gym in Quezon City.
Now an owner of an impressive 7-2-1 record, with one KO, since turning pro in 2007, Julaton is currently training at the famed Wild Card gym in Los Angeles under the watchful eyes of celebrated trainer Freddie Roach.
And as part of her regimen, she had for sparring partner former Filipino world champion Rodel Mayol.
Julaton sparred for five rounds of three minutes each (eight rounds by women?s standard) against Mayol, the Los Angeles-based Filipino who once reigned as World Boxing Council (WBC) light-flyweight champion.
Julaton, who idolizes Pacquiao but also dearly loves fashion, did not get seriously involve in boxing until she was 23 and already teaching at the West Wind Martial Arts and Boxing School in Berkeley, California in 2003.
With self-defense as the primary focus, Julaton admitted she had to learn the basics of boxing from trainer-manager Angelo Reyes and was in fact ?thrown into the ring on the first couple of lessons without the benefit of knowing too much about the basis.?
The rest, of course, is boxing history.
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The Julaton-Alcanter match will actually be the first in a series of coverages and features that Channel 41 is planning to broadcast as it gears toward giving significance to major sports events, especially those involving Filipino athletes.
It also serves as Channel 41?s landmark sports special in time for its grand launching on Feb. 21.
Both Kapatid channels are understandably going full blast in focusing some of its programs on sports-related shows since its chairman, MVP, is a well-known sports enthusiast.
He is currently president of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) and chairman of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP).
NOTES — Birthday greetings to Joanne Santos (Feb. 10) Lourdes Crisologo (Feb. 12) Ambet Nabus (Feb. 12) and Shercila Cua (Feb 12).
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