Philippine Boxing’s Temple of BOOM
By Emmanuel Rivera, RRT
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 29 Jan 2025
The Olympic Stadium exists only in memory, passed down from one generation to the next through old newspaper clippings, faded photographs, and stories. Gone are the fighters, the swells, and The Fancy of a golden era. What unforgettable sights and sounds must have filled the air on Saturday nights on Avenida Rizal and Calle Doroteo Jose—the cheers and jeers of a packed crowd enthralled by two fighters testing their will in the squared circle.
Known simply as “The Stadium,” this venue was once a vibrant hub of excitement and camaraderie. American military officers mingled with Filipino elites and commoners alike during a time when boxing reigned as the undisputed kingpin of sports and entertainment. If boxing was the king of sports, then the Olympic Stadium was its queen—a venue unmatched in grandeur and meaning.
Francis Aglar Churchill, popularly known as Frank to friends and business partners—the Tait brothers, Edwin Ensign and Stewart Alfred—helped create a flourishing fight scene in the Philippines. In real estate, they say location is key, and the grounds they chose to build this shrine to boxing were perfect—befitting the sport’s royalty. Situated in what was once the epicenter of Yankee rule during the Philippine Insurrection, it became a space where pugilistic history unfolded.
The Stadium was a success from the very beginning. You can almost hear the roar of the crowd as local legends like Duarte, Labra, Gener, Jamito, Cabanela, Villon, Zapanta, Moldez, Garcia, Zapanta and Guilledo aka Pancho Villa—the “little giants of the prize ring”— took turns on the canvas to face the best. With blazing fists, innovative footwork, and fearless determination, they captivated a nation and its conquerors, electrifying fight fans from all walks of life.
Photo Credit: The Tribune, February 15, 1934 (Manila, Philippines)
A lifelong curiosity about the origins of Philippine boxing led me to this long-forgotten site—a venue that, in its day, was state-of-the-art, rivaling even some of today’s indoor arenas. It was the birthplace of many Filipino boxing greats, standing proudly across the Manila Grand Opera House on Calle Doroteo Jose and Avenida Rizal.
Photo: Gala of Champions at the Manila Grand Opera Hotel and Casino (March 22-23, 2024). With Luisito Espinosa and the Godfather of Philippine Boxing Antonio Lopez Aldeguer.
It must have been an awe-inspiring sight—two iconic venues facing off on the same street, where Filipinos and Americans once gathered, both serving as grand stages for sports and entertainment.
Due to the high public demand, Llew Edwards, the British lightweight star, embarked on a 4-fight deal to inaugurate the Stadium. His fistic trifecta against our rising Filipino greats started on February 22, 1919, when he fought and beat Francisco “Filipino Tiger” Flores in 10 spirited rounds. Next, on March 26, 1919, he spreadeagled Eustaquio “Eddie” Duarte, considered the first Filipino professional boxer, in 3 rounds of a scheduled 10.
On April 5, 1919, Edwards had his hands full as Kid Dencio Cabanela, who was six pounds lighter, gave the crowd reason for multiple standing ovations. As Bill Miller of the Manila Daily Bulletin surmised the next day, “...This was the most sensational and the most interesting fight ever witnessed in a Manila ring. Cabanela won the 1st, 5th, and 7th rounds, with the seventh being by far his best, as he cut Edwards’ eye and hurt him with a terrific body punch. But Edwards won all the other rounds from the lighter man, and ‘pounded Cabanela all over the ring in round ten and had him at his mercy when the final bell rang.”
Photo Credit: The Tribune, February 24, 1934 (Manila, Philippines)
The Olympic Stadium at Santa Cruz, Manila deserves a book in itself as it is essentially the story of Philippine boxing and its pioneers. What started in 1908 as the Olympic Club in Quiapo, an underground fight club featuring American soldiers and sailors, to the non-profit Olympic Athletic Club in Palomar Park, Tondo, Manila in 1909 later became the swatorium that Frank Churchill built.
After 15 glorious years, the Olympic Stadium’s run ended with a thud on Saturday, February 24, 1934, when Young Tommy knocked out Cunning Nene, taking the Bantamweight Championship of the Orient. The site was later demolished to make way for the Mapua Institute of Technology.
Notes of Appreciation:
• The top image is from the collection of the Philippine Boxing Historical Society and Hall of Fame. The painting is an artist rendition of the Olympic Stadium based on an old advertisement GRAN PELEA on El Debate, February 1925. The fight card is based on a Cable News-American sporting news marquee (April 5, 1919)
• Photo Credit: The Tribune, February 15, 1934 (Manila, Philippines)
• Photo Credit: The Tribune, February 24, 1934 (Manila, Philippines)
• All are in the public domain and brought to you by PhilBoxing.com, the #1 Boxing Site created by Mr. Dong Secuya
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