Last man standing

Only Manny Pacquiao is left wearing a title belt as an inconsequential year in Philippine boxing comes to a merciful close.

For a while, no Filipino reigned as a world champion. Malcolm Tunacao was dethroned by challenger Pongsaklek Wonjongkam in a World Boxing Council (WBC) flyweight title bout in Pichit, Thailand, last March. The demolition job took only a round as Pangsaklek floored Tunacao thrice to leave the Philippines without a world titleholder.

Then came Pacquiao. Last June, the hard-hitting General Santos City southpaw wrested the International Boxing Federation (IBF) superbantamweight crown from Lehlo Ledwaba of South Africa on a brutal sixth round stoppage in Las Vegas. In his first defense in San Francisco last November, Pacquiao leaned on a pair of point deductions to retain the IBF diadem on a sixth round technical split draw with rulebreaker Agapito Sanchez of the Dominican Republic.

There were 12 world title fights involving Filipinos this year. Pacquiao was the sole winner. Two fights wound up in draws and the other nine saw Filipinos biting the dust.

Veteran Manny Melchor was the first Filipino to fight for a world title this year. He went up against WBC minimumweight champion Jose Antonio Aguirre in Tijuana last Feb. 2. Melchor, 32, was never a threat in the 12-round bout. Aguirre breezed to an easy unanimous decision. Two judges saw it a shutout, 120-108 and 120-107, while a third scored it 118-110, all for Aguirre. A boxing insider whispered that after the fight, Melchor crossed the border and decided to stay in the US as a TNT. The same Melchor was previously deported by the Japanese government for overstaying as an illegal alien.

Andy Tabanas, 32, was next in line. He battled Phalan Sakkririn to a 12-round draw for the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) lightflyweight title in Las Vegas last Feb. 3.

Arnel Barotillo, 23, followed. The Sydney-based slugger from Catanduanes took on Ledwaba for the IBF 122-pound title in Carnival City, South Africa, last Feb. 27. Barotillo was just not in Ledwaba’s class. Ledwaba decked Barotillo with a left hook to the head in the ninth to signal the beginning of the end. Barotillo survived the count but referee Rudy Battle stepped in a few seconds later as Ledwaba went in for the kill.

Tunacao, making the second defense of his WBC crown, was stopped by Pongsaklek last March 2.

Joel Junio took a trip to Copenhagen to face Danish hero Johnny Bredahl for the International Boxing Council (IBC) bantamweight title last March 9. Bredahl pounded out a unanimous 12-round decision. Incidentally, the IBC was founded by the late Joseph (Blackie) Genaro and is based in Canfield, Ohio. It recognizes only eight world champions, including middleweight Bernard Hopkins.

Tabanas was back to fight Puerto Rican Nelson Dieppa for the vacant WBO 108-pound title. Alas, in Tabanas’ fourth bid to win a world title, he was knocked out cold in the 11th round at Madison Square Garden in New York last April 14. Tabanas was brought out of the ring on a stretcher. He will never fight again.

Diosdado Gabi added his name to World Boxing Federation (WBF) junior bantamweight champion Samson Kratindaeng-Gym’s list of Filipino victims last May 8. Samson outpointed Gabi in 12 rounds to retain the WBF crown in his 36th defense in Udonthani, Thailand. The unbeaten Samson has made it a habit to prey on hapless Filipino challengers.

Pacquiao brought the country back on the world title map, capturing the IBF title last June 23.

Jaime Barcelona flew to Australia to meet Nedal Hussein for the vacant World Boxing Union (WBU) superbantamweight title in Bankstown last June 29. Barcelona, who decisioned previously undefeated Japanese prospect Ryu Minoriyama to earn the title shot, couldn’t get untracked against Hussein, a Pacquiao victim. Hussein scored a lopsided decision as judge Des Bloyd saw it 115-113, judge Don Marks 117-110 and South African referee Darryl Ribbink, 117-109, all for Hussein.

Gerry Penalosa failed to regain the WBC superflyweight crown in losing to Masamori Tokuyama on a unanimous 12-round verdict in Yokohama last Sept. 24. Referee Larry O’- Connell suspiciously tolerated Tokuyama’s butting tactics which left Penalosa bleeding from cuts all over his face. Penalosa’s manager Rudy Salud filed a protest, citing O’Connell’s ineptitude, and appealed for justice. WBC president Jose Sulaiman later decreed that if Penalosa wins his next two fights, he will be reinstated as a mandatory challenger.

Samson was back in the saddle in Hat Yai, Thailand, last Oct. 26 – this time, to stop promising Orly Padillo in the eighth round. It was another easy title defense for Samson. You wonder how Samson would fare against Penalosa. It’s no secret that Samson has outgrown the 115-pound division but Thai authorities turn a blind eye to the scales. When Samson enters the ring to defend his WBF title, he usually outweighs his opponent by at least 10 pounds.

Finally, Pacquiao was held to a draw by Sanchez in an IBF title bout last Nov. 10.

Juanito Rubillar lost to Jorge Arce of Mexico in a fight for the WBC interim lightflyweight title in Tijuana last Oct. 20 but the bout doesn’t count as a world title match in our yearend scoreboard.

In the Orient and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF), Filipinos didn’t do badly. The year is ending with four Filipino OPBF champions – bantamweight Jess Maca, superfeatherweight Tiger Ari, lightweight Dennis Laurente and welterweight Rev Santillan.

Next year, the first Filipino to fight for a world crown is Joma Gamboa. He’s booked to face Keitaro Hoshino for the vacant World Boxing Association (WBA) 105-pound title in Yokohama on Jan. 29.

Pacquiao is rumored to be staking his IBF crown against Wayne McCullough in March somewhere in the US. Penalosa might return to Japan to fight for the WBC superflyweight crown within six months. Other Filipinos close to landing a title shot are WBC No. 2 minimumweight Ernesto Rubillar, Maca, Ari, and WBC No. 5 superfeatherweight Randy Suico.

Perhaps, 2002 will be kinder to Philippine boxing.