Manny won’t follow in Elorde footsteps

LAS VEGAS – While the late Flash Elorde is considered the model for Filipino fighters to emulate, there’s something in the Bogo legend’s history that Manny Pacquiao will not want to repeat.

Elorde was the world superfeatherweight champion when he twice tried to annex the 135-pound crown held by Carlos Ortiz. In both bids, Elorde was stopped in the 14th round – first at the Rizal Memorial in 1964 and second, at Madison Square Garden in New York in 1966.

Pacquiao is the reigning WBC 130-pound titleholder and will challenge WBC lightweight king David Diaz in his quest for a fourth world championship at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino here tonight (tomorrow morning, Manila).

Although no Filipino has ever gained recognition as lightweight champion by any of the top governing bodies (WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO), there were three who claimed titles of lesser-known organizations. They were Andy Ganigan, Amado Cabato and Miguel Arrozal.

Ganigan, now 55, knocked out Sean O’Grady in the second round for the vacant World Athletic Association (WAA) lightweight throne in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1981. O’Grady had just relinquished the WBA title to promote the WAA which was organized by his father.

Ganigan never defended the WAA title. Instead, he challenged Alexis Arguello for the WBC crown in May 1982 and after decking the Nicaraguan in the first round, was stopped in the fifth. A Hawaii-born slugger of Filipino descent, Ganigan retired in 1983 after compiling a 34-5 record, with 30 KOs, in an 11-year career.

Cabato, now 44, halted Darrell Hiles in the eighth round for the vacant IBO (International Boxing Organization) lightweight title in Queensland, Australia, in December 1994. He lost the crown in his first defense to Lester Ellis. Cabato tried to regain the IBO title but lost to Billy Irwin in Ontario a year later.

Cabato wound up his 17-year career in 1998 with a 45-27-8 record, including 23 KOs. His last fight was a seventh round knockout loss to Paul Spadafora in Pennsylvania.

Arrozal, now 40, won the vacant WBB (World Boxing Board) lightweight title via a ninth round disposal of Aaron Lopez in Rochester, Washington, in 1998. He lost the title in his first defense to John Palaki.

Other Filipinos who fought for the world lightweight crown but lost were Bert Somodio (outpointed by Joe Brown in Manila in 1961), Dindo Canoy (decisioned by Orzubek Nazarov in Iwaki City, Japan, in 1995) and Randy Suico (stopped by Juan Diaz in Las Vegas in 2006).

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ESPN The Magazine, in its June 30 issue, speculated that if and when Pacquiao beats Diaz, he will move on to challenge IBF, WBA and WBO lightweight champion Nate Campbell.

Standing in the way of Pacquiao’s future plans is Diaz.

“The critics’ main complaint (about Diaz) is that he’s an ordinary fighter,” said HBO analyst Max Kellerman, quoted by Tim Struby of ESPN. “He’s a little more polished than people give him credit for but he’s not a great fighter.”

Struby said a win over Pacquiao will transform Diaz into an overnight sensation.

“People don’t often have faith in me,” said Diaz who took a two-year layoff from boxing in 2000 to grieve over the AIDS-related death of brother Francisco and take care of mother Basilia who suffered a heart attack after a kidney transplant. “I’m just going to have to prove them wrong. Again.”

Diaz has lost only once – to Kendall Holt in a superlightweight fight in 2005. He was also held to a draw by Ramazan Palyani. But Diaz hasn’t lost in his last nine bouts.

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Franklin McNeil of the New Jersey Star-Ledger said there is no reason to doubt Pacquiao’s claim that he won’t find it difficult to manhandle Diaz because “overpowering larger fighters is something he has done several times in his career.”

But McNeil said Diaz is no pushover.

“Diaz, who spent a good portion of his career at junior welterweight, will be the larger man on fight night,” wrote McNeil. “His size could come into play against Pacquiao who is regarded as the stronger puncher though he began his career as a junior flyweight. If Pacquiao can’t overwhelm Diaz with brute strength, his quest to become world champion in a fourth weight class is likely to fall short.”

Pacquiao dismissed McNeil’s apprehension.