Viloria to receive replica of Elorde belt

A golden replica of the world junior lightweight belt that the legendary boxing great Gabriel "Flash" Elorde won will be awarded reigning world light flyweight champion Brian "The Hawaiian Punch" Viloria on Saturday at the sixth annual Elorde Boxing Awards Night at the Dusit Hotel Nikko.

Viloria, together with People’s Champion Manny Pacquiao, are the outstanding honorees in the annual awards rites in recognition of the country’s top boxers and boxing personalities organized by the Elorde clan and Johnny Elorde Management International.

"Viloria will be awarded an exact copy of the golden belt that Flash Elorde wore when he beat Harold Gomes for the world junior lightweight championship 16 years ago at the Araneta Coliseum," said Liza Elorde yesterday at the PSA forum at the Pantalan Restaurant in Manila.

Elorde knocked out Gomes in the seventh round of a bruising encounter on March 16, 1960 before a sellout crowd in the inaugural opening of the Big Dome in Quezon City.

Appearing with his husband Johnny, one of the seven children of the late boxing idol, Mrs. Elorde said that Viloria, who hopes to return on Manila on Thursday, has confirmed his attendance in the blue-ribbon event.

On the other hand, she said Pacquiao, who has been cited as Boxer of the Year for the fifth straight time, will receive another gold ring and a trophy for his sensational ring exploits in 2005.

Pacquiao, who also said he would be attending the event, needs only to win the honor two more times in a row to be enshrined in the Elorde Boxing Hall of Fame.

In the session sponsored by the Manila Sports Council and Manila city government, Mrs. Elorde said to be cited in the "Banquet of Champions" are two of his late father-in-law’s foes — Tommy Romulo and Tanny Ocampo — while he was still an up-and-coming boxer.

"These were the opponents Elorde fought while he was competing in local professional ranks. They are now in their 70s and will be there at the awards dinner," she said.

Elorde fought Ocampo and beat him twice in 1952, the last time winning a close unanimous decision in clinching the Philippine bantamweight crown on July 26, 1952.

On the other hand, The Flash battled Romulo thrice, winning two of their last matches.

In their rematch on August 18, 1954, Elorde prevailed by unanimous decision after 12 memorable action-packed rounds to win the RP junior lightweight title. Three years later, Elorde retained the crown after going the full route against the feisty Romulo.