Sports Eye
Boxing champ Julaton, a Pangasinense
By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.
I HAD my Easter break last week so I was unable to write a piece. I’m back and this week I’m writing about the woman boxer Julaton. I believe sports aficionados, especially our kabaleyans, have heard about her being a world champ but I think many of you don’t know much about her.
Despite being born in San Francisco, California, the World Boxing Organization (WBO) and International Boxing Association super bantamweight titlist Luciana “Ana” Julaton is a full-blooded Pangasinense with parents (Cesar and Ahmelia) from Barangay Villegas, Pozorrubio. I got this info from my fellow media practitioners. She’s the second professional boxer from Pangasinan to become a world champ. The first was the late WBA junior welterweight king Roberto Cruz of Bugallon. These two may not have the ability of Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, but we should be equally proud of them. They brought honor for the province and, of course, for the country.
Born on July 5, 1980, the five-foot-five Julaton nicknamed “ The Hurricane” was ranked second among all female boxers in the United States during her amateur heydays. Disappointed about her unsuccessful campaign to be included in the women’s boxing list of events at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, she decided to turn pro and approached well-known trainer Freddie Roach. Astonishing Roach with her training ethic during her sparring session even against male boxers, Julaton eventually became part of Roach’s wards alongside Pacquiao and got her first taste as world champion by defeating Kesley Jeffreies on September 29, 2009 for the vacant IBA super bantamweight throne. Now trained by Nonito Donaire Sr. (father of world champ Nonito, Jr.), Julaton also wrested the WBO super bantamweight tiara by thrashing Donna Biggers on December 4, 2009. Because of weight problem, she moved to a heavier division, the super featherweight (130 lbs.), but was unlucky this time and lost a lopsided verdict against Lisa Brown for the vacant WBA crown. I believe you saw that fight too on TV held last March 28.
Well, you cannot win them all. But I believe this Pangasinan prizefighter will win more titles in the future, not far from today. I’m proud of her and I hope that Julaton will be the inspiration for other women who want to become boxers too.
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It’s sad to know that the performance of five of our Filipino cyclists who joined the Tour of Thailand last week proved lackadaisical. Sherwin Carrera of San Fabian and Ericson of Manaoag, representing 7-11 team, did not finish after the fourth of eight stages. It was only 2009 Tour of Luzon champion John Mark Guevara from Manila who survived the grueling race participated by elite riders from Asia, Europe, South Africa and Australia. Guevara finished 70. Their alibi: they were sick with diarrhea. Tsk, tsk tsk.
Well, I will see them on April 11 during the “2nd OO na, Noynoy na” bikefest, a 207-kilometer road battle of our country’s elite riders that will start in Tarlac City and wind up in Baguio City via the eastern towns of Tarlac, Nueva Ecija and Pangasinan.
See you there at the summer capital.
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