Cebu boxing goes global

While the “biggest” news about Philippine boxing is Manny Pacquiao’s joining the PBA, we’ll have to take a back seat and look at the other more important developments in the sport, and it all starts here in Cebu, the country’s undisputed hotbed of boxing.  Stepping up to the plate to raise the bar yet another time (when will they stop at it?) is ALA Promotions has acquired a license to promote boxing events in the U.S.A.  So what?

Well for starters, this is a first not only for the country, not for Asian boxing. Not Japan, not Thailand but the Philippines and Cebu boxing at that! The first time that an Asian boxing outfit has been allowed to organize boxing fights in the U.S. We’ve heard of Top Rank invading Macau and China, while other firms have gone to Australia, but for a third world country going to the U.S. is something else. We’ve had Pinoy boxers fight in Vegas, California, New York, Texas, Argentina, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Mexico and Canada, but they all fought under the banner of the big promoters there. Under this set-up, a Pinoy boxing firm is now set to feature more Pinoy boxers in more boxing cards in the U.S. So once again, we take our hats off and commend a guy called “Bidoy”, “Tony,” and “Sir ALA.” Along with his son Michael, they have taken boxing to another level, something that they had discussed a few years ago when they re-engineered their path for ALA Promotions. The dream was to become a world-class organization in boxing. The dream was to stage more world class events across the Philippines with the support of TV giant ABS-CBN. So off they went to promote in Cebu, Davao, Bacolod and Manila. The dream was to bring Vegas to the Philippines. So far, so good? “No, not good enough,” they said. So they’re switching gears anew and headed to the other side of the globe where the grass may be greener and the opportunities infinite.

And this means nothing else but more good news for Philippine boxing. Going to the U.S. makes a lot of both business and boxing sense. On the boxing side, more Pinoy boxers (and trainers/coaches) can get that much needed exposure against Mexican and American opponents, even if they don’t belong to the ALA Boxing Gym. Top Rank, Golden Boy and Zanfer are no longer the only avenues through which one can get to fight in the U.S or Mexico. Will WBO light flyweight champion Donnie Nietes fight in one of these cards in the U.S.? Will Genesis Servania and Milan Milendo get that much-needed break? Is King Arthur Villanueva being considered for a fight in San Diego? The questions will now go on and on and on, now that Pinoys won’t have to depend on the American boxing outfits for a chance to fight abroad. The great news is that aside from improving their chances for shots at world championships, Pinoy boxers can also earn precious dollars for themselves and their families at home. You can bet that boxing gyms are now busier with boxers praying for that one big break; fight in the U.S.A.

The business side is crucially a more important factor in all this. Against a backdrop of a huge Pinoy market in the United States, ALA Promotions stands to gain from the TV market on top of the Pinoys that will watch the fights live. TFC, the Pinoy cable channel in the U.S., is a “must have” for Pinoys in the U.S. not only due to “The Legal Wife” and “Ikaw Lamang,” but also for its sports events, most notably the “Pinoy Pride” series. More importantly, TFC is also available in other areas like the Middle East where another huge Pinoy market sits, thirsty for anything that sounds and looks “Pinoy” on TV. With a TV market comes advertising. With advertising comes revenues. With revenues comes ear-to-ear smiles for ABS-CBN and ALA Promotions. With all this, advertisers get to reach out to the Pinoy global market that is quietly turning into one huge market. Advertisers will come in two ways. The first group are the Pinoy firms that reach out to Pinoy OFW’s. The second group are international advertisers whose brands also target Pinoys abroad. We may not know these products here in the country but these count on OFW Pinoys as part of their market.

This total boxing to business cycle makes the sport an interesting case study on how one can excel in the world of sports. We’ve heard of the NBA, FIBA, FIFA, and FIVB going global. The NBA Finals and World Cup of football are ongoing, and the FIBA World Cup takes place in August. All of these cater to huge markets worldwide with worldwide advertisers and sponsors driving growth. And in our own little way, the Pinoys won’t be far behind. It may not be of the same magnitude, but we’ll get there soon, won’t we? I have that funny feeling that this global breakthrough won’t come from Pinoy basketball. Obvious ba?

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Time-out: Happy birthday to Cholo Verches and Bebot Licuanan! >> You can reach me at [email protected].