MANILA, 25 January — Indeed, Manny Pacquiao’s fight style fetches glorious memory of the late Flash Elorde, the former world junior-lightweight champion known around the world as the country’s greatest fighter.
For his bravery and achievements inside the ring, Pacquiao will be awarded the Best Boxer of 2001 when the second Flash Elorde Boxing Awards Night to be held on March 25, the birthday of the first Filipino prizefighter to be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Pacquiao, the 2001 Philippine Sportswriters Association’s major awardee for professional boxing, scored a smashing sixth-round knockout win over heavily favored South African opponent Lehlo Ledwaba to capture the International Boxing Federation (IBF) super-bantamweight crown in June last year in Las Vegas.
He then battled to a bloody draw with Agapito Sanchez of the Dominican Republic in San Francisco in November 2001 to cap a fruitful year that saw most Filipino pugilists suffer heartbreaking defeats abroad.
Ex-world titlist Malcolm Tunacao was voted as the Best Boxer for 2000 in the maiden edition of the awards.
Numerous awards will also be handed over to those who put on excellent performances here and abroad.
Awards would also be allotted in the non-combatant category. Trainers, cutmen, promoters and managers would also be honored in the affair which is expected to draw personalities not only from sports, but also on politics and entertainment. Fittingly, Pacquiao’s ring appearance in San Francisco against Sanchez rekindled the country’s ties with the City by the Bay.
It will be recalled that San Francisco was also the site of Elorde’s six fights in the 1950s and 1960s, when he fought before American fans and showed the little brown Filipinos’ brand of fighting.
Elorde’s first bout took place in 1956 against the rugged Sandy Saddler, who went on to retain the world featherweight title with a controversial 13th round stoppage on-cuts. For the record, Elorde won three of six fights in the Bay Area, including a methodical first-round knockout of Harold Gomes in August 1960 to keep the world junior-lightweight belt at the Cow Palace. Elorde’s other victories came at the expense of Cleo Lane and Gil Velarde, while his two other setbacks were dealt by Miguel Berrios and Paolo Rosi.
But Pacquiao’s fight with Sanchez earned him adulation and respect from a big legion of Filipino boxing fans.
Pacquiao and Sanchez put their respective titles — IBF and World Boxing Organization (WBO) — on the line when they squared off at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco. They fought to a sixth round technical split draw in a foul-marred brawl. Pacquiao was the recipient of Sanchez’s dirty tactics.
He was butted, elbowed, kneed, and fouled repeatedly by Sanchez, older and the more seasoned fighter. When referee Marty Denkin ruled Pacquiao unfit to continue because of deep cuts over his right eye, Sanchez taunted the Filipino and said he had no heart.
Pacquiao — who wanted to continue fighting although he could hardly see from his right eye because blood impaired his vision — walked up to Sanchez’ corner and said the Dominican Republic roughhouser belonged in a wrestling ring, not a boxing ring. Two points were deducted from Sanchez’ scorecard.
One for rubbing his glove on Pacquiao’s cut in the third round, and another for deliberately hitting Pacquiao on the left thigh in the fourth round.
After delivering the low blow, Sanchez pushed Pacquiao down on the canvas, fell on him, and planted a knee on the battered thigh. Pacquiao never lost his focus despite Sanchez’ roughhousing but abandoned his jab to resort to throwing bombs — sometimes, wildly — because he fought half-blind. It was Pacquiao’s second appearance on American soil.
He made his American debut at the MGM Grand a few months before his bout with Sanchez by scoring a savage knockout win over Ledwaba in June in Las Vegas to snare the IBF 122-lb plum.
Pacquiao is currently preparing for his next bout to defend his world title neatly tucked under his belt.
If talks push through, Pacquiao’s camp may stage his first fight this year in Manila.
There have been talks since last year about Pacquiao taking on No. 3 contender Fahprakob Rakkiat-Gym of Thailand in March. The 26-year-old Fahprakob is the reigning IBF International 122-pound kingpin. Since turning professional in 1992, Fahprakob has compiled a 35-2 win-loss record, with 22 knockouts. The Thai has won his last 30 outings and, interestingly, has not lost since being beaten by countryman Hadao CP-Gym on points in 1993.
In 1994, Fahprakob grabbed the lightly-regarded World Boxing Federation (WBF) bantamweight jewel. He has practically ruled his division with iron hands as he made seven successful defenses of the WBF crown. He only lost grip of it in 1997 before deciding to campaign in the much-heavier superbantam weight class.
Among Fahprakob’s Filipino victims were Dodong Virtudazo, Rolando Pritos, and Bobby Rabanos. In his most recent outing last August, Fahprakob beat Nestor Farias of Argentina in Hammanskraal, South Africa, on points.
Pacquiao’s business manager Rod Nazario is still negotiating a Home Box Office (HBO) deal to beam the planned bout on the world-wide cable TV network.
Should HBO agrees to bankroll the fight, Nazario’s partner Lito Mondejar says, Pacquiao’s purse could be pegged not less than $150,000.
Then there is a second option, that is to hold the match in the United States where Pacquiao is making a name for himself as the second coming of the legendary Filipino fighter Pancho Villa, the flamboyant and hard-hitting former world flyweight champion who took America by storm in the1920s. If Fahprakob will not be available, according to Mondejar, his camp may settle for another Thai opponent in No. 6 contender Fahsung 3-K Battery.
Pacquiao, whose dream is to become the first Filipino to hold world titles in three different divisions, is setting his sights on fighting the blue-chip opponents in the featherweight class that include Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera and Prince Nassem Hamed. Pacquiao also said he wants to unify the titles in the super-bantamweight class of 122 lb, although the possibility of jumping up in weight in the pursuit of hefty paychecks sounded good as well.
