Former International Boxing Federation (IBF) flyweight champion Rolando Bohol, now working two jobs as a bellman in Las Vegas, has never met Manny Pacquiao but said he hopes to shake his hand someday.
“When I meet Manny, I will congratulate him and thank him for giving so much honor to our country,” said Bohol in a recent interview.
“I will advise him to take care of his money because he can’t rely on boxing for a living forever. I will tell him not to gamble too much, to continue working hard and to prepare his family for the future.”
Bohol said he didn’t watch Pacquiao knock out Erik Morales at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas last month because he was at work. But he read and heard all about it.
At the Hilton Hotel where he works from 12 midnight to 8 a.m. five days a week, Bohol said he bumped into several Filipinos, including actor Rudy Fernandez, who flew in to watch the “Grand Finale.”
In his opinion, Bohol said former world junior lightweight champion Gabriel (Flash) Elorde is the greatest Filipino fighter ever but Pacquiao is the luckiest and the most exciting of them all.
“In this generation, nobody can beat Pacquiao in his division,” said Bohol. “During Kuya Gabriel’s time, nobody was also better. It’s difficult to compare the two because they were the best in their generations.”
Elorde reigned as the world 130-pound champion for over seven years while Pacquiao has won championships in three weight classes.
Bohol finished up to second year of his undergraduate studies in business management at Far Eastern University then ended a flourishing amateur career, that was capped by capturing a gold in the lightflyweight division at the National Open in Dagupan and a silver at the Palarong Pambansa in Tacloban, to turn pro at Elorde’s prodding.
Bohol, 41, posted a record of 34-15-3, with seven KOs from 1984 to 1994. The highlight of his career was when he outpointed Chang Ho Choi for the IBF 112-pound title in 1988. He repulsed challenger Cho Woon Park then lost the crown to Duke McKenzie in his second defense on an 11th round stoppage in London.
Bohol’s last two fights were knockout losses to Orlando Canizales in an IBF bantamweight championship bout and to Johnny Tapia.
At the height of his fistic career, Bohol owned houses in Las Pi?as, Para?aque and Marietta Village in Bago City, outside of Bacolod. The native of Himamaylan, Negros Occidental, has sold the houses in Metro Manila but keeps a five-bedroom bungalow for himself and a three-bedroom bungalow for his mother in his home province.
Bohol was paid P500,000 for appearing in a Carlo J. Caparas film “Kambal Na Kamao” with Rolando Navarrete, Mia Pratts and Ana Aviera in 1988. He co-starred with Jackie Aquino in a sitcom “24 Hours,” for which he earned P5,000 each taping, on the IBC network in 1990 and filmed a Family Rubbing Alcohol TV commercial for a P25,000 fee with referee Sonny Padilla.
In a month, Bohol earns about $4,700 in salaries and pockets about $3,000 in tips from his two jobs at the Hilton and Tropicana Hotels. What he gains is more than enough to pay the $1,456 a month rent for a two-bedroom condominium on Silverado Ranch Boulevard he shares with his 11-year-old daughter Mariella and two aunts from Honolulu.
Bohol migrated to the US and settled in Honolulu in 1994. He has been married and divorced twice. He has four children.
Bohol said he plans to visit Manila next year and receive a plaque of recognition as a former world champion at the annual Elorde Boxing Awards Night.
