Hermie remembers Elorde

Election fever has brought boxing scholar Hermie Rivera, now living a not-so-riotous life in Newark, California, back to his home country and Hammerin’ Hermie is hot on the campaign trail drumbeating for his favorite candidates. A proud GI (Genuine Ilocano), Hermie believes the Solid North will deliver the votes to propel his senatorial bets to victory but since this isn’t a political column, no names of candidates will be disclosed. Hermie scoffs at critics who insist his endorsement is a Kiss of Death.

The other day, Hermie was on the phone reminiscing about the good, old days of the Solid North when he worked for President Marcos in the press office at Malacañang. Back in the day, Hermie mixed work with leisure and somehow, managed to make time for his first love, the so-called Sweet Science. Hermie, a well-known broadcaster, got initially involved with boxing through former Oriental champion Socrates Batoto whom he steered to two world title bids. Alas, Batoto failed to score twice, losing to Betulio Gonzalez via a fourth round knockout in a WBC flyweight championship bout in Caracas in 1972 and to Alfonso Zamora on a second round stoppage in a WBA bantamweight title match in Mexico City in 1975.

With Batoto gone to pasture, Hermie set his sights on another prospect Luisito Espinosa whose father Dio was employed as a waiter at the Palace. That was in late 1984 and Luisito, then 17, was starting to make waves with a 5-1 record. That was also when on Hermie’s advice, the Chief Executive decided to honor Gabriel (Flash) Elorde with a presidential medallion.

“D’Flash was confined at the hospital when I called the President’s attention to his sickness one morning and pronto, Senor Marcos ordered his trusted press officer, who happened to be me, to prepare the presidential medallion which he wanted to personally bring to the champ,” recalled Hermie, his memory as sharp as ever.

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Hermie said the arrangement was the President would visit Elorde at 4 p.m. and bestow the honor face to face. “That morning, the Presidential Security Guard went to the hospital for the usual sanitation and D’Flash’s family was advised of the President’s arrival,” continued Hermie. “I was supposed to remind the President at 2 p.m. of the visit so when the time came, I called on the Boss. Unfortunately, the President wasn’t feeling well and told me to ask Tony Siddayao, president of the Philippine Sportswriters Association, to give the medallion in his behalf. I quickly contacted Tony whom I located covering an event at the Rizal Memorial. We were together in D’Flash’s hospital room for the awarding.”

Hermie said the presidential medallion is given only to exemplary citizens for meritorious service and achievements of honor for the country so the recognition was extremely prestigious.

“Papa (Sarreal) and D’Flash’s wife Laura were in the room,” said Hermie. “D’Flash was wearing a medal around his neck given by Cardinal Sin previously. As I entered the room with Tony, I did my usual shadow-boxing routine, mimicking D’Flash’s signature right hook, drawing a roar of laughter from the fading boxing immortal. ‘Mali ka na naman,’ D’Flash remarked from his bed. ‘Sinabi ko na sa ‘yo, knuckles in at nevelado ang left or right hook.’ He laughed to his heart’s content. Papa whispered to me that it was the first time D’Flash smiled in the last two weeks and it took my antics to get him to laugh. The Hall of Fame promoter, however, didn’t mention if he agreed with his son-in-law’s observation that I threw the hook wrong.”

Hermie said Elorde shed tears of joy when Siddayao pinned the medallion on his shirt as he lay in bed. “I’m so happy when I remember those days with the great Cebuano battler,” he said. “After my unappreciated try at shadow-boxing, I decided to stick to my calling as a boxing manager.”

In 1989, Hermie’s protégé Espinosa captured the first of his two world titles, knocking out Khaokor Galaxy in a single round for the WBA bantamweight crown in Bangkok. In 1995, Espinosa annexed the WBC featherweight title. Today, Espinosa is one of only seven Filipino fighters to win at least two world titles in different weight classes – the others are Manny Pacquiao with eight, Nonito Donaire with three (excluding the interim superflyweight crown), Brian Viloria, Donnie Nietes, Dodie Boy Peñalosa and Gerry Peñalosa. Another Hermie protégé Morris East won the WBA junior welterweight diadem in Tokyo in 1992.

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About two weeks after Hermie’s visit, Elorde died of lung cancer on Jan. 2, 1985, at the age of 49. Elorde remains the longest-reigning Filipino world titlist ever, ruling the 130-pound division from 1960 to 1967 with 10 successful defenses. He retired after losing to Hiroyuki Murakami in Tokyo in 1971 with an 89-27-2 record, including 33 KOs. Elorde scored his last win in the Philippines on April 1, 1971, with a decision over Shunkichi Suemitsu. His boxing odyssey had memorable stops all over the world – at Madison Square Garden twice in New York City, San Francisco, Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Bangkok, Caracas, Agana (Guam), Quito (Ecuador), Cleveland, Honolulu, Stockton, Daly City and San Jose. And at home, Elorde left it all in the ring in Cebu, Cubao, Manila, Caloocan and Davao City.

Hermie is now writing a no-holds-barred book on Manny Pacquiao’s life and times – it’s a masterpiece in the works, almost two years in the making. When the book is finally published and off the press, Hermie will think about another sure best-seller, his untold stories about President Marcos – that should be a knockout.