SO SAD ALA BOXING CLOSES
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 20 Aug 2020
The sad news broke out all over the world of boxing. ALA Gym closes after 35 years. I received an emailed Official Statement stating that "After 35 years, ALA BOXING (ALA Promotions and ALA Gym) would like to say Farewell and Thank you to our supporters from all over the World."
The main reasons of course are the Covid-19 pandemic and the closure of their long time broadcast network partner ABS-CBN which according to them "has affected the over-all situation and future of the company."
The statement further informed us that all their fighters will be released for them to be able to "look for greener pastures for their respective careers."
Our Maasin City boxers, especially the Pagara Brothers Jason and Albert, found a home at the ALA Gym through their grand patriarch Antonio L. Aldeguer.
Jason became WBO international junior welterweight champion. He was ranked No. 1 WBO world contender in the said category.
Albert became WBO and IBF intercontinental superbantamweight champion. He was ranked WBO No. 3 world contender in that division.
Both fighting brothers fought in a series of boxing cards in their birth place with the Maasin City Gym jampacked with thousands of cheering kababayans.
They fought in what we called Maasin Pride series featuring five boxing events and the very successful Pinoy Pride 44, all supported by ALA Sports Promotions.
ALA also spearheaded two Visayas Inter-Cities Developmental Boxing Tournaments in Maasin City to discover new talents from the amateur ranks.
Almost every fiesta boxing tournaments, including Southern Leyte founding anniversaries, amateur fighters from ALA Boxing stable would compete in Maasin.
They also participated in the ABAP National Boxing Championships and the Visayas Qualifying Leg hosted by the city and their boxers won several gold medals.
Whenever this writer visited the world class ALA Gym in Banilad, Cebu City, I was always warmly welcomed by Sir ALA who never failed to attend a single practice of his fighters in his luxurious facilities.
The ALA Gym website stated that "Founded in 1986 by Mr. Aldeguer, the ALA Boxing Gym started out as a small time gym training kids from below average families to become amateur fighters. Decades later, ALA Boxing has evolved into the Philippines’ biggest boxing stable producing the country’s best amateur and professional champions in the ring."
It simply started out as a training ground for few young and promising boxers and housed "more than fifty fighters and trains more than a hundred local and foreign amateur and professional fighters."
The Gym was run by Gym Manager Edito Villamor and Boxing Chief Trainer Edmundo Villamor.
For years, ALA Gym has trained some of the nation’s boxing legends like Gerry Penalosa, Malcom “Eagle Eye” Tunacao, Donnie “Ahas” Nietes, Noel “The Eel” Tunacao, and Rodel “Batang Mandaue” Mayol, among others.
According to Sec. Manny Piñol in his PhilBoxing article dated December 3, 2008: "There is no other Filipino boxing patron whose dedication to the sport and love for his young wards is as deep as that of Cebu City's Antonio L. Aldeguer, the man behind the popular ALA Boxing Gym."
Salute to that Sir. Hope there will be a "rematch" for ALA Boxing when the Pandemic is over.
Photo shows the author with Antonio L. Aldeguer at the ALA Boxing Gym.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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