Pinoy Pride returns to Cebu

Pinoy Pride returns to Cebu? Hasn’t it always been a Cebu-based event from the start? Then why return? Let’s call it a case of our being stung by a wrong hunch and lead. When ALA Promotions announced last August that they were headed overseas for the rest of the year (for 2015), with Dubai and San Diego events in the works, we figured that they wouldn’t be coming back to Cebu at least this year. I confess. In the spirit of the celebration of Press Freedom Week, I actually wrote previously that Pinoy Pride wasn’t coming back to Cebu in 2015. But boy are we glad to be proven wrong; and this is the kind of situation where we sportswriters don’t mind to be proven wrong.

If you’ve been following the world of boxing, you can’t help but be thrilled with the news that Donnie Nietes will be defending his WBO world light flyweight championship against Carlos Velarde here in Cebu on November 15. Should he win (and he will), he’ll be on track to break the great Gabriel “Flash” Elorde’s record as the Pinoy boxer with the longest reign as world champion in Philippine boxing history. Yes, that’s history in the making right here on local shores. It’s also by no accident that Cebu is the place where Nietes won his first world title, the WBO minimumweight championship, in 2007. This early, we all ask for the support and prayers of boxing fans that Nietes nails his legacy in the pages of Philippine boxing history. But that’s not it. In line with making it a big historical event, the undercard of Pinoy Pride 28 looks great. Milan “El Metodico” Melindo, “Prince” Albert Pagara, Merlito “Tiger” Sabillo and AJ “Bazooka” Banal are also set to see action on the same card. Melindo, who once fought for the WBO world flyweight title, is reportedly sliding down to the light flyweight division (108 pounds) in a title eliminator fight for the International Boxing Federation version. No opponent has been announced but it will be interesting to see how Melindo adjusts to the lower weight class. He has fought at 105 pounds in the past but all his recent fights have been at 112 pounds. Pagara is up against Raul Hilares in a title defense of his IBF Intercontinental super bantamweight title. The opponents of Sabillo and Banal are still “TBA” (to be announced), but these will surely be crucial tune-up fights for the two as they slowly but surely make their way back up to the world rankings. With these five boxers in one card, this could be the “heaviest” and most loaded boxing event of the year in the country so far.

What a way to make “return” to Cebu. The card will be both historical and loaded. Just when we thought we would not see a Pinoy Pride card in Cebu this year, ALA Promotions comes up with a big one. They must have missed the Cebu fans so much that they decided to call on their biggest names. The timing is just perfect. Fighting a week later in Macau is the country’s boxing hero Manny Pacquiao who faces Chris Algieri in a world title fight. It’s only fitting then that the second longest reigning world champ prime up Pinoy boxing fans before Pacquiao’s fight. This proves once again that Cebu Boxing has taken the lead in building the sport throughout the country. Thanks to the rise of Pacquiao, the country has been on a boxing high for the past decade. If you take a look at the calendar of boxing activities across the country, the month of October will be filled with fights from Luzon to Mindanao. Boxing promoters are busier than ever, and more boxers are now given the opportunity grow, prove their worth and make it big at the international level. We thus have more chances producing more world champions. I can recall how ALA Promotions President Michael Aldeguer talked about how Mexico could be a model for the country to follow. Mexico is loaded with hundreds of boxers, with boxing events held every week in different places. The math is simple. The more boxers and events there are, the better chances one has of producing world champions. While we may not yet be at the level of Mexico, we’re certainly on the right track. Thee popularity rise of boxing should also mean more sponsors willing to support all these events nationwide. This is easily the busiest and loaded time of Philippine boxing.

That’s why Pinoy Pride 28 will be historical. True, Nietes will be the highlight, but you can also add the bigger picture of Philippine Boxing reaching levels it has never reached before, plus an opportunity to grown even more.

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Time-out: The Church recognized yesterday another holy man at the beatification of Alvaro del Portillo, the successor of Opus Dei founder St. Josemaria Escrivá. May we all learn how to seek holiness through our daily activities, especially through work.