Year Ender Summary: Could Have Been Better But 2020 Is Not Exactly Bad Year for PH Boxing (Part Two of Two)
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 29 Dec 2020
Reymart Gaballo captures the WBC Interim bantamweight belt.
PH Better Off Internationally
Philippine boxing was better off compared to its rival countries in Asia and the Pacific considering the deleterious effect of the Covid-19 pandemic to the international profile and exposure of their top fighters and world champions in the year about to end.
Filipino fighters managed to figure in five world championship fights, winning in two, drawing in one and losing in also two out of a possible seven that were still scheduled or rescheduled mostly despite the already enduring challenges and constraints posed by the pandemic. As a net result, the country managed to produce Reymart Gaballo as new WBC interim bantamweight champion, raising to five its reigning world titlists by yearend.
This could be largely attributed to the general tendency of Filipino fighters and handlers alike to place greater importance and priority to overseas fights. At the expense of the development and growth of domestic boxing.
Comparatively, Japan which by the start of 2020 leads the region in number of world titlists with five could only figure in a total of three, one of which is even an all-Nippon affair---the WBO super flyweight title fight between defending champion Kazuto Ioka and challenger Kosei Tanaka set this New Year's Eve in Tokyo.
The other two involved Monster Naoya Inoue's successful defense of his WBA and IBF titles versus Jason Moloney in the US which was even a demotion of his supposed triple title unification fight against Filipino WBO titleholder Johnriel Casimero and Junto Nakatani winning the WBO flyweight title vacated by Tanaka over Filipino Geimel Magramo bringing Japan's total to six world champions as of year end as a small consolation.
Thailand fared even worst with just one title bout for its usually busy two minimumweight world champions Wanheng Menayothin and Knockout CP Freshmart.
Which even ended inadvertently to its longest reigning and most popular titlist, Menayothin, not only losing his WBC belt but his then world best record of 54-0 to a fellow Thai, Panya Pradabsri by decision in a bout held in Thailand as 2020 winds down.
The Covid scourge has prevented and later limited the exit and entry of both nationals and foreigners in Thailand as in most other countries in the region and that precluded Menayothin especially from going to the US to fulfill in newly entered contractual commitments with Golden Boy Promotion. He could not even defend his title against foreigners in Thailand due to the travel ban.
Menayothin who has already on paper surpassed Floyd Mayweather's career record of 50-0 had initially thought of retiring but he later changed his mind. He decided to keep busy by defending his world title at home against a local world rated fighter named Panya Pradabsri who in 2017 bungled his first try at world title against Chong Zhao Xiong, China's then only second world champion.
Wanheng Menayothing (L) absorbs his first defeat in 55 fights as Panya Pradabsri's hand is raised in victory.
Menayothin and camp never thought of losing to Pradabsri but it happened. Thailand remained with two world champions though despite Menayothin's loss.
GAB Takes Advantage to Promote Domestic Boxing
The international travel restrictions have the effect of limiting fights to mostly domestic levels especially in Asia and the Pacific and generally elsewhere except in the US and occasionally in the UK.
While this is not really new to many boxing countries in Asia including Japan, China and Thailand, the opportunity to promote and develop Philippine domestic boxing was not lost to Filipino authorities, especially the dynamic and hardworking Games and Amusement Board (GAB) Chairman Abraham Mitra.
GAB chairman Abraham Mitra.
GAB Chair Mitra forthright met with local boxing promoters and stakeholders to plan ways and means to take advantage of the situation and trends forced upon by the pandemic to further promote and develop Philippine domestic professional boxing.
Mitra also effectively and efficiently connected local boxing promoters, players and stakeholders with the Inter Agency Task Force on Covid-19 and other Infectious Diseases so that proper coordination as well as safety and health measures and protocols could be put into place preparatory to the return of pro boxing in the country.
All these efforts have now been bearing the desired results as some successful local boxing bouts featuring some of the country's best fighters have already been organized and held in the Visayas and Mindanao by Omega Pro and Sanman Promotion since July.
More promotions are in the offing by early next year including two world title fights involving Filipinos in the minimuweight division where world rated Pinoy fighters abound in addition to IBF champion Pedro Taduran.
Five World Champions, 36 World Rated Contenders
Heading to the New Year, the Philippines has five world boxing champions namely Taduran, IBF super flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas, WBO regular bantamweight titlist Johnriel Casimero, WBC interim bantamweight belt holder Reymart Gaballo and WBA welterweight super champion Manny Pacquiao.
In addition, there are a total of 36 Filipino fighters that are rated in eight boxing weight divisions by the four major world boxing sanctioning bodies, namely the WBC, WBA, IBF and the WBO.
The highly credible Transnational Boxing Ratings Board has eight Filipino fighters in its exclusive list of top world boxers per division. They include Pacquiao #3 at welterweight, Casimero and Nonito Donaire, # 2 and 3 at bantamweight; Jerwin Ancajas # 3 at super flyweight; Giemel Magramo, # 10 at flyweight; Edward Heno and Mark Vicelles, # 6 and # 8 at light flyweight; and Victorio Saludar, #6 at minimumweight.
With those facts and figures, 2020 indeed is not a bad year after all for Philippine boxing.
Click here for Part One of this article.
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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