ALA’s closure, PH boxers’ big loss

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

I WAS so shocked and sad to learn about the unexpected closure of “ALA Boxing Promotions, the Philippines longest and number one boxing promoter in the country. Formed by Antonio Lopez Aldeguer in 1985, the 35-year-old professional boxing promotions already being managed by Antonio’s son, Michael, called it quits citing the curse of COVID-19 pandemic and the unexpected shutting down of the giant television company ABS-CBN, a close boxing partner of the ALA family.

We, who are fond of boxing, watched many fights on TV that ALA promoted including those fights principally in the United States through slightly delayed telecasts. It owned the long-running promotion called “Pinoy Pride,” a series course that successfully produced world champions like Donnie Nietes, Gerry Peñalosa, Malcolm Tañacao, Milan Melindo, Rodel Mayol and Joma Gamboa, to name some that I could recall. Yes, the respected Cebu-based ALA Promotions is undoubtedly one of world boxing champion makers in Asia, and were it not for the COVID-19 pandemic, three of its fighters who are in the top ten world rankings like No.1 World Boxing Council (WBC) contender Mlian Melindo, No. 4 International Boxing Federation (IBF) and No. 5 World Boxing Organization (WBO) minimum weight challenger Melvin Jerusalem, WBO No. 7 super bantamweight candidate Albert Pagara could be a world champions soon. Yes, it’s a big loss for our potential boxers.

I’ve always said that boxing is my second of five favorite sports after cycling and before basketball, table tennis and volleyball. Due to my ardent love for the sport, I frequently traveled to Cebu City with some of my friends and relatives (hosting their plane tickets and hotel accommodation) just to watch a world or an Asia title battle, particularly those of Nietes, Melindo, Pagara and Villanueva, to name a few. That’s how crazy I am about this sport, spending thousands of pesos just so I can watch the fights in person and just be happy about it regardless of what the results might be. Perhaps I got this from my Mexican consanguinity, boxing being my dad’s country (Mexico) number two favorite sport after football. Ironically, football which is considered as the number one loved sport in the world, is not my type.

I still can recall how I met the former WBC featherweight champion Mexican slugger Marco Antonio Barrera (Fuentes manager) and ALA’s top honcho Michael Aldeguer  (who promoted the title battle held at Waterfront Hotel in Cebu City) briefly on March 2, 2013 during the WBO light flyweight title fight between our very own Nietes and number one challenger the Chicano Moises Fuentes.  It was my Mexican friend Michael Lopez who invited me to dine with the Mexican group headed by Barrera after the fight. It was a very fun two-hour meeting with Barrera finding out that the Mexico City-born Barrera, the nemesis of Manny Pacquiao (he fought Barrera twice for the title and won them both), is good looking, accommodating, friendly and well-disciplined. He drank only a bottle of beer after our late dinner when I had three.

The last report I received from ALA Promotions before this pandemic was about the supposed third title encounter between Nietes and Fuentes. But I guess the closure of ALA Promotions and ABS-CBN totally killed the concept. I guess only the MP Promotions owned by Sen. Pacquiao could save the re-rematch.

*          *          *          *

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. ROMANS 12: 19

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments