Boxing 10/11

Cebu Boxing in 2010 will best be known for maintaining a world championship but also losing another, winning regional title belts, the stalling of a few, and the welcome shift in gears for Cebu’s remaining active promotions outfit.

On top of the list is World Boxing Organization (WBO) minimumweight world champion Donnie Nietes who defended his title for the fourth time with a unanimous decision win over Mario Rodriguez in Mexico. Nietes, who continues to be one the of country’s most underrated and least popular boxers, is ironically on his third year as a world champion, one of the longest reigns among Pinoy world champions. The bad news for 2010 was Rodel Mayol’s losing his WBC light flyweight world title to Omar Nino Romero in Mexico. It was a short reign for “Batang Mandaue”, marked with a series of controversial fights since 2009.

Right below Nietes keeping themselves busy while waiting for a world title shot are current regional champions Milan Melindo, Rocky Fuentes, Roli Gasca, Mercito Gesta and the comebacking Malcolm Tuñacao. Melindo went 4-0 in 2010, including a career-boosting win over ex-IBF light flyweight world champion Carlos Tamara. Fuentes, who went 5-0 in 2010, won the Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) flyweight championship in Japan, defended it twice in Japan, then capped his year with a third defense in Cebu. Gasca was the surprise package among the lot when he won the Pan Asia Boxing Association (PABA) bantamweight title in an upset win over erstwhile undefeated Thai favorite Tabtimdaeng Na Rachawat. Gesta may not be too popular among boxing fans, but the Mandaue native who is now based in the U.S., scored four wins in 2010, winning the NABO/WBO Youth lightweight championship along the way. Former WBC world flyweight champion Tuñacao is back in the scene, regaining the OPBF bantamweight title and defending it twice in Japan. This comes after many had written him off after he lost the same title in 2007.

Many will ask about their favorites AJ “Bazooka” Banal, Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista and Michael Domingo. They’re still very much in the limelight although they did go through some career “humps” in 2010. Banal and Bautista will be remembered for their last fights which ended in controversial wins that raised more questions than answers. Banal was leading by a mile before being tagged and close to losing by KO to ex-world champion Luis Alberto Perez. But since the KO blow came after a break had been called by the referee, Perez was DQ’d. Boom Boom also won, but this time by TKO when his fight against Alejandro Barrera was stopped due to the cuts on the Mexican which were declared to be caused by a punch. Barrera’s camp protested that the cuts were caused by a headbutt in a fight that could’ve gone either way with Barrera managing to match Boom Boom punch for punch. Domingo suffered a heart-breaking unanimous decision loss to Vusi Malinga of South Africa in an IBF bantamweight title eliminator fight.

One of the biggest boxing stories is actually behind the scenes. ALA Promotions has shifted into high gear and is now going full-blast into boxing promotions, now working as a promotions outfit not only for the ALA boxers but other prospects as well. They already have ex-world champion Katsunari Takayama of Japan under its care, along with Jimrex Jaca, ex-world champion Florante Condes and the Braveheart boxers of Manny Pinol.

2011 will thus be a case of trying to get everyone to the next level. Nietes is set to defend his crown against Raul Garcia by the first quarter of the year and will defend it at least once more, while the others keep themselves active, hoping to finally get a call for a world title shot. Among the ripest is Melindo who’s now campaigning as flyweight (112 pounds) but who can also go down to light flyweight (108 pounds) if necessary. But he doesn’t look like he’ll get the call on an optional defense for any world champ since he’s too risky of a challenger to face. Fuentes will be busy defending his OPBF title both here and in Japan and could be two or three fights away from a world title fight. The only chance for Fuentes and Tunacao to get a shot at a world championship is if they’re viewed as either “washed-up” or patsies who don’t have a chance of winning. Gasca and Gesta will be busy defending their regional belts or fighting in non-title fights all year before even thinking about a world title shot. It will also be a simple case of keeping themselves busy earning paychecks (no world title fights here) and learning from mistakes for the likes of Bautista, Banal, Domingo, Mark Jason Melligen, and Jason Pagara.

The big news is what to expect from ALA Promotions. With Pinoy Pride 3 set for January 29 (with ABS-CBN), a separate tie-up with Cobra Energy Drink, another tie-up with Summit Water, a tie-up with GMA 7(?), and the likes of Takayama, Condes and the Braveheart under their care, we’re all set for a really busy year of boxing. As Mills Lane would say, “Let’s get it on!”

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Time-out: Happy birthday to UC Athletic Director Bernard Ricablanca! >>> You can reach me at [email protected].