The heart of a boxer

TV5’s newest primetime series Beki Boxer is not your typical sports story as the main character here is not your typical boxing hero. Director Jade Castro, the same man who brought us the award-winning Cinemalaya movie Zombadings 1: Patayin sa Shokot si Remington, assures that Beki Boxer is different. Many Pinoy film buffs may be familiar with the Thai movie A Beautiful Boxer which won Best Feature Film at the Torino and Milan International Gay and Lesbian Film Festivals. Beki Boxer takes a leaf from that but with a Pinoy twist. “The premise is familiar, yes, but we made this truly Filipino — ’yung humor, ’yung comfort of family and we made it something recognizable to the soap-loving viewers,” explains direk Castro. â€œFor one, this is comedy. Being a comedy alone sets it apart from the Thai film.”

Playing the title role is versatile Kapatid actor Alwyn Uytingco, who gets the biggest break in his career with the action-packed but heart-warming comedy series which revolves around the story of Rocky Ponciano, a young man who is naturally gifted with boxing prowess. When Rocky’s father Max (Christian Vasquez), a former boxing champion, lost his last fight that tainted his reputation for life, it became Rocky’s life mission to climb up the boxing ring and reclaim his father’s honor as well as his family’s boxing glory. However, Rocky is not your ordinary boxer. Born with innate pugilistic skills, he is a killer in the ring  but deep inside is a woman trapped inside a man’s body — in that the last man standing in the ring... is a queen.

Joining Alwyn to give life to Beki Boxer’s endearing characters are Christian as Max, his boxing champion-father; Candy Pangilinan as Consuelo, a loving wife to Max and mother to their sons; Cholo Barretto as Elorde, Rocky’s homophobic brother; Onyok Velasco as Ninong Onyok, Rocky’s godfather/boxing coach; Joross Gamboa as Madonna, his gay friend/confidant; John Regala as the antagonist Coach Dalmacio; Claire Hartell as Venus; Kristel Moreno as Jessa, Danita Paner as Chloe; and Vin Abrenica as Atong, Rocky’s co-boxer/love interest.

Joann Banaga, TV5 business unit head, has this to say about Beki Boxer: â€œIt is not (just) about homosexuality. It is a story of a man’s journey as he fights to restore his family’s honor — even if it means turning his back from his own dreams. The character — Rocky Ponciano — is a typical Filipino whose love for family supersedes his personal feelings and will do anything and everything for his loved ones.”

Preparing for his role had been as grueling and physically demanding for Alwyn as if he were training for a championship fight. â€œNasusuka ako sa pagod. This is why I have newfound respect for boxers,” he admits, adding that he lost a few pounds in the process. According to him, he doesn’t have a specific peg or look, or any real-life personality to mimic; instead, he is focusing on his character.

“It’s good to look deeper into the role. There are many people guiding me on the set,” Alwyn says, adding that he watched A Beautiful Boxer — the Thai film about a transsexual Muay Thai champion — to prepare for the series.

His girlfriend Jennica Garcia gave him a valuable piece of advice. â€œShe told me to imagine myself as a girl,” Alwyn discloses. “She freaks out when I practice in front of her. But she’s really cool about it, and she’s very supportive of my career.”

Alwyn says Beki is taking it easy on the romance aspect, with Vin as his love interest in the series. “May konting kulitan lang — sweet-sweetan. More on kilig, especially in the dream sequences,” the Beki Boxer star shares.