Pacquiao to grace 12th Elorde Awards

MANILA, Philippines - Boxing icon Manny Pacquiao will grace the 12th Annual Elorde Awards night as guest of honor and speaker this Sunday at Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati.

Pacquiao, already a Hall of Famer, has been a regular fixture in the annual event that fetes the country’s top boxers, boxing officials and personalities.

Other fighters who will be honored at the awards night are WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire, WBO flyweight champion Brian Viloria and WBO light flyweight champion Donnie Nietes.

Fil-Am Ana “The Hurricane” Julaton, who lost her WBO female super bantamweight title over the weekend in Argentina, will likewise be feted in the event staged in memory of the great Gabriel “Flash” Elorde.

The “Fight of the Year” award will be given to the bout between Froilan “The Sniper” Saludar and Gabriel Pumar for the WBO Asia Pacific flyweight championship last Aug. 6 in Kawit, Cavite.

Current WBC International super flyweight champion Sylvester Lopez, a protégé of Bebot Elorde, will receive the “Most Promising Boxer” award.

Two title fights are lined up to cap off the awards night – with Monico Laurente (21-7, 5 KOs) facing Rey Las Pinas (15-5-4, 10 KOs) for the vacant Philippine bantamweight title, and Dennis Laurente (41-4-5, 22 KOs) defending his Philippine welterweight title against Eusebio Baluarte (19-5, 12 KO’s).