IT’S the season to be giving so the Last Round is giving away gifts for our favorite boxers and boxing personalities. You may claim your gifts after you buy me several last rounds. Ho ho ho…
Manny Pacquiao—Immunity from suit
Brian Viloria—Killer instinct
Ray “Boom Boom” Bautista—A magic pill that contains experience from three more fights
Rodel Mayol—A book entitled “How to throw a straight punch”
Z Gorres—One punch knockout power
Jimrex Jaca— All of the above
Donnie Nietes—Snake cage so he doesn’t look like Zuma in his ring entrances
Gerry Penalosa—Fountain of youth
Nicolay Valuev—Razor and hair wax
James Toney—Slimming machine
Bernard Hopkins—Time machine
Roy Jones Jr.—Same as above
Floyd Mayweather—None of the above
Bobby Pacquiao—Divine guidance from high above
Erik Morales—CD of Pacquiao’s latest hit single: “If you remember me”
Mike Tyson—Fat retirement check so he can still salvage whatever is left of his dignity and not look like a circus performer.
Sammy Gelloani—An offer to be vice-president of Golden Boy Asia
Antonio “ALA” Aldeguer—Another world champ from his stable
Wakee Salud—A revitalized Randy Suico
Homer Sayson—His first book
Dong Secuya—Awards, awards and more awards
Salven Lagumbay—A stint at Ring magazine
Myself—more column space…Hehehehe.
DOWN UNDER. Christmas cheers to Ricardo “Bambi” Rebollido, a former legal stalwart at the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas, who now calls Australia home. Bambi is my kumpadre and he and his buddies from Blacktown (Sidney Suburb) are avid readers of The Last Round. Bambi emailed me asking who Australia’s top rated boxers are currently. Well pre, after the unceremonious fall of Kostya Tzyu, a revered boxing legend in Australia, Anthony Mundine (super middleweight) and Paul Briggs (light heavy) are currently fringe contenders in their respective divisions.
But at present, the brightest star to shine from down under is Vic Darchinyan, an undefeated knockout artist who recently broke the jaw of our very own Glen Donaire. He proudly wears the IBF Flyweight crown and sports a fearsome record of 27-0 with 21 KOs.
This guy is poised to storm the pound for pound rankings pretty soon if he manages to secure a unification bout with the other flyweight champs. Cheers mates and beware of Bambi’s mid-range jumper!
THE LAST ROUND. The yuletide season’s last round goes out to the girl who changed my life–my daughter Julia Emmanuelle who is turning six on Dec. 24. Happy birthday baby, you truly are a gift from God. She also shares the same birth-date with my good buddy Jesus “Dit Dit” Gorne, a good father, a devout husband and a man of many talents. Cheers!