Boxing pride and sadness

I’m boxing bored; but proud; and also sad. No, not bored of boxing. I’m bored due to the sudden absence of boxing. Haven’t you noticed how all of a sudden, Cebu has become so quiet in a sport which we claims Cebu as a hotbed? Isn’t it strange that Cebu Boxing, which has become the model of all other areas, is unusually silent? Check out the boxing schedule and you’ll see what I mean. Boxing cards are now being held almost every weekend in different places like Paranaque, Mandaluyong, Davao, Tagbilaran, Maasin, General Santos and Cagayan de Oro. We did have a local card in Talisay earlier in August but this wasn’t of the same level with which we have gotten used.  The bar for Cebu Boxing has been raised to such a level that it’s getting tougher to match up front; thus the thrust to go elsewhere.

So what’s up? In hindsight, what we have is a “nice” problem. The boom of Cebu Boxing has taken flight (literally and figuratively). It’s no longer “good enough” for local consumption and is headed overseas. Pinoy Pride 27 of ALA Promotions is to be held in Dubai next week, and another Dubai card is already in the works for a November date. And so it is from Cebu to Dubai and to the world. This is the “welcome” dilemma that we must all accept with an ironical mix of pride and a bit of sadness. Pride since it’s truly Pinoy Pride (not just Cebuano) that Cebu is now going overseas for its ventures. Sadness will also set in since we won’t have our regular share of bigtime boxing at the Waterfront Hotel anymore, at least for 2014. So what do we do?

For starters, we can all pray that if Cebu can no longer host bigtime boxing in 2014, we can still have the smaller cards with up and coming boxers who aren’t ripe yet for a stint overseas. Let’s face it. Not all boxers can make it to a Dubai fight card, and many more are stuck in Cebu waiting for a call to fight. Aren’t there a lot of talented boxers in our midst? On the other hand, the boxing market is still there and will need to adjust its expectations when it comes to watching fights. The good news is that there are talented boxers who just need the right exposure and fights as they move their way up to become main event boxers. Remember that this is where the likes of Donnie Nietes, Genesis Servania, Johnriel Casimero, Jason Pagara, Boom Boom Bautista, Milan Milendo, AJ Banal, Arthur Villanueva and many more started. If we don’t give them the breaks now, they’ll never bloom to become world-class levels. We thus have the opportunity to see the boxers of the future take their stage and prove that they are worthy of being successors of their elder counterparts. We can also have top-ranked boxers who are currently idle and don’t have big fights scheduled anytime soon. The fight cards need not be held at a posh venue like the Waterfront Hotel. Smaller, cozier and more intimate venues such as barangay gyms or town plazas are appropriate for something like this. But who’s going to put up these fight cards? For Cebu, aside from ALA Promotions, RWS Promotions of Wakee Salud and the IPI Group/Omega Boxing Gym are capable of putting up fight cards since they also have their own share of boxers. ALA Promotions has its Cobra series of events that goes to smaller market cities. I just wish they can have some of these swing over to Cebu to feed the starving Cebuano boxing fan who’s getting weaker due to a forced “hunger strike” from boxing. It’s like a chain smoker denied of a cigarette that he longs for daily. RWS Promotions is here and there either with boxers from the gym of Brix Flores or from those trained at the RWS Gym by Juanito Ablaca. The IPI/Omega group also has out-of-town sorties within Cebu aside from sending their boxers to fight in cards held by other promoters. But unfortunately, these cards are creating that much buzz in the market.

I just hope that boxing promoters can take advantage of the situation where ALA may no longer be holding big events in Cebu. There’s a huge vacuum for boxing and a hungry market waiting to be fed. From a seller’s viewpoint, you couldn’t ask for more. You already have a ready customer who’s hungry for action and certainly more than willing to go watch a fight. The longer he waits, the hungrier he will get. But please don’t let him wait til Christmas. Let’s get it on!

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Time-out: We’re asking all to pray for Emilio “Meling” Borja who passed away this week. He will be laid to rest today.