Filipino vs. Mexican in boxing

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

PALS, relatives and even some unfamiliar faces keep asking me (especially nowadays) why the current trend in world boxing fights is always a Filipino versus a Mexican. This is unlike before during the era of our ex-Filipino world titlists like Pancho Villa, Ceferino Garcia, Flash Elorde, Roberto Cruz, Pedro Adigue, Rene Barrientos, Ben Villaflor, Erbito Salavaria, Bernabe Villacampo, Frank Cedeno and Rolando Pascua. These Filipino boxers usually fought their Asian counterparts like the Japanese, Koreans, Thais and Indonesians. My plain answer is that a Filipino-versus-Mexican duel, especially in a world title clash, is easy to sell and the most bankable and lucrative project for promoters like Bob Arum of Top Rank and Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions.

There are two big reasons. First, according to the census of The United State, Mexicans and Filipinos are the largest migrant groups there and both are undeniably boxing buffs. My Mexican cousin Dagoberto Garcia Soto once told me that the Chicanos’ numero dos favorite sport is boxing, next to football. The same is true now in our archipelago since Manny Pacquiao came from nowhere and turned into a world-class celebrity. The name Pacquiao or Pacman is now a by-word among Filipinos every time a Filipino fights. Much more when Nonito Donaire, Brian Viloria, Donnie Nietes, Ana Julaton and the latest Johnriel Casimero came into the public eye by winning their respective world titles. But sad to say that our very own Pozorrubio pride Julaton just lost her world super bantamweight crown last March 16 via a lopsided unanimous decision to Yesica Marcos of Argentina, despite Julaton flooring Marcos in the second round. I believe you and I saw that fight and it was really a convincing conquest for Marcos, avenging the ugly defeat of her compatriot Luis Lazarte to Casimero last February 11. If Julaton, 31, who stands 5’5” and still wants to pursue her chosen career, she must move to one rank heavier and that is the featherweight division (126 lbs.) because there’s no way she can beat the faster and counter-puncher expert Marcos maybe except for a lucky punch but that is very unlikely to happen in a world title. I’m not a boxing virtuoso but I would describe the Hispanic Marcos boxing stance as a combination of Pacquiao speed and the counter-punching ability of Juan Manuel Marquez.

Secondly, gone is the popularity of the heavyweight, cruiserweight and the light heavyweight boxers that were popularized and dominated then by the legends Rocky Marciano, Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Archie Moore, Bob Foster, Kenny Norton, Larry Holmes, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis who were followed strongly by the world boxing fans. Yes, it’s wrong to say that these divisions are no longer marketable but I dare say that these divisions, mostly being promoted by Don King Promotions, are not as lucrative as they used to be. Now the middleweight, welterweight, lightweight and down to the flyweight divisions are more popular. Seldom that the fights nowadays are being shown live on television worldwide, not like before. I guess it’s a sign of a meltdown.

Viloria is set to fight again another Mexican, his archenemy Omar Nino Romero, on April 21 at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City to defend his WBO flyweight tiara. I don’t want to miss that fight in person. This will be the third time that the duo will battle with each other. Romero won the first clash via 12-round unanimous decision and their second encounter resulted in a no-contest. Both fights were held in Las Vegas, Nevada. This will also be my third time in life to watch a world title fight in the flesh.

Casimero is scheduled to brawl with Mexican Sammy Gutierrez on May 13 at Waterfront Hotel in Cebu City for his first title defense of the WBO light flyweight diadem. Hopefully my plan to watch this hostility will come into reality. Being a Filipino and also having Mexican blood, boxing is strongly in my gene. See you there.

Talking about Mexico, I’m sad to know that the country was just devastated by a major earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 in Richter scale. I’m deeply concerned.

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Congrats to Atty. Gonzalo T. Duque for being re-elected as the PRISAA Region 1 president. He deserves this position for many reasons. Gonz, also a PUNCH columnist and president of the Pangasinan Press Club, is firm in his proposal that Pangasinan and Dagupan City host the 2013 National PRISAA Games. Gonz was the orchestrator when Pangasinan and Dagupan for the first time hosted the prestigious annual national games in 2006. Gonz also engineered the successful staging of the 2012 Palarong Media held March on 3-17 with Andy Estrada as the chief helmsman. Hopefully, this media sportsfest will now be done yearly under his leadership. Mabuhay kayo mga ginoo and keep up the good work.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: And Jesus said, “Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” JOHN 5: 45-47

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