Think about it. How many times has a person been able to inspire his or her countrymen with their actions? One can name a few, such as Mother Teresa, Lady Di, Mahatma Gandhi and John Lennon. Controversial as these figures may have been to some, they were also the fountain of inspiration and a source of admiration to many others.
Boxing has been filled with such figures. Julio Cesar Chavez is to Mexicans the boxing equivalent of an enchilada with chili. Wilfredo Gomez, Wilfred Benitez and Felix Trinidad were as admired in Puerto Rico almost as much as that country’s flag is by their countrymen. Carlos Monzon was second to none in Argentina, until Diego Maradona scored that famous goal now known as “The hand of God”. And Muhammad Ali is still an icon in the United States, as much symbol of American life as the Statue of Liberty in New York.
The Philippines, like Puerto Rico, has had more than one national boxing idol. No, don’t fix your glasses. You are reading correctly. Manny Pacquiao is the current idol in the Philippines, but he was not the first boxer to become a national idol in that country.
We have to look all the way back into the 1950’s to find a man who reached Pacquiao’s stature as an idol in the Asian group of islands. Following in the footsteps of Pancho Villa, who, of course, was not the famous Mexican gunfighter, but a Filipino boxer who used another kind of weapons, Ceferino Garcia and Fidel La Barba was the great Gabriel Flash Elorde.
Elorde first climbed in the ring as a professional in 1951. By 1956, he received his first world title try. During the 1950’s, receiving a title try five years after your debut was an equivalent to receiving a championship try on your 100th bout these days. It was very difficult, if not nearly impossible. Elorde lost that fight, but losing to Sandy Saddler was never anything to be ashamed of. He had out pointed Saddler in a non title affair before their championship bout took place.
Flash Elorde may have been a flash inside a boxing ring, but he was no flash in the boxing world. This was a man who would stay around very long, and make a positive impact on those who admired him. If you were a Philippine fan, you liked him. If you were a boxer in the Junior Lightweight division, you hated him.
Harold Gomes surely became a hater when he lost his Junior Lightweight title to Elorde on March 16, 1960, in Manila. In a bout that was refereed by the all time great Barney Ross, Gomes had enough dates with the canvas to make it look like he was in love with her. In losing the title to Elorde, Gomes visited “Ms Canvas” a total of six times before the fight was over in round seven. Blaming the Manila heat for his defeat, Gomes had a rematch with Elorde on August 17 of the same year, in San Francisco, California. His relationship with the squared lady would be a shorter one this time, as Gomes saw the canvas twice in less than a round before the fight was over.
As World Champion, Elorde was excellent, making ten title defenses, establishing a record for the division that still stands. He defeated Ismael Laguna in a non title bout. He made sure that Junior Lightweight contenders knew he was the King of the division, either outboxing their wits out or knocking their guts out.
As a human being, Elorde was even better, embracing his countrymen and being an exemplary citizen for Filipinos. His constant gestures towards fans and the general public were, according to some Filipinos, reminiscent of Elvis Presley when the American singer gave away his Cadillac cars to fans. He enjoyed being revered in a way that is seldom seen. He thanked this reverence by responding in kind.
Elorde challenged for the Lightweight title twice. Both times he lost to Puerto Rican great Carlos Ortiz, but he gave Ortiz tremendous wars before falling in the 14th round on the two occasions. For their second fight, Elorde agreed to travel to New York, where Ortiz logically had home court advantage, despite the fact that the WBC refused to recognize their rematch as a world title bout. Despite the fact that, as Manila has a tropical climate, Elorde would face Ortiz on a relatively cold November 1966 night.
He lost his title in his eleventh defense, when Yoshiaki Numata out pointed him over 15 rounds on June 15, 1967 in Tokyo, but even in defeat, Elorde proved his greatness. He dropped Numata in the third round, and lost a decision that some ranked as a dubious one. Having lost his title, the Flash had made sure he would leave a lasting impact on the sport of boxing.
Tragically, Gabriel Elorde passed away on January 2, 1985, of a heart attack. He was only 49 when he died. Even as Manny Pacquiao is currently viewed as an idol from Manila to General Santos City, many Filipinos still wonder if he has really filled the void Elorde left when he died.
Elorde, who stood 5’6 and had 116 professional bouts. Apart from the Philippines, he fought in Venezuela, Japan, the United States, Thailand, Ecuador, and Guam. He had no problems showing off his talent around the world. Considering his size, he accomplished much more in boxing than some of the best known Heavyweights in history. He was larger than life in the Philippines, and deservedly so. If any boxer could ever be compared to the Mighty Mouse, Elorde was him.
But Elorde was no mouse. He was a flash instead. A flash with staying power.
Writers note: I would like to thank Gilmar Ropero with some of the research for this article.
