Coach Brix recalls glory days as boxer

CEBU, Philippines —  Cebuano boxing trainer Crisologo “Brix” Flores walks down memory lane while in home quarantine amidst the global pandemic, reminiscing his old glory days a fighter at the same time paying tribute to the man that helped him what he is now today.

Flores, a Philippine team standout during his prime, posted a photo on his Facebook page recently showing him in a boxing match with his father Paciano ‘Noy Pacing’ Flores as his chief cornerman assisted by the similarly revered Juanito Ablaca.

“I shared the photo because first of all I miss my father,” shared Flores. “The photo itself has a lot of story to tell. It shows me,the boxer, and in my corner my father Noy Pacing Flores and Juanito Ablaca, both revered names in boxing. I am just proud that they’re the ones coaching me.”

The photo was taken during the 1988 Olympic week National Boxing Tour at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. He won gold medal in the featherweight division.

The other big names in Cebu boxing who joined the tournament at the time were Peter Cuizon, Edito Villamor, Arlo Chavez, Gerry Penalosa, Andy Tabanas among others.

“That is why many can relate to that picture,” said Flores, who made it to the national team in 1984 after the Los Angeles Olympics.

Flores was a decorated prizefighter with numerous national titles tucked under his belt, some of them in international competitions.

For six straight years, he won gold medals in the 1983 Palarong Pambansa (Tacloban City), 1984 Gov. Butalid’s Cup (Tagbilaran City), 1985 National Open (Baguio City), 1985 AFP Olympics (Manila), 1986 Sunshine State Games (Tampa, Florida), 1987 National Open (Ninoy Aquino Stadium) and the 1988 Olympic Week National Open (Manila).

But all that glitters is not gold, as they say.

Flores considers winning bronze medal at the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul, South Korea as his greatest achievement in his fistic career.

After his storied amateur stint, Flores turned pro in 1989 but was good for only six fights as a featherweight.

He won three of his first four bouts but after back-to-back losses, the last was via split decision against Allan Inguito on October 29, 1989 at the Cebu Coliseum, he hung up his gloves for good.

With the help of his father, it was then that he decided to become a trainer.

“I gave up my pro career because I want to pursue my college studies,” said Flores. “When I studied at SWU (Southwestern University), that tarted my career as a boxing trainer/coach. It helped my a lot especially that earned athletic scholarship at the time.”

When his beloved father Noy Pacing passed away March 8, 2004, Flores took over the reins as chief trainer of the Noy Pacing Flores Boxing Academy that is nestled just beside their humble home in Barangay Alang-Alang, Mandaue City.

It may be a boxing gym unheard of by many but it was modest enough that is produced some world champions, most notable among them are former WBC flyweight king Malcolm “Eagle Eye” Tunacao and his late brother Noel “The Eel” Tunacao, and ex-WBA minimumweight titlist Rodel “Batang Mandaue” Mayol.

About the global health crisis, Flores felt weary and sad like anybody else.

“Many are affected by this disease,” said Flores. “Most of all is the livelihood of the people especially in the field of sports. I just hope this crisis will be over soon and we all get back to normal situation and do things the way we used to.”