The ‘other’ champions - SPORTING CHANCE by Joaquin M. Henson

Malcolm Tunacao is the only Filipino reigning world boxing champion today–in the seniors category. He holds the World Boxing Council (WBC) flyweight title. Joma Gamboa dropped out of the elite circle a few weeks ago, losing the World Boxing Association (WBA) minimumweight crown to Keitaro Hoshino in Yokohama.

But there are 11 other Filipinos who are "international" champions in their own right. They are Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) titleholders Jess Maca (bantamweight) and Tiger Ari (superfeatherweight), WBA Pan-Asia Boxing

Association (PABA) rulers Fernando Sagrado (welterweight) and Joel Junio (bantamweight), World Boxing Organization (WBO) Intercontinental junior bantamweight king Vernie Torres, and WBC International champions Zarlit Rodrigo (strawweight), Juanito Rubillar (lightflyweight), Randy Mangubat (flyweight), Gerry Peñalosa (superflyweight), Jovy Halog (bantamweight), and Manny Pacquiao (superbantamweight).

The WBC International diadem is a consolation prize for contenders not immediately eligible to challenge for the "senior" title. The guiding principle is for promising contenders not rated in the top 10 to fight for the "international" crown. International champions are automatically rated in the top 10 and gain the right to challenge for the "senior" throne. The WBO Intercontinental title is also for contenders not ranked in the top 10. Both the WBC International and Intercontinental crowns are considered "junior" titles.

OPBF and PABA champions are supposed to be rated in the top 10 of their respective governing bodies (the OPBF is affiliated to the WBC and the PABA, to the WBA). The WBC ranks Maca No. 3 and Ari No. 4 but the WBA has ignored Sagrado and Junio.

Ari, 32, is on his second reign as OPBF 130-pound champion. He was once a WBO Intercontinental titlist. A clever and intelligent fighter, Ari is close to earning a shot at the WBC crown held by Floyd Mayweather. He certainly deserves it.

Last year, Ari stopped Kenji Ryuki to claim the OPBF title in Osaka. He repulsed Kazunori Fujita on points in his first defense in Okayama then was held to a split draw by Korean challenger Won Bu Chun in Guam before pounding out a lopsided decision over Atsushi Tamaki in Wakayama last week. Ari is booked to face Fujita in a rematch in March. Like Maca, Ari is content to pocket $20,000 purses in defending his OPBF crown and isn’t in a hurry to fight for the world title.

Against Tamaki, Ari was sensational. He decked the Japanese in the first and third rounds then coasted to a one-sided win on points. There was no doubt as to the outcome. The three judges – Wan Soo Yuh of Korea, Filipino Virgilio Garcia, and Takeo Harada of Japan – scored it 118-109, all for Ari who raised his record to 57-5-2, with 24 KOs. Tamaki announced his retirement from the ring after the bout.

Ari hasn’t lost since dropping a decision to former world champion Samart Payakaroon in Bangkok six years ago. He’s unbeaten in his last 26 bouts – an incredible streak.

A Filipino fighter making waves overseas is Torres. Since joining Roy Jones’ camp in Pensacola, Florida, last year, Torres has compiled an impressive record of 8-1–the only loss, a highly disputed split decision to David Vasquez. Among his victims were highly-regarded Genaro Garcia and Luis Alberto Perez who suffered his first loss to Torres in a WBO Intercontinental title fight in Gulfport, Mississippi, last September.

Torres’ overall record is 21-2, with 12 KOs. He’s due for a shot at the WBO crown next year.

Another Filipino in Jones’ camp is former Philippine superwelterweight champion Jerry Balagbagan. San Francisco immigration lawyer Sydney Hall brought Balagbagan to the US a month ago. According to Hall, Balagbagan is now in trainer Alton Merkerson’s "elite" group and recently decked former world champion Vince Phillips in a furious sparring session.

Sagrado, 27, is a bomber who boasts a 15-3-1 mark, with 10 KOs. He has stopped his last four opponents, including Guamanian veteran Phil Clarson. Junio, 27, is a late bloomer. His record is 25-19-3, with 15 KOs. Like Sagrado, Junio has knocked out his last four opponents. Rodrigo captured the WBC strawweight title via a unanimous 12-round decision over former International Boxing Federation (IBF) miniflyweight champion Manny Melchor in Antipolo last October.

Rubillar has won 11 of his last 12 fights in compiling a record of 22-7-5, with five KOs. The only loss in that streak was a decision to Zolani Petelo in an IBF miniflyweight title fight in London last year. Although Rubillar dropped a close verdict, Petelo looked more like the loser in the end–his face had been transformed into a grotesque mask. Rubillar is fresh from a win on points over Youki Hashiguchi in Honolulu last month.

Mangubat, 24, bagged the WBC International flyweight title on a merciless first round stoppage of Jong Kwan Kim in Antipolo last October to raise his record to 24-15-10, with 11 KOs. Halog, 25, created a stir when he knocked out Theo Modise in the first round to claim the WBC International bantamweight diadem in St. Juery, France, last year. In his first defense, he disposed of Fil-Australian Todd Makelin in a single round. Halog’s record is 18-12-3, with 10 KOs.

Finally, there are Peñalosa and Pacquiao, easily the most popular Filipino fighters in the new millennium. Peñalosa, the WBC No. 1 contender, is training for a tune-up bout, possibly against former WBA junior flyweight champion Keiji Yamaguchi, before he challenges the winner of the Masamori Tokuyama-In Joo Cho rematch for the WBC crown. Pacquiao is ranked No. 4 and will face Fahprakob Rakkiat-Gym of Thailand here on Feb. 17 in a WBC International title defense. He’s being lined up for a US campaign after fighting Fahprakob.