Celebrities steal thunder at Aliw

Nobody expected the celebrities to put on such an explosive performance in the ring but the showbiz stars proved they can fight in real, not just reel, life.

At the Aliw Theater on Roxas Boulevard last Sunday, actors provided fireworks for their audience in and out of the ring. The action appeared to be scripted, especially the ringside brawl involving Cesar Montano, but it was clearly spontaneous and not premeditated.

There were four celebrity bouts in the card organized by broadcast magnate Freddie Elizalde’s events management team and matchmaker Jun Sarreal. Each was scheduled for three rounds at two minutes a round. Five other matches featured professional fighters.

International referee Silvestre Abainza was the sole judge in the celebrity matches.

The first two celebrity contests were more like sparring sessions. Polo Ravales, known for his roles in "Majika" and "Now and Forever," went up against his Mojo Gym trainer Danilo Sayon. Ravales, whose parents and sister watched at ringside, hammered Sayon with right hooks in the third round and did enough to earn Abainza’s nod. Ravales’ girlfriend Ara Mina, tipped to work his corner, was a no show.

Then, comedian Bayani Agbayani, wearing a white sando and white below-the-knee shorts, faced his personal trainer Julius Balena in a fun routine. Agbayani entered the ring by crawling under the lowest rope strand, drawing roars of laughter from the crowd. During the fight, he missed a right haymaker and almost hit Abainza. Agbayani was awarded the decision for his aggressiveness as Balena hardly laid a glove on him.

By the way, Agbayani outweighed Balena by 18 pounds.

Someone mentioned that Agbayani and Ravales were guaranteed P100,000 each for their appearance. Sayon and Balena were paid P10,000 apiece but were promised P20,000 if they won.

In the third celebrity fight, Christian Vazquez blasted Paolo Paraiso into submission in the first round. The 5-11, 164-pound Vazquez—looking extremely fit—attacked Paraiso from the opening bell and never eased the pressure. Abainza gave Paraiso a standing mandatory eight-count after Vazquez pinned him against the ropes and rained blows from all angles. The fight continued but after Vazquez struck Paraiso with solid shots to the midsection and head, Abainza called it off.

"Vazquez was determined to win," said a fan at ringside. "He trained with (former Oriental champion) William Develos at the Elorde gym and during the week leading up to the fight, wouldn’t even talk with Paraiso who is his kumpare. I hope after the fight, they become friends again."

Vazquez took home P100,000 for the win and Paraiso, P80,000 as the loser’s purse.

Then in the last celebrity bout, Andrew Wolff stopped Rommel Montano in the third round of a brawl. Montano’s brother Cesar and Agbayani worked his corner. Wolff, who stands 6-2 and weighs 200 pounds, was introduced in the ring wearing a hooded red jacket. Montano wore an ALA Gym shirt—he’d been training at the Aldeguer facility in Tagbilaran City.

Both fighters wrestled more than boxed in the first two rounds. Cesar was incensed after Wolff was warned twice by Abainza for infractions. Then, in the third stanza, Wolff landed a short right to the head and Montano went down like a sack of potatoes. Montano was on all fours as he desperately tried to get up. Somehow, he managed to beat the count but Abainza signaled it was over.

"Rommel was hurt," said Abainza. "I saw it from the way he was knocked down and tried to get up. I couldn’t risk serious injury by letting the fight continue. Rommel wanted to fight on but I stopped it. I couldn’t think of allowing a 200-pounder hit him again in that condition."

Cesar challenged Wolff to a fight right there and then. But order was restored in the ring as Abainza raised Wolff’s hand in triumph.

A few minutes later, as Wolff made his way to the dressing room, Cesar and his friends went on a rampage. Folding chairs were thrown all over the place as they chased Wolff from one end of the theater to the other. It was bedlam at Aliw. Broadcaster Jackie Castillejo, covering the show for ABS-CBN’s "Sports Unlimited," couldn’t believe her eyes. She never expected a free-for-all outside the ring.

The defiant Cesar renewed his challenge to fight Wolff even as he weighs at least 30 pounds less.

In the other fights, Jun Piasidad scored a third round technical decision over Randy Canon, Francis Borreros survived an early knockdown to stop Roel Santos in the first round, Junifel Aclo beat Jonel Alibio on a split eight-round decision, Elmer Muyco won the vacant Philippine Boxing Federation superflyweight title via a unanimous 10-round verdict over Jack Maldecir and Thai visitor Wanmeechok Singwangcha demolished Edgar Rodrigo in three.

History was made that night as Aliw hosted its first-ever sporting event indoors. The Manila Broadcasting Co. went all-out in staging the affair with president Jun Nicdao, vice president for marketing Irving Lisondra, assistant vice president Val Victa and John Galang overseeing the proceedings. Aliw Theater manager Rina Veloso was on top of things from start to finish and was her usual super-efficient self.

Among the high-profile personalities at ringside were Sunshine Cruz, John Estrada, Ricky Davao and Francis Magalona who sang a rap number during intermission.

To make the fights more exciting, Sarreal used a smaller-than-standard ring measuring 16 feet by 16 feet. Sarreal said most rings are either 21 by 21 or 18 by 18 but he deliberately contracted a ring maker to produce a 16 by 16 on Manny Pacquiao’s request. The ring was supposed to be used for Pacquiao’s recent fight against Oscar Larios but organizers opted for a bigger ring at the last minute.

Last Sunday’s boxing extravaganza will be aired in a two-hour special over Solar Sports on Sept. 9 at 7 p.m.