Boxing Golden Age Comparison - Philippines and Japan
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 04 Jul 2025
Before the current boxing golden age enjoyed by Japan, a similar boom was experienced earlier by the Philippines which spanned more than two decades.
As Naoya Inoue has been largely instrumental in the ongoing Japan's boxing golden age, Manny Pacquiao played a highly pivotal role in lifting the Philippines' international and global profile in the fight sport.
Inoue has thus far won for him world titles in four weight classes, including undisputed championships successively at bantamweight and super bantamweight. Such continuing resounding successes have the effect of inspiring other Japanese fighters to excel in the sport, resulting to their virtually dominating in other lower weight classes. These include Junto Nakatani who has won world championships in three weight divisions thus far, including unified titles at bantamweight where two other Japanese fighters namely Yoshiki Takei and Masamishi Tsutsumi hold the remaining major belts. Former unified light flyweight champion Kenshiro Teraji is now unified flyweight titlist.
Pacquiao first won a major title at flyweight in 1998 and by 2010 added seven more world championships in as many weight divisions making him the first fighter to win eight in total, from 112 lbs to 154 lbs. He also has had two previous quite long reigns at welterweight (and looking to win another tenure this July 19, 2025 at age of 46 versus American WBC defending champion Mario Barrios in Las Vegas.)
Pacquiao's global ring successes also spawned a generation of Filipino fighters who went on to also win multi division world championships especially in the 2000s through the 2010s.
They included Gerry Peñalosa who won titles at super flyweight and bantamweight, Nonito Donaire Jr who captured belts at flyweight, bantamweight, super bantamweight twice and featherweight and is currently on his fourth reign at 118 lbs and Donnie Nietes who won crowns from 105 lbs to 112 lbs and had the distinction as the longest continuing Filipino world boxing champion after the great Flash Elorde in the 1960s. Of course, who could forget the still active Johnriel Casimero who had unbeaten reign at light flyweight, flyweight and bantamweight (Casimero was unceremoniously stripped of his WBO bantamweight crown in 2022).
The ongoing golden era of boxing in Japan is currently limited to Japanese fighters domination in the lighter weights classes with the highest at 122 lbs through Inoue's iron grip of the division.
By comparison, the Philippines boxing golden era was occasioned by Pacquiao's rise in weight classes and winning world titles along the way, especially in divisions considered as Waterloo of Filipino fighters before, I.e. lightweight, welterweight and super welterweight or junior middleweight.
As I reported in the first part, notwithstanding Inoue's inspirational impact and with fights mostly held in Japan, recent attempts by Japanese fighters to win major belts at featherweight through welterweight ended in dismal failures. Jin Sasaki was knocked out cold in five rounds by WBO welterweight titlist Brian Norman Jr and had to be rushed to the hospital.
At least in Pacquiao's heydays and even at the backend, there still emerged credible Filipino fighters who aspired and could fight for world titles at classes above 122 lbs. They included Mercito Gesta at lightweight and Mark Magsayo who briefly held the WBC featherweight crown after beating long time defending titlist Gary Russell Jr. (Magsayo is fighting underneath Pacquiao's return main event title bout versus Barrios. Another win by Magsayo most probably give him a crack at the world super featherweight title.) And then there's Charly Suarez who was cheated of a stoppage victory in a WBO Super featherweight title fight against Mexican Emanuel Navarette on technicality.
That is where the comparison between the golden eras of Japan and the Philippines and by connection, the comparative greatness of Inoue of Pacquiao end.
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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