While Filipinos collectively squirm over the promotional mess that Manny Pacquiao has fallen into and await with bated breath news of his next bout, other top-rate Filipino boxers will have a chance to do the country proud in the much-anticipated Philippines-Mexico World Cup.
Eyebrows were raised when Cebu-based promoter Sammy Gello-Ani announced at the Scoop sa Kamayan a few weeks back that the meet was going to cost some $ 1.5 Million, but Oscar de la Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions and ALA Boxing of Tony Aldeguer have mutually announced that it will indeed happen on March 4 in Cebu City.
In a phone conversation with the Bulletin from Cebu, Aldeguer revealed there will be seven sets of matches, three of which will be world title fights. Rey “Boom-Boom” Bautista will challenge WBO super bantamweight champion Daniel Ponce de Leon, Z Gorres will fight Fernando Montiel, WBO super flyweight champion and Bert Batawang goes up against light-flyweight titleholder Hugo Caceres.
Other Filipino boxers being lined up for the event are Gerry Penalosa, Jimrex Jaca and AJ Banal and another boxer that Aldeguer is still negotiating with. While Penalosa is disappointed that WBO Bantamweight champion Jhonny Gonzalez is unwilling to fight him, Aldeguer says they will find a suitable opponent for him. Penalosa, a 34 year old former world champion who has had some tough luck with some questionable split decision losses, is on a comeback, with impressive wins over Mauricio Martinez of Panama and Mexican Tomas Rojas in 2006.
While the exact venue has yet to be determined, organizers are looking at the sprawling Abellana High School grounds as the possible scene as it offers a covered grandstand that can accommodate 15,000 people and the rest of the grounds another 15,000.
Up for grabs is a magnificent 15-pound, 18 karat solid gold cup set with over 15,000 diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds and other precious stones, said to cost 0,000. The country that wins the World Cup three in a row will get to keep the cup permanently. Mexico won the first staging in 2005 over Thailand.
Although Bautista, Gorres and Banal are ALA boys, Aldeguer says he doesn’t want the meet to look like a Mexico-ALA affair. Batawang fights under the SGG banner, Jaca is with Wakee Salud while Gerry is managed by Freddie Roach. The idea is to get the best Filipino boxers available, regardless of which stable handles them.
GBP has been upbeat about the project, as they plan to market the event for live American television, saying they are confident that they can make the break-even 30,000 PPV buys from the Filipino population in the States alone. Factor in the Mexican market and it’s virtually a sure-fire hit.
Mexicans have long been acknowledged as the boxers to beat in the lower weight classes but Filipinos, behind the ring adventures of Manny Pacquiao, have established a solid reputation of being exciting, talented and courageous fighters.
“It is high time we prove that we have more where Manny Pacquiao came from”, said Aldeguer. “While we cannot overemphasize the pioneering achievements of Pacquiao, we must show the world that we have many more top caliber fighters who can mix it up with the best in the world. Furthermore, the international television coverage affords another opportunity for us to showcase our country right on the heels of the Asean Summit meeting which will also be held in Cebu”, he added.
Had Pacquiao affirmed his promotional contract with Golden Boy, he would have captained the Philippine side, with Marco Antonio Barrera as his counterpart on the Mexican team regardless of whether the two of them would headline the card or not. However, with Pacquiao’s recent announcement that he favored Bob Arum’s Top Rank, that prospect is dim.
Aldeguer further announced that Oscar de la Hoya and other GBP top honchos plan to visit the Philippines late this month or early February to oversee the preparations. The cup itself will be brought over under heavy guard.
This is certainly good news that could lead to more opportunities for Filipino boxers as the international exposure will surely boost their stock. With the fluid situation that Pacquiao has found himself in, it is important that the Filipino presence in the international boxing stage be preserved and enhanced especially if the Pacman is dragged into the legal mess. We shudder at the thought, but it is always a possibility.
Meanwhile, the boxers are eagerly training and looking forward to the big day. So are we.
