Japanese Mogul Donates Equipment to Wakee Salud's Cebu Boxing Gym
By Alex P. Vidal
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 28 Jul 2007
True to his promise, hotelier and Panchenko slot machine mogul Toshiako “Koba” Kobayashi of Numazu, Tokyo, Japan donated some P100,000 worth of Winning brand boxing equipment to the newly refurbished boxing gym of Cebu-based international promoter Rex “Wakee” Salud in Labangon, Cebu City.
The equipment was unloaded on board Philippine Airlines Flight 433 from Narita International Airport to Mactan International Airport last July 17 accompanied by Salud who was at ringside when top prized-find Rev “Gentle Giant” Santillan toppled the OPBF 147-pound bauble off from the head of champion Taisei Marumoto in five rounds of the 12-round championship setto in Amagasaki, Hyoto last July 14.
“These are made of quality materials and similar to the ones used in some boxing gyms in the United States and Japan,” Salud said.
With area of 400 square meters, the spacious boxing gym located at the back of Salud’s house, could accommodate up to 20 boxers in one session. It has two regular-sized rings, four heavy and brand news punching bags, among other expensive paraphernalia.
Wakee Salud poses at his newly refurbished gym in Labangon, Cebu City.
A view of the rings at Wakee Salud gym.
It has also three bathrooms and a living quarter for Salud’s boxers who are mostly professionals.
“I originally planned to inaugurate the gym in the end of the month but I decided to move it to October after the fight of Manny Pacquiao (against Marco Antonio Barrera on Oct. 6 in Las Vegas),“ Salud told Philboxing.com. “Pacquiao will be my special guest.”
Salud said he has spent more or less P2 million for the gym’s repair. He would need additional amount for the “finishing touches”, including the maintenance, Salud stressed.
Kobayashi, who “adopted” the 30-year-old Santillan in his company, has vowed to support Salud’s gym described by some boxing aficionados who have visited the place as “truly world class and state-of-the-art.”
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