Bleacher Talk: Raising The Bar
By Rico Navarro
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 25 May 2008
Cebu Boxing is getting busier these days setting the pace for boxing in the country.
Ever since the successful Z Gorres?Vic Darchinyan card kicked off the year of big time boxing events for Cebu, it now looks like there?s no stopping Cebu?s local promoters and boxers from maintaining or even raising the bar a notch higher.
Never before has Cebu seen a calendar of activities like the one we?re expecting to see for the rest of 2008. In what is getting to be a norm for local boxing, all the succeeding big events for the rest of the year will be showcasing at least a regional championship or a world championship title fight as a main event.
A natural feature here is that bringing in foreign opponents to face Cebu?s top boxers in the main event of each card is already something considered as a ?given? or a ?must have.?
Gone are the days when a national championship was the biggest fight available for our top stars. In fact, a Philippine championship doesn?t seem to be a top priority anymore these days, now that the World Boxing Organization (WBO), International Boxing Federation (IBF) and now the World Boxing Association (WBA) -in that order- have now opened their arms to sanction regional or world title fights here in Cebu, something we never saw before. In the past, it was Cebu reaching out to Japan to break into the Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) or the United States to crack the world?s top ten rankings.
We were admittedly ?sad? when Golden Boy Promotions? ?Invasion? boxing card featuring the ALA Boys and Gerry Pe?alosa was held in Manila last April, knowing that Cebu was a more passionate fan of boxing than those in Manila. I guess the Manila experience was a learning for them as it now looks like Cebu will be THE venue for the year?s remaining big cards.
And so after a delayed reaction, the standard set by the Gorres-Darchinyan fight has finally created a ripple effect that will have Cebu busy with a loaded calendar of boxing. ?Back On Track? was a good way to re-start the ripple, as it featured Bert Batawang and the come-backing Rodel Mayol at the Cebu Coliseum. This also signified boxing?s return to what was once known as the home of Cebu Boxing?s biggest events in the 70s through the 90s. A few weeks before this saw Randy Suico crush a Thai in Lapu-lapu.
ALA Promotions is bringing boxing back to the Waterfront Hotel for the second time this year as Gorres faces off against Kenya?s Nick Otieno in a non-title fight on Saturday. The card also features another comeback kid in Malcolm Tu?acao who goes up against Rashid Ally of Tanzania. Special mention is the Marty Elorde promoted boxing promotion in Bogo on Friday. The main event of the card features Manila-based Ryan Bito defending his WBO Intercontinental Minimumweight title against Arnel Tadena of Bohol.
Then coming up in July is the possibility of a double world championship card featuring Gerry Pe?alosa and AJ Banal. Pe?alosa will be making the second title defense of his WBO bantamweight title against Isidro Garcia of Mexico, while Banal will be fighting for the vacant WBA super flyweight championship against Rafael Concepcion of Panama. But that isn?t it. The rest of the card features a list of fights that could make this THE boxing event of the year. Also being negotiated to see action on the same card is one-time Manny Pacquiao foe Oscar Larios of Mexico and Milan Melindo who?ll be going for a WBA Fedelatin championship. Batawang, Ciso Morales and Michael Domingo are also tabbed to see action in the card that?s expected to fill up the Cebu Coliseum for the first time in over a decade (for a boxing event).
As we write, we haven?t even heard of the latest for Boom Boom Bautista whose next fight is also being lined up either in Cebu or Bohol. Yuka Gejon is also listed to be fighting in Bohol in July while Along Denoy will also see action in Palawan next month. Mark Jason Melligen is to show off his stuff before a hometown crown in Bacolod also in July.
The only Cebu prospect who?ll be missing out in all the local action will be Donnie Nietes who?s scheduled to defend his WBO Minimumweight belt against Erik Ramirez in Mexico on July 5.
Wow! That was the first reaction I made when I saw all this being lined up for local boxing?s calendar for 2008. This has to have Cebu?s boxing colleagues in Manila and the rest of the country drooling in envy.
But then again, what else is new? This is Cebu Boxing raising the bar!
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rico Navarro.
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