New mouthguard for Manny
By Joaquin Henson
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 10 Jun 2018
Dr. Ed de la Vega will unveil a newly-designed, custom-made mouthpiece for Manny Pacquiao in his fight against WBA welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse of Argentina at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur on July 15.
De la Vega, 77, has been a practicing dentist since 1964 and migrated to the US in 1968. A dentistry graduate of UP and the University of Southern California, De la Vega has manufactured gumshields for a slew of fighters, including Jerwin Ancajas, Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr., Beibut Shumenov, Vyacheslav Senchenko, Nonito Donaire, Jr., Gerry Penalosa and Mia St. John. But it?s only a small percentage of his dental practice although De la Vega is known all over the sports world as the master maker of protective mouthguards.
De la Vega, who is based in the Los Angeles suburb of San Fernando Valley, said he has produced nearly 10 mouthpieces for Pacquiao since the Marco Antonio Barrera rematch in 2007. ?He uses some, the others he keeps as reserves and still others as plain souvenirs,? said De la Vega. ?Manny?s pieces are a specially designed hybrid that I custom-make for him. I use three layers of five millimeters each, a hardened middle layer and a three millimeter clear outermost layer to preserve the custom aesthetic design. I fit Manny?s pieces carefully and pay special attention to his anteriors or front teeth, including the central and lateral incisors and cuspids.?
De la Vega said there are six types of custom mouthpieces that he makes, depending on the sport. The junior type is a single three millimeter layer for young kids in school sports. The light type has two three millimeter layers used in wrestling, volleyball, mountain biking and motocross. The light pro type features three three millimeter layers with a middle hardened layer for all sports. The medium pro type has two layers of five millimeters for soccer, rugby, basketball, softball, roller blade and skateboarding. The heavy pro type has two five millimeter layers with a middle hardened layer for baseball, football, racquetball, mixed martial arts and boxing. The super heavy pro type has three five millimeter layers with a hardened middle layer for ice, street and field hockey and kickboxing.
?For Manny?s fight against Matthysse, we will unveil a new design,? said De la Vega. ?It will be a hybrid mouthguard with a custom hand-painted design by Filipino artist Jun Aquino. The design will be laminated on the mouthpiece which is made of polyethylene vinyl acetate. We will display it at the final press conference in Kuala Lumpur.? De la Vega has been tapped as Pacquiao?s cutman and will join Buboy Fernandez and Justin Fortune in his corner for the Matthysse fight.
?Manny?s custom-made mouthguards are priceless,? said De la Vega. ?I give them to him as a gift from a friend who cares for his safety. I don?t charge Filipino boxers who come to my humble offices for mouthguards from Manny to the newbies. The cost of a mouthguard ranges from $40 for young school kids involved in school sports to a high of $500 for the type I supply better-known boxers like Chavez and Shumenov.?
De la Vega, an expert in preventive, cosmetic and reconstructive dental surgery, is arriving from Los Angeles to meet with Pacquiao in General Santos City on June 18. In the US, he drives a pick-up truck which is his version of a mobile outdoor advertising vehicle with a graphic design for ?dentist-fitted custom-made athletic mouthpieces ... to protect your teeth and minimize concussions.?
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Joaquin Henson.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
SPORTS SHORTS 285: AMIR KHAN ACCEPTS OFFER FOR AN EXHIBITION MATCH WITH MANNY PACQUIAO
By Maloney L. Samaco, Mon, 25 Nov 2024FOGOUM, TOSHIHIKO, KIM, RATTAWUT, RUF, CHUTINAN IN ACTION IN HIGHLAND’S EXCITING “SHOWDOWN” NOV 28 AT SPACEPLUS IN BANGKOK, THAILAND
By Carlos Costa, Mon, 25 Nov 2024Gil Robiego Co Elected New APPBRO President for 2025-2027
By Carlos Costa, Mon, 25 Nov 2024Garma wins, climbs to 8th place
By Marlon Bernardino, Mon, 25 Nov 2024Davao futsal scores 1st win
By Lito delos Reyes, Mon, 25 Nov 2024Filipino FIDE Master Mario Mangubat is the new FIDE World Senior 65 over category Rapid Champion
Sun, 24 Nov 2024Thunderdome 48 - Jude Grant vs Fano Kori
Sun, 24 Nov 2024World Boxing backs plan to create a new Confederation in Asia
Sun, 24 Nov 2024The message is clear – Asian Boxing Confederation remains united with the IBA
Sun, 24 Nov 2024OSCAR DE LA HOYA FOUNDATION HOSTS 25TH ANNUAL TURKEY GIVEAWAY FOR EAST LOS ANGELES COMMUNITY
Sun, 24 Nov 2024Life vs. Death: The Ultimate Ringside Showdown Immortalized in Pierce Egan’s Boxiana
By Emmanuel Rivera, RRT, Sat, 23 Nov 2024SPORTS SHORTS 284: TEAM MARK MAGSAYO CONFIRMS RETURN TO THE RING ON DECEMBER 14
By Maloney L. Samaco, Sat, 23 Nov 2024RJP Boxing promotes in Bucana on Dec. 17
By Lito delos Reyes, Sat, 23 Nov 2024Good Prospects at Minimumweight, Light Fly, Super Bantam and Super Feather in 2025
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Sat, 23 Nov 2024Filipino International Master Chito Danilo Garma is the new World Senior Blitz champion; Filipino FIDE Master Mario Mangubat takes the bronze medal
By Marlon Bernardino, Sat, 23 Nov 2024