ALA keeps on punchin’

CEBU – Meeting up with Tony (or Bidoy) Aldeguer, respected owner of the once-thriving ALA Boxing stable, was a highlight of my visit here for the EASL Final Four last weekend. It’s been years since we’ve seen each other and in between game days, Tony motored close to 1 1/2 hours to take me to lunch.

For 35 years, Tony was at the helm of one of the country’s most admired boxing outfits. He put up a first-class gym in the compound of his family’s garment factory in Talamban and personally, supervised the careers of his fighters until yielding the reins to his son Michael. ALA Boxing closed down in 2020 in the wake of the pandemic.

Through the years, Tony saw the rise of ALA fighters who became world champions, some under his wing and others, moving on to join different stables. The all-star cast lists Gerry Peñalosa, Donnie Nietes, Joma Gamboa, Malcolm and Noel Tuñacao, Milan Melindo, Mark Magsayo, Melvin Jerusalem, Rodel Mayol and Merlito Sabillo. Among the fighters who fell short of bagging a world title were Jeo Santisima, Rey (Boom Boom) Bautista, Andy Tabanas, Edito Villamor, AJ Banal, Jonas Sultan, Arthur Villanueva and Z Gorres. A milestone achievement was ALA Boxing promoting in the US where the license fee alone was $50,000. Although no longer involved in boxing, he’s often visited by his proteges. A recent caller was Jerusalem who takes on WBC minimumweight titlist Yudai Shigeoka in Nagoya on March 31.

Tony, 82, said two fighters to watch are OPBF lightflyweight champion Miel Fajardo and WBO Oriental superfeatherweight ruler Virgil Vitor. Fajardo, 24, has an 11-1-2 record, with 10 KOs and will stake his OPBF belt against Thailand’s Thanongsak Simsri in Osaka on April 13 while Vitor, 26, totes a 22-3 slate, with 15 KOs and last Friday, came off the canvas to floor Korea’s Tae Sun Kim twice enroute to a seventh round stoppage in Tagbilaran City.

Tony is far from being totally retired, checks in at his office every morning then takes his lunch, naps and does his exercise routine. Tony is an avid basketball fan, monitors every PBA game on TV and keeps track of the league standings. Michael, who took over ALA Boxing for a few years, is into another hobby, breeding Golden Retrievers. Tony has three sons and eight grandchildren.

“When ALA Boxing closed down, many of our fighters went to SanMan with JC Manangquil whom I remember, when he was still in high school, used to seek my advice,” said Tony. “JCs a good man with a passion for the sport and I’m happy a lot of our fighters joined him. Of the ALA fighters, I think Boom Boom stood out. He was charismatic and gave it his all, win or lose. Boom Boom now lives in Bohol with his family, has two kids and is a Master Sergeant with the military.”

Tony will always be remembered for his integrity, love for boxing and care of his fighters. He never took a centavo from his fighters’ purses, provided employment for their families, created opportunities for them to travel the globe in pursuing their dream to become world champions and paved the way for a better life. Tony set a high standard in managing and promoting boxers with his principles remaining a guiding light in the fight game today. Before we parted ways, Tony smiled and said, “keep on punchin.’” Tony still is.