REY "CACOI" RODIS II CONTINUING HIS FAMILY'S LEGACY IN BOXING
By Lito delos Reyes
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 29 Oct 2017
Cacoi Rodis.
YOUNG Filipino millionaire Rey ?Cacoi? Almirante-Rodis II is now continuing his family?s legacy in boxing.
And the 36-year old is now doing it even in the international scene, particularly in Los Angeles ? the entertainment capital of the United States of America.
Rodis owns the RED Boxing International which is under his RED Entertainment Incorporated. He now handles two Filipino professional boxers ? Recky ?The Terror? Dulay (10W-3L-0D, 7 KOs) and Rey ?The Technician? Perez (21W-8L-0D, 6 KOs).
Dulay won his first fight under Rodis via a 3rd round knockout win against then-unbeaten Jaime Arboleda on July 15 at the Forum, Inglewood and was immediately rated no. 8 contender by the WBA after his win.
But Dulay got too careless and complacent in his next assignment and suffered a disappointing 3rd round TKO setback to Dardan Zenunaj on Sept. 30 at the House of Blues in Boston.
Dulay was supposedly slated to fight already for a championship or a rematch with former tormentor Gervonta Davis.
?But Dulay?s rematch will still come,? said Rodis, who is already the third generation of his family in the boxing world.
Rodis is very concerned of the welfare of his boxers. That?s why he made sure that the families of his boxers will receive a financial assistance if something happens on them. Dulay and Perez took a health insurance policy with the AETNA Insurance Company in the US last Oct. 23.
ALMIRANTE FAMILY
Rey ?Cacoi? Rodis II is the grandson of the late Dr. Antonio Almirante, a prominent dentist, businessman, boxing promoter and manager in Cagayan de Oro City in the 80s.
Among Almirante?s boxers were former World super featherweight champion Rene Barrientos, former OPBF lightweight and Philippine welterweight champion Jong-Jong Pacquing, WBC flyweight champion Little Baguio, IBF No. 1 jr. welterweight contender Nardito Adrayan, Philippine lightweight champion Pat Bracero, Philippine bantamweight champion Billy Abato, Carlito Kid, Sonny Vidal, Roger Gamayot, Richard Acaylar, Joseph Paden and former world champion Rolando ?Bad Boy? Navarette (who started his career under Almirante Stable).
Barrientos, now 74, also a former Philippine super featherweight champion is Cacoi?s uncle. He is married to Almirante?s niece Nena, 73, who has been confined for two months now in the hospital due to kidney problems.
Barrientos also fought but lost by a unanimous decision to the great late Gabriel ?Flash? Elorde in their 12-round title fight for the OPBF lightweight title at the Cebu Coliseum in Cebu City in 1965.
In 1967, Barrientos twice became a challenger of then OPBF lightweight champion Pedro Adique Jr. He lost on points in their first title fight then settled to a draw in their rematch.
Rodis?s father Reynaldo Sr. was also a boxing promoter and manager in the 80s and 90s. He was responsible for creating the Boxing at the Park in CDO, which became a national amateur boxing program.
Rodis Sr. formerly promoted ex-IBF world flyweight champion Dodie Boy Penalosa, Gerry Penalosa, Andy Tabanas, Ala Villamor and Noel Tunacao.
?I?m so happy that he continues what his grandfather has started,? said Rodis Sr.
?For the family, we don?t treat it as a business but an expression of passion of helping the less fortunate kids achieve their dreams, help kids off the streets and drugs.?
?That?s what it all about. We?ve spent a great deal of fortune over the decades making it part of our social obligations for the blessings that God has given us,? said Rodis Sr.
Cacoi?s uncle Carlos Noble Almirante, who was the regional director of Games and Amusements Board (GAB) in CDO from 1990 to 2010.
YOUNG CACOI
Cacoi was exposed to boxing in his early childhood. His grandfather?s Almirante Boxing Gym located along Purok 6 Ruby St. Gusa, CDO was his playground together with his cousins.
At 8 years old, he already started learning to box at the gym.
?I was about to become a boxer but my Mom cried and she did not allowed me to continue,? said Cacoi, who graduated BS Psychology at the Ateneo de Cagayan University (Xavier University).
Cacoi?s first boxing promotion was in 1998 in CDO. Now, he plans to visit the Philippines in 2019 to again promote boxing.
His grandfather, who was a prominent businessman with a bus company, gas station and for rent had also influenced Cacoi early in business.
At the young age of 21, Rodis (who was still in 2nd year college) earned his first million from his own company ? Frugal Network General Merchandise ? which was into construction and selling firefighting equipment.
But in 2009, Rodis decided to migrate to the US to find new a greener pasture.
?Patay na kasi ang economy sa Pilipinas by that time,? said Cacoi, whose first job was a caregiver in Los Angeles.
But through his hard work, Rodis was able to create his own company. He produced his first movie, ?Broken Roads? under the RED Films. And his latest produced movie entitled the ?Christmas Crime Story? was recently released in the US.
Rodis also now has his own recording company Spearhead Studio and his current recording artist is Colombian-American singer Diana Chanto.
He also plans to have its own boxing gym which will not only cater to Filipino professional boxers, who want to train in the US but also to the youth in the community.
?We also want the youth to be busy in sports through boxing to keep them away from any bad vices,? said Rodis.
RED Boxing International wants to give more opportunities for the Filipino boxers in order to produce the next world champion soon.
?I want to help our fellow Filipinos to earn more than what they are presently earning now in their fights here in abroad,? said Rodis, whose first boxing idol was Sugar Ray Robinson.
Rodis had wanted to become a boxer when he was still in high school. He even sparred with pro boxers Fritz Baylon, Dondin Lapus, Kid Artillio and Alan Dugang.
But his parents prevented him because they wanted him to finish his college. Now he still goes to the gym just to keep himself fit already.
?Because boxing really runs in my blood,? said Rodis.
?I want to be remembered as a King and Queen maker may it be in boxing, acting or music,? he said.
?I plan to help the Filipino boxers with or without management. I?m trying to get our boxers to another level,? said Rey ?Cacoi? Rodis II.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Lito delos Reyes.
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