The Laila Ali-O'Neil bout in Dubai
By Alex A. Paglumotan, GAB Commissioner
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 26 Mar 2006
The most awaited event in women's professional boxing this year is slated on April 27, 2006 in the kingdom of the United Arab Emirates where the reigning Women International Boxing Association champion Laila Ali will duke it out against Gwendolyn O'Neil for the WIBA light heavy weight title.
This is 175 lbs and scheduled for ten (10) rounds only, since this is a female championship bout. Just to remind our readers that the rules governing the promotion of female fights is slightly different from that of male pro boxing.
At the world-renowned Dubai Tennis Stadium the sensational Ali-O'Neil match will be held. Our friend Ryan Wissow, the President of WIBA based in Florida, USA e-mailed this writer and at the same time invited me to represent the Philippines also in the forum of foreign counterparts Commissioners of WIBA-WABA in Asia probably to be held in one of the finest hotels in Dubai.
Laila Ali is the proud daughter of Muhammad Ali, former Casius Clay of the US and Olympic gold medalist and heavy weight champion of the world. Given such a rare privilege by our Chairman, this is my first time to attend an officers' meeting of the WIBA as one of its Commissioners in the Asian region. This is also my maiden exposure in so far as the female professional boxing competition is concerned after the GAB Board had approved the legalization of female boxing in the country professional category about a month and a half ago. I know that being part of this major task is not an easy one. I have to represent the Philippines so well as expected and for the purpose of gaining such required mastery on the field for the future interest of our upcoming Filipina fighters.
Though we are still on its pioneering stage, through this representation, and the blessing of Chairman Buhain the WIBA-WABA Philippine chapter is organized and soon to take off to produce top Filipina pro boxers to join the ranks of the international boxing community. And so soon enough, we will be making our own promotions in the country with the support of pro boxing communities here and other organizations whose love in the sport are beyond any limit.
We cannot afford to lose these opportunities to promote and develop our very own quality fighters. If America and Europe as well as other countries are capable of excelling into this famous world sport now, surely enough the Philippines can do no less.
So, this Ali-O'Neil championship fight in Dubai will be the turning point of our hope as instructed by the Chairman of the GAB to do many things in order to create an avenue for the development of women pro boxing in the entire country.Hope to get the nod of the good GAB Chairman and the Board for this occassion.
By that time, the "1st GAB Philippine Boxing Convention" in Manila as the priority project of Her President Excellency Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and its historical success will have been over with. It's high time for us Filipinos who are consistent lovers of boxing as a leading sport in the country, to give way and to pave the way for its development here. Chances are, the more promotions for Filipina boxers, the more that we can give them the best chances for themselves and for the glory of this nation.
Before long, we will be having the female Manny Pacquiao version who will be proudly waving the Philippine flag internationally.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Alex A. Paglumotan, GAB Commissioner.
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