Secure the likes of Manny Pacquiao

Filipino world boxing champion, Manny Pacquiao (Dr. Pacquiao, if you may) is a rare fistic genius. This is clear from the number of opponents he knocked out cold on the canvass. In addition to the incredible power in his fists, he must be profoundly intelligent or otherwise he would not have survived his rough early years in the square arena. Indeed, a less brilliant guy would not have succeeded creating high profile conflicts and getting away with them.

If only the power in their punches were the sole criterion for pugilists to reach great heights, there could have been more Filipino boxers who could have also earned world titles. Cebuano Francisco Balug, who reigned as the country’s featherweight king in the mid 60’s was one of them. In his days, he was noted for his “in fighting”, that boxing style where blows were thrown at close range. Many of Balug’s foes fell from his wicked short punches.

However, I heard a sad fate of his boxing career. I sincerely hope I was fed a wrong piece of information. As the story was whispered to me, Balug did not attain the highest scales of his potentials not for want of talent but for managerial misadventure. Balug was prematurely matched against Japanese Mitsunori Seki. While Seki was already ripe to square off against the Mexican world champion, (was he Vicente Zaldivar?), the Filipino was still in the process of getting experience. In other words, Balug, still raw, was pitted against an explosive and more experienced boxer. The Filipino needed much further honing, but he was practically thrown to a den where the lion in the boxer Seki was poised to tear him apart. He came home beaten and more unfortunately, his ascent was stymied on account of a less caring manager.

The other Saturday, I saw two Cebu-based boxers, Z Gorres and Milan Milendo. They are more fortunate than Balug. There is one sportsman who tends to their career carefully. It looks to me that Mr. Antonio Aldeguer, does not want to plunge his fighters to dangerous bouts ill prepared.

Those who know boxing have observed that Aldeguer did not rush the growth of Gorres. The manager nurtured his boxer steadily up until the pug developed into a boxer ready to face the world’s best. True, Gorres lost to Fernando Montiel last year in a manner that must have disappointed ALA. But, the manager instead of dumping his ward, saw the latter’s flaw and labored to correct it.

The case of the young man Milendo is not entirely different from that of Gorres. Aldeguer managed Milendo’s career with the kind of attention Balug did not enjoy. When he matched Milan against Rachman, a former world champion, he did not mean to feed his boxer to the lion. It was a part of the ascending process for his boxer, of gaining experience, of making his fighter attuned to the skills of high caliber foes.

Here in our city, there are other boxing trainers, managers and promoters. They are in the position to supervise the development and growth of our home grown boxing talents. Some of them may not have the kind of facilities that the enormous resources of the Aldeguers can provide, but, they, too, chart the future of the many boxers we have.

Our city can fill the gap. It must create an office to serve as some kind of parens patriae to prizefighters. Initially, that office shall provide support services to trainers, managers and promoters. Its personnel complement shall be tasked to be in direct and constant contact with these interests. Where trainers themselves are inadequate, this office shall provide skills training. If managers are remiss in their responsibilities, this office too, should have some kind of administrative control. In the event promoters are short handed, in manpower or funds, this office shall likewise link them to where their inadequacies may be complemented.

It will be a pioneering local government effort. But, Cebu City must lead in this frontier because here in our city, boxing is more than just a sport. Many of the less privileged brothers of ours pin their hope on boxing. This office can very well help secure the future of these aspiring Manny Pacquiaos hereabout.