Following in Garcia’s footsteps

Ceferino Garcia remains the only Filipino ever to reign as world middleweight boxing champion and ruled from 1939 to 1940. The Biliran slugger who invented the “bolo punch” defended his title once, scoring a 13th round knockout over Glen Lee at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum on Dec. 23, 1939.

Since Garcia’s reign, no Filipino has come close to following in his footsteps – until now. MP Promotions head Sean Gibbons is excited about Eumir Marcial and Weljon Mindoro scaling the 160-pound ladder to earn a shot at the world title.

Marcial, 29, is well-known in boxing circles as a four-time SEA Games gold medalist, Asian Games silver and bronze medalist and 2020 Olympic bronze medalist. He turned pro in 2020 but his career has been interrupted by forays back into the amateur ranks. Now, it appears Marcial is focused on the pros where his record is 5-0, with three KOs. Gibbons said Marcial is expected back in the US for training in January.

Mindoro, 24, isn’t as heralded as Marcial but he’s quickly making a name for himself. The Zamboanga del Sur bomber is training at Gibbons’ Knuckleheads gym in Las Vegas. Mindoro stands 5-11 and has a 72-inch reach. His record is 13-0-1, with 13 KOs. In May last year, Mindoro battled Takeshi Inoue to a split 12-round draw at the Okada Hotel and has since racked up three straight wins, excluding a Dubai exhibition that ended in a fourth round stoppage of Australian Joel Camilleri a few weeks ago.

A devastating puncher, Mindoro has found it difficult to find willing opponents in the US. Last July, Mexican Mahonn Montes backed out and Tyler Goodjohn was brought in as a late replacement only to be decked thrice enroute to losing by a second round knockout in Plant City, Florida. A few months later, Puerto Rican Marcos Osorio Betancourt withdrew and Brazilian substitute Lucas de Abreu was blasted into submission at 0:22 of the third round in Kissimmee, Florida. Mindoro is emerging as the Filipino version of Jake LaMotta, the Raging Bull.

“Mindoro is a big, big prospect at 160,” said Gibbons. “The guy just came over and did some incredible stuff in the US and Dubai. The three, four wins he’s had shows his development. He’s got a chance to become the first Filipino world middleweight boxing champion since Ceferino Garcia. The kid’s got a bright, bright future.”

Gibbons said Mindoro and Marcial are cut of the same mold. “They’re comparable right now because Eumir’s been out of the ring since the Paris Olympics,” he said. “I still lean with Eumir because of his experience and all the stuff he’s done in the amateurs but they’re both right there. I think they’ll be challenging for world titles in 2025 or 2026.”