The Enduring Influence of Flash Elorde and Manny Pacquiao (Part 4)
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 30 May 2020
Pacquiao (C) pose with outstanding boxers during the Elorde Awards.
The Influence of Manny Pacquiao
Without question, by the middle of the 2000s, Manny Pacquiao has become the new Filipino boxing idol and later a global superstar and cash cow as well as the best pound for pound fighter in the world by the end of the first decade of the new millennium.
Such accomplishment, unprecedented as it is in the annals of the professional fight sport, inspired and spawned a wave of Filipino boxers who would also make their mark in boxing globally or at least, on international level.
Such included fighters included Nonito Donaire, Jerwin Ancajas, Johnriel Casimero, Pedro Taduran and Donnie Nietes who are all either current or erstwhile world champions still very much in currency today.
Donaire and Nietes, both former four weight division world champions at one time or the other have attained the honor of being named among the best pound for pound fighters in the world alongside Manny Pacquiao. They can duplicate that depending on how their still active careers go moving forward.
Donaire is set to meet France's Nordine Oubaali for the latter's WBC bantamweight title later this year for another crack at Naoya 'The Monster' Inoue who barely beat him in their WBSS finals in Japan last November. However, Nietes has no clear schedule yet for his long awaited comeback.
Ancajas and especially Casimero also have a chance to break into the elite list if Jerwin beats some of the top names in his division and Johnriel pulls the rugs from under the highly touted Naoya The Monster Inoue in their rescheduled unification fight later this year.
Significantly, the two with IBF minimumweight titlist Pedro Taduran are under the wings of Manny's MP Promotions.
Also worthy to be mentioned are fighters who emerged at the time that Pacquiao was on his world titles conquest spree and stoked by his feats, went on to capture world titles of their own such as Brian Viloria, Florante Condes, Rodel Mayol, Marvin Sonsona, Merlito Sabello and Marlon Tapales though of this lot, only Viloria lasted longer and achieved more at top level
Viloria with Donaire was part of a formidable all Pinoy troika led by Pacquiao in the late 2000s and early 2010s reigning as unified world champion in the light flyweight and later in the flyweight class.
There were Filipino fighters who motivated by their desire to follow the wake of Pacquiao's exploits in the featherweight up, outdid themselves albeit falling short of a world title or at the very least, a world title shot. They included Manny Pacquiao's brother, Bobby, Jimrex Jaca, Cesar Amonsot, Mercito Gesta, Michael Farenas, Bernabe Concepcion and Al Sabaupan.
Bobby Pacquiao went as far as winning an international belt at junior lightweight even beating some of the fighters Manny had earlier fought and beaten.
Jaca came very close to stopping Juan Manuel Marquez in their epic fight. Amonsot also came close to stopping Michael Katsidis for the WBO lightweight title. Both did not get a fair shake from the referees in those fights.
Gesta fought twice for the WBC lightweight title losing on points to Miguel Vasquez in 2012 and Jorge Linares in 2018.
Farenas lost in WBC junior lighyweight title final eliminator versus future titlist Jose Pedraza in 2016.
Concepcion came close to winning the world featherweight title earlier losing to Steven Luevano by controversial DQ and later to Juan Manuel Lopez by fighting TKO.
Al Sabaupan was once considered as a viable title opponent for Marquez at junior welterweight but did not get the break.
Of course, currently there are the young ones who would like to at least attain a certain level of success achieved by Manny such as Joe Noynay, Mark Magsayo, Geimel Magramo, Edward Heno, Jayson Mama, Carl Jammes Martin, even Albert Pagara, Genesis Servania and Romero Duno. Many of these fighters are already world rated and are raring for world title cracks.
Pagara and Servania have had their title attempts and lost but they deserve another chance. Duno is very young and despite his bad loss to Ryan Garcia, he is still capable of learning and improving and staging a comeback.
As long as Manny Pacquiao fights and especially continues to win, hope springs eternal for these Pinoy world class ring campaigners.
Notwithstanding the Covid pandemic.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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