Giving hope to young dreamers, Jhack’s training ground for redemption

CEBU, Philippines —  In its own little way, a small but modest boxing gym in Liloan town is silently giving hope to young aspiring pugilists at this time of pandemic.

At the same time, it serves as the training ground of former world champion Jhack “El Kapitan” Tepora in his quest to regain lost pride and glamor.

Opening its doors to the public only last January, the Tepora Boxing Gym located in Sitio Tiwasan, Barangay Catarman in the

the bustling town famous for its rosquillos and ‘masi’ is a dream come true for its founder, Jerald Casiano Tepora.

“I slowly built a small gym with money coming from my own pocket because it’s really my dream to have my own boxing gym. Thankfully, someone with a kind heart who doesn’t want to be mentioned helped me in this endeavor,” said Tepora, a topnotch trainer who currently works as chief boxing instructor at Monarchy MMA Gym in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

An amateur standout during his prime, Jerald is the eldest of the famed Tepora siblings in Cebu fight scene. His brother Christopher “Pingping” is the head coach of Big Yellow Stable, while their youngest Jhack is the former WBA interim featherweight champion.

As of now, Tepora said Jhack (23-1, 17KOs) is the only professional in his stable of fighters.

The elder Tepora was the chief cornerman when Jhack scored a spectacular ninth round knockout of Mexico’s Edivaldo Ortega to snatch the interim WBA 122-pound crown on July 15, 2018 at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur.

Jhack was supposed to defend his title for the first time against Hugo Ruiz in the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao-Adrien Broner rumble in January 2019 in Las Vegas but was stripped of his belt without throwing even a single punch for failing to make weight.

“That is the reason why I am focusing on him now,” shared  Jhack’s big brother Jerald. “I want him to get back in the ring soon and restart his quest to become a world champion again. If you just work hard and have discipline, everything is possible,” said Tepora.

In putting up the sweat shop out of his meager resources, Tepora aims to scout for potential boxers and help them harness their punching skills that may lead them to a brighter future

“I want to help the kids in our place veer away from bad vices through boxing,” said Tepora. “From that, I hope to discover talents. As as a trainer, it is really my desire to produce a world champion someday. That is my long-term goal.”