Pro boxing yearender: Bright outlook for Pinoy pugs

MANILA, Philippines — With WBA welterweight champion Sen. Manny Pacquiao leading the charge, Philippine men’s boxing is enjoying a golden renaissance as 2018 comes to a close, marked by seven world titleholders, seven No. 1 contenders and 27 fighters ranked in the top 10 by the IBF, WBA, WBO, WBC and IBO.

It’s a dramatic turnaround from the grim record last year. Only two Filipino fighters – IBF flyweight ruler Donnie Nietes and IBF superflyweight king Jerwin Ancajas – were on the throne at the end of 2017. This year, Filipinos figured in 24 world title bouts, registering nine wins, 13 losses, three draws and one no-contest. There’s one more match on tap before the year ends as Nietes battles Japan’s Kazuto Ioka for the vacant WBO superflyweight crown in Macau on Dec. 31. Last year, Filipinos won seven and lost nine in 16 world championship fights.

The seven incumbent world champions are Pacquiao, WBO minimumweight titlist Vic Saludar, WBA bantamweight ruler Nonito Donaire, Jr., IBO bantamweight boss Michael Dasmariñas, Ancajas, interim WBA bantamweight titleholder Reymart Gaballo and interim WBA featherweight king Jhack Tepora. The seven No. 1 contenders are WBC featherweight Mark Magsayo, WBA featherweight Tepora, WBO featherweight Genesis Servania, WBA bantamweight Gaballo, WBO superflyweight Nietes, WBC/WBO lightflyweight Jonathan Taconing and WBO minimumweight Robert Paradero.

Filipinos were most active in IBF title fights with eight outings, followed by the WBA with seven, WBO with four, IBO with three and WBC with two. Dealing the Philippines the most defeats in world title fights was Japan with four then Thailand and Mexico with two each. Minimumweight Toto Landero was the only Filipino to lose in two world championship matches, bowing to Thailand’s Knockout CP Freshmart (Thammanoon Niyomtrong) in a WBA fight in Chonburi last March 6 and to South Africa’s Simpiwe Konkco in an IBO contest in Umtata last July 22, both on points.

Ancajas was the busiest Filipino fighter in world title fights, appearing thrice to stop Mexico’s Israel Gonzalez in Corpus Christi last Feb. 2, outpoint countryman Jonas Sultan in Fresno last May 26 and draw with Mexico’s Alejandro Santiago in Oakland last Sept. 28. The year also featured two world title bouts pitting two Filipinos against each other. First was Ancajas’ win over Sultan and second was Nietes’ split draw with Aston Palicte for the vacant WBO superflyweight diadem at the Forum in Inglewood, California, last Sept. 28.

Only two Filipinos are rated in the top 10 by all five boxing bodies – the IBF, WBA, WBO, IBO and WBC. Orient and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) lightflyweight champion Edward Heno is ranked No. 3 by the WBO, No. 4 by the WBC and No. 6 by the WBA, IBF and IBO in the 108-pound division. Taconing is rated No. 1 by the WBC and WBO, No. 3 by the WBA, No. 8 by the IBO and No. 9 by the IBF, also in the lightflyweight class. Heno, 26, has a 13-0-5 record, with 5 KOs, and is slated to stake his OPBF crown against Japan’s Koji Hagaki in Hiroshima on Feb. 11. Taconing, 31, totes a record of 28-3-1, with 22 KOs. WBO Oriental flyweight titleholder Giemel Magramo is rated by four of the five governing bodies – No. 6 by the WBO, No. 7 by the WBC and No. 9 by the WBA and IBF – and will defend his crown against Wenfeng Ge in Suzhou, China, on Jan. 5. 

The only Filipino rated in the top 10 in two weight divisions is former IBO lightflyweight champion Rey Loreto. He’s ranked No. 5 by the WBA as a minimumweight and No. 5 by the WBC and No. 4 by the IBO as a lightflyweight. 

Of the 24 world title fights featuring Filipinos, the most active division was minimumweight with seven bouts then superflyweight with four and flyweight and bantamweight with three. Donaire fought in two divisions – he lost a decision to Carl Frampton in an interim WBO featherweight title fight in Belfast last April 21 and halted Ryan Burnett to claim the WBA bantamweight plum in Glasgow last Nov. 3. Nietes also saw action in two divisions – he stopped Argenina’s Juan Carlos Reveco to retain his IBF flyweight belt at the Forum last Feb. 24 and drew with Palicte in a fight that left the WBO superflyweight throne vacant.

The nine winners in world title fights were Pacquiao, Ancajas twice, Donaire, Saludar, Dasmariñas, Nietes, Tepora and Gaballo. The 13 losers were Mark Anthony Barriga, Randy Petalcorin, Sultan, Vince Paras, Ernesto Saulong, Landero twice, Brian Viloria, Mercito Gesta, Milan Melindo, Pedro Taduran, Froilan Saludar and Donaire. Figuring in draws were Ancajas, Nietes and Palicte. The sole no-contest was registered in IBO minimumweight champion Simpiwe Konkco’s defense against Joey Canoy in East London last Dec. 2. Canoy dropped Konkco in the second round then the bout was stopped in the fourth after the South African suffered a cut over the right eye due to an accidental headbutt. Since the fight was halted within the first four rounds and Konkco ruled unfit to continue because of the cut inflicted by an accidental headbutt, it was declared a no-contest.