Greatest P4P Fighters Philippines (First of Two Installments)
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 31 May 2024
There is renewed interest in the Best Pound for Pounder Fighters in the world today as triggered by the Ring Magazine which comes up with updated listing depending on developments in big time international pro boxing.
At top three currently are Oleksandr Usyk, Naoya Inoue and Terrence Crawford. No Filipino is even in the honorable mentions list.
Long gone now is the heydays of Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather rivalry which for a time saw the two alternating for the top post and which even inspired other over achieving Filipino fighters as Nonito Donaire, Jr and Donnie Netes to break into the exclusive list.
Be that as it may, as a long time boxing enthusiast and scholar, I am prompted to come up with my list of the greatest Filipino pound for pound fighters from the early era till the recent times.
The objective is to educate the younger generation of our ring heroes of old and refresh the memory of all who cares to remember of the more recent time exploits of our ring gladiators.
To level the playing field so to speak, I come up with two lists, one representing the modern times from the WBA-WBC to the current four belt era. Another representing the old NBA/WBA era of one world champion for each of the then nine weight divisions
Read on and feel free to react.
Modern Era
1. Manny Pacquiao - His eight division world championships without doubt make Pacquiao among the greatest pound for pound fighters not only of the Philippines but in the world. Four of his world division championships were recognized as lineal, meaning he was the best of the champions for beating the man who beat the man at flyweight, featherweight, super featherweight and super lightweight. His eight division titles hold the world record in boxing and most likely will never be equaled much less surpassed even in the four belt era. Manny is reportedly mulling a boxing comeback.
2. Nonito Donaire, Jr. - Nonito won five division world championships from flyweight through the featherweight except the super flyweight. What makes him a rarity is at advanced age, he returned to the bantamweights and won world titles twice losing them only to the same man, Naoya Inoue, currently arguably the world's best pound for pound fighter. He is still active.
3. Donnie Nietes - Ahas won world championships from minimumweight through the super flyweight and was never beaten, vacating each as he moved up in weight except the last which he chose to vacate out of frustration for not getting into big unification fights against the likes of Francisco Estrada and Roman 'Chocolatito' Gonzalez. He is reportedly still active.
4. Johnriel Casimero - Quadro Alas first won a world title at light flyweight, surviving a riot after he kayoed the Argentine champion. He vacated the crown after a couple of defenses due to weight issues. He won the WBC flyweight title by KO over a difficult Thai champion Amnat Ruenroeng in a second try. Weight issues forced him to vacate that crown after a couple of defenses. He won his third world division title by KO over South African KO artist champion Zolani Tete but was stripped of his WBO belt also due to weight related issue He is still actively fighting.
5. Luisito Espinosa - Luwi is the first Filipino to officially win world titles at bantamweight and featherweight, divisions that were former waterloo for Filipino fighters including the great Gabriel Flash Elorde.
6. Gerry Peñalosa - Gerry started out at flyweight but won the first of his two world titles at super flyweight mugging a tough long term Japanese champion Hiroshi Kawashima in Japan. He later won the WBO bantamweight crown by sensational body punch TKO of the usually durable Mexican champion Jhonny Gonzalez in a Philippine vs Mexico fight card in the US. Braveheart Gerry would challenge for the WBO super bantam crown but would lose to the then undefeated Juan Manuel Lopez of Puerto Rico.
7. Dodie Peñalosa - Dodie Boy was the first Filipino to win world titles at light flyweight and flyweight with the then fledgling IBF in the 80s. He gained international admiration for successfully boxing despite being a polio victim in his youth.
8. Rolando Navarrete - Lando won just one world division championship at super featherweight by KO over Cornelius Boza Edwards in the early 80s. But he started at bantamweight, being featured in the Ali-Frazier Thrilla in Manila in 1975. He ended his career at super lightweight.
9. Ben Villaflor - Ben started at featherweight where he had notable wins over world rated fighters. He won the WBA junior lightweight crown where he had two reigns in the mid 70s. He regained his world title by knocking out unconscious Japanese Kuniaki Shibata, his previous conqueror and one of Japan's few early two division world champions.
10. Pedro Adigue- The Rock started at lightweight where had a distinguished reign as Philippine and Oriental champion. Not getting world title crack at 135, he soon campaigned at junior welterweight where he became WBC world champion in the early 70s. He was a precursor for Manny Pacquiao in that he fought opponents as heavy as welterweight even junior middleweight in his prime.
Honorable Mention:
Rolando Bohol - The other famous Lando won the IBF flyweight title in 1988 and after his brief reign campaigned also in the super flyweight and bantamweight where challenged once for the IBF title and lost to Orlando Canizales in 1994. Among his prominent foes included Duke McKenzie, Junior Jones, Miguel Lora, Yuri Arbachakov and Johnny Tapia who were or all became world champions.
Next in this series:
NBA/WBA Era
1. Gabriel Elorde
2. Pancho Villa
3. Little Dado
4. Ceferino Garcia
5. Small Montana
6. Roberto Cruz
7. Dado Marino
8.Dommy Ursua
9. Tany Campo
10. Diosdado Posadas
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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