"Kuya, nanalo ako," said Balagbagan excitedly. "Hard fight. Ayaw bumagsak ‘yun kalaban ko - matibay, malakas siya. Hindi nga bumagsak, bugbog serado naman."
Balagbagan, 29, scored a unanimous six-round decision over former four-time Hawaii Golden Gloves champion Jerry Saribay at the Honolulu Civic Center last Feb. 5. The win didn’t come easy. Balagbagan, who weighed 146 pounds for the bout, suffered four cuts which took 16 stitches to close on his face.
Saribay entered the fight toting a fearsome record of six knockouts in six wins. Balagbagan was supposed to be fodder for the Hawaiian of Filipino descent – it didn’t turn out that way. Saribay did little against Balagbagan except butt him repeatedly. Two points were deducted from Saribay’s scorecard for the foul tactics.
Thrice, Saribay was on the verge of collapse, claimed Balagbagan. But the tough hometowner held on to survive the distance. The win raised Balagbagan’s record to 10-2-2, with eight KOs.
Balagbagan turned pro in 1996 and raced to a 5-0 record, with five knockouts, before battling Jun Castillo for the Philippine junior middleweight title in Mandaluyong a year later. He stopped Castillo in two. In his first defense, Balagbagan suffered a nasty cut from an accidental headbutt and retained his crown on a second round technical draw with Noli de Guia. The cut sidelined Balagbagan for over a year. He returned to halt challenger Richard Acaylar in eight.
In August 1999, Balagbagan and hard-hitting Rey Pelonia figured in a second round technical draw. Four months later, they met in a rematch for Balagbagan’s title. Pelonia wrested the crown on a fifth round technical decision. Again, Balagbagan emerged from the bout bleeding from cuts.
San Francisco-based immigration lawyer Sydney Hall then brought Balagbagan to train at Roy Jones’ camp in Pensacola, Florida. Balagbagan trained under Jones’ coach Alton Merkerson and in January last year, knocked out Dory Yonker in a single round to mark his US debut in Biloxi, Mississippi. After four months, Balagbagan was back in Biloxi for a fight against Willy Lee. Alas, he was victimized by a wild left hook in the first round. Balagbagan explained that girl problems distracted him while he trained for Lee. And that’s why he couldn’t focus during the short-lived fight.
Balagbagan’s romantic adventures took a turn for the worse when his girlfriend Tamara Borrell shot him with a BB rifle after the loss to Lee. The pellet was imbedded in his lower back near the spinal cord and doctors decided not to surgically remove it because of the delicate area. A month later, Filipino doctor in New Jersey squeezed out the pellet from under his skin.
At first, Balagbagan said he didn’t plan to charge his assailant but police authorities forced him to issue a statement on the incident. The loss to Lee and the shooting mishap led to Balagbagan leaving the Jones camp. He took up with a cousin Perlita Medina who works at the five-star resort hotel Fairmont Kea Lani in Maui.
In an e-mail to The STAR, Perlita said, "I help him to fly over (to Hawaii) for his career – so far, so good, everything is under control under my supervision."
It was Perlita who arranged for Balagbagan’s fight against Saribay.
Balagbagan said after he beat Saribay, he was shocked to see his estranged girlfriend Tamara at ringside. Apparently, she’s become his ardent stalker. But Balagbagan isn’t worried he said she’ll think twice before doing anything crazy again because of her police record.
Perlita, meanwhile, said things are looking up for her cousin. The Fairmont Kea Lani has agreed to sponsor Balagbagan’s fights and it appears that he will be joining Mike Tyson’s stable. Perlita said Tyson is now vacationing at the Fairmont Kea Lani.
Balagbagan said it will take a few months for the cuts on his face to heal. But he’ll continue to work out in the gym. He’s looking forward to his next fight – which, according to Perlita, will be his first under the Tyson banner, probably in Las Vegas.
How far Balagbagan will go in his quest for fistic fame and fortune is up to him. He trains and works hard in the gym. But local ring experts question the size of his heart – and he cuts too easy. For Balagbagan to make waves in the welterweight division where the likes of Vernon Forrest and Shane Mosley campaign, he’s got to outdo himself and show his heart is bigger than Ricky Balboa’s.