Three Kings cited in Elorde Awards Night

MANILA, Philippines — IBF superflyweight king Jerwin Ancajas, WBO bantamweight titlist JohnRiel Casimero and IBF minimumweight ruler Pedro Taduran will be honored as Co-Boxers of the Year for their outstanding performance in 2019 during the 20th Gabriel (Flash) Elorde Memorial Awards Night and Banquet of Champions at the five-star Okada Manila Hotel grand ballroom, Parañaque, on March 25.

Ancajas, Casimero and Taduran join super WBA welterweight titleholder Sen. Manny Pacquiao as the country’s reigning world champions today.  Pacquiao will deliver an inspirational speech in a highlight of the event.  He is one of only three Filipino fighters enshrined in the Elorde Hall of Fame as a seven-year world champion with Nonito Donaire Jr. and Donnie Nietes the others.  The Elorde Hall of Fame recognizes seven years as a yardstick for induction since the late Flash Elorde reigned for seven years as the world junior lightweight champion from 1960 to 1967.  Elorde passed away in 1985 at the age of 49.  He retired from boxing in 1971 with a record of 89-27-2, including 33 KOs.

The Awards Night is an annual commemoration of D’Flash, one of only three Filipinos inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York.  The other inductees are former world flyweight champion Pancho Villa and Elorde’s father-in-law Lope (Papa) Sarreal, Sr., a trail-blazing promoter, matchmaker and fight manager.  The coming event will be the 20th edition of the memorial.

Elorde’s widow Laura will grace the occasion and deliver the welcome address.  GAB chairman Abraham Mitra will give the opening remarks in the affair organized by Johnny Elorde Management International in cooperation with the Elorde Sports Center and Southpaw Bar and Grill.

Aside from the Three Kings, the Awards Night will also recognize other achievers from the professional and amateur ranks.  Included in the honorees list are the Philippines’ gold medalists in boxing at the recent Southeast Asian Games – lightflyweight Carlo Paalam, flyweight Rogen Ladon, lightweight Charly Suarez, lightwelterweight James Palicte and middleweight Eumir Marcial in the men’s division and lightflyweight Josie Gabuco and featherweight Nesthy Petecio in the women’s division.

Ancajas, 28, fought twice last year, halting Japan’s Ryuichi Funai in the sixth round in Stockton in May and stopping Mexico’s Miguel Gonzalez in Puebla in December.  He will make the ninth defense of his 115-pound title against Mexico’s Jonathan Javier Rodriguez in Las Vegas on April 11.  Casimero, 31, was busy last year, compiling four knockout wins capped by a third round stoppage of South Africa’s Zolani Tete to wrest the WBO bantamweight crown in Birmingham in November.  He halted Japan’s Kenya Yamashita in six in Quezon City in February, disposed of Mexico’s Ricardo Espinoza in 12 to claim the vacant interim WBO 118-pound title in Carson City in April and blasted Mexico’s Cesar Ramirez into submission in 10 to retain the interim diadem in San Andres in August.

Taduran, 23, fought only once last year but it was significant as he survived a first round knockdown to stop countryman Samuel Salva in four to win the vacant IBF 105-pound title.  Last month, he kept the crown on a majority technical draw with Mexico’s Daniel Valladares in Guadalupe.

There will be three fights leading to the 6 p.m. program.  Juan Miguel Elorde will make a comeback after losing to WBO superbantamweight champion Emanuel Navarrete in Las Vegas last September.  Mig, 33, returns to Okada where he outpointed Japan’s Shohei Kawashima last year.